The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-03-03
A PEARL PIRATE
A Sketch of the buccaneers ofthc Span
isle Coast.

A Sketch of the Buccaneers OF tho Span
isle Coast.
Frank R. Stockton, In contributing
to St. Nicholas, under the title of "The
Buccaneers of the Spanish main, tells
the following adventure:
One of the adventures who set out
about this time on a cruise after gold
laden vessels was q Frenchman who
was known to his countrymen at Pier
re Francois and to the English as Peter
Francis. He was a good sailor and
ready for any sort CT sea fight; but
for a long time he cruised about with
out seeing anything which it was worth
while to attempt to capture. At last.
when his provision began to give out
and his men became somewhat discon-
tented, Pierre made up his mind that
rather than return to Tortuga empty
handed, bo would make q bold and
novel stroke for fortune.
At the mouth of enc of the large riv-
ers of the mainland the Spaniards had
established a pearl fishery; for there
was no kind of wealth or treasure, on
the land, underground, or at the bot
tom of the sea that the Spaniards did
not get IL 1t were possible.
Every year, at the proper season, q
dozen or more vessels came to this
pearl bank, attended by a man-ofwar
to protect them from molestation.
Pierre knew all about this; and as he
could not find any Spanish merchant
man to rob, he thought he would go
down and see what he could do with
the pearl fishers. This was something
the buccaneers had not yet attempted.
but no one knows what he can do until
he tries. and 1t was necessary that this
buccaneer captain should try something
Immediately.
When he reached the coast near the
mouth of the river, he took
the masts out of his little vessel.
and rowed quietly toward the pearl
fishing fleet, as IL he had intended to
join them on some entirely peaceable
errand; and, in fact, there was no rea-
son whatever why the Spaniards should
suppose that boat full Of buccaneers
should be rowing along that part Of
the coast.
The pearl fishing vessels were all at
anchor and the people on board were
quietly attending to their business.
Out at sea, some distance from the
mouth of the river the man-Nf-war was
lying becalmed. The native divers who
went down to the bottom of the sea to
bring up the shell-fish which contains
ed the pearls, plunged into the water
and came up wet and shining In the
sun, with no fear whatever of any
sharks which might be swimming
about in search of dinner; and the
people en- the vessel opened the oysters
and carefully searched for pearls, feel
ing as safe from harm as If they were
picking olives in their native groves.
But something worse than shark
was quietly making it's way over those
tranquil waters, and no banditti who
ever descended from Spanish mount
aims upon the quiet peasants IF a viii
lage equaled in ferocity the savage fell
lows who were crouching in the little
boat belonging to Pierre of Tortuga.
This innocent looking craft. which
the pearl fishers probably thought was
loaded with fruit and vegetables that
somebody from the mainland desiring
to sell, was permitted, without being
challenged or interfered with, to row
up alongside the largest vessel of the
fleet, on which there were some armed
men and cannon.
AS soon as Pierre's boat touched the
Spanish vessel, the buccaneers sprang
on board with their pistols and cutlas-
ses, and a savage fight began. The
Spaniards were surprised, but there were
a great many more of them than there
were pirates, and they fought hard.
However, the man who makes the at
tack, and who is at the same time des-
perate and hungry, has great advan-
tage, and 1t was not long before the
buccaneers were masters of the vessel.
Those of the Spaniards who were not
killed were forced into the service OF
their captors, and Pierre found himself
in command of very good vessel.