Pirate References in Le Nouveau Mercure - June 1718

p. 174-175:

OF JUNE

SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL
In Lisbon, June 8

... A large English forban [pirate] having entered the River on the 3rd during a very thick fog, landed a vessel of his Nation, which to have its charge, cut the Cables, took it away with impunity: it has just arrived a [French frigate] which led here a Corsair of Salé, assembled of 38 pieces of Canon & 130 men of crew: He had taken an English vessel coming from the Ladders of the Levant.

We have just heard that the flotilla from Brazil was within reach of the Coasts of Portugal. Two richly loaded Spanish vessels, coming from the South Sea, before met on their way to the sea, joined her to take advantage of her escort, & for not to be surprised by the Forbans [pirates] who crossed in these Seas.


p. 212-213:

JOURNAL OF PARIS.

... On the 30th, we learned that 3 Maloinish [Malines, the French name for the Flemish city of Mechelen in modern Belgium] Vessels escaping from Sieur Martinet in the South Sea, have returned to S. Malo. Their return consoled the Maloins a little for the loss of the former. There is no more surprising advance war than that which happened to them on the way. They meet at the height of S. Domingue, 2 pirates, one of 250 men of crew, & the other, of 200. These before sent on board a boat with six officers, came to offer them piastres, to barter for some goods they said they needed. They were gladly satisfied on the spot: But, the boat would not soon have rejoined its vessels, that these pirates were flying the black flag with the skulls. As the Maloins were too weak to resist, they decided to echo each other, at the risk of perishing. Honestly for the latter, it rose a moment after a wind so violent, that it raised them up and threw them back into the open sea, without being damaged. On the contrary, these corsairs having begun a little too much to follow their [prey?], the same wind which had saved some, soon caused the loss of the others; since the largest of these pirates went to burn a moment later, against a Rock, & the second was carried on a sand bank where he ground. It was not possible for the Maloins to approach it, because the wind thwarts they deem it more appropriate to continue their journey. They report that there are on these 2 vessels, more than 12 million in piastas, taken from the Portuguese.

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Pirate References in Le Nouveau Mercure - April 1718

p. 148

MILORDS ET MESSIEURS

... It is written from Carolina that 60 Pirates came to return to the Governor, and 200 others, with one of their Commandants, to the Governor [Bennett] of Bermuda.

It has been said at Jamaica, that Captain Jennings [at least for Jennings, surrendered in Bermuda] Chief of the Pirates, & 4 or 5 others of the most considerable, also submitted in accordance with the Proclamation of the King.

Captain Rogers, who was on his departure for the Isle of Providence, in order to unearth the Forbans [pirates], received a counter-order, leaving that the Court was informed that these Corsairs are so well fortified, & are so great number, that it is not possible to [subdue] them with little force: That thus, one will be obliged to increase those which were designed for this expedition.

p. 159:

PORTUGAL,

In Lisbon, April 6.

... We also suspended the armament of 8 larger warships, & we stopped working on the construction of 5 new warships, & two new [frigates] which had been placed on the sites, for about 12 days . Only two second-tier vessels will be armed, in addition to those that served in the Levant last year; & all our naval forces will make up this campaign only of 16 vessels of line & 4 [frigates], which will be used to convoy our merchant fleets, & to cross on the Corsairs of Salé, & on the English pirates who sail these seas, where they often take.

p. 160:

SPAIN.

In A Coruña: 6.

Of the 4 warships of the Spanish squadron which flit along the Coté pour la lurete du Commerce, 2 made re-enter this Pig with two of the biggest Corsairs of Salé which they took after three hours of combat, between this place & Vigo. One of the Saltins vessels was mounted with 84 pieces of cannon & 280 men of Crews: They also brought back three vessels; to know, two Portuguese & an Englishman, that these Pirates had taken off the boat in the evening towards the Cape of Finestere; the other two Spanish ships there entered at one o'clock in the afternoon, with two English Forbans taken twelve thousand miles below the Cape of Bilbao, where these Forbans had been cruising for three weeks. All the crews of these sea skimmers, which number more than 700, were to leave this port in a few days, to be transported to Cadiz where they will be used to reinforce the Chiourmes des Galeres. We were working to repair the two Saltins Vessels which are new and very good sailing ships, to join them to the wing, which, after linking, to join it to the wing, which, after this junction, will be separated in two, from 9 warships each; one of which will cross to the costes of Andalusia, & the other, on the Coasts of Galicia & Vizcaya, to enhance trade in Spain & Portugal with other Foreign Nations. In case of rupture with England, these two squadrons will join to compose with those which one builds in the ports of these Costes; which will form a small fleet of 25 warships.

Pirate References in Le Nouveau Mercure - September 1718

p. 129:

"List of Spanish vessels taken, burn, sink, bottom, & of those who escape;
Vessels caught."

Letters from Bermuda indicate that several of the English Forbans, who returned there to accept the pardon of Roy, went back to start their piracies again. As their number increases in the Isle of Providence, and since they have taken several considerable captures recently, the Court cannot dispense with sending larger forces to America to dislodge them.

p. 134-135:

GALICIA [province in Spain].

In Coruña on September 11.

On the afternoon of the 6th, 4 of the largest warships, which sailed along this coast on the Ostend shipowners, on the Corsairs & the Forbans [pirates], set sail from here for Cadiz, with three [frigates] & 22 cargo ships , on which 38,000 Infantry Men, & 900 horses, both Cavalry and Dragons, were embarked. These troops who confined here during the summer, will disembark in Cadiz, from where they will go by land to Malaga; the Regiment of Catalan Dragons which left here yesterday morning to go to embark in Vigo, having been unable to do so for lack of vessels.

p. 137-138:

In Vigo on September 11

A Madrid Express arrived yesterday evening, with orders from the Court to our Commander, to silence from this Port all the war ships that are ready to set sail. We embarked on these vessels, about 366 prisoners that our 2 [frigates] took from 2 Ostend shipowners.

It has been two days since we started to record the new levies made recently in this Kingdom: They will compose 2 infantry regiments of 16 companies, of 50 men each, & will only form a battalion of 800 men each . The Horses intended to put together the new regiments of Cavalry & Dragons are expected tomorrow.

The two [frigates] who are Coastguards here, recently brought two large Forbans [pirates], of 182 crew each: They took them thirty miles from this port: They have been cruising for three months under the Imperial flag, saying Ostend shipowners. As it was recognized that their patents were false, they were all put in irons, as were the crew of a Corsair from Algiers, whom the same [frigates] had removed eight days previously; & waits until the Commander is a Venetian renegade he will send to Seville, to be judged by the Inquiry.

p. 140:

ANDALUSIA.

In Cadiz, September 10.

One of our Frigates returned to the Port on the 15th, with a shipowner of thirty pieces of cannon, and sixty men the crew of different Nations. Although this building was taken bearing the Imperial pavilion, all the crews have been locked up in the prisons of this City; being suspected of being a forban [pirate].