Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts , livre ebook

The Floating Press - Richard Stockton Frank

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

135 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

Written with young audiences in mind, the volume Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts is a rip-roaring tour through the history of the seagoing scallywags and outlaws who trolled the waters around what is now the United States. Though filled with interesting facts and historical nuggets, the narrative is engaging enough to ensnare the attention of the smallest sprogs.

Sujets

Children's

Informations

Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 février 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776529179
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

BUCCANEERS AND PIRATES OF OUR COASTS
* * *
FRANK RICHARD STOCKTON

*
Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts First published in 1897 Epub ISBN 978-1-77652-917-9 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77652-918-6 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
*
Chapter I - The Bold Buccaneers Chapter II - Some Masters in Piracy Chapter III - Pupils in Piracy Chapter IV - Peter the Great Chapter V - The Story of a Pearl Pirate Chapter VI - The Surprising Adventures of Bartholemy Portuguez Chapter VII - The Pirate Who Could Not Swim Chapter VIII - How Bartholemy Rested Himself Chapter IX - A Pirate Author Chapter X - The Story of Roc, the Brazilian Chapter XI - A Buccaneer Boom Chapter XII - The Story of L'Olonnois the Cruel Chapter XIII - A Resurrected Pirate Chapter XIV - Villany on a Grand Scale Chapter XV - A Just Reward Chapter XVI - A Pirate Potentate Chapter XVII - How Morgan was Helped by Some Religious People Chapter XVIII - A Piratical Aftermath Chapter XIX - A Tight Place for Morgan Chapter XX - The Story of a High-Minded Pirate Chapter XXI - Exit Buccaneer; Enter Pirate Chapter XXII - The Great Blackbeard Comes Upon the Stage Chapter XXIII - A True-Hearted Sailor Draws His Sword Chapter XXIV - A Greenhorn Under the Black Flag Chapter XXV - Bonnet Again to the Front Chapter XXVI - The Battle of the Sand Bars Chapter XXVII - A Six Weeks' Pirate Chapter XXVIII - The Story of Two Women Pirates Chapter XXIX - A Pirate from Boyhood Chapter XXX - The Pirate of the Gulf Chapter XXXI - The Pirate of the Buried Treasure Chapter XXXII - The Real Captain Kidd
Chapter I - The Bold Buccaneers
*
When I was a boy I strongly desired to be a pirate, and the reason forthis was the absolute independence of that sort of life. Restrictions ofall sorts had become onerous to me, and in my reading of the adventuresof the bold sea-rovers of the main, I had unconsciously selected thoseportions of a pirate's life which were attractive to me, and had totallydisregarded all the rest.
In fact, I had a great desire to become what might be called a marineRobin Hood. I would take from the rich and give to the poor; I would runmy long, low, black craft by the side of the merchantman, and when I hadloaded my vessel with the rich stuffs and golden ingots which composedher cargo, I would sail away to some poor village, and make itsinhabitants prosperous and happy for the rest of their lives by ajudicious distribution of my booty.
I would always be as free as a sea-bird. My men would be devoted to me,and my word would be their law. I would decide for myself whether thisor that proceeding would be proper, generous, and worthy of my unlimitedpower; when tired of sailing, I would retire to my island,—the positionof which, in a beautiful semi-tropic ocean, would be known only tomyself and to my crew,—and there I would pass happy days in the companyof my books, my works of art, and all the various treasures I had takenfrom the mercenary vessels which I had overhauled.
Such was my notion of a pirate's life. I would kill nobody; the verysight of my black flag would be sufficient to put an end to all thoughtof resistance on the part of my victims, who would no more think offighting me, than a fat bishop would have thought of lifting his handagainst Robin Hood and his merry men; and I truly believe that Iexpected my conscience to have a great deal more to do in the way ofapproval of my actions, than it had found necessary in the course of myordinary school-boy life.
I mention these early impressions because I have a notion that a greatmany people—and not only young people—have an idea of piracy notaltogether different from that of my boyhood. They know that piratesare wicked men, that, in fact, they are sea-robbers or maritimemurderers, but their bold and adventurous method of life, their bravery,daring, and the exciting character of their expeditions, give themsomething of the same charm and interest which belong to the robberknights of the middle ages. The one mounts his mailed steed and clankshis long sword against his iron stirrup, riding forth into the worldwith a feeling that he can do anything that pleases him, if he findshimself strong enough. The other springs into his rakish craft, spreadshis sails to the wind, and dashes over the sparkling main with a feelingthat he can do anything he pleases, provided he be strong enough.
The first pirates who made themselves known in American waters were thefamous buccaneers; these began their career in a very commonplace andunobjectionable manner, and the name by which they were known hadoriginally no piratical significance. It was derived from the Frenchword boucanier , signifying "a drier of beef."
Some of the West India islands, especially San Domingo, were almostoverrun with wild cattle of various kinds, and this was owing to thefact that the Spaniards had killed off nearly all the natives, and sohad left the interior of the islands to the herds of cattle which hadincreased rapidly. There were a few settlements on the seacoast, butthe Spaniards did not allow the inhabitants of these to trade with anynation but their own, and consequently the people were badly suppliedwith the necessaries of life.
But the trading vessels which sailed from Europe to that part of theCaribbean Sea were manned by bold and daring sailors, and when they knewthat San Domingo contained an abundance of beef cattle, they did nothesitate to stop at the little seaports to replenish their stores. Thenatives of the island were skilled in the art of preparing beef bysmoking and drying it,—very much in the same way in which our Indiansprepare "jerked meat" for winter use.
But so many vessels came to San Domingo for beef that there were notenough people on the island to do all the hunting and drying that wasnecessary, so these trading vessels frequently anchored in some quietcove, and the crews went on shore and devoted themselves to securing acargo of beef,—not only enough for their own use, but for tradingpurposes; thus they became known as "beef-driers," or buccaneers.
When the Spaniards heard of this new industry which had arisen withinthe limits of their possessions, they pursued the vessels of thebuccaneers wherever they were seen, and relentlessly destroyed them andtheir crews. But there were not enough Spanish vessels to put down thetrade in dried beef; more European vessels—generally English andFrench—stopped at San Domingo; more bands of hunting sailors made theirway into the interior. When these daring fellows knew that the Spaniardswere determined to break up their trade, they became more determinedthat it should not be broken up, and they armed themselves and theirvessels so that they might be able to make a defence against the Spanishmen-of-war.
Thus gradually and almost imperceptibly a state of maritime warfare grewup in the waters of the West Indies between Spain and the beef-tradersof other nations; and from being obliged to fight, the buccaneers becameglad to fight, provided that it was Spain they fought. True to herpolicy of despotism and cruelty when dealing with her Americanpossessions, Spain waged a bitter and bloody war against the buccaneerswho dared to interfere with the commercial relations between herself andher West India colonies, and in return, the buccaneers were just asbitter and savage in their warfare against Spain. From defendingthemselves against Spanish attacks, they began to attack Spaniardswhenever there was any chance of success, at first only upon the sea,but afterwards on land. The cruelty and ferocity of Spanish rule hadbrought them into existence, and it was against Spain and herpossessions that the cruelty and ferocity which she had taught them werenow directed.
When the buccaneers had begun to understand each other and to effectorganizations among themselves, they adopted a general name,—"TheBrethren of the Coast." The outside world, especially the Spanish world,called them pirates, sea-robbers, buccaneers,—any title which wouldexpress their lawless character, but in their own denomination ofthemselves they expressed only their fraternal relations; and for thegreater part of their career, they truly stood by each other likebrothers.
Chapter II - Some Masters in Piracy
*
From the very earliest days of history there have been pirates, and itis, therefore, not at all remarkable that, in the early days of thehistory of this continent, sea-robbers should have made themselvesprominent; but the buccaneers of America differed in many ways fromthose pirates with whom the history of the old world has made usacquainted.
It was very seldom that an armed vessel set out from an European portfor the express purpose of sea-robbery in American waters. At firstnearly all the noted buccaneers were traders. But the circumstanceswhich surrounded them in the new world made of them pirates whose evildeeds have never been surpassed in any part of the globe.
These unusual circumstances and amazing temptations do not furnish anexcuse for the exceptionally wicked careers of the early Americanpirates; but we are bound to remember these causes or we could notunderstand the records of the settlement of the West Indies. Thebuccaneers were fierce and reckless fellows who pursued their daringoccupation because it was profitable, because they had learned to likeit, and because it enabled them to wreak a certain amount of vengeanceupon the common enemy. Bu