West-Indies,
_diminisheth in like manner the Courage of the_ Bucaniers, _his own
Country-men, who have seemed to act beyond mortal men in_ America.

_Now, to say something concerning_ John Esquemeling, _the first Author
of this History. I take him to be a_ Dutch-man, _or at least born in_
Flanders, _notwithstanding that the Spanish Translation representeth him
to be a Native of the Kingdom of_ France. _His printing this History
originally in Dutch, which doubtless must be his native Tongue, who
otherwise was but an illiterate man, together with the very sound of his
name, convincing me thereunto. True it is, he set sail from_ France,
_and was some years at_ Tortuga; _but neither of these two Arguments,
drawn from the History, are prevalent. For were he to be a_ French-man
_born, how came he to learn the_ Dutch _language so perfectly as to
prefer it to his own? Especially that not being spoken at Tortuga nor_
Jamaica, _where he resided all the while._

_I hope I have made this English Translation something more plain and
correct than the Spanish. Some few notorious faults either of the
Printer or the Interpreter, I am sure I have redressed. But the Spanish
Translator complaining much of the intricacy of Stile in the Original
(as flowing from a person who, as hath been said, was no Scholar) as he
was pardonable, being in great haste, for not rendring his own Version
so distinct and elaborate as he could desire; so must I be excused from
the one, that is to say, Elegancy, if I have cautiously declined the
other, I mean Confusion._

THE PIRATES OF PANAMA

THE BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA

CHAPTER I

_The introduction--The author sets forth for the Western islands, in the
service of the West-India Company of France--They meet with an English
frigate, and arrive at the Island of Tortuga._

WE set sail from Havre-de-Grace in France, from whence we set sail in
the ship called _St. John_, May 2, 1666. Our vessel was equipped with
twenty-eight guns, twenty mariners, and two hundred and twenty
passengers, including those whom the company sent as free passengers.
Soon after we came to an anchor under the Cape of Barfleur, there to
join seven other ships of the same West-India company, which were to
come from Dieppe, under convoy of a man-of-war, mounted with
thirty-seven guns, and two hundred and fifty men. Of these ships two
were bound for Senegal, five for the Caribbee islands, and ours for
Tortuga. Here ga