idently enjoyed a great vogue, for it was translated into
Dutch by Robert Hannebo, of Amsterdam, in 1727, and issued there, with
several "new illustrations," in 12mo. A German version by Joachim
Meyer was printed at Gosslar in the following year, while in France it
saw the light as an appendix to an edition of Esquemeling's "Histoire
des Avanturiers," 1726.

But little is known of the author, Captain Charles Johnson, excepting
that he flourished from 1724 to 1736, and it is more than probable
that the name by which we know him is an assumed one. It is possible
that his knowledge of Pirates and Piracy was of such a nature to have
justified awkward investigations on the part of His Majesty's
Government.

There is one thing that we do know for certain about him, and that is
that the worthy Captain's spelling, according to the pirated version
of his book, was indefinite even for his own day. He was one of those
inspired folk who would be quite capable of spelling "schooner" with
three variations in as many lines. In this edition the spelling has
been more or less modernized.

Lastly, it is to be remembered that the ships of this period,
according to our modern ideas, would be the veriest cockle-shells, and
so that we should know what manner of vessel he refers to in these
pages, I had recourse to a friend of mine whose knowledge of things
nautical is extensive enough to have gained for him the coveted "Extra
Master's Certificate," and who was kind enough to supply me with the
following definitions:

[Illustration: SLOOP.

A vessel rigged as a cutter, but with one head-sail only set on a very
short bowsprit.]

[Illustration: SCHOONER. TOPSAIL SCHOONER.

Two-masted vessels, fore and aft rigged, sometimes having square
topsails on the fore-mast.]

[Illustration: BRIGANTINE.

A two-masted vessel, square rigged on fore-mast.]

GALLEY.

A large vessel rowed by oars and sometimes having auxiliary sail of
various rigs.

PINK.

Probably a small, fast vessel used as a tender and despatch boat for
river work.

[Illustration: SNOW.

A two-masted vessel with a stay, known as a "Horse," from the
main-mast to the poop on which the trysail was set. Sometimes a spar
was fitted instead of a stay. The rig was most likely of a brig
(_i.e._, a two-masted ship, square sails on both masts), and the
triangular trysail set on the stay in bad weather or when hove to.]

C. L. F.

[Illustration]

THE