g the ship, and sailed straight back
to France; where he lived the rest of his life in comfortable obscurity,
and never again returned to piracy.

The news of this exploit spread rapidly over the West Indies, and caused
the greatest excitement amongst the pirate fraternity of Tortuga and
Hispaniola.

Men left their work of killing and drying beef, while others deserted
their plantations to go a-pirating on the Spaniards, in much the same way
as men went to a gold rush years after. Those who had no boat would
venture forth in canoes looking for rich Spanish treasure ships.

It was this wild deed of Pierre le Grand that was the beginning of piracy
in the West Indies, towards the latter half of the seventeenth century.

GRANGE, ROGER.

One of Captain Lowther's crew of the _Happy Delivery_. Tried for piracy at
St. Kitts in 1722, but acquitted.

DE GRAVES, CAPTAIN HERBERT.

This Dutch pirate sailed as captain of his own merchant vessel during the
reign of King Charles II. He took to landing his crew on the south coast
of England and raiding gentlemen's houses. The first he ever pillaged was
that of a Mr. Sturt, in Sussex. In those days, when banks were almost
unknown, the houses of the rich often contained great sums of money. De
Graves was wont to sail along the Devonshire coast, sometimes landing and
robbing a house, sometimes taking a ship, which he would carry to
Rotterdam and sell. He made several daring raids into Cowes and Lowestoft,
getting off with valuable plunder.

In the war between England and the Dutch, Graves was given command of a
fire-ship. This vessel he handled very capably, and in the action off the
Downs he ran her on board the _Sandwich_, setting her on fire. James, Duke
of York, escaped from the _Sandwich_ with great difficulty, while the Earl
of Albemarle and most of the crew perished. At the conclusion of the war,
De Graves returned to piracy, but his ship was wrecked in a storm close to
Walmer Castle. The captain and a few of his crew were saved, and, being
made prisoners, were hanged on a tree.

GREAVES, CAPTAIN, _alias_ "RED LEGS." West Indian pirate.

Born in Barbadoes of prisoners who had been sent there as slaves by
Cromwell. Most of these slaves were natives of Scotland and Ireland, and,
owing to their bare knees, generally went by the name of Red Legs. Young
Greaves was left an orphan, but had a kind master and a good education.
His master dying, the lad was sold to another a