old description of the doughty pirate, whose black
beard is said to have covered his whole face and
“ frightened America more than any comet that has
appeared there a long tim e.” This beard, quoth
the quaint writer of the description, was
“ of an extravagant length ; as to breadth it came up to
his eyes. He was accustomed to twist it with ribbons,
in small tails, after the manner of our Ramilie wigs, and
turn them about his ears. In time of action he wore a
sling over his shoulders, with three brace of pistols
hanging in holsters like bandaliers, and stuck lighted
matches under his hat, which, appearing on each side of
his face, his eyes naturally looking fierce and wild, made
him altogether such a figure that imagination cannot
form an idea of a fury from hell to look more frightful.”
Stories of his reckless bravery and wild brutality
and debauchery are as picturesque and perhaps as
authentic as this description; and this delectable
monster is said to have married fourteen or more
wives at different times and places, some of them
without their consent, to be sure.
Another enterprising character who early in the
eighteenth century captured cargoes off the Guiana
coast, Barbados, and the Caribbees, was Captain
Bartholomew Roberts. He even made seizures in
the very ports of Martinique and Dominica. Dutch
vessels were his special prey, but he finally transferred
his activity to the eastern hemisphere. Certain
regulations of the pirating business attributed
to Roberts have been published. Among others
relating to the conduct of crews were a prohibition
of gaming “ at cards or dice for money ” ; a requirement
that lights be put out at eight o ’ c lo c k ; that
“ pieces, pistols, and cutlass be kept clean and fit
for service ** no boy or woman to be allowed
amongst them ’ ’ ; deserting the ship or quarters in
battle to be punished by death or marooning, and
so on.
T h e more famous Captain K idd began his career
with privateering in the West Indies, and it was
Lord Bellamont, Governor of Barbados, who secured
his commission as commander of the Adventure, to
put down pirates. A s is well known, he turned
pirate himself, but his exploits in that character
were performed on the other side of the world.
Piracy continued all through the eighteenth century
and into the present one on the pathways of
commerce between the Old World and the New, and
between Europe and the East, affecting the West
Indian trade incidentally and having constant lurking
places among the islands.
Passing reference has been made to marooning as
a penalty on board pirate ships, which reminds us
to go back to another peculiar incident in West
Indian experience. T h e word “ maroon ” has been
variously explained. Almo st as soon as negroes
were introduced into the islands and upon the Spanish
Main as slaves, they were so inhumanly treated
that the most daring of them ran away and established
wild communities of their own in the woods
and mountains. These came to be called cimar-
rons, which seems to have meant mountain-dwellers,
though restricted in its application to these fugi