after him upon a wrong scent; for he stood away to the northward, so
that the pursuit proved to be of no effect. Colonel Rhet's speaking with
this ship was the most unlucky thing that could have happened, because
it turned him out of the road which, in all probability, would have
brought him into the company of Vane, as well as of the pirate he went
after, and so they might have been both destroyed; whereas, by the
Colonel's going a different way, he not only lost the opportunity of
meeting with one, but if the other had not been infatuated, and lain six
weeks together at Cape Fear, he would have missed him likewise; however,
the Colonel having searched the rivers and inlets, as directed, for
several days without success, at length sailed in prosecution of his
first design, and met with the pirate accordingly, whom he fought and
took.

Captain Vane went into an inlet to the northward, where he met with
Captain Teach, otherwise Black Beard, whom he saluted (when he found who
he was) with his great guns loaded with shot: it being the custom among
pirates when they meet, to do so, though they are wide of one another:
Black Beard answered the salute in the same manner, and mutual
civilities passed between them some days, when, about the beginning of
October, Vane took leave, and sailed farther to the northward.

On the 23d of October, off Long Island, he took a small brigantine bound
from Jamaica to Salem in New England, besides a little sloop: they
rifled the brigantine, and sent her away. From thence they resolved on a
cruise between Cape Meise and Cape Nicholas, where they spent some time
without seeing or speaking with any vessel, till the latter end of
November; they then fell in with a ship, which it was expected would
have struck as soon as their black colors were hoisted; but instead of
this she discharged a broadside upon the pirate, and hoisted French