Swallow

Posted by Brian on Tuesday 1st of July 2014 23:29

The London Gazette Publication date:1 September 1722
Admiralty Office, September 3.
Letter from Captain Ogle Commander of His Majesty's ship Swallow, dated from Cape Coast Road, in Africa, April 5, 1722
In mine bearing date the 6th of November last, I gave an account that His Majesty's ships company under my command were on recovery, and that I intended in a few days to ply to windward and cruize between Cape Palmas and Cape Three Points. I sailed accordingly the 10th. The Weymouth I left here, (most of the men being sick) with orders that she was with respects fit for the sea, to proceed and cruize between Cape Mount and Cape Three Points till the 30th of December. On the 30th of November I spoke with a ship belonging to the African Company, come from London, by which I received Mr. Secretary Burehett's letter dated the 3d of August, acquainting me that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty had ordered me three months provisions, and wine in proportion to be sent for the use of his Majesty's ships here; the master of the said Company's ship informed me he had the proportion of beef, pork, and some of the bread aboard, and that the other provisions with the wine I might expect very soon by a ship that was to leave England soon after he sailed. The 7th of January I returned hither in hopes to find the said provisions and wine all arrived, but was disappointed, for neither the wine or dry provisions were come. The sickness aboard the Weymouth was not at all abated but the dry season being come hindered her being further supplied with water at this place, so that Captain Heardman, with his small number of men that were in health, and some soldiers borrowed from this castle, plyed up to windward to water at Cape Three Points. I took in a months beef, pork, and bread which with the provisions I had on board, completed me to three months of all species, peace and oatmeal excepted. On the 10th the Governor here received advice from the Dutch, that on the 6th two pyrate ships had taken a French ship off of Axim, I left orders for Captain Heardman at his return to cruize (as soon as she was in condition for the sea) between Cape Three Points and Cape Palmas till the 25th of March, and I forthwith got under sail and ranged down the coast for Whydah, but could gain no intelligence of the Pyrats till I arrived there, though I met with several ships trading on the coast in my passage down. On my arrival at Whydah I was informed that two pyrate ships, one of 40 and one other of 24 guns commanded by one Robbera had been there, and I had sailed about 26 hours before. I found 10 sail of ships in the road two of which were English, three French, and five Portuguese, they had all ransomed at the rate of eight pounds weight of gold each; an English ship, for refusing to ransom, the pyrates had burnt with a considerable number of Negro's on board. The pyrates being informed that a French ship they had taken sailed well and had formerly been a privateer of St. Malo, did, notwithstanding a ransom paid for her, carry her away with a design to fit her for their service and quit their 24 gun ship. Therefore I judged they must go to some place in the bite to clean and fit the French ship, before they would think of cruizing again; which occasioned me to stretch away into the bite, and look into those places which I knew had depth of water sufficient for his Majesty’s ship. On the 5th of February at daylight, I saw Cape Lopez, and at the same time discovered three ships at anchor under the Cape, which I believed to be the pyrates, two of them having pendants flying. I was obliged to haul off N.W. and W.N.W. to clear the Frenchmans Bank, the wind at S.S.E. and in less than an hour one of the tree got under sail and gave me chase; and I, to give her a fairer opportunity of coming up with me without being discovered, kept on the same course, with the same sail aboard I had when I first saw her. About eleven that morning she got within gun shot of me and fired several chase guns, under English colours and a black flag at her mizen-peck; soon afterwards, being come within musket shot, I star boarded my helm and gave her a broadside and in an hour and a half's time she struck and called for quarter, we having disabled her very much, and shot down he main-top-mast; she provided to be the French ship they had taken out of Whydah Road, and had put into her 32 guns and 123 men, 23 of whom were blacks, she had 26 men killed or wounded, the Captains name was Skyrm, who had a leg shot off; the prisoners informed me, that the two ship they left at anchor under the Cape were Roberta in the 40 gun ship, and the other 24 gun ship they had that morning quitted for the prize. The 6th in the night, I left the prize, having put her into the best condition for sailing for so short a time would allow of, and ordered her away to the Island Princes. I made the best of my way to windward again, in order to descry that two ships that remained at anchor under Cape Lopez. On the 9th in the evening, I made the Cape, and saw two ships stretching in under the land about five leagues distant, but not having day-light enough I was obliged to stand off and on all night, and in the morning I stretched in under the Cape where I saw at anchor three ships, with biggest of them with Jack Ensign and Pendant flying, whom I lay up with till I got within random shot, when the wind took me ahead and I made two ships in which time she slipped and got under sail and came down upon me, with English Ensign and Jack, and a black pendant flying at her main-top-mast-head, and I threw her a French Ensign, when she came within pistol shot, I hoisted my proper colours and gave her a broadside, which she returned and endeavoured to get from me by making all the sail she could, but in less than two hours I shot her main mast down, and the she struck, her mizen-top-mast being shot away sometime before. The Captain whose name was Roberts was killed, his prize, formerly called the Onslow, and since by the pyrates the Royal Fortune, had 40 guns mounted and a 152 men, 52 of whom were Negroes. The next day I ? back again for the Cape, in order to take out the 24 gun ship the pyrates had quitted, and restore to the third (which was a ship freighted by the Africa Company - Hill Commander) such provisions as the pyrates had robbed him of, together with his surgeon and four men, Roberts having seized her the day before I took him, as she was coming to under the Cape to Water, but anchoring again under the Cape the 12th I found there only the pyrate ship of 24 guns without any body aboard her, all the mens chests being broke open and rifled, which occasions me to believe, that by the speedy sailing of the above said Company's hired ship , which had a very small quantity of water or provision a board two days before, they must have robbed her, otherwise could not possibly have sailed so soon. The pyrates informed me they had left in her chests aboard a considerable quantity of gold, but not above 10 ounces were found aboard her. The quantity of gold that I have got out of all the prizes will amount to about 3000l. and I beg the Lords of the Admiralty will use their good offices with his Majesty that the prize may be shared among the captors. The 18th of February I completed watering and sailed for Princes, from whence I took out the prize and then proceeded directly for the Cape Coast. The three prizes lost company with me in a tornado near St. Thomas. The 15th of March I arrived here, where I found the dry provisions and wine, which arrived not here before the latter end of February. The 26th of the same month the Weymouth anchored here and then proceeded to the trail of the pyrates. Captain Heardman sitting as President of the Court; I being captor was disqualified from sitting. The 3d of April the tree prizes arrived. As soon as the court has made an end of trying the pyrates I shall lose no time, but according to my instructions, shall proceed by the way of Barbadoes and Jamaica, to Great Britain. P.S. since my last, I buried my first Lieutenant Mr. Batton who came out of England second.