The pirate democracy was the first democracy of its kind for the workingman, in which officers were elected, issues were decided by consensus, and all provisions and prizes shared in common. What a difference this must have made to the average fellow who lived in a time of demanded obeisance to governing authorities and who had no voice regarding laws, wages, taxes, and wars. The Articles in Voyage of Plunder were taken from the actual Articles of Bartholomew Roberts, alias Black Bart, a great pirate captain killed in battle in 1722.15 Most pirate ships had similar Articles, providing liberty and equality to all—black and white— including a form of social security in the event of disability
During the height of piracy in the Red Sea, Madagascar became a safe haven for pirates, most particularly the island of St. Mary's. The St. Mary's depicted in Voyage of Plunder is as accurate as history allows, including Adam Baldridge, who had built fortifications complete with cannon, and who acted as supplier to pirates. (Other than King William, Adam Baldridge is the only character in Voyage of Plunder that is not fictional.) The integrated and egalitarian society the pirates experienced with the Malagasy was remarkable during a time of imperialistic colonization, when native peoples were treated as non-equals, or worse, as slaves. The pleasant harmony established on St. Mary's was disrupted, however, when Baldridge sold some of the natives into slavery. Naturally outraged, the Malagasy rose in rebellion. Baldridge escaped, and relations between the pirates and the Malagasy were soon mended; life went on on St. Mary's as before.16
Despite the atrocities committed, there is, indeed, much to be admired about pirates. These colorful characters, defying the role society had set for them, defined their own sense of place and standard of equality, and we can take comfort in knowing that they will continue to capture our hearts through books and movies that thrill us and set our romantic imaginations ablaze. Yet, as we dream about glittering treasure chests, prattling parrots, razor-sharp cutlasses, and leering black flags, we must remember that their allure depended upon whose ship you were on—the pirates’ or the victims’.
1. Cordingly, David, Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates (New York: Random House, Inc., 1995).
2. Johnson, Captain Charles, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates (London, 1724), edited by Manuel Schonhorn, author given as Daniel Defoe (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1972), pp. 84-85.
3. Ibid., p. 422.
4. Cordingly, David, ed., Pirates: Terror on the High Seas—From the Caribbean to the South China Sea (Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc., 1996), p. 147.
5. Botting, Douglas, and the Editors of Time-Life Books, The Pirates (Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1978).
6. Johnson, Captain Charles, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, p. 51.
7. Ibid., p. 439.
8. Cordingly, David, ed., Pirates: Terror on the High Seas—From the Caribbean to the South China Sea, p. 150.
9. Rogozin'ski, Jan, Honor Among Thieves: Captain Kidd, Henry Every, and the Pirate Democracy in the Indian Ocean (Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books, 2000), pp. 87-88.
10. Cordingly, David, ed., Pirates: Terror on the High Seas—From the Caribbean to the South China Sea, pp. 158-160.
11. Dow, George Francis, Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (New York: Arno Press, 1977).
12. Cordingly, David, ed., Pirates: Terror on the High Seas—From the Caribbean to the South China Sea, pp. 128-129.
13. Rediker, Marcus, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750 (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987), pp. 218-219.
14. Sydney, William Connor, England and the English in the Eighteenth Century, vols. I & II (Edinburgh: John Grant, 1891), pp. 267-269.
15. Cordingly, David, Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, pp. 99-100.
16. Rogozin ski, Jan, Honor Among Thieves: Captain Kidd, Henry Every, and the Pirate Democracy in the Indian Ocean, pp. 56-62.
abaft—toward the stern of a vessel. The word abaft is always used in relation to another object—for example, “abaft the mainmast” or “abaft the beam.”
abeam—at right angles to the length of a vessel, but not in the vessel itself.
aft—toward the stern of a vessel. An abbreviation of abaft.
aloft—above the deck of the ship.
amidships—in the center of the ship.
back-staff—a long, triangular-shaped instrument, used for calculating a ship's position.
backstay—a rope support for the mast, extending from the masthead down to the chains at a ship's side.
ballast—weight added to the bottom of a ship, necessary in balancing the ship upon the waters.
banyan—a fancy nightdress for men, originally worn by Hindu tradesmen.
bilge—an enclosed section at the bottom of the ship where seawater collects.
block—a rounded wooden case that houses a pulley, used for lowering and lifting heavy loads. A line through a block forms a tackle.
bow—the front of a ship (rhymes with “cow”).
bow chaser—a gun in the bow, fired when chasing another vessel.
bowsprit—large wooden pole extending off the bow.
brace—two of a kind, as in “a brace of pistols.”
braces—the ropes that work the yards of a vessel.
bulkhead—a wall-like structure in a ship. It separates a vessel into cabins and compartments.
bulwarks—the built-up side walls above the deck of a ship.
cable length—a maritime measure equaling 608 feet.
capstan—barrel-like mechanism, designed for hauling in heavy loads such as an anchor. The capstan is rotated circularly by pushing the long handles that extend like spokes out of the top of the capstan.
careen—to lay a ship on its side for repairs, caulking, and cleaning.
close-hauled—sailing as close to the wind as the ship will allow without the sails luffing.
companionway—a ship's stairway or ladder leading from one deck to another.
courses—the lowest square sails on each mast. They are designated by the name of the mast upon which they're set—for example, “fore course,” “main course,” and “mizzen course.”
crosstrees—pieces of oak set in a horizontal crisscross, located on the upper mast.
cuddy—a small room or cupboard in a ship or boat.
drub—to beat severely.
East Indiaman—a large merchant vessel, belonging to the East India Company, that transported merchandise between Europe and the East Indies. East Indiamen were usually heavily armed, filled with 200 sailors, and avoided by pirates who sought easier prey.
fo'c'sle—the forward area of a ship, directly behind the bow and in front of the foremast. In the Tempest Galley, the area under the fo'c'sle deck was open, but in later ships it was enclosed to provide the crew with sleeping quarters. (Fo'c'sle is short for forecastle and is pronounced FOKE-sul.)
footrope—the horizontal rope suspended under a yard, upon which sailors stand while reefing or furling the sails.
fore, forward—toward the bow of a ship. The foremast would be the mast closest to the bow.
furl—to roll a sail to a yard.
galloon—a narrow trim of lace, metallic braid, or embroidery, with scalloped edges.
gibbet—a vertical post with a projecting arm from which to hang executed criminals for viewing.
grapeshot—small iron balls shot in a cluster from a cannon.
gunwale—the upper edge of the ship's side (pronounced GUN-ul).
halyard—a rope or line used to hoist sails, yards, flags, etc.
head to wind—to steer a vessel such that its bow (head) faces directly into the wind. Forward momentum is slowed, and if the vessel stays in this position, it comes to a dead stop.
heave to—to trim a vessel's sails aback so th
at it no longer makes headway.
heel—to lean to one side, especially due to wind action on a ship.
helm—the steering apparatus of a vessel.
hove to—past tense of heave to.
hull—the main body of a vessel.
knot—a measure of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. One nautical mile equals 1.1508 land miles.
leeward—the side of the ship away from the direction of the wind (opposite of windward; pronounced LOO-urd).
log—a written record of a ship's voyage recorded by the captain.
luff—to turn a ship close to the wind so that the sails shake and momentum is slowed.
main—the principal or most important part in a three-masted vessel; thus, the center mast is called the mainmast, the center hatch the main hatch, and so on.
Malagasy—a native of Madagascar.
man-o’-war—a warship.
marlinspike—an iron tool about sixteen inches long, broad at one end and tapering to a point, used to separate strands of rope.
masthead—the top of a mast.
miniature—a small portrait.
mizzen—the third mast, or aftermast, on a three-masted vessel (short for mizzenmast).
monsoon—the seasonal winds of southern Asia and the Indian Ocean, blowing from the northeast in winter and from the southwest in summer.
painter—a rope attached to the bow of a boat, used for securing the boat to docks, other vessels, landing places, steps, etc.
pawl—an iron stop used to keep the capstan from unwinding.
periwig—a wig for men, characterized by long, voluminous curls.
pinnace—a small boat propelled by sails or oars.
poop deck—a raised deck at the stern of a ship.
port—the left side of a vessel when facing forward.
quarter—the sides of a ship aft of the ship's waist. Quarter is also a term meaning “mercy.” “No quarter” meant that there would be no mercy.
quarterdeck—the deck abaft the mainmast.
queue—a braid of hair tied at the back of the head.
ratline—one of the horizontal ropes attached to the shrouds to form a rope ladder (pronounced RAT-lin).
reef—to reduce the amount of sail in operation.
salt horse—salted, dried beef.
scabbard—a sheath for a sword or cutlass.
scimitar—a cutlass with a deep curve, primarily used by Arabs and Turks.
scuppers—openings cut in the bulwarks to drain seawater.
sheets—lines connected to the lower corners of the sails, used to control the sails.
ship in stays—a ship that has turned head to wind, losing all momentum.
shrapnel—shards of debris flung outward after an explosion or impact.
shroud—a rope, usually one of a pair, that stretches from the top of the mast (the masthead) to the sides of a vessel to support the mast. Sailors climbed the shrouds if they needed to go aloft. The shrouds had horizontal rope rungs called ratlines.
snuff—pulverized tobacco, inhaled through the nose or placed between the lip and gums.
specie—money in coin.
starboard—the right side of a vessel when facing forward.
stern—the back of a ship.
stuns'ls—smaller, triangular sails set between the square sails. Intended to maximize wind power and used only in moderate weather and light winds. (Stuns'ls is short for studding sails and is pronounced STUN-sulz.)
sweeps—very large oars.
tackle—an arrangement of blocks fitted with ropes, used to lift heavy loads.
tar—an informal term for a sailor. Tar is a clipped form of Jack Tar. It derived from the tendency of sailors to treat their clothing, hats, and even their hair with tar as protection against the weather.
thwarts—the wooden seats in a boat that also provide structural support to the hull.
transom—the flat-ended structure at the very stern of the ship.
waist—the center area of a vessel.
windward—the direction facing the wind (opposite of leeward).
yard—a horizontal beam attached to a mast to support a sail.
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