{"product_id":"2940013191518","title":"BUCCANEERS AND PIRATES OF OUR COASTS","description":"The Bold Buccaneers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen I was a boy I strongly desired to be a pirate, and the reason for\u003cbr\u003ethis was the absolute independence of that sort of life. Restrictions of\u003cbr\u003eall sorts had become onerous to me, and in my reading of the adventures\u003cbr\u003eof the bold sea-rovers of the main, I had unconsciously selected those\u003cbr\u003eportions of a pirate's life which were attractive to me, and had totally\u003cbr\u003edisregarded all the rest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn fact, I had a great desire to become what might be called a marine\u003cbr\u003eRobin Hood. I would take from the rich and give to the poor; I would run\u003cbr\u003emy long, low, black craft by the side of the merchantman, and when I had\u003cbr\u003eloaded my vessel with the rich stuffs and golden ingots which composed\u003cbr\u003eher cargo, I would sail away to some poor village, and make its\u003cbr\u003einhabitants prosperous and happy for the rest of their lives by a\u003cbr\u003ejudicious distribution of my booty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI would always be as free as a sea-bird. My men would be devoted to me,\u003cbr\u003eand my word would be their law. I would decide for myself whether this\u003cbr\u003eor that proceeding would be proper, generous, and worthy of my unlimited\u003cbr\u003epower; when tired of sailing, I would retire to my island,--the position\u003cbr\u003eof which, in a beautiful semi-tropic ocean, would be known only to\u003cbr\u003emyself and to my crew,--and there I would pass happy days in the company\u003cbr\u003eof my books, my works of art, and all the various treasures I had taken\u003cbr\u003efrom the mercenary vessels which I had overhauled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuch was my notion of a pirate's life. I would kill nobody; the very\u003cbr\u003esight of my black flag would be sufficient to put an end to all thought\u003cbr\u003eof resistance on the part of my victims, who would no more think of\u003cbr\u003efighting me, than a fat bishop would have thought of lifting his hand\u003cbr\u003eagainst Robin Hood and his merry men; and I truly believe that I\u003cbr\u003eexpected my conscience to have a great deal more to do in the way of\u003cbr\u003eapproval of my actions, than it had found necessary in the course of my\u003cbr\u003eordinary school-boy life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI mention these early impressions because I have a notion that a great\u003cbr\u003emany people--and not only young people--have an idea of piracy not\u003cbr\u003ealtogether different from that of my boyhood. They know that pirates\u003cbr\u003eare wicked men, that, in fact, they are sea-robbers or maritime\u003cbr\u003emurderers, but their bold and adventurous method of life, their bravery,\u003cbr\u003edaring, and the exciting character of their expeditions, give them\u003cbr\u003esomething of the same charm and interest which belong to the robber\u003cbr\u003eknights of the middle ages. The one mounts his mailed steed and clanks\u003cbr\u003ehis long sword against his iron stirrup, riding forth into the world\u003cbr\u003ewith a feeling that he can do anything that pleases him, if he finds\u003cbr\u003ehimself strong enough. The other springs into his rakish craft, spreads\u003cbr\u003ehis sails to the wind, and dashes over the sparkling main with a feeling\u003cbr\u003ethat he can do anything he pleases, provided he be strong enough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first pirates who made themselves known in American waters were the\u003cbr\u003efamous buccaneers; these began their career in a very commonplace and\u003cbr\u003eunobjectionable manner, and the name by which they were known had\u003cbr\u003eoriginally no piratical significance. It was derived from the French\u003cbr\u003eword _boucanier_, signifying \"a drier of beef.\"","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47073551417584,"sku":"2940013191518","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013191518_p0.jpg?v=1763578169","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013191518","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}