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Project Gutenberg just released Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates - I haven't even got past the gorgeous illustrations, I must share these!
ETA:
Pyle claims (and I'm not sure I belive him*) that before they developed into pirates, the buccaneers survived by buccanning meat - hunting alone, shooting wild cattle, and drying the meat - but that the Spanish who were settled in the area (Tortuga and the mainland nearby) got sick of all these French sailors wandering around and started hunting them...
the buccaneers began to combine together for self-protection, and out of that combination arose a strange union of lawless man with lawless man, so near, so close, that it can scarce be compared to any other than that of husband and wife. When two entered upon this comradeship, articles were drawn up and signed by both parties, a common stock was made of all their possessions, and out into the woods they went to seek their fortunes; thenceforth they were as one man; they lived together by day, they slept together by night; what one suffered, the other suffered; what one gained, the other gained. The only separation that came betwixt them was death, and then the survivor inherited all that the other left. And now it was another thing with Spanish buccaneer hunting, for two buccaneers, reckless of life, quick of eye, and true of aim, were worth any half dozen of Spanish islanders.
(*I'm not sure I believe him because I can't imagine A) one guy being able to haul out a wild cow to a good drying-place, or B) guys ever wanting to hunt alone - don't guys always group together to hunt? It's instinct, right? But I like his hypothesis re the articles being like marriage. :))
ETA:
Pyle claims (and I'm not sure I belive him*) that before they developed into pirates, the buccaneers survived by buccanning meat - hunting alone, shooting wild cattle, and drying the meat - but that the Spanish who were settled in the area (Tortuga and the mainland nearby) got sick of all these French sailors wandering around and started hunting them...
the buccaneers began to combine together for self-protection, and out of that combination arose a strange union of lawless man with lawless man, so near, so close, that it can scarce be compared to any other than that of husband and wife. When two entered upon this comradeship, articles were drawn up and signed by both parties, a common stock was made of all their possessions, and out into the woods they went to seek their fortunes; thenceforth they were as one man; they lived together by day, they slept together by night; what one suffered, the other suffered; what one gained, the other gained. The only separation that came betwixt them was death, and then the survivor inherited all that the other left. And now it was another thing with Spanish buccaneer hunting, for two buccaneers, reckless of life, quick of eye, and true of aim, were worth any half dozen of Spanish islanders.
(*I'm not sure I believe him because I can't imagine A) one guy being able to haul out a wild cow to a good drying-place, or B) guys ever wanting to hunt alone - don't guys always group together to hunt? It's instinct, right? But I like his hypothesis re the articles being like marriage. :))
