Being thus in great fear of death, from which I was miraculously preserved, I, out of sheer gratitude to my Maker, did incontinently make oath and sign articles to be one of the crew--which were buccaneers.

I did this the more readily as we were to attack the ships of Spayne only, and through there being no state of Warre at that time between England and that country, it was wisely conceived that this conduct would provoke it, and we should thus be forearmed, as became a juste man in his quarrel.
For this we had the precious example of many great Captains.

We did therefore heave to and burn many ships--the quality of those engagements I do not set forth, not having a seaman's use of ship speech, and despising, as a plain, blunt man, those who misuse it, having it not.
But this I do know, that, having some conceit of a shipman's ways and of pirates, I did conceive at this time a pretty song for my comradoes, whereof the words ran thus:-- Yo ho! when the Dog Watch bayeth loud In the light of a mid-sea moon! And the Dead Eyes glare in the stiffening Shroud, For that is the Pirate's noon! When the Night Mayres sit on the Dead Man's Chest Where no manne's breath may come-- Then hey for a bottle of Rum! Rum! Rum! And a passage to Kingdom come! I take no credit to myself for the same, except so far as it may shew a touch of my Lord of Southampton's manner--we being intimate--but this I know, that it was much acclaimed by the crew.

Indeed they, observing that the Captain was of a cruel nature, would fain kill him and put me in his stead, but I, objecting to the shedding of precious blood in such behoof, did prevent such a lamentable and inhuman action by stealthily throwing him by night from his cabbin window into the sea--where, owing to the inconceivable distance of the ship from shore, he was presently drowned.

Which untoward fate had a great effect upon my fortunes, since, burthening myself with his goods and effects, I found in his chest a printed proclamation from an aged and infirm clergyman in the West of England covenanting that, for the sum of two crowns, he would send to whoso offered, the chart of an island of great treasure in the Spanish Main, whereof he had had confession from the lips of a dying parishioner, and the amount gained thereby he would use for the restoration of his parish church.