The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish MainExquemelin, A. O. (Alexandre Olivier)
History
The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish Main
Exquemelin, A. O. (Alexandre Olivier)
Buccaneers; Pirates; Spanish Main; West Indies -- History
The hunters are again subdivided into two sorts; for some of these only
hunt wild bulls and cows, others only wild boars. The first of these are
called bucaniers, and not long ago were about six hundred on this
island, but now they are reckoned about three hundred. The cause has
been the great decrease of wild cattle, which has been such, that, far
from getting, they now are but poor in their trade. When the bucaniers
go into the woods to hunt for wild bulls and cows, they commonly remain
there a twelvemonth or two years, without returning home. After the hunt
is over, and the spoil divided, they commonly sail to Tortuga, to
provide themselves with guns, powder, and shot, and other necessaries
for another expedition; the rest of their gains they spend prodigally,
giving themselves to all manner of vices and debauchery, particularly to
drunkenness, which they practise mostly with brandy: this they drink as
liberally as the Spaniards do water. Sometimes they buy together a pipe
of wine; this they stave at one end, and never cease drinking till it is
out. Thus sottishly they live till they have no money left. The said
bucaniers are very cruel and tyrannical to their servants, so that
commonly they had rather be galley-slaves, or saw Brazil wood in the
rasphouses of Holland, than serve such barbarous masters.
The second sort hunt nothing but wild boars; the flesh of these they
salt, and sell it so to the planters. These hunters have the same
vicious customs, and are as much addicted to debauchery as the former;
but their manner of hunting is different from that in Europe; for these
bucaniers have certain places designed for hunting, where they live for
three or four months, and sometimes a whole year. Such places are called
deza boulan; and in these, with only the company of five or six friends,
they continue all the said time in mutual friendship. The first
bucaniers many times agree with planters to furnish them with meat all
the year at a certain price: the payment hereof is often made with two
or three hundredweight of tobacco in the leaf; but the planters
commonly into the bargain furnish them with a servant, whom they send
to help. To the servant they afford sufficient necessaries for the
purpose, especially of powder and shot to hunt withal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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