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A little about ships!

The so-called "golden age of piracy" (1690-1730) was marked by particular piracy activity in the Caribbean Sea, on the Atlantic coast of North America, the west coast of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. The first two of these areas are famous for frequent hurricanes, the season of which lasts from June to November, reaching its peak in August-September. At the beginning of the 17th century, sailors were already well aware of the existence of a hurricane season on the Atlantic and that these hurricanes originated off the West African coast. Sailors have learned to predict the approaching hurricane. Knowing that a storm was approaching, the ship's captain could try to get away from it or find shelter. Winds blowing at speeds of more than 150 km/h have caused catastrophic destruction on the coast and sunk ships for centuries. For pirates, for whom access to most ports was closed, storms posed a particular threat. Their ships had to be particularly stable and withstand any storm. Mandatory attributes of a pirate ship were a set of storm sails, a durable hull, reliable pumps for pumping water out of the hold and an experienced crew. For pirates, hurricanes were also positive side, since they damaged other ships, leaving them defenseless. Pirate Henry Jennings began his career by plundering Spanish galleons washed ashore in the 1715 hurricane. In the Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones, which in the western Pacific are known as typhoons, were no less dangerous. In the northern Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones occur from May to November, while further south the cyclone season occurs from December to March. Meteorologists report an average of 85 hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones per year. Apparently, during the "golden age of piracy" this number was approximately the same. Hurricanes and typhoons are dangerous even for modern ships. How dangerous they were for sailing ships, deprived of the opportunity to receive a storm warning by radio! Add to this the constant risk of Atlantic storms and rough seas in the Cape of Good Hope area... It is interesting that in those days transatlantic crossings (and circumnavigations!) were often carried out by sloops and even smaller vessels, which today are used only for coastal fishing (meaning vessels of the same size). For example, Bartholomew Roberts crossed the Atlantic several times, and also walked along the coast of the New World from Brazil to Newfoundland. The load on the wooden hull of a ship during a long voyage is compatible with short-term load during a storm. The problem is further aggravated by the constant fouling of the bottom with algae and shells, which seriously impair ride quality vessel. A heavily overgrown sailing ship cannot reach a speed of more than three or four knots. Therefore, it is very important to periodically clean the bottom of the ship. But if the military and merchants had shipyards in port cities at their disposal, the pirates had to clean the bottom of their ships secretly, hiding in secluded bays and river mouths. Cleaning the bottom (heeling, pitching) of a small ship (sloop or brig) usually took a week. Larger ships required proportionately more time for this operation. While careening, the ship was vulnerable to attack and cases of attacks on pirate ships in a similar position are known. The ship is also threatened by woodworms. The waters of the Caribbean Sea are the most infested with woodworms, so wooden ships sailing in this region deteriorate faster than others. The Spaniards adhered to the rule that a ship making regular voyages to the Caribbean could not last longer than ten years, even if measures were taken to protect the hull. It should be noted that the problem of the ship's durability never arose before the pirates, because even the most successful of them, like Bartholomew Roberts, rarely operated for more than two years. Larger ships were better suited to sailing across the Atlantic, but required more time to heel. It is much easier to clean the bottom of a small ship. Small ships have a shallow draft, which allows them to sail more confidently in coastal waters, as well as swim into river mouths, sandbanks and inland waters. In 1715, New York Governor Hunter wrote the following lines to London: “The coast is infested with privateers, who, taking advantage of the opportunity of rowing in the shallow waters, are moving away from His Majesty’s ships.” The governor demanded at his disposal a flotilla of sloops capable of fighting pirates in the shallow waters of Long Island and the mouth of the Hudson.
To others mandatory requirement to the pirate ship high speed. There is a mathematical formula that determines the relationship between the size of the ship, the shape of the hull and the number of sails the ship can carry. In theory, big ship can carry more sails, but its hull also has a greater displacement. A large sail area has a positive effect on speed, while a large displacement, on the contrary, limits it. Small ships such as a brigantine have a small sail area, but the ratio of sail area to displacement is greater than that of square-rigged ships, giving them a speed advantage. Small narrow and shallow-draft vessels, such as sloops and schooners, have improved hydrodynamics, which also increases their speed. Although speed is determined by a complex third-degree equation, the main reasons that determine it are well known. Pirate ships were generally faster than square-rigged merchant ships. Pirates valued certain types of ships precisely for their speed. Thus, single-masted sloops built in Jamaica or Bermuda were especially popular among pirates.
The speed of a ship is also influenced by factors that are difficult to express mathematically. We have already talked about fouling of the bottom. Pirates needed to keel their ships regularly, since every additional knot of speed was important to them. Certain types of ships sailed better in certain winds. For example, ships with gaff sails could stay steeper to the wind than ships with straight sails; a lateen sail is especially good in a crosswind, but helps little in a tailwind. But most important was the experience of the captain and the qualifications of the team. Experienced sailors can squeeze out an extra knot of speed by knowing the characteristics of their vessel. All other things being equal, an experienced crew will definitely outplay the enemy. When in 1718 the ships of the Royal Navy set off towards the Bahamas to intercept Charles Vane, the pirate, thanks to his skill and the quality of the ship, was able to break away from his pursuers. According to the testimony of one of the English officers, Vane made two feet when the royal ships made one. Finally, adequate weaponry was important for a pirate ship. The more guns a ship carries, the greater its displacement, the lower its speed. For a successful pirate, getting guns was not a problem. They could be found on any boarded ship. The pirates avoided deciding sea battle artillery duel, because they did not want to damage the body of the trophy. However, it is surprising to learn that pirates tried to arm their ships as much as possible, sometimes turning them into real floating batteries. All this was done solely in case of a meeting with warships. Larger ships can carry more guns and provide a more useful fighting platform. We will talk in more detail about the armament of pirate ships below. For now, let’s just note that pirates found a balance between weapons, speed and seaworthiness of their ships in different ways. While some preferred small, fast sloops with a minimum of weapons, others tried to acquire large ships capable of carrying impressive artillery and sailing weapons.

Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722).

This pirate was one of the most successful and fortunate in history. It is believed that Roberts was able to capture more than four hundred ships. At the same time, the cost of the pirate's production amounted to more than 50 million pounds sterling. And the pirate achieved such results in just two and a half years. Bartholomew was an unusual pirate - he was enlightened and loved to dress fashionably. Roberts was often seen in a burgundy vest and breeches, he wore a hat with a red feather, and on his chest hung a gold chain with a diamond cross. The pirate did not abuse alcohol at all, as was customary in this environment. Moreover, he even punished his sailors for drunkenness. We can say that it was Bartholomew, who was nicknamed “Black Bart”, who was the most successful pirate in history. Moreover, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as a third mate on a slave trading ship. Roberts' responsibilities included supervising the “cargo” and its safety. However, after being captured by pirates, the sailor himself was in the role of a slave. Nevertheless, the young European was able to please the captain Howell Davis who captured him, and he accepted him into his crew. And in June 1719, after the death of the leader of the gang during the storming of the fort, it was Roberts who led the team. He immediately captured the ill-fated city of Principe on the coast of Guinea and razed it to the ground. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, production off the African coast was scarce, which is why Roberts headed to the Caribbean in early 1720. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships were already shying away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. Throughout the summer of 1720, he was lucky - the pirate captured many ships, 22 of them right in the bays. However, even while engaged in robbery, Black Bart remained a devout man. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with the idea of a cruel execution using a board thrown over the side of the ship. The team loved their captain so much that they were ready to follow him to the ends of the earth. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. At different times he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams included escaped criminals and slaves of many different nationalities, calling themselves the "House of Lords". And the name of Black Bart inspired terror throughout the Atlantic.

Henry Morgan (1635-1688)

Henry Morgan became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a peculiar fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main achievement was helping England seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Since childhood, Henry was restless, which affected his adult life. Behind short term he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. While in the queen's service, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, which he did very well. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate unexpectedly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house... However, his violent temper took its toll, and in his spare time, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than just rob sea vessels. One day Morgan used a cunning move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and filled it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. While storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending his army bypassing the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success and the fortress fell. Last years Morgan spent his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the delights appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery sank into the sea after the earthquake.

Francis Drake (1540-1596)

Francis Drake was born in England, into the family of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed pirate raids, as long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune also loved him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he plunders their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were grateful to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the world map. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of the exploration of Australia. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cunningly, avoiding the traps of his enemies, that he was able to travel around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circumnavigated Africa and brought home potato tubers. Total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. At that time it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented event that has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Later, the pirate’s luck turned away; during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.

Edward Teach (1680-1718)

Edward Teach is better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair dates back only to 1717; what the Englishman did before that remains unknown. Based on indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already a pirate, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost his entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned him respect from other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, when smoking, terrified his opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateering operations against the French. Soon Teach captured more capital ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. At this time, the pirate operates in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, Tich already had 300 people under his command. Within a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding treasure on some uninhabited island, but no one knew where exactly. The pirate's outrages against the British and his plunder of the colonies forced the authorities to announce a hunt for Blackbeard. A massive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and killed during the battle. Teach's head was cut off and his body was suspended from a yardarm.

William Kidd (1645-1701).

William Kidd Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided to connect his destiny with the sea from childhood. In 1688, Kidd, a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades, William took possession of the frigate, calling it the Blessed William. With the help of a privateering patent, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a rich widow, taking possession of lands and property. But the pirate’s heart demanded adventure, and now, 5 years later, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was designed to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the meager profits, periodically rebelled. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the English authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the fight political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Read (1685-1721).

Since childhood, Mary Reed has been dressing a girl in boy's clothes. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At age 15, Mary joined the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she never received any advancement. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, the husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothing, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, and the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a man's uniform, participating in skirmishes along with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with the artisan who helped the pirate. They even got married and were going to put an end to the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reed was caught by authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she committed the robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of plundering and boarding ships. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman; she patiently awaited her fate in a Jamaican prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a strong fever finished her off early.

Bonnie Anne (1690 -?)

Bonnie Anne is one of the most famous female pirates. She was born in Ireland into the family of a wealthy lawyer, William Cormack. She spent her childhood in South Carolina, where the family moved when Ann’s father bought a plantation. Quite early she married a simple sailor James Bonney, with whom she ran away in search of adventure. Then Anne Bonny got involved with the famous pirate Jack Rackham. She began sailing on his ship and participating in pirate raids. During one of these raids, Anne met Mary Reed. , after which they continued to engage in maritime robbery together. It is not known exactly how many lives the spoiled daughter of an ex-lawyer ruined, but in 1720 a pirate ship was ambushed, after which all the robbers faced the gallows. However, by that time Anne was already pregnant, and the intervention of her rich daddy arrived very opportunely, so that in the end the pirate managed to avoid the well-deserved gallows and even went free. Then her traces are lost. In general, the example of Anne Bonny is interesting as a rare case in those days when a woman took on a purely male craft.

Zheng Shi (1785-1844)

Zheng Shi (1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be indicated by the fact that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed deep into river mouths, ravaging coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established on the courts. It put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - robbery of allies and rape of prisoners was punishable death penalty. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a female pirate is reflected in literature and cinema; there are many legends about her.

William Dampier (1651-1715)

William Dampier is often called not just a pirate, but also a scientist. After all, he completed three voyages around the world, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Having been orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to fight. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to again become a sailor on a merchant ship. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the Gulf Coast, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's further life revolved around the idea of traveling around Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, and New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began keeping notes about his adventures. As a result, his book “A New Journey Around the World” was published in 1697, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing a new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710, he took part as a navigator of a corsair expedition around the world. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Edward Lau (1690-1724)

Edward Lau is also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man lived in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to home. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating near the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for a short time managed to capture more than a hundred ships, showing rare bloodthirstiness.

Arouj Barbarossa (1473-1518)

Arouj Barbarossa (1473-1518) became a pirate at age 16 after the Turks captured his home island of Lesbos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon captured a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Arouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to set up a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the spoils. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Getting involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring success to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross the Second.

Jack Rackham (1682-1720).

Jack Rackham and this famous pirate had the nickname Calico Jack. The fact is that he loved to wear Calico pants, which were brought from India. And although this pirate was not the most cruel or the luckiest, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham’s team included two women dressed in men’s clothing - Mary Read and Anne Boni. Both of them were the pirate's mistresses. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and bravery of his ladies, Rackham's team became famous. But his luck changed when in 1720 his ship met the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To escape pursuit, Rackham ordered the anchor to be cut. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The pirate captain and his entire crew were hanged in Port Royal, Jamaica. Just before his death, Rackham asked to see Anne Bonney. But she herself refused him this, saying that if the pirate had fought like a man, he would not have died like a dog. It is said that John Rackham is the author of the famous pirate symbol - the skull and crossbones, the Jolly Roger. Jean Lafitte (?-1826). This famous corsair was also a smuggler. With the tacit consent of the government of the young American state, he calmly robbed the ships of England and Spain in the Gulf of Mexico. The heyday of pirate activity occurred in the 1810s. It is unknown where and when exactly Jean Lafitte was born. It is possible that he was a native of Haiti and was a secret Spanish agent. It was said that Lafitte knew the Gulf coast better than many cartographers. It was known for sure that he sold the stolen goods through his brother, a merchant who lived in New Orleans. The Lafittes illegally supplied slaves to the southern states, but thanks to their guns and men, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans. In 1817, under pressure from the authorities, the pirate settled on the Texas island of Galveston, where he even founded his own state, Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves, using intermediaries. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered to be insolent, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from what was once a whole fleet. Then Lafitte and a group of his followers settled on the island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico. But even then he did not attack American ships. And after 1826 there is no information about the valiant pirate. In Louisiana itself, there are still legends about Captain Lafitte. And in the city of Lake Charles, “smugglers’ days” are even held in memory of him. A nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is even named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, he was played by Yul Brynner.

Thomas Cavendish (1560-1592).

Thomas Cavendish (1560-1592). Pirates not only robbed ships, but were also brave travelers, discovering new lands. In particular, Cavendish was the third sailor who decided to travel around the world. His youth was spent in the English fleet. Thomas led such a hectic life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went to rich America for his share of the spoils. He returned to his homeland rich. Easy money and the help of fortune forced Cavendish to choose the path of a pirate to gain fame and fortune. On July 22, 1586, Thomas headed his own flotilla from Plymouth to Sierra Leone. The expedition aimed to find new islands and study winds and currents. However, this did not stop them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, plundered local settlements. A successful start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. On January 7, 1587, Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan and then headed north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European passed this way - Francis Drake. The Spanish controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it Spanish Lake. The rumor of English pirates forced the garrisons to gather. But the Englishman's flotilla was worn out - Thomas found a quiet bay for repairs. The Spaniards did not wait, having found the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repelled the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately plundered several neighboring settlements. Two ships went further. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for a “treasury” ship with all the proceeds of the Mexican colonies. Persistence was rewarded, and the British captured a lot of gold and jewelry. However, when dividing the spoils, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with only one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a cargo of spices by robbery. On September 9, 1588, Cavendish's ship returned to Plymouth. The pirate not only became one of the first to circumnavigate the world, but also did it very quickly - in 2 years and 50 days. In addition, 50 of his crew returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted for more than two centuries.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur 1690-1730.

Olivier (François) le Vasseur became the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "the buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly expelled the British (according to other sources, the Spaniards) from there and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued a filibuster with very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking direct part in the hostilities. When the Spaniards failed to take the island in 1643, and were surprised to find fortifications, Le Vasseur's authority grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the deteriorating character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Vasseur collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £235 million in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold remained unfound.

Pirates are sea (or river) robbers. The word "pirate" (lat. pirata) comes, in turn, from the Greek. πειρατής, cognate with the word πειράω (“try, test”). Thus, the meaning of the word would be "trying one's luck." Etymology shows how precarious the boundary between the professions of navigator and pirate was from the very beginning.
The following list with pictures is intended for those who suddenly decided that they are interested in pirates, but cannot remember a single name other than Jack Sparrow.

Henry Morgan

(1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a unique fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main achievement was helping England seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Since childhood, Henry was restless, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. While in the queen's service, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, which he did very well. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate unexpectedly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house... However, his violent temper took its toll, and in his spare time, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than simply rob sea ships. One day Morgan used a cunning move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and filled it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. While storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending his army bypassing the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success and the fortress fell. Morgan spent the last years of his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the delights appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery sank into the sea after the earthquake.

Francis Drake

(1540-1596) was born in England, in the family of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed pirate raids, as long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune also loved him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he plunders their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were grateful to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the world map. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of the exploration of Australia. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cunningly, avoiding the traps of his enemies, that he was able to travel around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circumnavigated Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. At that time it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented event that has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Later, the pirate’s luck turned away; during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.

Edward Teach

(1680-1718) is better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair dates back only to 1717; what the Englishman did before that remains unknown. Based on indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already a pirate, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost his entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned him respect from other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, when smoking, terrified his opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateering operations against the French. Soon Teach captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. At this time, the pirate operates in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, Tich already had 300 people under his command. Within a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding treasure on some uninhabited island, but no one knew where exactly. The pirate's outrages against the British and his plunder of the colonies forced the authorities to announce a hunt for Blackbeard. A massive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and killed during the battle. Teach's head was cut off and his body was suspended from a yardarm.

William Kidd

(1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided to connect his destiny with the sea from childhood. In 1688, Kidd, a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades, William took possession of the frigate, calling it the Blessed William. With the help of a privateering patent, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a rich widow, taking possession of lands and property. But the pirate’s heart demanded adventure, and now, 5 years later, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was designed to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the meager profits, periodically rebelled. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the English authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the struggle of political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Read

(1685-1721). From childhood, girls were dressed in boy's clothes. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At age 15, Mary joined the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she never received any advancement. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothing, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, and the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a man's uniform, participating in skirmishes along with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with the artisan who helped the pirate. They even got married and were going to put an end to the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reed was caught by authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she committed the robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of plundering and boarding ships. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman; she patiently awaited her fate in a Jamaican prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a strong fever finished her off early.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur

became the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "the buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly expelled the British (according to other sources, the Spaniards) from there and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued a filibuster with very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking direct part in the hostilities. When the Spaniards failed to take the island in 1643, and were surprised to find fortifications, Le Vasseur's authority grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the deteriorating character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Vasseur collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £235 million in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold remained undiscovered.

William Dampier

(1651-1715) is often called not just a pirate, but also a scientist. After all, he completed three voyages around the world, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Having been orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to fight. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to again become a sailor on a merchant ship. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the Gulf Coast, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's further life revolved around the idea of traveling around Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, and New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began keeping notes about his adventures. As a result, his book “A New Journey Around the World” was published in 1697, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing a new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710, he took part as a navigator of a corsair expedition around the world. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Zheng Shi

(1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be indicated by the fact that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed deep into river mouths, ravaging coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established. It put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - robbery of allies and rape of prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a female pirate is reflected in literature and cinema; there are many legends about her.

Edward Lau

(1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man lived in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to home. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating near the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for the fact that in a short time he managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing rare bloodthirstiness.

Arouge Barbarossa

(1473-1518) became a pirate at age 16 after the Turks captured his home island of Lesbos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon captured a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Arouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to set up a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the spoils. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Getting involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring success to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross the Second.

(1788-1846)

Among the remarkable Russian navigators of the first half of the 19th century. Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue occupies a very prominent place. During his life he made three voyages around the world, in each of which remarkable discoveries were made; He also carried out remarkable oceanographic work.

Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue was born on December 30, 1788 in Reval (Tallinn), in the family of the very popular writer Kotzebue at that time. While still a cadet, he was enlisted as a volunteer on the sloop of war Nadezhda, which set off under command in the summer of 1803 on the first Russian voyage around the world.

During the three years spent on this voyage, O. E. Kotzebue became a real sailor and upon returning from the campaign he was promoted to midshipman. On the Nadezhda he was educated in the spirit of the best traditions of the Russian fleet. On this ship he learned to respect the sailors, treat them carefully and carefully, and learned a humane attitude towards the native population of the lands he visited. On Nadezhda, a deep interest in scientific research arose in him.

Already in 1808 - only twenty years old - O. E. Kotzebue received command of the first ship, and six years later, already with the rank of lieutenant, he was appointed commander of a specially built ship that was supposed to go on a trip around the world with scientific purposes. This ship was the brig "Rurik", on which O. E. Kotzebue committed during 1815-1818. his first independent voyage around the world, which brought both the ship and its commander wide fame. The young lieutenant was recommended for this voyage by I.F. Kruzenshtern, and he was completely satisfied with the expedition of his young student. For the successful voyage, the commander of the Rurik was awarded an order and received the rank of captain-lieutenant.

A few years later, he was entrusted with command of the ship "Enterprise", which set off on a circumnavigation of the world, which lasted during 1823-1826.

O. E. Kotzebue wrote books about these voyages: “A Journey to the Southern Ocean and the Bering Strait to Find the North-Eastern Sea Passage, Undertaken in 1815, 1816, 1817 and 1818,” Parts I and II, published in 1821. (in addition, in 1823, Part III was published, containing observation logs and articles by naturalists), “A Voyage Around the World on the Sloop of War “Enterprise,” published in 1828. At the same time, these books were translated into German, English, and Dutch and Swedish languages.

After these remarkable voyages, O. E. Kotzebue served briefly in the navy, commanding the ship “Emperor Peter I” and then the naval crew in Kronstadt. At the end of 1828, he took a long vacation to improve his health, which was greatly upset during his voyages. In 1830, with the rank of captain 1st rank, he was dismissed due to illness.

This almost exhausts the very scanty biographical information about O. E. Kotzebue. Only his books remain, which clearly depict the figure of their author as one of the best representatives of the Russian fleet.

As already mentioned, in 1814 O. E. Kotzebue was appointed commander of the brig "Rurik", which was intended for circumnavigation of the world for scientific purposes; This was the main feature of the trip. The earlier - and almost all later - voyages around the world were associated with transport tasks and were organized to supply and protect the colonies. “Rurik” was equipped with the private funds of Count N.P. Rumyantsev, a famous philanthropist. The research program was drawn up by Krusenstern and Gorner, and the main goal was: “following from the Bering Strait along the northern side of America, to look for connections between the Great Ocean and the Atlantic.” In addition, it was necessary to explore the equatorial and tropical spaces of the western Pacific Ocean, which at that time were still very poorly known.

The research program included mainly hydrographic work: a marine inventory of the coast, determination of astronomical points, reconnaissance sounding of depths, collection of materials for sailing directions, etc. An important place was also occupied by the determination of the elements of terrestrial magnetism and some hydrological observations.

All this work was carried out by O.E. Kotzebue himself and his assistant Lieutenant Shishmarev - there were only two officers on the Rurik (the third, Zakharyin, left the ship due to illness immediately upon arrival in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). A certain amount of assistance was provided to them by the “navigation students,” of whom there were three. In addition, there were three natural scientists and an artist on board the ship. This group was engaged in observation and collection of materials on ethnography, zoology, botany and geology.

The crew of the Rurik consisted of 34 people, with the main crew selected by O. E. Kotzebue himself.

The ship was built in Abo (now Turku) under the personal supervision of O. E. Kotzebue and his officers. The commander took measures to make the ship as comfortable as possible “for both officers and sailors, for I did not spare space for this, being sure that the preservation of the health of the entire crew depended on this.” And indeed, everyone noted the excellent internal structure of the ship, which Kotzebue was very happy about, because everything was done according to his instructions.

"Rurik" was a two-masted brig that had eight small guns and carried only 180 tons of cargo. Such small sizes created significant difficulties in navigation, such as providing provisions and spare materials for a long time. But at the same time, its small size made the ship more maneuverable, allowed it to approach close to the shores and reduced the risk of running aground in shallow water areas.

On May 11, 1815, the new ship was launched and the Russian naval flag was solemnly raised on it.

At the end of all training, on July 30, 1815, “Rurik” left the Kronstadt roadstead. After calls at Copenhagen and Plymouth, the Rurik entered the Atlantic Ocean, heading towards the Drake Passage. Along the way, he visited the Canary Islands and Catherine Island (off the coast of Brazil south of Rio de Janeiro) to replenish food supplies and rest the crew. Six months after leaving Kronstadt. On December 28, 1815, the Rurik headed for Cape Horn; January 23 next year passed the meridian of this cape and on February 13 dropped anchor in the Bay of Concepcion in Chile. Here the ship stayed for about a month, preparing for a new difficult passage across the Pacific Ocean, and only on March 8 O. E. Kotzebue left Chile.

From here he headed first to Easter Island, and then to Kamchatka. On this path, he managed to discover a whole chain of new islands - the Radak chain in the Marshall archipelago, clarify the position of previously known islands and remove from the map the islands mistakenly marked by previous explorers. O. E. Kotzebue, hurrying north, became acquainted with the newly discovered islands in passing, postponing more detailed studies until the next winter.

On June 19, 1816, “Rurik” dropped anchor in the port of Peter and Paul and preparations immediately began for the most important stage of the voyage: a trip to the Arctic Ocean. In mid-July, "Rurik" left Avacha Bay and headed north. Bypassing Fr. Lawrence from the west, the ship moved to Cape Prince of Wales, rounded it and went along the coast to the east. Here O. E. Kotzebue began his search for a way to the Atlantic Ocean. The shore went northeast and then southeast, and Kotzebue began to think that he had discovered a passage, but it turned out that he had only found a bay jutting deep into the land. Cook and Clerk, who sailed here about forty years earlier, did not see this bay, which received the name Kotzebue. Having examined the shores in detail on August 14, O. E. Kotzebue headed towards the exit from the Arctic Ocean, expecting to continue the search next year. He used the return route for work in the Bering Sea and exploration of the Gulf of Lawrence in Chukotka and the southeastern edge of the island. Lawrence. He then sailed southeast and anchored in Illuluk Harbor on Unalaska on September 7. Having stayed here for a week, the ship then headed to California for repairs, rest and replenishment of provisions before heading to the tropics to continue the work begun on the way to Kamchatka.

The Rurik stayed in San Francisco for a month, and then headed to the Hawaiian Islands, where it stayed for another three weeks, and only after that it headed to the Marshall Archipelago. Along the way, New Year's Island was discovered on January 1, 1817. Then a number of discoveries were made and a detailed survey of the islands of the Radak chain was carried out. This very detailed work took two and a half months; Only in mid-March did the Rurik leave the coral islands and head back to Unalaska to continue research in the north. On this route, the Rurik encountered a storm of exceptional force, during which O. E. Kotzebue was knocked down and hit his chest on a sharp corner so hard that he lost consciousness. From then on, O. E. Kotzebue was unwell all the time and therefore was unable to complete the expedition the way he wanted.

"Rurik" arrived in Unalaska in April 1817, and on June 29 he went further north. After visiting Fr. Paul's ship anchored near Fr. Lawrence July 10. After a short stay, Kotzebue weighed anchor and headed north, but very soon encountered ice. The commander of the Rurik felt completely ill, hemoptysis began, and the doctor insisted on stopping the voyage. Although O. E. Kotzebue really wanted to continue his journey north, prudence prevailed and he turned back.

According to the instructions, the return route to Russia was supposed to be through the Torres Strait, but O. E. Kotzebue could not fulfill this requirement - neither the condition of the ship nor his own health allowed it. So he decided to go through Manila. Along the way, "Rurik" again visited Hawaii, where he stayed from September 26 to October 14, and at the end of October he was again among the coral islands of the Radak chain, carrying out further research. Then the ship headed to the island. Guam, and on October 28 left here to go to Manila, where he ended up after almost a three-week journey.

The further route lay through the Sunda Strait and Captown, then past Fr. St. Helena, Ascension and the Azores to Portsmouth, and from here with a short call to Copenhagen - to St. Petersburg, where the Rurik anchored on the Neva opposite the house of Count Rumyantsev on August 3, 1818.

Five years after this, O. E. Kotzebue was appointed commander of the sloop Enterprise. This new ship, specially built at the Okhtensky shipyard, was intended to transport goods to Russian America. It was a small ship, but still significantly larger than the Rurik: the Enterprise sloop carried 750 tons of cargo, was armed with twenty-four cannons and had a crew of 118. In addition to transporting cargo, the ship had to conduct Scientific research. I.F. Krusenstern took charge of organizing them. He compiled overall plan research and wrote detailed instructions the ship's commander, selected scientific personnel and provided the ship with equipment.

The scientific group consisted of three people - students of the University of Dorpat, among whom was E. H. Lenz, the future famous physicist. The students were selected by I. F. Krusenstern on the recommendation of their professors. The appointment of E. H. Lenz turned out to be especially successful: it was his participation that determined the enormous role of the voyage of the sloop “Enterprise” in the development of a new science - oceanography, although Lenz was only 19 years old in the year of the expedition.

The sloop of war "Enterprise" under the command of Lieutenant Commander O. E. Kotzebue left Kronstadt on August 9, 1823, heading to Russian America by the western route. On November 14, the sloop was in Rio de Janeiro, and on December 10, it left Brazil in order to have time to go around Cape Horn in more favorable weather. This was a success: at the end of December the ship was near Cape Horn, and on January 13, 1824, Tierra del Fuego had already been passed. As in the previous voyage, O. E. Kotzebue headed to Concepcion Bay, where the sailors stocked up on fresh provisions, rested before crossing the Pacific Ocean, checked their chronometers, and on February 15, the “Enterprise” set off on its further journey, heading towards the Tuamotu Islands.

As always, O. E. Kotzebue paved the way through areas not visited by anyone, and he managed to make a discovery here: on March 14, a new island was discovered, which Kotzebue called the island “Enterprise”, “having reason to believe that until now it had not not considered by any navigator."

Having described the newly discovered island and determined its coordinates. O. E. Kotzebue moved on. Having passed by the islands discovered by himself (Rumyantsev, Spiridov, the Rurik chain, etc.) and Bellingshausen (Arakcheeva, Greig, etc.), and checking their coordinates, the sloop "Enterprise" anchored on March 24 in Matavai Bay on the island Tahiti (according to Kotzebue - Otagatei). While staying here, O. E. Kotzebue was engaged in a description of the islands and, among other things, discovered a new, until then completely unknown, extremely convenient harbor; it later housed the capital of the island of Tahiti (and all of French Oceania, and nowadays French Polynesia) - Papeete.

From Tahiti, O. E. Kotzebue headed to the Samoan Islands. Here he managed to discover a new group of islands, which he called the Bellingshausen Islands. Then he set about describing and clarifying the position of the already known islands, and he managed to correct a number of mistakes of previous navigators, and then he headed to Kamchatka, again plotting a course through still unknown places and through the Radak group. On May 11, 1824, the sloop anchored off the island. Otdia, where old acquaintances met O. E. Kotzebue with great joy: he was remembered here from his first visit to “Rurik” in 1817.

A week later, the sloop set off further, and on June 20, the Enterprise was in Petropavlovsk. The cargo was delivered here, after which on August 1 the travelers headed to Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka). Since it turned out that the colonies of Russian America did not need the “Enterprise” until March of the following year, O. E. Kotzebue went to San Francisco for provisions and for rest. After standing in this port for quite a long time - O. E. Kotzebue left here only on December 7 - the "Enterprise" set course for the Hawaiian Islands; with still a lot of time ahead. O. E. Kotzebue decided to use it for scientific works and for the practice of their young officers. After a three-week voyage, the sloop entered Honolulu Harbor. The anchorage here was also used for repairs of the ship, after which the sloop set sail for Novo-Arkhangelsk in mid-February 1825. Winter time here is usually extremely difficult for sailing, but the “Enterprise” was lucky and, having encountered only one short storm, the ship anchored in the roadstead fortresses already on March 8th.

Having completed all the instructions. O. E. Kotzebue sent his sloop on the return journey on August 23, intending to pass by the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands. The instructions recommended using the fourth year of voyage for scientific work, but this was practically impossible, since the ship required repairs.

On the way between the Hawaiian and Mariana Islands, some more islands were discovered, in particular the Bikini Atoll (O. E. Kotzebue named it after Eschscholtz, one of the participants in the expedition on the Rurik). Then, after a short visit to Guam, the ship departed for Manila, where it arrived on November 8.

After a two-month stay in Manila, the sloop set off on a further journey, heading for the Sunda Strait, and then to Cape Agulhas, which was rounded on March 27. Having passed Captown, Kotzebue went to the island. St. Catherine, then to Portsmouth and Copenhagen. On July 22, 1826, the sloop "Enterprise" returned to Kronstadt. Thus ended the three-year voyage of this ship.

O. E. Kotzebue’s voyages on the “Rurik” and on the “Enterprise” were extremely fruitful, and it is very difficult to summarize their results in a few words. First of all, many new islands were discovered: it is believed that the total number of them is 399, and among them is such a large group of islands as the Radak chain. Of course, most of the discovered islands are small uninhabited atolls, but such discoveries cannot but be considered important, since safe navigation can only be done with a good and accurate map, which shows all the islands, shoals, passages, etc. O.E. himself. Kotzebue remarks on this matter: “Such discoveries in themselves are of little importance, but correct descriptions and precise determinations of their position are necessary for navigators.”

The correct placement of new islands on the map, as well as the correction of incorrect positions or the complete “destruction” of islands marked without sufficient grounds, constitutes a very significant share of the merits of these ships. True, some of the foreign geographers did not believe O. E. Kotzebue and accused him of giving incorrect definitions and appropriating other people’s discoveries. Kruzenshtern gave a sharp rebuke to these unfair reproaches in an article published in Kotzebue’s book about the voyage of the Rurik. Kruzenshtern consistently and convincingly, with the help of very compelling arguments - by comparing various maps with Kotzebue’s map and analyzing sailing conditions - proved that these were real discoveries and that their priority certainly belongs to “Rurik”.

In addition to new discoveries and maps of new areas, these travels through many of the already known areas made very useful descriptions approaches to the bays, anchorages and other information important for seafarers.

Enormous material was collected from ethnography. Both the natural scientists who specifically took part in the voyage and the commander himself paid a lot of attention to studying the language and customs of the population of the countries visited. Sketches and notes were made, household utensils, jewelry, weapons, tools and other items were collected. The abundance of such material was explained by the fact that in the overwhelming majority of cases the local population greeted Russian sailors very cordially, especially on newly discovered islands or where only Russians had previously visited. O. E. Kotzebue notes the terrible influence of “European civilization,” which was mercilessly “introduced” into the colonial possessions by cruel predatory colonizers from Europe and America. O. E. Kotzebue gives many examples of such “introduction of culture.” In one place he describes a terrible picture of the existence of Indians brought into the Christian faith, in another he talks about the oppression of missionaries under which the local residents in Tahiti are; reporting that since Cook's time the population of Tahiti has decreased from 80 thousand to 8 thousand people, he concludes: “Why did this terrible difference occur? Where a European settles on the islands of the South Sea, the devastating death that accompanies him exterminates entire tribes, for these settlers are rarely worthy of their fatherland.”

O. E. Kotzebue behaved completely differently with the islanders. He looked at them not as “savages”, but as children - simple and naive, having very vague ideas about what they called “ European culture" He did not tolerate cruelty, much less murder, but on the contrary, he always treated the locals friendly, no matter where he was: on tropical islands like Fr. Otdia or near the Arctic Circle in Chukotka - he was always honest with them, did not allow robbery or deception; even when travelers found various “stray” things and took them, they left theirs in exchange.

O. E. Kotzebue highly appreciated the culture of the islanders, which is expressed even in such trifles as hygiene. And he valued their skills as seafarers and swimmers extremely highly. He managed to find out that the islanders travel hundreds of miles in their small pirogue boats. Having quickly mastered the language of the inhabitants of Radak, he learned the location of the groups of the main chain, and after leaving the Rumyantsev group he had discovered, he swam in certain directions: one of the inhabitants depicted for him several groups of islands from stones on the sand and showed not only their relative location, but also distances between them. He also learned that the islanders have unique sailing directions and rules for navigation, which exist in the form of songs and are passed on from generation to generation.

Great results were also obtained in oceanography. Even on the Rurik, O. E. Kotzebue made extensive hydrometeorological observations, and observations were carried out not only on the surface, but also at depths (116 separate observations were received). The specific gravity and transparency of water were also determined, and for the latter purpose a white disk was used for the first time; this method of determining transparency continues to exist to this day, only this device - a white disk - is for some reason called the “Secchi disk”, although it was first used by Kotzebue. Much attention was paid to determining ocean currents and level fluctuations. O. E. Kotzebue’s comments on this are extremely numerous in both books, but especially significant oceanographic work was carried out on the sloop “Enterprise”, where, as already mentioned, E. H. Lenz sailed. Under the leadership of E.I. Parrot, E.H. Lenz designed two important instruments, without which the development of oceanography was impossible: a bathometer for taking water samples from various depths and a depth gauge (view) for measuring depth and lowering instruments overboard. It was these devices that made it possible to collect first-class material. It was not for nothing that S. O. Makarov spoke with particular praise about the observations of “Rurik” and placed extremely high (even above his own and above “Challenger”) the observations at the “Enterprise”.

Unfortunately, the Parrott-Lenz instruments were forgotten quite quickly, and several decades later, instruments either similar (“Thomson view”) or very similar (Petterson-Nansen bathometer) appeared abroad.

As a result of the research carried out at the “Enterprise”, not only new oceanographic facts were discovered, but also the necessary explanation was given to them. Thus, E. H. Lenz drew attention to the existence of salinity maxima in the tropical zones of the oceans and correctly explained them by increased evaporation in these zones; he noticed that the salinity of the Atlantic Ocean, compared with the salinity of others, was slightly increased; he pointed out the homogeneity of the salt composition of ocean water, despite the difference in the salinity of sea water; he studied the nature of changes in salinity and temperature with depth (up to depths of about 2000 m); he compared the temperatures of water and air at different latitudes, studied the annual variation of water temperature, the compressibility of water, even the salinity of the air above the sea. The theoretical study of E. H. Lenz on the shape of a cable with a lot in water is also very interesting. In a word, oceanographic work was carried out by Lenz on a wide scale and, most importantly, with exceptional accuracy, characteristic of him as a first-class physicist; That is why his data have largely not lost their significance.

In addition to oceanographic work, E. H. Lenz also carried out gravimetric (“pendulum”) measurements, which also gave excellent results.

Even a cursory list of the work carried out during the expeditions of O. E Kotzebue shows how big place It ranks in the history of domestic and world oceanography. He is one of the founders of this science and the predecessor of the famous S. O. Makarov.

One could talk about many more things that O. E. Kotzebue has done, for example, about the discovery of fossil ice (in Kotzebue Bay), about the hypothesis about the origin of the Bering Strait, about hypotheses about the origin of coral islands, and much more. But even without this, the surprisingly fruitful work of the expeditions under his leadership is already visible.

O. E. Kotzebue was a wonderful sailor - brave, resourceful and knowledgeable. This can be seen from many episodes described by him. Both voyages were plagued by large storms, and ships often lost spars and even people. This began with the Rurik leaving Plymouth, when a sudden night storm almost threw the ship onto the rocks; with a broken boom at dawn, he barely managed to get back into the roadstead. Then - swimming in completely unknown waters among low-lying coral islands and reefs that rise almost to the very surface of the water or barely protrude above it. Here, only the commander’s exceptional attentiveness and skill more than once rescued him from almost inevitable disaster. But not only the skill of the commander decided the matter in such cases - the training of the team played a huge role. O. E. Kotzebue repeatedly speaks highly of his sailors. Thus, in connection with the description of a canoe trip in Kotzebue Bay, when she was almost carried away by the wind, he says: “We owe our salvation only to the courage of the sailors, and I have great pleasure in testifying here that throughout the entire voyage I was completely satisfied with the behavior the entire crew. The fearlessness, courage and fortitude of the sailors always pleased me. Their behavior was exemplary everywhere; both in well-known places and in new countries, their careful efforts to prevent any bad opinion about themselves were visible. Thus, even the most difficult undertaking carried out with Russian sailors turns into pleasure.”

But the most important thing that allowed O. E. Kotzebue to make such wonderful voyages was his selfless devotion to science and his homeland. This can be seen at least from the episode with the discovery of Kotzebue Bay. The commander of the Rurik writes: “This sound should, over time, bring significant benefits to the trade in fur goods, which abound in this country. We ourselves could return with a rich cargo if bargaining was one of our activities.” Elsewhere he says that he has “all eyes on new discoveries.”

Before deciding to stop searching for the northwest passage, he talks about his feelings: “For a long time I struggled with myself: I repeatedly decided, despising the danger of death, to complete my undertaking, but when it occurred to me that perhaps my life was connected saving the Rurik and preserving the lives of my companions, then I felt that I had to defeat ambition. In this terrible struggle I was supported by the firm conviction that I had honestly fulfilled my duty. I informed the crew in writing that illness was forcing me to return to Unalaska. The minute in which I signed this paper was one of the saddest in my life, because with this I abandoned my most ardent desire.” O. E. Kotzebue, when he wrote this, did not yet suspect that the illness would be protracted and would allow him to make only one voyage - a remarkable one, it is true, but the last. Because of this, the wonderful sailor stopped working in the navy 16 years before his death. How much more he could have done with his experience and knowledge! But what he managed to accomplish forever ensured him an honorable place in the history of science.

Bibliography

Dobrovolsky A.D. Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue / A.D. Dobrovolsky // People of Russian Science. Essays on outstanding figures of natural science and technology. Geology and geography. – Moscow: State Publishing House of Physical and Mathematical Literature, 1962. – P. 439-449.

In the history of the first half of the 19th century, a number of brilliant geographical studies are known. Among them, one of the most prominent places belongs to Russian trips around the world.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia occupied a leading place in organizing and conducting circumnavigation and ocean exploration.

The first voyage of Russian ships around the world under the command of captain-lieutenants I.F. Krusenstern and Yu.F. Lisyansky lasted three years, like most circumnavigations of that time. This journey in 1803 begins an entire era of remarkable Russian expeditions around the world.

Yu.F. Lisyansky received orders to go to England to purchase two ships intended for circumnavigation. Lisyansky bought these ships, Nadezhda and Neva, in London for 22,000 pounds sterling, which was almost the same amount in gold rubles at the exchange rate of that time.

The price for the purchase of "Nadezhda" and "Neva" was actually equal to 17,000 pounds sterling, but for corrections they had to pay an additional 5,000 pounds. The ship "Nadezhda" has already been three years old since its launch, and the "Neva" is only fifteen months old. "Neva" had a displacement of 350 tons, and "Nadezhda" - 450 tons.

In England, Lisyansky bought a number of sextants, lel-compasses, barometers, a hygrometer, several thermometers, one artificial magnet, chronometers by Arnold and Pettiwgton, and more. The chronometers were tested by academician Schubert. All other instruments were Troughton's work.

Astronomical and physical instruments were designed to observe longitudes and latitudes and orient the ship. Lisyansky took care to purchase a whole pharmacy of medicines and anti-scorbutic agents, since in those days scurvy was one of the most dangerous diseases during long voyages. Equipment for the expedition was also purchased from England, including comfortable, durable clothing for the team that was suitable for various climatic conditions. There was a spare set of underwear and dresses. Mattresses, pillows, sheets and blankets were ordered for each of the sailors. The ship's provisions were the best. The crackers prepared in St. Petersburg did not spoil for two whole years, just like solonia, which was salted with domestic salt by the merchant Oblomkov. The Nadezhda crew consisted of 58 people, and the Neva crew of 47. They were selected from volunteer sailors, of whom there were so many that everyone who wanted to participate in a trip around the world could be enough to staff several expeditions. It should be noted that none of the team members participated in long voyages, since in those days Russian ships did not descend south of the northern tropic. The task that faced the officers and crew of the expedition was not easy. They had to cross two oceans, go around the dangerous Cape Horn, famous for its storms, and rise to 60° N. sh., visit a number of little-studied coasts, where mariners could expect uncharted and undescribed pitfalls and other dangers. But the command of the expedition was so confident in the strength of its “officers and enlisted personnel” that they rejected the offer to take on board several foreign sailors familiar with the conditions long voyages. Among the foreigners on the expedition were naturalists Tilesius von Tilenau, Langsdorff and astronomer Horner. Horner was of Swiss origin. He worked at the then famous Seeberg Observatory, whose director recommended him to Count Rumyantsev. The expedition was also accompanied by a painter from the Academy of Arts.

The artist and scientists were with the Russian envoy to Japan, N.P. Rezanov, and his retinue on board the large ship Nadezhda. "Nadezhda" was commanded by Krusenstern. Lisyansky was entrusted with command of the Neva. Although Krusenstern was listed as the commander of the Nadezhda and the head of the expedition at the Naval Ministry, in the instructions given by Alexander I to the Russian ambassador to Japan, N.P. Rezanov, he was called the main commander of the expedition. This dual position was the reason for the emergence of conflictual relationships between Rezanov and Krusenstern. Therefore, Kruzenshtern repeatedly submitted reports to the Directorate of the Russian-American Company, where he wrote that he was called upon by the highest order to command the expedition and that “it was entrusted to Rezanov” without his knowledge, to which he would never agree, that his position “does not consist only to watch the sails,” etc. Soon the relationship between Rezanov and Kruzenshtern became so tense that a riot occurred among the Nadezhda crew.

The Russian envoy to Japan, after a series of troubles and insults, was forced to retire to his cabin, from which he did not leave until his arrival in Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka. Here Rezanov turned to Major General Koshelev, a representative of the local administrative authorities. An investigation was ordered against Krusenstern, which took on an unfavorable character for him. Considering the situation, Kruzenshtern publicly apologized to Rezanov and asked Koshelev not to allow the investigation to proceed further. Only thanks to the kindness of Rezanov, who decided to drop the case, Kruzenshtern avoided major troubles that could have had fatal consequences for his career.

The above episode shows that the discipline on the Nadezhda ship, commanded by Kruzenshtern, was not up to par if such a high-ranking person vested with special powers as the Russian envoy to Japan could be subjected to a number of insults from the crew and the captain of the Nadezhda himself. It is probably no coincidence that the Nadezhda was in a very risky position several times during its voyage, while the Neva only once landed on a coral reef and, moreover, in a place where it could not be expected according to cards. All this leads to the assumption that the generally accepted idea of Kruzenshtern’s leading role in the first Russian trip around the world does not correspond to reality.

Although the ships were supposed to make the first part of the journey to England, and then across the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing Cape Horn, together, then they had to separate at the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands. "Nadezhda", according to the expedition plan, should have gone to Kamchatka, where she was supposed to leave her cargo. Then Kruzenshtern should have gone to Japan and delivered there the Russian ambassador N.P. Rezanov and his retinue. After this, "Nadezhda" had to return to Kamchatka again, take a cargo of furs and take it to Canton for sale. The Neva's route, starting from the Hawaiian Islands, was completely different. Lisyansky was supposed to go "north-west, to the island of Kodiak, where the main office of the Russian-American company was located at that time. The Neva was supposed to winter here, and then it was supposed to take a cargo of furs and deliver it to Canton, where it was assigned meeting of both ships - "Neva" and "Nadezhda". From Canton, both ships were supposed to head to Russia past the Cape of Good Hope. This plan was carried out, although with retreats caused by storms, which separated the ships long ago, as well as long stops for necessary repairs and food replenishment.

Naturalists present on the ships collected valuable botanical, zoological and ethnographic collections, made observations of sea currents, temperature and density of water at depths of up to 400 m, tides and barometer fluctuations, systematic astronomical observations to determine longitudes and latitudes and established the coordinates of the whole a number of points visited by the expedition, including all the harbors and islands where there were anchorages.

If the special tasks of the expedition in the Russian colonies were successfully completed, then the same cannot be said about that part of the expedition’s plans that was associated with the organization of the embassy to Japan. The embassy of N.P. Rezanov was unsuccessful. Although he was surrounded by attention and all kinds of signs of honor and respect upon his arrival in Japan, he failed to establish trade relations with this country.

On August 5, 1806, the Neva arrived safely at the Kronstadt roadstead. Cannon salutes from the Neva and response salvos from the Kronstadt Fortress rang out. Thus, the Neva spent three years and two months at sea. On August 19, Nadezhda arrived, which had been on a circumnavigation for fourteen days longer than Neva.

The first Russian circumnavigation constituted an epoch in the history of the Russian fleet and brought to world geographical science a number of new information about little-explored countries. A whole series of islands that were visited by Lisyansky and Kruzenshtern had only recently been discovered by sailors, and their nature, population, their customs, beliefs and economy remained almost completely unknown. These were the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands, discovered in 1778 by Cook, less than thirty years before they were visited by Russian sailors. Russian travelers could observe the life of the Hawaiians in its natural state, not yet changed by contact with Europeans. The Marquesas and Washington Islands, as well as Easter Island, have been little studied. It is not surprising that the descriptions of the Russian trip around the world made by Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky aroused keen interest among a wide range of readers and were translated into a number of Western European languages. The materials collected during the voyage of the Neva and Nadezhda were of great value for the study of the primitive peoples of Oceania and the North Pacific Ocean. Our first Russian travelers observed these peoples in the stage of tribal relations. They were the first to describe in detail the peculiar, ancient Hawaiian culture with its immutable laws of “taboo” and human sacrifice. The rich ethnographic collections collected on the ships "Neva" and "Nadezhda", together with descriptions of the customs, beliefs and even the language of the Pacific islanders, served as valuable sources for the study of the peoples inhabiting the Pacific islands.

Thus, the first Russian trip around the world played a big role in the development of ethnography. This was greatly facilitated by the great observation and accuracy of the descriptions of our first travelers around the world.

It should be noted that numerous observations of sea currents, temperature and water density, which were made on the ships Nadezhda and Neva, gave impetus to the development of a new science - oceanography. Before the first Russian voyage around the world, such systematic observations were not usually made by navigators. Russian sailors turned out to be great innovators in this regard.

The first Russian circumnavigation opens a whole galaxy of brilliant trips around the world made under the Russian flag.

During these travels, excellent cadres of sailors were created who gained experience in long-distance voyages and highly qualified in the difficult art of navigation for a sailing fleet.

It is interesting to note that one of the participants in the first Russian circumnavigation of the world, Kotzebue, who sailed as a cadet on the ship "Nadezhda", subsequently himself carried out an equally interesting circumnavigation on the ship "Rurik", equipped at the expense of Count Rumyantsev.

The expedition on the ships "Neva" and "Nadezhda" paved a new route to the Russian North American colonies. Since then, their supply of necessary food and goods has been carried out by sea. These continuous long-distance voyages revived colonial trade and in many ways contributed to the development of the North American colonies and the development of Kamchatka.

Russia's maritime ties with the Pacific Ocean have strengthened and the international trade. With a number of valuable observations along long-distance voyage routes, the first Russian trip around the world laid a strong foundation scientific basis the difficult art of long-distance navigation.

All pirate ships, regardless of size and origin, met certain requirements to one degree or another. First of all, the pirate ship had to be sufficiently seaworthy, since it often had to endure storms on the open ocean. The so-called "golden age of piracy" (1690-1730) was marked by particular piracy activity in the Caribbean Sea, on the Atlantic coast of North America, the west coast of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. The first two of these areas are famous for frequent hurricanes, the season of which lasts from June to November, reaching its peak in August-September. At the beginning of the 17th century, sailors were already well aware of the existence of a hurricane season on the Atlantic and that these hurricanes originated off the West African coast. Sailors have learned to predict the approaching hurricane. Knowing that a storm was approaching, the ship's captain could try to get away from it or find shelter. Winds blowing at speeds of more than 150 km/h have caused catastrophic destruction on the coast and sunk ships for centuries. For pirates, for whom access to most ports was closed, storms posed a particular threat. Their ships had to be particularly stable and withstand any storm. Mandatory attributes of a pirate ship were a set of storm sails, a durable hull, reliable pumps for pumping water out of the hold and an experienced crew. For pirates, hurricanes also had a positive side, as they damaged other ships, leaving them defenseless. Pirate Henry Jennings began his career by plundering Spanish galleons washed ashore in the 1715 hurricane. In the Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones, which in the western Pacific are known as typhoons, were no less dangerous. In the northern Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones occur from May to November, while further south the cyclone season occurs from December to March. Meteorologists report an average of 85 hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones per year. Apparently, during the "golden age of piracy" this number was approximately the same. Hurricanes and typhoons are dangerous even for modern ships. How dangerous they were for sailing ships, deprived of the opportunity to receive a storm warning by radio! Add to this the constant risk of Atlantic storms and rough seas in the Cape of Good Hope area... It is interesting that in those days transatlantic crossings (and circumnavigations!) were often carried out by sloops and even smaller vessels, which today are used only for coastal fishing (meaning vessels of the same size). For example, Bartholomew Roberts crossed the Atlantic several times, and also walked along the coast of the New World from Brazil to Newfoundland. The load on the wooden hull of a ship during a long voyage is compatible with short-term load during a storm. The problem is further aggravated by the constant fouling of the bottom with algae and shells, which seriously impair the performance of the vessel. A heavily overgrown sailing ship cannot reach a speed of more than three or four knots. Therefore, it is very important to periodically clean the bottom of the ship. But if the military and merchants had shipyards in port cities at their disposal, the pirates had to clean the bottom of their ships secretly, hiding in secluded bays and river mouths. Cleaning the bottom (heeling, pitching) of a small ship (sloop or brig) usually took a week. Larger ships required proportionately more time for this operation. While careening, the ship was vulnerable to attack and cases of attacks on pirate ships in a similar position are known.

The ship is also threatened by woodworms. The waters of the Caribbean Sea are the most infested with woodworms, so wooden ships sailing in this region deteriorate faster than others. The Spaniards adhered to the rule that a ship making regular voyages to the Caribbean could not last longer than ten years, even if measures were taken to protect the hull. It should be noted that the problem of the ship's durability never arose before the pirates, because even the most successful of them, like Bartholomew Roberts, rarely operated for more than two years. Larger ships were better suited to sailing across the Atlantic, but required more time to heel. It is much easier to clean the bottom of a small ship. Small ships have a shallow draft, which allows them to sail more confidently in coastal waters, as well as swim into river mouths, sandbanks and inland waters. In 1715, New York Governor Hunter wrote the following lines to London: “The coast is infested with privateers, who, taking advantage of the opportunity of rowing in the shallow waters, are moving away from His Majesty’s ships.” The governor demanded at his disposal a flotilla of sloops capable of fighting pirates in the shallow waters of Long Island and the mouth of the Hudson.

Another mandatory requirement for a pirate ship was high speed. There is a mathematical formula that determines the relationship between the size of the ship, the shape of the hull and the number of sails the ship can carry. Theoretically, a large ship can carry more sails, but its hull also has a greater displacement. A large sail area has a positive effect on speed, while a large displacement, on the contrary, limits it. Small ships such as a brigantine have a small sail area, but the ratio of sail area to displacement is greater than that of square-rigged ships, giving them a speed advantage. Small narrow and shallow-draft vessels, such as sloops and schooners, have improved hydrodynamics, which also increases their speed. Although speed is determined by a complex third-degree equation, the main reasons that determine it are well known. Pirate ships were generally faster than square-rigged merchant ships. Pirates valued certain types of ships precisely for their speed. Thus, single-masted sloops built in Jamaica or Bermuda were especially popular among pirates.

The speed of a ship is also influenced by factors that are difficult to express mathematically. We have already talked about fouling of the bottom. Pirates needed to keel their ships regularly, since every additional knot of speed was important to them. Certain types of ships sailed better in certain winds. For example, ships with gaff sails could stay steeper to the wind than ships with straight sails; a lateen sail is especially good in a crosswind, but helps little in a tailwind. But most important was the experience of the captain and the qualifications of the team. Experienced sailors can squeeze out an extra knot of speed by knowing the characteristics of their vessel. All other things being equal, an experienced crew will definitely outplay the enemy. When in 1718 the ships of the Royal Navy set off towards the Bahamas to intercept Charles Vane, the pirate, thanks to his skill and the quality of the ship, was able to break away from his pursuers. According to the testimony of one of the English officers, Vane made two feet when the royal ships made one. Finally, adequate weaponry was important for a pirate ship. The more guns a ship carries, the greater its displacement, the lower its speed. For a successful pirate, getting guns was not a problem. They could be found on any boarded ship. The pirates avoided solving a naval battle with an artillery duel, as they did not want to damage the hull of the trophy. However, it is surprising to learn that pirates tried to arm their ships as much as possible, sometimes turning them into real floating batteries. All this was done solely in case of a meeting with warships. Larger ships can carry more guns and provide a more useful fighting platform. We will talk in more detail about the armament of pirate ships below. For now, let’s just note that pirates found a balance between weapons, speed and seaworthiness of their ships in different ways. While some preferred small, fast sloops with a minimum of weapons, others tried to acquire large ships capable of carrying impressive artillery and sailing weapons.

The most famous pirates.

Bartholomew Roberts(1682-1722). This pirate was one of the most successful and fortunate in history. It is believed that Roberts was able to capture more than four hundred ships. At the same time, the cost of the pirate's production amounted to more than 50 million pounds sterling. And the pirate achieved such results in just two and a half years. Bartholomew was an unusual pirate - he was enlightened and loved to dress fashionably. Roberts was often seen in a burgundy vest and breeches, he wore a hat with a red feather, and on his chest hung a gold chain with a diamond cross. The pirate did not abuse alcohol at all, as was customary in this environment. Moreover, he even punished his sailors for drunkenness. We can say that it was Bartholomew, who was nicknamed “Black Bart”, who was the most successful pirate in history. Moreover, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as a third mate on a slave trading ship. Roberts' responsibilities included supervising the “cargo” and its safety. However, after being captured by pirates, the sailor himself was in the role of a slave. Nevertheless, the young European was able to please the captain Howell Davis who captured him, and he accepted him into his crew. And in June 1719, after the death of the leader of the gang during the storming of the fort, it was Roberts who led the team. He immediately captured the ill-fated city of Principe on the coast of Guinea and razed it to the ground. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, production off the African coast was scarce, which is why Roberts headed to the Caribbean in early 1720. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships were already shying away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. Throughout the summer of 1720, he was lucky - the pirate captured many ships, 22 of them right in the bays. However, even while engaged in robbery, Black Bart remained a devout man. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with the idea of a cruel execution using a board thrown over the side of the ship. The team loved their captain so much that they were ready to follow him to the ends of the earth. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. At different times he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams included escaped criminals and slaves of many different nationalities, calling themselves the "House of Lords". And the name of Black Bart inspired terror throughout the Atlantic.

Henry Morgan(1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a unique fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main achievement was helping England seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Since childhood, Henry was restless, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. While in the queen's service, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, which he did very well. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate unexpectedly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house... However, his violent temper took its toll, and in his spare time, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than simply rob sea ships. One day Morgan used a cunning move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and filled it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. While storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending his army bypassing the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success and the fortress fell. Morgan spent the last years of his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the delights appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery sank into the sea after the earthquake.
Francis Drake(1540-1596) was born in England, in the family of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed pirate raids, as long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune also loved him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he plunders their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were grateful to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the world map. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of the exploration of Australia. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cunningly, avoiding the traps of his enemies, that he was able to travel around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circumnavigated Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. At that time it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented event that has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Later, the pirate’s luck turned away; during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.

Edward Teach(1680-1718) is better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair dates back only to 1717; what the Englishman did before that remains unknown. Based on indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already a pirate, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost his entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned him respect from other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, when smoking, terrified his opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateering operations against the French. Soon Teach captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. At this time, the pirate operates in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, Tich already had 300 people under his command. Within a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding treasure on some uninhabited island, but no one knew where exactly. The pirate's outrages against the British and his plunder of the colonies forced the authorities to announce a hunt for Blackbeard. A massive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and killed during the battle. Teach's head was cut off and his body was suspended from a yardarm.

William Kidd(1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided to connect his destiny with the sea from childhood. In 1688, Kidd, a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades, William took possession of the frigate, calling it the Blessed William. With the help of a privateering patent, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a rich widow, taking possession of lands and property. But the pirate’s heart demanded adventure, and now, 5 years later, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was designed to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the meager profits, periodically rebelled. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the English authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the struggle of political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Read(1685-1721). From childhood, girls were dressed in boy's clothes. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At age 15, Mary joined the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she never received any advancement. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothing, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, and the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a man's uniform, participating in skirmishes along with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with the artisan who helped the pirate. They even got married and were going to put an end to the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reed was caught by authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she committed the robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of plundering and boarding ships. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman; she patiently awaited her fate in a Jamaican prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a strong fever finished her off early.
Bonnie, Anne(1690 -?) - one of the most famous female pirates. She was born in Ireland into the family of a wealthy lawyer, William Cormack. She spent her childhood in South Carolina, where the family moved when Ann’s father bought a plantation. Quite early she married a simple sailor James Bonney, with whom she ran away in search of adventure. Then Anne Bonny got involved with a famous pirateJack Rackham. She began sailing on his ship and participating in pirate raids. During one of these raids, Anne metMary Reid. , after which they continued to engage in maritime robbery together. It is not known exactly how many lives the spoiled daughter of an ex-lawyer ruined, but in 1720 a pirate ship was ambushed, after which all the robbers faced the gallows. However, by that time Anne was already pregnant, and the intervention of her rich daddy arrived very opportunely, so that in the end the pirate managed to avoid the well-deserved gallows and even went free. Then her traces are lost. In general, the example of Anne Bonny is interesting as a rare case in those days when a woman took on a purely male craft.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseurbecame the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "the buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly expelled the British (according to other sources, the Spaniards) from there and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued a filibuster with very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking direct part in the hostilities. When the Spaniards failed to take the island in 1643, and were surprised to find fortifications, Le Vasseur's authority grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the deteriorating character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Vasseur collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £235 million in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold remained unfound.

Zheng Shi(1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be indicated by the fact that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed deep into river mouths, ravaging coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established on the courts. It put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - robbery of allies and rape of prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a female pirate is reflected in literature and cinema; there are many legends about her.

William Dampier(1651-1715) is often called not just a pirate, but also a scientist. After all, he completed three voyages around the world, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Having been orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to fight. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to again become a sailor on a merchant ship. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the Gulf Coast, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's further life revolved around the idea of traveling around Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, and New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began keeping notes about his adventures. As a result, his book “A New Journey Around the World” was published in 1697, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing a new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710, he took part as a navigator of a corsair expedition around the world. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Edward Lau(1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man lived in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to home. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating near the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for the fact that in a short time he managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing rare bloodthirstiness.

Arouge Barbarossa(1473-1518) became a pirate at age 16 after the Turks captured his home island of Lesbos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon captured a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Arouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to set up a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the spoils. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Getting involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring success to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross the Second.

Jack Rackham (1682-1720). And this famous pirate had the nickname Calico Jack. The fact is that he loved to wear Calico pants, which were brought from India. And although this pirate was not the most cruel or the luckiest, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham’s team included two women dressed in men’s clothing - Mary Read and Anne Boni. Both of them were the pirate's mistresses. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and bravery of his ladies, Rackham's team became famous. But his luck changed when in 1720 his ship met the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To escape pursuit, Rackham ordered the anchor to be cut. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The pirate captain and his entire crew were hanged in Port Royal, Jamaica. Just before his death, Rackham asked to see Anne Bonney. But she herself refused him this, saying that if the pirate had fought like a man, he would not have died like a dog. It is said that John Rackham is the author of the famous pirate symbol - the skull and crossbones, the Jolly Roger. Jean Lafitte (?-1826). This famous corsair was also a smuggler. With the tacit consent of the government of the young American state, he calmly robbed the ships of England and Spain in the Gulf of Mexico. The heyday of pirate activity occurred in the 1810s. It is unknown where and when exactly Jean Lafitte was born. It is possible that he was a native of Haiti and was a secret Spanish agent. It was said that Lafitte knew the Gulf coast better than many cartographers. It was known for sure that he sold the stolen goods through his brother, a merchant who lived in New Orleans. The Lafittes illegally supplied slaves to the southern states, but thanks to their guns and men, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans. In 1817, under pressure from the authorities, the pirate settled on the Texas island of Galveston, where he even founded his own state, Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves, using intermediaries. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered to be insolent, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from what was once a whole fleet. Then Lafitte and a group of his followers settled on the island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico. But even then he did not attack American ships. And after 1826 there is no information about the valiant pirate. In Louisiana itself, there are still legends about Captain Lafitte. And in the city of Lake Charles, “smugglers’ days” are even held in memory of him. A nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is even named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, he was played by Yul Brynner.

Thomas Cavendish(1560-1592). Pirates not only robbed ships, but were also brave travelers, discovering new lands. In particular, Cavendish was the third sailor who decided to travel around the world. His youth was spent in the English fleet. Thomas led such a hectic life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went to rich America for his share of the spoils. He returned to his homeland rich. Easy money and the help of fortune forced Cavendish to choose the path of a pirate to gain fame and fortune. On July 22, 1586, Thomas headed his own flotilla from Plymouth to Sierra Leone. The expedition aimed to find new islands and study winds and currents. However, this did not stop them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, plundered local settlements. A successful start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. On January 7, 1587, Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan and then headed north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European passed this way - Francis Drake. The Spanish controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it Spanish Lake. The rumor of English pirates forced the garrisons to gather. But the Englishman's flotilla was worn out - Thomas found a quiet bay for repairs. The Spaniards did not wait, having found the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repelled the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately plundered several neighboring settlements. Two ships went further. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for a “treasury” ship with all the proceeds of the Mexican colonies. Persistence was rewarded, and the British captured a lot of gold and jewelry. However, when dividing the spoils, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with only one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a cargo of spices by robbery. On September 9, 1588, Cavendish's ship returned to Plymouth. The pirate not only became one of the first to circumnavigate the world, but also did it very quickly - in 2 years and 50 days. In addition, 50 of his crew returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted for more than two centuries.
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