Jon Hagadorn

His story is but short, for his reign was so, an end having been put to his adventures in good time, when he was growing strong and formidable.

We find Captain Martel, commander of a pirate sloop of eight guns and eighty men, in the month of September 1716, cruising off Jamaica, Cuba, and other islands in that region, about which time he took the Berkeley galley, Captain Saunders, and plundered him of a thousand liras in money, and afterwards met with a sloop called the King Solomon, from whom he took some money and provisions, besides goods, to a good value.

They proceeded after this to the port of Cavena, at the island of Cuba, and in their way took two sloops, which they plundered, and let go, and off the port fell in with a fine galley, with twenty guns, called the John and Martha, which they attacked under the piratical black flag, and made themselves masters of her.

They put some of the men ashore, and others they detained, as they had done several times, to increase their company.

But Captain Martell charged Captain Willison to advise his owners that their ship would answer his purpose exactly by taking one deck down, and as for the cargo, which consisted chiefly of logwood and sugar, he would take care it should be carried to a good market.

having fitted up the aforesaid ship, as they designed, they mounted it with twenty-two guns, one hundred men, and left twenty-five hands in the sloop, and so proceeded to cruise off the leeward islands, where they met with but too much success.

After the taking of a sloop and a brigantine, they gave chase to a stout ship which they came up with, and, at the sight of the pirate's flag, she struck to the robbers, being a ship of twenty guns, called the Dolphin, bound for Newfoundland.

Captain Martel made the men prisoners and carried the ship with him.

The middle of December the pirates took another galley in her voyage home from Jamaica, called the Kent, Captain Lawton, and shifted her to provisions aboard their own ship and let her go, which obliged her to sail back to Jamaica for supply for her voyage.

After this they met with a small ship and a sloop belonging to Barbados.

Out of both they took provisions and then parted with them, having first taken out some of their hands, who were willing to be forced to go along with them.

The greyhound galley of London, Captain Evans, from Guinea to Jamaica, was the next that had the misfortune to fall in their way, which they did not detain long, for as soon as they could get out all her gold dust, elephant's teeth, and forty slaves, they sent her onwards upon her voyage.

They concluded now that it was high time to get into harbour and refit, as well as to get refreshments themselves, and wait an opportunity to dispose of their cargo.

Therefore it was resolved to make the best of their way to Santa Cruz, a small island in the latitude of 1830 north, and two miles broad, lying southeast of Puerto Rico, belonging to the French settlements.

Here they thought they might lie privately enough for some time, and fit themselves for further mischief.

They met with a sloop by the way, which they took along with them, and in the beginning of the year 1716-1717 they arrived at their port having a ship of twenty guns, a sloop of eight, and three prizes, another ship of twenty guns, a sloop of four guns, and another sloop last taken.

With this little fleet they got into a small harbour, or road, the north-west part of the island, and warped up two creeks, which were made by a little island lying within the bay.

I am the more particular now, because I shall take leave of the gentlemen at this place.

They had here bare sixteen foot water at the deepest, all but thirteen or fourteen at the shallowest, and nothing but rocks and sands without, which secured them from wind and sea, and likewise from any considerable force coming against them.

When they had all got in the first thing they had to do was to guard themselves in the best manner they could.