own. All
escaped who could, except the surgeons, who, in a most unprofessional way,
had been indulging somewhat freely in the wines of the country during the
battle, and consequently were in no condition to take their places with
the retreating force. The surgeons, after being taken prisoner, were
persuaded to disclose to the Spaniards the prearranged signals by smoke
from two fires, which was to be given in case of a successful taking of
the town, to bring up the boats that were hiding on the shore, ready to
take the buccaneers back to their ships. Fortunately the buccaneers on the
shore arrived just as the canoes were getting under way, otherwise the
whole remnant of them would have perished. The only one of these
disreputable surgeons whose name we know is Dr. Bullock. Some months
afterwards it was ascertained, through a prisoner, that the Spaniards
"civilly entertained these surgeons, more especially the women." Surgeons,
even such surgeons as these, were considered to be valuable in those days
in the out-of-the-way Spanish colonies.

BUNCE, CHARLES.

Born at Exeter; died at the age of 26.

Taken by Captain Roberts out of a Dutch galley in 1721, he joined the
pirates, to be eventually hanged in 1722. He made a moving speech from the
gallows, "disclaiming against the guilded Bates of Power, Liberty, and
Wealth that had ensnared him amongst the pirates," earnestly exhorting the
spectators to remember his youth, and ending by declaring that "he stood
there as a beacon upon a Rock" (the gallows standing on one) "to warn
erring Marriners of Danger."

BURDER, WILLIAM.

Mayor of Dover.

It may seem strange to accuse the mayor of so important a seaport as Dover
of being a pirate, but it is difficult to see how William Burder is to
escape the accusation when we learn that in the year 1563 he captured 600
French vessels and a large number of neutral craft, which he plundered,
and also no fewer than sixty-one Spanish ships, to the very natural
annoyance of the King of Spain, whose country was at this time at peace
with England.

BURGESS, CAPTAIN SAMUEL SOUTH.

Born and bred in New York, he was a man of good education, and began his
career on a privateer in the West Indies. Later on he was sent by a Mr.
Philips, owner and shipbuilder, to trade with the pirates in Madagascar.
This business Burgess augmented with a little piracy on his own account,
and after taking several prizes he returned to the West Indies, wh