ll that they had already passed the
straits. On the 16th of February they took an English barque from
Torbay, laden with salt. With the exception of the mate and two men,
the crew were removed from the prize, and ten Algerines, with the Dutch
and one English renegado, who were all in the plot, were sent on board
instead. Before they left the _Exchange_, Rawlins assured them that he
would make his attempt that night or the next, and give them a signal by
which they might know when he was about it, advising them to acquaint
the English in the barque with their design, and to steer towards the
English coast. Next morning the Algerine captain got very much out of
humour in consequence of not seeing the prize; and Rawlins, fearing that
he might return to Algiers, thought it high time to put his plan into
execution. He had already made the master and crew of the Torbay vessel
acquainted with it; he now told the Algerine captain that there was a
great deal of water below, and that it did not come to the pumps because
the ship was too far by the head. For the purpose of remedying this an
order was issued to bring four guns astern; two of them were accordingly
placed with their mouths directly before the binnacle. Rawlins had
already provided himself with sufficient powder, which he obtained from
the gunner, to prime the pieces. He now assured the captain that in
order to right the ship all hands must work at the pumps. While this
was doing, two matches were brought, one between two spoons, and the
other in a can, and immediately one of the guns being discharged, the
binnacle was shattered to pieces. On this signal, all the English
collected together, and having seized such arms as they could lay hold
of quickly cleared the hold, while another party made themselves masters
of the magazine and arms. The pirates, who were on the poop, now
attacked the English, who, being by this time all armed, compelled them
to cry for quarter. They were ordered to come down one by one. So
enraged were the English that several of the pirates were killed, while
others leaped into the sea. Thus of forty-five Algerines who were on
board, the captain and five more alone were saved. With these the
gallant Rawlins and his men arrived at Plymouth on the 15th of February,
1622. The Torbay barque reached Penzance, in Cornwall, having all along
persuaded the Algerines that they were going to Algiers, till they came
in sight of England. When