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When I was
a boy I strongly desired to be a pirate, and the reason
for this was the absolute independence of that sort
of life. Restrictions of all sorts had become onerous
to me, and in my reading of the adventures of the bold
sea rovers of the maine, I had unconsciously selected
those portions of a pirate's life which were attractive
to me, and had totally disregarded all the rest.
In fact, I had a great desire to become what might be
called a marine Robin Hood. I would take from the rich
and give to the poor; I would run my long, low, black
craft by the side of the merchantman, and when I had
loaded my vessel with the rich stuffs and golden ingots
which composed her cargo, I would sail away to some
poor village, and make its inhabitants prosperous and
happy for the rest of their lives by a judicious 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 this or that proceeding
would be proper, generous, and worthy of my unlimited
power; when tired of sailing, I would retire to my island,
the position of which, in a beautiful semi-tropic ocean,
would be known only to myself and to my crew, and there
I would pass happy days in the company of my books,
my works of art, and all the various treasures I had
taken from the mercenary vessels which I had overhauled.
Such was my notion of a pirate's life. I would kill
nobody; the very sight of my black flag would be sufficient
to put an end to all thought of resistance on the part
of my victims, who would no more think of fighting me,
than a fat bishop would have thought of lifting his
hand against Robin Hood and his merry men; and I truly
believe that I expected my conscience to have a great
deal more to do in the way of approval of my actions,
than it had found necessary in the course of my ordinary
schoolboy life.
I mention these early impressions because I have a notion
that a great many people, and not only young people,
have an idea of piracy not altogether different from
that of my boyhood. They know that pirates are wicked
men, that, in fact, they are sea robbers or maritime
murderers, but their bold and adventurous method of
life, their bravery, daring, and the exciting character
of their expeditions, give them something of the same
charm and interest which belong to the robber knights
of the middle ages. The one mounts his mailed steed
and clanks his long sword against his iron stirrup,
riding forth into the world with a feeling that he can
do anything that pleases him, if he finds himself strong
enough. The other springs into his rakish craft, spreads
his sails to the wind, and dashes over the sparkling
maine with a feeling that he can do anything he pleases,
provided he be strong enough.
The first pirates who made themselves known in American
waters were the famous buccaneers; these began their
career in a very commonplace and unobjectionable manner,
and the name by which they were known had originally
no piratical significance. It was derived from the French
word boucanier, signifying "a drier of beef."
Some of the West India islands, especially San Domingo,
were almost overrun with wild cattle of various kinds,
and this was owing to the fact that the Spaniards had
killed off nearly all the natives, and so had left the
interior of the islands to the herds of cattle which
had increased rapidly. There were a few settlements
on the sea coast, but the Spaniards did not allow the
inhabitants of these to trade with any nation but their
own, and consequently the people were badly supplied
with the necessaries of life.
But the trading vessels which sailed from Europe to
that part of the Caribbean Sea were manned by bold and
daring sailors, and when they knew that San Domingo
contained an abundance of beef cattle, they did not
hesitate to stop at the little sea ports to replenish
their stores. The natives of the island were skilled
in the art of preparing beef by smoking and drying it,
very much in the same way in which our Indians prepare
"jerked meat" for winter use.
But so many vessels came to San Domingo for beef that
there were not enough people on the island to do all
the hunting and drying that was necessary, so these
trading vessels frequently anchored in some quiet cove,
and the crews went on shore and devoted themselves to
securing a cargo of beef, not only enough for their
own use, but for trading purposes; thus they became
known as "beef-driers," or buccaneers.
When the Spaniards heard of this new industry which
had arisen within the limits of their possessions, they
pursued the vessels of the buccaneers wherever they
were seen, and relentlessly destroyed them and their
crews. But there were not enough Spanish vessels to
put down the trade in dried beef; more European vessels,
generally English and French, stopped at San Domingo;
more bands of hunting sailors made their way into the
interior. When these daring fellows knew that the Spaniards
were determined to break up their trade, they became
more determined that it should not be broken up, and
they armed themselves and their vessels so that they
might be able to make a defence against the Spanish
men of war.
Thus gradually and almost imperceptibly a state of maritime
warfare grew up in the waters of the West Indies between
Spain and the beef-traders of other nations; and from
being obliged to fight, the buccaneers became glad to
fight, provided that it was Spain they fought. True
to her policy of despotism and cruelty when dealing
with her American possessions, Spain waged a bitter
and bloody war against the buccaneers who dared to interfere
with the commercial relations between herself and her
West India colonies, and in return, the buccaneers were
just as bitter and savage in their warfare against Spain.
From defending themselves against Spanish attacks, they
began to attack Spaniards whenever there was any chance
of success, at first only upon the sea, but afterwards
on land. The cruelty and ferocity of Spanish rule had
brought them into existence, and it was against Spain
and her possessions that the cruelty and ferocity which
she had taught them were now directed.
When the buccaneers had begun to understand each other
and to effect organizations among themselves, they adopted
a general name, "The Brethren of the Coast." The outside
world, especially the Spanish world, called them pirates,
sea robbers, buccaneers, any title which would express
their lawless character, but in their own denomination
of themselves they expressed only their fraternal relations;
and for the greater part of their career, they truly
stood by each other like brothers.
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