Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-03-23

hemisphere for more than half CEN
tury. Sporadic attempts, to be sure,
have been made upon vessels along
the Venezuelan coast by the fierce Goa
ira Indians, who have been noted as
lmplacable robbers ever since the Span
lards first appeared In that region.
Not long ago, in fact, our Consul at
Maracaibo reported an attack they
made upon German bark near the
shoals of the gulf, only twelve miles
distant from Fort San Carlos, when
the captain and crew We're driven
ashore and compelled to leave their
vessel a prey to these modern pirates,
who were led by half-breed known as
Cachimho. This was the fourth case
Of piracy, the Consul stated, that he
knew had been committed on large for
eign sailing vessels, and he recon-
mepded that the masters Of such trad
ing along the coast Of Venezuela should
provide themselves with breech-load-
ing rifles and ammunition, especially
with signal gun, for warning and de-
fense.
LAST PIRATICAL ACT.
The very last act of piracy committed
In American waters. 1t Is said, in which
the intent Of the pirates was to burn.
kill and destroy, occurred just seventy
years ago, when the good brig Mexican,
bound from Salem, Mass, for Rio de
Janeiro, was overhauled by Spanish pi-
rates when abreast the West Indies.
The Caribbean Sea, as is well known,
was for many years favorite cruis-
ing place not only for the brethren of
the black flag and crossbones, but with
those quasi-pirates the buccaneers.
These last made their headquarters at
the island of Trotuga, which lies just
off the north coast Of Hayti land which,
by the way, is as pretty a bit Of para
disc as the writer has ever seem. Here
gathered such gallant men as Henry
Morgan, Mansveldt and "Peter, the
Great" who, so long as they confined
their depredations to Spanish galleons
and the King Of Spain's sailors and
cities, We're not regarded with great
disfavor by either France or England.
But when their successors looked upon
all merchant craft in the Caribbean as
fish for their net, and made no dis
elimination as to colors or nationality,
their case took on different cast and
they were properly considered as pir-
ates.
Buccaneering and piracy may be said
to have been in a most flourishing con-
dition, and by many looked upon in the
light Of legitimate callings, during
quarters of the century between
1850 and 1850. The buccaneers gener-
ally confined their excursions to the
borders of the Caribbean Sea and the
Gulf of Mexico, but the real and tru-
ly" pirates, such as Captain Kidd and
the notorious Blackboard" ravaged
the American coast regardless of the
unwritten word that had been passed
among the "brethren of the sea-" Most
of the rascals were finally rounded up
before the first quarter of the eigh-
teenth century ended, Kidd's trial TAX
ing place in May, 1701, and the GorgoE-
like head of Captain Teach, alias
blackboard" being borne into port at
the end of bowsprit, on morning of
November, 1717.
It is a cherished belief in st. Thomas
that Blackboard left vast amount Of
treasure buried in the island. On one
of the writer's visits he was introduced
to two aged gentlewomen whose grand
father, then a prosperous planter on
the north shore nearest to st. Johns,
once discovered great chest filled
with Spanish doubloons, submerged in
the cove before his house. The Danish
Government claimed this treasure, sad
to say, and the finder received only
empty thanks as his reward.
1t was out of the Beverly Salem har-
bor that the Mexican sailed at the be-
ginning Of her voyage toward Rio,
clearing at the custom house made IA
nous by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and
shaping course for the open ocean. She
carried, besides a miscellaneous cargo
some 10000 Spanish milled dollars,
sent by her owner, Joseph Peabody.
to supply any deficiencies Of her cargo
Of lumber and Goldfish. The master
was Captain Butman, Of Beverly, and
tnere were thirteen III tHe crew, All
told; no mention being made in the ves-
sells log Of what they thought as to
the superstition attaching to the 'un-
lucky number" They had uneventful
sailing for three weeks, at the end Of
which time they found themselves well
over toward the coast Of Africa, to
which they had been driven by battling
and contrary winds.
They did the best they could to re-
cover their course, and We're getting
along very well when they sighted the
"long, low, rakish craft" that the ira
dltional pirate always cruises in. AS
these Yankee sailors We're not looking
for any suspicious character, however,
they paid little attention to the stran-
ger until finally they could but notice
that she was dogglng their tracks.
1--WE sailed along, ship and ship" says
one of these ancient mariners in a re-
cent narrative Of his experience, "un-
til about 0 o'clock in the morning, and
then the old man couldn't stand it any
ionpar oud oltarpd tha nourca Nh, /,