He Afterwards Drew Up A Set Of Regulations, Which Were To Be
The Laws Of His New Principality, Taking To Himself The Style And
Title Of Captain-General, And Obliging His Party To Sign An Act, Or
Instrument, By Which They Acknowledged Him As Such.
These points
once settled, he resolved to carry on the war.
He first of all
embarked on board two shallops twenty-two men, well armed, with
orders to destroy Mr. Weybhays and his company; and on their
miscarrying, he undertook a like expedition with thirty-seven men,
in which, however, he had no better success; for Mr. Weybhays, with
his people, though armed only with staves with nails drove into
their heads, advanced even into the water to meet them, and after a
brisk engagement compelled these murderers to retire.
Cornelis then thought fit to enter into a negotiation, which was
managed by the chaplain, who remained with Mr. Weybhays, and after
several comings and goings from one party to the other, a treaty was
concluded upon the following terms--viz., That Mr. Weybhays and his
company should for the future remain undisturbed, provided they
delivered up a little boat, in which one of the sailors had made his
escape from the island in which Cornelis was with his gang, in order
to take shelter on that where Weybhays was with his company. It was
also agreed that the latter should have a part of the stuffs and
silks given them for clothes, of which they stood in great want.
But, while this affair was in agitation, Cornelis took the
opportunity of the correspondence between them being restored, to
write letters to some French soldiers that were in Weybhays's
company, promising them six thousand livres apiece if they would
comply with his demands, not doubting but by this artifice he should
be able to accomplish his end.
His letters, however, had no effect; on the contrary, the soldiers
to whom they were directed carried them immediately to Mr. Weybhays.
Cornelis, not knowing that this piece of treachery was discovered,
went over the next morning, with three or four of his people, to
carry to Mr. Weybhays the clothes that had been promised him. As
soon as they landed, Weybhays attacked them, killed two or three,
and made Cornelis himself prisoner. One Wonterloss, who was the
only man that made his escape, went immediately back to the
conspirators, put himself at their head, and came the next day to
attack Weybhays, but met with the same fate as before--that is to
say, he and the villains that were with him were soundly beat.
Things were in this situation when Captain Pelsart arrived in the
Sardam frigate. He sailed up to the wreck, and saw with great joy a
cloud of smoke ascending from one of the islands, by which he knew
that all his people were not dead. He came immediately to an
anchor, and having ordered some wine and provisions to be put into
the skiff, resolved to go in person with these refreshments to one
of these islands. He had hardly quitted the ship before he was
boarded by a boat from the island to which he was going. There were
four men in the boat, of whom Weybhays was one, who immediately ran
to the captain, told him what had happened, and begged him to return
to his ship immediately, for that the conspirators intended to
surprise her, that they had already murdered 125 persons, and that
they had attacked him and his company that very morning with two
shallops.
While they were talking the two shallops appeared; upon which the
captain rowed to his ship as fast as he could, and was hardly got on
board before they arrived at the ship's side. The captain was
surprised to see men in red coats laced with gold and silver, with
arms in their hands. He demanded what they meant by coming on board
armed. They told him he should know when they were on board the
ship. The captain replied that they should come on board, but that
they must first throw their arms into the sea, which if they did not
do immediately, he would sink them as they lay. As they saw that
disputes were to no purpose, and that they were entirely in the
captain's power, they were obliged to obey. They accordingly threw
their arms overboard, and were then taken into the vessel, where
they were instantly put in irons. One of them, whose name was John
Bremen, and who was first examined, owned that he had murdered with
his own hands, or had assisted in murdering, no less than twenty-
seven persons. The same evening Weybhays brought his prisoner
Cornelis on board, where he was put in irons and strictly guarded.
On the 18th of September, Captain Pelsart, with the master, went to
take the rest of the conspirators in Cornelis's island. They went
in two boats. The villains, as soon as they saw them land, lost all
their courage, and fled from them. They surrendered without a blow,
and were put in irons with the rest. The captain's first care was
to recover the jewels which Cornelis had dispersed among his
accomplices: they were, however, all of them soon found, except a
gold chain and a diamond ring; the latter was also found at last,
but the former could not be recovered. They went next to examine
the wreck, which they found staved into an hundred pieces; the keel
lay on a bank of sand on one side, the fore part of the vessel stuck
fast on a rock, and the rest of her lay here and there as the pieces
had been driven by the waves, so that Captain Pelsart had very
little hopes of saving any of the merchandise. One of the people
belonging to Weybhays's company told him that one fair day, which
was the only one they had in a month, as he was fishing near the
wreck, he had struck the pole in his hand against one of the chests
of silver, which revived the captain a little, as it gave him reason
to expect that something might still be saved.
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