Chapter 2 Chapter 1 The Spanish Pirates

Just off the northwest coast of the ancient land of Hispaniola (the island of Haiti), where we today call Santo Domingo (the capital of the Dominican Republic), there is a curious little island bounded by a strip about five or six miles wide. Separated from the mainland by a narrow waterway, this small island rises from the middle and looks very much like a turtle from a distance, hence the name Turtle Island.The island is about twenty miles long and seven or eight miles wide.It's so small that a pinhead could cover it on a map.Here, however, is the center of a blazing fire, where human evil, ruthlessness, and desires howl, and from the heart of the fire-this small island rages, spreading terror and death to the Spanish-ruled West Indies Augustine to Trinidad, Panama to the coast of Peru.

Around the middle of the 17th century, some French explorers set sail from St. Christopher Island, headed west in galleons and flat-bottomed boats, and began their search for the New World.Seeing the island of Hispaniola "full of joy," they landed, through which they entered the interior, where they found great numbers of bison, wild horses, and wild boars. On the way back to Europe from the West Indies, the fleet needed various supplies, and food, especially fresh meat, was very precious in the Spanish waters at that time. Therefore, if the preserved beef and pork were sold to the fleet returning home, There will be very lucrative profits.

The northwest coast of Hispaniola is located at the eastern outlet of the old Bahama Channel between the island of Cuba and the coast of Grand Bahama, almost on the main road of sea navigation.The French pioneers soon discovered that bison could be caught for nothing from here, which would in the future double their profits in their fresh meat market.So they washed up on Hispaniola in boats of all kinds, and gathered like a swarm of mosquitoes all over the west coast of the island.They set up camp, spent a great deal of time hunting bison, salting their meat, and living a life of dissolute living, squandering the money they earned.In the Spanish West Indies there was never a shortage of opportunities for extravagance.

At the beginning, the Spaniards didn't take the individual Frenchmen who were tired of traveling seriously at all, thinking that they were exhausted from the long journey and had to shoot a bison or two to maintain their strength and energy.However, when the French changed from a few people to a few dozen people, from a few dozen people to dozens, and from dozens to hundreds, the Spaniards found that the situation was getting worse, and it was not what they had imagined. , So the original settlers on the island began to complain, until they complained and became very angry. But these people who make cured meat never pay attention to this. What they worry about is that compared with the mainland, there is a lack of more convenient transportation bases here.

However, the situation soon improved.A group of hunters ventured across the narrow channel between the mainland and Turtle Island, where they found what they had been dreaming of: a port with an exceptional location, right on the junction of Old Bahamian Harbor and Windward Channel, at least a fifth All ships from Spain to India pass through this port. There were already some Spaniards on this island, but their personalities were very docile, and they were happy to make friends with these strangers.Later, more and more French people crossed the narrow sea channel, gathered here, built countless beef processing workshops, and kept turning the bison they hunted from neighboring islands into beef. The island was flooded.It wasn't until this time that the Spaniards here realized that, just like the Spaniards on the Big Island, it was difficult for them to control the situation on the island.

So, one day, half a dozen armed Spaniards came to Turtle Island by boat. They landed from the back of the island, beat the French to pieces, and drove them into the dense forest or the hunters. In stronghold.That night, the Spaniards rejoiced and celebrated wildly in the face of their victory, drunk and unconscious.The defeated French had no choice but to return to the mainland with a small boat, and Turtle Island returned to the hands of the Spaniards again. Although the Spaniards drove the nasty alien invaders out of Turtle Island, they were not satisfied with this small victory. All the way up the Isle of Niola, drive away all the French, leaving not a single bacon maker.There was a time when their operations went very well, for every French hunter went about alone in the jungle, with no companion but a half-domesticated dog at his side, so that when two or three Spaniards met When it comes to a Frenchman, it is almost impossible for the Frenchman to get out of the jungle again. Even if he escapes by chance, he will be in a mess.

But then, this victory for the Spaniards brought them disaster.For these bacon-makers began to band together in self-defense, forming a curious mix of outlaws and outlaws.They're so bonded, so bonded, not even a husband-and-wife relationship can compare to this relationship between them.When two French bacon makers form an alliance, they sign a treaty, lay down the terms of the alliance, combine their fortunes, and go into the woods to wait for their luck.After that, the relationship between the two of them became better and better, as if they had become one person. They ate, lived, and slept together, and shared joys and sorrows.There is no way to separate the two unless one of them dies.if it is like this,

Survivors will inherit all property of the deceased.Therefore, the situation faced by the Spaniards was completely changed. The two people who joined together to make cured meat were completely desperate for their lives. The strength of half a dozen Spaniards. Gradually, more and more French people organized for self-defense, and when they became stronger and stronger, they began to take the offensive and took the initiative to attack the Spaniards.The French landed on Turtle Island again, and now the positions of the two have been reversed. The Spaniards fled Turtle Island like frightened birds, while the French cheered for victory.

After gaining a firm foothold, France sent a local governor named Bathher from St. Christopher Island to manage Turtle Island.Therefore, the defense of Turtle Island was strengthened, and colonists poured in from all over, including many strange and suspicious men and women.It is said that those who make cured meat think that a lima bean is worth as much as a Spanish gold coin, so for brothel and tavern owners, this is a good place to harvest gold coins and make a lot of money.At this time, this small island has completely become the territory of the French. The French on Turtle Island were content and hopeful for the future, having made untold sums of money from ships sailing back home through an orderly and legal trade.However, Pierre Legrand was not satisfied with this. He pioneered the use of piracy to plunder wealth, which is faster and easier than the traditional semi-honest trade they used to engage in. much.

Pierre Legrand gathered another 28 partners who were as brave and reckless as him, and got a boat that was too small to accommodate all the people, bravely sailed into the sea, and sailed into the Caribbean against the wind and waves. ocean.Here they await a prize worth the risk. For a period of time, luck seemed to be against them, they got nothing, and the supply of food and water became less and less, so they had to starve to death, or return to their hometown in disgrace, it seemed that they had no choice but to do so.At this critical moment of extreme embarrassment, they saw a Spanish ship that had been singled out from the convoy of the same line.

The ship the pirates saw was probably originally a longboat attached to a larger ship, and there were one to three times as many Spaniards as there were pirates on board.Although Pierre and his companions were armed only with pistols and machetes, this was their chance, perhaps the only one.They resolved to take the Spanish ship or die in battle, or die.At night, the pirates approached the Spanish ship, and Pierre ordered the ship's doctor to destroy his ship before everyone left.They climbed up the side of the ship, rushed onto the deck with guns in one hand and knives in the other.The Spaniards were unaware of this, for they trusted their ships so much.At this time, a group of pirates rushed into the armory, grabbed weapons and ammunition, and killed all the Spaniards who blocked their way and tried to resist.Another group of pirates followed Pierre into the large cabin.At that time, the captain was playing cards with some friends, and Pierre stepped forward, put the gun to his chest, and ordered him to hand over the ship.Between surrender and death, the Spaniards chose surrender.Through this operation, the pirates gained rich spoils. It was not long before word of this great feat, together with their great fortune, reached the ears of those who made cured meats on Turtle Island and Hispaniola.The feat of the pirates caused a huge commotion and shock, and the whole island was boiling!As a result, hunting bison and making bacon immediately fell out of favor, and the only thing people wanted to do was to plunder other people's wealth and become pirates.Because this will mean that there will be rich rewards, and perhaps even more wonderful things are waiting for them! Soon, piracy replaced all their normal business dealings and became their daily affair.An agreement is reached between the captain and the crew, the terms are signed.Other collaborators also signed secret contracts. In every industry, there are always people who succeed and others who fail.The piracy industry also follows this rule. Some pirates are famous and their names have been handed down to this day; while the names of some pirates slowly lose their luster as time goes by and disappear in people's memory. After tasting the sweetness, Pierre Legrand led 26 thugs, ambitiously rushed into the middle of the "Pearl" fleet in the waters of South America, attacked the vice admiral on board, and captured their ships.Although that ship had eight cannons, 60 people driving, but still doomed.The pirates could have taken the ship safely, but when they sailed, the mainmast of the ship fell down, so although they caught up with the ship, many spoils slipped away from them. Although the two fleets faced only 26 surviving pirates, the Spaniards did not drive them all out, but reached an agreement with the pirates, so Pierre and his men left the battlefield unscathed. The name of the Portuguese Bartholomew is even more noteworthy.He sailed in a small boat with 30 accomplices, and encountered a large ship sailing out of the Corrientes Strait. It is said that there were 70 people on board at the time. They launched another attack on the big ship. Although they failed repeatedly, they persevered and persisted, constantly reorganizing their forces to attack.In the end, the 50 surviving Spaniards on board surrendered to the 20 living pirates.Later, these blood-stained pirates rushed onto the Spanish deck like devils and took them down one by one. Later, the Spaniards waited for the opportunity to organize another battle and regained their ships, and Bartholomew always escaped from danger and escaped safely in a series of incredible adventures.Soon, he organized another adventure team.One night, he encountered the ship that had escaped from him again.While the ship was anchored in the Bay of Campeche, Bartholomew easily captured the ship again under fire and without a single soldier.Soon, near the Isle of Pines, he encountered a hard fight and lost the ship in the fighting.However, his bravery in battle made him famous ever since. There is also an outstanding pirate named Rock, who is not inferior to the first two.The heroic and militant Dutchman came from the coast of Brazil to the Spanish colonies on the American continent, and there seems to have been a place for him on the list of pirates here.In his first venture he captured a treasure ship of incredible value and managed to get it to Jamaica.Later, when captured by the Spaniards, he threatened them that his followers would avenge him with blood.This threat terrified the Spaniards, who eventually let him go. These were the three most famous pirates who ravaged the Spanish colonies on the American continent.In addition to them, there are hundreds of outlaws who are as bold and hungry as they are haunting here. It didn't take long for the dire consequences of these acts of piracy to become apparent.Due to the rampant piracy, the owners of Spanish merchant ships and the people who consigned their goods took great risks, so gradually, commercial activities almost disappeared in this sea area.Without a powerful fleet escort, merchant ships would hardly dare to leave the port. Even with a fleet escort, they would not be able to avoid the infestation of pirates.Goods exported from Central and South America to Europe pass through the Strait of Magellan, and almost no ships use the waterway between the Bahamas and the Caribbean Islands anymore. As a result, piracy, as it came to be known as "bacon," is no longer as lucratively rewarding as it once was.It was as if the cream had been drained and only thin milk remained on the plate.Even after cruising the sea for ten days, it is impossible for the pirates to earn amazing wealth again.Even if you make money, it's hardly enough to cover the cost of taking the risk.Now a new way out must be opened up, otherwise, the pirates can only wait to perish. At this time, someone pointed out a bright way for the pirates and provided them with a new way to extract money from the Spaniards. He was the Englishman Lewis Scott. As the commerce of the Spanish colonies on the American continent was at a standstill, all the wealth was concentrated in the West Indies, where fortified towns gradually formed.Since the sea can no longer bring benefits to the pirates, if they want to make money, the pirates must go to land to plunder property.Lewis Scott was the first to recognize this fact. Gathering a gang of desperadoes as powerful and money-hungry as himself, he raided the Bay of Campeche, sacked the towns, and took everything he could. After looting the town, Scott threatened to set fire to all the houses unless the large ransom he demanded was paid.As a result, he managed to get the money and returned safely to Turtle Island.Thus, the pirate's life problem of "cooking without rice" has been solved. After Scott, a pirate less famous than him started his first journey. This pirate was called Munsville.He went to St. Catherine Island (that is, today's Old Providence Island) and used it as his stronghold, trying to land on New Granada Island and Cartagena Island, but unfortunately his actions all ended in failure. end.Had he not been the quickest and brightest student of the great Captain Henry Morgan, he would not have lived long in the annals of history along with other great pirates.Captain Henry Morgan is the most famous pirate in history. He once served as consul in Jamaica and was awarded the title of knight by King Charles II. After Munsweiler came the more daring John Davies.As a Jamaican native, he seemed eager to become a pirate right from the womb.With only 80 people, he raided the city of Nicaragua on a dark night, knocked down the sentry with a knife, and "shamelessly" looted all the property in the church and residents' homes. Of course, the alarm soon sounded in this town, and the pirates had no choice but to run back to the ship as soon as possible.Although they were only in town for a short time, it was enough time for them to gather together and take away fifty-eight reals worth of money and jewels.In addition, they dragged away more than a dozen people as captives, and extorted a large amount of ransom from these people. At this time, another extraordinary pirate appeared, who pushed the "career" of pirates to an unprecedented height. This person was François Rolloise.He sacked the great cities of Maracaibo and the town of Gibraltar.He is ruthless, and it is chilling to see him.Cold blood flows in his body, he has never been touched by the warmth of human beings, and he has never felt the slightest pity or compassion for the helpless victims who fell under his bloody hands . In order to exterminate him, the governor of Havana dispatched a huge warship and brought along a black executioner, planning to execute the pirate on the spot as soon as he was caught, without delaying the opportunity.However, Roronoiz did not sit still, but took the initiative to fight.When the battleship was encountered, the battleship was moored at the mouth of the East River.At dawn, he launched a fierce offensive. This attack was launched when the opponent was unprepared, and the attack was fierce, so he quickly won a decisive victory.Soon, the pirates captured the warship, and the Spaniards were forced to hide in the cabin, waiting for the arrival of death.The poor Spaniards were dragged out of the cabin one by one, and brutally killed one by one.Rollo Noise stood on the poop deck, watching the bloody massacre with a blank expression.The black executioner was dragged from the rest of the crowd, begging the pirates to spare his life, and vowing to tell them all he knew.Roro Noise interrogated the black man, and after draining all the information, he waved his hand coldly and pushed the poor black man to hell.Only one man survived the massacre, the man who had gone to deliver a letter to the prefect of Havana for Roronoiz.He told the man to tell the magistrate that from now on he would not give any armed Spaniard he came across a chance of survival.This is by no means a bearish threat. The rise of Roro Noise is not very fast. He gradually became famous all over the world after he worked hard and overcame many difficulties.However, Feng Shui took turns, and after several adversities, there was only good luck waiting for him. He achieved one success after another, and this good luck lasted until the end of his life. While patrolling near the bay of Maracaibo, he captured a ship loaded with gold and silver tableware and coins.He also conceived a grand plan, which was to raid the mighty city of Maracaibo.As soon as the plan was drawn up, he couldn't wait to summon 500 desperadoes carefully selected from Turtle Island, and appointed a man named Michael De Basco as the land commander, with more than 200 desperadoes The pirates traveled along the coast and reached the Gulf of Venezuela.They fell upon this hapless city like a plague.After disembarking, the pirates raided the fort at the mouth of Lake Maracaibo.It is this fortress that defends the city and prevents the enemy from invading. The Spaniards fought tenaciously against the powerful offensive of the enemy and tried their best to defend their city.However, after three hours of fighting, in the end, everyone gave up resistance, and the garrison fled the city. Fear and chaos quickly spread in the city.Many residents fled by boat to Gibraltar, south of Maracaibo City.The city is on the shore of Lake Maracaibo, about 40 miles away. Then, these pirates drove straight into the city, and everyone can imagine what happened next.It was a massacre of lust, greed and savagery, unprecedented in the Spanish-ruled West Indies.Residents' homes and churches were looted, and men and women were tortured to reveal more of the treasure's location. After sacking the city of Maracaibo, the pirates sailed into Lake Maracaibo and reached Gibraltar.The terrified people who fled here gathered together, immersed in silent fear. The Consul of Merida was a brave soldier who once served the King of Flanders.He summoned 800 men to strengthen the defense of the town, waiting for the arrival of the pirates.Soon, pirates appeared, and despite the heroic resistance of the warriors, Gibraltar eventually fell.Then, the same tragedy as Maracaibo took place in Gibraltar, except that this tragedy only lasted fifteen days in Maracaibo, but it lasted four full weeks in Gibraltar.Pirates are mad at taking loot from the poor, tortured poor, and all they see is money, money, money! After draining everyone's belongings, they were ready to leave, but before leaving, they also extorted more money and demanded 18,000 silver coins as a ransom for the city, otherwise they would set the city on fire. burn it.The Spaniards were hesitant, they wanted to bargain, but Roronoiz was very decisive and set the city on fire.When the Spaniard saw it, he immediately paid the money demanded by the pirates, and begged these robbers to help put out the spreading fire.The pirates were more than happy to do the job, and despite all efforts to keep the city, half of the city's towns and villages were burned in the fire. After that, they returned to the city of Maracaibo again and demanded a ransom of 38,000 silver coins.Seeing the tragic fate of Gibraltar, the Spaniards did not bargain any more, but it was simply impossible to raise such a large sum of money in such a poor area.In the end, they paid 28,000 silver coins and 500 cattle to redeem the town, and the oppressed and tortured city of Maracaibo finally got rid of the control of these bandits. At Ille de la Vache, the pirates divided up 268,000 silver coins, as well as large quantities of gold, silver and jewels, bundles of silk, linen, and various other spoils. These were the great deeds of Rollo Noise, after which his light gradually dimmed--for it seemed that nature was against such a demon--and then, on some island in the Gulf of Darien, he died in At the hands of the native Indians, his death was tragic and indescribable. Now, it's time for us to tell the story of the greatest pirate ever.He is the best pirate, and even today, his name still has infinite charm. When people see his name, people will think of his brave deeds, indomitable courage, his cruel warlike, and his dedication to the world. The endless greed for gold, he is Captain Henry Morgan, the daring Welshman, it is he who brought the pirate career to the most glorious peak. In order to go to sea, he learned the most popular way at that time to sell himself as a slave and do hard labor on the island of Barbados.Immediately after regaining his freedom, he took up the piracy business and quickly rose through the ranks.He joined forces with Munswelle and participated in the battle of Munswelle against St. Catherine's Island.The island held a special place in Morgan's heart as a military center for attacks on other neighboring shores. Captain Henry Morgan launched the first attack on the Indies under Spanish control, attacking the town of Principe on the island of Cuba with only a few men.It was a daring operation, equaled not even by the famous Panama Raid, and Captain Morgan displayed a courage unsurpassed by any pirate.They calmly landed on the island of Cuba, sacked the town, and swaggered back to the ship.Not only did they escape unscathed, but they took booty worth 300,008 riels, 500 head of cattle, and many captives for ransom. However, when it was time to divide up the money, everyone discovered that there were only fifty-eight thousand silver coins left.Only Captain Henry Morgan himself knew where the rest of the money had gone.The axiom of honesty and integrity has never worked among thieves. Rude, brutal, and deeply dishonest, Captain Morgan seemed to have the power to make savage pirates willingly relinquish all decision-making power to him and obey him completely.Although it is obvious that most of the money has gone into his pocket, there will still be a steady stream of new pirates coming to him, asking to join his team, so his pirate team is getting bigger and better equipped. Getting better and better. Now, the pirates all think that Porto Bello is richer and the conditions are more suitable in all aspects, so they decided to go there to rob.Their decision is about to spell doom for the city.At that time the city was defended by two fortresses, which seemed impregnable, and the magistrate was also a gallant soldier, always wearing the sword of Toledo by his side.However, in the eyes of the pirates, strong fortresses and brave soldiers are not worth mentioning at all, because their greed for gold has made their blood boil and they are carried away. The pirates landed in Port Nasso, a small town about ten miles west of Puerto Bello.They reached this town first, and then they had the audacity to demand that the townspeople surrender.After being rebuffed by the townspeople, Captain Morgan threatens to bloodbath the city if they do not surrender.The city of Bello refused to surrender again, so the pirates launched a fierce attack on the town. Although the townspeople fought bloody, the town still fell.Morgan kept his promise, and they locked everyone in the guardhouse, then set fire to the powder magazine, blowing the soldiers, the castle and all to pieces, and the pirates stormed into the town through the smoke and dust.The consul was still holding out in another castle. He could have held his position, but he was betrayed by his soldiers.Howling pirates poured into the castle, and his wife and daughters hugged his legs and begged him to surrender, but he fought on unwaveringly.Later, the consul was wounded in the head, and the blood flowed down, staining his white collar, and finally, a "merciful" bullet ended his futile struggle. So the tragedy repeated itself here. The pirates ransacked the city and took away everything that could be taken away. Then they threatened to set the city on fire and demanded a ransom from the citizens. The split seemed honest and fair, or at least superficially so.Altogether they looted about 250,000 eight riel in silver coins, as well as a large amount of goods and jewellery. The next to be doomed were the poor towns of Maracaibo and Gibraltar.These two towns have just come out of the shadow of looting in Roronoise, and they have recovered a little bit of life, but they have been looted again.After the pirates had squeezed the two towns dry, they demanded more ransom from the two towns again. At this point in the story, there seems to be a turning point.When Captain Morgan left Gibraltar, he found two huge warships waiting for him at the entrance of the lake.Seeing himself surrounded in the narrow waters, Captain Morgan was forced to negotiate with the Navy, offering to give up all his spoils as long as it would allow him to leave safely.However, this will not work at all. The commander of the Spanish Navy believes that he has completely controlled the situation, and the pirates will definitely not escape from his hands. Therefore, he does not want to negotiate any terms or make any compromises. He is determined to eliminate these pirates. Clean, so that the sea has since returned to calm. It was an unfortunate decision for the Spaniard.Because it was beyond the expectation of the navy commander, this decision not only failed to frighten the pirates, but made the pirates even crazier out of despair. They transformed a huge ship brought from Maracaibo into a "fire ship", set up countless wooden stakes with cloth caps and sailor suits on it, and filled the ship with sulfur , asphalt and oil-soaked palm leaves.The pirates then sailed the fireship out of the harbor and charged directly at the Spanish warship.At this time, the most fearless and bravest volunteer in the pirate group became the helmsman of the fire ship, and the wooden stake wearing a cloth cap stood at the hatch.Although the Spanish battleship was full of guns and guns, the pirates rushed up.It wasn't until this time that the Spaniards realized that the situation was not good. It turned out that the opponents they were facing turned out to be such a group of fierce and terrifying characters, but by the time they realized it, it was too late. The commander tried his best to get rid of the burning ship, but the billowing smoke and raging fire immediately surrounded the two ships, and soon the commander disappeared.The second warship, unwilling to wait for the pirates, sailed into the fort, and amid the sound of gunfire, the cowards abandoned ship and fled.The third warship had no chance to escape at all, and it didn't even have the ability to resist, so it was easily captured by the pirates.In this way, the pirates cleared all obstacles in the waterway at the mouth of the lake and left Gibraltar.Maracaibo and Gibraltar, which were sacked for the second time, were thus left behind by them. Then Captain Morgan decided to embark on another adventure, one unrivaled in the annals of pirates.His plan was to take Panama, the most powerful and best-defended city in the West Indies near Cartagena. In planning this operation, he obtained a permit signed by the Jamaica magistrate to capture enemy merchant ships.Taking advantage of the flexible authority of this permit, he immediately set about preparing all the necessary supplies for the operation. Many people have learned that the great Captain Morgan is planning a great adventure that has never been seen before, so many people flock to his banner to obey his command.Soon, more than 2,000 thugs and pirates gathered around him, all of whom joined the adventure voluntarily, but none of them knew the specific plan of the operation.Hispaola The port of Coron on the island, backed by Il Dravache, was the mustering point for the operation, and the mob gathered here from all directions.They plundered all the places that could be looted and raised all kinds of materials needed for this operation. On October 24, 1670, all preparations were made and the action was about to begin. Everyone may remember that St. Catherine Island was once occupied by Morgan's "teacher" Munsville, and later the Spaniards took it back and strengthened its defenses.Morgan's first piracy attempt was to take St. Catharine's Island, but it ended in failure.Now, intending to use the island as a base for the operation, he made up his mind to take it against all odds.This time, he did. During the rule of St. Catherine Island, Spain fortified the island's defenses. Had the current governor been as heroic as the one who died at Bello Island, the result would have been quite different.In fact, the chief surrendered in the most cowardly manner possible, asking the pirates to pretend to attack in order to preserve his good name.So the pirates got St. Catherine easily. Then, the next move of the pirates was to take Chagres Castle.The citadel was guarded by the mouth of the Chagres River, so to attack Panama City, the pirates had to transport men and supplies across the river.Captain Morgan carefully selected 400 pirates and personally took command of the adventure. Chagres Castle, known to the Spaniards as San Lorenzo, stands at the top of a steep cliff at the mouth of the Chagres River.It is one of the most powerful forts in the West Indies.If Captain Morgan wants to take Panama, he must first capture this fortress. The pirates launched a very ferocious, bloody attack on the castle, and they were desperate to take the castle.However, Panama's defense was no slouch.The pirates attacked again and again, and were blocked again and again, so that until early in the morning, there still seemed to be no sign of the pirates taking the castle.At this critical moment, some houses made of palm leaves in the castle suddenly caught fire, causing a big fire and igniting an ammunition depot, causing a huge explosion.Taking advantage of the panic and chaos in the castle, the pirates fought their way out, rushed into the fortress and occupied the fortress.Most of the Spaniards jumped from the walls, some into the river, and some onto the rocks below.They would rather die than be tortured after being caught.Most of the people who remained in the city were also killed by the pirates, and only a handful of people survived and became slaves to the pirates. The Castle of Chagres fell, and now nothing stood in the way of the pirates to Panama but the untrodden forests. Now, the name of that doomed city is no longer a secret. 亨利·摩根船长带着1200人挤在独木舟里，沿着查格雷斯河逆流而上。他们一路前进，中途偶而停下来休息一下，放松放松僵硬的腿脚。后来，他们到了一个叫克鲁兹·德·圣胡安·加利西亚的地方。由于这里的水太浅，他们只能弃船步行。 他们留下了160只保护船，一旦他们在巴拿马战败，那么这些船将变成他们的救命船。之后，海盗们转身进入了茫茫森林之中。 然而，拿着火柴、炸药和引线的西班牙人，除了要面对海盗，还要面对一个更为可怕的“敌人”，那就是饥饿。在前进的道路上，海盗们基本没有碰到任何抵抗力量，但是无论走到哪里，他们都会把发现的每一块肉、每一粒玉米、每一盎司面包或者任何食品一扫而空或者完全毁掉。即使海盗们成功地击退了西班牙人的伏击或是进攻，西班牙人在逃跑前还是会从死去的同伴口袋里把每一粒粮食全部带走，只留下空空如也的袋子。 曾经参与过这些事件的一个冒险者讲述道：“后来，他们为了想让胃里有点东西，不得不吃那些皮口袋。” 就在这种物资极度匮乏的状态下，他们顽强地前进了十天，他们饿得头昏眼花，虚弱憔悴，有的还发起了高烧。终于，从高山顶上，透过森林中高大的树木，他们看到了巴拿马城中的塔尖。除了还要和西班牙人进行一对四的战斗外，他们离自己的目标已经很近了。而对 于这种实力悬殊的战斗，海盗们早就习以为常了，这对他们来说并不是一件难事。 海盗们冲下山去扑向了巴拿马。出来迎战的的西班牙人——2500个步兵、400匹马和2000头牛。他们把这些牛驱赶到海盗群中，企图打乱海盗们的编队和秩序或者击溃他们。虽然现在只剩下800个强壮的海盗了（其他人要么死在了森林的战斗中，要么在穿过森林的艰苦旅程中掉队了），但是经过两个小时的血战之后，西班牙人抛下了至少600名死去或者快要死去的同伴，疯狂地四下逃命去了。 而那些野牛，大部分被那些快要饿死的海盗们射杀，当作美味来补充体力了。对海盗们来说，杀牛做肉可是他们最拿手的活了。 然后，他们继续向城里进发。经过三个小时的战斗，他们来到了街道上，他们号叫着，兴奋地四处抢掠，他们放纵着燃烧在心里的肮脏的欲望之火。接下来依次上演了对于海盗而言最为平常的事情：抢劫、残杀、勒索。这次惟一的不同是，海盗们没有向这个城市索要赎金，因为摩根已经下令将这座城市彻底毁掉。他们点燃了这座新大陆里最大的城市，巴拿马从此在地球上消失了。摩根船长为什么要这样做？也许除了他自己以外没有任何人知道真正的原因。可能是因为所有秘密的藏宝所都已经被发现，但是不论是什么原因，都只有这位伟大的船长自己才知道。剩下的三周里，摩根和他的同伴就住在这个可怕的地方，他们用175头牲畜驮着成袋的金银珠宝，以及大量货物和600名用来勒索赎金的俘虏，离开了这座废墟。 这笔巨大的财富到底是怎么处置的？到底具有多少价值？除了船长以外没有人知道。但是当海盗们开始分赃的时候，他们才发现每个人只能分到200八里尔银币。 这个大案一经公布，立刻引起了一片诅咒声，这次亨利·摩根船长也感到害怕了。晚上，他和四个同伴趁着夜晚起锚，逃到了海上。据说他们四个人瓜分了大部分的战利品，他们在巴拿马抢到的这批战利品的总价值绝对不少于150万美元。我们大体做一个合理的估算，亨利·摩根在巴拿马西印度群岛抢到的各种各样的财宝如下：巴拿马，150万美元；贝略港，80万美元；普林西比港，70万美元；马拉开波和直布罗陀，40万美元；其他地方掠夺来的钱财，25万美元。这些战利品的总额已经达到了365万美元。 带着这笔用酷刑拷打和勒索从西班牙人手中抢来的惊人财富，以及用最卑鄙无耻的手段从同伴身上搜刮偷窃来的财富，亨利·摩根退出了海盗行业。但是他的赫赫战功举世闻名，亨利·摩根成为了海盗的荣誉，并被慈悲的国王查理二世授予了爵位，后来他被任命为富饶的牙买加岛的地方长官。 然而，其他的海盗继续追随着他的脚步。坎佩切湾被海盗们占领并被洗劫一空，甚至喀他赫纳也沦陷了。但是亨利·摩根已经达到了海盗事业的巅峰，从那以后，海盗们的力量便逐渐衰弱，获得的财富也越来越少。他们也没有先前那么邪恶了，直到最后，他们被全部剿灭。 海盗们的胆子越来越大，事实上，他们太过猖獗，太过无法无天，因此就连当地政府也无法容忍他们那些令人发指的暴行了。于是，当地政府开始严厉镇压海盗行为，这样的行动不但大大削弱了海盗们的力量，并且使他们逐渐地走向了分裂。人们认为海盗组织已经被连根拔起，大家可以安枕无忧了。但事实上并非如此，他们并没有被根除，只是被驱散到四面八方，这些独立的海盗成为了各个罪恶集团的核心人物，把最邪恶的一部分人聚集到了他们的周围。 于是，17世纪，当摩根船长等西印度群岛的海盗们相继退出历史舞台的时候，在大西洋沿海又出现了20多个新生的海盗集团。他们的船只都是武装起来的战舰，上面悬挂着黑色的骷髅旗。海盗集团的成员非常复杂，都是文明社会或者半文明社会的渣滓（包括白人、黑人、棕色以及黄色人种），这些被称为“流亡者”的海盗，全都为了同一个目的，聚集在了海盗旗下的甲板上。 这些从西班牙海盗集团中分支出来的海盗，他们的活动区域并不仅仅局限于美洲海域，他们还活跃在东印度和非洲海岸，甚至连比斯开湾也有他们的踪迹。 这些从著名海盗中滋生出来的分支，改良了他们祖辈的行事方式，他们已经不再满足于只袭击西班牙人，而是把抢劫的目标放在了所有国家的贸易上。 在接下来的50年间，这些海盗在大西洋海岸到处巡游，十分猖狂。新英格兰、中部各省份和维吉尼亚的近海贸易商船如果想要把咸鱼、粮食和烟草等货物运送到西印度，就必须冒着极大的风险，因此对于商人和船长来说，这是一段十分悲惨的经历。此时，贸易和掳获商船变得一样危险，商人们必须选择那些航海技术高超、战斗经验丰富的人来做船长。 当时，美洲海域大部分贸易都由美国近海贸易商船来做，因此，他们所遭受的打击最大，所受的伤害也最深切。港口上经常传来一条条悲惨的消息，比如这艘船被击沉了，那艘船被烧毁了；这艘船被抢走做了海盗船，那艘船被劫走了所有的货物。等到这些船进港的时候，仿佛成了一只被抽干蛋黄的空蛋壳。纽约、波士顿、费城和查尔斯顿都遭受了同样的命运，有钱的船主们不得不扳着手指清点自己的损失，并把这些惨痛的记忆一一刻在石板上。 “流放是指把犯了重大过错的水手放逐到荒岛上。”这是诺亚·韦伯斯为“流放”一词做得最直白的解释。 从那之后，“流亡者”的名字就应运而生了，因为将人放逐到荒岛上可以说是海盗们最有效也是最严厉的惩罚或者复仇的方式。如果一个海盗破坏了他所属海盗集团的一些规则，就会被放逐到荒岛上；如果一个船长坚决抵御海盗的进攻，引起海盗的不满，也会被放逐到荒岛上；甚至海盗船长本身，如果因为统治手段太过严厉，引起了手下人的诸多不满，那么他曾经施加到别人身上的惩罚最终也会落在自己的身上。 流放的过程既简单又残酷。选择好地点以后（通常是一些远离贸易航道的荒岛），海盗们就把受罚的人放在小船上划向岸边。船员们把罪犯捆绑着丢到沙滩上，然后留给他一支枪、半打子弹、一点弹药和一瓶水，之后，便返回船上，把这个可怜的人孤零零地丢弃在荒岛上。被流放的人要么大喊大叫直到发疯；要么就彻底绝望，直到慈悲的死神来到身边，把他从痛苦中解救出来。当然，很少有人知道被放逐的这些人在荒岛上的遭遇。有时，在经过一些荒岛的时候，船员们会在刺目的阳光下看到白沙滩上的一些白骨，但是人们知道的也就只有这些了，这就是流放者的命运。 那时，大部分的海盗船长都是英国人，因为从优秀女王贝丝时代开始，英国海军的船长们就带有一丝海盗的意味。从早期伟大的德雷克海军上将到加勒比海盗时期凶猛的摩根，英国人的行为都是最大胆、最邪恶的，他们犯下了滔天的罪行，给世界造成了重大损失，也给人类带来了巨大的灾难。 在著名海盗的名单上最先要被提到的就是胆大妄为的艾弗瑞船长，他是开启流放制度先河的祖先之一。受到传奇故事和民间传说的迷惑，我们只能看到他隐藏在故事中的、模糊不清的身影。后来，许多海盗的成就都超过了他，然而因为他是有历史记载的第一个流放罪犯的海盗，因此闻名于世。 当时，英国人、荷兰人和西班牙人都联合起来，在西印度地区打击海盗行为，一些旧英格兰的布里斯托尔港的知名人士出资，装备了两艘军舰，以实际行动来支持这项值得称赞的打击海盗行动。因为布里斯托尔的商业在旧时代的摩根和罗罗诺易兹手下遭受过最为重大的损失。其中一艘军舰被命名为“公爵号”，首领是吉布森船长，助手是艾弗瑞。 他们驶向了西印度群岛，在这里，海盗行为所带来的巨大利润给艾弗瑞留下了深刻印象，海盗们只需要付出很少的努力就可以获得大量的财富，这都让他艳羡不已。 一天晚上，船长（最愿意喝酒的人）一反常态，没有到岸上去痛饮朗姆酒，而是在自己的船舱里私下饮酒。当他醉醺醺地在船舱里打鼾的时候，艾弗瑞和几个同谋者从容不迫地在夜色中穿过了停泊在港口的联军舰队，将船驶出了科卢那港。 不久，天亮了，船长在摇晃颠簸的船中被惊醒，听到甲板上到处都是走来走去的脚步声。他头脑一片混乱，躺在床上翻来覆去地想这究竟是怎么回事？很快，他拉响了铃，一会儿艾弗瑞和另一个同伴走了进来。 “到底发生了什么事？”船长躺在床上大声问道。 “没什么事。”艾弗瑞镇定地回答。 “这只船肯定出现问题了，它还在行驶吗？天气怎么样？” “噢，没有停，我们现在正在海上呢。”艾弗瑞说。 “在海上？” “过来，过来！”艾弗瑞说，“我告诉你怎么了。你必须明白现在我是这艘船的船长了，你赶快收拾包袱从这个房间离开。我们必须去马达加斯加岛挣大钱，如果你想参加这次旅行的话，如果你能够冷静而沉着地照顾好自己的话，那么，我们很高兴。如果你不愿意的话，边上有只小船，我们会把你送上岸。” 这个可怜的半醉半醒的船长根本不想听从这个卑鄙的助手的命令去做海盗，因此他和其他四五个同样不愿意做海盗的船员匆忙划船离开了。 其他的人向着东印度继续航行，打算在这些水域里试试自己的运气。艾弗尔船长斗志昂扬，根本不打算在西印度地区浪费时间，因为这里已经被摩根船长和其他后继者榨干了财富。不，他决定做一次大胆的尝试，不论是赢是输，他只想看到结果。 在途中，他又遇到了两个与他臭味相投的家伙，两艘来自马达加斯加岛的单桅帆船。靠着这些，他驶到了东印度海域寻找机会。有一段时间，他似乎销声匿迹了，但是在突然之间，他的名字又大放光彩，被世人所知。据说，当时有一艘大莫卧儿帝国的船只，满载了金银珠宝，还有莫卧儿君主的女儿（他们是伊斯兰教徒），在去麦加朝圣的途中遭遇了海盗，短暂的对抗之后，船只被迫向海盗投降，于是这个年轻的女人和她的仆人们，以及船上所有的宝石、珍珠、丝绸、金银统统成为了海盗的囊中之物。据说，大莫卧儿君主对自己的新生骨肉所遭受的耻辱大为愤怒，威胁说要铲平散布在海岸边的少数英国殖民地。东印度公司为此感到十分紧张，之后，又传出谣言：不管公主愿意还是不愿意，艾弗尔都要迎娶公主成为王侯，再也不干臭名昭著的海盗行当了。而那些宝藏，经过众人传说，已经变成了无价之宝。 去除传奇和夸大之辞的外壳之后，我们可以看到故事的真相——艾弗尔确实遇到了一艘载满大量财富（也许还有莫卧儿公主）的印度船，并且俘获了它，获得了丰厚的战利品。 后来，艾弗尔觉得通过抢劫他已经得到了足够的钱，因此决定退出江湖，希望后半生过上体面的生活。为了达到这个目的，他采取的一个措施就是把马达加斯加伙伴们分到手的钱再骗回来。他劝说他们把所有的钱财放在自己的船上，因为三艘船中他的这只船最大，相对来说比较安全。把钱骗到手之后，在一个晴朗的晚上，他改变了自己船只的航行方向。天亮以后，马达加斯加单桅帆船上的人们发现自己的船只正孤零零地飘荡在广阔的海面上，他们辛苦赚来的钱一点也没有剩下。 艾弗瑞本想定居在马萨诸塞州的波士顿，如果不是因为那个城镇太过荒凉，令人恐惧的话，也许那里就成为了这个名人的安身之处了。他不喜欢波士顿看似荒凉的感觉，于是继续向东航行，到达了爱尔兰，在比迪福德定居，希望从此过上舒适的生活。在这里，他是一个大财主，拥有许多金银珠宝，比如成堆的珍珠、钻石、宝石，但是他的口袋里却只有叮当作响的十几枚法新（相当于1/4旧便士）。于是，他找了一个布里斯托尔商人来商量如何处置这些宝石。不幸的是，这个人的品质与艾弗尔不相上下。在充当了艾弗尔的经纪人后，他带着珠宝就出发了。从此以后，这位海盗再也没有见到过自己的印度珠宝。 在美国人心中，最有名气的海盗应该是罗伯特·基德船长，以及被称为“黑胡子”的爱德华·蒂奇船长了。 今天，有关基德的评论以及他到底是不是海盗，已经没有争论的意义了。多年以来，在海盗中，他是英雄中的英雄。据说，沿着我们海岸边的每条小河或者溪流，在每一块陆地上，以及海水冲出的洞穴里都埋藏着属于他的、数量惊人的宝藏。但那些终归只是传说。Now 我们可以肯定，他从来就不是一个海盗，也从来没有埋藏过任何宝藏。虽然传说有一次他把一个箱子藏在了加地纳岛上，但是这件事情也许都是虚构的。 所以，我们应该把可怜的基德列为高尚可敬的人，虽然这种人有时听起来没有什么趣味。 但是“黑胡子”就完全不同了，他具备了海盗应有的粗野和疯狂，他确实埋藏过宝藏，并且曾经杀害过不止一位船长。他谋杀过很多人，估计具体人数就连他自己也数不清楚。他在这个位置上坐了好几年，当然，也许是和其他人一起坐在这个位置上的。 蒂奇船长出生于布里斯托尔，1702年的法国战争时期，他学会了在私掠船上做生意。他表现出众，无人能及。1716年的下半年，私掠船船长本杰明·霍尼戈尔十分赏识他，并且提拔他让他指挥一艘刚刚俘获的单桅帆船，就这样，“黑胡子”的海盗生涯就开始了。这只是很小的一个起步，但是不久，蒂奇就把“私掠”转向了“海盗”。他不但自己成为了海盗，还劝说老船长加入了海盗的行列。 接着，他开始了一系列胆大妄为、无法无天的掠夺行动，并且很快成名，一跃进入了最伟大的“流亡者”海盗的行列中。 一位旧历史学家曾经大加歌颂这位伟大人物的武器装备和他的勇敢无畏，他说：“主人公，之所以获得“黑胡子”的绰号，是因为他的脸上长满了浓密的黑胡子，他就像恶魔一样，让人感到害怕。他喜欢按照拉米伊假发的样式，用带子把自己的胡子扎成许多小辫子，然后把它拨到耳朵边上。行动的时候，他会背着弹弓，像挂弹药带一样把三支手枪挂在手枪皮套下。他甚至把点燃的火柴夹在帽子下，照亮脸颊，他的目光看上去十分凶恶而又疯狂。总之，他的装扮让人完全无法想象出还有哪个来自地狱的复仇之神会比他更可怕。” 在被杀害的前一天晚上，“黑胡子”还和一些臭味相投的伙计在一起喝酒，直到天亮。其中一个人问他，他那可怜的年轻妻子是否知道他的藏宝地点，他回答道：“当然不知道，除了魔鬼和我自己，没有人知道宝藏在哪里，谁活得最长，谁就将得到它。” 至于他那可怜的妻子，遭到了“黑胡子”和同船水手们的残酷迫害。他妻子的命运十分悲惨，让人不忍心说下去。 有一段时间，“黑胡子”在美洲大陆上的西班牙殖民地进行抢劫。几年之后，他从捕获的船只上得到了一些财富，但是，他并不满足于这些，决定去卡罗莱纳海岸边试试运气。因此，他带着一支由自己的两只战舰和两只捕获来的单桅小船组成的舰队，沿着海岸线向北出发了。从那时起，他就在不知不觉中以自己微小的力量，积极地参与到了美国历史的创建当中。 他先是出现在查尔斯顿港口附近，在这个富裕的城镇里呆了五六天。他封锁了这个港口，任意妄为地扣留来往的船只，导致这个省的贸易完全陷入瘫痪之中。他把扣押下来的船只作为自己的战利品，还把所有的船员和乘客（在这些人中有很多当时有名望的人）当作战俘扣押下来。 对于善良的查尔斯顿居民来说，天天看着海盗船上那个画有黑色骷髅的黑色旗子，飘荡在绿色盐沼平原的对面，真是一件非常恐怖的事情。而且人们也都知道有几个很著名的人物和其它罪犯一起被关押在船舱里，这让人感觉非常不快。 一天早上，黑胡子船长发现医药储备太少，但是他说道：“嘘！我们用不着为这个发愁。”他让舰队中“复仇号”单桅帆船的理查兹船长，带着马克先生（一个囚犯）去到查尔斯顿取药。没有人比我们的查理兹船长更适合执行这项任务了。驾船到城镇以后，他咀嚼着烟草，厚颜无耻地对地方长官说：“你看，我们需要这些东西，如果我们拿不到的话……哼哼，跟你明说吧！我们就烧了你们那些该死的船，割断船上所有笨蛋的喉管。” 面对着这么可怕的敌人，这位可敬的地方长官和善良的查尔斯顿人们并没有反抗，他们深知黑胡子和他的这些同伴残忍无比，说到就能做到。因此，黑胡子得到了药品，虽然这些药品一共花去居民们2000美元，但是这笔开销却物有所值，因为它使镇子摆脱了这些强盗的控制。 据说，理查兹船长同镇长谈判的时候，他的船员在街上肆意妄为，耀武扬威，善良的居民们只能愤怒地望着他们，不敢有丝毫怨言，更不敢有所行动。 从扣押的船只里搜刮了七八千美元之后，海盗们起航离开了查尔斯顿港，向北卡来罗纳州进发了。 然后，黑胡子和自己的许多同类一样，开始绞尽脑汁地盘算着如何把同伴们分得的钱骗到手。 他把自己的船搁浅在上桅帆岛的入港口，假装发生了事故。另一只船的船长汉斯假装过来帮忙，也把他的船搁浅在了沙滩上。现在，这只小舰队只剩下另外一只船能够行驶了，他们只能乘着这只小船走了。黑胡子带着他的40个心腹驾着小船离开，其他的海盗们只能在岸边傻等着同伴回来，但是他们再也没有看到这些同伴的身影。 至于黑胡子和那些一起离开的伙伴，因为分钱的人少了，自然每个人分到的钱就多了。但是，尽管如此，在黑胡子看来，别人分得的钱仍然太多。于是，他又把大约20个人流放到了一个光秃秃的沙坝上。后来，这些人被偶尔路过此处的另外一个海盗救了上来，这个海盗就是少校史代德·博奈特，下面我们会详细讲述他的故事。当时，皇家贴出告示宣称，如果武装海盗们在规定的日期之前能够投案自首的话，就可以得到赦免。于是，黑胡子找到了北卡罗来纳州的镇长，准备归顺政府，保住自己的性命。但是，他仍然牢牢地抓住了已经弄到手的财富。 后来，胆大妄为的黑胡子船长在北卡罗来纳州定居，并和当地的长官建立了密切的联系，两人互惠互利，相安无事。这位放弃了冒险生活的胆大妄为的海上流浪者终于过上了安定的生活，他的心情愉快极了。当然，偶尔他还会在手头紧张的时候，到附近的海域，打劫一两个商人。他过着平凡的旧式殖民地的生活，身边陪伴他的是一个16岁的年轻妻子，这是他在世界不同港口娶的第14任妻子了。 后来，由于厌倦了这种懒散的生活，黑胡子又重操旧业，开始了海盗生涯。一段时间内，他在北卡罗来纳州的各个水湾和海湾进行巡游，他支配着当地的一切，没有一个人敢反抗他。直到人们再也无法忍受时，当地居民派了一个代表团上诉到维吉尼亚地方长官那里，问他是否愿意帮助他们摆脱当前的困境。 当时正好有两艘战舰停泊在詹姆斯河的刻克夸坦，维吉尼亚地方长官便求助于他们，于是，他们派出了勇敢的海军上尉梅纳德。梅纳德驾着“珍珠号”前往奥克拉科克港口，与在当地飞扬跋扈的海盗们交战。当船驶入港口的时候，他发现黑胡子正在等着他，并且和他一样做好了战斗准备。后来双方打了起来，这场战斗非常精彩，与人们所期待得一模一样。黑胡子干了一杯烈酒，祝企图登上他的船只的海军上尉好运。他首先向船的一侧开炮，打死了大约20个士兵，同时彻底毁坏了对手的小型单桅帆船。之后，在浓烟的掩护下，海盗和他的手下登上一只单桅帆船。在这里，黑胡子和上尉进行了一场传统的近身白刃战，两个人的表现都相当精彩。刚开始的时候，他们还用手枪射击进攻，后来，他们改用弯刀近身交战，他们的弯刀忽左忽右，上下飞舞，令人眼花缭乱。最后，海军上尉的弯刀刀柄断裂。本来黑胡子可以轻而易举地结束海军上尉的性命，但此时上尉的一个下属冲了过来，一刀砍在了他的脖子上。海军上尉逃过了这一劫，只是关节处受了一记刀伤。 其实，最初在两人用手枪火拼的时候，黑胡子已经中了一枪，但是他并没有放弃，因为放弃不是他的性格。就像前面所说得那样，他是一个真正强悍、疯狂的海盗，直到身上被砍了二十多刀，中了五枪之后，他才停止了反抗。直到最后，他还想发射一支已经没有了子弹的手枪时，倒在地上死去了。后来，海军上尉砍下了他的头，把这个血淋淋的战利品挂在了被毁坏的单桅帆船的船头，一路凯歌返回了港口。 那些在战役中没有战死的“黑胡子”的手下们被押送到了维吉尼亚。所有的海盗都受到了审判，并被处以绞刑，但是仍有一两个幸存下来，无疑，他们的名字都留在了州历史的档案中。 但是正像民间传说得那样，“黑胡子”把自己的钱财埋在了他所到过的沙岸上了吗？ 在“索尔兹伯里号”船上服役的英国海军少尉候补军官克莱门特·唐宁曾经到马达加斯加岛巡逻。当时，“索尔兹伯里号”被派到这片饱受海盗摧残的水域，来终结恣意妄为的海盗行为。任务结束返航以后，他写了一本书，书中说： “在古扎拉特，我遇到了一个名叫安东尼·德·席伯斯特的葡萄牙人，他像许多当时的欧洲人一样，和其他两个葡萄牙人、两个荷兰人一起受雇于摩尔人。安东尼告诉我，他加入过海盗集团，黑胡子在维吉尼亚被杀的时候，他就在附近的一艘单桅帆船上。他告诉我，我应该去桑树岛附近的约克河或者马里兰看看，在岸边走的时候经常会发现海盗们埋藏的用铁甲包裹起来的盛满金银珠宝的大箱子。然而，我从来没有到过那里，也没有我熟悉的人去过那里，但是我确实听说那里有个叫桑树的岛屿。如果经过那里的人寻找一个方便登陆的小水湾去看看，在水湾尽头挖一条小路，那么他可能很快就能弄清这个消息到底是真是假了。那个葡萄牙人说，登陆点的对面有五棵树，钱就埋在树中间。我不敢保证他说得话是真的，但是如果我有机会到那里的话，我一定会想办法去看看，满足一下自己的好奇心，反正这也不费什么事儿。如果有人想得到这批宝藏，如果有人有机会去英格兰，希望他能够记得这条消息。” 另外一个知名海盗就是爱德华·劳船长。他在旧波士顿学会了制帆工艺，后来在洪都拉斯做了海盗。相信在这个行业里，没有人能够超越他的成就，也没有人比他更加残忍、更加肆无忌惮。奇怪的是，很少有诗歌、著作来讲述这个伟大的人的故事，其实，他和黑胡子一样值得人们去传颂和记住。 在一个美国船长的领导下，他开始了第一次航行，目的地是洪都拉斯。他们的目标是弄到洋苏木树，在那个时候，弄到这个东西相当于从西班牙人那里偷到钱。 一天，在岸边巡游了一段时间之后，劳和其他船员们便在洪都拉斯海湾的沙滩上砍洋苏木树。砍了一个上午后，他们划着船离开了海滩。 “你们在找什么？”当看到他们两手空空返回时，船长便问。 “我们在找午饭。”劳说（他是工人们的代言人）。 “你们没有午饭”，船长说，“除非你们再砍一批树。” “不管有没有饭，我们都会买单的”，劳说着便举起一支步枪，瞄准之后，扣下了扳机。 幸运的是，子弹没有发射出去，美国船长的命保了下来，他们可以再多偷一段时间的洋苏木树了。 然而，劳不能再待在这里了，因此他和伙伴们划着捕鲸船匆忙离开，在海上抢劫了一艘双桅船后，便加入了海盗的行列。 不久，他就遇到了臭名昭著的劳塞尔船长。这是一个与他臭味相投的家伙，劳塞尔船长教给了劳当时还不了解的邪恶手段，为自己的“海盗教育”划上了圆满的句号。 于是不久之后，爱德华·劳变成了海盗首领，成为了业内的名人。但是由于那顿没有到手的午饭，从此以后他就痛恨每一个美国人，以至于从来不会放过任何一个不幸落到他手中的美国人。有一次，出海到南卡罗来纳州附近的时候，他遇到了一艘名叫“阿姆斯特丹商号”的船，船长是威廉森。这是一艘美国船，当然还有一个美国船长。爱德华·劳把船长的鼻子削了下来，把耳朵割了下来，然后高高兴兴地走了，他认为把一个美国人弄残废是一件十分快乐的事情。 这位残暴的船长不止一次地到过纽约和新英格兰，每次他的到来，都会给这两个地方带来灾难，因此这两座城市的人们清清楚楚地记着他的每一次到来。 1722年的一天，马波海德镇前停泊着13艘船。后来，一艘陌生的船只驶进了港口。“那是谁的船呀？”城镇的居民问。因为在当时，有新船到访不是一件小事情。 很快大家就清楚是谁来了。这艘船上挂着一面黑色的旗子，旗子上画着骷髅头。 “这是杀人成性的劳”，所有人都异口同声地说道。立刻，人群骚乱起来，镇子陷入了混乱的状态，就好像一只鹰飞进了池塘，所有的鸭子都乱成了一团一样。 这对于我们的船长来说却是一件好事，因为这里居然同时停泊着13艘美国船。于是他带走了自己想要的东西，然后大摇大摆地离开。这次“造访”令马波海德镇的居民久久不能忘怀。 在这之后，他和他的同伴遭遇了一艘英国战舰“灰狗号”，在战斗中，海盗船很快沦陷了，但是劳却十分幸运地溜走了，他把那些同伴们丢在了法律和秩序的面前。这些海盗十分走运，他们没有被蒙上眼睛反捆着手，而是受到审判并被处以极刑。 后来，这位海盗便消失在时光的浓雾中，没有任何人知道他的下落。有人说他在新奥尔良死于一场黄热病。说