ed pieces of eight, or one slave; for a finger, the same
as for an eye. All which sums are taken out of the common stock of what
is gotten by their piracy, and a very exact and equal dividend is made
of the remainder. They have also regard to qualities and places: thus
the captain, or chief, is allotted five or six portions, to what the
ordinary seamen have: the master's mate only two, and other officers
proportionately to their employ: after which, they draw equal parts from
the highest to the lowest mariner, the boys not being omitted, who draw
half a share; because when they take a better vessel than their own, it
is in the boys' duty to fire their former vessel, and then retire to the
prize.

They observe among themselves very good orders; for in the prizes which
they take, it is severely prohibited, to every one, to take anything to
themselves: hence all they take is equally divided, as hath been said
before: yea, they take a solemn oath to each other, not to conceal the
least thing they find among the prizes; and if any one is found false to
the said oath, he is immediately turned out of the society. They are
very civil and charitable to each other; so that if any one wants what
another has, with great willingness they give it one to another. As soon
as these pirates have taken a prize, they immediately set ashore the
prisoners, detaining only some few, for their own help and service:
whom, also, they release, after two or three years. They refresh
themselves at one island or another, but especially at those on the
south of Cuba; here they careen their vessels, while some hunt, and
others cruise in canoes for prizes.

The inhabitants of New Spain and Campechy lade their best merchandize in
ships of great bulk: the vessels from Campechy sail in the winter to
Caraccas, Trinity isles, and that of Margarita, and return back again in
the summer. The pirates knowing these seasons (being very diligent in
their inquiries) always cruise between the places above-mentioned; but
in case they light on no considerable booty, they commonly undertake
some more hazardous enterprises: one remarkable instance of which I
shall here give you.

A certain pirate called Pierre Francois, or Peter Francis, waiting a
long time at sea with his boat and twenty-six men, for the ships that
were to return from Maracaibo to Campechy, and not being able to find
any prey, at last he resolved to direct his course to Rancheiras, near
the River de