Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-11-07
STORY OF A PIRATE.
The Governments of the Colonies.
All the Year Round.

The Government of the Colonies.
All the Year Round.
The career of Teach, alias Black
beard, throws Q curious light upon
the manner in which his Majesty's
Colonies were then governed.
Teach went into business at once,
and-having cultivated a very
good understanding with Charles
Eden, Esq, the Governor of North
Carolina with an excellent pros
pect of success. His friend, the
Governor, made no scruple Of con-
yening a Court of Vice-Admiralty
at Bath town, which condemned
his captures as lawful prizes, al
though he never held a commission
in his life. "These proceedings"
adds his biographer, "show that
Governors are but men," Black
beard was typical pirate, possessed
with a mania for getting married.
Ills friend, the Governor, after the
manner Of the plantation, married
him to his fourteenth wife a
young creature of sixteen - whom
he treated scandalously. 1t is not
on record that Blackboard, like
Bluebeard, slew his wives. On the
contrary, he had at the period re-
ferred to, about a dozen living in
various places. Obviously he was a
man of domestics modified by a
rowing life, and liked to have some
body to welcome him wherever he
was. His cognomen Of Blackboard
was derived from "that large guam
tity of hair which, like a frightful
meteor covered his whole face, and
frightened America more than any
comet that has appeared for a
long time. This beard was black,
which he suffered TO grow to an
extrayagant length; as to breadth,
it came up TO his eyes. He was
accustomed to twist it with rib
hons in small tails after the manner
of our Families wigs, and turn
about his ears; in time of action he
wore a sling over his shoulders,
with three braces of pistols" This
was the regular pirate fashion, and
its use is obvious, Ip boarding, the
pistol was the favorite @eapop Of
! the rovers, who ALWAYS wore two o.
three braces in d silk sling, hung
rather aronud the neck than ovel
the shoulders. Armed thus, the
freebooter was nearly as well off as
if he had possessed a revolver. HI
had only to cock and fire, drop one
pistol and seize another ready tC
| his hand, without the risk of losing
his weapons. This reliance on the
pistol was, doubtless, one reason o
the success of the roVers in closC
fighting, To add terror 70 bis ap
pearance Blackboard "stuck lighted
matches under his hat, eyes natu
rally looking fierce and wild, mad,
him altogether such figure tina
Imagination cannot form an idea 0
fury from hell to look more fright
full" He was a frOlicsome fellow
this Captain Teach, in his grin
way. One day, being at sea, AM
being q little flushed with drink
he determined to make an infern
"of his oWn," and to that end wen
down into the hold, With two o
three others, and having filled Ivy,
oF three pots full of birthstone, sc
them on fire, and was proud @
. having held out longest agains
suffocation. Another evening be
ing In a pleasant mood, drinkin
and playing cards With Q lew choic
kindred spirits, he bleR out th
light, and crossing his hands andG
t6a table, fired his pistols, lamin
ono man for life; and when aske
/, the meaning o. this said: of b
did not now aud theu kill one {
( them, they would forget who }
was" One eyrie story OF Blaci
beard and his crew runs thus
"0nce upon a cruise they found OF
L they had a man on board more tina
!, their crew such one was soc
" several days among them, som
times on deck, yet no man in Il
'' ship could give an account who |
was or from whence he came; bl
. that he disappeared before th,