Maritime piracy dates back to ancient times. It also existed in the Middle Ages, but the pirates "inherited" it most vividly in the XVII-XVIII centuries. It is no accident that at the word "pirate" a colorful picture involuntarily appears in the mind's eye: white sails under the "Jolly Roger" and desperate thugs boarding Spanish galleons stuffed with gold; blue sea, white sand and wind of distant wanderings. Romance, and nothing more. But was it really so?
Life and customs
Writers of a later time worked hard to give the "gentlemen of fortune" a certain romantic halo. Painting their "exploits", they awakened in their readers the desire for long journeys and adventures. The reality, however, most often turned out to be more severe than the most fascinating adventure novel.
In those distant times, any sailor, stepping on the deck of a ship, could not know if he would ever return to his homeland. Often he disappeared from his country for many years, or even forever. Storms and storms, reefs and shallows, scurvy and tropical fever - this is not a complete list of dangers that awaited all those who dared to challenge the endless sea. And it was considered a great success if one of them managed to meet a calm old age, even if in a distant country.
The pirate's fate was even more unpredictable. To die or be injured in a boarding fight, to be hanged on the yards of a warship, or to face trial even in his homeland - at any moment he could lose his life. And only one thirst for profit, the dream of innumerable wealth forced him again and again to go on the most desperate adventures, endure hardships, eat breadcrumbs and corned beef for months, drink musty water and sleep side by side on deck or in the hold.
And the very life on the ship was not very fun. Strict rules prohibited gambling, bringing women, and even drinking the notorious rum after lights out. Fights were forbidden, and duels were allowed only on the shore and in the presence of seconds.
Disobedience to the captain, unauthorized absence from the post or the appropriation of small things obtained during the seizure of a ship or a village were severely punished - everything had to go into a common pot. Then everything was divided in accordance with the contract, which indicated the share of each member of the team. The size of the "insurance" was also discussed in case of serious injury or injury in battle.
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The whims of fortune
As for the size of the booty, Francis Drake was the most fortunate, who from just one of his round-the-world voyages brought to England a cargo worth 500 thousand pounds, while the entire annual income of the English treasury was 300 thousand pounds. Queen Elizabeth visited Drake's ship and knighted him on deck.
In general, the life of pirates was full of vicissitudes, and sometimes their fate took shape in the most unexpected way.
Thus, the former pirate Balthazar Kossa became Pope John XXIII.
Francis Drake was awarded the rank of sir, and for commanding an English squadron during the defeat of the Invincible Armada, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and later buried with military honors.
Walter Releigh was knighted and William Dampier was elected to the British Academy.
Henry Morgan was even appointed vice-governor of the island of Jamaica and the commander-in-chief of its naval forces.
But these are isolated cases; and very few of the pirates died at home in their beds.
The once famous François Olene was killed, fried and eaten by cannibals; Stertebeker was beheaded in Hamburg; Sir Francis Drake died of tropical fever; Sir Walter Relie executed in London; Teach is killed in a boarding fight, and the victor has his head hung under the bowsprit of his ship; Roberts was struck down by a canister shot in his throat; Edward Lowe was hanged by the French; William Kidd executed in London; Cavendish died on the voyage … The list goes on.
However, some were lucky - more or less.
Henry Morgan as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica eventually drank himself and died at the age of 53. Robert Surcouf, having plundered two million francs, ended his life in his own castle. Dampier died in his bed, but after his death his relatives had to pay his debts, and although John Avery returned to "good old England", he died in poverty …
A rare event
A rogue is always a rogue. Whether at sea or on land, he is not prone to sentimentality. However, there were times when the gentlemen of fortune were capable of noble deeds.
So, the famous Muslim pirate of the 16th century Sultan of Algeria Barbarossa I, overtaken by the Spaniards near the Solado River, managed to cross to the other side and had the opportunity to escape, but seeing how his comrades surrounded by the enemy were bravely fighting, he returned to his detachment and died in an unequal battle.
The "Pirate Admiral" Henry Morgan, nicknamed the Cruel, captured, sacked and burned Panama in 1671. For three weeks, his subordinates rampaged in the city and its suburbs, robbing houses and torturing prisoners. All this time, Morgan lived in the governor's palace, drinking and enjoying female company, and suddenly found himself in a very delicate position: one of the most beautiful women in Panama rejected him. All promises and threats turned out to be useless, but, to the surprise of others, Henry the Cruel did not dare to use force against his captive. Although, it would seem, what could be easier! The amazement of the pirates increased even more when, having left Panama with rich booty and many captives, on the way back Morgan set her free without any ransom and even sent guards to escort the proud Spanish woman home …
Discoverers and explorers
Piracy is a very diverse phenomenon in the history of the development of sea spaces. Of course, the overwhelming majority were inveterate scoundrels who seized ships and coastal villages, cruelly dealt with their crews and residents and sold prisoners into slavery. But among them there were also exceptionally gifted people who inscribed their names in the ranks of pioneers, researchers and inventors.
So, the strait between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica was named after its discoverer - Francis Drake.
Walter Reley discovered Virginia and brought to England plants previously unknown in Europe - tobacco and potatoes. His book on the voyage to Guiana has been translated into many European languages, and while in prison - he spent 13 years in the Tower - Rely writes treatises on naval and political topics. He was fluent in ancient languages, perfectly knew law, philosophy, history, and even wrote "History of the World", which he brought to 130 BC.
The result of the circumnavigation of the world by Thomas Cavendish, the third in the history of navigation after Magellan and Drake who dared to make such a trip, were the most detailed maps with exact distances, outlines of shores, straits, bays, currents, winds, etc.
John Davis re-discovered - after the Vikings - Greenland, Cumberland Bay, Baffin Land, Falkland Islands; he surveyed the North American coast in detail and pinpointed the exact location of the Hudson Strait. In addition, Davis invented several navigation tools, including the double quadrant named after him. He is also the author of a number of books on nautical affairs.
Finally, William Dampier, "the pirate king", made three voyages around the world and made many geographical discoveries. An archipelago, island, cape, straits, etc. are named after him. Dampier's works were so highly praised by his contemporaries that he was elected a member of the British Academy of Sciences, and his portrait was placed in the National Portrait Gallery in London. He explored the northwestern coast of Australia and hiked inland; discovered many islands, straits and new lands; first described flamingos and a number of little-known marine animals; studied the direction of winds off the coast of South America; researched currents in the South Pacific Ocean and observed the polar night near the Antarctic Circle.
He collected data on magnetic declination at various points of the World Ocean, on the salinity of sea waters, on the relationship between prevailing currents and winds, and British scientists consider him the father of such a science as oceanography.
This son of a peasant, who joined a merchant ship as a cabin boy at sixteen, and found himself among filibusters at twenty-six, was an amazing example of a pirate-scientist. One day his ship gave a strong leak. It was with difficulty that they managed to reach the nearest island, but before the ship sank, Dampiru managed to save his diaries and the Australian herbarium, although he lost all his personal property.
But all this is rather an exception to the rule, and much more often the pirates were driven only by greed …
As for Jolly Roger, the black flag with the skull and crossbones was invented by novelists; pirates, on the other hand, most often used the flag of a country, or even banners depicting a red rooster, crossed swords, or even a lamb …
Magazine: Secrets of the 20th century №11. Author: Alexander Frolov