their Fears of her ever riſing in Judgment againſt them.
Captain Teach, alias Black-beard, paſſed three or four Months in the River, ſometimes lying at Anchor in the Coves, at other Times ſailing from one Inlet to another, trading with ſuch Sloops as he met, for the Plunder he had taken, and would often give them Preſents for Stores and Proviſions took from them; that is, when he happened to be in a giving Humour; at other Times he made bold with them, and took what he liked, without ſaying, by your Leave, knowing well, they dared not ſend him a Bill for the Payment. He often diverted himſelf with going aſhore among the Planters, where he revelled Night and Day: By theſe he was well received, but whether out of Love or Fear, I cannot ſay; ſometimes he uſed them courteouſly enough, and made them Preſents of Rum and Sugar, in Recompence of what he took from them; but, as for Liberties (which ’tis ſaid) he and his Companions often took with the Wives and Daughters of the Planters, I cannot take upon me to ſay, whether he paid them ad Valorem, or no. At other Times he carried it in a lordly Manner towards them, and would lay ſome of them under Contribution; nay, he often proceeded to bully the Governor, not, that I can diſcover the leaſt Cauſe of Quarrel betwixt them, but it ſeemed only to be done, to ſhew he dared do it.
The Sloops trading up and down this River, being ſo frequently pillaged by Black-beard, conſulted with the Traders, and ſome of the beſt of the Planters, what Courſe to take; they, ſaw plainly it would be in vain to make any Application to the Governor of North-Carolina, to whom it properly belonged to find ſome Redreſs; ſo that if they could not be relieved from ſome other Quar-
