In the wake of the buccaneers

by A. Hyatt Verrill

CHAPTER XIII

THE BRETHREN OF THE MAIN

Although from the time that handful of refugees took Tortuga from the Spaniards the island was nominally French, yet it was ever, to all intents and purposes, buccaneer. Even the governors, appointed by France, were in hearty sympathy with the freebooters and were no better than their fellows. Moreover, the inhabitants of the isle were not by any means all French. Attracted by the freedom of the place, the opportunities for the semi-wild life of buccanning, in its original sense, and the chances of “emprizing,” as they put it, against the Dons, adventurous souls from far and near flocked to Tortuga.

Principally they were English or French, but there were not a few Dutch, a number of Portuguese, a sprinkling of Spanish, and an endless number of mixed breeds and men without any definite country. But, once in Tortuga, all differences of blood, religion, and profession, as well as of social status, were cast aside and forgotten, and they became [[227]]once and for all buccaneers,[1] bound together as “Brethren of the Main.” And, curious as it may seem, these men, although absolutely unprincipled and ruthless where others were concerned, were marvelously honest and square among themselves, and with the Indians with whom they came in contact. Of course this was a case of necessity rather than of choice, for they realized that only by faithfulness and integrity with one another could they succeed, and that the Indians were essential to them, as pilots, hunters, fishermen, and guides. It is also a fact, although lurid fiction and stories by those who know little or nothing of buccaneer history would have us believe otherwise, that as a rule these pirates were far more humane in their treatment of prisoners than the regular soldiery and naval forces of their day. But, like their dealings with the Indians, this consideration for their enemies and captives was to the buccaneers’ advantage. They well [[228]]knew, “by divers experiences,” that unless they gave quarter to their prisoners and released captives upon payment of ransom their own fellows would be put to torture and the sword when captured by the Spaniards. Moreover, through the gratitude of prisoners whom they spared, or even aided, the pirates gained much valuable information,—far more, in fact, than through torture,—and on more than one occasion the buccaneers who fell into the Dons’ hands were treated courteously and were even helped on their way by those who had received similar treatment from the freebooters.

FRANCIS LOLONOIS.

LOLONOIS

The Cruelty of Lolonois

Of course there were exceptions to this. Such men as Montbars, Morgan, Lolonais, and a few others seemed to glory in torture and murder, and proved themselves fiends incarnate; and it was the deeds committed by such men that gave the reputation for bloodthirstiness to all. In addition, after the buccaneers had scattered and were no longer an organized body, but carried on their piratical ventures as individuals and were hunted by all nations, they deteriorated and became mere pirates, who robbed and killed friend and foe with equal impartiality. When the buccaneers first came into being, and for many years thereafter, France and England were at war with Spain, and so raids and attacks upon the Dons were considered legal warfare, [[229]]and even long after peace was established between the powers the buccaneers preyed only upon their hereditary enemies the Spaniards. But as time passed and the authorities, in order to preserve peace, were compelled to apprehend and hang the most notorious of the buccaneers, the remainder looked upon every peaceful man as their enemy and considered legitimate prey every ship they could overpower. They burned, sacked, and destroyed whenever opportunity offered, regardless of flag or nationality.