actions we have related. Departing thence, they
took their course to Hispaniola, and arrived there in eight days,
casting anchor in a port called Isla de la Vacca, or Cow Island. This
island is inhabited by French bucaniers, who mostly sell the flesh they
hunt to pirates and others, who now and then put in there to victual, or
trade. Here they unladed their whole cargazon of riches, the usual
storehouse of the pirates being commonly under the shelter of the
bucaniers. Here they made a dividend of all their prizes and gains,
according to the order and degree of every one, as has been mentioned
before. Having made an exact calculation of all their plunder, they
found in ready money 260,000 pieces of eight: this being divided, every
one received for his share in money, as also in silk, linen, and other
commodities, to the value of above 100 pieces of eight. Those who had
been wounded received their first part, after the rate mentioned before,
for the loss of their limbs: then they weighed all the plate uncoined,
reckoning ten pieces of eight to a pound; the jewels were prized
indifferently, either too high or too low, by reason of their ignorance:
this done, every one was put to his oath again, that he had not smuggled
anything from the common stock. Hence they proceeded to the dividend of
the shares of such as were dead in battle, or otherwise: these shares
were given to their friends, to be kept entire for them, and to be
delivered in due time to their nearest relations, or their apparent
lawful heirs.
The whole dividend being finished, they set sail for Tortuga: here they
arrived a month after, to the great joy of most of the island; for as to
the common pirates, in three weeks they had scarce any money left,
having spent it all in things of little value, or lost it at play. Here
had arrived, not long before them, two French ships, with wine and
brandy, and suchlike commodities; whereby these liquors, at the arrival
of the pirates, were indifferent cheap. But this lasted not long, for
soon after they were enhanced extremely, a gallon of brandy being sold
for four pieces of eight. The governor of the island bought of the
pirates the whole cargo of the ship laden with cocoa, giving for that
rich commodity scarce the twentieth part of its worth. Thus they made
shift to lose and spend the riches they had got, in much less time than
they were purchased: the taverns and stews, according to the custom of
pirates, got the gre
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