Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-31
BLACKBOARD THE ROVER.

BLACKBOARD THE ROVER.
The Story of n Famous Pirate. By S. G.
W. benjamin, Recent Minister to
Persia.
| New Providence in the Bahamas is one
! of the fairest isles of the Atlantic. Its
shores are fringed with groves of coooas e,
and its harbor is protected from all winds
| by the low keys that serve as q break
water. Early in the last century the
island belonged to several Euglish
noblemen who had received it
as grant from the crown and
| established fourishing colony
there. BY the peace Of Utrecht the Eu-
| ropean powers had agreed TO extermI-
nate the buccaneers, those pests of the
West Indies, and everything looked
| serene at New Providence whence a
strange feet flying the black flag with
bloody skull and bones WAS seen enter
ing the port. 1t proved to be the
squadron OF John Teach, a seH-rover of
great ability and most desperate charac-
ter who had just entered upon an indie
pendent career of adventure and blood
on the high seas.
Teach was first engaged IN trade with
Jamaica. But when his adventures
turned out unsuccessful he decided as SO
many did in those days to try his fortunes
in piracy. He soon coUtrived to seize q
large ship whose decks he mounted with
forty guns. His promises of booty soon
gathered crowd of eager ruf1ians under
his command. Ship after ship was cap
tured; some were scuttled and their
crews made to walk the plank. But he
saved the five best of these ships. When
he had q fleet of six vessels he felt the
need of O port of his own, where he
could reft and store the spoil. New
Providence lay near the track of ships
bound to the West indies, and hither this
new freebooter now steered.
The colony of New Providence was too
feeble to offer fit resistance, and Teach,
without so much as saying ''by your
leave,' at once proceeded to take pos
session and make that an ambush from
which his cruisers could spring forth and
waylaY the merchant ships. There he
held high carnival; there many Bloody
deed was wrought, and the ribald rev.
elry OF many a foul orgie profaned the
midnight stiffness of that summer isle.
Teach from all accounts was in ap-
pearance exactly what the pirates of
romance should be, of grim and most
terrible aspect. He was heavily built,
his shoulders were broad and his muscles
like iron. His mpleXion was tawny,
his eyebrows black and bushy, ana be-
meath them his eyes shone with a glare
that froze one to the marrow. But
the most remarkable feature of
this sea ruf1ian was his beard.
1t was of raven blackness and
grew TO his waist. When he was going
into battle or preparing to toss q score of
trembling wretches from the yardarm he
had the habit OF twisting his beard into
braids. Indeed. he took a special pride
in this hairy ornament, aud by it ac-
Quired the notorious name of Black
Beard. This piratical admiral always
carried cutlass at his side, and over his
shoulders wore peculiar belt contrived
by himself, in which no less than six of
thu huge pistols of that day were sus-
pended. This was evidently pirate of
uncommon magnitude, and his deeds
showed that he was as fierce aud daring
as he looked.
But, after a time, the oft-repeated
outrages of Black Beard reached such
point that the W est India merchants ap-
pealed for aid to the English govern
ment. A powerful feet was sent against
him, too powerful for him to resist with
any hope of success, and the pirate
prince of the Bahamas, the self-ap-
pointed governor of New Providence,
John Teach, otherwise Black Beard,
wisely decided 10 put up his helm and
run for a safer port.
We next hear of Black Beard on the
coast OF the Carolinas. A rendezvous
was made in the night at Cape Fear.
And this bold desperate actually dared TO
block Charleston. 1t seems incredible to
us to now but is none the less fact. His
three ablest captains were named Vane,
Morley and Steed Bonnet, men whose
reputation tor courage and skill
was only second to that of their
dread admiral, and IN the royal
service might have won them high
posts of honor. The pirates landed by
scores on the wbarves of Charleston; the
governor was unable to resist these bands
of brigands, who, well drilled and armed
to the teeth, paraded the streets, in
suited the citizens and their wives, and
plundered the shops at their own sweet
will. That Black Beard did not sack
and fire the town may have been due TO
prudence; perhaps be did not think it
safe to drive the people TO desperation.
After the pirates sailed away, loaded
parted. Black Beard perhaps felt weary
of this steady excitement and of the un-
ceasing watchfulness he was obliged to
MAINTAIN. He had accumulated prop
erty and could retire. At any rate, he
parted company with his captains and
sought career by himself. About this
time he committed one of the most awful
of his many crimes. Finding the crew
of his ship too numerous and unable to
get rid of them, especially when he de-
sired as few witnesses as possible to his
atrocities. he contrived this way to ac-
complish his purpose; of course, some of
his crew must have been in the secret
with him to enable him to carry out the
plan. When of desert island he man
aged to let the ship touch shoaR without
actually getting fast. On the pretenss
that the ship must be greatly damaged
and required TO be lightened and ca
h