While there, he had the command of a boat employed in bringing logwood to the ship.  In that boat there were twelve men well armed, to be prepared for the Spaniards, from whom the wood was taken by force.  It happened one day that the boat came to the ship just a little before dinner was ready, and Low desired that they might dine before they returned.  The captain, however, ordered them a bottle of rum, and requested them to take another trip, as no time was to be lost.  The crew were enraged, particularly Low, who took up a loaded musket and fired at the captain, but missing him, another man was shot, and they ran off with the boat.  The next day they took a small vessel, went on board her, hoisted a black flag, and declared war with the whole world.

In their rovings, Low met with Lowther, who proposed that he should join him, and thus promote their mutual advantage.  Having captured a brigantine, Low, with forty more, went on board her; and leaving Lowther, they went to seek their own fortune.

Their first adventure was the capture of a vessel belonging to Amboy, out of which they took the provisions, and allowed her to proceed.  On the same day they took a sloop, plundered her, and permitted her to depart.  The sloop went into Black Island, and sent intelligence to the governor that Low was on the coast.  Two small vessels were immediately fitted out, but, before their arrival, Low was beyond their reach.  After this narrow escape, Low went into port to procure water and fresh provisions; and then renewed his search of plunder.  He next sailed into the harbor of Port Rosemary, where were thirteen ships, but none of them of any great strength.  Low hoisted the black flag, assuring them that if they made any resistance they should have no quarter; and manning their boat, the pirates took possession of every one of them, which they plundered and converted to their own use.  They then put on board a schooner ten guns and fifty men, named her the Fancy, and Low himself went on board of her, while Charles Harris was constituted captain of the brigantine.  They also constrained a few of the men to join them, and sign their articles.

After an unsuccessful pursuit of two sloops from Boston, they steered for the Leeward Islands, but in their way were overtaken by a terrible hurricane.  The search for plunder gave place to the most vigorous exertion to save themselves.  On board the brigantine, all hands were at work both day and night; they were under the necessity of throwing overboard six of her guns, and all the weighty provisions.  In the storm, the two vessels were separated, and it was some time before they again saw each other.

After the storm, Low went into a small island west of the Carribbees, refitted his vessels, and got provision for them in exchange of goods.  As soon as the brigantine was ready for sea, they went on a cruise until the Fancy should be prepared, and during that cruise, met with a vessel which had lost all her masts in the storm, which they plundered of goods to the value of 1000_l_. and returned to the island.  When the Fancy was ready to sail, a council was held what course they should next steer.  They followed the advice of the captain, who thought it not safe to cruise any longer to the leeward, lest they should fall in with any of the men-of-war that cruised upon that coast, so they sailed for the Azores.