olution of his is confirmed by the testimony and
confession of James Belvin, one of his fellow-criminals, who upon trial
declared that he knew that Gow and the crew of the _George_ galley had a
design to turn pirates from the beginning, and added that he discovered
it to George Dobson, in Amsterdam, before the ship went out to sea. For
the confirmation of this, George Dobson was called up again, after he
had given his evidence upon the trials, and being confronted by Belvin,
he did acknowledge that Belvin had said so, and that in particular he
had said that the boatswain had a design to murder the master and some
others and run away with the ship. Being asked why he did not
immediately reveal it to the master, Captain Ferneau, he answered that
he heard Belvin tell the mate of it, and that the mate told the captain;
but the captain made light of it. But the boatswain finding himself
discovered, refused to go, upon which Gow was made second mate, and
Belvin was made boatswain; an he had been as honest afterwards as
before (whereas on the contrary, he was as forward and active as any of
them, except that he was not in the first secret nor in the murders), he
might have escaped what afterwards became so justly his due. But as they
acted together, Justice required that they should suffer together, and
accordingly, Gow and Williams, Belvin, Melvin, Winter, Peterson,
Rowlinson and MacCauly, received the reward of their cruelty and blood
at the gallows, being all executed together on the eleventh of June.

It happened that Gow being a very strong man, and giving a kind of
spring, it so strained the rope that, on some people pulling him by the
legs, it broke and he fell down, after he had remained about four
minutes suspended. His fall stunned him a little, but as soon as he was
taken up, he recovered himself so far as to be able to ascend the ladder
a second time, which he did with very little concern, dying with the
same brutal ferocity which animated all his actions while alive. His
body hangs in chains over against Greenwich, as that of Williams does
over against Blackwall.

FOOTNOTES:

[102] The most northerly of the islands.

[103] The word is here used in its original sense, indicating
something acquired by seeking--or hunting--_pour chasser._

[104] The island of Carrick.

[105] According to Johnson's _History of the Pirates_ (Chap.
XVIII) Gow's real motive for returning to the Orkneys was t