The Horn of Africa: Somalia, nest of dangerous pirates

Piracy in the Horn of Africa, Somalia pirate base. Attacks on merchant ships and luxury cruise ships, with kidnappings and millionaire ransoms are the fear of the ships that sail through these waters

To the danger of sea navigation, we must add pirate attacks

Strategic place full of Pirates

A strategic area in East Africa and piracy as a business

Somalia: Pirates of the Horn of Africa

Somalia, a country without central power, is a haven for maritime pirates. In an area of ​​the coast, it is a very dangerous place, in the so-called Horn of Africa.

There are almost a hundred pirate camps. These pirates raid about 350 ships every year. In these assaults they seize the merchandise, and ask for ransom for both the ship and the passengers.

Through this area of ​​Africa there is a large maritime traffic. Some 20,000 ships from all countries pass through its waters annually.

Pirates collect ransoms in the City of London
The Somali Pirates have become a danger to world navigation

Kidnapping of a luxury sailboat

The kidnapping of the Ponant

A French sailboat was hijacked, seizing the ship, with 30 crew on board.

They were later released, perhaps with payment for a previous kidnapping.

Kidnapping of a Basque Tuna Boat

The kidnapping of the Playa de Baquio fishing boat.

4 armed men hijacked the ship, which had 26 crew members.

Heavily armed, using grenade launchers damaged part of the ship.

Greek merchant

Assault and kidnapping of a merchant ship

Merchant with 25 crew members is assaulted and kidnapped by Somali pirates.

The ship was sailing 320 km from Mogadishu.

The UN against piracy

Authorize the warships to pursue them.

A resolution of the Security Council of the UN, authorized in June 2008, to persecute the pirates.

Hijacking of a Ukrainian ship

They seize a ship with weapons

A ship carrying war material, 33 battle tanks and grenade launchers.

They will not release him until the initial 25 million euro ransom is received.

A Panamanian Freighter assaulted

Kidnapped by pirates without help arriving

A Panamanian ship with 21 crew members has been hijacked once more.

She managed to issue a warning signal to the ships sailing through the area, warning of the presence of pirates.

The big bailout business

They leave them free after collecting

A South Korean merchant and another Thai have been released after paying the ransom.

NATO against piracy

Send warships

26 countries have agreed to send warships to monitor the waters, mainly of the so-called Horn of Africa.

Food aid in danger

Ship convoys and even trucks are attacked by pirates.

Warships have to escort ships with aid in the form of food to Africa.

The pirates assault the ships and seize the food. Thus endangering the feeding of thousands of people that must be distributed daily in the area. Precisely that area suffers from severe droughts and an almost permanent famine that needs international help.

Summary: Pirates, Ship hijacking, Somali pirates, rescues, NATO, protection mission, The UN, negotiations with pirates, Assault on a gun ship, Freighter hijacking, The rescue business, NATO against piracy ..

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Raleigh, English nobleman and explorer

Bold and bold, Raleigh. an aspiring nobleman, he was not content with piracy and tried to reach the mythical -El Dorado- at too expensive a price

Famous Pirates and Corsairs: Walter Raleigh

(Devonshire-1552-1618-London)

Curiously, the most popular and enduring achievement was that I introduced tobacco to England.

A corsair from a noble family

Famous corsair and writer from an English noble family

Most of the most famous English pirates were privateers in the service of the King or Queen. It was a prestigious profession and famous people aspired to it. Of noble birth, he studied at Oxford. He was also a skilled writer and poet.

A nobleman with a military tradition

Adventurer, writer and poet, hardened in many voyages and wars

Warrior but cultured

Hardened in arms from going from war to war

He begins by fighting France in support of the Huguenots. Later he supports the Prince of Orange in Holland against the Spanish.

Starts operating in North America

First colony in Virginia

Supported his stepbrother Humphrey Gilbert in Roanoke

Capture a group of Indians off the North American shores. With the information supplied by these Indians brought to London, he prepares the creation of the first English colony in North America. He performs it on Roanoke Island, present-day North Carolina.

Introduce Tobacco in England

Monkfish are all the rage among courtiers

The habit of smoking is spreading rapidly in England after the arrival of Tobacco.

Courtiers are fond of monkfish, a tobacco powder, which soon became an act of prestige and power.

Queen’s Favorite at Court

Elizabeth I of England

Her stay at court does not go unnoticed by her culture and presence.
And she soon received the attention of Queen Elizabeth I. His popularity helped her. These attentions from the Queen of England made him even more famous at court.

His plans in Spanish America

In the year 1584 he explored North America
Find no loot

Although the economic results were poor, he gained experience and recognized the North American short.

Read the Spanish chroniclers

Find information about the new American lands

He soon knows everything written about America at that time. For this he reads the Spanish chroniclers who explain the news and the life of America.

One of the writers was López de Gomara chronicler and religious (1478-1557). Author of works such as: General History of the Indies, History of the conquest of Mexico.

Fernández de Oviedo was also known writer and soldier (1511-1566). Author of General History of the Indies.

Assault Spanish territories in América

Assault Trinidad, Rio Hacha and Santa Marta

Kidnap the Governor of Trinidad

He assaults Trinidad and sacks the city. Governor Berrío is kidnapped. These gains encourage him to continue attacking Spanish possessions in America.

He gets information about El Dorado and is fascinated. He returns to England after looting Santa Marta and Río Hacha, ready to return in search of the treasures in the Orinoco.

Expedition in 1617 in search of El Dorado

Send his son Watt Raleigh to find him

Installed on the island of Trinidad, he sends an expedition to the Orinoco in search of El Dorado. However, he fails and his son dies, who entered the jungle and had to fight against the Spaniards who were defending their territories in the area.

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Hawkins: English Corsair, knighted

Hawkins began as a slave trader buying slaves in Africa and taking them to America. Financed by the Queen and rewarded, he ended up as a famous English privateer, raiding the rich Spanish colonies in America.

John Hawkins a famous English privateer

(Plymouth 1532-1595 Puerto Rico)

Hawkins habitually followed the same route, buying blacks in Africa and selling them in America. He initiated and participated with his nephew Francis Drake, in his activities as a privateer and slave trader.

Hawkins slave trader and privateer

At that time slavery was legal in most countries. More than a slave trader in England, he was defined as a Slave Trader. He founded a company in London in 1555 and began his activities as a slave trader.

With the lucrative business of selling slaves he made his fortune. The triangle of wealth of this English privateer and pirate was the route England to Africa, Africa to America, America to England.

In Africa he bought slaves from Arab traffickers or tribal chiefs who sold him the captured prisoners. From there he would take them on his ship to America and sell them to the Spanish or Portuguese. If they were not willing to buy them, he threatened to destroy the colony. At that time the Spanish colonies were not protected because practically only the Spanish and Portuguese had adequate ships to reach them.

Travel to Africa

Departing from the island of Great Britain, they headed to Africa to trade slaves in exchange for European trinkets. What for Europeans at that time were rather unimportant trinkets, were highly valued goods in Africa. Products such as mirrors, bracelets or necklaces, hats, clothes and even utensils such as scissors, axes or hammers, etc,

He started as a slave trader

From England he traveled to Africa, bought slaves and took them to the new colonies in America. A great business that he completed by attacking the Spaniards.

He ended up as a privateer in the service of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Merchant and slave trader

It was the beginning of an important era for privateers.

Belonging to a family of shipowners and sailors, he dedicated himself to life at sea. He discovered how to get rich by trafficking especially with slaves that he collected in Africa and sold in America. But his social ascent took place as a privateer in the service of the Queen of England. His nephew Francis Drake accompanied him from a very young age and followed in his footsteps.

Funded by the City of London

Obtain ships and supplies

Seeing the possibilities offered by a surprise attack on the Spanish Empire in America, he informs the Queen. She participates in the adventure and through her contacts in the powerful people of the City of London, she gets ships and sailors to finance it.

The Battle of Veracruz

With the help of the City and the Queen, he organized an expedition of 6 ships.

He sails along the usual route to Africa. After loading up with slaves, it heads for South America. They prowled through the territory carrying out raids. Although their objective was Brazil, a great storm takes them to the Caribbean and they end up in Veracruz, the entrance to Mexico.

In San Juan de Ulua, the small population allows him to enter, mistaking him for a Spanish fleet they were expecting. Amidst cheers he arrives at the port, until the unsuspecting colonists realize what has happened. But it is too late, they are already inside. They set up cannons in front of the town and threaten to destroy it if they do not buy the slaves.

While they are in negotiations, the Spanish fleet arrives with the new Viceroy. During the night they attack the English ships, which are set on fire. John Hawkins manages to flee, and sees that Francis Drake’s ship is no longer in port.

In this adventure the English lost 4 ships, and several hundred sailors. The Spanish recovered all the treasures and merchandise stolen during almost 1 year of raids. The Englishmen who did not die in the battle and fled, were later captured and executed. They managed to return to England after great hardships. The expedition arrived with great losses and without any of the booty obtained.

Brilliant career

Parliamentarian and Treasurer of the Royal Navy

After the defeat of Veracruz, he proclaimed his hatred for Spain. He increased his activity as a privateer, rewarded by Queen Isabella, throughout his reign. He soon made profits from his voyages, profiting from slavery and his activity as a privateer. The success of his activities led him to be rewarded with honors and political posts.

Dedicated to the design of fast boats

Fast and maneuverable boats

A lifetime on the run from the Spanish inclined him to fast ships. So he pushed for new ship constructions to take speed into account.

From Brazil to New Orleans

Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica

He sold slaves throughout the Caribbean Sea and the American coast. He distributed his cargo of slaves along the entire Atlantic coast, including Brazil.

Appointed Rear Admiral

Your ship the Victory

Participate with this boat that already had the new design. A low, fast, more manageable boat. He collaborates in the design of the new English ships. Boats that he wanted to use to be able to approach and flee easily.

For this reason, speed was more important than capacity. Contrary to the Spanish, who wanted to have large and robust ships, such as the Galleons, with great storage capacity, and that could withstand the crossings across the Atlantic.

Reward from Queen Elizabeth I

Awarded their achievements

Since the beginning with his company as a slave trader and obtaining a privateer’s patent, he obtained great benefits. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth of England.

His participation in the fight against the Spanish Armada was recognized and rewarded. Queen Elizabeth I of England, very happy with the failure of the Spanish expedition, rewarded him for his help and great experience.

The return and its final failure

His last expedition, a disaster

A large expedition of 31 ships, including 6 Royal Ships, with 1,500 sailors and 3,000 soldiers.

In 1594, after convincing the Queen of England, a new expedition was organized in England to plunder the Spanish possessions in America. A well financed and armed expedition. With such forces they believed they would succeed because of their great superiority.

It is directed by Francis Drake and John Hawkins, at the age of 62 years, does not resist to participate in this new adventure, remembering the previous successes. But he is already an honorary ruler, the real command will be Drake’s.

But getting water and food on a long journey is complicated. Based on the opinion of General Baskerville head of the soldiers, participating in the expedition decided to make a stopover. Baskerville assured them that in a few hours he would be able and would occupy the capital of the Canary Islands. Convinced, they decided to attack to obtain supplies. The operation was a failure. They did not manage to disembark, losing men and suffering damage to the ships from cannon fire from the coast.

In their desperate attempt to get water, on another of the islands, they were attacked by a Spanish patrol that took 2 prisoners. These revealed the English plan to attack the Caribbean. In response, a Spanish ship was sent to warn of the early arrival of the English fleet in the Caribbean.

But during these years, things have changed in America. Their former successes were mainly due to the fact that the Spanish populations of the Spanish Viceroyalties were previously unprotected and widely dispersed. Moreover, at that time, because of the enormous distance between Europe and America, visitors by sea were not to be expected. Spain had established colonies in the Caribbean and in enormous extensions of America and took measures.

After suffering attacks by English and French pirates and corsairs, Spain proceeded to regroup its populations in the Viceroyalties of America and to protect them.

But for Hawkins and Drake the worst was not their failure in the Canary Islands, it was what awaited them in America. The Spaniards were already alert and prepared and increased their defenses. After the failure of these islands, he decided to continue with the expedition and attack the most unprotected Spanish populations such as those in the Caribbean, where he had obtained such good booty years before. He headed for the island of Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean Sea.

Dies in Puerto Rico

He participated with Drake in the attack on Puerto Rico in 1595. This will be his last attack. He does not get the idea, but things have changed in 20 years. The Spanish have better defenses in these places. Communications have improved. Ships report everything that happens, in all the ports. They already know of the existence of the English fleet heading towards them and of the attack on the Canaries. The Spanish Governor Tello is already waiting for them.

He made the mistake of not recognizing the area well. He sent his ships to anchor near the coast, without observing that he was within range of the Spanish cannons of a group of batteries, in a camouflaged area and ahead of the forts, which the Spaniards had installed for better defense. The Spanish Governor allowed them to anchor without problems. But when their ships were immobilized, they were incessantly cannonaded from these coastal batteries that had them within range.

Hawkins also receives a hail of fire from the forward batteries of the Morro and San Cristobal fortresses. The English ships suffer the Spanish fire and have to cut their moorings and move away. During this cannon fire, a cannonball hits the officers’ quarters. Several are killed when the chamber and part of the deck are destroyed. Hawkins is also mortally wounded. Shortly thereafter he would die and his body would be thrown into the sea.

Drake continued with the mission but it was a real failure, as he was defeated in Puerto Rico and all the operations he carried out. Francis Drake also lost his life. General Baskerville, leader of the soldiers, had to take command of the expedition. In the presence of the Spanish fleet and to avoid being hit, he had to throw his cannons overboard to gain speed.

Only a few ships of the expedition managed to return to England, in distressing conditions.

Adventures of Francis Drake

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Drake, success as captain, failure as vice-admiral

Was he the most famous privateer?

Among the English Drake stood out, and became a famous corsair with a fortune with many imitators. He traveled through America, attacking ships and Spanish colonies.

Privateer Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596)

Pirate Drake for the Spanish, Corsair Sir Francis for the English.

This famous English corsair became famous and achieved many successes attacking by surprise. In his flight from the Spaniards, he even went around the world to escape.

Although at the beginning he was an English slave trader, he enriched Queen Elizabeth I by raiding Spanish colonies, and she thanked him and made him a Knight, with all the honors of the English Crown.

In his travels he made long voyages, even circumnavigating the planet out of necessity, in order to escape from the Spaniards, who closed his way back across the Atlantic.

The Drake Corsair Expeditions

There were corsair sailors, who carried out authentic marine explorations. Although not exactly for scientific purposes. Sometimes long voyages were made, despite the enormous dangers.

Francis Drake was one of them. In command of 5 ships and with the support of Queen Elizabeth I of England, he prepared an expedition to the Pacific in 1577.

He made a surprise raid on the unprotected Spanish colonies in the Pacific, carrying great wealth.

A successful privateer for the English

Drake, with a long experience at sea, started sailing at a very young age.

The Caribbean islands were an ideal passageway for boarding ships and even Spanish colonies off the coast.

Initially he participated in trips to Africa for the purchase and sale of slaves, and ended up as a famous English privateer.

An Egomaniac

Circumnavigation

He put on his coat of arms the legend “First to circumnavigate the Earth”, ignoring that the Spaniards had already done so. Or renamed other previous discoveries of other explorers.

He ignored the discoveries and explorations made by the Spaniards, attributing them to himself. He stole and used the maps made by the Spaniards of the new maritime routes.

Pretentious Man

He renamed El Estrecho, discovered by the Spaniard Hoces decades earlier, “The Strait of Gibraltar”.

He named Drake Passage after the Sickle Sea, discovered in 1525, that is, 50 years earlier by the Spaniards.

It was also linked to the discovery of Tierra de Fuegos. However, many years before it already appeared in the reports of Spanish navigators as an archipelago.

Francis Drake the pioneer

He made a long journey to the Pacific.

Corsair Drake was a skilled navigator.

He got Queen Isabella I to grant him a privateer’s license and helped him prepare an expedition against the Spanish possessions in America.

In command of five ships, he crossed the Strait of Magellan and managed to reach the Pacific Ocean, losing two of them during the voyage.

His life as a precocious seafarer

He embarked at the age of 13

He came from Crowndale in Devonshire. He began his seafaring life at the age of 13, and at 20 he was already captain of a ship. He began making expeditions to Africa, to capture African slaves and ended up plundering Spanish possessions. He became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the planet, although more than 50 years after the Spaniards did.

Alumnus of John Hawkins

He learned from his uncle, a famous corsair with whom he sailed

Hawkins was a famous privateer and navigator of his time.

He participated with him in an expedition that traveled to Africa in search of slaves, and attacked the Antilles and Cartagena de Indias in present-day Colombia.

On the same voyage, he managed to enter the port of Veracruz, raising Spanish flags on his ships.

The Spaniards, who were expecting the arrival of an armada, gave them every facility and allowed them to enter.

Even the people waved to them from the city, thinking it was a Spanish armada.

They captured the fort, and seized the city, without any resistance. And remained in it until the Spanish armada arrived and surprised them.

Drake’s Successes and Failures

Escaped Veracruz by the skin of his teeth

In 1567, upon the arrival of the Spanish armada, he abandoned his men

When he was in forced negotiations to be able to arrange his ships, and to be provisioned, the Spanish armada appeared with 13 ships, where the new Viceroy was coming.

Hawkins, finding himself surrounded by the Spaniards, loaded the gold, silver and valuables they had seized onto his ship during the night.

He left with a ship for England, leaving the rest of his men on land fighting against the Spanish soldiers.

But he got a surprise, his nephew had already fled. As he left, he saw that one ship was missing, that of Francis Drake, who had been the first to escape to England.

The Spaniards captured all the English ships in the port, seizing numerous pieces of artillery.

Failed in the Canary Islands

In 1585, he failed. He tried twice to invade the islands

In this year of 1585, Francis Drake with a fleet and about 6000 men, tried to enter the city.

They were repulsed with artillery from the forts, and with militias that waited for them on the beaches, preventing them from disembarking.

In 1595, together with John Hawkins, a new invasion attempt to Palmas de Gran Canarias. With a fleet of 30 ships and about 3000 men, he tries to disembark. Again they are rejected.

Successfully attacks Nombre de Dios

In 1572, several ships were seized in the harbor

Leaving Plymouth she approaches the Caribbean and near Panama seizes several Spanish ships.

Cross the Isthmus of Panama to the Cordillera and perhaps you could see the Pacific Ocean.

It takes over Cartagena de Indias

Enter the city by surprise at night

In 1586, he managed to enter the city during the night.

He asks for a huge ransom for not burning the city, in spite of this, as a sample he burns more than 200 houses.

He took the ransom, all the valuables, the artillery, and even the cathedral bells.

Santo Domingo was taken over

In 1585, with a fleet of 25 ships, he invaded the city of Hispaniola.

In 1585 he prepared a new expedition and with a fleet carrying some 9000 men, he attacked the city and seized it.

The 500 arquebusiers and some local militia could do little to prevent it.

He seized every object of value and demanded an enormous ransom for not burning the city and not killing its inhabitants. Although he did not completely fulfill the promise and burned a neighborhood of Santo Domingo.

Helped the first English colony

Fulfilled English wish

England wanted to have colonies in America, just as the Spanish had.

In command of a fleet, he arrived at the Spanish possessions in Florida, which were sacked.

He collaborated with the first English colony in North America, on an island in North Carolina.

He picked up the few survivors he found from the first colony. He returned with the colonists who had failed in their attempt to settle in the area of Virginia, now the United States of America.

Watched over La Gran Armada Española

He was Vice Admiral in the service of England

In 1588, in the face of the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish Crown, he commanded part of the English armada.

He was able to take advantage of the existing differences between the two fleets: The Spanish fleet was composed of heavier ships and more effective in cannon fire. The ships were designed for the routes to America, and to transport large quantities of merchandise.

The English fleet with ships prepared for the North Atlantic Sea, lighter and more maneuverable. Designed for piracy and speed. With artillery of longer range, although more inaccurate because the ships were less heavy and moved more in the moments of firing.

Circumnavigated the Earth

Fleeing the Spanish

Knowing he was cornered, he circled the Earth in order to escape.

He went to the Pacific, and ended up traveling the planet.

His expedition, prepared to plunder by surprise the Spanish colonies in the Pacific, forced him to travel practically most of the American coast.

Unable to find a passage through North America to the Atlantic in order to return to England, he was forced to cross the Pacific. He was fortunate to have kidnapped a Portuguese pilot Nuño de Silva who knew much of the route.

He also crossed the Indian Ocean and, after circumnavigating Africa, arrived in England, after sailing around the world.

Stolen Spanish Letters

By seizing Spanish ships, he obtained their maps and charts.

The English joined the expeditions to New World waters 80 years after the Spanish expeditions.

Therefore, they did not have enough accurate and valuable Spanish Navigation Charts.

The seizure of these Maritime Charts was an enormous advance for England. In this way, without any effort, it obtained the cartographic work of decades of the Spanish fleet.

Of incalculable value for the amount of effort, ships and thousands of Spanish lives lost to compile this information. Maritime Charts that indicated not only the best routes, but also reported the prevailing winds in each area, places of provisioning to get water or fresh food.

Rio de la Plata Expedition

In 1577, he travels through the area and heads south.

He crosses the Strait of Magellan and storms sink some of his ships.

He travels the coasts of Chile and Peru performing acts of piracy.

The great Treasure in the Pacific

Seized the Silver Galleon

He captured a Portuguese pilot, who knew the Pacific. Appearing by surprise in those waters, he caught the Spanish unawares, and assaulted the unprotected colonies.

He located the Galeón de la Plata, called the Cacafuego because of its enormous artillery, posing as a Dutch merchant ship in distress. When the galleon came to his aid, he seized it in just a few minutes. The surprised Spaniards did not have time to take up arms.

The treasure he obtained was immense, and with it he was able to return to England, a hero, laden with riches and immensely wealthy. It is estimated to be worth over 150,000 pounds sterling.

Unable to go west because of the winds, he headed north, possibly reaching as far as Washington State, but returned to California, where he made repairs to his ship and looked for provisions.

The return to England to avoid meeting the Spaniards made him go around the world. He knew that the Spanish were waiting for him on the coasts of South America, on the way back and passage to the Atlantic.

He therefore set course for the East Indies, passing through Java, the Moluccas, arriving in Africa. He passed the Cape of Good Hope and Sierra Leone.

He managed to reach Plymouth in the autumn of 1588, becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world.

Drake’s latest expeditions

Attacked the port of Cadiz

He managed to set fire to 30 valuable ships

In 1587, being already a privateer under the orders of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and with the news that an expedition against England was being prepared, he decided to weaken the Spanish fleet.

In command of an expedition of 30 ships, he attacked by surprise the port of Cadiz. The Spanish espionage thought that the English fleet would attack Lisbon, in Portugal, (a country that at that time also belonged to the Spanish Empire). The city was waiting for him to face him but he did not appear there. It passed Lisbon and the Portuguese coast, reaching its objective Cadiz.

He unexpectedly appeared in Cadiz, attacked by surprise and set fire to 30 ships that were in port, capturing one with valuable merchandise from the Indies. He sacked the city, which had been left defenseless.

Although the Spanish King Philip II demanded compensation for the attack and robbery to no avail. The Queen of England responded by knighting Francis Drake, in a ceremony on his own ship.

This victory delayed the preparation of the expedition of the Spanish fleet to England and favored the subsequent disaster of the Great Armada.

Lost 20 ships at La Coruña

In 1589, his expedition got off to a bad start, in an unsuccessful raid

He made a new expedition with Norreys, attacking Coruña, which he considered poorly defended. But the result was his defeat, failing to seize the city.

The Spaniards, some time ago during an English attack, made them believe that the city of La Coruña was poorly protected.

This idea was made to the English because during an English attack they did not use in the defense of the city, one of the groups of batteries of cannons that protected it.

Thinking of the possible weakness of Spain after the disaster of the Invincible Armada, England prepared the counter-armada.

In 1589, when the English, under Drake’s command, attacked the city again, they encountered defenses they had not expected.

The cannon fire from the coastal fortifications caused the English more than 10,000 dead.

More than 20 ships were destroyed in the ambush, surrounded by gun batteries that they believed did not exist.

Such was the disaster that, despite several attempts, they were not even able to disembark.

25-boat expedition failed

In 1595, he led a large fleet to the Spanish colonies in America.

Attempted to assault Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, Panama to no avail

Already appointed Admiral by the Queen of England, he made his last expedition, which also failed.

With the idea of the supposed weakness of Spain, he goes to the Caribbean. In 1595, another corsair expedition to America, to plunder again the Spanish possessions. With a fleet of 25 ships and thousands of corsairs, he set out again from England.

When he failed in the assault of Puerto Rico, he tried with smaller populations of the mainland, assaulting and burning Riohacha and Santa Marta. But at the exit of the population, at the mouth of the river, he loses several ships and a great part of the booty.

Attempts to seize Cartagena de Indias, but fails with losses. He then leads the expedition to the Pacific Ocean attacking Panama, and fails again.

Defeated 2 times in Puerto Rico

He attempted the assault twice, failing both times.

Arrives from England to America, to plunder Spanish possessions once again.

He did not manage to seize Puerto Rico, was defeated twice, and was almost killed when a cannon shot fell on the bridge.

He did not manage to take the cities, because they were already beginning to be fortified.

Dies in Portobelo

He did not win any more victories.

After the disasters in Puerto Rico, it assaults small, undefended towns.

He died in Portobello, possibly of disease, while attacking the small villages around the city.

His grave does not exist, since his body and that of Hawkins is said to have been thrown into the sea. After the failure and the death of its two main captains, the expedition returned to England.

Allegedly attributed phrases

Like all great English myths, he has been attributed famous phrases

Motto: “Sic parvis magna”.

The relationship between small things and big things

There must be a beginning to any great thing, but to continue to the end, until it is well finished, is the true glory.

We have all the time

We have all the time in the world to win this game and to destroy the Spaniards.

Sighting from England of the ships of the Great Armada

Knowing that he could not leave the port until the tide came in, he took the game he was participating in in stride.

Scorching the beard of the King of Spain

Expedition to Cadiz (1587)

This expedition had a relative English success, but managed to delay the invasion of England by the Great Spanish Armada.

Summary:

The Life of F. Drake: From Slave Pirate, to Famous Privateer, The Privateer Expeditions of Francis Drake, The Pioneer, Precocious Seaman, Pupil of John Hawkins, Escaped Veracruz, Attacks on the Canary Islands, To Cartagena de Indias, To Santo Domingo, Invincible Armada, Circumnavigated the globe, Charts of navigation, A real treasure, First colony, Set fire to Cadiz, Failed at La Coruña, The egomaniac, Pretentious, Defeated in Puerto Rico, Dies at Portobello

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What did the Pirates eat and drink? Food?

It wasn’t all about eating delicious turtle soup and getting drunk on rum.

Sometimes the food aboard ships, pirates or not, was bad. This was the way they ate and drank. Happy pirates after a good portion of food and a good portion of rum.

The merry and famous Jack Rackham and his companions, the female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Reed.

They combined freedom, fun and Piracy, but they were able to stop them because they were all drunk. Only the women and a few teetotalers stood up to their attackers. The rest could not move, because they were drunk as drunkards.

In the celebrations, they were so drunk that when they were attacked, almost the entire crew was drunk. Only the two women and some who could stand up, put up a fight. They could not defend themselves and were arrested.

No Tortoise and Rum soup

This pitiful diet was one of the major problems of the long sea voyages. Half-rotten meats, foul-smelling cookies, and half-rotten water were common on board the ships.

This is how they ate in a Sea of Pirates

Good drinking and other starving sailors

Curiosities about pirates, sailors and their food and drinks.

The Pirates’ Food was better

The other Seafarers of the time ate less and worse. The sometimes good food of the Pirates and the contrast with the Seafarers who could go hungry on the ships.

The Food of Pirates and sailors: Soup and turtle eggs, half-rotten meats, smelly cookies, and half-rotten water, Salted meat, Special cookies, Expensive and laborious to make, Insects in the cookies, Expelled weevils, Rock-hard cookies, Sometimes they ate even the rats, They ate even the leather, Pirates ate better than other sailors ….

Turtles come out of the water at dusk to lay their eggs on the beaches[/caption]The most appropriate time to catch turtles was when they came to the beaches to lay their eggs at dusk.

Seafarers and Pirates Drinks

A good binge was the beginning of his best party ever.

Meals and lots of rum, beer, wine, etc.

Rum, the typical drink

The typical drink of the Caribbean

Rum became the drink of pirates and sailors. Its fame in the Caribbean Sea has come down to us, but it was also very common in other areas.

A drink preferred by sailors due to the poor quality of wine and its low alcohol content. The scarcity of beer also made it popular.

Pirates and their many drunkenness some without any limit

Beer, they drank it sometimes

Scarce and with low alcohol content, it was not generally used on long voyages.

They preferred to carry barrels of rum or whisky with more alcohol in less space

Wine, officials and Mediterranean

The poor quality of the wines shipped with a lot of sediment made the sailors reject them. In addition, many were from Northern Europe and were accustomed to beverages with higher alcohol content.

However, the officers did appreciate the wine, since the wine shipped to them was of much better quality. Spanish wines were highly appreciated.

Useful as a disinfectant

Mixed with water

Unpleasant presence and taste

Seeking shelter in a bay could be the best alternative rather than facing a storm at sea[/caption].

Sailing the cold Alaskan seas

When the climate was cold and the waters were icy, as in Alaska, the chances of getting food were reduced.

After a month on the ship, the stored water would often go bad. And even if it didn’t, it tasted and looked quite disgusting. Hardly anyone dared to drink it alone.

For this reason, there were those who filtered it with a handkerchief, in order to remove the green and sometimes viscous substances that invaded it.

This made it customary to mix it with strong drinks such as rum.

Farm animals raised in the wild

Abandoned and wild servants

On some islands, e.g., the island of Hispaniola, where a Royal Order forced the inhabitants to regroup and abandon an area of the island. In these territories, animals that had escaped or were abandoned were left free in the countryside.

In these areas that had been abandoned by the Spaniards, farm animals could be found moving freely from one place to another.

These animals had been bred and raised wild, such as sheep, goats, pigs, hens, rabbits, etc.

Abandoned animals

The Spanish and other Europeans, in their many attempts to colonize new territories, left many animals abandoned when the colonies failed.

These were raised on their own in the prairies and forests of the islands: cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, etc.

Having chickens meant that fresh meat and eggs were available at any time. This made the pirates’ diet more varied.

Chickens used to be carried on ships to ensure fresh eggs and meat[/caption].

Meat and chicken eggs for pirates and seafarers

Chicken eggs made the food on ships more varied.

Pirates after chickens

Animals abandoned by Spaniards

Farm animals on the island and sometimes on the boats. Being able to eat fresh meat and make some eggs was worthwhile, feeding and caring for the birds.

Birds provided a more varied diet for sailors and pirates.

Chickens were one of the most appreciated farm animals since they allowed them to have fresh eggs and thus vary their diet a little. The cook and his assistant were in charge of watching over the pantry and taking care of the birds. They fed them and made sure that they were kept alive and healthy.

In this way, when needed, they collected their eggs and sometimes cooked them, although at other times they would eat them half-raw.

Sailors generally tried to bring chickens and other farm animals to fight hunger or for a change.

Birds and seafarers

Chickens were one of the most appreciated farm animals since they allowed them to have fresh eggs and thus vary their diet a little. The cook and his assistant were in charge of watching over the pantry and taking care of the birds. They fed them and made sure that they were kept alive and healthy.

In this way, when needed, they collected their eggs and sometimes cooked them, although at other times they would eat them half-raw.

Pirates, turtles and fish

Turtles were easily captured

Sometimes it was easy to feed, because of the ease of obtaining food. This happened with the turtles, you just had to know their habits and wait for the right moment. There were islands that were true paradises, where the animals had no fear of man.

Pirates and sailors one of these islands was a treasure. They could easily get meat because they were animals without fear of man and lots of eggs.

Animals without fear of man

The pirates’ food

America had a multitude of species of land animals, birds and fish. Being so sparsely populated, there were areas where wild animals were not accustomed to dealing with man and therefore were not afraid of him.

When pirates reached islands or uninhabited areas, they could encounter birds or other animals that passed by them without any fear.

Sometimes they hunted them using simple sticks or stones. It was very easy for a pirate expedition to get food on an island.

Crowds of fish alongside the boats

It was very easy to fish

In some seas it was not uncommon for multitudes of fish of different types to surround the ships as they sailed.

All kinds of fish and even sharks accompanied the boats, following them. Occasionally they would even land on the deck.

The easiest solution was fishing.

Turtle meat and eggs

Pirate turtle soup

One solution to get food was to look for them on islands where turtles nested. On the islands where the turtles went to lay their eggs, they were very easy to capture.

The pirates would wait until dusk and when the turtles appeared, they would turn them over by resting them on their shells. This prevented them from escaping as they were unable to turn around on their own.

Later, they were loaded into the ship’s holds and kept alive to provide fresh food.

Their fresh eggs were very appetizing to them.

Salted meat for preservation

Only in this way could they be preserved.

The method of preserving meat at the time was to salt it.

This meant using a lot of water for desalination and produced a lot of thirst.

Rats, hunger and disease

Rats useful for Marines and Pirates

Rats were fed by taking advantage of leftovers on ships[/caption].

Rats used to live on the lower decks of ships.

Curiously, seafarers who dared to eat rats did not get scurvy.

If hungry, delicious rats

The situation of sailors and pirates was sometimes so desperate that many of them did not hesitate to eat rats.

There were pirates who hunted them and ate them well seasoned. Many were very clear that they would eat anything rather than go hungry.

Rats: Food and effective defense against Scurvy

Antidote against scurvy

When sailing for months, fresh food, such as fruits and vegetables, ran out. Soon the dreaded disease scurvy appeared, leaving the men without strength.

The origin of the disease was not known until the beginning of the 19th century. In the meantime, the military doctors who traveled in the great ships of the line of sometimes 100 cannons made discoveries.

It was detected that the food on the ships was very poor in Vitamin C (Ascorbate). Curiously, the sailors who ate rats did not catch the terrible scurvy.

To combat scurvy

Citrus and Rats Against Disease

Rats also lived in the most hidden places of the ships[/caption].

The rat, despite eating the waste, generates an acid that immunizes against scurvy.

On some ships, rats were a blessing as a source of food and against scurvy.

The great discovery was to recognize that rats generated in their organism the so-called ascorbic acid.

When sailors and pirates ate rats, what they really did was to ingest this component. The human being always needs it, since his body does not synthesize it.

Therefore, it takes it from the outside through food. This increases the amount of this component in the blood and prevents scurvy disease.

In the maritime wars, more people died from this type of disease than from the fighting.

During the Seven Years’ War between England, Spain and France alone there were thousands of deaths from this cause. The British navy acknowledged that nearly 100,000 of its sailors died of disease compared to less than 2,000 casualties in the fighting.

Hungry for pirates and cookies

Forced to eat some pretty disgusting cookies

If they ran out of food on the ship, the situation could become desperate.

If this was not the case and they could not find fresh food, they had to resort to some rather disgusting dry cookies in which worms used to nest. This forced them to shake them to make them fall and wet them if there was enough water.

They were so disgusted by the very sight of them that they tried to eat them in the dark so as not to see the disgusting weevils inside.

Bread cookies, on the boat

They were produced in the port and lasted for months.

The best way to carry bread was by means of bread cookies, which were prepared in the ports. For this reason, they were bought in advance, and some could have been made many months before. If they were provisions of the royal navy, they could be from years ago.

The costly manufacture of cookies

A long process with many operators.

To manufacture them, they required a long process involving many people.

At that time, the hygiene was terrible, and the result was half-contaminated bread cookies at the end of the baking process.

Cookie with insects, usual

While the cookies were being made.

As the flour dough was uncovered to make the cookies, they were very vulnerable.

Some insects nested in them, leaving their eggs in the dough.

They expelled weevils.

Knock them against the wood before eating them.

To eat the cookies without bugs, they would bang them against the wood of the boat, so that they would fall to the ground.

Hard as rocks, get them wet

They caused stiffness from chewing so much.

Chewing such a hard food made the jaw muscles fatigued, creating stiffness in the mouth.

They even ate the rats if there were

In times of famine they were boiled.

Desperate from hunger, they were forced to chase the ship’s rats.

Once cooked and if possible seasoned with spices, it seemed to them a great delicacy.

They ate the leather, soaking it

The last alternative in the face of death.

They softened the leather, which they could get by tearing bags, clothes, and belts. They soaked them in water for a long time to soften them. They removed hair and rudeness. And they cooked them after breaking them into small pieces.

The pirates ate their fill

They ate better if there was food, they celebrated real banquets, without limit.

Twice a day minimum Many seafarers became pirates for better living conditions. A seafarer usually ate once a day at best.

Among the pirates, eating twice a day without limit, and with plenty to drink, made them privileged, given the prevailing hunger of the time.

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Famous Pirates Curiosities

Some were famous for turning from prisoners into pirates. Others did so for various reasons. Because of their personality they became famous and their quirks and peculiarities are recounted.

Originality despite being pirate

They went down in history for being famous and unique for their personality.

The sea can be very rough, but it also allows for extraordinary experiences. The freedom enjoyed by some pirates attracted many adventurers to piracy as a way of life.

Famous Pirates and their extravagances

Successful pirates

Curiosities of the most famous Pirates

Some Pirate Captains were very successful and this allowed them to indulge their whims. Some of them were very fashionable, dressed elegantly or with a lot of color. Others performed authentic theatrical representations. And there was one who tried to educate his men, and tried to teach them to appreciate good music. Each one of them has also gone down in history for some of this.

Some Pirates were very special

A ship anchored near the coast could be attacked by Buccaneer hunters.

The dreaded silhouette of a pirate ship

Anchoring their ship in the dark, next to a deserted island, they felt safe but there could be a surprise.

There were some pirates who stood out for their elegance, culture, initiative, etc. Some were initiated in piracy for greed, hunger or love. Others simply for hobby, adventure or honor, as was the case of some corsairs.

They have gone down in history, some as elegant or cultured, others as cruel, original, romantic, etc.

The elegant, handsome and stylish Pirate

Always in calico

Jack Rackham ,Calico Jack.

Famous among other things for the way he dressed, a pirate of fame, daring and adventurous. He loved to dress as a calico. He always dressed this way, both the shirt and the pants. The calico or indianas were cotton fabrics printed on one side, with one or more colors.

El Pirata teetotaler, alcohol out of the question

A pirate who only drank tea

Bartholomew Roberts was an atypical pirate. He only drank tea, not a drop of alcohol. He was also elegant, tall and good-looking. While his crew was getting pretty drunk, he stayed out of their parties.

There is no other known case of a famous pirate who did not drink alcohol.

Pirates with a strong personality

The most theatrical pirate

He prepared a whole show with fire

The famous Blackbeard, mounted a whole spectacular of light and fire. His splendid and enormous corpulence for the time helped him a lot. His tall stature, almost 1.95 meters, was already impressive. Added to that was his long black beard, with curls, braids, and colored strips.

In his hat he wore slow wicks, which he lit, before boarding. Creating a cloud of smoke around his face. The crew members of the attacked ships saw him as a sinister being that appeared almost out of nowhere.

With all this setup, showing up in the middle of combat, with at least 6 guns, surrounded by smoke, was impressive.

The cultured pirate

He was well prepared for his time

Blackbeard the pirate was not just any pirate, who became successful by chance. He was a pirate, quite cultured, who knew how to read and write. Nothing usual in the pirates of the time.

He was very intelligent, and put on quite a performance at every boarding. A whole spectacle that joined his impressive and tall figure. This created real fear among his victims, who soon gave in and agreed to his demands.

He was caught by the fans

He was forced to be a pirate, and became famous.

John Roberts, better known as Bartholomew Roberts, was captured when his ship was boarded by pirates.

They invited him to join the crew. He refused and but the pirates forced him to go with them. This allowed him to get to know their way of life. Although he shared everything, he liked much of it. He had the support of the Captain, who ended up giving responsibilities. But an event that happened made him have to choose,

It was actually the crew who made the first decision, choosing him as a replacement for the old captain. And he ended up being the captain of the ship, when the latter died. And he became the most successful pirate, alternating the African route with the Caribbean.

Pirate woman for love

He ran away with his love and turned to piracy.

Anne Bonny, fell in love with the elegant Jack Calico. They both stole a ship from the port, and she fled with him, becoming a pirate. For several years, she was a pirate in the company of her love.

Until they were captured, four years later, they boarded a multitude of ships.

Disguised as a man

He was a soldier and pirate and even served in the war.

Mary Read disguised herself as a man and enlisted as a soldier fighting in several battles. She sailed to America, on the voyage her ship was captured by Calico Jack, and she joined his crew.

He was able to keep his secret, until Anny Bonny, Jack’s wife, realized that he was not a man.

Drunk as a skunk

They were caught when they were drunk

Calico Jack was captured, when he was cornered by a warship and could not resist. The reason was that the crew was totally drunk in the hold, and had no strength to even stand up.

Only the two women and one pirate in the crew put up any resistance.

Summary: The elegant, the teetotaler, the most theatrical, the cultured, the one who took a liking to piracy, the pirate woman who disguised herself as a man, the ones who got drunk as a skunk, etc.

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How did pirates die?

This is how pirates died, without a happy ending. Capture, captivity, death and their ways of dying, before and after combat. Fortune soon abandoned them

Pirate Danger

Pirate ship appears as a ghost in the semi-darkness

For a crewmember of a merchant ship making the route from Europe to America, the voyage in itself was a dangerous one. Storms, lack of wind, sea currents, hurricanes, etc. But the sighting of a pirate ship changed everything, death could be on that ship, if it reached them.

A short life, an almost certain death

A life always on the edge

Pirates usually lived very few years, dying in combat or by hanging. They usually came from poor backgrounds and tried to escape from misery, stealing and killing if necessary. They risked everything imaginable to get a good booty, although some also succeeded and became rich by running adventures and hobby.

The dreaded boarding, life or death

The sailors knew the pirates would not stop.

Soon the boarding would come and they would fall upon them like bloodthirsty beasts. It was the pirate’s answer for not having heeded their warning to stop the ship, they would be put to the sword. A mistake by the ship’s captain, thinking he could run away from them in time, could cost them their lives.

Warning shot

A barrage of cannon fire caused a cloud not only of smoke but also of splinters as the bullets ricocheted off the ships.

A cannon shot that hit a ship could be devastating because of the amount of splinters it created and shot out as projectiles in all directions.

Early death was his destiny

Usually after a few years of piracy, they would die. Sometimes the crew of the ships did not make it easy, knowing what their fate would be, before a band of pirates, who like madmen boarded the ship. Some crew members decided to die by killing. In these cases, even if the pirates managed to seize the ship, some of them fell and died in the attempt.

Death on boarding, hanging ..

.
A cannonade or a boarding resulted in many dead and wounded on both sides.

This is how the Pirates died: violent death, disease, hanging, their great enemy alcohol, locked up and corpse in a cage, mutilated by their war wounds, even eaten by cannibals.

But comrades in arms, often by obligation, they defended each other to the end. They usually led a short life, an almost certain death.

A violent death or death by disease

Chose a short but pleasant life

Life at that time was very hard, all day working in semi-slavery conditions. That is why many of the pirates chose a life that was short but intense and pleasurable.

Many times he obtained a good booty, seizing a ship. But other times, the pirates died in combat, on the gallows, or victims of terrible diseases.

To the gallows, an example for others

Some 400 pirates were hanged annually as an example to others

When all countries turned against them, the persecution was such that little by little they were imprisoned. Normally they were hanged in the public square, as a general chastisement.

When the pirate had been famous, they exposed his corpse at the entrance of the ports, so that everyone could see him.

Your greatest enemy, your friend alcohol

Alcohol in quantities

A disproportionate drinking raged among them. They lived so much every day, that every time they got a booty, they got so drunk, that they fell asleep everywhere. They were becoming alcoholic, with great drunkenness.

When Jamaica passed to England, the island was promoted as a refuge for pirates and privateers. It was a political move, as England knew it could not keep Jamaica Island in its possession in the face of pressure from Spanish troops. It opted to hire and support the Filibusters that besieged the area as troops against Spain and its Caribbean islands.

The corpse in a cage

Exposed its skeleton for years at the entrance to the port.

The famous Captain Kid was hanged, with such bad luck that the rope broke. He had to be hanged again.

His corpse was put in an iron cage made to suit him, and displayed for years at the entrance to the River Thames. For the chastisement of all those who might be inclined to throw themselves into Piracy.

Ended up in the pan

The cruel murderer was eaten by cannibals in a cruel ritual as cruel as his life

The bloodthirsty French pirate, better known as the Alones, who committed so many atrocities, was captured by the cannibals of Central America. He terrorized his prisoners, killing one of them and eating his heart in front of the others.

Curiously, he had an end in accordance with his life, he who committed so many brutalities, received his punishment and was devoured by the cannibals, who tore him to pieces.

War wounds

Mutilations of arms and legs during boarding

The medicine of the time knew of no other more effective remedy for serious wounds than to cut off the injured limb. This is the origin of the image of the pirate, lame, one-armed or one-eyed. Most of the mutilated, who were saved, died after a few years.

Although many were dying little by little, they had many successes over the years. They managed to take over towns in the viceroyalties of Spain, as important as Panama or Portobello.

Venereal diseases

Their amusement was in taverns and brothels.

It gave them a lot of prestige that every booty they got was quickly spent in the taverns and brothels of Jamaica. After many days or sometimes weeks without seeing a woman, they would go straight to the brothels. The lack of hygiene on the pirate ships, together with this kind of life, brought them serious diseases.

The consequences of this rampage were other venereal diseases. In time, these diseases caused them enormous discomfort and even death, as there were no treatments to treat them.

Partners in combat

They supported each other in the boarding process

They fought to the death, in some cases in pairs. The Brotherhood of the Brothers of the Coast, created by the Filibusters, had rules of mutual support. Each pirate was twinned with a companion, with whom he entered into a mutual defense agreement.

In combat they supported each other, having the obligation to defend themselves. The rules of the Brotherhood of the Brothers of the Coast were very clear and implacable. If one of them abandoned the other, then the Brotherhood would hang him.

They punished the abandonment of the partner

They hanged those who abandoned a companion

One of their strengths was their organization and the rules of the Brotherhood. Designed to protect the group, they ensured that this association was maintained for many decades. The rules were clear and enforced. In combat, members supported each other and had an obligation to defend themselves.

If one of them, during the combat, abandoned the other, then the Confraternity of the Brothers of the Coast would hang him.

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Pirate parties How were their entertainments?

Pirates lived from day to day and their parties were as brutal as they were. They had no limits when it came to eating or getting drunk. They didn’t mind spending everything they had.

Their wild amusements and their follies on beaches and in harbors

After spending many days locked up in a ship, without setting foot on dry land, pirates and sailors disembarked like crazy. Games, revelry and pirate parties on the beaches of the Caribbean islands.

A life of debauchery: drinking anything, smoking or chewing tobacco, prostitutes, … All these pirates were waiting for their chance to get rich. But Spain did not make it easy for them. The system of Spanish galleon fleets was very effective for many centuries, because of the security of not losing ships in the crossing to and from America.

Lovers of wild life and excesses

Pirates and their paradisiacal islands, gambling, squandering, the game of dice, the game of cards, brothels …

Nowadays, parties are still famous in places with beaches, usually islands in the Caribbean Sea. Areas such as Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, Cuba Island, Jamaica Island (Port Royal), Bahamas Islands, Tortuga Island, are places with the best beaches in the Caribbean and associated with music and fun. Fun for all ages even for the little ones, with Disney Cruises with pirate fun for children.

Drugs, gambling and women

Knowing and taking advantage of the winds was essential for sailing.

A life to do whatever they wanted, without limits. Once the party started, it was better not to bump into them. Herds of drunken pirates would arrive in Jamaica, looking for taverns and whorehouses.

They took all the drugs they could get their hands on, had fun with all the games and searched like crazy for prostitutes.

Living your last fun

They were having fun like desperate madmen

After weeks or months, searching for prey or fleeing inside a boat, in terrible conditions, their dream was to reach dry land and have fun.

They dreamed of doing everything that could not be done on a ship, which was almost everything. If they had been lucky enough to get a good haul, they thought only of spending it quickly. They had no time to waste. Perhaps in the next boarding they would not survive. Arriving ashore soon the pirate games began, the animation was explosive. They needed to have fun as if it were the last time.

Desperate abandon

As soon as they arrived at the port, pirate animation and debauchery was the norm. And like desperate madmen they got drunk, gambled, fornicated, fought, etc.

Usually the booty came from some merchant ship they captured. It was good business.

But the pirates were never able to defeat the Spanish fleet system that worked very well for centuries, a fleet of merchant ships was protected by huge war galleons that closed their battle formation when any ship approached.

Drinking alcohol and in large quantities

In desperate search for alcohol

They drank anything with alcohol in it, especially rum, beer and wine. Drinking and in large quantities was their desire.

Some, when ashore, were hardly ever sober, from the frequent drunkenness they took. For this reason it was not strange that they lost everything they had obtained in the distribution of the last booty.

Tobacco smoking or chewing

Smoking was not allowed on ships because of its danger.

The ships of the time were made of wood, so it was dangerous to light a fire on them. It was forbidden to light a fire on them. They only did it for cooking, and only when the sea was calm and there was no storm in sight.

Like the sailors of the time, they were content to chew tobacco, rather than smoke it. When they came ashore, they usually looked for pipe tobacco and smoked like crazy.

They were looking for the company of prostitutes

They sought the presence of women when arriving in port in the islands, especially Jamaica and the Bahamas, which were protected by England.

Women were not allowed on board ships. The sailors of the time were very superstitious and believed that a female presence on board would bring them bad luck.

Actually what it caused, was a huge amount of fights between them, because of these skirt issues. That is why it was forbidden to avoid serious problems.

When arriving at the port, women were allowed on board. So waiting in the ports were plenty of women eager to help spend the pirates’ booty.

Paradise and fantasy islands

Parties with rum and women on the beaches

The Caribbean, with its many islands, with wonderful beaches, was paradise for everyone. An ideal place to party with an abundance of women and alcohol.

As not all ports admitted the pirates, they had to go to their shelters, where they were safe, so they could organize their parties and orgies. The island of Jamaica, under English control, did admit them and gave them all the facilities to settle there, with their ships. It was a way of joining forces against a possible Spanish invasion of the island.

Generally they were sparsely populated islands, but they used to have the essentials, and governed by the pirates themselves. One example was Tortuga Island, where a Pirate Republic was maintained for almost 80 years.

Like crazy for betting

The forbidden game on board, they gambled it all away

Because of the fights, and possible cheating, it was not allowed to play on the ships. Although sometimes they looked the other way, so that they could have a little fun, if they had been on board for a long time.

They would soon do so when they left the ship. When they came ashore with a good haul, they gambled with huge amounts of money. They always lived on the edge, and did not mind risking their fortune, because they could lose their lives in any boarding, or street fight.

Uncontrolled waste of gold

They made their whims come true and at the moment they were

They spent large amounts of the booty, on things of little value, but which they coveted. The merchants awaited the arrival of the pirates, since they did not care about the real price of the objects. They bought without caring about the price, if they liked something very much.

The Dice Game

With huge stakes between them

A very popular and very common game was to play with wooden DICE. A simple game, but surrounded by emotion, and more if they had many glasses too many.

In a short game they lost large parts of the loot. A very exciting game if you bet money. A simple game where luck is fundamental.

The Deck of Cards game

Illustrated playing cards of the period.

The decks of cards of the time were often a good entertainment in the ports. They played sometimes not so peacefully and drinking like possessed. Fights between drunken pirates were common. The taverns where they could enter were full of criminals like them. People without fear of death, willing to risk everything to fulfill some of their whims and desires.

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What was the pirate boarding like?

Boarding was their method of combat, which avoided spoiling the booty. Booty was their objective, whether it was money, jewels, weapons, merchandise, prisoners or even the ship itself.

It was the boarding of the ship, a way to seize the ship, without spoiling what was inside it. They made little use of cannons and above all the melee. Pirate attacks were almost always with advantage.

Boarding, your attack

Their fighting and combat tactics. merciless boarding.

They avoided using cannons, as they were not interested, because they were so destructive that you could spoil their booty, ship, merchandise, passengers, etc. They used to be used as a warning or as a last resort.

Feared for their cruelty

If there was not enough resistance, it was best to stop the ship in time.

Pirates used special weapons and ways of fighting that gave them an advantage in combat. They were professionals, seasoned in many boardings, and heavily armed. They used force and terror to take what they wanted, by hook or by crook.

Filibusters instilled terror

Even before attacking their victims

Thieves or mercenaries looking for loot, roaming islands and seas. They were waiting for their big chance to catch a prey. And if they found it, they were like dogs of prey that would not let go of their victim until they had completely dominated it.

They were professionals with weapons. Their livelihood depended on their ability to use them. Some buccaneers turned Filibusteros pirates, were true champions at shooting from a distance at all kinds of moving animals. They applied these skills to piracy, shooting at the helmsmen to prevent them from properly steering the ship.

They were mercenaries of the sea, whose reward was booty, and they also used terror to paralyze passengers and sailors.

+ Filibusters

Attacks on ships

They usually attacked merchant ships, crewed by seafarers, sailors with no experience in handling weapons.

All tricks were good to terrorize the other crew. The pirate flag with its sharks and skulls already warned that nothing good was coming. If it was also red, it meant that the pirates would raze the ship to the ground.

They also used all kinds of tricks, which gave them an advantage in boardings, such as throwing giant thumbtacks that destroyed the feet of the crew members, preventing them from moving on deck to maneuver the ship and thus avoid possible escape.

Buccaneers and their protective armor

Some clothes protected them, curiously because of their dirtiness.

The main activity of the buccaneers in their beginnings was that of hunters, pigs, cows, etc. These animals, which were abandoned by the Spaniards, were raised in the wild on the islands. Their clothes were impregnated with the blood and fats of all the animals they hunted. This made their clothes not only waterproof, but also had the most compact and consistent fabric.

As they were not used to change clothes during the attacks, these garments provided extra protection in some cases. In addition, the appearance was terrifying, with huge blood stains. They looked like real butchers. And that was what they had been in their time as Buccaneers, when they had to skin and sometimes bone the animals they had killed. Men skilled with knife and musket.

+ Buccaneers

They threw giant thumbtacks

They tore the sailors’ feet to pieces.

It was common at that time for sailors to be barefoot on ships. They performed all their activities without shoes, moving freely on deck. This was much more comfortable than wearing shoes.

The filibusters, who knew well the life of the sailors on board, used this to their advantage. They would throw a kind of thumbtack at them, and no matter how they fell on deck, a sharp point would always remain upside down. To get one of them was practically to shatter your foot and be wounded and almost unable to move. From that moment on, you were almost a dead man, because the pain and the lack of being able to move put you in a situation of inferiority before a boarding.

With this great fear, the sailors could not move freely around the ship, as they exposed themselves to great injuries to their feet. This put the pirates who came so close to the ship that they could board it at an advantage,

The Filibusters, bloodthirsty pirates

They used to take no prisoners

The filibusters did not usually take prisoners on the ships or towns they captured, but could sell them later. If there was a possible ransom when they were merchants, nobles or wealthy, they did not kill them until they tried to make an exchange for money.

The men, if they saw that they could not get a ransom for them, they killed them. They had no regard for them, their aim was to get money, and the attempt had failed.

A worse fate awaited the women, who were sold mainly in Jamaica, to taverns and brothels. While they were young, they had to work as prostitutes with men of the worst kind in the Caribbean. Many of them died as a result of mistreatment or venereal diseases, after more or less years of working as prostitutes.

Skilled Long Distance Shooters

They had great aim

The Buccaneers were or had been great hunters, who depended on their skill with weapons.

From a distance, with longer than usual muskets, they fired at long distances, preventing the defenders from peering into ships or towns. A type of French-made muskets, they were widely used as they were designed for long distance shooting with better accuracy.

The old Buccaneers were especially valued by pirates for their skill and accuracy with long range shots. In this way they prevented the ship from being maneuvered and escaping.

Armed to the teeth

Heavily armed from knife to gun

Pirates sought the best weapons from the ships they captured. They usually carried a musket, a pistol, a short dagger, usually the cutlass, and one or two knives. They could also carry axes, and special types of spears, grappling hooks, etc.

The famous pirate Blackbeard carried at least 6 pistols hanging from his chest and ready to shoot. In this case, in addition to the fear of all the weaponry he was carrying, he was also very tall and had a ghostly appearance. He accompanied his appearance with a smoke coming from his head, lighting fuses at the ends of his hair.

+ Pirate Weapons

Beaten if necessary

Sometimes they fought with fists.

Firearms were single shot, and in the middle of a boarding, impossible to load. At that time firearms were very basic. After the first shot, it was no longer useful as a firearm.

When they could not shoot with them, because they were too heavy, and not wanting to get rid of them, they used them as truncheons, or threw them at the adversary.

Both the pistols and the muskets had some metal coatings and rivets, which in addition to reinforcing them, made them heavier and more resistant.

They threw hand bombs

Small bombs with shrapnel.

Some pirates, when they started boarding, threw small hand bombs, which when exploding, spread the shrapnel inside. This forced the sailors of the attacked ship to take shelter from the rain of shrapnel.

The deck of the ship was clear, and the pirates had time to jump from one ship to the other. In a short time the boarding could take place, and dozens of pirates were soon on deck, ready to annihilate whoever got in front of them.

Short swords, effective on ships

They used more manageable swords.

The normal swords of the time were too long to be used on the deck, usually full of ropes and rigging of a ship. Pirates used shorter swords, which did not require much space, to handle them.

The cutlasses were the most used, for their ease of use in short distances, as in the ships. This gave them an advantage in close combat, as they did not have to be aware of the sword getting stuck in any object or being stuck in the deck or gunwale of the ship.

Horns

Threats from a distance to frighten

The horns amplified the voice of the pirates and corsairs, allowing them to threaten death and torture from a distance if they put up resistance, if they were forced to board. They also gave orders and instructions to be followed until the opposing ship was stopped.

Pirates and corsairs tried to avoid boardings because in the melee there were always injuries and deaths on both sides. They frightened and threatened the ships as they approached them at speed.

This provoked terror and caused them to slow down the ship and surrender without putting up a fight, more often than not.

False flags

They pretended to be ships from the same country

Whenever possible, they took advantage of the information available to them to pass themselves off as ships from the same country or from countries at peace with the attacked ship.

They used the best spyglasses of the time to observe the prey in detail and to know its flag. Once they had located the origin of the ship they would hoist the same flag on their pirate ship.

This meant that in the solitude of the sea their victim would trust them and, by not fleeing, would allow them to approach. For this purpose, they carried on board flags of the main countries.

This allowed them to get close enough so that the prey could not escape and make a boarding if they did not surrender.

Surrender or boarding

Impossible to escape if they were nearby

Otherwise they were soon trapped by the pirate ship, which quickly threw a multitude of hooks and prevented them from escaping.

The rigging of the sailing ships of the time was easily hooked because the hooks, even with several points, almost always found a place to attach.

It was enough for the pirates to tie the other end of the rope attached to the hook to their own ship and pull it close enough to jump to the other deck.

Cannon fire

The roar of the cannons

Normally the surprise followed by the roar of his cannons while raising the pirate flag was enough to make the merchant ship surrender.

Although the pirates preferred not to use the cannons because of the great damage they caused at close range. The pirates wanted to keep the ship and its riches, they were not interested in destroying either the ship or the goods.

They sold everything they caught from the ship or goods to passengers. Although their dream was to get a treasure chest, this was almost impossible for them. The treasures sailed on Spanish galleons, and these were large and well protected by numerous musketeers. They also made the Atlantic crossings, grouped in large fleets protected by warships.

Summary approach

Weapons for ships: buccaneer armor, they threw sharp tacks, bloodthirsty pirates, they were skilled marksmen and very well armed, with clubs, if necessary hand bombs to create panic, short swords were more effective, better not to use the cannons, if not surrendered came the boarding ….

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How did the pirates live on their islands and ships?

Pirates usually lived better than other sailors of the time. They ate more and better and drank more. But in return they paid a high price, risking their lives.

Different life, but very high risk

The Pirates’ way of life: short, risky and full of pleasures at times. And they were looking for a pleasurable way of life even if it was short.

Apart from exceptions, like some of the Corsairs, they had only ambition and lack of scruples. They wanted to get rich as quickly as possible, at any price.

They lived for the present moment, with no future.

Their way of life was to live thinking only of the present.

Some Europeans decided to live a different life in their fleeting paradise, as Pirates or Corsairs, at the expense of others. They did not mind committing any crime or atrocity as long as they could get a good booty.

The Pirates’ way of life: A different life, a life with no future. Some went from being hunters to pirates.

Spain was powerless before the great number they became. Some lived well organized.  A group of pirates from different countries created the Brotherhood of the Brothers of the Coast.

Among them they did not allow European women, they came to group together to create real armies, their ships were the fastest, unemployed sailors became pirates, not only boarded ships also lived raided Spanish colonies …

Their life was also full throttle, always on the edge. They risked a lot for a good booty. But they usually squandered it or gambled it with dice. The money didn’t last long, a few days or even a single night in luxury was enough to make them broke,

Pirates with no future: their life on the edge

They did not think about tomorrow.

They lived only from day to day and every day could be their last.  The pirates were looking for a pleasurable way of life, even if it was short.

Apart from exceptions, such as some of the Corsairs, most of them only had ambition and lack of scruples. The pirates’ main objective was to get rich as quickly as possible.

If life on a ship at sea was already dangerous, storms and diseases complicated it even more. In the boardings they risked their lives in exchange for possible riches. They lived trying to fulfill their dream, to give a great blow, to get a great booty.

From Buccaneer Hunters to Cruel Pirates

Expert wild animal hunters

There were those who were buccaneers at the beginning and smoked meat.

Some pirates had previously been buccaneers, that is to say, they were dedicated to hunting animals, especially on the island of Hispaniola.

They lived on the islands, at first in peace with the Indians. The Arawak Indians taught them to smoke meat on grills, which they called Bucan. Thanks to the smoking, the meat could be preserved for a long time, long enough for a return trip of the ships to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).

Soon these Bucaneros became traders. They dedicated themselves to selling these smoked meats to ships returning to Europe. These meats were well received on the ships and paid well for them. It was not for nothing that they would spend months before being able to get fresh meat.

Spain was not able to deal with them

They were evicted from the islands, but they kept coming back.

The New World was so vast, with so many territories, islands and islets, that it was impossible to control them all. The Caribbean Sea alone has about 1000 islands.

When Spain expelled the Buccaneers from the Island of Hispaniola (currently Santo Domingo + Haiti), they began to occupy other islands.  To avoid being expelled again, they moved from island to island. With so many hundreds of islands, where they lived seasonally, they could not be located, and therefore they could not be eliminated.

When Jamaica passed into the hands of England, the island became a refuge for thousands of Pirates and Corsairs. Filibusters lived on the island, and formed part of its defense. It was the only solution for England. Otherwise Spain would have easily expelled the English from the Caribbean.

Jamaica was defended by a considerable number. Adding the English troops and the numerous pirates, expert fighters, Spain did not dare to attack the island of Jamaica, whose capital was fortified. For England it was the only way to prevent the island from being reconquered again by Spain.

Pirate Brotherhood of the Brethren of the Coast

Pirate Republic and its Brotherhood

The filibusters created their own association, to help each other, and to be able to face the Spaniards. They called it the Brotherhood and it lasted for decades. They were people who came mainly from France, England and Holland, although neither their religion nor their origin mattered.

The lands and ships belonged to everyone, and everyone could organize expeditions. These pirates owned only their personal property and their share of the booty.

No European women among the pirates

They did not allow women from Europe with them.

The Filibusters did not allow European women on the island. There had been so many conflicts and fights among them, because of European women, that they prohibited them, and only allowed Indian, black or mestizo women.

Authentic armies of cruel Pirates

Sometimes thousands of pirates and dozens of ships were grouped together.

Sometimes they formed real armies, with thousands of pirates and dozens of ships. When a leader appeared to unite them and there was a gigantic booty, they mounted real warlike expeditions. They even took over towns as important as Panama or Portobelo.

Pirate ships were faster

They cleaned their ships thoroughly to make them faster.

If they did not catch up with the ships, the pirates would have no booty, so their ships had to be the fastest. To do this, they used light ships, with one or two sails and little weight. In order for them to glide easily through the waters, they cleaned the hull of the ship of algae, mollusks, etc. Since the accumulation of them, slowed the progress of the ship.

Increase in the number of pirates and their raids

The reconversion of privateers into Pirates

Sailors and privateers turned into Pirates

The long maritime war between Spain, England, France and Holland, which lasted more than 10 years, is over.
Thousands of sailors and corsairs are left without work, they are fired by the navies of their countries, which no longer need them. Thousands of sailors who had risked their lives for their country, living months and months in overcrowded ships. English, French and Dutch who had fought against Spain, and sometimes against each other, were left to their fate.

But something had changed for them, the discovery of the New World and the paradisiacal islands of the Caribbean Sea, where life was easier. And they had also seen and knew the enormous amount of riches that passed by them.
Many of them decided to continue doing what they had always done, boarding ships. But now, they no longer cared what countries they were from. An “anything goes” united seafarers from different countries. They just wanted to survive and get rich.

They dared and raided rich populations.

They came to take the rich Panama

The conquest of Panama, the jewel of the Spanish Crown in America, at that time, was a surprise, because it was unexpected.

They seized the city, and committed atrocities, torturing its inhabitants, until they told them where they kept their money or their treasures.

They took hundreds of its inhabitants prisoner. They made them carry heavy loads with which they crossed the jungle until they returned again to the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the captives were massacred or killed for the hard work they had to do.

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