The largest pirate ship in history. Vessels of sea cutthroats: the nine most formidable. The most famous literary hero and his squadron

Sloops
AT early XVIII For centuries, a sloop meant various ships built in the Caribbean. Sloops were usually small single-masted ships carrying disproportionately powerful sailing weapons. This made them fast and agile, which, combined with their shallow draft, made them ideal pirate ship. Usually the sloops were equipped with a slanting main sail and a jib on the bow. Sloops could also be called two- and three-masted ships with similar sailing weapons.

Bartholomew Roberts on the West African coast. Behind him is a fleet of slave ships he captured. There are also the Royal Fortune and the Great Rinder, Roberts' ships. Images of two flags are clearly visible.

Schooners
During the 18th century, schooners became an increasingly common type of ship. Usually schooners are defined as two-masted ships with slanting sails on both masts. The narrow hull and large sail area made them fast, the usual speed of a schooner with a fair wind exceeded 11 knots. The draft of the schooner was also small, which allowed them to swim freely among the shallows and close to the shore. With a displacement of up to 100 tons, the pirate schooner carried 8 guns and a crew of about 75 people. The disadvantage of the schooner was the insufficient cruising range. It was often necessary to call at ports to replenish supplies of water and food. However, with sufficient knowledge and skill, the pirates took everything they needed from the sea.

brigandines
Another type of ship often found off the American coast was the brigandine. A brigandine is a two-masted ship, on the foremast it carries direct sails, and on the mainmast it carries an oblique lower sail and direct topsails. Such sailing equipment allows the brigandine to effectively go both jibe and badewind. The length of the brigandine is about 24 m, the displacement is about 150 tons, the crew is 100 people, and the armament is 12 guns.

A variant of the brigandine was the brig, but this type of ship was quite rare in American waters. The brig carried straight sails on both masts, although slanting sails were sometimes placed between the masts. Sometimes a slanting gaff sail was placed on the mainmast. In this form, the ship was called shnyavay. The Royal Navy used shnaves as patrol ships in Caribbean waters.

Three-masted ships (direct sailing)
Three-masted ships with direct sailing weapons could be considered ships in the full sense of the word. Although three-masted ships were slower than pirate schooners and sloops, they still had a number of undeniable advantages. First of all, they were distinguished by better seaworthiness, carried heavier weapons and could accommodate a large crew. Many pirates, including Bartholomew Robert and Charles Vane, favored three-masted ships.

Three-masted merchant ships were actively used in that period. Queen's N Revenge by Edward Teach was a converted slave ship, adapted to carry 40 guns. Usually a merchant ship with a displacement of 300 tons carried more than 16 guns. Three-masted warships subdivided into several ranks. A ship of the 6th rank carried from 12 to 24 guns. A ship of the 5th rank already carried up to 40 guns. This weaponry was usually more than enough to defeat any pirate in an artillery fight. The only exceptions were Roberts' Royal Fortune and Teach's Queen En Revenge, as well as several other pirate ships that carried comparable weapons.

Pirates, by the very nature of their occupation, needed maneuverable, fast, and well-armed ships. And, of course, they didn't bother building them - why? After all, it is easier to capture a ship, evaluating its seaworthiness in advance. Pirates needed speed in order to catch up with the fleeing prey, and in order to carry their own legs if they ran into military frigates. Having seized merchant ships, pirates usually “tuned” them: they removed deck superstructures, bulkheads in the hold, made them lower, sawed off one of the masts, and sawed out additional ports for guns in the sides.
The most legendary pirate ships were even faster than ordinary ships. For example, Charles Vane, hunting in the Bahamas, moving away from sea patrols in 1718, advanced two of his feet for every foot.

1. "Queen Anne's Revenge"

This is how the no less famous corsair Edward Teach named his famous ship. It was on this ship that he reached the peak of his filibuster career. Until 1717, this ship was a French merchant ship "Concorde" with 14 guns and a displacement of about 200 tons. Why Teach gave the ship such a strange name remains unknown. There is different versions, one of which says that it was his nostalgia for the past, when Teach was in military service during the reign of this queen.
Having captured the Concorde, Teach showed unexpected nobility - he transferred his captain to his old sloop, added his slaves to him, with whom he managed to swim to Martinique. The name change was only a small part of the metamorphoses that then occurred with the former merchant ship. Teach or "Blackbeard", as he was called, brought the number of guns on the sides of the ship to 40. A small team of pirates then panicked merchant ships, this is not surprising, because now their ship was second in firepower after the ship of Bartholomew Roberts .

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2. "Royal luck"

This ship, with a much more understandable name, belonged to the famous Welsh pirate John Roberts, better known as Bartholomew Roberts. He worked not only in the Caribbean, but also in the Atlantic, managing to capture over 400 ships. His behavior was extravagant. Engaged in piracy for many years, Roberts changed several ships. In 1719 he was chosen captain of the "Royal Tramp", which had 30 guns in service. Leaving on a captured sloop in pursuit of a brigantine, he met with the betrayal of his own assistant Walter Kennedy and the crew, who had deserted. Then Roberts named his 10-gun sloop “Luck”, and forced his sailors to swear allegiance on the Bible.
In 1721, he captured a 42-gun French ship, which he called "King's Fortune". Such a ship was considered impregnable, and mastering it was a glorious victory, especially since the governor of the island of Martinique was on board. The gallows awaited the latter because he had previously hanged many pirates from Roberts' entourage. Driving such a warship, it seemed that it was no longer possible to be afraid of other warships. But the very next year, as a result of a battle with the English warship Swallow, Roberts was killed.

3. Ouida

The famous flagship "Ouida" was in the hands of filibuster Black Sam Bellam. Historians claim that the name of the ship appeared in honor of the city of Ouida, located on the territory of modern Benin - in those days it was the center of the slave trade. This ship was launched into the water in 1715 in the port of London. The ship was intended to transport slaves from Africa. From London, he followed to Africa to sail further to North America. The vessel was lowered from the stocks in the rank of the fastest vessel capable of reaching a speed of 13 knots. This was necessary to reduce the time of transportation of slaves, who died in the holds like flies.

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4. "Adventure"

Scottish privateer William Kidd's favorite ship was the Adventure. "Adventure" was both a frigate equipped with straight sails and a galley, since it also had oars. The latter made the ship especially maneuverable, both in wind and in calm weather. He had 34 guns on the sides and a displacement of 287 tons. The ship's crew consisted of 160 people. The main objective of the "Adventure" was just the destruction of other pirate ships. Kidd himself was accused of piracy and other crimes, but to this day this case remains unfinished.

5. "Fantasy"

The ship "Fantasy" was commanded by Henry Avery, who had several nicknames - "Lanky Ben", "Archipirate" and was one of the luckiest gentlemen of fortune. The Fantasia was originally a 30-gun frigate, the Charles II, whose crew took pleasure in robbing French merchant ships. When a riot broke out on it (usually a matter for pirates), the first assistant to Captain Avery seized power there. He began by renaming the ship (which is also typical), after which he gloriously rioted on it, and only death separated them.

6. "Happy Delivery"

On this small but glorious vessel, the English pirate George Lauter ironed the expanses of the Atlantic and the Caribbean in the 18th century. His favorite technique was to ram the pursued vessel and then board with lightning speed. "Delivery" was very suitable for such tactics.

7. "Rising Sun"

This ship with a beautiful name belonged to one of the most ruthless thugs - Christopher Moody, who did not take anyone prisoner on principle, preferring to quickly send the captives to the next world. Therefore, having seen the 35-gun frigate "Rising Sun" on the horizon, most of the ships sought to slip away beyond the horizon line as quickly as possible. And it could be distinguished by a bright and recognizable flag. This continued until Moody was caught and hanged.

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8. Talkative

During the golden age of piracy, there was a Creole pirate, John Bowen, who sailed on a large 50-gun ship, the Talkative, which had a displacement of 450 tons. Initially, the ship transported slaves, but when Bowen got it, it began to boldly hunt Mauritanian ships.

9. "Retribution"

This 10-gun sloop was sailed by Steed Bonnet, who was called the "gentleman of the pirates" because this Englishman was of noble birth. The life of the ship, though short, was eventful: at first it was owned by a small landowner, then the Blackbeard pirate, who was amnestied, but the ship returned to piracy. The Retribution was a small and agile craft that managed to sink larger ships.

10. Golden Doe

This small galleon belonged to the famous Francis Drake, who, following Magellan's Victoria, managed to sail around the globe. The ship was built in the English Aldenburg and was called the Pelican. It was a galleon - a new type of ships that replaced caravels and caracci in the 16th century. Its body was decorated with the image of a pelican, as well as red and yellow diamonds. When the ship changed its name, the pelican on the hull was replaced by a deer, moreover, under the bowsprit, a deer figure cast from looted and therefore cheap gold was fixed.

ship, flag and appearance- only these three things could put a pirate above the rest of the world. A fast ship, a flag with a bad reputation, and an intimidating appearance - these are often enough to make the enemy surrender without a fight. When success depends on how much fear you can instill in the victim, these three things were of no small importance, and they also served as evidence of the pirate's luck.

Pirates didn't build their own ships. Pirate ship was supposed to be fast, maneuverable and well-armed. When capturing a ship, they first of all looked at its seaworthiness. Daniel Defoe said that a pirate ship is first of all “a pair of light heels that will come in handy when you need to grab something quickly or get away even faster if you get grabbed”. On captured merchant ships, the hold bulkheads, deck superstructures and one of the masts were often removed, the poop was made lower, and additional cannon ports were cut into the sides.

As a rule, pirate ships outperformed ordinary ships in speed, which was very important both in order to catch up with the victim and in order to get away from the chase. For example, when Charles Vane hunted a ship in the Bahamas in 1718, he easily evaded sea patrols, "making two feet on their one".

Most pirate captains haven't changed ships throughout their careers.(which was often very short - we can even talk about months, not years; even Blackbeard's reign of terror lasted only a few years). However, there were those who changed ships like gloves - Bartholomew Roberts had about six of them. As for the captured ships, they were usually sold or simply burned.

A pirate ship needs constant care, it is especially important to clean the bottom of shells and algae in time so that they do not slow down the progress of the ship. This procedure was done every three months. Usually the pirates swam to some safe place, put their cannons at the entrance to the bay to repel a possible attack, and knelt the ship - that is, with the help of hoists they pulled it to the shallows and cleaned the bottom. Cranking was also used in cases where it was necessary to repair the underwater part of the hull. The biggest threat to the ship was the mollusk and shipworm (woodworm), which bit into the wood and could make moves up to 6 feet (2 meters) long in it. These worms were capable of completely destroying a ship's hull.

Vessel dimensions

The size of the pirate ship was quite important. A large ship can fight storms more easily, and besides, it can carry more guns. However, large ships are less manoeuvrable and more difficult to roll. In movies, pirates are usually shown on large ships such as galleons because they look very impressive, but in fact, pirates preferred small ships, most often sloops.; they were fast and easy to care for. In addition, due to the smaller draft, they could swim in shallow waters or hide among sandbars where a larger ship could not pass.

They were so large that they could participate in everyday naval duties for everything, however, in battle for one gun, four, or even six, people were required. A ship with twelve guns on board needed seventy men just to fire, and you also had to bring the cannonballs and gunpowder.

All pirate ships, regardless of size and origin, to one degree or another satisfied certain requirements . First of all, a pirate ship had to have sufficient seaworthiness, as it often had to endure storms in the open ocean. The so-called "golden age of piracy" (1690-1730) is marked by particular piracy activity in the Caribbean, the Atlantic coast of North America, the west coast of Africa and the Indian Ocean. The first two of these areas are famous for frequent hurricanes, the season of which lasts from June to November, reaching a peak in August-September. At the beginning of the 17th century, sailors were already well aware of the existence of the hurricane season in the Atlantic and that these hurricanes originate off the West African coast. Navigators have learned to predict the approaching hurricane. Knowing that a storm was coming, the ship's captain might try to get away from it or find shelter. Winds blowing at over 150 km/h caused catastrophic damage to the coast and sank ships for centuries. For pirates, who had no access to most ports, storms were a particular threat. Their ships had to be especially stable and withstand any storm. Mandatory attributes of a pirate ship were a set of storm sails, a strong hull, reliable pumps for pumping water from the hold, and an experienced crew. For pirates, hurricanes also had a positive side, as they damaged other ships, leaving them defenseless. Pirate Henry Jennings began his career plundering Spanish galleons washed ashore by the hurricane of 1715. In the Indian Ocean, no less dangerous were tropical cyclones, which in the western Pacific are known as typhoons. In the northern Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones rage from May to November, while further south the cyclone season is from December to March. Meteorologists average 85 hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones per year. Apparently, during the years of the "golden age of piracy" this number was about the same. Hurricanes and typhoons are dangerous even for modern ships. How dangerous they were for sailing "vessels", deprived of the opportunity to receive a storm warning by radio! Add to this the constant risk of Atlantic storms and unrest in the area of ​​the Cape of Good Hope ... Interestingly, in those days, transatlantic crossings (and circumnavigations!) were often made by sloops and even smaller vessels, which today are used only for coastal fishing (meaning vessels of the same size). For example, Bartholomew Roberts crossed the Atlantic several times, and also walked along the coast of the New World from Brazil to Newfoundland. The load on the wooden hull of a vessel during a long voyage is compatible with the short-term load during a storm. The problem is further exacerbated by the constant fouling of the bottom with algae and shells, which seriously impair the sailing performance of the vessel. A heavily overgrown sailing ship cannot reach a speed of more than three or four knots. Therefore, it is very important to periodically clean the bottom of the ship. But if the military and merchants had shipyards in port cities at their disposal, then the pirates had to clean the bottom of their ships secretly, hiding in secluded bays and river mouths. Cleaning the bottom (creeling, keeling) of a small ship (sloop or brig) usually took a week. Larger ships required proportionally more time for this operation. During the cruising, the ship was vulnerable to attack, and attacks on pirate ships in a similar position are known.

The ship is also threatened by woodworms. The waters of the Caribbean Sea are the most infested with woodworms, so wooden ships sailing in this region deteriorate faster than others. The Spaniards adhered to the rule that a ship making regular voyages to the Caribbean could not last more than ten years, even if measures were taken to protect the hull. It should be noted that the problem of the ship's durability never arose before the pirates, because even the most successful of them, like Bartholomew Roberts, rarely operated for more than two years. Large ships were better suited for sailing across the Atlantic, but required more time for cruising. It is much easier to clean the bottom of a small ship. Small ships have a shallow draft, which allows them to navigate more confidently in coastal waters, as well as swim in estuaries, sandbars and inland waters. In 1715, Governor of New York Hunter wrote the following lines to London: "The coast is teeming with privateers, who, taking advantage of the opportunity to sail on oars in shallow water, leave His Majesty's ships." The governor demanded at his disposal a flotilla of sloops capable of fighting pirates in the shallow waters of Long Island and the mouth of the Hudson.

Another mandatory requirement for a pirate ship was high speed. There is a mathematical formula that determines the relationship between the size of a ship, the shape of the hull, and the number of sails a ship can carry. In theory, big ship can carry more sails, but its hull also has more displacement. A large sail area has a positive effect on speed, while a large displacement, on the contrary, limits it. Smaller craft such as the brigantine have little windage, but the ratio of sail area to displacement is greater than that of square-rigged ships, giving them a speed advantage. Small narrow and shallow-draft vessels, such as sloops and schooners, have refined hydrodynamics, which also increases their speed. Although the speed is determined by a complex equation of the third degree, the main reasons that determine it are well known. Pirate ships were generally faster than straight-rigged merchant ships. Pirates valued certain types of ships precisely for their speed. So, single-masted sloops built in Jamaica or Bermuda were especially popular among pirates.

The speed of the ship is also affected by factors that are difficult to mathematically express. We have already talked about the fouling of the bottom. Pirates needed to regularly keel their ships, as every extra knot of speed was important to them. Certain types of ships sailed better in certain winds. For example, ships with gaff sails could steer steeper to the wind than ships with square sails, a latin sail is especially good in a side wind, but helps little in a fair one. But the most important thing was the experience of the captain and the qualifications of the team. Experienced sailors can squeeze out an extra knot of speed by knowing the characteristics of their vessel. Other things being equal, an experienced crew will definitely outplay the enemy. When in 1718 the ships of the Royal Navy set off towards the Bahamas to intercept Charles Vane, the pirate, thanks to his skill and the qualities of the ship, was able to break away from his pursuers. According to one of the English officers, Vane did two feet when the royal ships did one. Finally, adequate armament was important for a pirate ship. The more guns the ship carries, the greater its displacement, the lower the speed. For a successful pirate, getting cannons was not a problem. They could be found on any ship boarded. Pirates avoided solving a naval battle with an artillery duel, as they did not want to damage the hull of the trophy. However, it is surprising to learn that the pirates tried to arm their ships as much as possible, sometimes turning them into real floating batteries. All this was done exclusively in case of a meeting with warships. Large ships can carry more guns and provide a more comfortable fighting platform. We will tell you more about the armament of pirate ships below. Now we just note that the pirates found a balance between weapons, speed and seaworthiness of their ships in different ways. While some preferred small, fast sloops with a minimum of armament, others strove to acquire large ships capable of carrying impressive artillery and sailing weapons.

The most famous pirates

Bartholomew Roberts(1682-1722). This pirate was one of the most successful and successful in history. It is believed that Roberts was able to capture more than four hundred ships. At the same time, the cost of the pirate's extraction amounted to more than 50 million pounds. And the pirate achieved such results in just two and a half years. Bartholomew was an unusual pirate - he was enlightened and loved to dress fashionably. Roberts was often seen in a burgundy waistcoat and breeches, he wore a hat with a red plume, and a gold chain with a diamond cross hung on his chest. The pirate did not abuse alcohol at all, as was customary in this environment. Moreover, he even punished his sailors for drunkenness. We can say that it was Bartholomew, who was nicknamed "Black Bart" and was the most successful pirate in history. In addition, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as a third mate at work. merchant ship. Roberts' duties included looking after the "cargo" and its safety. However, after being captured by pirates, the sailor himself was in the role of a slave. Nevertheless, the young European was able to please the captain Howell Davis, who captured him, and he accepted him into his crew. And in June 1719, after the death of the leader of the gang during the storming of the fort, it was Roberts who led the team. He immediately captured the ill-fated city of Principe on the coast of Guinea and razed it to the face of the earth. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, booty off the African coast was scarce, which is why in early 1720 Roberts headed for the Caribbean. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships already shied away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. All summer of 1720 he was lucky - the pirate captured many ships, 22 of them right in the bays. However, even while engaged in robbery, Black Bart remained a pious person. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with a cruel execution with the help of a board thrown over the side of the ship. The team loved their captain so much that they were ready to follow him to the ends of the world. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. AT different time he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams included fugitive criminals and slaves of various nationalities, calling themselves the "House of Lords". And the name of Black Bart inspired terror throughout the Atlantic.

Henry Morgan(1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a kind of fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main merit was the help of England in seizing control over the entire Caribbean Sea. Ever since childhood, Henry was a fidget, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, collect his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. Being in the service of the queen, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, he did it perfectly. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate suddenly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house ... However, a violent temper took its toll, moreover, at his leisure, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than just rob ships. Once Morgan used a tricky move. On the approach to one of the cities, he took a large ship and stuffed it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. A huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. Storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending the army around the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success, the fortress fell. Last years Morgan spent his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life was spent at a frantic pirate pace, with all the charms appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery plunged into the sea after the earthquake.
Francis Drake(1540-1596) was born in England, in the family of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed the pirate raids, so long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune fell in love with him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he robs their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were filled with gratitude to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the map of the world. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of the exploration of Australia. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cleverly, avoiding the traps of enemies, that he managed to make a trip around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circled Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds. Then it was twice the budget of the whole country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented case, which has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. In the future, luck turned away from the pirate, during one of the subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with dengue fever and died.

Edward Teach(1680-1718) better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Tich was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair refers only to 1717, what the Englishman did before that remained unknown. By indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already pirating, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost the entire face. Tich was very brave and courageous, which earned him the respect of other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, smoking, terrified opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateer operations against the French. Teach soon captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. The pirate at this time operates in the Jamaica region, robbing everyone in a row and gaining new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, there were already 300 people under the command of Tich. In a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding a treasure on some of the uninhabited islands, but no one knew exactly where. The atrocities of the pirate against the British and the robbery of the colonies forced the authorities to declare a hunt for Blackbeard. An impressive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to track down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and was killed during the battle. Teach's head was chopped off, and the body was hung on a yardarm.

William Kidd(1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided from childhood to connect his fate with the sea. In 1688, Kidd, being a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, having betrayed his associates, William took possession of the frigate, calling it "Blessed William". With the help of a letter of marque, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a wealthy widow, taking possession of land and property. But the heart of a pirate demanded adventure, and now, after 5 years, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was intended to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the scarcity of profits, periodically revolted. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the British authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the fight. political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Reid(1685-1721). Since childhood, the girl was dressed in the clothes of a boy. So the mother tried to hide the death of her son who died early. At the age of 15, Mary went to serve in the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she did not wait for promotion. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothing became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a male uniform, participating in skirmishes on an equal basis with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with an artisan who helped a pirate. They even got married and were going to end the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reid was caught by the authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she was committing robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of robbing ships and boarding. The court did not dare to hang a pregnant woman, she patiently waited for her fate in a Jamaican prison, not being afraid of a shameful death. But a high fever killed her first.
Bonnie, Ann(1690 -?) - one of the most famous female pirates. Born in Ireland in the family of a wealthy lawyer William Cormac. She spent her childhood in South Carolina, where her family moved when Ann's father bought a plantation. Pretty early she married a simple sailor James Bonnie with whom she fled in search of adventure. Then Anne Bonnie got involved with a famous pirate.Jack Rackham. She began to sail on his ship and participate in pirate raids. During one of these raids, Ann metMary Reed. , after which they continued to engage in sea robbery together. It is not known exactly how many lives the spoiled daughter of the ex-lawyer ruined, but in 1720 the pirate ship was ambushed, after which the gallows awaited all the robbers. However, by that time, Ann was already pregnant, the intervention of rich daddy came in handy, so that in the end the pirate managed to avoid the well-deserved gallows and even go free. Then all traces of it are lost. In general, the example of Ann Bonnie is interesting, as a rare case in those days when a woman took on a purely masculine craft.

Olivier (Francois) le Wasserbecame the most famous French pirate. He bore the nickname "La blues", or "buzzard". A nobleman of Norman origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into impregnable fortress filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly drove the British out of there (according to other sources - the Spaniards) and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued filibuster very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the booty for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking a direct part in the hostilities. When in 1643 the Spaniards failed to take the island, having discovered fortifications with surprise, the authority of le Wasser grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay deductions to the crown. However, the spoiled character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Wasser collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth 235 million pounds in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram around the governor's neck, but the gold was never found.

Zheng Shi(1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The facts that she commanded a fleet of 2000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served, will tell about the scale of her actions. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also swam deep into the mouths of the rivers, devastating coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established on the courts. She put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - plundering allies and raping prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, a female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career was held as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a pirate woman is reflected in literature and cinema, there are many legends about her.

William Dampier(1651-1715) is often referred to not just as a pirate, but also as a scientist. After all, he made as many as three round-the-world voyages, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trading voyages, and then he managed to make war. In 1674, an Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to become a sailor of a merchant ship again. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's later life took place in the idea of ​​traveling through Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and at sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, New Spain. Dampier began to keep notes of his adventures almost immediately. As a result, in 1697, his book "A New Journey Around the World" was published, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research by writing a new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710, he took part as a navigator of a corsair round-the-world expedition. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Edward Lau(1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man traded in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing ties him to the house. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating around the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for the fact that in a short time he managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing a rare bloodthirstiness.

Aruj Barbarossa(1473-1518) became a pirate at the age of 16, after the Turks captured his native island of Lesvos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon seized a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Aruj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to organize a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the booty. As a result, the pirate fleet of Arouge terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Having got involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring good luck to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross II.

Jack Rackham (1682-1720). And this famous pirate was nicknamed Calico Jack. The fact is that he loved to wear Calico pants, which were brought from India. And although this pirate was not the most cruel or the most successful, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham's team had two women dressed in men's clothes at once - Mary Reed and Ann Boni. Both of them were mistresses of a pirate. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and courage of his ladies, the Rackham team also became famous. But luck changed him when in 1720 his ship met with the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To get away from persecution, Rackham ordered to cut the anchor. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The captain of the pirates, along with his entire crew, was hanged in Jamaica, in Port Royal. Just before his death, Rackham asked for a meeting with Ann Boni. But she herself refused him this, saying that if the pirate had fought like a man, he would not have died like a dog. It is said that John Rackham is the author of the famous pirate symbol - the skull and crossbones, the "Jolly Roger". Jean Lafitte (? -1826). This famous corsair was also a smuggler. With the tacit consent of the government of the young American state, he calmly robbed the ships of England and Spain in the Gulf of Mexico. The heyday of the activity of the pirate fell on the 1810s. It is not known where and when exactly Jean Lafitte was born. It is possible that he was a native of Haiti and was a secret Spanish agent. It was said that Lafitte knew the coast of the bay better than many cartographers. It was known for sure that he sold the stolen goods through his brother, a merchant who lived in New Orleans. The Lafittes illegally supplied slaves to the southern states, but thanks to their guns and people, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 in the battle for New Orleans. In 1817, under pressure from the authorities, the pirate settled on the Texas island of Galveston, where he even founded his own state of Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves as well, using intermediaries for this. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered by an insolent man, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from the once entire fleet. Then Lafitte with a group of his followers settled on the island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico. But even then, he did not attack American ships. And after 1826, there is no information about the valiant pirate. In Louisiana itself, there are still legends about Captain Lafitte. And in the city of Lake Charles, "smugglers' days" are even held in his memory. Even a nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, played by Yul Brynner.

Thomas Cavendish(1560-1592). Pirates not only robbed ships, but were also brave travelers, discovering new lands. In particular, Cavendish was the third sailor who decided to travel around the world. His youth was spent in the English fleet. Thomas led such a turbulent life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went for his share of the booty to rich America. He returned home rich. Easy money and the help of fortune forced Cavendish to choose the path of a pirate to gain fame and fortune. On July 22, 1586, Thomas sailed from Plymouth to Sierra Leone at the head of his own flotilla. The expedition aimed to find new islands, to study winds and currents. However, this did not prevent them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the very first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, robbed the local settlements. A good start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. January 7, 1587 Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan, and then went north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European traveled this way - Francis Drake. The Spaniards controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it the Spanish Lake. The rumor of English pirates forced the garrisons to gather. But the Englishman's flotilla was worn out - Thomas found a quiet bay for repairs. The Spaniards, however, did not wait, finding the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repelled the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately robbed several neighboring settlements. Two ships have gone on. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for the "treasury" ship with all the proceeds of the Mexican colonies. Persistence was rewarded, and the British captured a lot of gold and jewelry. However, when dividing the booty, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a load of spices by robbery. On September 9, 1588, Cavendish's ship returned to Plymouth. The pirate not only became one of the first to circumnavigate the world, but also did it very quickly - in 2 years and 50 days. In addition, 50 people of his team returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted more than two centuries.
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The Adventure Galley is the favorite ship of William Kidd, an English privateer and pirate. This unusual frigate galley was equipped with straight sails and oars, which made it possible to maneuver both against the wind and in calm weather. The 287-ton vessel with 34 guns accommodated 160 crew members and was primarily intended to destroy the ships of other pirates.

"Revenge of Queen Anne" (Queen Anne "s Revenge) - flagship legendary captain Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard. This 40-gun frigate was originally called the Concorde, belonged to Spain, then passed to France, until it was finally captured by Blackbeard. Under his leadership, the ship was strengthened and renamed. "Revenge of Queen Anne" flooded dozens of merchant and military ships that got in the way of the famous pirate.

The Whydah is the flagship of Black Sam Bellamy, one of the pirates of the golden age of piracy. The Ouida was a fast and manoeuvrable vessel, capable of carrying many treasures. Unfortunately for Black Sam, only a year after the start of the pirate "career" the ship was caught in a terrible storm and was thrown ashore. The entire team, except for two people, died. By the way, Sam Bellamy was the richest pirate in history, according to Forbes recalculation, his fortune totaled about 132 million dollars in the modern equivalent.

"Royal Fortune" (Royal Fortune) belonged to Bartholomew Roberts, the famous Welsh corsair, whose death ended the golden age of piracy. Bartholomew changed several ships during his career, but the 42-gun three-masted battleship was his favourite. On it, he accepted his death in battle with the British warship "Swallow" in 1722.

The Fancy is the ship of Henry Avery, also known as Lanky Ben and the Arch-Pirate. The Spanish 30-gun frigate "Charles II" successfully plundered French ships, but eventually a riot broke out on it, and power passed to Avery, who served as the first mate. Avery renamed the ship Imagination and sailed on it until he ended his career.

The Happy Delivery is a small but favorite ship of George Lauter, an 18th century English pirate. His crowning tactic was to ram his enemy ship with simultaneous lightning-fast boarding.

The Golden Hind was an English galleon under the command of Sir Francis Drake who circumnavigated the world between 1577 and 1580. Initially, the ship was called the Pelican, but upon entering the Pacific Ocean, Drake renamed it in honor of his patron, Lord Chancellor Christopher Hutton, who had a golden doe on his coat of arms.

The Rising Sun was a ship owned by Christopher Moody, a truly ruthless thug who took no prisoners on principle. This 35-gun frigate terrified Moody's enemies until he was safely hanged - but he went down in history with the most unusual pirate flag known, yellow on a red background, and even with a winged hourglass to the left of the skull.

The Speaker is the first capital ship of corsair John Bowen, a successful pirate and excellent tactician. The Talkative is a large 50-gun ship with a displacement of 450 tons, originally used to transport slaves, and after being captured by Bowen, for daring attacks on Mauritanian ships.

The Revenge is the ten-gun sloop of Steed Bonnet, also known as the "gentleman of the pirates". Bonnet lived a rich, albeit short-lived life, having managed to be a small landowner, serve under Blackbeard, fall under an amnesty and again embark on the path of piracy. The small, maneuverable Retribution sank many larger ships.

Large and tiny, powerful and maneuverable - all these ships, as a rule, were built for completely different purposes, but sooner or later ended up in the hands of corsairs. Some ended their "career" in battle, others were resold, others were drowned in storms, but all of them glorified their owners in one way or another.