Jun 10, 2021
Howell Davis
One of the most insidious pirates, Davis, who died in 1720, used to pretend to be a merchant or even a pirate hunter to get closer to his prey. His cut-throat crew, prone to mutiny and replacing captains, had "a very high opinion of his conduct and courage", reports Defoe, "and believed that nothing was impossible for him". (From The Pirates by Douglas Botting)
From A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates by Daniel Defoe, XVIIIc.