Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-06-25
(Ry w. c.. Allen.)

Vessels come and 60 along the
whole coast of America now
with perfect security SO far as
molestation by pirates is con-
cerned. To-day the sailor from
New York to Havana does not
anticipate any interference from
robbers on tie high seas; but
makes provision, on setting out,
to com bat only the winds and
waves, the common enemies OF
navigators. He is not on the
lookout constantly for freeboot-
ers on his right hand or On his
left. Teach's hole on the coast
of North Carolina, one time the
terror of all coasting vessels, has
no special interest to the navl-
gator now, more than the fact
that, a. one time, it was the try
sting place of many marauders
of the seas.
There was a time when things
were different. From 1000 to
1920 the entire coast from Maine
to Cuba was infested by bol d
and bloc d-t h irsty buCcan-
neers. They roamed the seas as
lords Of the deep, and committed
their despredations with i'm
punity; for there was no force
ADEQUATE to the task of coping
with them. The merchant yes
sci that ran the gauntlet of these
desperadoes was esteemed for
tunate. Many were captured
and plundered, and their crews
either slaughtered or sent adrift
to perish i'll the deep. The
booty that they obtained was en-
ormOus. Their adherents On
land aided them materially n
hiding the treasury as it was
brought into the place Of rem
devious. 1t is believed in some
places that large quantities OF
gold and silver, buried during
those times, still remain con-
cealed along the coast of the
United States.
About 171o formidable band
of these freebooters entered into
, compact to act together to1
mutual profit and safety. Ed
ward Teach, better known by
the name of Blackboard, was
commander in-chief; and three
noted pirates, namely, Henry
Nane, Steed Bonnet, and Rich
: ard Worley were his chiet lieu
, tenants. Teach was the soul OF
the band and the dictator of all
their movements. His fleet con
, sisted at first of six heavily armed
vessels Of war, that of Teach
himself carrying forty guns ano
manned by a hundred sturdy ses
rovers, each man ready at any
: time to give his life in defense
i of his commander There were
S no vessels in American waters a
r that time that could match those
terrors of the sea
With these torbidable enemle
of mankind securing the seas ant
e frequenting the coasts, the com
= nerce of the New World was al
t most destroyed. They confined
their depredat;ons mostly to tn
southern colonies, though fire
quently they made bold dashe
, into the northern seas and car
ried off immense treasure almos
! in sight of Boston harbor. Thei
headquarters were establishe'
upon one of the small islands o
Z the Bahamas, with places of rem
devious in the Cape Fear an
Pamlico rivers in North Care
t lima and others Of less note O.
( the coasts of South Carolina an
: Georgia. Here they met a
stated times and formulated thei
= daring schemes of murder an
= plunder.
1t was a time favorably suit
ed to the purpose of the pirate'
the country was sparsely settled
Georgia being yet a wildernes
with no white settler V !: hin he
borders, and the mother 1ountr
had her navy employed III pr'
tecting her interests i'll othe
= parts of the world While til
i laws against piracy were strir
" gent, they could not be enforce'
d The temptations upon the st;
d were SO great that many of til
n boldest in each colony forsoo
:. the peaceful harlnts of the
- homes and sought ill-gotten TO
i. tunes upon the water.
rk The northern colonies hs
been for a long time aff1icte