Editing William Kidd (section)

===Hunting for Pirates===
In September 1696, Kidd [[Weigh anchor|weighed anchor]] and set course for the [[Cape of Good Hope]] in southern Africa. A third of his crew died on the [[Comoros]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Captain Kidd {{!}} The Age of Pirates |url=http://theageofpirates.com/pirates/captain-kidd/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |language=en-US}}</ref> due to an outbreak of [[cholera]], the brand-new ship developed many leaks, and he failed to find the pirates whom he expected to encounter off [[Madagascar]].

With his ambitious enterprise failing, Kidd became desperate to cover its costs. Yet he failed to attack several ships when given a chance, including a Dutchman and a New York privateer. Both were out of bounds of his commission. The latter would have been considered out of bounds because New York was part of the territories of the Crown, and Kidd was authorised in part by the New York governor. Some of the crew deserted Kidd the next time that ''Adventure Galley'' anchored offshore. Those who decided to stay on made constant open threats of [[mutiny]].

[[File:Pyle pirate relaxing2.jpg|left|thumb|180px|[[Howard Pyle]]'s painting of Kidd in [[New York Harbor]]]]
[[File:Pyle pirates burying2.jpg|left|thumb|180px|Pyle's painting of Kidd burying treasure]]
Kidd killed one of his own crewmen on 30 October 1697. Kidd's gunner William Moore was on deck sharpening a [[chisel]] when a Dutch ship appeared. Moore urged Kidd to attack the Dutchman, an act that would have been considered piratical, since the nation was not at war with England, but also certain to anger Dutch-born King William. Kidd refused, calling Moore a lousy dog. Moore retorted, "If I am a lousy dog, you have made me so; you have brought me to ruin and many more." Kidd reportedly dropped an ironbound bucket on Moore, fracturing his skull. Moore died the following day.<ref>Cordingly (1995), p. 183</ref>

Seventeenth-century English [[admiralty law]] allowed captains great leeway in using violence against their crew, but killing was not permitted. Kidd said to his ship's surgeon that he had "good friends in England, that will bring me off for that".<ref>Clifford, p. 74</ref>