In the Month of November, 1716, General Hamilton, Commander in chief of all the Leeward Carribee Iſlands, ſent a Sloop Expreſs to Captain Hume, at Barbadoes, Commander of his Majeſty’s Ship, Scarborough, of 30 Guns, and 140 Men, to acquaint him, that two Pyrate Sloops of 12 Guns each, moleſted the Colonies, having plundered ſeveral Veſſels. The Scarborough had bury’d twenty Men, and had near forty Sick, and therefore was but in ill State to go to Sea: However, Captain Hume left his ſick Men behind, and ſailed to the other Iſlands, for a ſupply of Men, taking 20 Soldiers from Antegoa; at Nevis, he took 10, and 10 at St. Chriſtophers, and then ſailed to the Iſland of Anguilla, where he learned, that ſome Time before, 2 ſuch Sloops had been at Spaniſh-Town, otherwiſe called, one of the Virgin Iſlands: Accordingly, the next Day, the Scarborough came to Spaniſh-Town, but could hear no News of the Sloops, only, that they had been there about Chriſtmas, (it being then the 15th of January.)
Captain Hume, finding no Account could be had of theſe Pyrates, deſigned to go back, the next Day, to Barbadoes; but, it happened, that Night, that a Boat anchor’d there from Santa Crux, and informed him, that he ſaw a Pyrate Ship of 22 or 24 Guns, with other Veſſels, going in to the North Weſt Part of the Iſland aforeſaid. The Scarborough weigh’d immediately, and the next Morning came in Sight of the Rovers, and their Prizes, and ſtood to them, but the Pilot refuſed to venture in with the Ship; all the while the Pyrates fir’d red hot Bullets from the Shore. At length, the Ship came to an Anchor, along Side the Reef, near the Channel, and cannonaded for ſeveral Hours, both the Veſſels and Batteries: About four in the Afternoon, the Sloop that guarded the Channel, was ſunk by the Shot of the Man of War; then ſhe
