White, hankering after home, proposed going out again in the boat; for
he was adverse to settling with them; and many others agreed to go under
his command; and if they could meet with a ship to carry them to Europe,
to follow their old vocation. But the others did not think it reasonable
he should have the boat, but that it should be set to sale for the
benefit of the company. Accordingly it was set up, and Captain White
bought it for 400 pieces of eight, and with some of his old consorts,
whose number was increased by others of the ship's crew, he went back
the way he had come to Methelage. Here he met with a French ship of
about 50 tons, and 6 guns, which had been taken by some pirates who
lived at Maratan, on the east side of the island, and some of the
Degrave East-Indiaman's crew, to whom the master of her refused a
passage to Europe; for as he had himself been a pirate, and
quarter-master to Bowen, in the Speaker, he apprehended their taking
away his ship. War then existing between England and France, he thought
they might do it without being called in question as pirates. The
pirates who had been concerned in taking Herault's ship, for that was
his name, had gone up the country, and left her to the men belonging to
the Degrave, who had fitted her up, cleaned and tallowed her, and got in
some provision, with a design to go to the East-Indies, that they might
light on some ship to return to their own country.

Captain White, finding these men proposed joining him, and going round
to Ambonavoula, to make up a company, it was agreed upon, and they
unanimously chose him commander. They accordingly put to sea, and stood
away round the south end of the island, and touched at Don Mascarenhas,
where he took in a surgeon, and stretching over again to Madagascar,
fell in with Ambonavoula, and made up his complement of 60 men. From
hence he shaped his course for the island of Mayotta, where he cleaned
his ship, and waited for the season to go into the Red Sea. His