Bethel High School - Key Yearbook (Bethel, NC)

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PIRATE CUSTOMS (By Edward Burroughs) The word pirate, or buccaneer, carries with it a thrill. The very mention of the name of Flint, England, Blackbeard, or some of the other noted pirate captains, sends a chill all thru one ' s body. The pirates were very cruel and committed num- berless crimes, but we look upon them as brave, daring people, and even admire them for their bravery. It is verj ' true they were law breakers and thieves, but when we think of the risks they ran, the hairbreadth escapes they had, and their thrilling adventures, we learn to admire them. Their dangers are numerous. At first the different pirate ships went around separately, but later they organized under the leadership of one captain. Among these pirate chiefs, the widest known were Davis, Rob- erts, Kidd, Morgan, Flint, Blackbeard and England. When or- gfanized, they probably followed a code of unwritten laws. But the greatest harm fell upon the commerce of Spain. The pirates ' chief objectives were the ships bearing the gold from Peru and other Spanish colonies in South America, to Spain. It was their love for gold, together with their thirst for blood- shed, that caused the pirates to take the ships and kill the crew jind passengers. When we think of the appearance of a pirate, we conceive him as a brawny, sun burned creature, with long whiskers and with scars all over his flesh. His eyes are keen and his hands nre toughened by work and the sun. As for his clothes, he wears loose, ragged garment, splotched all over with blood. Round his waist is a belt containing a brac( i of pistols and a cutlass or two. Whon pirates captured a ship they used various methods to dispose of their prisoners. Sometimes they killed the men, but kept the women to torture. They often marooned the captive. That is, they set them off on an uninhabited island with a few provisions, a gun, and some ammunition. Sometimes they fas- ttmed a board to the deck of the ship, so that it extended over

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ther, too, was distressed about Alice, but he did not take such a melancholy mood as the younger brother. He said, What need a man forestall his date of grief. And run to meet that he must avoid? How bitter is self delusion. Or if they be but false alarm of fear. He believed that his sister was perfectly safe and that noth- ing could harm a girl as virtuous as she. But the younger bro- ther still feared for his sister ' s safety. He said : Beauty, like the fair Hesperian tree, Laden with blooming gold had need of dragon watch with unenchanted eye, To save her blossoms and save her fruit, Front the rash hands of bold Incontinence. While the two brothers stood arguing, a clear, sweet voice founded from within the depths of the forest with enchant- ing ravishment — a voice which sounded as if something holy were lodged in the breast from whence it came. How sweetly did they (tones) float upon the wings Of silence, throguh the empty-vaulted night. At! every fall smoothing the raven down Of darkness till it smiled. Hearing this almost heavenly music, the two brothers knew it to be the voice of their lost sister. Immediately they set out in the direction from v henco the voice came. Alice was sitting on the roots of a tree weeping as if her heart would break when her brothers found her. At the sight of them her tears suddenly vanished and once more she was aa beautiful, heavenly, divine and happy looking as before. Early in the morning of March 4th, 1921, the three set out for Washington, and by ten o ' clock they reached the city jusi in time to witness the long anticipated celebration.

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the side of the vessel. Then they blindfolded the prisoners and made them walk the plank. Blindfolded as they were, natural- ly they fell off the plank into the water and were drowned. These so called Gentlemen of Fortune usually flew the Jolly Roger, a black flag, but when they sighted a merchant ship they put up a flag of some nation so that they would not be recognized. When they came up alongside the merchant- n.an, they boarded it, killed or captured the crew and passen- gers and took what things they wanted. Disputes were often settled by means of fights. The pirates were usually superstitious. This was shown by the action of Flint ' s former crew in Treasure Island. Their favorite sea- song, of which the first verse runs as follows,, Fifteen men on a dead man ' s chest, Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum. Drink and the Devil had done for the rest, Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum. originated from an incident occurring on an island in the Atlan- tic ocean. A ship was wrecked and the occupants were strand- ed upon an island called the Dead Man ' s Chest, with a little food and some wine. When later found there were only fifteen men and a quantity of rum or wine. Pirates had a custom of conferring a black spot on captains it they wished to depose them, or they would confer it upon any pirate to inform him that he was to be killed or deposed. The black spot was a round piece of paper smoked on one side, and the message which was to be told the person was VsTitten on the smoked side. For instance, if a captain was to be deposed, the word ' Deposed would be written on the black spot and the spot given the captain. Before the order or message would take efi ecl, all the piratec would have to give their consent to it, the causes of this bl:;cl: spot being conferred upon him would have to be brought be- fore the convicted, and it would have to be proved that he wa:j guilty of the things which they accused him of. Then he would be deposed if it was proven that he was guilty.