done, they designed for the river Methelage, on the west side of
Madagascar, in the lat. of 16 degrees or thereabouts, to salt up
provisions and to proceed to the East Indies, cruise off the islands of
St. John, and lie in wait for the Moor ships from Mocha.

In their way to Methelage they fell in (as I have said) with the pirate,
on board of which was Capt. White. They joined company, came to an
anchor together in the above named river, where they had cleaned, salted
and took in their provisions, and were ready to go to sea, when a large
ship appeared in sight, and stood into the same river.

The pirates knew not whether she was a merchantman or man-of-war. She
had been the latter, belonging to the French king, and could mount 50
guns; but being taken by the English, she was bought by some London
merchants, and fitted out from that port to slave at Madagascar, and go
to Jamaica. The captain was a young, inexperienced man, who was put in
with a nurse.

The pirates sent their boats to speak with them, but the ship firing at
them, they concluded it a man of war, and rowed ashore; the grab
standing in, and not keeping her wind so well as the French built ship,
run among a parcel of mangroves, and a stump piercing her bottom, she
sunk: the other run aground, let go her anchor, and came to no damage,
for the tide of flood fetched her off.

The captain of the Speaker, for that was the name of the ship which
frightened the pirates, was not a little vain of having forced these two
vessels ashore, though he did not know whether they were pirates or
merchantmen, and could not help expressing himself in these words: "How
will my name ring on the exchange, when it is known I have run two