Factories, giving an Account of it: They were ſenſible of this Error immediately, and becauſe they would make the beſt of a bad Market, reſolved to keep out of ſight of Land, and loſe the Prizes they might expect between that and Whydah, to make the more ſure of that Port, where commonly is the beſt Booty; all Nations trading thither, eſpecially Portugueſe, who purchaſe chiefly with Gold, the Idol their Hearts were bent upon. And notwithſtanding this unlikely Courſe, they met and took ſeveral Ships between Axim and that Place; the circumſtantial Stories of which, and the pannick Terrors they ſtruck into his Majeſty’s Subjects, being tedious and unneceſſary to relate, I ſhall paſs by, and come to their Arrival in that Road.
They came to Whydah with a St. George’s Enſign, a black Silk Flag flying at their Mizen-Peek, and a Jack and Pendant of the ſame: The Flag had a Death in it, with an Hour-Glaſs in one Hand, and croſs Bones in the other, a Dart by it, and underneath a Heart dropping three Drops of Blood.The Jack had a Man pourtray’d in it, with a flaming Sword in his Hand, and ſtanding on two Skulls, ſubſcribed A B H and A M H i. e. a Barbadian’s and a Martinican’s Head, as has been before taken Notice of. Here they found eleven Sail in the Road, Engliſh, French and Portugueſe; the French were three ſtout Ships of 30 Guns, and upwards of 100 Men each, yet when Roberts came to Fire, they, with the other Ships, immediately ſtruck their Colours and ſurrendred to his Mercy. One Reaſon, it muſt be confeſs’d, of his eaſy Victory, was, the Commanders and a good Part of the Men being aſhore, according to the Cuſtom of the Place, to receive the Cargoes, and return the Slaves, they being obliged to watch the Seaſons for it, which otherwiſe, in ſo dangerous a Sea as here,
