E-text prepared by Adam Buchbinder, Rory OConor, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from scanned images of public domain material generously made available by the Google Books Library Project (http://books.google.com/) Note: Project Gutenberg has the other two volumes of this work. Volume II: see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38632 Volume III: see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38633 Images of the original pages are available through the the Google Books Library Project. See http://books.google.com/books?vid=PCYCAAAAYAAJ&id THE MONARCHS OF THE MAIN; Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers. by GEORGE W. THORNBURY, ESQ. "One foot on sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never." MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. In Three Volumes. VOL. I. London: Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, Successors to Henry Colburn, 13, Great Marlborough Street. 1855. London: Sercombe and Jack, 16 Great Windmill Street. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER I.--THE PRECURSORS OF THE BUCCANEERS. History of Tortuga--Description of the island--Origin of the Buccaneers--Conquest of Tortuga by the French and English--Hunters, planters, and corsairs--Le Basque takes Maracaibo--War with the Spaniards of Hispaniola--The French West Indian Company buy Tortuga--Their various governors 1 CHAPTER II.--MANNERS OF THE HUNTERS. Indian derivation of the word Buccaneer--Flibustier--The three classes--Dress of the hunters--West Indian scenery--Method of hunting--Wild dogs--Anecdotes--Wild oxen--Wild boars and wild horses--Buccaneer dainties--Cow-killing, English, French, and Spanish methods--Amusements--Duels--Adventures--Conflicts with the Fifties, or Spanish militia--The hunters driven to sea--Turn corsairs--The hunters' _engagés_, or apprentices--Hide curing--Hardships of the bush life--The planters' _engagés_--Cruelties of planters--The _matelotage_--Huts, manners, and food 35 CHAPTER III.--THE FLIBUSTIERS, OR SEA ROVERS. Originated in the Spanish persecution of French hunters--Customs--"No peace beyond the line"--"No prey, no pay"--Pay and pensions--Their helots the Mosquito Indians--Lewis Scott, an Englishman, the first Corsair--John Davis takes St. Francis in Campeachy--Their debauchery--Gambling--Religion--Classes from which they sprang--Equality at sea--Mode of fighting--Food--Dress 111 CHAPTER IV.--PIERRE-LE-GRAND, THE FIRST BUCCANEER. Plunder of Segovia--Pierre-le-Grand--Peter Francis--Captures of Spanish vessels--Mode of capture--Barthelemy Portugese--His escapes and victories--Roche the Brazilian--Fanatical hatred of the Spaniards--His wrecks and adventures 152 CHAPTER V.--LOLONNOIS THE CRUEL.