able sailor. He took out of his prizes what he had occasion
for, forty able negro sailors, and a white carpenter. The largest sloop,
which was about ninety tons, he took for his own use, and mounted her
with 12 guns. His crew was now about eighty men, whites and blacks.

[Illustration: _The Master Caned by Captain Lewis._]

After these captures, he cruised in the Gulf of Florida, laying in wait
for the West India homeward bound ships that took the leeward passage,
several of which, falling into his hands, were plundered by him, and
released. From hence he went to the coast of Carolina, where he cleaned
his sloop, and a great many men whom he had forced, ran away from him.
However, the natives traded with him for rum and sugar, and brought him
all he wanted, without the government's having any knowledge of him, for
he had got into a very private creek; though he was very much on his
guard, that he might not be surprised from the shore.

From Carolina he cruised on the coast of Virginia, where he took and
plundered several merchantmen, and forced several men, and then returned
to the coast of Carolina, where he did abundance of mischief. As he had
now an abundance of French on board, who had entered with him, and
Lewis, hearing the English had a design to maroon them, he secured the
men he suspected, and put them in a boat, with all the other English,
ten leagues from shore, with only ten pieces of beef, and sent them
away, keeping none but French and negroes. These men, it is supposed,
all perished in the sea.

From the coast of Carolina he shaped his course for the banks of
Newfoundland, where he overhauled several fishing vessels, and then went
into Trinity Harbor in Conception Bay, where there lay several
merchantmen, and seized a 24 gun galley, called the Herman. The
commander, Captain Beal, told Lewis, if he would send his quarter master
ashore he would furnish him with necessaries. He being sent ashore, a
council was held among the masters, the consequence of which was, the
seizing the quarter master, whom they carried to Captain Woodes Rogers.
He chained him to a sheet anchor which was ashore, and planted guns at
the point, to prevent the pirate getting out, but to little purpose; for
the people at one of these points firing too soon, Lewis quitted the
ship, and, by the help of oars and the favor of the night, got out in
his sloop, though she received many shot in her hull. The last shot that
was fired at the