coffee, cocoa, and other articles, with a more valuable exchange than that of gold.

Nor are those islands destitute of the precious metals, though now less plenty there than formerly. An inquiry into this subject will lead us to many curious particulars in the history of the West-Indies, and prove, at the same time, a necessary introduction to the maritime war between England and Spain, which broke out in 1739.

After the failure of the mines of Hispaniola, which were never rich, and the conquest of the two extensive empires of Mexico and Peru, where the precious metals were found in the greatest profusion, that valuable island was entirely neglected by the Spaniards. The greater part of its once flourishing cities were deserted by their inhabitants, and the few planters that remained, sunk into the most enervating indolence. The necessaries, however, and even many of the luxuries of life, were there found in abundance. All the European animals had multiplied exceedingly, but especially the horned cattle, which were become in a manner wild, and wandered about in large droves, without any regular owner. Allured by these conveniencies, certain French and English adventures, since known by the name of Buccaneers or freebooterrs, had taken possession of the small island of Tortuga, as early as the year 1632, and found little difficulty, under such favourable circumstances, of establishing themselves on the northern coast of Hispaniola. They at first subsisted chiefly by the hunting of wild cattle. Part of the beef they ate fresh, part they dried, and the hides they sold to the masters of such vessels as came upon the coast, and who furnished them in return, with cloaths, liquors, fire-arms, powder, and shot 5. But the wild cattle at length becoming

5. The dress of the Buccaneers consisted of a shirt dipped in the blood of the animals they had slain; a pair of trowsers, dirtier than the shirt; a leathern girdle, from which hung a short sabre, and some Dutch knives; a hat without any rim, except a flap before, in order to enable them to pull it

off

becoming scarce, the buccaneers were under the necessity of turning their industry to other objects. The sober-minded men applied themselves to the cultivation of the ground, which abundantly requited their toil, while those of a bold and restless disposition associated themselves with pirates and outlaws of all nations, and formed the most terrible band of ravagers that ever infested the ocean. To these ravagers, however, rendered famous by their courage and their crimes, France and England are indebted, in some measure, for the prosperity of their settlements in the West-Indies.

Nothing could appear less formidable than the first armaments of the piratical buccaneers, who took the name of Brothers of the Coast. Having formed themselves, like the hunters of wild cattle,into small societies, they made their excursions in an open boat, which generally contained between twenty and thirty men, exposed to all the intemperature of the climate; to the burning heat of the day, and the chilling damps of the night. The natural inconveniencies, connected with this mode of life, were augmented by those arising from their licentious disposition.

A love of freedom, which, duly regulated, cannot be too much cherished, rendered the buccaneers averse against all those retraints, which civilized men usually impose on each other for their common happiness; and as the authority which they had conferred on their captain, was chiefly confined to giving orders in battle, they lived in the greatest disorder. Like savages, having no apprehension of want, nor taking any care to guard against famine by prudent economy, they were frequently exposed to all the extremities of hunger and thirst. But deriving, even from their distresses, a courage superior to every danger, the sight of a sail trans

off; shoes made of raw hides, but no stockings. (Hist. Gen. des Voyages, tom. xv. liv. vii.) These barbarous men, the outcasts of civil society, were denominated Buccaneers, because they dried with smoke, conformable to the custom of the savages, part of the flesh of the cattle they had killed, in places denominated buccans in the language of the natives. Id. ibid.

ported

ported them to a degree of frenzy. They seldom deliberated on the mode of attack, but their custom was to board the ships as soon as possible. The smallness of their own vessels, and their dexterity in managing them, preserved them from the fire of the enemy. They presented only to the broadside of the ship, their slender prows, filled with expert marksmen, who fired at the enemy's port-holes with such exactness, as to confound the most experienced gunners. And when they could fix their grappling tackle, the largest trading vessels were generally obliged to strike".

Although the buccaneers, when under the pressure of necessity, attacked the ships of every nation, those belonging to the subjects of Spain were more especially marked out as the objects of their piracy. They thought that the cruelties which the Spaniards had exercised on the natives of the New World, were a sufficient apology for any violence that could be committed against them. Accommodating their conscience to this belief, which, perhaps, unknown to themselves, was rather dictated by the richness of the Spanish vessels than by any real sense of religion or equity, they never embarked in an expedition without publicly praying to heaven for its success; nor did they ever return loaded with booty, without solemnly returning thanks to God for their good fortune7.

6. Hist. Gen. des Voyages, ubi sup. Hist. Buccaneers, part i. chap. vi. 7. Id. ibid. This is a precious picture of the inconsistency of human nature, and a striking proof how little connection there frequently is between religion and morality! a truth which is farther illustrated by the following curious anecdote. "One of the chief causes of our disagreement," says an enlightened freebooter, speaking of the quarrels between the French and English Buccaneers, in their expedition to the South-Sea," was the impiety of the English; for they made no scruple, when they got into a church, to cut down the arms of a crucifix with their sabres, or to shoot "them down with their fusils and pistols, brusing and maiming the images "of the saints in the same manner!" (Voy. des Flibust. per Raveneau de Lussan.) But it does not appear that those devout plunderers, who were shocked at seeing the image of a saint maimed, were more tender than the English Buccaneers, of the persons or properties of their fellow-creatures, or ever attempted to restrain their impious associates from any act of injustice or inbumanity.

This booty was originally carried to the island of Tortuga, the common rendezvous of the buccaneers, and then their only place of safety. But afterward the French went to some of the ports of Hispaniola, where they had established themselves in defiance of the Spaniards, and the English, to those of Jamaica, where they could dispose of their prizes to more advantage, and lay out their money more agreeably, either in business or pleasure.

Before the distribution of the spoil, each adventurer held up his hand, and protested he had secreted nothing of what he had taken; and if any one was convicted of perjury, a case that seldom occurred, he was punished in a manner truly exemplary, and worthy the imitation of better men. He was expelled the community, and left, as soon as an opportunity offered, upon some desert island, as a wretch unworthy to live in society, even with the destroyers of their species!

After providing for the sick, the wounded, the maimed, and settling their several shares, the buccaneers indulged themselves in all kinds of licentiousness. Their debauches, which they carried to the greatest excess, were limited only by the want that such prodigality occasioned. If they were asked, what satisfaction they could find in dissipating so rapidly, what they had earned with so much jeopardy, they made this very ingenious reply :-" Exposed as we are to a

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variety of perils, our life is totally different from that of "other men. Why should we, who are alive to-day, and "run the hazard of being dead to-morrow, think of hoarding!-Studious only of enjoying the present hour, we never think of that which is to come." This has ever been the language of men in such circumstances: the desire of dissipating life, not solicitude for the preservation of existence, seems to increase in proportion to the danger of losing it.

8. Hist. Gen. des Voyages, tom, xv. liv. vii. ch. i.

The

The ships that sailed from Europe to America seldom tempted the avidity of the first buccaneers, as the merchandize they carried could not readily have been sold in the WestIndies in those early times. But they eagerly watched the Spanish vessels on their return to Europe, when certain they were partly laden with treasure. They commonly followed the galleons and flota, employed in transporting the produce of the mines of Mexico and Peru, as far as the channel of Bahama; and if, by any accident, a ship was sepa rated from the fleet, they instantly beset her, and she seldom escaped them. They even ventured to attack several ships at once: and the Spaniards, who considered them as dæmons, and trembled at their approach, commonly surren dered, if they came to close quarters'.

A remarkable instance of this timidity on the one side, and temerity on the other, occurs in the history of Peter Legrand, a native of Dieppe in Normandy; who, with a small vessel, carrying no more than twenty-eight men, and four guns, had the boldness to attack the vice-admiral of the galleons. Resolved to conquer or die, and having exacted an oath to the same purpose from his crew, he ordered the carpenter to bore a hole in the side of his own vessel, that all hope of escape might be cut off, This was no sooner done than he boarded the Spanish ship, with a sword in one hand, and a pistol in the other; and bearing down all resistance, entered the great cabin, attended by a few of the most desperate of his associates. He there found the admiral surrounded by his offi cers, presented a pistol to his breast, and ordered him to surrender. Meanwhile the rest of the buccaneers took possession of the gun-room, and seized the arms. Struck with terror and amazement, the Spaniards demanded quarter " Like examples are numerous in the history of the bucca

neers.

The Spaniards, almost reduced to despair, by finding them. selves a continual prey to those ravasers, diminished the

9. Ib. ibid.

10. Hist. Buccaneers, part i. chap. vii.