nd from thence
this Spring with 45 Men he came to Newfoundland, into the Harbour of
Trepassi,[13] towards the latter end of June last, with Drums beating,
Trumpets sounding, and other Instruments of Musick, English Colours
flying, their Pirate Flagg at the Topmast-Head, with Deaths Head and
Cutlash, and there being 22 sail in that Harbour, upon the sight of
the Pirate the Men all fled on Shore and left their Vessels, which
they possess'd themselves off, burnt, sunk and destroyed all of them,
excepting one Bristol Gally, which they designed to be their best
Pirate Ship, if a better did not present. After they did all the
mischief they could in that Harbour, they came on upon the Banks,
where they met nine or ten sail of Frenchmen, one of whom is the
Pirate Ship of 26 Guns abovesaid, taken from a French-man, unto whom
Roberts the Pirate gave the Bristol Gally, but sunk and destroyed all
the other French Vessels, taking first out what Guns were fit for his
own Ship, and all other valuable Goods.

[Footnote 12: Grenada, not yet a British possession.]

[Footnote 13: At the southeast corner of Newfoundland, just west of
Cape Race.]

Roberts the Pirate designed from Newfoundland to range thro' the
Western and Canary Islands, and so to the Southward, to the Island of
New Providence,[14] possest by Negroe's, in South Latitude 17, which
they say is the place of the Pirates General Rendezvous, where they
have a Fortification and a great Magazine of Powder, etc. where they
intend to spend their Money with the Portuguize Negro Women. Roberts
the Pirate says, that there is a French Pirate on the North Coast of
America, who gives no Quarter to any Nation, and if he met him, he
would give him none. The Pirates seems much enraged at Bristol Men,
for Capt. Rogers sake, whom they hate as they do the Spaniards.

[Footnote 14: This island seems to be imaginary. In the Atlantic,
which seems to be meant, there is no island in 17 deg. S. lat. except St.
Helena. In the Indian Ocean there is a Providence Island in 9 deg. S.
lat., north of Madagascar. But newspaper accuracy was no greater then
than now. Roberts went first to the West Indies, then to the west
coast of Africa, where after many exploits he was killed in battle
with H.M.S. _Swallow_, 50, in February, 1722. Johnson, first ed., pp.
179-188, 193-214. The captain of the _Swallow_ was knighted for the
exploit (capturing 187 pirates), and afterward became famous as
Admiral Sir Chalone