We then attacked a French ship twice our size; what sport it was! And we had not had a good fight so long, we were quite like virgins at it! We got the best of it, and won ship and cargo.

They wanted to pistol the captain, but that was against my laws: so we gagged him, for he scolded as loud as if we were married to him; left him and the rest of his crew on board our own vessel, which was terribly battered; clapped our black flag on the Frenchman's, and set off merrily, with a brisk wind in our favour.

But luck deserted us on forsaking our own dear old ship.

A storm came on, a plank struck; several of us escaped in a boat; we had lots of gold with us, but no water.

For two days and two nights we suffered horribly; but at last we ran ashore near a French seaport.