The Book of Pirates

by Jamaica Rose

  Cannons shall not be fired at Will. (Unless you know for sure which one is Will.)

  All boots should be black and scruffy. (Unless yer bare feet already look that way.)

  Swabbing will be done weekly. (Whether it is needed or not.)

  Crossing the Line

  You often have to go through some kind of ritual or test when you join a group. You are not a full member until you do. You are just a trainee or greenhorn. But once you go through an initiation ceremony, you officially become a member of the group.

  Sailors of many lands had some sort of rite or ceremony whenever they crossed over an important landmark or area of the sea.

  The ancient Phoenicians made sacrifices to their sea god whenever passing through the “Pillars of Hercules” (Straights of Gibraltar).

  The Vikings had some sort of trial for new sailors. It often involved dunking in the water or being towed behind the ship for a length of time in the cold water. This was to see if you were tough enough to be a Viking. If you survived this test, you were worthy of being a member of the crew.

  The idea of a ritual to please the gods and a trial to test the new sailors were combined together in the ritual of “crossing the line.” This line might be the Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, or the equator.

  Tropic of Cancer & Tropic of Capricorn:

  The Tropics are imaginary lines around the globe. The Tropic of Cancer is north of the equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn is south of the equator. Between these lines there is at least some time of the year when the sun will be straight overhead at noon. This region between the Tropics is like a belt that wraps around the Earth, centered over the equator. It has a very warm climate with lots of rain. This zone has no real seasons, so it is like summer all year long. In this region is where you find tropical jungles.

  The “crossing the line” ceremony could get pretty rough back then, because it tested the new sailors. The crew wanted to make sure the new sailors were tough enough to endure their first long sea voyage.

  Not only did the “crossing the line” ceremony test a new sailor’s endurance, but it also helped unite the crew together as a band of “brothers.” This was important if the crewmen were to depend on each other in battle or against the power of the sea.

  For a pirate or buccaneer, “crossing the line” of the Tropic of Cancer on the way to the Caribbean was important. The line marks where the tropics start. In the area of the Caribbean, it lies just north of the northern coastline of Cuba. It was celebrated with a ceremony that changed a landlubber into a member of the Brotherhood of the Coast. Crossing the Tropic of Cancer meant you were not only crossing an invisible line on the map, but it also meant the pirate ship was entering into the waters where the “fishing” was best: where they were most likely to find the treasure-filled Spanish galleons.

  The privateer Captain Woodes Rogers (who later became governor of New Providence, an island in the Bahamas) used a common ritual called “ducking at the yard arm.” It was also a common punishment. It was simple, yet symbolic. He wrote in his log book on September 25, 1708, “This day, according to custom, we duck’d those that had never pass’d the Tropick before. The manner of doing it was by a Rope thro [through] a Block from the Main-yard, to hoist ’em above half way up to the Yard, and let ’em fall at once into the Water.” He further added, “This prov’d of great use to our fresh-water Sailors, to recover the Colour of theirs Skins, which were grown black and nasty.” It seems that the dunking in the water must have removed a few layers of dirt.

  Your Initiation into the Pirate Brotherhood

  After you and your friends have decided on the rules you’ll live by and written them down as your articles, you need to sign them. Signing the articles should be a solemn occasion. You are committing yourself to stand by your pledge NO MATTER WHAT until the voyage is done. Or until you all agree to break up the crew. Once you sign your name, there is no backing out.

  In the old days, they might pledge themselves with one hand on a skull, a sword, or some other weapon. They would drink toasts and pledge to stand by each other. Because, after all, if you won’t stand up for your shipmates when they’re in trouble, then who will stand up for you?

  If you are forming a new pirate crew, then you should have a group ceremony—at night, perhaps, around a roaring fire, maybe at the beach or some other appropriately secluded location. It should be a private thing, just within the brotherhood, with no one else around except for some grownups to help you watch the fire. Each person pledges, and then they sign the articles. Remember to sign your names “Round Robin” style, around the edges of the paper, in a circle.

  Later on, when you take new crewmembers into your ranks, have another signing ceremony. Let them know what a proud crew they are signing on with and what you expect of them. Just remember, it works both ways. You should NEVER ask anyone to do anything you wouldn’t be willing to endure yourself. The “Golden Rule” is a very important thing to consider when you’re surrounded by heavily armed pirates.

  That’ll Teach ’Em

  Pirates knew they needed rules and consequences to live by in order to get along. The articles spelled out many of the crimes and punishments. The buccaneers and pirates used other punishments that were not mentioned in the articles.

  The quartermaster dealt with minor crimes right away. If the crime was something major, the crew met and decided on the lousy dog’s fate together.

  For major crimes, pirates resorted to a few “special” punishments.

  Various Terms for Pirates

  No matter what you call ’em, They’re still Pirates!

  Adventurer: A soldier or sailor of fortune available for hire. A mercenary.

  Barbary corsairs: Pirates and raiders who sailed from North African ports along the Barbary Coast. This area now consists of the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Barbary corsairs were mostly of the Islamic faith. (See corsairs.)

  Boucaniers: Originally these were NOT pirates, but savage French cattle hunters who roamed the island of Hispaniola. Their name comes from their method of smoking and drying meat, called boucanning. The local Indians taught them how to do this on a wooden grill over a slow fire. When the Spanish tried to drive these hunters out of Hispaniola through various attacks, the boucaniers took to the sea. They turned into vicious pirates, attacking mostly Spanish ships. (See Buccaneer.)

  Brotherhood of the Coast (or Brethren of the Coast): A loose union of the Tortugan, Jamaican, and Cuban pirates and privateers. They lived by a strict code called the “Custom of the Coast” where they shared booty equally, voted on all major decisions, and knew each other by first names only. Their code was MORE than “just guidelines.”

  Buccaneers (in Spanish, Bucaneros): English form of the French word boucanier. Originally, cattle hunters turned pirate. They could be English, French, or sometimes other nationalities. These days, people often use the word (somewhat incorrectly) to refer to any kind of pirate. (See Boucaniers.)

  Cimaroon: An African slave who had escaped from the Spanish. They lived in the wild forests and mountains of the Caribbean islands. The word means “dweller in the mountains.” Others say the name comes from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning “wild.” Some of these escaped slaves joined up with the buccaneers and became pirates. (See Maroon.)

  Corsairios Luteranos: Spanish term for the Protestant French sea raiders (pirates and privateers).

  Corsairs: Pirates or privateers who mostly sailed in the Mediterranean Sea in oared galleys. (See Barbary corsairs.)

  Diablos: Spanish for “devils.” One of the names the Spanish called the hated foreign buccaneers intruding on the lands claimed by the Spanish.

  Filibuster: An English buccaneer. This is the English version of the French word flibustier, which is the French version of the English word “freebooter,” which was a version of the Dutch word vrijbuiter. The word is also used for the tactic of pirating or hijacking a debate in Congress (but then, many people consid
er politicians to be pirates anyway).

  Flibustier: French buccaneer. French variation of “freebooter.” The name has nothing to do with swatting flies, though they were great pests in the tropical islands.

  Fraternité de la Côte: French name for the Brotherhood of the Coast.

  Freebooters: A buccaneer or pirate. This word is the English version of the Dutch word vrijbuiter, meaning plunderer or pirate. It comes from the words for “free” and “booty.”

  Gentlemen of Fortune: Another term for an Adventurer.

  Guardacosta (also Costa Garda): Privateers of many nations hired by local Spanish governors to keep out foreign traders. (See Interlopers.) They earned their money by selling the prizes (ships) and cargo they captured. The Guardacosta were often very cruel and tortured the English, French, and Dutch merchants they caught.

  Interloper: An illegal trader trespassing on a trade monopoly. Trading companies (such as the East India Company) carefully guarded their trade arrangements. They chased off independent traders. Interlopers were often called pirates, even when they weren’t (though sometimes they were). The term can refer to a person or the ship they use. Eventually the word came to be used for someone who is a busybody or meddler.

  Ladrone: A robber, thief, or pirate. For a while, the Mariana Islands were called the Ladrones Islands (Islands of Thieves). When Ferdinand Magellan visited the islands on his round-the-world trip, the natives stole one of his boats, hence the name.

  Maroon (or Marron): A runaway slave, or one of his offspring, who formed villages in the forests and mountaintops of the larger Caribbean islands. Maroon is a shortened form of the word “cimaroon.” (See Cimaroon.) Not to be confused with the verb “to maroon,” or Marooner. [First mate Nick in the movie Swashbuckler portrays a maroon who has joined the pirates.]

  Marooner: A pirate of the 1600s and 1700s. This comes from their practice of abandoning (marooning) people on barren islands as punishment. Marooning was the custom of putting the offender on shore on some wild or uninhabited cape or island. They would leave him stranded with a gun, a few shots, a bottle of water, and a bottle of powder. If they were being really mean, they would leave the person on a bare sandy island, where there was nothing to hunt or eat but perhaps fish, if they were lucky. If things got bad enough, the stranded person might use the pistol on himself to end his misery.

  Peirates: Greek word for pirate. It comes from the word peiran meaning “attack.” This is the root for the word “pirate.”

  Pechelingue (also Pechelingua): Spanish term for Dutch Caribbean pirates and privateers in the 1500s and 1600s. It was sometimes used to mean pirates of any nation. (See Vrijbuiter.)

  Picaroon: A pirate or a pirate ship. English version of the Spanish word picaro, which meant rogue or adventurer.

  Piratas: Spanish word for pirates, but also used by the Spanish to refer to all foreign seamen (whether pirates or not) who sailed in the New World.

  Privateers: Basically, pirates with permission. These were “legal pirates” sailing under a letter of marque. Letters of marque were special papers granted by a governor or ruler that allowed the privateer to plunder ships of enemy countries. Privateers made their money by selling the ships and cargo they captured, but they had to give part of the plunder to their country’s treasury. These permits were only recognized by the country that issued them and by their allies. If captured by the enemy, a privateer was usually treated as if he were a pirate. Clouding the issue, pirates often had fake letters of marque and claimed to be privateers. The term can also refer to the privately owned ship used on privateering missions.

  Rover: A pirate or his ship. Comes from the German term rauber, meaning robber. (See Sea Rovers.) Not to be confused with dogs named Rover, even though some pirates were Sea Dogs.

  Scummer: A nickname for a pirate or buccaneer first used in the late 1500s. This refers to a person who scours the sea.

  Sea Beggars: Dutch pirates or privateers of the late 1500s. They are named for the Beggars of the Sea, a rebel group of Protestant seaman during the Revolt of the Netherlands in 1569. They were forerunners to the Zee-Roovers.

  Sea Dogs: English privateers and pirates during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. They were a mix of pirates, explorers, naval commanders, slavers, traders, and adventurers. Even when they did not have prior permission to attack Spanish ships and colonies, Elizabeth usually approved. The most famous were Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. These days, the phrase means an experienced sailor. [The movie The Sea Hawk shows a good example of Elizabethan Sea Dogs.]

  Sea Rovers (Zee-Roovers): 1. Dutch privateers and pirates attracted by the wealth the Spanish were finding in the New World. (See Sea Beggars.) 2. A term for a pirate of any nationality, mostly in the Caribbean. Comes from the German term Seerauber, meaning sea robber.

  Swashbuckler: A rough, noisy, and boastful swordsman in the 1500s. He carried a small round shield (a buckler), which he swashed about while fighting, and made a lot of noise on it with his sword. Swashbucklers tended to swagger about town and be bullies, sort of like hoodlums. Swashbucklers were generally not pirates.

  Turkish Devils: Another term for Barbary corsairs.

  Vikings: Norse explorers and pirates who plundered and colonized many areas of northern and western Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century.

  Vrijbuiter: A Dutch privateer. (See Freebooters.)

  Flogging

  The most common official punishment was flogging. This was a beating with a whip, switch, or strap. While all the crew stood and watched, the man was stripped to his waist and tied to the mainmast or the capstan. Sometimes he was tied across the back of one of the cannons (that was called “kissing the gunner’s daughter”). He would be hit across his bare back with a whip or a lash. Sometimes they used a special whip called the “cat o’ nine tails.”

  The “cat” was a rope whip of nine strands covered with tarred knots. “Letting the cat out of the bag” refers to the ritual removal of the cat o’ nine tails from its special red carrying bag. The cat was also called “the captain’s daughter,” because it was used only on his command (not to be confused with the “gunner’s daughter”).

  Since many pirates had served as sailors, they had often felt the “kiss of the captain’s daughter.” Because of those bad memories, many pirate crews did not use the cat o’ nine tails. But some did, and even overdid it. William Watkins tried to run away from Bartholomew Roberts’ ship in Africa. As a punishment, he received two lashes from every man in the company. This was at a time when Roberts had more than one hundred men on his crew!

  Pirates enjoy a game of “Monk Polo” as they flog their steeds (captured monks) with cat o’ nine tails.

  Marooning

  We discussed Marooning previously. Often the guy being marooned was left in a place where, if he were clever enough and lucky enough, he might survive on his own. But if the guy did something really horrible, the pirates might leave him on a sand bar—one that became submerged at high tide. Or...

  One Man Island

  Often with no land in sight, the accused was thrown overboard with a plank on which to float until either sunstroke or sharks had their way.

  How to Deal with Murderers

  This was a “special” punishment that pirates had. If a pirate murdered a fellow pirate, he was often dealt with this way: He would be tied facing his victim’s body. Extra weights were attached to him, and he, along with his victim, was dropped overboard. The last thing he saw was the face of the man he had murdered.

  Message in a Bottle

  Have you ever walked along the beach or along a river and found a bottle with a message in it? Imagine opening the bottle and reading a message for help from a person shipwrecked on a deserted island! Maybe even a message from a marooned pirate!

  If you put a message in a bottle and send it down a river or throw it out on the ocean waves, what are the chances someone will find it and send you a message back?

  People h
ave been sending messages in bottles for a long time. The earliest recorded instance was by an early Greek scientist, Theophrastus. Around 300 BCE, he sent messages in bottles to study the currents of the Mediterranean Sea.

  Throughout time, there have been many reasons people have sent messages in bottles. Some sent messages asking for help and rescue. Others wanted to study the currents of oceans and rivers to see where the bottles would go. And some just did it for fun to see how far their bottle might travel and who might answer their greeting.

  There was one case where a man was captured by mutineers (called pirates by some people) and was rescued because of a message in a bottle. In 1875, there was a mutiny aboard the Lennie after it set sail from England. The mutineers murdered the officers. They spared one of the stewards because he knew how to navigate while none of the mutineers did. The steward was brought on deck and ordered to sail to Greece. But he tricked the mutinous crew by taking them close to the French coast, and then telling them they should wait there for better winds. While they waited, the steward and a cabin boy quickly wrote messages about their dire situation and put them into bottles. Then, when no one was looking, they dropped the bottles into the ocean. Soon a French Navy vessel found one of the bottles. They found the Lennie and boarded it. The surprised mutineers were arrested. Four of them were eventually executed. The steward and the cabin boy were safe, and they owed it to a message in a bottle.

  Now, would you like to write a message in a bottle and see if anyone finds it? You could use some of the “antique paper” you made in the “X” Marks the Spot Chapter.

  Pastimes for Scurvy Dogs

  Using a Message in a Bottle