Pirate Costumes
Ho Ho Ho on a Bottle of Rum
For the Men:
For the Women
The Story of Captain Kidd
August 29, 1860 By C. E. Stickney
Who has not heard the almost numberless stories of money buried by Captain Kidd, and the many fruitless efforts to gain possession of it? And yet but few have ever known his history; while by many it has been supposed that the stories were the inventions of fertile brains, and that Captain Kidd was a fictitious person. But by examining vol. IV of "Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York," will be seen the truth of his existence, and that the stories of buried money had some foundation in fact.
Many years ago, and shortly after the sun of Dutch supremacy had set in the New World, with the capture of New York, and the English lorded it over the provinces included in " His Britannic Majesty's Colonies of America," the seas became overrun by hordes of pirates, who had received their first lessons from the English privateers, and increased until they seriously impaired the trade of England Itself -- when suddenly the Government discovered piracy to be a crime, and took measures to suppress it. Captain William Kidd had long been a sort of nondescript of the ocean, a kind of trader, and something more of a smuggler; and, wishing a wider field of operations, entered Into an agreement, on the 10th day of October, 1695, with the Earl of Bellomont and Robert Livingston, for the purchase of a vessel to act as privateer against the pirates. The Adventure Galley was accordingly bought, and, after receiving his commission from the King, Kidd set sail from London as commander, but instead of looking for pirates, be steered for Now York, where he spent three or four months in rioting and carousing; and, after shipping a new crew of one hundred and fifty men, -- mostly pirates by profession, -- again set sail on September 7th, 1696.
But Instead of cruising against the pirates, he turned pirate himself, and, sailing toward the Red Sea, gave fall rein to his plundering propensities by robbing all who came in his way. He soon made his name an object of fear on every sea, and many a worthy skipper has shuddered with dread at the sight of a strange sail while crossing the ocean, and felt a chill creep over him at the bare mention of Captain Kidd.
New York, at this time, was the principal rendezvous of the pirates, who had won the regard of the traders by their liberal patronage; and it was said the traders made more by dealing in their plunder, than the pirates did themselves. This will account for their mutual liking—for it is well known that money is a very potent charm in promoting friendship. -- Notwithstanding his Majesty's instructions to the Governors and other officials, well known pirates swaggered through the streets at midday, puffing smoke into the faces, and elbowing the quiet mynbeers, or jeering at every pretty girl, and winking at the staid goodwives who ventured to appear in the thoroughfares; and it was whispered that for certain favors they were under the protection of the Governor and officers; for no sooner would a pirate be arrested than the authorities would hurry on the trial before witnesses could be procured, and, therefore, according to duo process of law, they would be acquitted, and come off with flying colors.
At last a new Governor was appointed, and the citizens, hoping for a change of affairs, looked anxiously for his arrival. The Earl of Bellomont, the new Governor, at length arrived, armed doubly with his Majesty's instructions, and his enmity to the pirates -- the last being by far the more formidable -- and, on account of being especially aimed at Captain Kidd, made many think that probably it was caused by the loss of his share of the Adventure Galley. He immediately gave orders to have every pirate arrested, and gave examples of his intentions toward that fraternity, by imprisoning several noted pirates who fell into his hands: whereupon the traders waxed indignant, and remonstrated with the Governor on the ruin of their trade which they foresaw; but the Governor was inexorable -- the more they fumed and talked, the severer were the restrictions. Seeing this they petitioned the King for his removal, which, coming to the Earl’s ear, he wrote a long letter to his Majesty in vindication of his course. The traders petitioned again, and the Earl wrote a still longer letter as a set off. And so it went -- first a petition and then a letter a little longer than before, till the Governor's letters, by reason of their length, gave the reader a very good idea of Long Measure.
Meanwhile, Kidd, after taking many prizes, and changing from ship to ship, at last captured a rich Quedah merchant ship, with which he sailed for New York. Hearing of the change affairs had taken, he secreted his treasure -- said to be worth £70,000 – somewhere along the coast, and sailed in a small sloop for Boston, where the Governor then was.
The Earl had long wished for an opportunity to show his loyalty to the King, and perhaps of revenging himself, by capturing the famous pirate; and now to behold him, as it were, under his very nose. He bad no vessel of war to capture him with, and was, therefore, thrown upon his wits, the only resources be had at command.
Captain Kidd communicated with a friend on shore, named Emot, who went to the Governor to get his protection for Kidd, which was readily granted; and Kidd accordingly landed on the first day of July, 1699, but had hardly set foot upon the shore, when he with his followers were arrested. The overjoyed Earl immediately wrote to the King, detailing the circumstances of Captain Kidd’s arrest, and sung the insecurity of the jail, from which prisoners had before escaped by connivance with the jailor. The King answered if by sending instructions for his safe removal to England, and accordingly with nine others he was conveyed to London in the frigate Advice.
While in prison he offered to disclose the hiding place of his wealth if they would accompany him to where it was secreted; but they, thinking it a plan to escape, refused. He was executed at Execution Dock, London, and the many stories of his having a charmed life are supposed to have arisen from the fact of the ropes breaking twice while he was being hung.
This is all that is known of the history of this man, who, like a meteor, startled the people of the Old and New World, and as quickly disappeared. Like a body without a head, piracy, after his death, waned, and at last became totally extinct, at least upon the seas, and as a profession.
