What gave occasion to this enterprize was that until that time the Spaniards had
     passed and repassed with all security, and without finding the least opposition,
     through the Bahama Channel. So that Pierre le Grand set out to sea by the Caicos,
     where he took this great ship with almost all facility imaginable. The Spaniards
     they found aboard were all set on shore, and the vessel presently sent to France.
     The manner how this undaunted spirit attempted and took such a huge ship, I shall
     give you out of a Journal of a true and faithful author, in the same words as I
     read. The boat, he says, wherein Pierre le Grand was with his companions,
     had now been at sea a long time, without finding anything, according to his in-
     tent of piracy, suitable to make a prey. And now their provisions beginning to
     fail, they could keep themselves no longer upon the ocean, or they must of neces-
     sity starve. Being almost reduced to despair, they espied a great ship belonging
     to the Spanish Flota, which had seperated from the rest. This bulky vessel they
     resolved to set upon and take, or die in the attempt. Hereupon they made sail to-
     wards her, with design to view her strength. And although they judged the vessel
     to be far above their forces, yet the covetousness of such a prey, and the extre-
     mity of fortune they were reduced to, made them adventure on such an enterprize.
     Being now come so near that they could not escape without danger of being all kil-
     led, the Pirates jointly made an oath to their captain, Pierre le Grand, to behave
     themselves courageously in this attempt, without the least fear or fainting. True
     it is, that these rovers had conceived an opinion that they should find the ship
     unprovided to fight, and that through this occasion they should master her by de-
     grees. It was in the dusk of the evening, or soon after, when this great action
     was performed. But before it was begun, they gave orders to the surgeon of the
     boat to bore a hole in the sides thereof, to the intent that, their own vessel sin-
     king under them, they might be compelled to attack more vigorously, and endeavour
     more hastily to run aboard the great ship. This was performed accordingly; and wit-
     hout any other arms than a pistol in one of their hands and a sword in the other,
     they immediately climbed up the sides of the ship, and ran altogether into the
     great cabin, where they found the Captain, with several of his companions, playing
     at cards.