At anchor, near them, was an Ostend ship that had called for the same purpose.

A few days before, they had received intelligence that a French pirate, Oliver la Bouche,[2] had run on a reef off Mayotta, and lost his ship, and was engaged in building a new one.
Thinking that the opportunity of catching the pirates at a disadvantage should not be lost, Macrae and Kirby agreed to go in search of them and attack them.

They had just completed their arrangements when two strange sails hove in sight.

They proved to be the _Victory_, a French-built ship of forty-six guns, commanded by the well-known pirate, Edward England, and the _Fancy_, a Dutch-built ship of twenty-four guns, commanded by Taylor.
Macrae and Kirby prepared to give them a hot reception, the Ostend ship promising to stand by them.

So far were they from simply trying to make their escape, that they looked forward to the handsome reward the Company would give them for the capture of the pirates.