lf with going ashore
among the planters, where he revelled night and day. By these he was
well received, but whether out of love or fear I cannot say. Sometimes
he used them courteously enough, and made them presents of rum and sugar
in recompense of what he took from them; but, as for liberties, which it
is said he and his companions often took with the wives and daughters of
the planters, I cannot take upon me to say whether he paid them _ad
valorem_ or no. At other times he carried it in a lordly manner towards
them, and would lay some of them under contribution; nay, he often
proceeded to bully the governor, not that I can discover the least
cause of quarrel between them, but it seemed only to be done to show he
dared do it.

The sloops trading up and down this river being so frequently pillaged
by Black-beard, consulted with the traders and some of the best planters
what course to take. They saw plainly it would be in vain to make an
application to the governor of North Carolina, to whom it properly
belonged to find some redress; so that if they could not be relieved
from some other quarter, Black-beard would be like to reign with
impunity; therefore, with as much secrecy as possible, they sent a
deputation to Virginia, to lay the affair before the governor of that
colony, and to solicit an armed force from the men-of-war lying there to
take or destroy this pirate.

This governor consulted with the captains of the two men-of-war, viz.,
the _Pearl_ and _Lime_, who had lain in St. James's river about ten
months. It was agreed that the governor should hire a couple of small
sloops, and the men-of-war should man them. This was accordingly done,
and the command of them given to Mr. Robert Maynard, first lieutenant of
the _Pearl_, an experienced officer, and a gentleman of great bravery
and resolution, as will appear by his gallant behavior in this
expedition. The sloops were well manned, and furnished with ammunition
and small arms, but had no guns mounted.

About the time of their going out the governor called an assembly, in
which it was resolved to publish a proclamation, offering certain
rewards to any person or persons who, within a year after that time,
should take or destroy any pirate. The original proclamation, being in
our hands, is as follows:--

By his Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the
Colony and Dominion of Virginia.