16

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

CHAP.

xxv.

J6!>9.

settlement a veteran mariner named William Kidd. Hehad passed most of his life on the waves, had distin-guished himself by his seamanship, had had opportuni-ties of showing his valour in action with the French, andhad retired on a competence. No man knew the Easternseas better. He was perfectly acquainted with all thehaunts of the pirates who prowled between the Cape ofGood Hope and the Straits of Malacca; and he would un-dertake , if he were entrusted with a single ship of thirtyor forty guns, to clear the Indian Ocean of the whole race.The brigantines of the rovers were numerous, no doubt;but none of them was large: one man of war, which in theroyal navy would hardly rank as a fourth rate, wouldeasily deal with them all in succession; and the lawfulspoils of the enemies of mankind would much more thandefray the charges of the expedition. Bellamont wascharmed with this plan, and recommended it to the King.The King referred it to the Admiralty. The Admiraltyraised difficulties; such as are perpetually raised by publicboards when any deviation, whether for the better or forthe worse, from the established course of proceeding isproposed. It then occurred to Bellamont that his favouritescheme might be carried into effect without any cost to thestate. A few public spirited Jmen might easily fit out aprivateer which would soon make the Arabian Gulph andthe Bay of Bengal secure highways for trade. He wroteto his friends in England imploring, remonstrating, com-plaining of their lamentable want of public spirit. Six