Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-04
ROC THE BRAZILIAN.
A Typical Pirate Who waged Ferocious
War on the Spanish.

A Typical Pirate Who waged Ferocious
War on the Spanish.
Mr. Frank r. Stockton, writing "The
Buccaneers of Our Coast for St. Nicholas,
describes the career CT famous character
on the Spanish main.
This famous buccaneer was called Roo,
because he had to have a name, and his
own was unknown or suppressed, antl
''the Brazilian, because he was born in
Brazil, though HE parents were Dutch.
Unlike most of his fellow practitioners
he did not gradually become pirate
From his early youth he never had an in
tention of being anything else. AS soon
as he grew to be q man he became one OF
the buccaneers, and at the first opportu-
nifty he Joined a pirate Grew and had made
but few voyages when it was perceived
bE his companions that he was destined to
become a most remarkable sea robber He
was put In command OF a ship, and in q
very short time after he had sct out on his
first independent cruise he fell in with
Spanish ship loaded with silver bullion
Having captured this, he sailed with his
prize to Jamaica, which was one of the
great resorts of the English buccaneers
There his success delighted the commu-
nifty, and soon he was generally acknowi-
edged as the head pirate of the West Indies.
AS for Esquemeling, he simply rcveled
In the deeds of the great Brazilian desper-
ado. If he had been writing the life and
times of Alexander the Great, julius Caesar
| or Mr.. Gladstone he could not have been
moro enthusiastic in his praises And as
| in '"The Arabian Nights the roo Is de-
scribed as the greatest of birds, SO, In the
| eyes of the buccaneer bicgrapher, this Roo
| was the greatest of pirates
This renowned pirate from Brazil must
have boon terrible fellow to look Mt. He
was strong and brawny, his face was short
and very wide, with high cheek bones, and
his countenance probably resembled that
of pug dog. 1t was his custom in the
| daytime to walk about carrying drawn
| cutlass resting easily upon his arm, edge
up. very much as fine gentleman carries
his high silk hat.
| He was man who insisted upon being
obeyed instantly. But although he was
SO strict and exacting during the business
sessions of his piratical yearly which
mean when he was cruising around after
| prlzes--he was very much more disagree
able when he was taking vacation. On
| his return to Jamaica from ono of his OK
petitions it was his habit to give himself
| some relaxation after the hardships and
| dangers through which he had passed, and
on such occasions, with his cutlass waving
high in the cir. he would often rush into
! enc strecG anu Jake WnaCk at every one
whom ne met. AS far as was possible the
citizens allowed him to have the street to
himself, and it was not at all likely that
his visits to Jamaica we're looked forward
to with any eager anticipation
Tho hatred OF the Spaniards by tho buc-
cancers began very early in the settlement
of the West Indies, and, in fact, it is very
likely that if there had been no Spaniards
there would never have been any bucca-
neers, but in all the instances Of ferocious
enmity TOWARD the Spaniards there has
been nothing to equal the feelings of Roo
the Brazilian upon that subject His dis
like to everything Spanish arose. he de-
clared, from cruelties which had been
practiced upon his parents by people Of
that nation, and his main principle Of &C.
ton throughout all his piratical career
seems to have been that there was nothing
TOO bad for Is Spaniard. The object of his
life was to wage bitter war sgainst Span
ish ships and Spanish settlements. He was
typical pirate.