Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-12-02
a DREADED PIRATE.
BLACKBOARD LOOKED ENOUGH LIKE
SATAN TO DC a BROTHER.

ne Rsresseas RebAsr - The Seas Mad
FssAisa Of Cetting Rinssrlf Up in =
niassas ana Repslsive MAaner-Ssory
II mis- Saeres<ful Voyages.
Pamlico sound, now the haven Of the
storm tossed mariner and the home Of
| peaceful industry. was onee the theater
Of far different scenes. In the beginning
! II the last century its placent waters re-
/ iected flag which struck terror to
thousands Of hearts and paralyzed the
commerce of the New World: the thick
| ~ clustering wives and luxuriant growths
| fringing its shores concealed. like the
original Eden, hiding devil. the foe Of
| God and man--Blsckbeard. the pirate.
| From strange tendency of human ma
ture the life of the pirate possesses fas-
cinating interest, not only for the small
boy who devours the pages of his half
dime yellow back novel, but also for the
reader of stronger Judgment and better
l taste. Indeed some Of the greatest
writers have been unable to resist the
/ destinations of this wide and tempting
| field.
/ Sir Walter Scott. Marryatt and Cooper
| thought it not unworthy their mighty
pens. and the genius of Byron attained
| one of its highest flights in the descrip-
| ton of the prisoner Conrad in the lonely
/ turret, barring his bosom to the midnight
storm and defying the lightning of Of
/ Tended heaven to transhx him. or all
! this uniloly brood Blackboard WAS facile
princeps. as Milton says of satan, by
merit raised to that bad eminence." II
was an Arabic tradition. relative to the
great unknown Atlantic that the
gnarled and boay hand of the devil rose
| from out the waves of the sta of dark
hess to seize the presumptuous mariner,
and in his diabolic career Blackboard
seemed TO he the impersona;ion of this
mystic monster. Perhaps a greater de-
mon never prowled the seas or walked
the earth in human form.
/ Even in personal appearance he was
hidoous ana repulsive, nature having
stamped him both as n physical anu
moral monster. The name by which he
was known throughout the world was
derived from singular circumstance,
which illustrates his savage ferocity
His naturally dark and forbidding face
was covered almost to his fierce, sensu
-, ~, III. ,,;,sD.,,
aaau,. 80 II. H. ,,..s 49,, ,,ra,,1
"., III w. ",,,;na.os ,,,;,,, sot,,1o,,
o"n "ailNn w N. ' -, '..;1
III; ~ ne m.is =, 'i. ,o - H.; nt;i
.o e, ,aa ~ ~, WIS. 49,. nI ''"''
49, &c., ao' VI nv t ,l'esa h 80. ,u
IL, ,''us;.'s s',aa1 80 ,,,,,,h.na
,,,,aa. sn,.,lana,, ~, i, Ill h,a ,,'i
- ,,;,,, ~ nnt;.,;,,s. rannant,
t;a,,1e ,t.aaa.a,,;a ;aani # -,
h. sn s,Ic.ssfrIIy a,nrlo,a1 In ,;,neof
oc,;o, ha s,,,ng orornd b;s mach n sr,re
int. ,..l,;n,, -, ,h,.,st ,,,ra, hr,.as ,.r
u;stols Opr raadars syon tbosa w,,
ar,, not endowed with Dantesone mower
of IMAGINATION and esnaciallv opr femi.
nine friends can readily fancv the i'm
rress;or such ON ,sn.ct would crs,,.
,rhar mot n,,,n tho Iona,,, onaa, vi
tho h,ack d., art+sr;ng abova hi, he.5
and his marc;,ess face Iigbt;no mr., wifi
. yIaam of aamop;ac.1 ;ov 90 mis- ba,,,
less victims walked the fata, plank
Tho real r.me Of tb;s man WAS Ell
ward T.ocb md ba ,,ac not;v. nf p,-;.
toI ENGLAND or his early carear MOTH.
inc definite ;s known Ha frst a,,argod
from obscpr;tv as a common s.ilor ON
hoard j.. pr;vatear commordo5 Nv, C.,,
tain BENJAMIN Hornipold SAILING from
Jamaica and nrav;ng mon FroncI corn
merce In that bnmble can.c;,v ba ais.
t;ngrisbed bimseIf Inv his Sill ava com
moo which attracted tho ottant;on -.
lie rot oyor scrrn,,,o,,s ,.o,,,nauda. Who
| .oa,, ~, "a ~, III -: =, ~
| 49,. -. A. -,