BUCCANEERSPirates followed the gold. Around 1600, the richest prizes sailed from the treasure ports of the New World. Galleons heavy with gold, silver, and jewels set out from the Spanish Main, the mainland of Central and South America. They were bound for the open Atlantic and Spain, but first they had to pass through narrow passages between the islands of the Caribbean-perfect for pirate ambushes.
Deserters and shipwrecked sailors from many countries lived on the Caribbean shores. Many lived by hunting in the hills and preserving the meat in native smokehouses called "boucans." These shabby sailors rowed out to passing ships to sell their smoked meat, so they were called "boucaniers." The name buccaneer came to mean the bands of rough men in those parts.
In 1603, King James I of England canceled all English letters of marque. Privateering in the Caribbean was dead, but rich prizes still sailed for Spain. Ex-privateers formed a pirate navy of their own, based on the island of Hispaniola (present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic). They called themselves the Brotherhood of the Coast, and they fought off Spanish attempts to root them out. The brotherhood welcomed Spanish deserters, convicts, outlaws, and escaped slaves. Some escaped African slaves even became pirate captains.
The buccaneers gave pirates a reputation for cruelty. The Spanish themselves were cruel, but the buccaneers served out even crueler treatment. Did they roast Spanish captives and make other Spaniards eat them? Probably not, many of the pirate legends that started with the buccaneers are exaggerated. Still, they were violent, lawless men greedy for gold and eager to make Spain suffer.
GOLD, JADE AND JEWELS, much of it looted from the old Aztec, Maya, and Inca empires, made Spanish treasure chests fat.
HENRY MORGAN was the most famous of the buccaneer captains. He was violent and heartless, but so successful in attacking Spanish ships and treasure ports in Central America (and so wealthy because of it) that he was knighted and made governor of Jamaica. His greatest prize was sacking the Spanish treasure town of Portobelo in Panama. As governor, he pursued his old pirate friends and hanged them. Four years after he died, a great earthquake struck Jamaica, and his grave was swallowed up by the sea.
GALLEONS were the Spanisht treasure ships. They were large, stable, and fancy. They were good gun platforms in a broadside to broadside sea battle, but they were slow and awkward. Galleons were easy pickings for a surprise attack from a quick pirate schooner packed with vicious fighters.
