tell at once if any thing was concealed. I told him there was not.
After my return to the ship towards night, the pirates left us for
the first time, and we hoped they had done with us. But next morning
another sch'r and sloop appeared in the offing, and the privateer
and one of the loaded sloops went out to meet them. They all
returned together, the privateer anchored, and a boat's crew came
towards us. I attempted to go on board the privateer to see her
captain, but was ordered back. When they came on board, they said
they had come to find where the gold &c. was, and that if we would
not tell, they would hang every man of us and burn the ship. Davis,
the spokesman, drew his knife and swore, that every man should die,
unless he found the money, and first he would hang the supercargo.
He called for a rope, which he had brought on board, fitted with a
hangman's noose, sent a man up to the mizen yard and rove it and
brought the noose down--and one man held it, and another stood ready
to hoist. Now, said Davis, tell me where is the money, where are
your diamonds, or I will hang you this minute. In vain I repeated I
had nothing more but my watch, which I offered and he refused.--Once
more, said he, will you tell? I have nothing to tell, said I. On
with the rope, said the villain, and hoist away. The fellow with the
noose came towards me, and I sprang overboard. They took me up,
after some time, apparently insensible. They took off all my
cloaths, and laid me on my back on deck, naked as I was born, except
having a blanket thrown over me. Here I laid five hours without
moving hand or foot. Meanwhile they robbed us of every thing of the
least value. Against me they seemed to have a particular spite,
stealing even the ring from my finger, and all my cloaths from my
trunks which they sent on board the privateer.

At night they left us, but returned once or twice, for a few
minutes, to see how I was. That night the privateer, with two or
three of her convoy went to sea, and next morning, Christmas day, we
got under way.--Having taken good notice of the courses steered in
coming in, and keeping the lead constantly going, we found our way
out to _blue water_ without much difficulty, and next morning, 26th,
arrived without further accident at Havana.

The privateer was, I think, fitted out from