24 AnVi;.\TL'H<-:§/)F AMBROSK rnviNXKTT. 
 
 certainly should prove a vevy serious warning to both 
 judges and juries when called on to adiuinistcr tiie 
 hiw in siraihir cases. Better far to allow fifty guilty 
 individuals to escape, than permit one innocent per- 
 son to suffer. And this is not a solitary case where 
 evidence as clear — but yet as false — has been brought, 
 against the culprit ; and the truth of his innocence 
 has been discovered when it was impossible to re-, 
 pair the injury'. Though obliged to quit his native' 
 land for dread of again being apprehended, it raust 
 have solaced Gwinnett's mind when he reflected 
 that he was innocent of- the crime for which he had 
 to fly. ITow different would his feelings have been 
 had he been guilty of the foul deed ! every tempest 
 that blew, every difficulty he encountiered, every 
 hardship he experienced, — and these were not few, — 
 would have kindled within his breast conscience' 
 sting, and would have: made him cry out, like one 
 of old, — " My burdeu is heavier than I can bear. 
 Oh ! whither shall I tlee to be I'reed from this per- 
 petual tormentor!" Such, reader, is the difference 
 between the feelings of the innocent and the guilty 
 individual. 
 
 THE KND. 
 
 James Brydene, Printer, 17 South Hanover Street, EiliBbur>;h. 
 
 [No. 5. 
 
 T II E L I F E 
 
 AND UNPARAr.I.ELED 
 
 VOYAGES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 . OF 
 
 AMBROSE GWINNETT; 
 
 Containing an Accoimt of his being Tried, Convicted, nud 
 Hanged in Chains at Deal, for the supposed Murder of Mr 
 Collins — his surprising Recovery — his Voyage to tlie West 
 Indies, and being taken by the Spaniards, among whom he 
 met with the supposed murdered Mr Collins, and proposal 
 to return to England together — his being taken by the 
 Algerines and carried into slavery, and, after many hard- 
 ships, his return to England. 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY J. BRYDONE, 
 
 SOUTH HANOVER STRKEX. 
 
12 
 
 AbVKNTURESi OP 
 
 Thus, then, was I most miraciilously delivorcd 
 from an ignominious death, if I may cull my com- 
 ing to life a delivery after all I had endured. But 
 how was I to dispose of my life now that I had 
 regained it ? To stay in England was impossible, 
 without exposing myself to the terrors of the law. 
 In this dilemma, a fortunate circumstance occurred. 
 There had been, for some time, at my brother's house, 
 one or two of the principal oflScers of a privateer, 
 that was preparing to cruise, just then ready to sail, 
 and the captain kindly offered to take jne on board 
 with him. You may guess that little ceremony was 
 made on our side to accept of such a proposal ; and 
 proper necessaries being quickly provided for me, 
 my sister recommended me to the protection of 
 God and the worthy commander, who most hu- 
 manely received me as sort of under-assistant ta his 
 steward. 'uvIii-n ' ,:;dciir! vii : .![;■■/;; •;• 
 
 We had hcen six months out upon our cruise, 
 having had but very indifferent success, when, being 
 on the coast of Florida, then in the hands of tbe 
 Spaniards, we unfortunately fell in with a squadron 
 of their men-of-war, and, consequently, being taken 
 without striking a blow, we were all carried prison- 
 ers into the harbour of Ilavanna. I was really now 
 almost weary of my life, and should have been very 
 glad to have ended it in the loathsome dungeoij, 
 where, with forty others of my unfortunate country- 
 men, the enemy had stowed me ; but after three 
 years' close confinement, we were let out, in order 
 to be put on board transports, and conveyed to 
 Pennsylvania, and from thence to England. This, 
 as you may believe, was a disagreeable sentence to 
 me, taking it for granted that a return home would 
 •.be a return to the gallows. 
 
 Being now, therefore, a tolerable master of the 
 Spanish language, I solicited very strongly to be left 
 behind ; which favour I obtained by means of the 
 master of the prison, with whom, during niy confine- 
 
 AMDHOSE OWINNEXT. IS 
 
 riieiit, I htid contracted a sort of intimacy, and he 
 not only took me into his house as soon as my coun- 
 trymen were gone, but, in a short time, he procured 
 me a salary from the governor for being his doputj'. 
 
 Indeed, at this particular time, the office was by 
 no means agreeable- The coast had long been in- 
 fested with pirates, the most desperate gang of 
 villains that can be imagined, and there was scarcely 
 a month passed that one or other of their vessels did 
 not fall into the governor's hands, and the crew as 
 constantly put under my care. Once I very nar- 
 rowly escaped being knocked on the head by one of 
 the rutftans, and having the keys wrested from me ; 
 at another time I was shot at. It is true, in both 
 cases, the persons suffered for their attempt, and in 
 the last case a little too cruelly, for the fellow who 
 let off the carbine was not only put to the torture to 
 confess his accomplices, but afterwards broken upon 
 the wheel, AA'here he was left to expire, the most 
 shocking spectacle I ever beheld. 
 
 I had been in my office about three months, when 
 a ship arrived from Port-Royal, another Spanish 
 settlement on the coast, with nine English prisoners 
 on board. I was standing in the street as they were 
 coming up from the port with a guard of soldiers to 
 the governor's house. On looking in the face of one 
 of the prisoners, it immediately occurred to me that 
 I had formerly been acquainted with him. I could 
 not then stop them to speak together ; but, in an 
 hour after, they Avere all brought down to the prison, 
 there to be lodged till the governor had signified his 
 further pleasure. 
 
 As soon as the poor creatures found that I was 
 an Englishman, they were extremely happy, even in 
 their distressing situation ; though, indeed, they 
 were treated with lenity enough, and were only sent 
 to the prison until a suitable lodging could be pro- 
 vided for them, they having been, in the course of 
 the war, made prisoners by the Spftiiiards as well as 
 
4 
 
 ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Anne's sliips lying in the harl)our, the Englisli Ijeing 
 tlien at war with the ]''rench and Spaniards ; besides 
 which, I found tliis was the day for holding the half- 
 vearly fair, so that the town was filled to such a 
 degree, that a bed was not to be had for love or nione}'. 
 I Avent seeking a lodging from house to house to no 
 purpose, till, being quite spent, I returned to the 
 ]>ublic-house where I had first made inquiry, desir- 
 ing leave to sit by their kitchen-fire, to rest myself 
 until morning. 
 
 The publican and his wife where I put up happened, 
 unfortunately for me, to be acquainted with my 
 brother and sister ; and finding, by my discourse, that 
 I was a relation of theirs, and going to visit them, 
 the landlady presently said she would endeavour to 
 get me a bed, and, going out of the kitchen, she^ 
 shortly after called me into a parlour that led frorii 
 it. Here I saw, sitting by the fireside, a middle-aged 
 man, in a night-gown and cap, reckoning money at 
 a table. " Uncle," said the woman, as soon as 
 entered, " this is a brother of our friend, Mrs Sawyer'; 
 he cannot get a bed anywhere, and is tired after his 
 journe}' ; you are the only one that lies in this house 
 alone, will you give him a part of yours?" To this 
 the man answered, that she knew he had been out 
 of order, that he was bled that day, consequently, a 
 bedfellow could not be very agreeable. However, 
 said he, rather than the joung man shoiild sit up, 
 he is welcome to sleep with me. After this, we sa-t 
 a while tpgether ; when, having put his money, ai 
 canvass b;ig, into the pocket of his night-gown', hft^ 
 took the candle, and I followed him to bed. 
 
 How long I slept I cannot exactly determine, but I 
 conjectured it was about three o'clock in the miorning, 
 when I awakened with the colic, attended with tlie 
 most violent gripes. I attributed this to some bacon 
 and cabbage I had eaten the former day for dinner, 
 after which I had drunk a large draught of milk. 
 I found my chum awake as well as myself. He asked 
 
 21 
 
 We weighed anchor on the .'id of August, and for 
 three days had excellent weather ; but, on the fourth, 
 a storni began to threaten, and the symptoms still 
 increasing, by midnight such a hurricane was raised 
 l>etween heaven and efarth as I never was witness to. 
 Ahout three o'clock, we were obliged to heave the ship^ 
 imder her bare poles, and the sea ran so exceedingly 
 high, that we could not venture to keep any lights 
 aboard, though the night was so dark that we could 
 scarcely see one another at a quarter of a yard's dis- 
 tance ; the wind still increasing, the main-mast 
 sprang about six feet from the deck, so that nothing 
 could save it. We now began to feel the consequence 
 of lading the vessel too deeply. The first thing we 
 threw overboard wefe our guns ; and, as our case be- 
 came more and more desperate, everything followed 
 them, not excepting the chests of treasure. Thus 
 I was once more reduced to my original state of po- 
 verty. As daylight appeared, the storm abated. We 
 then, as well as we were able, erected jury-masts, 
 and, in about thi-ee hours, managed with the greatest 
 difficulty to get the vessel under sail. 
 
 I was then standing by the man at the wheel, 
 leaning against the mizen-mast, returning God 
 thanks in my own mind for our amazing escape, 
 when the boatswain came up to me, and said, egad, 
 Mr Gwinnett, you have brouglit us into a pretty hole 
 here ; if it had not been for you, we should not have 
 taken this trip, and lost the substance we have been 
 working for so many years, but you loop too, I as- 
 stire you. I asked him what he meant ? He said 
 he Avould soon let me see ; upon which he and two 
 or three others came behind me, seized me by the 
 nape of the neck and the w^aistband of the breeches, 
 and forced me over the rails of the quarterdeck into 
 the sea. 
 
 : ' The shock of the fall, and the maze I was in from 
 such unexpected treatment, almost bereaved me of 
 my senses. I endeavoured, however, to keep myself 
 
20 
 
 ADVKNTURES OF 
 
 down witli pen and ink to draw out his will. TIc 
 left me sole heir to his share of the booty, signing 
 the paper with his mark ; which paper, through a 
 scries of unheard-of misfortunes, I have preserved 
 in ray custody ever since. 
 
 We buried the captain next day ; and, on inspec- 
 tion, and dividing the treasure, T found myself worth 
 considerably more than forty thousand pounds ster- 
 ling. The persons now remaining in our company, 
 were Joseph Wright, Andrew Van Hooten, a Dutch- 
 man, James Winter, and myself, the four jirincipals ; 
 besides four common men, to whom we assigned five 
 thousand pounds each, which we gave to them in 
 dollars ; nor did I observe any discontent among 
 them on account of the bequest the captain had made 
 me. 
 
 All my thoughts were immediately bent on getting 
 off the island to some of the English settlements. I 
 plainly perceived that my companions again wanted 
 to be at their old practice ; but. one day, talking of 
 another cruise, I represented to them the danger and 
 uncomfortable situation we were in, and that we had 
 each a very ample fortune to support us in any part 
 of the world, — it was my advice, therefore, that we 
 should immediately put all our treasure on boards 
 with as much of the merchnndii5e as wo could con- 
 veniently carry, and make the' 'best "of our way to 
 Jamaica, where there was no doubfe'but -rt^e should 
 be well received. 
 
 They agreed to this proposal with i^iorc alacrity 
 than I thought they would. We fell immediately 
 to work, and, in two days, were prorared to sail. 
 Hut, though we put a considerable quantity of bales 
 on board, what remained still in the warehouse waS' 
 astonisliing. I warned the fellows of their rapacity, 
 an-d the danger of too heavily lading the ship; but 
 they would not give over till she could hold no more ; 
 and then the treasure packed in chests, each man's 
 share separate to himself, wo put into the ca!)in. 
 
 AMBROSK GWINNETT. 
 
 5 
 
 me what was the matter. I informed him, and at 
 the same time begged he would direct me" to the 
 necessary. He told me that, when down stairs, I 
 must turn to my right hand, and go straight into the 
 garden, at the end of which it was, just over the 
 water ; but, added he, you may possibly find some 
 difficulty in opening the door, the string being broken 
 which pulls up the latch ; I will give you a penknife 
 with which you may open it, through a chink in the 
 boards. So saying, he put his hand into his waist- 
 coat pocket, which lay over him on the bed, and 
 gave me a middling-sized penknife. 
 
 I hurried on a few of my clothes, and went down 
 stairs ; but I must observe that, unclasping the pen- 
 knife to open the door of the necessary, according to 
 bis direction, a piece of money, which had stuck be- 
 tween the blade and the groove in the handle, fell 
 into my baud. I did not examine what it was, nor, 
 indeed, could I well see, there being then but a very 
 faint moonlight, so I put them very carelessly together 
 in my pocket. ' ^ . ' - ' "'" 
 
 I apprehend I stayed in the garden about half an 
 hour, for I was extremely ill, and, by overheating 
 myself with walking the preceding day, brought on 
 the piles, a disorder I wiis subject to from my youth. 
 These seem trifling circumstances, but they after- 
 wards turned out of infinite importance to me. Wheli 
 I returned to my chamber, I was surprised to find 
 my bedfellow gone. I called several times, but not 
 receiving any answer, I took it for granted that he 
 had withdrawn into some adjoining closet for his 
 private occasions. I therefore went to bed again, and 
 fell asleep. ' °' 
 
 • • About six o'clock I arose, nobody being yet up in 
 the house. The gentleman was not yet returned to 
 bed, or if he was, had again left it. I then dressed 
 myself with what haste I could, being impatient to 
 see my sister ; and the reckoning being paid over- 
 night, I let myself out at the street-door. 
 
16 Ain K.NTUHES OF 
 
 brought me; but of a considerable sura of money 
 that was in the pocket of it I could get no account. 
 I complained to the captain of the violence that had 
 been done me, and the robbery his men had com- 
 mitted ; but, being a brutish fellow, he laughed at 
 my grief, and told me, if I had lost anything 1 should 
 soon have prize-money enough to make amends. In 
 a word, not being able to help myself, I was obliged 
 to submit ; and, for three months, they forced me to 
 work before the mast. In the end, however, we met 
 the same fate that you did. We were taken by the 
 Spaniards, and, by adventures parallel with your own, 
 you now see me here on my return to my native 
 country, whither, if you will accompany me, I shall 
 think myself extremely hap]»y. ' 
 
 There was nothing now to prevent my returning 
 to England ; and a ship being to set sail in eight or 
 ten days, Mr Collins and I determined to embark in 
 it. As sooti as we returned home, I went to my 
 master and told him ray resolution ; he did not dis- 
 suade me from it, chiefly, I suppose, because it gave 
 him an opportunity of getting the little office I held 
 for a nephew of his, who was lately come to live 
 Avith him, to whom the same day I delivered the 
 trust. And here the providence of God was no less 
 remarkable to me than in other particulars of my 
 life ; for, the same night, eiglit or ten pirates, who 
 were in the prison, watched the occasion, while the 
 young man was locking up the wards, to seize him, 
 taking the keys from him after having left him for 
 dead ; and, before the alarm was sufficiently given, 
 five of them made their escape, having, as was sup- 
 posed, got off the coast by means of the piratical 
 boats, which were kept constantly hovering about. 
 
 It was on the 18th of November 1712, that, hav- 
 ing made all my little preparations, I sent my trunk 
 aboard the Nostra Senora, a merchant-ship, bound 
 for Cadiz ; Afichael Deronza, master. The vessel 
 was to set sail that evening, and lie in the roads. 
 
 AMUUOSB GWIMNETT. ti9 
 
 I was brought to trial, and circumstances appearing 
 strongly against me, I received sentence to be carried 
 in a cart, the Wednesday fortnight following, to the 
 town of Deal, and there to be hanged before the 
 innkeeper's door where I had committed the murder, 
 after which I was to be hung in chains within a 
 little of my brother's house. 
 
 Nothing could hare supported me under this 
 dreadful condemnation but consciousness of my not 
 being guilty of the crime for which I was to suffei:. 
 My friends now began to consider my declarations 
 of innocence as persisting in falsehood to the perdition 
 of my soul. Many of them discontinued their in- 
 quiries after me ; and those few who still came to 
 Ansit me only came to urge me to a confession ; but 
 I was resolved that I would never die with, a lie of 
 that kind in my mouth. 
 
 • ' The Monday before the fatal day now arrived, 
 when an end was to be put to my miserites. ,i yv<\s 
 called down into the court of the prison ; but I con- 
 fess I was not a little shocked when I found it was 
 to be measured for the irons in which I was to be 
 hanged after execution. A fellow-prisoner appeared 
 before me in the same woful plight, (he had robbed 
 the mail ;) and the smith was measuring him wh,eii 
 
 Tcame down, while the gaoler, with as much calm- 
 ness as if he had been ordering a pair of stays to 
 his daughter, was giving directions in what manner 
 the irons should be made, so as to support the man, 
 who was remarkably heavy and corpulent. 
 
 Between this and the day of my execution, I spent 
 my time alone in meditation and prayer. At length, 
 Wednesday morning came, and about six o'clock T 
 was put into the cart ; but sure such a day of wind, 
 
 • rain, and thunder, never blew out of the heavens ; 
 it pursued us all the way; and when we arrived at 
 Den], it became so violent, that the sheriff and his 
 officers, who had not a dry thread about them, ;Cou]d 
 scarcely sit on their horj-es. Fur iny own part, mv 
 
8 
 
 ADVENTURES OF 
 
 Ijoily propose;! to search me ; seiieral bogan to turn 
 mv pockets inside out, and from my waistcoat tum- 
 bled the penknife and. tkc i, piece of, money ..! have 
 already mentioned. ; • ? ' -i if- oif 'v'l 
 Upon seeing these, the woman immediately scream- 
 ed out, "O mercy! therie is my uncle's penknife." 
 'I'hcn taking up tlic money, and calling the people 
 about her, "here," said she, "is what puts the vil- 
 lain's guilt beyond a doubt : I can swear to this 
 William and Mary's guinea ; my uncle has long had 
 it by way of a pocket-piede, and engraved the first 
 letters of his name upon it." She then began to 
 cry again, while I could do nothing but continue to 
 crv to heaven to witness that I was as innocent as 
 the child unborn. After this they took mo down 
 to the necessary, and here fresh proofs appeared 
 against me. The constable, who had never left me, 
 perceiving blood upon the edge of the seat, (which 
 probably might proceed from my being troubled with 
 the hemorrhage the night before,) " here," said she, 
 "after having cut his throat, he has let down the 
 body into the sea." To this every body immediately 
 assented. " Then," said the master of the liousc, 
 " it is in vain to look for the body any further ; for 
 there was a spriiig-tide lust night, which has caxried 
 it off." ') "1^* ii dvi jy A I liiift 
 
 Th« consequence of these proceedings was an im^' 
 mediate examination before a Justice of the Peace; 
 after which I suffered a long and rigorous imprison-' 
 ment in the county-town, Maidstone. For some 
 time, my father, master, and relations were inclined 
 to think me innocent ; and, in compliance with my; 
 earnest request, an advertisement was published in 
 the London Gazette, representing my deplorable 
 circumstances, and offering a rew«rd to any person, 
 who could give tidings of Mr Richard Collins, (the 
 name of the man 1 was supposed to have murdered,) 
 either alive or dead. No information, however, of 
 any kind came to hand. At the assizes, therefore. 
 
 AMBROSE OWIN-.NisTT. ^7 
 
 »bout thre«,- miles from the town. About seven 
 o'clock in the evening, being then sitting with Signor 
 (iasper, my old friend and master, in the portico ot hi^ 
 house,.a lad came up, and said that a boat had been 
 Waiting half an hour for me at the port, and that my 
 companion, Mr Collins, was already on board. 1 ran 
 into the house for mv small bundle, and only stayed 
 to take leave of one or two of the family. 1 made 
 what haste I could to the quay ; but, when 1 arrived, 
 I found the boat had put off', leaving word that 1 
 should overtake them at a Utile bay about a mile 
 beyond the town. The dusk was coming on. 1 ran 
 along the shore, and, as I imagined, soon had sight 
 of the boat, to which T hallooed as loud as 1 was 
 able; they answered, and immediately put about to 
 take me in. But we had scarcely got fifty yards 
 from land, when, on looking about for my friend, Mr 
 Collins, 1 missed him ; and then it was I found 1 
 had made a mistake, and, instead of getting on board 
 my own boat, which was now a considerable way 
 a-head, I got into a boat belonging to some of the 
 pirates. I attempted to leap overboard, and could 
 easily have swam ashore, but was prevented by one 
 of the crew, who gave me a stroke on the head 
 which immediately laid me senseless; and i lound 
 afterwards that they mistook me for one ot their own 
 men, who had been purchasing goods in the town. 
 
 A more infernal crew than these pirates never 
 breathed upon the fac>e of the earth. 
 lives was a scene of rapine and murder, which, it they 
 had no opportunity of committing upon the wretches 
 that fell into their clutches during their piratical pur- 
 suits, they committed on one another. During tHe_ 
 time 1 remained with them, nearly four, years, there 
 were no less than elevenassassinations aniongst them- 
 selves. There was an uninhabited island m the ^lijt 
 „f Mexico which those villains called Swallow island, 
 from the great number of those birds which harbour 
 upon it. Here they had a fortification ; and the,i'h>ce 
 
^ A])VE.NTUI!K.S f'T 
 
 I will not trouble you with an account of the 
 kindness with which my sister and hcrhushand re- 
 ceived nio. "\Vc hrealvfasted together ; and I believe 
 it might be about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, 
 .:;ivhen, standing at the door, my brother-in-law being 
 at my side, we saw three horsemen gallojiing towards 
 us. As soon as they came up, they stopped, and, 
 one of them alighting, suddenly seized uiy collar, 
 cryinjr, " You are the Queen's prisoner." I desired 
 to know my crime ; he said I should know that as 
 so.on as I ciung to Deal, where I must go immedi- 
 ately with them. One of them told my brother that 
 the night before I had committed a robbery and a 
 murder. 
 
 Judge, reader, of my painful situation. You 
 are aware of my innocence ; but how was I to prove 
 this satisfactorily to the minds of those w^ho had ar- 
 rested me, and to those who were to be my judges ? 
 Circumstances were completely against me. Would 
 they believe my story of having received the knife 
 from my bedfellow If I swear I ara totally igno- 
 rant what has become of him, M ill they believe me ? 
 These, and a thousand other things, rushed into ray 
 mind at tlie moment of my apprehension. But what 
 was to be done in this emergency? they would be 
 satisfied M-ith nothing but my person ; and to offer 
 security for my appearance at trial, even if 1 could 
 have procured friends to become surety for my so 
 doing, — the sum, if sum they would have taken, as 
 |„was charged with murder, would have been so 
 great, that even here I would have failed. There 
 was no course left, therefore, but to commit myself 
 intd the hands of an all-seeing Providence, trusting 
 he would so order the course of his events as would 
 clearly shew my innocence. 
 
 Resistance, therefore, would have proved as vain as 
 my tears and protestations of my innocence. In a 
 >vord, a warrant was produped, and I was carried back 
 to Deal by the three men ^ piy brother, with another 
 
 AMllUOSE GWJNNETT. J !J 
 
 fell nothing behind ; and, on an average, there could 
 not bo less in their coffers than two hundred thousand 
 pounds sterling in specie, besides an immense quan- 
 tity of gold and silver in bars. 
 
 The continual terror that was upon my mind while 
 I remained with these people, is not to be imagined ; 
 but to give you a detail of the manner of my life 
 while 1 endured the worst of bondage, would be 
 tedious, because it had po variety ; and shocking, 
 to boot, as I was forced to join in all their horrid 
 schemes. I shall only tell you that, in one of our 
 cruises, we met ^vith a Jamaica ship, and hoisted 
 our black colours. Having boarded her, because she 
 made some resistance, and killed one of our men, the 
 captain ordered that the whole crew should be mas- 
 sacred. The wicked command was executed upon 
 the master, five seamen, and a boy ; then, taking the 
 cargo out, which proved to be rum and sugar, we 
 scuttled the ship, and returned to our fortification. 
 But see how the avenger of wicked deeds makes the 
 fruit of our crimes our punishment! This cargo of 
 rum, ^vhich was of a kind not many degrees short of 
 aquafortis, was drunk by the men with such avidity, 
 that, in little more than three days, out of our com- 
 plement of eighteen men, seven absolutely lost their 
 lives by it, among whom was the captain. 
 
 I cannot but confess that I had some attachment 
 to this man, because he appeared particularly at- 
 tached to me ; when, therefore, I saw him lying 
 senseless on the floor, ovcrgorgcd with that infernal 
 liquor, I did everything I could to recover him,~and 
 so far succeeded to bring him to his senses; but 
 the quantity he had drunk inllamed his bowels to a 
 degree not to be assuaged by any lenitives that were 
 in^ my power to procure for him. lie was seized 
 with intermitting convulsions, that carried him oil' 
 the next day ; but, about four hours before he dix'd, 
 lie called me, in the presence of all the men who 
 stood about him in the cabin, and desired mo to sit 
 
 1^ .\i)VF.\TUREs or" 
 
 being rendered almost inaccessible by rocks, except 
 at one little inlet, just large enough to admit a single 
 vessel, they defied the Spanish power. 
 
 The captain was one Bryan Walsh, an Irishman, 
 whom I cannot help calling a most execrable and 
 bloody villain, though the Almighty put it into his 
 heart to be a very good friend to me. When I was 
 brought into the ship, and immediately after into the 
 captain's cabin, the first person that accosted me was 
 one of the fellows that broke out of the prison, and 
 had formerly been under my care. He knew me di- 
 rectly ; and, without more ado, drawing out his dag- 
 ger, aimed a stroke at me, which, falling on my neck, 
 entered deep into the flesh, and must infallibly have 
 put an end to my life had not the captain prevented 
 it by raising h is cane between him and me, and broke 
 the force of the blow. From that moment, he seemed 
 to take me under his protection. At his own request, 
 I gave him a history of my own life, which asto- 
 nished him greatly ; but notwithstanding I pleaded 
 hard to go on shore again, he absolutely refused ; and, 
 in spite of all my entreaties, brought me to the island 
 and fortification I have already mentioned, where, 
 finding F could read and write, two qualifications he 
 wanted himself, he thought I might be of use to him. 
 
 I have already said that with these people I re- 
 mained nearly four years ; on land, T acted as store- 
 keeper, and, at sea, as a sort of purser to the ship. 1 
 may observe, that there was always a sufticient num- 
 ber of hands left on the island to man the fort, which 
 was so situated as efi^ectually to prevent the approach 
 of the enemy. Indeed, the office of storekeeper was 
 a place of great trust. You would hardly credit me 
 were I to attempt to tell you of the immense riches 
 these robbers had amassed together. One article 
 alone will be sufficient to give you an idea of it. Un- 
 der one shed, I counted three thousand eight hundred 
 hales of English goods; and I may safely declare, 
 that in other merchandise, of almost every kind, they 
 
 A:\inROSF, fiWINNFTT. 7 
 
 friend, accompanying me, who knew not what to 
 say, or how to comfort me. 
 
 Being arrived in town, I was instantly hurried to 
 the house where I had slept the preceding in<^ht, 
 the master of which was one of the three men w ho 
 came to apprehend me, though, in my first hurrv, 
 I did not recollect him. AVe were met at the door 
 by a crowd of people, every one crying, "Which is 
 he ?" " which is he ?" As soon as I entered, I was 
 accostc»d by the publican's wife in tears, " () cursed 
 wretch, what hast thou done ? thou hast murdered 
 and robbed my poor dear uncle, and all through me, 
 who put thee to he with him. But where hast thou 
 hid his money and what hast thou done with his 
 body.? Thou shalt be hanged on a gallows as high 
 as a Mayj)ole." 
 
 My brother begged of her to be pacified, and I 
 was taken into a private room. They then began 
 to question me, as the woman had done, as to where 
 I had put the money, and how I had disposed of the 
 body. I asked them what money, and whose body 
 they meant ? They then said I hiid killed the person 
 I had slept with the preceding night, for the sake 
 of a large sura of money I had seen him with. I 
 fell down on my knees, calling on God to witness 
 that I knew nothing about what they accused me of. 
 Then somebody cried, " Carry him up stairs ;" and I 
 was taken to the chamber where I had slept. Here 
 the man of the house went to the bed, and, turning 
 down the clothes, shewed the sheets, pillows, and 
 bolster dyed in blood. He asked mo if I knew 
 anything of that ? I declared to God I did not. Said 
 a person that was in the room, Young nian, some- 
 thing very odd must have happened here last night, 
 for, lying in the next chamber, I heard groanings, 
 and goings up and down stairs more than once or 
 twice." I told them the circumstance of my illness, 
 and that I had been up and down n\yself, with all 
 that passed between my bedfellow and me. Some- 
 
10 ADVENTURES OF 
 
 miiid, God help me ! was, vith long agitation, be- 
 come so unfeeling, that 1 was in a manner insensible 
 to every object about me ; but I heard, without the 
 least emotion, the sheriff whisper to the executioner 
 to make what dispatch he could, and I suffered 
 ■him to tuck me up like a log of wood, being uncon- 
 scious of what he was doing. 
 
 I can give no account of what I felt while I was 
 hanging, only that I remembered, after being turned 
 off, something for a little appeared about me like a 
 blaze of fire ; nor do I know how long I hung. No 
 doubt, the violence of the weather favoured me 
 gieatly in that circumstance. What 1 am now go- 
 ing to tell you, I learned from my brother ; which 
 was, that, after having hung for about half an hour, 
 the sheriff's officers all went off, ajid I was cut down 
 by the executioner ; but when he came to put the 
 irons upon me, it was found a mistake had been 
 made, and that the irons of the other man, which 
 were much too large for me, had been sent instead 
 of mine. This they remedied as well as they could 
 by stuffing rags between my body and the hoops 
 that surrounded it ; after which I Avas taken, accord- 
 ing to my sentence, to the place appointed, and hung 
 on a gibbet, which was ready prepared. 
 
 The cloth over my face was but slightly tied, and 
 suffering no pressure from the irons, which stood a 
 gr(>at way from it, was, I suppose, soon detached by 
 the wind, which was then rather violent ; and pro- 
 bal)ly its blowing upon my bare face expedited my 
 recovery ; certain it is, that in this awful and tre- 
 mendous .situation I came to myself. 
 
 It was no doubt a very great blessing that I did 
 not immediately return so perfectly to my senses as 
 to have a feeling of things about me ; yet I had a 
 sort of recollection of what had hajypened, and in 
 some measure was sensible where 1 was. 
 
 The gibl)ct was placed in a corner of a small com- 
 mon field where my sister's cows usually went ; and 
 
 AMimoSK GWINNETT. 15 
 
 J cannot lay them at your door, that I have been 
 without my sufferings. God knows my heart, I am 
 exceedingly sorry for the injustice that has been done 
 you ; but the ways of Providence are unsearchable." 
 He then proceeded to inform me by what accident 
 all my troubles had been brought about. 
 
 " When you left me in bed," said he, " having at 
 first awakened with au impression I could not ac- 
 count for, I found myself growing exceedingly sick 
 and feeble. I did not know what was the matter ; 
 I groaned and sighed, and thought myself going to 
 die, when, accidentally putting my hand to my left 
 arm, in which I had been bled the morning before, 
 I found my shirt wet, and, in short, that the bandage 
 had slipped, and the orifice being again opened, that 
 a great flux of blood had ensued. This immediately 
 accounted for the condition in which I found myself. 
 1 thought, however, that I would not disturb the 
 family, who, I knew, had all gone to bed very late ; 
 I therefore mustered all ray strength, and got up 
 with my night-gown loose about me, for the purpose 
 of going to a neighbouring huircutter, in order to 
 have the blood stopped, and the bandage replaced. 
 He lived directly opposite our house ; but, when I 
 was crossing the way to knock at his door, a band 
 of men, armed with cutlasses and hangers, came 
 down the town, and, seizing me, hurried me toward 
 the beach. I begged and prayed, but they soon 
 silenced my cries. At first, I took them for a press- 
 gang, though I afterwards found they were a gang of 
 ruffians belonging to a privateer, aboard of which 
 they immediately took me ; however, before I got 
 there, the loss of blood caused me to faint away. 
 Tlie surgeon of the ship, I suppose, tied my arm ; 
 for, when my senses returned, I found myself in a 
 hammock, with somebudy feeling my pulse; the ves- 
 sel was then under weigh. 
 
 I asked where J was. They said I was safe enough. 
 I immediately called for my night-gown ; it was 
 
 14 ADVENTUnE.S Oi' 
 
 myself, and were then on their return home. I had, 
 therefore, now an opportunity of taking notice of the 
 man whose face I thought I knew, and I was more 
 and more convinced that I was not mistaken ; in a 
 word, I verily thought this man was the person for 
 whose supposed murder I had suffered so much in 
 England, and the thought was so strong in my head, 
 that I could not sleep a wink all night, 
 f On the morning after their arrival, I told them 
 that if any of them wished to walk about and see 
 the town, I could procure them permission, and go 
 along with them. This man said he would go, and 
 this was what I wished. Three other prisoners, 
 who went out along with us, walked a little in ad- 
 vance. I now took the opportunity, and looking 
 in his face, " Sir," said I, " were you ever at Deal ?" 
 I believe he, at that instant, had some recollection of 
 me, for, putting his hand upon my shoulder, tears 
 burst into his eyes. " If you have," said I, " and 
 you be the man I take you for, you here see before 
 you one of the most unfortunate of human kind. 
 Sir, is your name Collins ?" He answered it was. 
 " Ilichard Collins.?" said I. lie replied, yes. " Then," 
 said I, " I was hanged and gibbeted on your account 
 in England." 
 
 After our mutual surprise was over, he made me 
 give him a circumstantial detail of everything that 
 happened to me in England from the moment we 
 jjarted. I never saw any man express such concern 
 as he did while I was pursuing my melancholy ad- 
 ventures ; but when I came to the circumstance of 
 my being hanged, and afterwards hung in chains, 1 
 could hardly prevail on him to believe my relation 
 till backed by the most serious asseverations, pro- 
 nounced in the most solemn manner. When I had 
 done, " Well," said he, " young man, (for I was then 
 but ill my five-and twentieth year ; ]\lr Collins might 
 be about three-and-forty,) if you have sustained any 
 misfortunes upon my account, do not imagine, though 
 
 AMBKOSE GWINNETT. 11 
 
 (t pleased God, that, about this time, a lad, who took 
 tare of them, came to drive them home for evening 
 milking. The creatures, which were feeding almost 
 under me, brought him near the gibbet, when, stop- 
 ping to look at the melancholy spectacle, he per- 
 ceived that the cloth was from oft" my face, and, in 
 the very moment he looked up, saw me open my 
 eyes and move my under jaw. He immediately ran 
 home to inform the people at his master's. At first, 
 they had some difficulty in believing his story ; but 
 at length my brother came out, and, by the time he 
 arrived at the field, I was so fur recovered that my 
 groans were very audible. 
 
 It was now dusk. The first thing they ran for 
 was a ladder. One of my brother's men mounted, 
 and, putting his hand to my stomach, felt my heart 
 beat very strongly. But it was found impossible to 
 detach me from the gibbet without cutting it down. 
 A saw, therefore, was got for that purpose, and, with- 
 out giving you a detail of trilling circumstances, in 
 less than half an hour, having freed me from my 
 irons, they got me bled, and put mo into a warm 
 bed in my brother's house. 
 
 ■ It is an amazing thing, that, though upwards of 
 eight persons were acquainted with this transaction, 
 and I remained three days in the place after it hap- 
 pened, not a creature divulged the secret. Early 
 next morning, it was known that the gibbet w as cut 
 down, and it immediately occurred to every body 
 that it was done by my relations, in order to put a 
 veil over their own shame, by burning the body. 
 But, when my brother was summoned to the mayor's 
 house in order to be questioned, and he denied know- 
 ing anything of the matter, little more stir was made 
 about it ; partly because he was greatly respected by 
 all the neighbouring gentlemen, and, in some mea- 
 sure, perhaps, because it was known that I continued 
 to persist strongly in my being innocent of the crime 
 for which I sulfcrcd 
 
AMBROSE GWINNETT. 23 
 
 service, with all that had happened to me among 
 them, my prevarication made them suspect my vera- 
 city, and I was two years in prison ; Avhen, by what 
 means I know not, some of the Avretches with whom 
 I left our island having been taken as pirates upon 
 the Spanish coast of Europe, an order came to bring 
 me over to Cadiz, in Old Spain, in order to be evi- 
 dence. When I came there, I was detained for 
 many months ; but at length, when the pirates were 
 brought up for trial, instead of being summoned for 
 evidence, 1 found myself treated as a delinquent, 
 and, with two others, condemned to the galleys for 
 life. 
 
 I worked on board of them for several years, 
 when a galley I belonged to was ordered to sea 
 against an Algerine rover that infested the coast ; 
 but, instead of one, met with three of them. The 
 issue of an engagement was fatal to us. The greater 
 part of the crew were killed, and the rest taken pri- 
 soners, among which last I was one, having lost my 
 leg in the action. 
 
 After this, I passed a long and painful slavery in 
 Algiers, till, with many other English captives, I 
 was_ released, by agreement between the Dey of 
 Algiers and his Britannic Majesty's agent. In the 
 year 1730, I returned to England. The first thing 
 I did was to inquire after my relations, but all those 
 nearest to me were dead; and I found that Mr 
 Collins had never returned home ; so I suppose he 
 died on his passage. Though not an old man, I was 
 so enfeebled by hardships that I was unable to 
 work; and being without any manner of support, 
 I could lliink of no way of getting my living but by 
 sweeping the crossing between the Mews-gate and 
 Spring Gardens, Charing-Cross, London ; and ulti- 
 mately, being even unable for this employment, I 
 depended on the generosity of a feeling and benevo- 
 lent public. 
 
 The history of Ambrose Gwinnett is one which 
 
 22 ADVENTURES OF 
 
 above the water as well as I could, though I had no 
 hopes of saving my life. My first attempt was to 
 swim after the ship ; but, finding that impracticable, I 
 turned about, and I believe I had swam for three- 
 quarters of an hour, when, being very faint and weak, 
 I began to put up my last prayer to God, and deter- 
 mined to commit myself to the bottom of the deep ; 
 but, at that instant, turning my head a little aside, I 
 saw, at a small distance from ine, what at first I took 
 for a barrel; but what was my joy and astonishment, 
 when, coming near, I perceived it to be one of our own 
 boats, which had been washed overboard the night 
 before, and, to complete my joy, the oars were lashed 
 to the seat 1 Almost spent, as I was, I made shift to 
 get upon it ; and here I saw myself freed in a mira- 
 culous manner from the fury of the waves ; but, at 
 the same time, I found myself in an open boat, at 
 least sixty leagues from land, without a compass, or 
 any kind of nourishment whatever, unless I might 
 'call tobacco some, which I found in a box in one of 
 my waistcoat pockets ; and I believe in my con- 
 science that it afforded me a nourishment which, in 
 a great measure, helped to preserve me. 
 
 It was a very great blessing for me that moderate 
 weather followed the tempest, by which means I was 
 enabled to keep the boat tolerably steady. I could 
 not be less than thirty hours in that situation, when 
 I was taken by a Spanish carrick ; but I can hardly 
 reckon that among my fortunate accidents ; for, on 
 the same day that I entered the ship, one of the men, 
 while I was asleep, hanging up my clothes among the 
 shrouds to dry, emptied my pockets, and finding se^ 
 veral papers relative to the pirates' affairs, on arriv- 
 ing at Port-Royal, whither they were bound, they 
 seized me as one of tlie desperate gang. 
 
 I must observe to you, that, when I first went into 
 the ship, I gave a false account of myself, which oc- 
 casioned my ruin ; for, now confessing the truth, and 
 telling them that I had been forced into the pirates' 
 
 THE 
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 AMBROSE &WINNETT 
 
 I was born of reputable parents in the city of Can- 
 terbury, where my father dealt in hops. He had 
 but two children, a daughter and myself ; and hav- 
 ing given me a good education, at the age of sixteen 
 he bound me an apprentice to Mr George Roberts, 
 an attorney in the same town, with whom I stayed 
 nearly five years, to his great content and my own 
 satisfaction. 
 
 My sister, being come to woman's estate, had now 
 been married something more than twelve months 
 to one Sawyer, a seafaring man, who had got consi- 
 derable prizes ; and my father giving him L.200 with 
 my sister, he quitted his profession, and set up a 
 public-house within three miles of the place of his 
 nativity, which was Deal, in the county of Kent. 
 
 I had frequent invitations to pass a short time with 
 them ; and, in the autumn of the year 1710, having 
 obtained my master's consent for that purpose, I left 
 the city of Canterbury on foot on a Wednesday 
 morning, being the 1 7th day of September ; but, 
 through some unavoidable delay on the road, the 
 evening was considerably advanced before I reached 
 Deal ; and I was so tired, being unaccustomed to that 
 way of travelling, that, had my life depended upon 
 it, I could not have got so far as my sister's that night. 
 At this time, there were many of her Majesty Queeu