Jon Hagadorn

And as they now lived separate, the thing might easily have been done had not a woman, who had been wife or concubine to one of them, run near twenty miles in three hours to discover the matter to them.

Immediately upon the alarm they ran together as fast as they could, so that when the negroes approached them they found them all up in arms, wherefore they retired without making any attempt.

This escape made them very cautious from that time, and it would be worthwhile to describe the policy of these brutish fellows and to show what measures they took to secure themselves.

They found that the fear of their power could not secure them against a surprise, and the bravest man may be killed when he is asleep by one much his inferior in courage and strength.

Therefore, as their first security, they did all they could to foment war betwixt the neighboring Negro, remaining neutral themselves, by which means—

Those who were overcome constantly lied to them for protection, otherwise they must be either killed or made slaves.

They strengthened their party and tied some of them by interest.

When there was no war, they contrived to spirit up private quarrels among them, and upon every little dispute or misunderstanding, push on one side or the other to revenge, instruct them on how to attack or surprise their adversaries, and lend them loaded pistols or fire-blocks to dispatch them with.

the consequence of which was that the murderer was forced to fly to them for the safety of his life with his wives, children, and kindred.

Such as these were fast friends, as their lives depended upon the safety of his protectors, for as we observed before, our pirates were grown so terrible that none of their neighbors had resolution enough to attack them in an open war.

By such arts as these, in the space of a few years, their body was greatly increased, and

They then began to separate themselves, and remove at a greater distance from another, for the convenience of more ground, and were divided like Jews into tribes, each carrying with him his wives and children, of which by this time they had a large family, as also their quota of dependents and followers.

And if power and command be the thing which distinguish a prince, these ruffians had all the marks of royalty about them.

nay more, they had the very fears which commonly disturb tyrants, as may be seen by the extreme caution they took in fortifying the places where they dwelt.

In this plan of fortification they imitated one another.

Their dwellings were rather citadels than houses.

They made choice of a place overgrown with wood and situated near water.

They raised a rampart or high ditch round it, so straight and high that it was impossible to climb it, and especially by those who had not the use of scaling ladders.

Over this ditch there was one passage into the wood, the dwelling, which was a hut in that part of the wood which the prince, who inhabited it, thought fit, but so covered that it could not be seen till you came at it.

But the greatest cunning lay in the passage which led to the hut, which was so narrow that no more than one person could go abreast, and contrived in so intricate a manner that it was a perfect maze or labyrinth, it being round and round, with several little crossways, so that a person that was not well acquainted with the way might walk several hours round and cross these ways without being able to find the hut.