132

_I rose slowly from my chair, and stood with
my hand leaning upon the table_ " 172

_The three fellows were brought aft to the
quarter-deck, where Captain Croker stood,
just below the rail of the deck above_ " 186

_There, in the corner, I beheld the famous pirate,
Captain Edward England_ " 212

THE ROSE OF PARADISE.

I.

Although the account of the serious engagement betwixt the _Cassandra_
and the two pirate vessels in the Mozambique Channel hath already been
set to print, the publick have yet to know many lesser and more detailed
circumstances concerning the matter;[A] and as the above-mentioned
account hath caused much remark and comment, I shall take it upon me to
give many incidents not yet known, seeking to render them neither in
refined rhetorick nor with romantick circumstances such as are sometimes
used by novel and story writers to catch the popular attention, but
telling this history as directly, and with as little verbosity and
circumlocution, as possible.

[A] A brief narration of the naval engagement between Captain Mackra and
the two pirate vessels was given in the Captain's official report made
at Bombay. It appears in the life of the pirate England in Johnson's
book: "A Genuine Account of the Voyages and Plunders of the Most
Notorious Pyrates, &c." London, 1742.

For the conveniency of the reader, I shall render this true and
veracious account under sundry headings, marked I., II., III., &c., as
seen above, which may assist him in separating the less from the more
notable portions of the narrative.

* * * * *

According to my log--a diary or journal of circumstances appertaining to
shipboard--it was the nineteenth day of April, 1720, when, I being in
command of the East India Company's ship _Cassandra_, billed for Bombay
and waiting for orders to sail, comes Mr. Evans, the Company's agent,
aboard with certain sealed and important orders which he desired to
deliver to me at the last minute.

After we had come to my cabin and were set down, Mr. Evans hands me two
pacquets, one addressed to myself, the other superscribed to one
Benjamin Longways.

He then proceeded to inform me that the Company had a matter of
exceeding import and delicacy which they had no mind to intrust to any
one but such, he was pleased to say, as was a tried and worthy servant,
and that they had fixed upon me as th