ndezvous became necessary, and in time
plantations were established in this neighbourhood to gradually develop
into a settlement. Now and again the Spaniards discovered these places,
but as they were generally of little value, their loss was of no
importance; if destroyed the buccaneers could easily escape to another
locality. When the enemy burnt their vessels, they easily built canoes
with which they soon captured others and became as strong as before. The
hunters grew to like their hardy life with its perfect liberty, and
became so inured to the climate and open air as to be utterly unlike the
effeminate planters. They were even little subject to the diseases of
the country, and could live for months at a time on nothing but meat. As
for clothes, they made these from the skins of animals, and all they
really required from outside was powder and lead for their firearms.

They became known as the brethren of the coast from their custom of each
choosing one comrade as a bosom friend and brother. Everything gained by
either was common to both, and the company were very strict in enforcing
their law against unfaithfulness in a companion, or unfair dealing in
any way among themselves. Sometimes they marooned a culprit by leaving
him alone on some small island to die of hunger, or perhaps to become a
"Crusoe" for many years. The wounded received compensation according to
a fixed tariff, from the common stock or from contributions; thus the
loss of an arm was valued at five hundred crowns, and other mutilations
at corresponding rates.

As the attacks of the Spaniards became more common, the small bands
united, and division of labour became more exact. Some were hunters of
wild boars, others of cattle, a few became planters, but the main body
were always sea rovers. At first the hunters were on good terms with the
Spanish planters and entered into engagements to supply them with meat.
A party would go off into the interior and stay away for months at a
time, eventually returning with large supplies borne on the backs of
their horses. During all this time they lived in rough shelters which
could be erected in an afternoon, and were much exposed to the
vicissitudes of the weather. Now they made up for their long term of
privation by carousing to their hearts' content, and when drunk, often
fought and killed each other. In the settlements there were generally a
few women, and these often became the cause of contentions; there we