Towards Mogadishu:A Exodus That Changed History
Written by Daniel Trejo,P.W.H
Published by Quetzal Publishings,Chiapas,Federated Mexican Republic
Chapter Three:Bound in Blood
Kongo-Malagasy,7th December 1718-September 1719
True.They managed to break the barrier Benjamin Hornigold put on them,but they are clueless.They dont know where,or what they actually will do,upon arrival.There,along the way to the east,they managed to plunder few riches,before Edward England called everyone to gather in a island where he usually rests,before continuing his adventure.Arriving on the unhabited site of Fernando Po,where they managed to gain a coherent,united decision on resting on Kongo,a African land,where it is known to be ruled by a Christian king.Believing that they are visiting Prester John's kingdom,Blackbeard agrees on this idea.
It is not known on when they arrived on Kongo,but personal records from the pirates managed to put
14th February 1719 as the date where they arrived on Kongo,although Charles Vane mentioned that they arrived in mid-January(
However,Charles Vane's reported lack of basic academical knowledge might disprove his own statement.)Arriving in Kongo,they managed to lay low,mixing in with the society,apparently not knowing the fact that the Portuguese held considerable sway in Kongo,with many Portuguese men could be seen roaming around.However,Blackbeard still goes with his orders on laying low on Kongo.There,the pirates used the Kongoese ports as a small-base of operations,where they attacked the neighboring tribes of Kongo,to the point where Charles Vane were contacted by the monarchy,to work as the kingdom's force in the sea.The civillian element of the convoy themselves were building small homes on the capital,due to the king granted them the allowance to live in the land,due to Charles Vane's contribution to the Kongo navy.
However,Blackbeard called for a meeting on the
Southern Frontier tavern,owned by a Portuguese man,a popular joint for European sailors whom passed Kongo,in their travels.
Hiring a room,enough for every captains there to gather and discuss about their future,and what will become of them afterwards.With a map of the known world laid in the table,the pirates discussed about their final decision.Initially,men such as Edward England himself and Augustine Washignton,proposed that Africa should be their new home,although a permanent settlement like Nassau were out from the question,according to them.However,its only their opinions,as the others were inclined on establishing a stronger homeland for the free men,while Blackbeard himself got another plan in his hand.Pointing to the horn of Africa,Blackbeard proposed that a bigger homeland should be established,all out of vengeance against the empires of the old world.
Initially,everyone rejected the idea,but after Blackbeard defends his opinion with his strong argument,everybody quickly jumped into his boat.His argument were recorded on Jack Rackham's diary,written below.
"
Now,as we are bickering about Thatch's misguided-ness,Thatch smashed a glass of water,and began to spoke.
"
Brothers,sisters,friends,this is not about our generation.But its all about the future generation.Why? I knew that i wont live to see you,Augustine,Bonny,or Jack-to finally live in peace,without any squabblings of the old world empires.Its all not about us,but about the future generation.We dont know if we will succeed,but if we believe,we can.
"
Then we are silenced by his words..We knew Thatch had a point that we failed to see.
"
It was believed that Blackbeard chooses the horn of Africa due to its-rather strategic position,coupled with his early intention on ending his-and everyone's way of life as a pirate,preferring to declare war for freedom-with his own way.However,his opinion regarding piracy were not accepted,and rejected vehemently,by everyone.Then it was the time where they discusses on how they-will got their own homeland.Looking over the island above Malagasy,Blackbeard had a plan of his own,but however,they need to restock,and prepare for another journey.
The meeting ended with a oath,spoken by everyone,tying them in a bond of comradeship and changed history.This were taken
"
Here we stand,not bound by race,religion,and nationality-all only by comradeship and the fate that ties our lives(In this point,it is known that Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny muttered quietly that-they're a exception,as they were also tied by romance.),all only for freedom,and a better lives for us,and future generation to come.We are unite under this oath,and it will not broken until the end.
"
This oath,popularly dubbed as the
Oath of Freemen,will be the driving force of the pirates from now,to come.As the meeting ended,Rackham and Edward England quickly joined Vane's path,trying to gain the King of Kongo's trust,while Blackbeard,and the other began to step up their game by taking out Portuguese and French ships,slowly attracting them into Kongo.But in a stroke of miracle,they managed to evade capture and detection for more than a month,before the month of June changed everything.
On mid-June 1719,as Maylemano steered near the island of Principe,he saw a ship,bearing a British flag-docking in a harbor where a Portuguese flag could be seen.Eager to find more about this,Maylemano docked on the coast of Principe,having a force-only of five men-guarding him.Sneaking inside the fort,Maylemano realized that the island is actually one of the slaving centers of the Portuguese Empire.Knowing that this is also a chance to free his brethren,Maylemano devises a plan.Seeing that the numbers of the enslaved ones are nearly outnumbering the Portuguese,Maylemano decided to free them,before one of his men noticed that the British ship is not a ordinary ship,but rather actually a pirate ship,according to a Portuguese patrol guard,talking to his friend.In a stroke of creativity,he murdered the two guards,having a separate plan from Maylemano's.With the Portuguese havent realized that there is two groups of pirates in their island.Reporting about the actual fact to Maylemano,Maylemano decides to going inside by himself,ordering his men to head towards the British ship,to contact them.
Maylemano,whom managed to catch up with Howell Davis,the captain of the ship's group,that is heading towards the governor of Principe's estate,decided to follow the group,to the estate.But things might change a bit,as Maylemano's quartermaster-and co-captain,Kujo,will exhibit his over-creativeness just in a bit.Maylemano managed to gather the information that Davis were planning on kidnapping the governor of Principe,something that Maylemano-actually doesnt agree of.Hiding behind a pillar,near Davis's group,and the governor's party,helding his blunderbuss ready,he quickly comes out from his cover,and shot a round,killing most of them,while wounding few of them.This alerted everyone,and in a grace of luck,Kujo's over-paranoid tendencies led the
Fortune(Maylemano's ship) into starting a fight against the fort,starting the chaos that covered Maylemano's escape.
Kujo
Not willing to run away,after taking out Davis and the governor in a act of mercy,Maylemano quickly rescues the slaves,and stages a small scale-slave revolt that grew into a full-scale revolt just in a span of hours,as everyone began to free each other.The
Royal Rover,Davis's ship,had its own problems,with many began to question about Davis's whereabouts,in the midst of chaos.There,a man rises to answer them.His name is Bart Roberts,one of the members of Abraham Plumb's ill-fated convoy,that Davis captured not so long ago.Quickly chosen as the captain of the ship,Roberts quickly escaped from the island,before turning back to help the
Fortune in its battle.Eventually,Maylemano refused to leave the island,preferring on leading this revolt.This,decision,however,proved fruitless,as the revolt eventually ends up with Maylemano escaping,and ultimately attracting the Portuguese,despite the island of Principe is under the native population's control for over two decades,due to Maylemano's action.
As the
Royal Rover and the
Freedom escapes the chaos,the two met,and Bart Roberts joined Maylemano,wanting to work alongside the legendary Blackbeard,that is supposedly being one of Maylemano's compatriot.The two ships arrived at Kongo not too long afterwards,with Bart eventually recited the oath,a week later.However,the pirates were forced to leave,without breaking the news to the king,knowing that the Portuguese are hot on their tails.Leaving Kongo,they are faced with something more greater.The way towards the other side of the continent were guarded by the Dutch Cape Colony,whom actively patrols their seas,despite the minimum hostile activity over there.
There is only one choice to be made,which they are forced to pull another hit-and-run battle,if they were caught.They are also facing the fact that the Portuguese also controls a significant amount of land near Malagasy,which is none other than the sprawling,Portuguese colony of East Africa,something that will change Blackbeard's gameplan.But the oath made them kept moving forwards,and eventually,they safely arrived on Malagasy on early September 1719(
According to every captain's records),alongside with the civillian convoy-now led by Edward England.However,their stay wont stay for long,as the island of Seychelles is now on Blackbeard's eyes,believing the island will work as his staging point for his future plans.
