20. Piracy’s Greatest Heist
Capturing £60,000 from Mughal ship only whetted the appetite of Henry Avery and his crew. Soon as they secured that bit of loot, they resumed their chase of the Mughal fleet, and caught up with its flagship, the Ganj-i-Sawai – a formidable vessel, sporting 62 guns and carrying 500 musket men.
After an hours-long ferocious fight, during which the Mughal captain panicked and fled to hide below decks among concubines, the Pirates prevailed. After securing the vessel, Avery and his crew went on a days-long orgy of rape and torture. The loot from the Ganj-i-Sawai came to about £600,000 pounds in gold, silver, precious metals and goods. It was the largest single haul ever scored by a pirate.