Vulgar words in Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period - Illustrative Documents (Page 1)

This book at a glance

damn x 2
slut x 4
whore x 1
            

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~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,164   ~   ~   ~

Could not see the shore till they were among the Breakers, when the Depon't Fitz Gerald was at helm, and had lost sight of the Great Ship, Snow and Sloop; and being among the breakers we thought it most proper and necessary to weere[3] the Pink, and before we could trim the head sails we run ashoar opposite to Sluts bush at the back of Stage harbour to the southward of Cape Codd[4] between ten and Eleven a Clock at night, And the seven Pyrates together with the Depon't and a young man named James Donovan tarryed on board the said Pink till break of day[5] and then found the shoar side of the Pink dry and so all of them went on shoar upon the Island called Poachy[6] beach, and there tarryed till about ten a Clock, when two Men came over in a Canno, Namely John Cole[7] and William Smith, who Carryed the seven pyrates over to the Main land, and then Cole came again to the Depon't and Inquired who they (meaning the pyrates) were, and the Depon't Mackconothy Answered they were pyrates and had taken the said pink, and soon after the said John Cole Informed Mr. Justice Done of Barnstable[8] thereof, by virtue of whose Warrant the said seven Pyrates were Apprehended, and the Depon'ts Journeyed with them to Boston, where they are now in Custody of the Keeper of His Maj'ties Goal as is aforesaid.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,169   ~   ~   ~

[Footnote 4: Slut's Bush was a rocky, swampy piece of land, well grown with berry-bushes, in the midst of the large isle of Nauset, that lay outside of the smaller Pochet Island and outside Stage or Nauset Harbor, the harbor of Eastham.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,170   ~   ~   ~

Now, Slut's Bush ledge and Nauset Island are far out from the present shore and under deep water.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,286   ~   ~   ~

They Damn'd the Depont.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,614   ~   ~   ~

On a peice of a Stick made in the shape of a thing they name a Cross, Said to be blest and Sanctyfyed by the poluted words and hands of a wretched priest, a Spawn of the whore of Babylon, who is a Monster of Nature and a Servant to the Devill, Who for a Riall will pretend to absolve them from perjury, Incest and parricide, and Cannonize them for Cruelties Committed to we Herreticks, as they stile us, and Even Rank them in the Number of those Cursed Saints who by their Barbarity have Rendered their Names Immortall and Odious to all true Beleivers.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 11,803   ~   ~   ~

Potter answered that he would share none until his Return for all the Men were indebted to the Owners more than that amounted to and Swore at and Damn'd them threatning them with his drawn sword at their Breasts, which Treatment Obliged the Men to hold their Peace and when said Sloop arrived at Barbadoes Capt.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 14,583   ~   ~   ~

Slave-trade, 180-187, 235 n, 468 n. Sloughter, _Gov._ Henry, 190 n. Slut's Bush, 297, 303.

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