Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-05-21
Saint Maru's Beacon
ON PIRATES ISLAND.

merry men, aud we'll have Q little
hell Of our own" This was the
cheerful request of the pirate Black
beard, when business was dull and
time hung heavy on his hands. As
such request was also in the nature
of q command, and further en-
phasized by display Of the small
arsenal Of pistols, arquebuses, and
cutlasses which Blackboard wore
about his person, his crew always
accepted his invitation with alac-
rity.
Once in the hold, with the matches
battened down. the genial pirate
lighted sundry pots of birthstone,
previously prepared, and then Sc
renely awaited Developments. With
lungs Of leather and q constitution
habituated to diabolical pastimes,
Mr.. Blackboard inhaled the fumes
sulphurious as though they were
gales of incense from ArabY, and
when one Of his unfortunate mess
mates ventared 70 cough he was
promptly knocked on the head.
And when, at last, sneezing and
coughing, splitting and swearing,
the crew essayed a bolt for the
matches and outer air, the festive
mariner simply crossed his hands
and fred Unfortunately into the
crowd Of writhing wretches, wound
ing and killing without mercy.
This was Blackbeard's idea of q
good time and perhaps anticipatory
of the good times in store for them
when he and his comrades should
have departed for the pirates hap
py hunting grounds. Atall events,
it was simply one of his lighter
pastimes, his really serious work
being put in on the hspless sailors
and merchantmen who fell into his
hands while his vessel was cruis-
ing the seas between the island of
Jamaica and the coast of America.
Another of his diversions consisted
in making his many prisoners walk
the plank, said plank being stuck
out over the side of the vessel, with
the farther end projecting into
nowhere, and the bowling waves
beneath. The scene of this pirate
depreciation was chiefly about the
the group. of islands known as the
Virgins, in the West Indies, where
the numerous concealed harbors
and inlets gave him opportunity
for escape when holly pursued by
his many enemies. Fer. though it
may seem very strange, this great
man had enemies, who, perhaps
jealous of his successes and DESTROYS
of putting an end to them, chased
him from one place to another most
persistently.
1t was about the middle of the
seventeenth century that Black
beard, formerly known as Captain
Tench, of Bristol, England, took
to the high seas for a living, and
became the scourge of the Spanish,
Dutch and English merchant ma
rine. lie had discovered in the is
land of st. Thomas, then recently
taken possession of by the Danes,
a retreat after his own heart. 1t
abounded in hidden harbors, deep
inlets, reef-inclosed bays, and pro-
lecting promontories that comman-
ded wide extended views of the sur
rounding seas. The Danes had
seized it, finding it practically un-
occupied; and, not to be behind
them in push and progress, he took
possession Of the best strategic point
on the island. They had erected
little red fort (which may be seen
today. supplied it with cast iron
cannon (still there). garrisoned it
with a handful of soldiers, appoin-
ted a governor and police inspector,
and then claimed ii all. This claim
Capt. Blackboard was disposed to
resent, and so, when the valiant
Danes drove him ont of their fine
habor he vowed he would bring the
compatriots of immortal Hamlet to
terms.
lie sneaked around to the other
side of the island ,thenorthren shore,
where he knew Of q harbor as good
as their own, and there landed.
This harbor is still there and is yet
as solitary as the day old Blackboard
sailed into it with his rapacious
crew. 1t lies directly north Of the
fortified harbor of Charlotte ANA
Lin. which IL alec kro @.