The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-11
ORIGIN OF THE BUCCANEERS.
Were PeaceabIe Beef Traders at First
Until Prosecuted.
st. Nicholas.


The first pirates who made themselves
known in American waters were the famous
buccaneers. They began their career in
very commonplace and UNDERSTANDABLE
manner, and the name by which they We're
known had originally no piratical signih-
canoe. 1t was derived from the French word
beHcanier signIfying "a drer Of sefcia
ly San Domingo, were almost overrun with
wild cattle of various kinds; and this was
owing to the fact that the Spaniards had
killed off nearly all the natives. and SO had
left the interior of the Islands to the nerds
of cattle, which had increased rapidly
There were a few settlements on the sea
coast; but the Spaniards did not allow the
inhabitants of these to trade with any ma
ton but their own, and consequently the
people were badly supplied with the neces-
saries of life.
But the trading vessels which sailed from
Europe to that part of the Caribbean sea
were manned by bold and daring sailors;
and when they knew that san domingo
contained abundance of beef cattle tney
did not hesitate to stop at the nttle sea-
ports to replenish their stores. The natives
of the island were skilled in the art or pre-
pairing beef by smoking and drying it-very
dams prepare ''jerked meat for winter use
But so many vessels came to San Dos
ningo for beef that there were not enough
Deople on the island to do all the hunting
and drying that was necessary; so these
trading vessels frequently anchored in some
quiet cove and the crews went on shore
and devoted themselves to securing cargo
of beef-not only enough for their own use'
but for trading purposes, ana tnuS lHey Dc-
come known as beef driers" or buccaneers.
When the Spaniards heard of this new in
dustry which had arisen within the limits
of their possessions they pursued the yeS-
sells of the buccaneers wherever they were
seen and relentessly destroyed them and
their crews. But there were not enough.
Spanish vessels to put down the trade In
dried beef; more European vessels, general
ly English and French. stopped at san DO
mingo and more bands OF hunting sailors
made their way into the interior Wnen
these daring fellows knew that the span
iards were determined to break up tneir
trade they became more determined that II
should not be broken up, and they armed
themselves and their vessels so that they
might be able to make defense against the
Spanish men-of-war.
Thus gradually and almost imperceptibly
n state of maritime warfare grew mp in the
waters OF the West Indies between Spain
and the beef traders of other nations and
from being obliged to fight the buccaneers
became glad to fight. provided that Ii was
Spain they fought. True to her policy OF
desDotism and cruelty. when dealing with
her American possessions, Spain waged
bitter and bloody war against the bucca-
reers who dared 10 interfere with the COM
mercial relations between herself and her
West India colonies, and in return the buc-
cancers were just as bitter and savage in
their warfare against Spain. From defend
ing themselves against Spanish attacks
they began to attack Spaniards whenever
there was any chance of success. at first
only upon the sea, but afterwards on land.