ved at the Cape, he received a letter that had
been written by the Governor of Pondicherry to the Governor of Madras,
informing him that the pirates were strong in the Indian seas; that they
had eleven sail, and fifteen hundred men; but adding, that many of them
retired about that time to Brazil and Guinea, while others fortified
themselves at Madagascar, Mauritius, Johanna, and Mohilla; and that a
crew under the command of Condin, in a ship called the Dragon, had
captured a vessel with thirteen lacks of rupees on board, and having
divided their plunder, had taken up their residence with their friends
at Madagascar.

Upon receiving this intelligence, Commodore Matthews sailed for these
islands, as the most probable place of success. He endeavored to prevail
on England, at St. Mary's, to communicate to him what information he
could give respecting the pirates; but England declined, thinking that
this would be almost to surrender at discretion. He then took up the
guns of the Jubilee sloop that were on board, and the men-of-war made
several cruises in search of the pirates, but to no purpose. The
squadron was then sent down to Bombay, was saluted by the fort, and
after these exploits returned home.

The pirate, Captain Taylor, in the Cassandra, now fitted up the
Portuguese man-of-war, and resolved upon another voyage to the Indies;
but, informed that four men-of-war had been sent after the pirates in
that quarter, he changed his determination, and sailed for Africa.
Arrived there, they put in a place near the river Spirito Sancto, on the
coast of Monomotapa. As there was no correspondence by land, nor any
trade carried on by sea to this place, they thought that it would afford
a safe retreat. To their astonishment, however, when they approached the
shore, it being in the dusk of the evening, they were accosted by
several shot. They immediately anchored, and in the morning saw that
the shot had come from a small fort of six guns, which they attacked and
destroyed.

This small fort was erected by the Dutch East India Company a few weeks
before, and committed to the care of 150 men, the one half of whom had
perished by sickness or other causes. Upon their petition, sixteen of
these were admitted into the society of the pirates; and the rest would
also have been received, had they not been Dutchmen, to whom they had a
rooted aversion.

In this place they continued during four months, refitting their
vessels, and amusing