A pirate's lot is not a happy one

A pirate crew might be a foul-mouthed, hard drinking, quick-tempered lot, but still subject to strict discipline. The "rear' pirate's articles covered daily shipboard behavior. They had "insurance" schemes for injury in action and even compensation to relatives in case of death. The Tortuga buccaneers received 600 pieces of eight (silver) or six slaves (men captured from enemy ships) for the loss of a right arm; but an eye or a finger was worth 100 pieces of eight or one slave. A better arrangement than we have today?

For minor misbehavior, such as drunkenness, a pirate might be clapped in irons or flogged. (We send them to their rooms). For cowardice, disobedience or desertion a pirate stood to be tried and shot. Personal feuds would often be settled by sword or pistol duel. Sometimes unruly pirates were marooned on a lonely island. Despite the stories, however, there is no evidence that any pirate captain made a culprit walk the plank (yet).

The basic conditions for signing on was "no purchase, no pay." In other words, a pirate received no salary but could share in the spoils in proportion to his rank, if and when a prize was taken. It was this lure of an easy fortune which united men from so many a different social classes and backgrounds. The prospect of sighting a prize, crippling her with a broadside, clambering on board, slashing the enemy to ribbons in close combat and sharing out the valuable booty, was worth months of drudgery, boredom and discomfort. A successful pirate could win more in one day than an ordinary seaman could earn in an entire lifetime. Most pirates made ends meet by taking their share of the plunder and then quickly squandering it on drinks, cards and women. Some died a natural death, some perished of fever, starvation or exposure. Others died as violently as they had lived, felled by a cutlass stroke or musket or, dangling from the end of a rope. Many suffered liver ailments and died from too much alcohol. Sad but true it can and does still happen today. But there were a few who retired to a comfortable life of wealth and prestige. So long as a pirate could dream of fame and luxury, that was motive enough.

They were pirates, filibusters, buccaneers, privateers and corsairs. Some were cold-blooded brutes, others, believe it or not were brave patriots. Others even prided themselves as great lovers (or so they thought). But for three hundred years they ruled the seas and helped to plot the course of history.


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