A General History of the Pirates · Chapter
Of Capt. John Evans, and His Crew explained
John Evans, a Welsh former master of a sloop, turns to piracy after losing his employment and finding wages poor.
What happens
John Evans, a Welsh former master of a sloop, turns to piracy after losing his employment and finding wages poor. With a few comrades, he steals a canoe, robs houses, and captures a sloop named the Scowerer. They take several prizes, including a Spanish sloop and a New England ship, and share substantial plunder. After capturing a Dutch sloop, they head to the Grand Cayman to clean their vessel, but a quarrel between Evans and his boatswain leads to Evans being shot dead. The crew kills the boatswain in revenge, then breaks up the company, leaving the mate to bring the sloop into Port Royal.
Themes in this chapter
Economic Despair as a Driver of Piracy
Evans and his comrades turned to piracy because wages were poor and berths scarce, reflecting the economic pressures that drove many seamen to crime.
Violence, Brutality, and Moral Depravity
The chapter depicts the brutal internal conflict among the pirates, culminating in Evans being shot dead by his boatswain and the boatswain's subsequent execution.
Characters to notice
- John Evans
Captain of the pirate sloop Scowerer; killed by his boatswain after a duel challenge.
- Mackra
Mate of the Lucretia and Catherine, detained by the pirates and asked to command after Evans's death; he refused.
Key passages
“What have we to do to turn reformers, ’tis money we want?”
Evans dismissed the idea of judging the captain's treatment of his crew, emphasizing that their goal was profit, not justice.
Highlights the pirates' focus on material gain over moral reform.
“Does your captain give you victuals enough? ... why then, said he, he ought to give you work enough.”
Evans asked the prisoners if they were adequately fed, and when they said yes, he concluded that the captain was justified in demanding hard labor.
Reflects a pragmatic, if harsh, view of the master-sailor relationship.