The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-19


At f1rst they contented ttmselves with
an Illicit trade at the unglrded ports. OF
quiet, han-deserted islandslike Hispani-
OLA where they could set Bides and tall
low, smoked beef and slted pork, in
exchange for goods smuEled in from
Europe
But they did not long ktop at that
Ine exciting risks and Mobile profits of
the business made It grot like a story
Of adventure. The ranks be the lawless
traders oiled more and nsre with every
sort of reckless adventl1er and every
sort or unquiet spirit whd found the or
binary world stale ana longed for q
change of luck as we'll Il with hosts Of
common thieves and natural outlaws.
Such men, finding themselves newt
ably consortfng, felt tatf conradeship,
helped one another win they could.
and made a common ctuse of robbing
Spain. calling themselves Brethren OF
the Coast"
They took possession, 3 their numbers
| increased, of the little twin islands Of
| st. Christopher and Nvis for rendez-
vous and headquarters md fortified dis
| tant Tortuga for stronghold: and their
power grew apace throuth all the seven
| teenth century, until no spanish ship was
\ safe on the seas though she carried the
| flag Of an admiral, and great towns
! either to buy them off OF submit to be
sacked at their pleasure
| They mustered formidable fleets and
counted their desperate seamen b. the
| thousands.
/ They were most Numerous, most power
| full, most to be feared at the very time
/ the English colony was Begun at Charles
ton Q6z0). All the English sea coast at
i the South. indeed, was theirs in a sense.
] They were regulars, not outlaws, when
/ France or Holland or England was at
| war with Spain, for the great govern
j ments did not scruple TO give them let
tiers of marque when they needed theiI
| assistance at sea.
English buccaneers had helped Sir Will
liam Penn take Jamaica for Cromwell
in 1855. And when there was no war, tht
| silent, unmatched harbors OF the Ions
American sea coast were their favorit'
places of refuge and repair,
/ New Providence England's best an
chorage and most convenient port of rem
devious in the Bahamas. became thei
chief place of welcome and recruiting
The coming of settlers did not disconcer
| them It pleased them, rather.
| The settlers did not modest them-na
| secret reasons, as they knew, TO be gla
| to see them. There were the Englis
| navigation laws as we'll as the Spanish
to be evaded, and the goods they brough
to the closed markets were very chea
and very welcome-and no question
were asked.
They were abundantly welcome, too,
the goods they bought. For thirty year
sbe srrr Pr9a i pasfs z 81 sold he a
rency the Carolinas could get hole o
Governors winked at their coming an
going-even allowed them to sell the
Spanish prizes in English ports.
Charleston. too, and the open bays
Albemarle Sound were not more 2For
them than New York and PhiladeE al
and Providence. and ev->. now ana 2 Il
the ports of MassachaF etts. They go .
small part ofNtheir recruits from ann
the lawless ard ssfEtless men who =. n
o,.t Of Er.ieas "a Virginia . the e. II
linas for rse; venture in new ,a III
try wnero ;nsV was young.
F.,s,norro1v. r,enu,s RefUvTs x, Posre