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Copy of a Journal kept by William Davidson, (Seaman,) on board a Russian Privateer. The original of this Journal was shewn to Lord Hood by Captain Keates, of his Majesty's Ship Niger, on board which Ship the said William Davidson was, and deserted from her at Portsmouth, 94. N. 3. It is reported that he was afterwards pressed on board his Majesty's Ship Royal George, and was drowned by accident.

IN perusing the following horrible narrative, the reader may be well pardoned for requiring proof of its authenticity, since it seems rather to belong to the age of the Buccaneers and Madagascar pirates, of the Averys, Blackbeards, and Robertses, than to the end of the eighteenth century. The following authentic particulars concerning the author of the Bloody Journal, the well-deserved name by which the original of the following pages is known to seamen, form not only a natural, but an indispensable introduction to the atrocious narrative itself.

When Sir Richard Keates commanded the Niger, in 1791, there was a seaman on board named William Davidson, by birth a Scotchman, and, like most of his countrymen, possessing some rudiments of education. He was a dark sallow man, aged about thirty-five, of a gloomy and unsocial disposition. Having been guilty of some insubordination at Deal, he was brought to the gang-way, but had hardly received five lashes when, from the extremity of his sufferings, he fell into convulsions, and the rest of the punishment was dispensed with. A few months afterwards, Davidson was again condemned to the same punishment, for having struck the midshipman of the boat. The humanity of his commanding officer, who remembered the man's sufferings upon the former occasion, was employed in devising some excuse consistent with discipline for dispensing with the present infliction, when Davidson was brought up from below. In mounting the ladder he attempted to cut his own throat, and, failing in that, rushed forward to throw himself overboard, and was with difficulty prevented by the master-at-arms. He was then ordered into confinement, and while he was in this state a rumour spread through the crew that this uncommon character was in possession of a journal, containing an account of many enormities in which he had been engaged. His chest was opened, and the journal, of which the following is a copy, was produced, and perused by Sir Richard Keates and the other offcers. The man was closely examined; he acknowledged the journal to be an authentic account of the cruize in which he had been engaged. He stated, that neither he nor any of the English on board were aware of the situation they had fallen into till it was too late to retreat, and repeatedly declared, that at first they had the greatest horror at the scenes they witnessed, but when familiarized with blood became worse than the rest of the crew. Being reproached with his own weakness in flinching

under corporal pain, so slight compared to what he had assisted in inflicting upon others, he declared that his sufferings during his first punishment were such, that he would die any death rather than endure the like again. When he was asked if he did not look back with horror on the dreadful transactions he has recorded in his narrative, he turned away and shuddered at the remembrance, saying he would give worlds to have died before being engaged in them.

An account of this extraordinary story was sent to a member of the Board of Admiralty, but nothing followed, and Davidson was afterwards set at liberty, and was on board the Niger in 1798, when Sir Richard Keates resigned the command of that vessel to Captain Foote. He is stated soon afterwards to have deserted, as he probably found his situation uncomfortable after his former occupation had come to light, and having been pressed on board the Royal George, was drowned by accident while belonging to that vessel.

The language (and even the orthography) of the journal has been strictly adhered to, and, although incorrect, is rather above that of a mere foremast man. Davidson is understood to have been a good seaman, unless in respect to his mutinous disposition. We have termed this man a pirate, on account of the savage and abominable cruelties in which he was engaged. It may be questioned whether the vessel on board which he served was in a legal construction piratical, since she bore a Russian commission, and seems only to have made prize of Turkish and Greek vessels; but there can be little doubt, from their whole proceedings, that they would not have respected the flag of any nation, if the prize had been of a tempting value. But the former considerations may account for the freedom with which Davidson ventured to record these transactions in his journal, as also for his not being called upon to account for them upon his own narrative and confession.

THE 3d December, 1788, we sailed from Leghorn with a prosperous gale, on board of the Saint Dinnan a Russian privateer, bound to Messina, in the island of Sicily, as a merchant vessel; she would arrive there, and from thence she was to get a clearance and to go a cruising.

7th. We had not been long out before the wind came to the eastward, and blowing very hard, we were obliged to bear away for Porto Ferraro, in the island of Elba, 10 leagues south of Leghorn, and soon got in and moored in that place. We were getting the guns and shot from under the ballast, and were fixing them in the carriages, when they taking notice of us from the shore that we were fitting out as a vessel of war, they sent an order on board for us to sail immediately, and if not, they would stop the ship, as that is not allowed

for any ship of war to fit out in any port belonging to the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The 22d we sailed from Messina with a fair wind and clear weather, but the 25th, the wind coming a-head and blowing hard, we were obliged to bear away for Longona.

The 27th we got in and moored; we lay there 13 days, in which time we got all our guns fixed, and every thing ready for sea.

January 17th, 1789, we set sail for Messina with a fair wind and clear weather.

The 24th arrived safe in our in. tended port, where all the Englishmen would have left the ship if they could, as the captain would not allow them for to go until he could get to Malta, thinking he could get hands there.

The 2d of February we sailed for

the island of Malta, the 9th got in, the 11th got prattick, and the 12th hauled the ship up and moored her there. We mended all our sails and made nettings, and got small arms on board in number 30 muskets, and cutlasses 50, blunderbusses 24, and pistols 80, but men the grand master would not allow us for to take, which made the Englishmen very discontented, as they could not get their discharge. There came on board us three slaves on the 14th, they had been murderers that had made their escape; our captain protected them on account they had entered with us.

The 16th February we sailed for the island of Zante, which we were obliged for to go with them, as it is there we were going for to man our ship, which frightens us the more, as the inhabitants of that place are nothing but thieves and most pirates. All this time we had a fair wind and clear weather, until we had got as far as Solen, then the wind came against us, and blowing hard, we were obliged to bear away for Cephalonia, where we got safe in and moored.

We had not been in many days before that we got sixty of these pirates on board us; we call them nothing else, upon account the most of them are pirates.

There we got on board of us carpenters, and cut two port holes between decks, where we put two 12pounders, and there got every thing. ready for sea; but the day before we sailed, the captain of the pirate that sunk the Dutch ship in the year 1786, gave our captain five hundred crowns for to take him on board as the lieutenant, and certainly would have done it if the Russian consul would have let him, but as he told him that if he was to take him off the island that he would have all the men of

war in the Straites after him; so that when he found he could not take him, he sailed on the 7th March for the island of Prevesa, and the 11th got in, the 12th moored ship.

We had not being long in before that we heard there was some pirates ashore in the mountains, which our captain wrote several letters to them to come on board, besides every night we would have the two boats on shore, armed in readiness to take them on board.

One day the captain went up to the town and met two of them, which he told them for to go and tell the rest to come down abreast the ship at night; so they did, for there came down that night 34 of them all armed, and we took every one of them on board, which made us English and Italians very discontented, as they were all pirates.

March 16th. There was a boat came and told us there were four vessels in Cephalonia, with Turkish cargoes on board, but Greek sailors, which we unmoored and steered for the same place, but being little winds and calms seeing no vessel that day. Next morning we spoke a Ragusa brig with Turks passengers in, came from Candia bound for Zea, which had a great quantity of dollars and silks with them, that we took from them, the Turks we let go as they were taken under neutral colours; next day shared the money, which came to forty-three hard dollars a man, as for the silk the captain kept for himself.

March 22d, we seen a vessel going down along-shore, which we hauled the long-boat up, and put 3 swivels and 35 men all armed in her, and sent her after the vessel; it was calm and soon came up with her, and fired two guns, which she returned the

same, and both sides fired for the space of 40 minutes. The lieutenant got wounded, and 5 men killed; our boat was obliged to return on board and get more hands, and gave chace for three hours; the wind blowing a little fresh, she soon left the long-boat out of sight, and returned on board again.

The 1st April we seen a sail a-head and gave chace, and soon came up with her; she proved to be a prize, which we sent five hands on board of her into Cephalonia. She was loaded with wine and brandy, which we took all out of her and sunk the ship, besides killing 9 Turks that were on board, as for the Greeks they entered with us.

April 2d, we sailed for Silere, and that same day got in and moored; then these vessels made an attempt to get away, which we armed the longboat and sent her out in the night to lay wait for them as they would go out, but they taking notice of us never moved. In the mean time the long-boat fell in with a vessel with Jerusalem colours, but Turkish property, which was 9 bales of silk, and honey and soap, the rest we sunk in the vessel, people and all together, which was in number fifteen Turks. That same night we took another, but had nothing but ballast in her, we let her go.

April 6th, we got all the sails and lumber on shore, and all the ballast out of the hold; the 8th and 9th we were working very hard, and had but little wine on board, which the captain ordered the 2d lieutenant to go out in the little boat, and gave him orders to take the first vessel he met with, let her be what she would if she had wine on board, which he did, for he brought in a vessel that had seven pipes of Cyprus wine in,

which we took it all out and let her go. She was a Greek settee, came from Samos. April the 11th, we righted ship and took all the ballast in; the 12th we hauled out from the shore, and bent all our sails, and got the ship ready for sea. The 13th unmoored, and got all the vessels boats in the harbour to tow us out; ́ but before we went out, the merchants belonging to these vessels gave our captain 15,000 hard dollars (3,3001.) for not troubling them any longer, which our captain told them he would give them three days for to get away and no longer, so we left them. Soon after we had a fair wind, and at four o'clock came to an anchor on the Turkish shore, where we sent the long-boat and yawl on shore, armed, for stock, which they killed five bullocks and thirty-four sheep, besides having a great number on shore which the boats could not bring off.

April 24th, we seen a pirate, which came on board us, and told our captain, that if he was to Mayare he would get plenty of small vessels there belonging to Cyprus, but they had nothing in but fire-wood, which our captain said it was not worth his time to go after them. In the mean time this pirate had in this harbour a Ragusa and three Venetians that he had taken two days before, and was taking the best of every thing out of them to sink them, as for the people they killed them when they were taken; and in the room of our taking this pirate, we gave him pow. der and arms, and let him go, because he was one of our captain's old acquaintances.

We had not put all our things to right when we seen two ships coming down towards us, which we got all hands to quarters and every thing for engageing them, as we took them

to be Turkish men of war; but as they came within gun-shot of us, they hoisted Russian colours, which we were glad to see. They were two privateers bound to Zante.

April 15th, we sailed for the island of Zante, and the next day got in and moored. The captain went on shore thinking to get prattick, but could not, as he had been on the Turkish shore. On the 17th, the captain went on shore to see if he could get a new mainmast, which he did get a very good mast. The 18th we got the mainmast out and got it on shore, and one of the pumps to be repaired; in the mean time the peo. ple employed fitting the rigging. The 20th we got the new mainmast off and got it in, and the rigging overhead; the launch was on shore watering, and the rest of the people employed cleaning the hold.

The 22d we got all our provisions and water on board, and the 23d set up the rigging fore and aft, and got every thing ready for sea. April 24th, there was a Ragusa ship laying in Zante that had Turkish passen gers on board for Smyrna, and had 2,500 dollars (5901.) in belonging to these Turks, which was liable to be taken by us if we only met with her at sea, but our captain was resolved for to follow her as soon as she would sail.

April 25th. She sailed about ten o'clock in the morning, and was about 6 leagues off when we got under weigh and gave her chace, and was coming up with her fast, but it soon came on calm; in an hour's time the breeze freshened, and she getting it a long time before us, left us out of sight; and it coming on to blow, we hauled down the steering-sails and top-gallant sails, and went under an easy sail all night. The next morn

ing made sail and stood in for the Turkish shore, where we seen a vessel at anchor, and taking notice of us coming in, she got under way as fast as she could, which we followed her and soon came within gun-shot of her, and fired 23 guns at her before she hove to; in the mean time we had Venetian colours up, and plundered her of every thing she had on board; besides one of our men killed their captain and two men, for only asking him to return a small chest of silk turbans and sashes that he took. This was a small pollaccoa Turk loading there.

We steered out to sea; all night we had a fair wind, and about four o'clock in the morning we hailed a ship, which made an answer she was a Frenchman from Marseilles bound to Constantinople, which our captain told him to stay by us till day-light, which he said that he would; and soon after we taking notice of him making all sail he could to get away from us, fired a gun at him, but he did not mind it, which we fired a second and carried away his fore topsail yard, which made him cry out he was afraid we was a pirate, as there was always so many about this place, so we let him go on his voyage. Next day we saw several vessels, but never offered to go after them, but went in an harbour in the island of Cerigo, where we came to our anchor. The 29th, there was a vessel came in under Jerusalem colours, which was a good prize for us if at sea, but as we were under a Venetian fort we could not take her; that same day the captain went on shore to see if he could get any hands.

April 30th. There came in the same vessel that engaged our long boat the 31st March, which our captain was resolved to be up with them;

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