Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-03-08
Blackboard, the Pirate Of Colonial
DAYS. 4


Blackboard, the Pirate of. Colonial
Days. '@
The career of Teach, alias Black
beard, says AU the Year Roa,sd, throws
a curious light upon the manner in
which his Majesty's colonies were then
governed. Teach went into business
at once, and-having "cultivated aver
good understanding" with Chas. Eden,
Esq, the Governor of North Carolina
with an excellent prospect of success.
His friend the Governor made no
scruple of converting a Court of Vice
Admiralty at Bath Town, which con-
demned his captures as lawful prizes,
although he never held a commission
ia his life. "These proceedings,"ad adds
his biographer, "show that Governors
are but men," Blackboard was typi-
cad pirate, possessed with a mania for
getting married. His friend, the Gov
ernor, after the manner of the planta-
ton, married him to his fourteenth wife
"a young creature OF sixteen-whom
he treated scandaIously, 1t is not on
record that Blackboard, like B~1uebeard,
slew his wives. On the contrary, he
had, at the period referred to, about q
dozen living in various places. ObVi-
ously he was q man of, domestic in.
~stincts ,'modified by Fs rowing kfe,,sahd
Liked to have somebody to- welcome
him home wherever he was. His
cognomen of Blackboard was de-
rived from "that large quantity Of hair
which, like q frightful meteor, covered
his whole face, and frightened America
more than amy comet that has appeared
for along time. This beard wasblack,
which he suffered to grow to an extrav-
agant length; as 10 breadth, it came
up to his eyes; he was accustomed to
twist it with ribbons in small tails after
Inc name OF our Families wigs and
turn them about his ears in time of ac-
ton he wore a sling over his shoulders,
With three braces of pistOls.n This was
the regular pirate fashion. and it's use
Is obvious. In boarding. the pistol W s
the faVOrite weapon OF the roVers, VINO
always wore two OF three brace ia u
silk sling, hung rather around the neck
than over the shoulders. Armed thus,
the freebooter was nearly as well off
as if he possessed a revolver. He had
only to cock and fire, drop one pistol
and seize another ready to his hand.
without the risk of losing his weapons.
This reliance OH the pistol was, doubt
less, reason of the success of the
rovers in closef fighting. TO add
terror to his appearance Black
beard stuck ''lighted matches under his
hat, which, appearing on each side O.
his face, his eyes naturally looking
fierce and wild, made him altogether
such a figure that imagination can not
form al idea of a fury from hell to look
more frighCful.n He was a frolicsome
fellow, this Capt. Teach, in his grim
way. One day, being at sea, n be-
ing q little flushed with drink, he de-
ternined to make an inferno "Of bis
own and to that end went down into
the mold, with two or three others, and
having hlled several pots full Of brim-
stone, set them on fire, and was proud
Of having held out the longest against
su~tfocatIon. Another evening, being
in a pleasant mood, drinking and play
ing cards with Il few choice kindred
spirits, he blew out the light. and cross
ing his hands under the table, fired his
pistols, laming one mar for life and
when asked the meaning Of this, said
elf he did not now aud then Kill one
of them, they would forget who he
was" One eyrie story of Blackboard
and MS crew runs thus: "Once upon
q cruise they found out that they b ID
q man on board more than their crew
such Il was seen several DAYS
among them, sometimes below
and sometimes on deck, yet no man ii
the ship could give an account Of who
he wa or from whence he came; but
that he disappeared Il little before they
were cast away in the great ship; but i
seems they verify believed it was the
devil" Like many other great bad men
Blackboard did not improve upon at
quaintance, and his friends, the plant
ers, at last got tired of his society. Re
dress from the Governor OF North Car
DINA was hopeless, and the Governor o
Virginia was applied to. This gentle
man at once sent Lieut.. Maynard, witt
d couple Of sloops, to capture the pirate
A desperate fight ensued. Alter some
very hard firing, Blackboard, after hurl
ing On the enemy some ''~uew-faShiOnet
sort of grenades''-case-bottles, filled
with powder and STRAIGHTFORWARD her
but this time met his match, and fel
dead, after receiving twenty-five wounds
fighting like fury to the last. His heaC
was cut off and hung to the bowsprit o
the victorious sloop.
A Shower Of Rocks in Georgia.