ises, of which the following history exhibits as
extraordinary an instance as perhaps is anythere to be found.

In giving an account of this malefactor, we are obliged to begin with
his embarking on board the vessel which he afterwards seized and went
a-pirating in. It was called the _George_ galley, and was of about two
hundred tons burden, commanded by Oliver Ferneau, a Frenchman, but a
subject of the Crown of England, who entertained this Gow as a private
seaman only, but afterwards, to his great misfortune, preferred him to
be the second mate in the voyage of which we are next to speak.

Captain Ferneau being a man of reputation among the merchants of
Amsterdam, got a voyage for his ship from thence to Santa Cruz on the
coast of Barbary, to load beeswax, and to carry it to Genoa, which was
his delivering port; and as the Dutch, having war with the Turks of
Algiers, were willing to employ him as an English ship, so he was as
willing to be manned with English seamen, and accordingly among the
rest, he unhappily took on board this Gow with his wretched gang, such
as MacCauly, Melvin, Williams and others. But not being able to man
themselves wholly with English or Scots, he was obliged to take some
Swedes, and other seamen to make his complement, which was twenty-three
in all. Among the latter sort, one was named Winter, and another
Peterson, both of them Swedes by nation, but wicked as Gow and his other
fellows were. They sailed from the Texel in the month of August, 1724,
and arrived at Santa Cruz on the second of September following, where
having a super-cargo on board, who took charge of the loading, and four
chests of money to purchase it, they soon got the beeswax, on board, and
on the third of November they appointed to set sail to pursue the
voyage.

That day the ship having lain two months in the road at Santa Cruz,
taking in her lading, the captain made preparations to put to sea, and
the usual signals for sailing having been given, some of the merchants
from on shore, who had been concerned in furnishing the cargo, came on
board in the forenoon to take their leave of the captain, and wish him a
good voyage, as is usual on such occasions. Whether it was concerted by
the whole gang beforehand, we know not, but while the captain was
treating and entertaining the merchants under the awning upon the
quarter deck, as is the custom in those hot countries, three of the
seamen, viz., Winter and Peterson, two Swedes,