170 DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. ("Chap. XI.— B. S„ 
a contraband trade, they soon learned to adopt the 
precaution of going well armed. 
The cruelties of the Spaniards to the aborigines of 
Cuba terminated in the depopulation of that fine is¬ 
land. The cattle, at the same time, multiplied in 
great numbers, and roved over the deserted tracts of 
the western districts. This, in consequence, became 
the victualling place of all foreign vessels that cruised 
upon the Spanish Main or disturbed its trade. The 
preparation of the meat became a regular business. 
Spanish hunters killed the cattle; the flesh was. then 
dried and prepared according to the Carib method, on 
hurdles raised a few feet above the fire. This mode 
of dressing food was called by the Indians “ boocan,” 
a name also applied to the apparatus used in the pro¬ 
cess, and to the meat itself. Hence, the persons who 
were employed in procuring provisions for the cruisers, 
adopting the language with the habits of the natives, 
called themselves Buccaneers. A large majority of 
these adventurers were English; and as their smug¬ 
gling trade quickly degenerated into actual piracy, 
they took the honourable designation of freebooters. 
There was a natural alliance between the freebooters 
and buccaneers; they mutually depended on one 
another, the avocations of one party being at sea, 
those of the other on land. It is probable that in 
some instances the pirate cured his own provisions, 
and so united both professions in his own person. 
But in general the hunters were distinct from the sea¬ 
men, and in process of time, a majority of the hunters 
were Erench, while the rovers were chiefly English. 
