Pirate swords and weapons

[VANDOO]

A WEAPON THAT WAS USED TO GOOD EFFECT WERE THE SWIVEL GUNS, THE ORIGIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE EUROPE AND THEY FOUND THEIR WAY TO CHINA AND KOREA LATER AND WERE VERY POPULAR THERE. IN INDONESIA,MALAYSIA,BORNEO AND PHILIPPINES THEY WERE OFTEN CALLED LANTKA. THEY WERE EASILY MOVED FROM PLACE TO PLACE AND WERE EASILY LOADED AND COULD BE HIDDEN UNTIL THE ENEMY WAS CLOSE THEN MOUNTED AND FIRED QUICKLY. THEY WERE AN ANTI PERSONEL WEAPON DESIGNED MOSTLY TO FIRE AT CLOSE RANGE AND CLEAR THE DECKS. THEY WERE USUALLY LOADED WITH MULTIPLE PROJECTILES AND MOST ANYTHING COULD BE USED AS LONG AS IT FIT DOWN THE BARREL. A STICK WAS PLACED IN THE SOCKET AT THE BACK TO GIVE THE GUNNER SOME DISTANCE FROM IT AND ALSO TO GIVE LEVERAGE WHEN SWIVELING IT. THESE EXAMPLES ARE ALL FROM BORNEO AND THE 2 ARE INDONESIAN.

[VANDOO]

SOME EUROPEAN VERSIONS AND ONE THAT LEWIS AND CLARK TOOK ALONG ON THEIR EXPLORATIONS. SOME WERE BREACH LOADERS.

A INTERESTING BIT OF INFO. IN THE 1970'S AN AMERICAN FROM FLORIDA SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR LETTERS OF MARKE. HIS PROPOSITION WAS THAT HE WOULD PREY ON ALL THE DRUG RUNNERS AROUND FLORIDA AND GET TO SELL THE VESSELS AND CONTENTS AND KEEP ANY MONEY AND WOULD TURN OVER ANY DRUGS TO THE GOVERNMENT. DURING THIS TIME A TYPE OF PIRATE WAS PREVELENT THRUOUT THE CARIBEAN THEY WOULD SIGN ON AS CREW HERE AND KILL THE OWNERS ONCE AT SEA AND USE THE BOATS TO RUN DRUGS. MANY BOATS WERE ALSO TAKEN BY SPEED BOATS FULL OF DRUG PIRATES AND ALL ON BOARD KILLED. MANY SAIL BOATS AS WELL AS POWER BOATS AND CREWS DISSAPEARED DURING THOSE YEARS.
A RELATIVE OF MINE LIVED IN FLORIDA DURING THOSE YEARS AND TOLD A STORY OF A FRIEND OF HIS COMING BACK INTO PORT WITH ONE SIDE OF HIS SAILBOAT BLACK. WHEN ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED HE SAID A SPEED BOAT HAD CAME UP ON HIM OFFSHORE AND THE MEN HAD GUNS ,SO WHEN THEY GOT CLOSE HE THREW TWO HANDGRENADES HE KEPT FOR SUCH EMERGENCYS IN THEIR BOAT AND DUCKED AND LEFT THEM SINKING AND BURNING. IF THE STORY WAS TRUE THEN AT LEAST ONE BOATLOAD OF PIRATES WENT MISSING IN THE 1970'S.

[Rick]

Explore the word 'Buccaneer' for awhile ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buccaneer

[VANDOO]

SOMETIMES GRENADES BOMBS WERE THROWN DURING BOARDINGS SOME WERE IRON OUTSIDE, SOME WERE WOOD OR GOURDS WITH SCRAPNEL INSIDE AND SOMETIMES HAD WIRE WRAPPED ON THE OUTSIDE. ANOTHER TYPE WAS HEAVY GLASS AND PRODUCED SOME VERY BAD SCRAPNEL ANOTHER WAS A TYPE OF CHEMICAL GRENADE REFERRED TO AS A STINK POT. THE STINK POT WAS USUALLY THROWN BELOW DECKS OR INTO CABINS TO FORCE OUT THE OCCUPANTS. THEY WERE OFTEN MADE WITH BURNING SULPHUR, RARELY FIREBOMBS WERE USED BY PIRATES AS THEY DID NOT WANT TO BURN UP A SHIP BUT TO LOOT IT. GLASS BOTTLES WITH TURPENTINE OR KEROSCENE WITH A RAG FOR A WICK WAS THE USUAL FORM. SOME OF THE ARABIC GRENADE BOMBS WERE CERAMIC ON THE OUTSIDE WITH SCRAPNEL INSIDE.

[fernando]

This is ( again ) from a book i have on Piracy and Corso ( Privateers ):
... Contraband operations by the Dutch caused the evacuation of local French residents from the western Hispaniola, which contributed for the abandon of several domestic animals which, in wild conditions, reproduced abundantely.
This has increased hunting activities. Wild bulls and pigs were then prepared the Caribean Indian way ( buccan ), which pleased passing by contrabandists, corsairs and pirates, both for its taste and also for its capacity to be stocked, due to its smoke treatment. This was the first reason for these guys being called buccaneers whom, gathering some wealth with the meat trade, became a threat to the people in the oriental part of the island. Quickly the hostilities started between both sides and, within time, most of these bucaneers quit their frequent wandering into the mountains, living in isolated straw huts, adopting piratic habits.
As weaponry, they used at the belt three or four knives and a machete (cutlass ?) and a pouch with gunpowder and lead. Generaly they used a musket made in Dieppe, of large caliber and long barrel, shooting bullits of two ounces weight. They preferred gunpowder from Cheerburg, at the time known as the best quality, becoming named as bucaneer gunpowder.
From what i understand, in a politic perspective they were not considered as "classic" pirates, but a disperse comunity of hunters and bandoleers ( bandits ), this not meaning they didn't worry the authorities. They lived as savages, regconizing nobody and accepting no leadership among therm, doing a thousand atrocities.

[VANDOO]

ISLAMIC CERAMIC BOMB/ GRENADES, 10 TO 12 CENTURY SOME WERE NO DOUBT JUST FIRE BOMBS NON EXPLOSIVE BUT WERE CHANGED WHEN GUNPOWDER BECAME AVAILABLE. i DON'T KNOW IF PIRATES EVER USED THEM BUT THEY MAY HAVE.

[Rick]

Great picture of the Indian smoking process Fernando .

Pity the poor Grenadier Barry; I'll bet those things killed as many throwers as receivers .

[A. G. Maisey]

From memory, Oxford defines 'machete' as a cutlass.