BUCCANEERS. 



ion of the spot where they first landed, but even 

 prnrtrated far into the country. Some of them en- 

 gaged in agriculture, but most of them devoted 

 themselves to the chacc. It was the latter class, 

 alone, that were properly denominated Buccaneers. 

 Etymology The etymology of the word Buccaneer has been 

 f thoaroe. traced by Oxmelin, to a custom which prevailed 

 among the original inhabitants of the Caribbee islands, 

 of roasting their prisoners of war upon frames of 

 clay, placed over very strong fires. These clay frames 

 were called barbacoa ; the place where they were 

 erected BOUCAN, and the operation boucaner, to roast 

 and smoke. What these savages did to their unfor- 

 tunate prisoners, the hunters practised on the ani- 

 mals slain in the chace, and from that practice they 

 derived their name. 



^*T c ^ Mei Of these hunters, some were exclusively employ- 

 tri ',ed in the pursuit of wild beeves, while others devot- 

 ed themselves entirely to the chace of wild boars. 

 Though the first of these classes alone were properly 

 distinguished by the name Buccaneers^ it was com- 

 monly given to both ; and, indeed, the only differ- 

 ence between them seems to have consisted in the 

 objects of their pursuit ; for in their dress, their wea- 

 pons, and their manners, they were exactly alike. 

 In their rambling mode of life, the Buccaneers seem 

 to have relinquished all the habits of Europeans, and 

 to have acquired, in their general customs and man- 

 ners, a striking resemblance to the wandering Arabs 

 and Tartars. With them the chace was not the oc- 

 casional amusement or occupation of a day, but the 

 continued and serious business of whole months and 

 years. They set out on their hunting expeditions in 

 large bands, carrying along with them small tents of 

 linen, which they pitched during their journey where- 

 ever they intended to pass the night. Having reach- 

 ed the place of their destination, they erected small 

 sheds, which they thatched with leaves of the palm- 

 tree ; and their tents, spread beneath these sheds, 

 were, during the whole of the hunting season, their 

 only abodes. On these occasions, they possessed 

 every thing in common, living in strict harmony, and 

 prevented by no private jealousies or animosities from 

 pursuing, with united zeal, the grand object of 

 their association. 



Each hunter was provided with a number of dogs, 

 one or two of which were particularly trained for 

 tracing the prey ; and with a musket of a peculiar 

 construction, manufactured in Europe expressly for 

 their use. They were all, likewise, accompanied by 

 their own servants, who shared the same fare, and 

 generally engaged in the same employment with their 

 masters, but were held, notwithstanding, in the most 

 rigorous bondage, and frequently treated with ex- 

 treme cruelty. During these expeditions, the life 

 of the Buccaneers was laborious, and their fare 

 but mean. When the hunt was finished, how- 

 ever, and they had returned home with their spoils, 

 they indulged in every species of extravagance and 

 licentiousness, till the want of money again compel- 

 led them to submit to the same privations and toils. 

 The few and simple lawe which these people had 

 adopted, correspond, d well with the rude and primi- 

 tive state of their society. When two of them hap- 

 pened to quarrel, tlu y referred to the rest ot" their 

 comrades the cause of their dispute ; and if their 

 interference could not produce an accommodation, 

 VOL. V. PART I. 



the affair was decided by duel. Their hunting piece* 

 were the weapons which they made use of on these ***^ t 

 occasions ; and, after measuring their ground, they ' ~~ 

 drew*lots for the privilege of taking the first aim. 

 When one of them fell, a strict inquest was held 

 upon his body ; and if it was found that his adver- 

 sary had taken any unfair advantage, he was imme- 

 diately tied to a tree, and shot through the head. 



Such was the state in which the Buccaneers con- 

 tinued to live for more than half a century after 

 their first establishment in Tortuga and Hispaniola, 

 which took place about the year 1632. Several A. D. 12. 

 circumstances then concurred to make them, at 

 well as the other settlers in these islands, relinquish 

 their usual employments, and attempt some new 

 means of subsistence. The cattle and wild boar* a 

 were now nearly exterminated ; the assaults of the 

 Spaniards had become more frequent and harassing ; 

 and, what was a still more formidable evil, the French 

 government had created a West Indian Company, 

 with peculiar privileges, to Colonize the islands which 

 the valour of the adventurers had won, and to esta- 

 blish there a regular trade. Thus deprived of all 

 the advantages which their situation had hitherto af- 

 forded, they were still hesitating what new course they 

 ought to pursue, when the splendid success of Pierre 

 Le Grand, a Norman pirate, induced many of them 

 to quit their habitations, and again to try their for- 

 tune in cruising against the Spaniards, by whom 

 they had been so much annoyed. With a crew of 

 only twenty-eight determined fellows, sworn to ad- 

 here in all extremities to their leader and to each 

 other, Pierre had resolved to attack, in an open boat, 

 the ship of the vice-admiral of the Spanish fleet, 

 which then Jay at anchor in the channel of Bahama. 

 He set out about the dusk of evening on this daring 

 exploit ; and to render their attack more desperate, 

 had directed holes to be made in the boat, that it 

 might sink as soon as they had reached the enemy'* 

 ship. The Spaniards, who had not perceived their 

 approach, were easily overpowered ; the captain and 

 officers were compelled to surrender ; and Le Grand, 

 detaining as many of the crew as were necessary to> 

 work and man the vessel, carried off his magnificent 

 prize in triumph to France. This romantic adven- 

 ture excited a general spirit of emulation among the 

 Buccaneers of Tortuga, to whom it opened, at the 

 same time, the most flattering prospects. So san- 

 guine indeed were their hopes, and so eager their 

 thirst for spoil, that, without waiting till they could 

 procure proper vessels, they ventured forth in their ca- 

 noes ; and entering the port of the Havannah, carried 

 off a number of boats laden with tobacco, and other 

 articles of value. These prizes enabled them to fit 

 out ships of considerable size, and to undertake voy- 

 ages of greater length. In their next expedition they 

 took several large vessels laden with plate ; their suc- 

 cess attracted crowds of new adventurers ; and they 

 became so formidable, that the Spaniards found it ne- 

 cessary to send out several large ships of war for the 

 protection of their trade. These pirates, though af- 

 terwards joined by the turbulent and daring spirits 

 of various nations, still retained the name ot Bucca- 

 neers ; and continued to be, for more than twenty 

 years, the terror of every regular trader to the A- . 



merican shores. Even the legends of romance can. ... . 

 scarce furnish any parallel to their exploits ; and the 



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