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August
1st, 1635.
After me lucky
escape from justice in Margarita, I decides ta call at a few ports
'n recruit meself some more men.
Heading north
towards tha pirate town 'o St Kitts, we runs into another bleedin'
Spanish Frigate.
Now maties, I
still be out-gunned and out-manned by tha dons, but I's wantin' this
'ere Frigate to add to me fleet. So I asks me men if'n they be up
fer a bit 'o piracy. Needless ta sey, we soon engaged tha Frig and
were patiently takin' out her sails wit chain-shot. Within a few
moments, me gunners had began to rake her deck wit grapeshot while
me sharpshooters picked off tha stricken Spanish swabs from tha
rigging.
Takin' a risk,
I decides its time ta go 'n introduce ourselves to tha unfortunate
survivors. Me lads soon poured onto her deck as tha two ships
grappled together 'n it wasn't long before tha Spaniards hoisted
thar favourite colour - white.
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Well lads, here
we wus, wit a nice big Frigate ta pillage and claim as our own. But
just I wus try'n ta tink of a name fer me new ship, me bleedin'
first mate tells me we aint got enough sailors fer both vessels!
To sey I wus a
tad upset wus an understatement. Anyhow, we pillages what we could
'n scuttled tha Frigate. A few surviving Spanish sailors expressed
thar desire to join me hardy crew, so I thanked 'em fer thar
interests but explained me policy 'o not signing up Spaniards or
French, as they 'appen ta make tha worst seaman known ta man.
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Anyhow, to
cheer me men up a bit, we decided ta keal-haul me prisoners all tha
way to St Kitts where I decided ta pay a visit to me auld mate,
Harvey Watkin. He be tha pirate gov'nor I installed thar several
months previous.
I must admit,
ol Harvey made a better pirate than 'e did gov'nor, fer St Kitts had
fell into disrepair and tha place be full 'o lice-ridden scum from
all over tha Caribbean. Even tha bleedin' shipwright had nottin' fer
us ta buy. Food wus scarce, and thar be an out-break 'o scurvy
spreadin' through tha town.
Needless ta sey,
we didn't stay long, just made a few repairs to me Sloop, and
shipped out ta Cartagena tha next day.
Cap'n Cognito,
1st day 'o August, 1635.
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