It was plain enough that this ship was not manned by desperate pirates,
and when Governor Johnson went on board of her he found her to be not
really a pirate ship, but an English vessel which not long before had
been captured by the pirates in whose company she had visited Charles
Town harbor. She had been bringing over from England a company of
convicts and what were called "covenant servants," who were going to the
colonies to be disposed of to the planters for a term of years. Among
these were thirty-six women, and when the South Carolinians went below
they were greatly surprised to find the hold crowded with these
unfortunate creatures, some of whom were nearly frightened to death. At
the time of this vessel's capture the pirate captain had enlisted some
of the convicts into his crew, as he needed men, and putting on board of
his prize a few pirates to command her, the ship had been worked by such
of her own crew and passengers as were willing to serve under pirates,
while the others were shut up below.
Here was a fine prize taken with very little trouble, and the _King
William_ and the _Mediterranean_ returned to Charles Town with their
captured ship, to be met with the shouts and cheers of the delighted
citizens, already excited to a high pitch by the previous arrival of the
captured pirate sloop.
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