Thing he owned to be his: The Parſon laid hold of this favourable Diſpoſition of the Pyrates, and laid Claim to ſeveral Things belonging to others, which were alſo given up, to his great Satiſfaction; in fine, they kept nothing which belonged to the Church, except three Prayer-Books, and a Bottle-Screw.
The Pyrates kept the Onſlow for their own Uſe, and gave Captain Gee the French Ship, and then fell to making ſuch Alterations as might fit her for a Sea-Rover, pulling down her Bulk-Heads, and making her fluſh, ſo that ſhe became, in all Reſpects, as compleat a Ship for their Purpoſe, as any they could have found; they continued to her the Name of the Royal Fortune, and mounted her with 40 Guns.
She and the Ranger proceeded (as I ſaid before,) to Jaquin, and from thence to Old Calabar, where they arrived about October, in order to clean their Ships, a Place the moſt ſuitable along the whole Coaſt, for there is a Bar with not above 15 Foot Water upon it, and the Channel intricate, ſo that had the Men of War been ſure of their being harbour’d here, they might ſtill have bid Defiance to their Strength, for the Depth of Water at the Bar, as well as the want of a Pilot, was a ſufficient Security to the Rovers, and invincible Impediments to them. Here therefore they ſat eaſy, and divided the Fruits of their diſhoneſt Inſtuſtry, and drank and drove Care away.
The Pilot who brought them into this Harbour, was Captain Le, who for this, and other Services, was extreamly well paid, according to the Journal of their own Accounts, which do not run in the ordinary and common way, of Debtor, contra Creditor, but much more conciſe, lumping it to their Friends, and ſo carrying the Debt in their Heads, againſt the next honeſt Trader they meet.
