ref book kids-dk-pirates
TRANSCRIPT
Eye Wonder
First published in Great Britain in 2005 byDorling Kindersley Limited
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL
A Penguin Company
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Copyright © 2005 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner.
ISBN 1-4053-0982-2
Colour reproduction by Colourscan, SingaporePrinted and bound in Italy by L.E.G.O.
Discover more at
www.dk.com
Written and edited by Deborah LockDesigned by Leah Germann
and Tory Gordon-Harris
Publishing manager Susan LeonardManaging art editor Clare Shedden
Jacket designer John DinsdaleJacket editor Mariza O’Keefe
Jacket copywriter Adam PowleyPicture researcher Sarah Pownall
Illustrator Peter BullProduction Luca Bazzoli
DTP Designer Almudena DíazConsultant Kenneth Kinkor
4-5 What is a pirate?
6-7 Where were they?
8-9 Early piracy
10-11 Raiders of the North
12-13 Barbary corsairs
14-15 The Maltese revenge
16-17 The New World
18-19 Privateers
20-21 Buccaneers
22-23 The Jolly Roger
24-25 The Pirate Round
26-27 Attack!
LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,
MELBOURNE, and DELHI
Contents
28-29 Hand-to-hand
30-31 A pirate’s life for me
32-33 Marooned
34-35 Pirates of the Indian Ocean
36-37 Unlucky pirate
38-39 Punishment
40-41 The king of pirates
42-43 Pirates of the Eastern Seas
44-45 Pirates of today
46-47 Glossary
48 Index and
acknowledgements
4
Shiver me timbers! Pirates are the sea-raiders, attacking other ships andterrorizing coastal towns for booty. But were they really bold adventurers,swashbuckling heroes, or brutal thieves?
What is a pirate?
Recovered objectsArtefacts, such as bottles,tankards, and brass buckles,found in places where piratescame ashore, have providedclues about what they woreand what they did on land.
Fictional piratesThere are many stories about pirates and theiradventures created in the minds of writers andfilm-makers. Even the popular image of what a pirate looks like is mostly made-up.
The promise of richesPiracy was attractive to many fordifferent reasons: a life offeringfreedom, lawlessness, andequality. But all pirates were lured by the idea that they could become rich quickly.
The evil pirateCaptain Hook – theenemy of Peter Pan
TEYE may be the name of the pirate who wore the ring.
Gold coin fromthe Whydah
Piratesdressed inthe fashionof the time.
Written accountsThere does exist some reliablewritten evidence of real piratesand what they did. These includepirates’ confessions in trialrecords, logbooks, and even a diary written by a surgeon who sailed on a pirate ship.
5
Expedition WhydahIn 1984, the shipwreck of The Whydah Galley wasdiscovered by underwater explorers. On board,they found treasure, weapons, and personalbelongings. It was a pirate ship belonging toCaptain Sam Bellamy that sank in 1717.
Shipwreck cluesThe findings on the
wrecks of pirate shipsare slightly differentthan those found on
trading or navy ships.These clues help
historians to piecetogether the truth
about pirates.
Bellamy looted
treasure from morethan 50 ships.
6
Where were they?Throughout history, pirates have beensailing in the seas and oceansaround the world. Somegroups of pirates havebeen called bydifferent names.
BuccaneersIn the 17th century,pirates who raided andstole from treasure shipsand settlements aroundthe Caribbean Seas werecalled buccaneers.
PrivateersSome shipowners were given
permission by their countries toattack shipping from other countriesin time of war. Often they turned to
piracy once the war was over.
Edward Teach(Blackbeard) was
one of the mostfeared pirates of the Caribbean in the early 18th century.
SOUTHAMERICA
NORTHAMERICA
AtlanticOcean
Freebooter This was anothername for a pirate.
Flibustier A French term for freebooter or plunderer.
Picaroon A word meaning a small-time pirate or slavesmuggler, particularly duringthe 18th century.
Pirate words
CaribbeanSea
Henry Every (1665-c.1728) was a successfulpirate active in theIndian Ocean.
Early pirates terrorizedthe trading ships of theancient civilizations.
AFRICA
AUSTRALIA
IndianOcean
ArcticOcean
EUROPE
NorthSea
CorsairsPirates in the Mediterranean Sea between the15th and 18th centuries were known as “corsairs”.There were the Muslim (Barbary) corsairs andthe Christian corsairs based on Malta.
Southern Ocean
ASIA
Since the MiddleAges, pirates havebeen preying onships in the seasof China andSoutheast Asia.
ANTARCTICA
Vikings were the feared sea-raiders of the Northfor over 300 years.
Mediterranean Sea
ArabianSea
SouthChina
Sea
PacificOcean
Early piracyFor more than 2,500 years, pirates have lurkedalong trading routes ready to attack loadedmerchant ships. The early piratesterrorized those sailing aroundthe Mediterranean Sea.
Ready to pounceThe many tiny islands and inlets in the Aegean Seawere superb hiding places for pirates. From here, theycould wait and watch for passing merchant ships.
Loadedm
erchant ships were easy targets as they sailed close to the coastline.
MediterraneanSea
Pirate mythsStories about pirates, such
as those trying to capture agod hoping to ransom him,were based on people’s real
fear of being kidnapped by them.
Aegean Sea
8
EUROPE
9
The sharp ram at thefront of the pirate
galley crashes into themerchant ship.
Growing menacePirates of the Roman
world sold their stolencargoes of wheat, wine,
and olive oil, and thekidnapped slaves at
local markets fora good price.
Pirate hunterIn 67 BC, a large fleet of
Roman warships led by Pompeythe Great rounded up the pirates.
The Roman army also attacked the pirates’ base in Cilicia, Turkey.
An ancient Greekdrinking bowl showing a pirate galley attackinga Greek trading ship.
Luring targetsThe Phoenician merchant shipscarried precious cargo, such as
silver, tin, copper, and amber fromcities around the MediterraneanSea. War galleys tried to protect
them from the pirates.
Trading ships had broad, roundedhulls for storing the cargo. They wereslow and powered only by sail.
Swift attackPirates used light, sleek,
shallow-bottomed galleysthat were powered by oars.These were fast and easy to manoeuvre, and they
could also sail closeto the shore.
These Phoeniciancoins called shekelswere made of silver
from Spain.
Raiders of the North
The largerectangularsail picked upthe winds inopen seas.
In battle, a Vikingtrick was to catcha spear in mid-flight, and hurl it back at theiropponents.
Roundwoodenshield
Oars were usedto row aroundcoasts and up rivers.
Helmet
Broad sword
Sea-raidersThe phrase “to go a-viking” means “goingon an overseas raid”.
These fearsome warriorssailed across the North
Sea, attacking ships andraiding abbeys and towns inEurope and North America.
Since ancient times, pirates have also beenactive in the North Sea. The most ferociousraiders were the Vikings from Scandinavia –Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
Homeland and weaponsLife was tough for the people living in the cold regions of Scandinavia.
They lived by fishing, farming, andtrading, but they wanted adventure,
wealth, and glory in battle.
Arrowhead
North Sea
Scandinavia
The strong keel held the boat together in stormy seas.
10
The steering oar was fixedto the back of the boat.
EUROPE
PlunderThe Vikings were after the valuableitems from abbeys, and jewellery,money, and fine cloth from largetowns. They either sold these at a good price in other countries or took them home.
LongshipVikings were greatshipbuilders. They builtvery long, narrow shipsto carry their warriorsfor the raids.
The sight ofapproachinglongships wouldcause panic andfear amongst the villagers or monks.
A carving of an animal head, such as a snake or dragon
Vikings madejewellery fromstolen gold.
11
•Some Viking warriors werecalled berserkers, as theyattacked so fiercely.
•Viking women were taughtto use weapons in case theywere attacked.
•Vikings used horns as drinking cups.
Viking facts
A Barbary galleyhad one largetriangular sailand a slim hull.
Each oar was pulledby up to six slaves.
Dragut Rais was a fearedcaptain of the Muslim navy.
DecorativeMuslim tile
From the late11th century, Christians
and Muslims fought forcontrol over the MediterraneanSea and the countries around it.The Muslim sea-raiders becameknown as the Barbary corsairs.
Muslim galleysThe fast, sleek Barbary shipswere powered by huge numbersof slaves. They could only spenda short time at sea as food andwater supplies ran out quickly.The ship’s captain, or “rais”,navigated the ship.
Captives’ fateCaptured wealthyChristian knightswould be held forransom. The poorercaptives were forced to row the Barbarygalleys day and night
and then sold as slaves.
The holy wars were known as the Crusades.
12
Barbary corsairsEUROPE
NORTH AFRICA
Mediterranean Sea
Many Christian ships were easilyovercome by the successful attacksof the Barbary corsairs.
Europeans called them the “BarbarossaBrothers” because oftheir red beards.
Feared brothers Kheir-ed-Din and Aruj were great Muslim naval heroes in the 1500s. They madetheir fortunes capturingthe Pope’s galleys,Spanish warships, and trading ships.
Sea battles After a Barbary galley rammed
the side of a Christian ship, about100 Janissaries – the well-trained
Muslim soldiers – stormed aboard and overpowered the crew.
13
The towns along the coast of North Africa became
bases for the Barbary corsairs.
14
The Maltese revengeIn 1530, Malta – an island in theMediterranean Sea – became the base for the Christian knights defending the sea routes from Barbary control.
FortressesWhen the knights
arrived on Malta, theybuilt fortresses, watch-towers, hospitals, andchurches. After the
Muslims’ attack in 1565,Maltese cities and defences
had to be completely rebuilt.
Christian galleysThe Maltese corsairs had similar fast, sleek galleys tothe Muslims, but the boats were powered by two largetriangular sails and fewer oars rowed by captured
Muslims. The galleys also had more guns.
Headstrong knightsThe armour of these Maltesecorsairs was made from heavymetal. They fought with rapiersin one hand and a dagger fordefence in the other.
The triangularsails made thegalley easier tomanoeuvre.
From the raised forecastle,the corsairs jumped down onto the Barbary galleys.
Helmets wereshaped todeflect blows.
Christian corsairs preferred gunfights,while Barbary corsairs liked sword fights.
Round Italian targe (target)shield with simple engraving
Maltese CrossThe eight-pointed cross
worn by the knightsrepresented the eightcodes they followed, suchas live in truth, have faith,
love justice, and be sincere.
15
Strong Malteseforts protectedthe harbours.
“Turned Turk”Some Europeanpirates, such as SirFrancis Verney,joined the Barbarycorsairs on theirraids to Irelandand Iceland.
DECISIVE VICTORY
The last great galley battle was in 1571 atLepanto near Greece. The Maltese knightsjoined a large Christian fleet powered by50,000 oarsmen and carrying 30,000 soldiersagainst the powerful Muslim navy. After afour-hour battle, the Muslim navy was defeatedwith only 40 of their 300 galleys still afloat.
16
The New WorldFrom 1492, Spanish ships brought back gold and silver treasures stolen from the
local people of the “New World” – the Americas. Other countries
and pirates began to noticeand were eager to share
in the prize.
The western trade routeChristopher Columbus sailedacross the Atlantic Oceanlooking for a route to Asia. He landed in the Bahamasand was given amazing giftsby the local people.
The Spanish MainFurther adventurers fromSpain sailed west andclaimed even more of theAmerican mainland fromMexico to Peru as part ofthe Spanish empire.
Columbus led four voyages to theCaribbean searchingfor gold and claimingthe land for Spain.
The Incas used gold fordecoration andhonouringtheir gods, andnot as money.
By the 1500s, the Aztecpeople controlled much
of Mexico and theIncas from Peru
were powerful inSouth America.
AtlanticOcean
Peru
Spain
Mexico
Caribbean Sea
•Spanish galleons wereloaded with treasure in Mexicoor Panama and then joined atHavana in Cuba for theirreturn trip to Europe.
• Twice a year, up to 100treasure ships travelled inconvoy across the Atlantic.
Spanish convoys
Peru
17
Spanish galleonshad a crew of 200men and up to 60cannons, but wereslower than thepirate ships.
The Inca kingAtahualpa wasransomed for a room full ofgold treasures.
Aztec treasures werecrushed or melted to savespace on the Spanish ships.
Spanish treasureships were attackedby pirates duringthe early stages of their voyages.
Treasure shipsIn 1523, the pirate Jean Florin was thefirst to attack the fully loaded Spanishcaravels returning from the Spanish
Main. After this, the Spanishorganized convoys
of larger, well-armed galleons.
Cortes – friend or foe?The Spanish conquistador(conqueror) Hernan Corteswas treated like a god bythe Aztecs in Mexico. Buthis Spanish army destroyedtheir great city.
Destructive greedThe greedy conquistadors wanted the goldand silver treasures of the Aztecs and theIncas. Their ruthlessness completelydestroyed these ancient Americancivilizations.
Columbus’s ships werecalled the Niña, the Pintaand the Santa María.
Before 1492, maps did not include the Americas.There was only sea betweenAfrica and Asia.
The King and Queenof Spain supportedColumbus’s trips.
Spain
18
Not all pirates were outlaws. Therewas one group, called privateers, whowere allowed to attack enemy ships.They killed the sailors and stole thetreasure to give to their king or queen.
The Queen’s favourite There were three famous privateers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I: Thomas Cavendish, John Hawkins, and Sir Francis Drake. The Queen calledDrake “her pirate”, because he made her very rich.
Friend or foeUsing a telescope, a privateercaptain could see the flag of thetarget ship. He would raise theflag of a friendly nation, so thathe could sail close. He wouldspeak through the trumpet tomake demands for surrender.
Licence to kill
Privateers were given royal letters
of permission to attack enemy ships
during wartime. But some greedy
privateers attacked ships from any
country, and kept the treasure.
Privateers
Turmeric
Telescope
PEG-LEGS
If a pirate was injured in the leg, then itwould be cut off by the ship’s carpenter.Often the pirate would die, but if hesurvived then a piece of wood could be
used to replace his missingleg. The French privateer
François le Clerc wasnicknamed Jambe-de-Bois (Peg-leg) because
of his wooden leg.Some pirates in
stories and films have only one leg.
Cinnamonsticks
Speaking trumpet
SaffronGold
19
The Golden HindeIn 1580, Drake returned toEngland on board his smallship the Golden Hinde. He had successfully sailedaround the world,attacking ships along theway. His ship was packed
full of exotic spices andstolen treasure.
Drake’s ship the Pelican wasrenamed theGolden Hinde.
El DraqueDue to his devastatingraids on the ports of theSpanish Main, Drakewas greatly fearedby the Spanish.They referred tohim as “El Draque”,the Dragon.
Privateer ships weresmaller, faster, and easier
to manoeuvre than theSpanish ships.
These shipswere verycrowded withextra crewmento sail anycaptured ships.
It took four days toload all of the treasurefrom one Spanishgalleon onto this ship.
20
The gold coins werecalled doubloons.
During the 1600s, many outlaws,escaped slaves, and adventurerswent to live in the Caribbean.They formed a group oflawless buccaneers, whoattacked trading shipsand raided ports.
Buccaneers
Pieces of eightThe Spanish turned their silver and gold from
the New World into coins,which the buccaneers stole and used astheir currency. The silver pieces of eight
could be cut into pieces for small change.
Origin of their nameThe early buccaneers lived peacefully as pig-hunters on the island of Hispaniola. Thenatives showed themhow to build racks,called boucans, for smoking andpreserving the meat.
The dried meat and hideswere traded to passing ships.
SOUTHAMERICA
CaribbeanIslands
NORTHAMERICA
BloodthirstySome buccaneer captains became infamous
for violently torturing and murdering theirprisoners. The Frenchman FrançoisL’Ollonais, who led the cruellest gang,once cut out the heart of a Spanishprisoner and tore it with his teeth.
Brethren of the coastIn 1630, the Spanishattacked the settlers on
Hispaniola. Many of themescaped and became pirates,raiding Spanish treasureships. The pirates governedthemselves and booty fromthe raids was shared out fairly.
Sir Henry MorganBetween 1663 and 1671, this Welsh
captain led large armies of buccaneers on daring, well-planned attacks against
Spanish colonies, such as Panama. He was given an English knighthood and
made governor of Jamaica.
Port RoyalThe noisy streets of this harbour town on
British-controlled Jamaica were filled withswaggering, drunken buccaneers spending theirbooty. After Morgan’s death, it became the place
where pirates were tried and hanged. Anearthquake destroyed the town in 1692.
22
Around 1700, theskull-and-crossbonessymbol first appearedon a pirate’s flag.
A sign from the graveAbout 400 years ago, the skull-and-crossbones symbol was usedby ordinary people as a sign ofdeath. The pirates took this andother symbols from gravestones, andturned them into threatening flagsthat would scare other ships’ crews.
The Jolly RogerShips have always flown flags. Some show whichcountry the ship belongs to, others might showwhere the ship is headed. But the skulland crossbones of the Jolly Rogermeant only one thing – pirates!
Surrender or elseThe black and white Jolly Roger flagwas raised as a warning to surrenderwithout a fight. If the captain of thetarget ship refused to stop then thepirates would raise a red flag tosignal an attack. This would mean a fight to the death.
Changing facesEvery pirate captain had his own flag design,and not all of them used the same symbols.This skull sits on top of crossed swordsinstead of bones. It belonged to theCaribbean pirate Jack Rackham.
23
Old Roger wasalso a nicknamefor the Devil.
Death was also called Old Roger – another reason why the flag was called a Jolly Roger.
A toast to deathBartholomew Roberts was a very successfulpirate, who sank over 400 ships off theAfrican and Caribbean coasts. His flagshowed himself drinking with Death.
Red for dangerNot all pirates’ flags were black – the
most fearsome had red flags, whichmeant that the pirates would showno mercy. This is thought to be how
the flag got the name “JollyRoger”, from the French
words jolie rouge,meaning “pretty red”.
Needle and threadThe pirate ship’s flag wasroughly made. It was eitherpainted, or sewn by the ship’s
sailmaker or any member of the crew who
could use a needle.
Swords and dagg
ers
were shown as symbo
lsof
power
and a willingn
ess to
kill.
STILL FLYING HIGH
Beware – the Jolly Roger is still in usetoday! It is flown on Royal Navysubmarines returning to port – atradition started 90 years ago duringWorld War I. The flags were made bythe crew of the submarine celebrating a successfulreturn home. It showedevents thathappened duringtheir time at sea, such as how many enemy ships were sunk.
24
Pirates’ lairThe pirates found anideal base on the islandof Madagascar. Therewere few people, no laws,fresh food and watersupplies, and the tradingships passed close by.
RepairingPirates needed safe beaches to remove the seaweed and barnacles from the bottom of their ships, and repair any holes.This was called careening.
The Pirate RoundDuring the 17th century, Europeancountries began to send largemerchant ships to trade withIndia and China. Manypirates followed them to the Indian Ocean to seek theirfortunes.
The route of thePirate Round
The wild,tropical island ofMadagascar wasa safe place foroutlaws to rest.
NORTHAMERICA
AtlanticOcean
CaribbeanSea
SOUTHAMERICA
The RoundLured by the riches that could be taken
from the Indian treasure fleets and Europeantrade ships, pirates from North America sailedthousands of kilometres (miles) to the Indian
Ocean and back again with their booty.
Celebrity pirateThe American pirate Thomas Tew beganthe Pirate Round. On his return, everyone
wanted to hear about his adventures.
The East IndiamenIn the large holds of these Europeanmerchant ships, gold and silver were carried to Asia. On the return journey, they were laden with fine china from China, or silks, spices, ivory,and tea from India.
The square-riggedEast Indiamen shipswere well-built forlong voyages.
Tew was slain byan Asian scimitar(sword), similar tothe one shown onhis flag, during araid on an Indiantreasure ship.
Since early times,native piratesattacked Araband Indian ships.
AFRICA
AUSTRALIA
ArabianSea
IndianOcean
SouthChina
Sea
ArcticOcean
EUROPE
NorthSea
Mediterranean Sea
Southern Ocean
PacificOcean
ASIA
India
Madagascar
China
26
Attack!If a ship’s captain refused to surrender to the pursuingpirates, then attack was likely.
Cannon fire from thepirates’ ship signalled
the start of the fight.
This 18th-centurycannon is balanced on a circular pivot. Its aim can be raisedor lowered by moving the wedge at the back.
Boom!Upon hitting the wooden sides, a flying cannonball would send a deadly spray of wooden splintersonto the decks. Cannon fire wasused to slow down the enemy ship.
Two cannonballschained togethercould bring downmasts and sails.
27
28
Cutthroat cutlassThe short, broad blade of a cutlass was the perfectweapon for fighting onboard a ship. A longerblade would get tangled in a ship’s rigging.
A pirate marksman needed calmseas for carefully aiming his musket.
Aim, fire!Before boarding, a marksman wouldaim his long musket to kill the steerer ofthe ship. On boarding, a pirate fired hispistol and then used the hard butt as aclub. A musketoon was used when hewas up close to his victims.
Sea air sometimes dampened thepowder in a pistol, and the gun wouldmisfire with a quiet “flash in the pan”.
The musketoon was firedfrom the shoulder.
The spikes of these caltrops,or crowsfeet, thrown on deck could cause
terrible injuries.
A musket ballwas wrapped in a patch of cloth.
Pirates only had timeto fire once fromtheir cannons before boarding.
Hand-to-handAmid a cloud of gunfire smoke,pirates climbed aboard the enemyship, yelling and threatening.Ruthless and determined, they werewell-armed for the fierce hand-to-
hand fighting that followed.
Patches were kept in patchboxes.
Pistols werelight and easyto carry, butwere slow to reload.
29
Dangerous daggers!Pirates often had daggerstucked away under theirclothes for a surprise attack.These small, deadly weapons were also ideal for use on the lower decks,where there was no space to swing a sword.
Axe attackWhen attacking a large vessel, pirates used their axes tohelp climb the ship’s wooden sides. Once on deck, the axeswere used to cut through the ropes holding up the sails.
Scuttled!In the 1630s, thepirate David Jones sank a
ship he had capturedbecause it was no longer
seaworthy. Since then, theterm “Davy Jones’s locker”
refers to anything thathas been sent to thesea floor on purpose.
PIRATE WOMEN
Women were not allowed on board pirate ships,however, some wanted the freedom andadventure. Dressed in pirate’s clothing, they acted like menand fought often more fiercelythan many men. Mary Readand Anne Bonny joined thepirate crew of Jack Rackham.They were a fearsome duo, andwere the only members of thecrew brave enough to fight whentheir ship was captured in 1720.
A sharp blade ofan axe could cutthrough a ropeas thick as aman’s arm.
Ramrod for pushingthe ball and patch into the barrel.
A dagger was keptin a sheath.
There was little varietyand goodness in thediet of the pirates.
Pirates ate the tough, dried biscuitsknown as “hard tack” in the dark toavoid seeing the weevils on them.
Shipshape Many crew members were keptbusy with the constant need foraltering the sails and rigging to
keep the ship moving. Other jobsincluded mendingany broken ropes
and sails andcleaning their
weapons.
Food and drinkHens were often kept onboard to provide fresh eggsand meat. Fish were alsocaught. In the Caribbean,turtles were caught andstored on board. Fresh waterquickly became undrinkable,so food was washed downwith beer or wine.
A pirate attack was exciting and dangerous, but duringthe weeks at sea in between these raids, pirates couldbecome bored and irritable on the crowded ships.
A pirate’s life for me
31
A large barrelwas known asa hogshead.
Rats werea nuisanceand often atethe food supplies.
Cards
Pieces ofeight
Bilge The lowest part of aship that fills with slimy water.
Block and tackle Thepulleys and ropes of the riggingsupporting the masts and sails.
Crow’s nest A lookoutplatform near the top of the mast.
… and a bottle of rumInnkeepers welcomed the thirsty piratesinto their dockside taverns. Tankardsmade from pewter or leather were filledand refilled with beer, wine, or evenrum. Pirates were often drunk onshore.
Life below decksAs for any seamen, life on board a shipwas cramped, damp, and filthy. Below
decks, there was the smell of rotting water,tar, and unwashed bodies. In the dark,
pirates dreamt about life on land.
Ship words
Dice
Yo ho ho…On many pirate ships, gambling formoney was not allowed to prevent fightson board. However, on reaching a port,pirates could spend their booty onhaving a wild time.
Some pirate crews voted and agreed toobey a code of conduct while on board.However, if a pirate broke the rules, suchas stealing from another or deserting theship during a battle, then as a punishment
he would be left behind on a desert island.
Marooned
CastawayA pirate left or stranded on adesert island faced loneliness andlittle hope of escape or rescue. If the island had no fresh water,food, or shelter, then the pirate would die slowly and painfully.
A marooned pirate couldonly watch helplessly as his
A pistol was useful forwarning off wild beasts.
Typical pirate rules:
•Everyone has a vote on all important decisions.
•Everyone has an equal shareto the fresh food and drink.
•Lights and candles to be putout at eight o’clock at night.
Code of conduct
32
pirate ship sailed away.
33
Short suppliesA disgraced pirate would be maroonedwith only the clothes he wore, a smallbottle of water, a pistol or a musket, and a small amount of shot and gunpowder.He would have to find food and drink if he was to survive.
The real “Crusoe”The fictional character
Robinson Crusoe wasbased on the true story
of Alexander Selkirk. For five years, Selkirksurvived on an islandbefore being rescued.
He even taught wild catsand goats to dance.
ShipwreckPirates could also find themselves stranded if their leaky ship ran aground, or if theywere too drunk to navigate and their shipcrashed into rocks. A passing ship was
their only hope of rescue.
A bottlefilled withone day’ssupply ofwater
Musket balls Gunpowder
Edward Englandwas an English pirate captain.
PIRATE PUNISHMENTS
Some of the worst punishments given to pirates who broke the rules, or to prisonersincluded “kiss the gunner’s daughter” –bending over one of the ship’s guns andbeing flogged – and execution by shootingor hanging. Stories about prisoners“walking the plank” – being forcedoff the end of a board into thesea – have been made-up.
Too kindEngland’s crew
voted to maroon their captain because he was treating aprisoner too well. Along with two othercrew members, Englandwas left on the island of Mauritius. They
built a boat andescaped to Madagascar.
34
The Red Fort inDelhi, India, wasa palace for the Mogulemperors.
Some pirates who sailed tothe Indian Ocean to attackshipping were very successful.The stories of the treasurethey captured and thefortunes they made havebecome legendary.
Pirates of the Indian Ocean
The “Arch-Pirate”The pirate captain Henry Everybecame famous for seizing thelargest load of treasure after his
brutal capture of the Mogul’s shipGang-i-Sawai returning from Mecca.
The Great MogulThe emperor of northernIndia, Aurangzeb, was a religious man and verywealthy. Once a year afleet of his ships carrying
pilgrims and treasuresailed between Suratin India and Mecca.
IndianOcean
India
AFRICA
Madagascar
Mecca.
Fine silkmaterial
Sparklingjewellery
Captain Every’s flagFlying from Every’s ship, the Fancy, was a flagshowing a variation on theskull-and-crossbones design.The bandanna and earringhave become popularsymbols of pirate costumes.
The prizeThe precious gemsstolen from Indian shipswere not always easy todivide equally amongthe pirate crews, whowere each given oneshare. The captainreceived a double share.
Large quantitiesof gems, such as rubies
35
•Every was also known asJohn Avery and BenjaminBridgeman.
•In 1694, he led a mutiny andtook over a privateers’s ship andbecame a pirate captain.
•It is believed that he lost allhis wealth and died a poor man.
Every facts
Respectable Scottish-born WilliamKidd was a well-respected sea captain and shipowner in NewYork. In 1695, he wasgiven a royal commissionby the British king tohunt down the pirates in the Indian Ocean.
Unlucky pirateThe Great Mogul was furious aboutHenry Every’s brutal attack on hisfleet. He threatened to stop tradingwith the British government unlessthey acted to stop the pirates.
In piratefolklore, it is saidthat adead manwas left to protectthe loot. Many mysteries
surround thesites of Kidd’sburied gold.
Turned traitor Rather than trackingdown the pirates, Kiddand the crew of theAdventure Galleyattacked merchantships, including thehuge QuedaghMerchant, and tookthe booty.
Buried treasureKidd buried much of his treasure so
that he did not have to admit howmuch he had stolen. One of
the spots was on Gardiner Island, near New York,
but this hoard was found.
37
The gates ofNewgate Prison inLondon, where Kiddwas held for over ayear before his trial.
Kidd’s trial tookplace at the OldBailey, London, in May 1701.
CapturedKidd’s actions and failureangered the Mogul emperorfurther. On his return to NewYork, Kidd was arrested andsent to prison in England.
AccusedAt his trial, Kidd said hiscrew had forced him toloot the merchant ships.The crew members theredenied this and Kidd was sentenced to hangas a pirate.
It’s likely that pirates’ maps, where “X” marks the spot of buriedtreasure, are just a myth.
•The Adventure Galley had34 cannons and 150 crew.
•After capturing the hugetreasure ship, the QuedaghMerchant, Kidd used the shipto sail back to the Caribbean.
•Kidd renamed the ship asthe Adventure Prize.
Kidd’s ships
HangedIn 1701, Kidd was hanged at
London’s Execution Dock. The firstrope snapped, so he was hanged on
the second attempt. His body wasleft to hang in chains along the
River Thames for years.
3839
Since early times, if pirates were caughtand convicted then they faced execution.Privateers were imprisoned in dreadfulconditions with little hope of ever being released.
Floating gaolsTo make room for more criminals, old ships wereturned into floating prisons. Prisoners were held in
the damp, stinking holds and fed rotten meat,mouldy bread, and stale water. Captured
French privateers dreaded theEnglish prison hulks, which
they calledpontons.
Under lock and keyWhile in prison or being shipped to a prison,pirates were held in very heavy metal chainsaround their wrists and ankles to preventthem from escaping.
Life in a cellPirates were held in prisons before theirtrials. These were overcrowded, damp,and very unhealthy places. Prisonershad to pay for candles and food. Richerones bribed the gaolers for a better cell.
GallowsMost pirates were executed by hanging. Large crowds would gather to watch the event. Pirates’ lastwords were oftenwritten down.
Gibbet cageThe bodies of pirates who hadbeen hanged were often put ondisplay as a warning to otherseamen. A tight-fitting cage calleda gibbet was madeto hold the bones inplace once the skinhad rotted. Somebodies were coatedin tar to makethem last longer.
Soldiers guardedthe prison hulks.
Tiny windows allowedlittle fresh air inside orthe unhealthy air out.
A blacksmith madethe iron cage.
Handcuffs and key
PunishmentBefore his hanging,a prisoner wasmeasured for hisgibbet cage.
Usually newwooden gallowswould be builtfor eachexecution.
Jack Ketch A pirate’snickname for the hangman.
Hempen halter The noosethat was placed around thepirate’s neck at the gallows.
Dance the hempen jigTo hang from the end of thehangman’s hemp rope.
Gallows words
The washingwas hungout to dry.
40
From this watchtower, theDanes looked out for enemyships entering the harbour.
Blackbeard’s castleThe Skytsbord Tower, built by
the Danes in 1679 on thehighest point of St. Thomas,
one of the US Virgin Islands,has become known as
Blackbeard’s castle. It is saidthat he used the tower to look
out for trading ships to attack.
•He was an Englishmancalled Edward Teach (orDrummond, Thatch, or Tash).
•There are many storiesabout his evil acts of cruelty.
•His rule of terror as a piratecaptain only lasted two years,but he had become a legend.
Blackbeard facts
The king of piratesAt the beginning of the18th century, the Bahamasbecame the base for anew generation ofpirates in theCaribbean.
The most terrifying pirateleader at this time wasknown as Blackbeard.
SouthCarolina
Bahamas
NORTHAMERICA
41
The devil with an hourglassFrom his ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeardflew his flag, which meant time was running out forhis victims. At the sight of this, many of the ships he approached surrendered quickly.
Scary When he went into
battle, Blackbeardweaved hemp cord into hishair and set this alight, andplaced smouldering fuses
under his hat. He appearedin a thick black
cloud of smoke toscare his victims.
The end of an eraIn 1718, Blackbeard was finallyhunted down in the Ocracoke inlet,North Carolina, by the British navy.He was killed in a famous duel withLieutenant Maynard.
The doctor’schest was alwaystaken from acaptured ship.
Pirates had tosteal everydayitems, such as food andmedicines.
The hempen cord wassoaked in a liquid thatsmoulders when lit.
Blackbeard’s head was hung on thefront of Maynard’s ship, HMS Pearl.
He carried sixpistols, twoswords, and a number ofknives. Evenhis crewfeared him.
Medicine raidsIn 1718, Blackbeard blockaded the harbour of Charleston, SouthCarolina. He ransomed a member of the town’s council and a child inexchange for a chest of medicines.
For over 1,600 years, ruthless pirates havethreatened shipping and coastal towns ineastern Asia. They included small tribal groups in light, speedy boats hiding among the mangrove swamps to large well-armed fleets roaming the coastline.
Pirate junksArmed with 10 to 15 guns, cargo junks werealtered to become feared Chinese piratefighting ships. From the 17th century,powerful pirates had large fleets of junksand the Chinese and Japanese navy were unable to defeat them.
Older junkshad sails madefrom bamboomatting.
Junks usually have threemasts with four side-on sails.
Colourful flagsThe large pirate fleets were splitinto groups that each had itsown coloured flag. The piratesworshipped the goddess T’enHou, who sometimes appearedon their flags.
42
JapanASIA
ChinaSouth China Sea
Strait ofMalacca
Pirates of the Eastern Seas
Held withboth hands,the long bladecould evencut throughmetal armour.
Held to ransom19th-century Chinese pirates sentransom notes demanding money inreturn for not attacking shipping,destroying coastal towns, or takingvillagers as slaves.
WeaponsThe Chinese pirates usedlong, heavy swords forhand-to-hand fighting. The Japanese pirates fought with two smaller swords –one in each hand.
Stamped outChui Apoo joined the fleet of the powerful pirate chiefShap’n’gtzai in 1845.However, this large fleet wasfinally destroyed by Britishnavy gunboats during 1849.
43
BOGEYMAN
European trading ships sailing through the Straitsof Malacca were often attacked by the local Bugipirates. These pirates were ruthless murderers andkidnappers. Back home,sailors told stories aboutthe Bugi men to scare theirchildren, saying, “If you’rebad, the bugisman will comeand get you!” Over time,bugis changed to bogey.
44
The threat of an attack by pirates continues today. Some gangsof modern-day pirates use the most up-to-date weapons andtechnology for their daring raids.
Pirates of today
High speedWhen ships have to slow down to pass through narrow channels betweenislands, they are most at risk from asurprise attack from pirates, approachingin high speed motorboats or dinghies.
Many pirates areheavily armed withmachine-guns, knives,and mortars.
Pirates climbaboard usinggrapplinghooks andropes, or poles.
•In 2002, 370 pirate attackswere reported across the world.
•Most attacks occurred inthe waters of Indonesia.
•Most ships are attackedwhile at anchor.
•There were 25 hijackings(or attempted ones) in 2002.
Modern piracy
45
Fighting piratesWell-equipped specialforces and coastguards are trained to patrol the seas and investigate pirateattacks. Ships areencouraged to keepalert and in constantcontact by radio.
TechnologySome well-organised gangsuse radio, radar,and global-positioning
systems to track the ship they havechosen to attack.They steal cargoworth millions ofdollars while theship’s crew sleep.
A global positioningsystem uses satellitesto help peoplenavigate.
The Piracy ReportingCentre provides informationand investigates pirateattacks around the world.
Aircraft andhelicopters watchshipping lanes.
Trainingexercisesrecreate areal raid.
Safe-breakersThe most common pirate raids are those
on merchant ships or luxury yachts.The pirates act quicklyto take any money
or possessions fromthose on board and
then escape.
HijackedSome pirates take over a ship and create a“phantom ship”. They repaint and renamethe vessel, make false papers, and then offerto carry a cargo. However, they sail to a different port to sell the cargo themselves.
The cash for portcharges andpaying the crewwould be keptinside a ship’s safe.
Artefact an object from the past that provides cluesabout how people lived.
Bandana a large colourfulhandkerchief sometimestied around the head.
Barnacle a small seacreature that clings to rocksand the bottom of ships.
Blockade to stop shipsor supplies entering
a port.
Booty goods thatare stolen or taken
by violence.
Buccaneera pirateattackingships in theCaribbean in the 17thcentury.
Caravel a small ship with three sails used by theSpanish and Portuguese in the 15th and early 16th centuries.
Careen to clean and repair a ship on a beach.
Cargo goods carried on a ship.
Commission permissiongiven to a privateer toattack enemy shipping.
Convoy a group of ships sailing togetherprotected by the navy.
Corsair a pirate active in the Mediterranean Seabetween the 15th and 18th centuries.
Cutlass a short swordused by sailors.
Doubloon a Spanish gold coin.
East Indiamen a largesailing ship used for tradingbetween Europe and Asiain the 17th and 18thcenturies.
Execution the punishmentof being put to death as acriminal.
Galleon a large ship withsquare sails used by theSpanish in the 16th and17th centuries.
Galley a ship powered byoars and sails used in theMediterranean Sea; a ship’s kitchen.
Gallows a post-and-beam-structure used for hangingcriminals.
Gambling playing a gamefor money or possessions.
Gibbet an iron frame fordisplaying criminals whohave been hanged.
Gunboat a warship poweredby sails and steam used inthe 19th century.
Hard tack a stale ship’s biscuit.
Hijack to take over control of a ship or its cargo by force.
Hold (of a ship) a place for storing goods.
Hull the main frame of a ship.
GlossaryHere are the meanings of some words that are useful to know
when you are learning about pirates.
Dividers usedfor measuringon sea charts.
Compass
Infamous a person well-known for doing bad deeds.
Jolly Roger a pirate’s flag.
Junk a ship with side-on sailsused in the Far East.
Keel a piece of wood alongthe centre of the bottom of a ship.
Kidnap to take a person by force.
Letters of marque officialpapers given to privateers.
Longship a Viking’s sailing ship.
Manoeuvre to change theposition of a ship.
Maroon to leave someone on a desert island.
Merchant a person who buysand sells goods.
Musket a long-barrelled gun.
Navigate to plan and guidethe course of a ship with the help of charts and equipment.
Outlaw a person runningaway from the law.
Pieces of eight a Spanishsilver coin that pirates dividedinto pieces.
Pistol a light, short-barrelled gun.
Plunder totake goods byforce; booty.
Privateer a shipowner who is given permission by theircountry to attack and lootother countries’ ships.
Raid a surprise attack to steal goods from a place or a person.
Rais a sea captain for the Barbary corsairs.
Ransom to demandmoney for the releaseof a capturedperson.
Rapier a long,straight sword witha narrow pointedblade.
Rigging the ropes and chainsused on a ship to support themasts and sails.
Scuttling to sink a ship on purpose.
Share a part of the loot.
Spices plants that are used to flavour and preserve food.
Pirate navigatorsused simpleinstruments.
A navigationalinstrument fortelling the time
Surrender to hand overcontrol and possessions to someone else after fighting them.
Tar a thick, dark, stickysubstance used to seal andpreserve objects against the weather.
Tavern an inn or a place that sells drinks.
Viking a Scandinavianwarrior and sea-trader
of the 8th to 10th centuries.
Dorling Kindersley would like to thank:Sarah Mills for picture library services.
Apoo, Chui 43axe 29Aztecs 16, 17
Barbarossa brothers 13Bellamy, Sam 5Blackbeard 6, 40-41Bonny, Anne 29buccaneers 6, 20-21Bugi men
(Bogeymen) 43
cannon 26, 28caravels 17careening 24code of conduct 32Columbus, Christopher
16, 17corsairs 7, 12-15Cortes, Hernan 17cutlass 28
dagger 14, 23, 29Davy Jones’s locker 29Dragut Rais 12Drake, Sir Francis
18, 19
East Indiamen 25England, Edward 33Every, Henry 7,
34-35, 36
flag 18, 22-23, 35, 41, 42
Florin, Jean 17
galleons 16, 17galleys 9, 12, 13,
14, 15gallows 38gambling 31gibbet 39gold 11, 16, 17, 20, 25Great Mogul 34, 36, 37
hanging 37, 38-39hard tack
(sea biscuit) 30hijack 44, 45
Incas 16, 17
Jolly Roger 22-23junks 42
Kidd, William 36-37kidnap 8, 9
Le Clerc, François 18Lepanto, Battle of 15L’Ollonais, François 21longships 11
Madagascar 24, 33Malta 14-15marooned 32-33medicine 41Morgan, Sir Henry 21musket 28, 33musketoon 28
navigate 45New World 16
Index
Museums 12cra; British Museum, London 2tcl, 9tl, 9tr, 9bl, 9tc, 9c, 10tr, 11tcl, 17bcl, 17bcr, 18cal, 20bl, 25br, 31tl; Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Armouries 28br; Courtesy of the Musee de Saint-Malo, France 18cb, 18cl, 26bl, 39r; National Maritime Museum, London10crb, 10bl, 12bc, 14cr, 18tl, 24-25b, 26bc, 28ca, 28cal, 28c, 28crb, 28bl, 28-29t, 28-29cb, 29clb, 29ca, 30cbr, 32-33c, 33cla, 38cr, 41cra, 42bl, 43c, 43l; Danish National Museum 10cra, 11tl, 11tc; Michel Zebe17br; Museum of London 30crb, 31ca, 35r; Museum of the Order of StJohn, London 14bc, 14bcl, 14bl, 14cbl; Rye Town Council 38-39b, 39tl.Empics Ltd: EPA European Press Agency 45tc. Mary Evans PictureLibrary: 6cl, 7bl, 12br, 20r, 21tr, 22cl, 37c. Kevin Fleming Design and Photography: 8. Getty Images: David Hiser 5; JIMIN LAI/AFP 44b; Steve Liss/Time Life Pictures 4bl, 4bc. Tory Gordon-Harris: 16bc.Sonia Halliday Photographs: 7tc, 8cr. Lonely Planet Images: Eoin Clarke15. Museum Of London: 37tl, 38tr. © National Maritime Museum,London: 4-5c, 7tr, 13b, 18br, 21b, 24bc, 43br. Peter Newark's MilitaryPictures: 6cb, 19tl, 41bl, 41br. Richard Platt: 22tl. Powerstock: RossArmstrong 29. Rex Features: Everett Collection 4tl. Topfoto.co.uk: 2l;2004 Fotomas 13cl; The British Library /HIP 34tr. Zefa Visual Media:Masterfile/Randy Miller 44ca. All other images © Dorling Kindersley www.dkimages.com
48
Picture credits
phantom ship 45Piracy Reporting
Centre 45Pirate Round 24-25pistol 28, 32, 41Port Royal, Jamaica 21prison 38, 39privateers 6, 18-19punishment 32, 33,
38-39
Rackham, Jack 22, 29ransom 12, 41, 43rapier 14Read, Mary 29Roberts,
Bartholomew 23
Selkirk, Alexander 33Shap’n’gtzai 43shipwreck 5, 33silver 9, 20, 25slaves 9, 12, 20Spanish Main 16, 17, 19spices 19, 25sword 10, 14, 22, 23,
25, 41, 43
tavern 31Teach, Edward see
BlackbeardTew, Thomas 25trial 4, 37, 38
Verney, Sir Francis 15Vikings 7, 10-11
The publisher would like to thank the following for their kindpermission to reproduce their photographs:(Key: a-above; c-centre; b-below; l-left; r-right; t-top)
akg-images: 16cra, 16cl, 17car. Alamy Images: Paul Gapper 12-13;Hemera Technologies 45br; Trevor Smithers ARPS 30tr. The ArtArchive: 9br, 37br, 43bl; Dagli Orti (A) 14tc; Private Collection /EileenTweedy 36tl. Corbis: Blue Lantern Studio 36cr; Bob Krist 6br; BruceAdams; Eye Ubiquitous 40; Danny Lehman 21tl; Fukuhara, Inc. 3;Historical Picture Archive 17clb; Jim Erickson 16crb; Joel W. Rogers 1,19; Lindsay Hebberd 34-35b; Nik Wheeler 42; Reuters 17tl, 45c, 48c;Richard T. Nowitz 4cl, 5tl, 30l, 46-47; Sergio Pitamitz 32; Sygma 26-27;Sygma/Cailleux Sebastien 24cl; Ted Spiegel 11; Wolfgang Kaehler 33br.DK Images: © Judith Miller /DK /Freeman’s 31br; © St Mungo, Glasgow
Acknowledgements