18

HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

chap, a crew of more than a hundred and fifty men, and in July• Jli33 / reached the coast of Madagascar.

It is possible that Kidd may at first have meant to actin accordance with his instructions. But, on the subjectof piracy, he held the notions which were then common inthe North American colonies; and most of his crew wereof the same mind. He found himself in a sea which wasconstantly traversed by rich' and defenceless merchantships; and he had to determine whether he would plunderthose ships or protect them. The gain which might bemade by plundering them was immense, and might besnatched without the dangers of a battle or the delays of atrial. The rewards of protecting the lawful trade werelikely to be comparatively small. Such as they were, theywould be got only by first fighting with desperate ruffianswho would rather be killed than taken, and by then in-stituting a proceeding and obtaining a judgment in a Courtof Admiralty. The risk of being called to a severe reckon-ing might not unnaturally seem small to one who had seenmany old buccaneers living in comfort and credit at NewYork and Boston. Kidd soon threw off the character of aprivateer, and became a pirate. He established friendlycommunications, and exchanged arms and ammunition,with the most notorious of those rovers whom his commis-sion authorised him to destroy, and made war on thosepeaceful traders whom he was sent to defend. He beganby robbing Mussulmans, and speedily proceeded fromMussulmans to Armenians, and from Armenians to Por-