A draught of the Bay of Honduras and part of the Musquetto Shore
1764 draught by G. Robertson
Roatan
Island, Bay of Honduras, 14th of February, 1717/8
Approaching this place, two days hence, captured William
Wade in William & Samuel who had loaded logwood from ye mainland
shore. He watered here, as most do. As his vessel was needed to careen ours,
ordered him to throw logwood into ye sea and accompany us to Truxillo.
Today, we made for Truxillo Bay to careen under ye
guns of ye fort. William & Samuel under William Howard’s command.
Ye old Spanish Castillo fortification here fell to
ye English decades hence and now, serves as protection against ye Spaniards.
Transferred twelve cannon from brig Marshall
to ye shore batteries and burned ye worm-ridden hulk in ye bay. Command post in
ye old offices while ye crew refresh themselves in ye Guard House.
Hands and Howard in Two Brothers and William
& Samuel pulled QAR over to expose her hull. On ye shore beneath
ye guns o’ye fort.
Portion of A draught of the Bay of Honduras
and part of the Musquetto Shore, showing Trujillo Bay and anchorage. 1764
draught by G. Robertson
Truxillo
Bay, Bay of Honduras, 28th of February, 1717/8
Thru with caulking and cleaning QAR so
refloated her. Then, hauled Revenge over and did ye same.
Ye company are fast eating through provisions.
On
board Queen Anne’s Revenge, at Utilla, 7th of April,
1718
After careening, set sayle for Turniff at northward
end of Yakatan [Yucatan Peninsula], hoping for word of Veracruz and ye
warships. Revenge remained at Truxillo to guard ye fort.
Found here 70-ton Land of Promise of Rhode
Island, master Thomas Newton. Ye day after capturing Newton, David Herriot, in
80-ton Adventure came in, flying a red pavilion. His owner, Daniel
Axtell of Port Royal seen my letter to Bernard asking for three sloops and sent
Herriot to aid us.
Just before sunset, Richards in Revenge
alerted us to a large vessel of Boston likely come to cut logwood. They traded
fire, but ye ship bested ym and got away.
Herriot says that ye ship must be Protestant
Caesar of Boston, Capt. William Wyer, who had left when he did from Port
Royal with Jonathan Bernard’s sloops coming also to our aid. Herriot believed QAR
to be Wyer when he spied our sayle.
I knew Wyer, but was disturbed by his firing upon Revenge
and his being from Boston, that nest of traitors who hanged pirates! Wyer must
not brag when he returns to New England that he had beat a Pirate! I have vowed
to burn all vessels of Boston who cross my path.
Put prize crew aboard Land of Promise, ordered
ym, Richards and Herriot to make sayle immediately for ye main in Honduras Bay.
As it is late, it necessitated we put in at Utilla Island for ye night.
Here, we happened upon ye Dolphin, a Spanish
sloop coming from ye north. Our courses drew together as we paralleled one
another for many leagues.
Their tale was an odd one. Seems they were
prisoners being sent from trial in Veracruz to ye Spanish presidio at Pensacola.
En route, the prisoners mutinied against their commander James Burchett and ye
Spanish passengers left ym on “Combahere Island,” near Pensacola. Afterward,
they sayled southward to Utilla.
Ye Spanish watched closely ye Diamond
Man-o-War at Vera Cruz and claimed she was weakly manned. No mention of ye
other warship there; however Herriot tells us H.M.S. Adventure oft joins
Diamond to cruize ye gulf.
In all eagerness, these prisoners joined us as
pirates, excepting one passenger [Martin] Preston, who asked to be freed.
Feeling pleased and generous I agreed.
I ordered Dolphin to sayle to Truxillo Bay
upon ye morn and await me there.
On
board Queen Anne’s Revenge, at ye main in Honduras Bay, 8th
of April, 1718
Departed Utilla at 8 of ye clock in morn. Set SWbS
course with wind at our backs. Dolphin set out for Truxillo.
In an hour, we spied four sloops to our stern
rapidly closing on us. In ye glass, I saw they flew red pavilions and guessed
it might be Bernard. Herriot signaled “friends.”
We dropped sayle to await our “friends.”
Soon, Jonathan Bernard’s sloop, Dutchman,
appeared with three others, all flying red banners.
Ordered salute fired.
Four came back.
Bernard came in his boat to QAR. Inquiring
as to ye health of my family, he assured me all were well. I handed him a
letter for them, to send by Bernard.
All slaves from below were brought on deck to be
transferred to Bernard’s sloops. It took four boats to transfer ye cargo in a
half hour. Some of Dutchman’s crew divided to ye others of Bernard’s
sloops.
One of ye sloops come with Bernard from Jamaica was
captained by Edward James, a former associate and pirate who had accepted of ye
pardon, according to Bernard. I spoke with Bernard about him – to watch him
close.
As Bernard’s sloops were mine to use as I please
for now, I then ordered Adventure, and Land of Promise to return
to Truxillo Bay with Edward James in Eagle sloop. Osbourne and Herriot might
well handle whatever they meet at ye bay and fort. I gave them strict orders
not to let James out of sight. Ye other two of Bernard’s sloops, and ye Dutchman,
accompanied QAR and Revenge to ye shore to hunt for Protestant
Caesar.
Raised sayles and made all speed for ye main.
Made ye main shore at 11 of ye clock.
Holding within half league of ye shore, we changed
course directly west and followed ye coast.
At noon and a half, we spied sayle on ye main. A
large three-masted vessel. Herriot signaled it be our prey.
Then, we drew together tightly and sayled SW into
ye shore with our black and red pavilions flying.
A boat came out to meet us. Wyer’s men easily
recognized ye Revenge, and likely quaked in fear at ye chilling sight of
40-gun QAR with her “Devil” in command!
As my quartermaster [William] Howard had predicted,
Wyer surrendered on ye spot. A man surprised is half-beaten. My Devil won ye
day!