Circumnavigations and travel. History of the most famous pirates

All pirate ships, regardless of size and origin, met certain requirements to one degree or another. First of all, a pirate ship had to have sufficient seaworthiness, as it often had to endure storms in the open ocean.

A little about the ships!

The so-called "golden age of piracy" (1690-1730) is marked by particular piracy activity in the Caribbean, the Atlantic coast of North America, the west coast of Africa and the Indian Ocean. The first two of these areas are famous for frequent hurricanes, the season of which lasts from June to November, reaching a peak in August-September. At the beginning of the 17th century, sailors were already well aware of the existence of the hurricane season in the Atlantic and that these hurricanes originate off the West African coast. Navigators have learned to predict the approaching hurricane. Knowing that a storm was coming, the ship's captain might try to get away from it or find shelter. Winds blowing at over 150 km/h caused catastrophic damage to the coast and sank ships for centuries. For pirates, who had no access to most ports, storms were a particular threat. Their ships had to be especially stable and withstand any storm. Mandatory attributes of a pirate ship were a set of storm sails, a strong hull, reliable pumps for pumping water from 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 plundering Spanish galleons washed ashore by the hurricane of 1715. In the Indian Ocean, no less dangerous were tropical cyclones, which in the western Pacific are known as typhoons. In the northern Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones rage from May to November, while further south the cyclone season is from December to March. Meteorologists average 85 hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones per year. Apparently, during the years of the "golden age of piracy" this number was about the same. Hurricanes and typhoons are dangerous even for modern ships. How dangerous they were for the sailing "vessels", deprived of the opportunity to receive a storm warning by radio! Add to this the constant risk of Atlantic storms and unrest in the area of ​​the Cape of Good Hope ... Interestingly, in those days, transatlantic crossings (and circumnavigations!) were often made 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 vessel during a long voyage is compatible with the short-term load during a storm. The problem is further exacerbated by the constant fouling of the bottom with algae and shells, which seriously impair the sailing 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, then the pirates had to clean the bottom of their ships secretly, hiding in secluded bays and river mouths. Cleaning the bottom (creeling, keeling) of a small ship (sloop or brig) usually took a week. Larger ships required proportionally more time for this operation. During the cranking, the ship was vulnerable to attack, and 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 Sea could not last more than ten years, even if measures were taken to protect the hull. It should be noted that the problem of the durability of the ship never arose before the pirates, because even the most successful of them, like Bartholomew Roberts, rarely acted for more than two years. Large ships were better suited for sailing across the Atlantic, but required more time for cruising. It is much easier to clean the bottom of a small ship. Small ships have a shallow draft, which allows them to navigate more confidently in coastal waters, as well as swim in estuaries, sandbanks and inland waters. In 1715, Governor of New York Hunter wrote the following lines to London: "The coast is teeming with privateers, who, taking advantage of the opportunity to sail on oars in shallow water, leave 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 a ship, the shape of the hull, and the number of sails a ship can carry. Theoretically, a large ship can carry more sails, but its hull also has a large displacement. A large sail area has a positive effect on speed, while a large displacement, on the contrary, limits it. Smaller craft such as the brigantine have little windage, 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 refined hydrodynamics, which also increases their speed. Although the speed is determined by a complex equation of the third degree, the main reasons that determine it are well known. Pirate ships were generally faster than straight-rigged merchant ships. Pirates valued certain types of ships precisely for their speed. So, single-masted sloops built in Jamaica or Bermuda were especially popular among pirates.
The speed of the ship is also affected by factors that are difficult to mathematically express. We have already talked about the fouling of the bottom. Pirates needed to regularly keel their ships, as every extra knot of speed was important to them. Certain types of ships sailed better in certain winds. For example, ships with gaff sails could steer steeper to the wind than ships with square sails, a latin sail is especially good in a side wind, but helps little in a fair one. But the most important thing 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 ship. 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 qualities of the ship, was able to break away from his pursuers. According to one of the English officers, Vane did two feet when the royal ships did one. Finally, adequate armament was important for a pirate ship. The more guns the ship carries, the greater its displacement, the lower the speed. For a successful pirate, getting cannons was not a problem. They could be found on any ship boarded. 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 the pirates tried to arm their ships as much as possible, sometimes turning them into real floating batteries. All this was done exclusively in case of a meeting with warships. Large ships can carry more guns and provide a more comfortable fighting platform. We will tell you more about the armament of pirate ships below. Now we just note that the 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 armament, others strove 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 successful 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 extraction amounted to more than 50 million pounds. 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 waistcoat and breeches, he wore a hat with a red plume, and a gold chain with a diamond cross hung on his chest. 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" and was the most successful pirate in history. In addition, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as third mate on a slave ship. Roberts' duties included looking after 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 face of the earth. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, booty off the African coast was scarce, which is why in early 1720 Roberts headed for the Caribbean. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships already shied away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. All 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 pious person. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with a cruel execution with the help of 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 world. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. At various times, he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams included fugitive criminals and slaves of various 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 kind of fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main merit was the help of England in seizing control over the entire Caribbean Sea. Ever since childhood, Henry was a fidget, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, collect his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. Being in the service of the queen, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, he did it perfectly. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate suddenly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house ... However, a violent temper took its toll, moreover, at his leisure, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than just rob ships. Once Morgan used a tricky move. On the approach to one of the cities, he took a large ship and stuffed it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. A 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. Storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending the army around the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success, the fortress fell. Morgan spent the last years of his life in the status of Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life was spent at a frantic pirate pace, with all the charms 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 plunged into the sea after the earthquake.

Francis Drake (1540-1596)

Francis Drake was born in England, the son 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 the pirate raids, so 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 fell in love with him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he robs 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 filled with gratitude to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the map of the world. 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 cleverly, avoiding the traps of enemies, that he managed to make a trip around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circled Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds. Then it was twice the budget of the whole country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented case, which 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. In the future, luck turned away from the pirate, during one of the subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with dengue fever and died.

Edward Teach (1680-1718)

Edward Teach is better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Tich was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair refers only to 1717, what the Englishman did before that remained unknown. By indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already pirating, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost the entire face. Tich was very brave and courageous, which earned him the respect of other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, smoking, terrified opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateer operations against the French. Teach soon captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. The pirate at this time operates in the Jamaica region, robbing everyone in a row and gaining new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, there were already 300 people under the command of Tich. In a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding a treasure on some of the uninhabited islands, but no one knew exactly where. The atrocities of the pirate against the British and the robbery of the colonies forced the authorities to declare a hunt for Blackbeard. An impressive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to track down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and was killed during the battle. Teach's head was chopped off, and the body was hung on a yardarm.

William Kidd (1645-1701).

William Kidd Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate from childhood decided to link his fate with the sea. In 1688, Kidd, being a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, having betrayed his associates, William took possession of the frigate, calling it "Blessed William". With the help of a letter of marque, 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 wealthy widow, taking possession of land and property. But the heart of a pirate demanded adventure, and now, after 5 years, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was intended 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 scarcity of profits, periodically revolted. 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 British 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).

Mary Reed has been dressed as a boy since childhood. So the mother tried to hide the death of her son who died early. At the age of 15, Mary went to serve in the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she did not wait for promotion. 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 clothes, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a male uniform, participating in skirmishes on an equal basis with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with an artisan who helped a pirate. They even got married and were going to end the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reid was caught by the authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she was committing robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of robbing ships and boarding. The court did not dare to hang a pregnant woman, she patiently waited for her fate in a Jamaican prison, not being afraid of a shameful death. But a high fever killed her first.

Bonnie Ann (1690 -?)

Bonnie Ann is one of the most famous female pirates. Born in Ireland in the family of a wealthy lawyer William Cormac. She spent her childhood in South Carolina, where the family moved when Ann's father bought a plantation. Pretty early she married a simple sailor James Bonnie with whom she fled in search of adventure. Then Anne Bonnie contacted the famous pirate Jack Rackham. She began to sail on his ship and participate in pirate raids. During one of these raids, Anne met Mary Reed. , after which they continued to engage in sea robbery together. It is not known exactly how many lives the spoiled daughter of the ex-lawyer ruined, but in 1720 the pirate ship was ambushed, after which the gallows awaited all the robbers. However, by that time, Ann was already pregnant, the intervention of rich daddy came in handy, so that in the end the pirate managed to avoid the well-deserved gallows and even go free. Then all traces of it are lost. In general, the example of Anne Bonnie is interesting, as a rare case in those days when a woman took on a purely masculine craft.

Zheng Shi (1785-1844)

Zheng Shi (1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The facts that she commanded a fleet of 2000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served, will tell about the scale of her actions. 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 swam deep into the mouths of the rivers, devastating 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. She put an end to the traditional pirate freedoms - the robbery of allies and the rape of prisoners were punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, a female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career was held as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a pirate woman is reflected in literature and cinema, there are many legends about her.

William Dampier (1651-1715)

William Dampier is often referred to not just as a pirate, but also as a scientist. After all, he made as many as three round-the-world voyages, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trading voyages, and then he managed to make war. In 1674, an Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to become a sailor of a merchant ship again. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's later life took place in the idea of ​​traveling through Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and at sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, New Spain. Dampier began to keep notes of his adventures almost immediately. As a result, in 1697, his book "A New Journey Around the World" was published, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research by 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 round-the-world expedition. 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 traded in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing ties him to the house. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating around 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 a rare bloodthirstiness.

Aruj Barbarossa (1473-1518)

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

Jack Rackham (1682-1720).

Jack Rackham and this famous pirate was nicknamed 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 most successful, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham's team had two women dressed in men's clothes at once - Mary Reed and Ann Boni. Both of them were mistresses of a pirate. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and courage of his ladies, the Rackham team also became famous. But luck changed him when in 1720 his ship met with the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To get away from persecution, Rackham ordered to cut the anchor. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The captain of the pirates, along with his entire crew, was hanged in Jamaica, in Port Royal. Just before his death, Rackham asked for a meeting with Ann Boni. 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 the activity of the pirate fell on the 1810s. It is not known 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 coast of the bay 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 people, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 in the battle for 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 of Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves as well, using intermediaries for this. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered by an insolent man, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from the once entire fleet. Then Lafitte with 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 his memory. A nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is even named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, 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 turbulent life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went for his share of the booty to rich America. He returned home 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 sailed from Plymouth to Sierra Leone at the head of his own flotilla. The expedition aimed to find new islands, to study winds and currents. However, this did not prevent them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the very first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, robbed the local settlements. A good start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. January 7, 1587 Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan, and then went north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European traveled this way - Francis Drake. The Spaniards controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it the 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, however, did not wait, finding the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repulsed the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately robbed several neighboring settlements. Two ships have gone on. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for the "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 booty, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a load 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 people of his team returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted more than two centuries.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur 1690-1730.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur became the most famous French pirate. He bore the nickname "La blues", or "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 drove the British out of there (according to other sources - the Spaniards) and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued filibuster very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the booty for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking a direct part in the hostilities. When in 1643 the Spaniards failed to take the island, having discovered fortifications with surprise, the authority of le Wasser grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay deductions to the crown. However, the spoiled 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 Wasser collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth 235 million pounds in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram around the governor's neck, but the gold was never found.

James Cook led three voyages around the world, each of which provided significant discoveries to the world community.

The navigator, cartographer, explorer and pioneer James Cook was born on October 27, 1728.

He became famous both for his many discoveries, including as the first explorer of the southern polar seas and Antarctica, and for the mythological story of his tragic death at the hands of wild natives during a round-the-world voyage. Also, Mr. Cook is known for his diet for long-distance travel, under which no one in his crews suffered from scurvy, the curse of travelers of that time.

The famous English navigator lived 50 years, 37 of which he was a sailor. First, from the age of thirteen, a cabin boy, then a skipper, and in the prime of his career - a member of the Royal Society and a captain in the Royal Navy. And this despite the fact that he did not have a naval, military or at least some kind of education. From his youth, he learned everything easily and very quickly, and soon he was recognized as an experienced and skilled sailor. He is even recognized as the leading specialist of his time on the Pacific Ocean.

Cook's achievements are not theoretical, but practical: he simply swam many rivers and seas himself, saw new lands with his own eyes and put them on the map. On the instructions of the British Admiralty, he and his team made three round-the-world voyages for military scientific purposes. He died, one might say, at a military post - during the third trip around the world. Then his ship hit the ice, was forced to return to warm waters to stop. The British stopped in the Hawaiian Islands.

The customs of the natives were strikingly different from European ones, which led to a categorical misunderstanding of each other and, as a result, to tragedy. The islanders revered white people for deities, which did not deny theft. According to their concepts, it was necessary to get hold of the property that the deities brought with them. And once they even stole the tools to repair the ship. Expedition leader Cook with eight sailors arrived in the local village to sort things out. The natives attacked the delegation, Cook and three more British were killed, the rest fled on a longboat to the sloop. According to the famous legend, the Hawaiians ate the murdered James Cook. But ancient sources say that the British demanded that the corpse of the commander be handed over. And after a couple of days, the natives brought pieces of meat and almost a whole head of Cook. The comrades considered the terrible transmission to be the remains of James Cook and buried them in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Islands in the Pacific Ocean, a bay off the southern coast of Alaska, a strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand, a mountain on the South Island of this country are named after Cook. James Cook led three voyages around the world, each of which provided significant discoveries to the world community.

"Vechernyaya Moskva" suggests recalling these expeditions and their results.

1. The first circumnavigation of the world 1768-1771 on the barque "Indevre" lasting over three years. Then the British Admiralty intended to find the southern mainland and annex it to the British Empire. Cook's ship headed for the Pacific Ocean, where the explorers discovered four islands. A long wasted passage followed, and on October 8, 1769, the Endeavre finally reached a large unknown land. It was mountainous and snowy, it took more than three months to survey its contour, it turned out to be two large islands. This is how the Europeans discovered New Zealand. In the summer, the expedition reached the east coast of Australia and declared it a British possession under the name of New South Wales. The award to James Cook for such a gift to the empire was the assignment of the rank of captain of the 1st rank.

2. Antarctic circumnavigation- Cook's second expedition in 1772-1775 on two ships - the sloop "Resolution" and the barge "Adventure". In order to achieve their goal, the British Admiralty again sends people in search of the southern mainland, and at the same time exploring the islands of New Zealand. This voyage was an outstanding event in the history of geographical exploration in the 18th century. After all, no one has swum so far into the polar latitudes. The expedition specified maps of Oceania and the islands of the South Atlantic, their geology, flora and fauna. For the first time in the history of navigation, ships crossed the Antarctic Circle, this happened in January 1773. James Cook understood that the land was somewhere nearby, but the ice did not let him get closer, he had to turn. But the team in the Arctic Ocean discovered South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and in the Pacific Ocean - the islands of New Caledonia, Norfolk and several atolls. Cook also discovered completely unusual "ice islands" - as he called flat icebergs in the descriptions.

All pirate ships, regardless of size and origin, met certain requirements to one degree or another. First of all, a pirate ship had to have sufficient seaworthiness, as it often had to endure storms in the open ocean. The so-called "golden age of piracy" (1690-1730) is marked by particular piracy activity in the Caribbean, the Atlantic coast of North America, the west coast of Africa and the Indian Ocean. The first two of these areas are famous for frequent hurricanes, the season of which lasts from June to November, reaching a peak in August-September. At the beginning of the 17th century, sailors were already well aware of the existence of the hurricane season in the Atlantic and that these hurricanes originate off the West African coast. Navigators have learned to predict the approaching hurricane. Knowing that a storm was coming, the ship's captain might try to get away from it or find shelter. Winds blowing at over 150 km/h caused catastrophic damage to the coast and sank ships for centuries. For pirates, who had no access to most ports, storms were a particular threat. Their ships had to be especially stable and withstand any storm. Mandatory attributes of a pirate ship were a set of storm sails, a strong hull, reliable pumps for pumping water from 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 plundering Spanish galleons washed ashore by the hurricane of 1715. In the Indian Ocean, no less dangerous were tropical cyclones, which in the western Pacific are known as typhoons. In the northern Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones rage from May to November, while further south the cyclone season is from December to March. Meteorologists average 85 hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones per year. Apparently, during the years of the "golden age of piracy" this number was about the same. Hurricanes and typhoons are dangerous even for modern ships. How dangerous they were for the sailing "vessels", deprived of the opportunity to receive a storm warning by radio! Add to this the constant risk of Atlantic storms and unrest in the area of ​​the Cape of Good Hope ... Interestingly, in those days, transatlantic crossings (and circumnavigations!) were often made 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 vessel during a long voyage is compatible with the short-term load during a storm. The problem is further exacerbated by the constant fouling of the bottom with algae and shells, which seriously impair the sailing 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, then the pirates had to clean the bottom of their ships secretly, hiding in secluded bays and river mouths. Cleaning the bottom (creeling, keeling) of a small ship (sloop or brig) usually took a week. Larger ships required proportionally more time for this operation. During the cranking, the ship was vulnerable to attack, and 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 Sea could not last more than ten years, even if measures were taken to protect the hull. It should be noted that the problem of the durability of the ship never arose before the pirates, because even the most successful of them, like Bartholomew Roberts, rarely acted for more than two years. Large ships were better suited for sailing across the Atlantic, but required more time for cruising. It is much easier to clean the bottom of a small ship. Small ships have a shallow draft, which allows them to navigate more confidently in coastal waters, as well as swim in estuaries, sandbanks and inland waters. In 1715, Governor of New York Hunter wrote the following lines to London: "The coast is teeming with privateers, who, taking advantage of the opportunity to sail on oars in shallow water, leave 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 a ship, the shape of the hull, and the number of sails a ship can carry. Theoretically, a large ship can carry more sails, but its hull also has a large displacement. A large sail area has a positive effect on speed, while a large displacement, on the contrary, limits it. Smaller craft such as the brigantine have little windage, 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 refined hydrodynamics, which also increases their speed. Although the speed is determined by a complex equation of the third degree, the main reasons that determine it are well known. Pirate ships were generally faster than straight-rigged merchant ships. Pirates valued certain types of ships precisely for their speed. So, single-masted sloops built in Jamaica or Bermuda were especially popular among pirates.

The speed of the ship is also affected by factors that are difficult to mathematically express. We have already talked about the fouling of the bottom. Pirates needed to regularly keel their ships, as every extra knot of speed was important to them. Certain types of ships sailed better in certain winds. For example, ships with gaff sails could steer steeper to the wind than ships with square sails, a latin sail is especially good in a side wind, but helps little in a fair one. But the most important thing 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 ship. 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 qualities of the ship, was able to break away from his pursuers. According to one of the English officers, Vane did two feet when the royal ships did one. Finally, adequate armament was important for a pirate ship. The more guns the ship carries, the greater its displacement, the lower the speed. For a successful pirate, getting cannons was not a problem. They could be found on any ship boarded. 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 the pirates tried to arm their ships as much as possible, sometimes turning them into real floating batteries. All this was done exclusively in case of a meeting with warships. Large ships can carry more guns and provide a more comfortable fighting platform. We will tell you more about the armament of pirate ships below. Now we just note that the 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 armament, others strove 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 successful 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 extraction amounted to more than 50 million pounds. 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 waistcoat and breeches, he wore a hat with a red plume, and a gold chain with a diamond cross hung on his chest. 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" and was the most successful pirate in history. In addition, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as third mate on a slave ship. Roberts' duties included looking after 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 face of the earth. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, booty off the African coast was scarce, which is why in early 1720 Roberts headed for the Caribbean. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships already shied away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. All 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 pious person. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with a cruel execution with the help of 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 world. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. At various times, he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams included fugitive criminals and slaves of various 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 kind of fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main merit was the help of England in seizing control over the entire Caribbean Sea. Ever since childhood, Henry was a fidget, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, collect his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. Being in the service of the queen, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, he did it perfectly. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate suddenly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house ... However, a violent temper took its toll, moreover, at his leisure, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than just rob ships. Once Morgan used a tricky move. On the approach to one of the cities, he took a large ship and stuffed it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. A 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. Storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending the army around the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success, the fortress fell. Morgan spent the last years of his life in the status of Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life was spent at a frantic pirate pace, with all the charms 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 plunged 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 the pirate raids, so 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 fell in love with him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he robs 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 filled with gratitude to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the map of the world. 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 cleverly, avoiding the traps of enemies, that he managed to make a trip around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circled Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds. Then it was twice the budget of the whole country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented case, which 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. In the future, luck turned away from the pirate, during one of the subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with dengue fever and died.

Edward Teach(1680-1718) better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Tich was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair refers only to 1717, what the Englishman did before that remained unknown. By indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already pirating, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost the entire face. Tich was very brave and courageous, which earned him the respect of other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, smoking, terrified opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateer operations against the French. Teach soon captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. The pirate at this time operates in the Jamaica region, robbing everyone in a row and gaining new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, there were already 300 people under the command of Tich. In a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding a treasure on some of the uninhabited islands, but no one knew exactly where. The atrocities of the pirate against the British and the robbery of the colonies forced the authorities to declare a hunt for Blackbeard. An impressive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to track down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and was killed during the battle. Teach's head was chopped off, and the body was hung on a yardarm.

William Kidd(1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided from childhood to connect his fate with the sea. In 1688, Kidd, being a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, having betrayed his associates, William took possession of the frigate, calling it "Blessed William". With the help of a letter of marque, 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 wealthy widow, taking possession of land and property. But the heart of a pirate demanded adventure, and now, after 5 years, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was intended 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 scarcity of profits, periodically revolted. 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 British 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 Reid(1685-1721). Since childhood, the girl was dressed in the clothes of a boy. So the mother tried to hide the death of her son who died early. At the age of 15, Mary went to serve in the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she did not wait for promotion. 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 clothes, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a male uniform, participating in skirmishes on an equal basis with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with an artisan who helped a pirate. They even got married and were going to end the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reid was caught by the authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she was committing robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of robbing ships and boarding. The court did not dare to hang a pregnant woman, she patiently waited for her fate in a Jamaican prison, not being afraid of a shameful death. But a high fever killed her first.
Bonnie, Ann(1690 -?) - one of the most famous female pirates. Born in Ireland in the family of a wealthy lawyer William Cormac. She spent her childhood in South Carolina, where the family moved when Ann's father bought a plantation. Pretty early she married a simple sailor James Bonnie with whom she fled in search of adventure. Then Anne Bonnie got involved with a famous pirate.Jack Rackham. She began to sail on his ship and participate in pirate raids. During one of these raids, Ann metMary Reed. , after which they continued to engage in sea robbery together. It is not known exactly how many lives the spoiled daughter of the ex-lawyer ruined, but in 1720 the pirate ship was ambushed, after which the gallows awaited all the robbers. However, by that time, Ann was already pregnant, the intervention of rich daddy came in handy, so that in the end the pirate managed to avoid the well-deserved gallows and even go free. Then all traces of it are lost. In general, the example of Anne Bonnie is interesting, as a rare case in those days when a woman took on a purely masculine craft.

Olivier (Francois) le Wasserbecame the most famous French pirate. He bore the nickname "La blues", or "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 drove the British out of there (according to other sources - the Spaniards) and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued filibuster very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the booty for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking a direct part in the hostilities. When in 1643 the Spaniards failed to take the island, having discovered fortifications with surprise, the authority of le Wasser grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay deductions to the crown. However, the spoiled 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 Wasser collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth 235 million pounds in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram around the governor's neck, but the gold was never found.

Zheng Shi(1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The facts that she commanded a fleet of 2000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served, will tell about the scale of her actions. 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 swam deep into the mouths of the rivers, devastating 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. She put an end to the traditional pirate freedoms - the robbery of allies and the rape of prisoners were punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, a female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career was held as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a pirate woman is reflected in literature and cinema, there are many legends about her.

William Dampier(1651-1715) is often referred to not just as a pirate, but also as a scientist. After all, he made as many as three round-the-world voyages, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trading voyages, and then he managed to make war. In 1674, an Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to become a sailor of a merchant ship again. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's later life took place in the idea of ​​traveling through Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and at sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, New Spain. Dampier began to keep notes of his adventures almost immediately. As a result, in 1697, his book "A New Journey Around the World" was published, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research by 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 round-the-world expedition. 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 traded in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing ties him to the house. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating around 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 a rare bloodthirstiness.

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

Jack Rackham (1682-1720). And this famous pirate was nicknamed 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 most successful, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham's team had two women dressed in men's clothes at once - Mary Reed and Ann Boni. Both of them were mistresses of a pirate. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and courage of his ladies, the Rackham team also became famous. But luck changed him when in 1720 his ship met with the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To get away from persecution, Rackham ordered to cut the anchor. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The captain of the pirates, along with his entire crew, was hanged in Jamaica, in Port Royal. Just before his death, Rackham asked for a meeting with Ann Boni. 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 the activity of the pirate fell on the 1810s. It is not known 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 coast of the bay 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 people, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 in the battle for 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 of Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves as well, using intermediaries for this. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered by an insolent man, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from the once entire fleet. Then Lafitte with 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 his memory. Even a nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, 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 turbulent life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went for his share of the booty to rich America. He returned home 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 sailed from Plymouth to Sierra Leone at the head of his own flotilla. The expedition aimed to find new islands, to study winds and currents. However, this did not prevent them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the very first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, robbed the local settlements. A good start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. January 7, 1587 Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan, and then went north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European traveled this way - Francis Drake. The Spaniards controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it the 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, however, did not wait, finding the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repulsed the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately robbed several neighboring settlements. Two ships have gone on. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for the "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 booty, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a load 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 people of his team returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted more than two centuries.
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CIRCUITS AND TRAVELING, expeditions around the Earth, during which all the meridians or parallels of the Earth are crossed. Round-the-world voyages passed (in different sequences) through the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, were made initially in search of new lands and trade routes, which led to the Great geographical discoveries. The first circumnavigation of the world in history was made by a Spanish expedition in 1519-22 led by F. Magellan in search of a direct western route from Europe to the West Indies (where the Spaniards went for spices) under the command of six successive captains (the last - J. S. Elcano) . As a result of this most important navigation in the history of geographical discoveries, a giant water area called the Pacific Ocean was revealed, the unity of the World Ocean was proved, the hypothesis of the predominance of land over water was questioned, the theory of the sphericity of the Earth was confirmed, irrefutable data appeared to determine its true size, the idea arose of the need for an international date line. Despite the death of Magellan in this voyage, it is he who should be considered the first navigator around the world. The second round-the-world voyage was carried out by the English pirate F. Drake (1577-80), and the third - by the English pirate T. Cavendish (1586-88); they penetrated through the Strait of Magellan into the Pacific Ocean to plunder Spanish-American port cities and capture Spanish ships. Drake became the first captain to complete a full circumnavigation of the world. The fourth round-the-world voyage (again through the Strait of Magellan) was carried out by the Dutch expedition of O. van Noort (1598-1601). The Dutch expedition of J. Lemer - V. Schouten (1615-17), equipped by competing compatriot merchants to eliminate the monopoly of the Netherlands East India Company, paved a new route around the Cape Horn discovered by it, but the company's agents seized their ship off the Moluccas, and the survivors sailors (including Schouten) completed their circumnavigation already as prisoners on her ships. Of the three round-the-world voyages of the English navigator W. Dampier, the most significant is the first, which he performed on different ships with long breaks in 1679-91, collecting materials that made it possible to consider him one of the founders of oceanography.

In the 2nd half of the 18th century, when the struggle for the seizure of new lands intensified, Great Britain and France sent a number of expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, including the first French expedition around the world under the leadership of L. A. de Bougainville (1766-69), which discovered in Oceania a number of islands; among the participants of this expedition was J. Bare - the first woman to circumnavigate the world. These voyages proved, though not completely, that in the Pacific Ocean, between the parallels 50° north latitude and 60° south latitude, east of the Asian archipelagos, New Guinea and Australia, there are no large land masses other than New Zealand. The English navigator S. Wallis, in his circumnavigation of 1766-68, for the first time, using a new method of calculating longitudes, quite accurately determined the position of the island of Tahiti, several islands and atolls in the western and central parts of the Pacific Ocean. The English navigator J. Cook achieved the greatest geographical results in three round-the-world voyages.

In the 19th century, hundreds of round-the-world voyages were made for commercial, fishing and purely scientific purposes, and discoveries were continued in the Southern Hemisphere. In the first half of the 19th century, the Russian sailing fleet played an outstanding role; during the first round-the-world voyage made on the sloops "Nadezhda" and "Neva" by I. F. Kruzenshtern and Yu. Dozens of other Russian round-the-world voyages that followed connected St. Petersburg with the Far East and Russian possessions in North America by a relatively cheap sea route, and strengthened Russian positions in the North Pacific Ocean. Russian expeditions made a major contribution to the development of oceanography and discovered many islands; O. E. Kotzebue during his second circumnavigation (1815-18) first made a correct assumption about the origin of coral islands. The expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev (1819-21) on the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny" on January 16, February 5 and 6, 1820 almost came close to the coast of the hitherto mythical South Earth - Antarctica (now the Coast Princess Martha and Princess Astrid Coast), revealed an arcuate underwater ridge 4800 km long, mapped 29 islands.

In the 2nd half of the 19th century, when sailing ships were supplanted by steamships and the main discoveries of new lands were completed, three round-the-world voyages took place, which made a great contribution to the study of the topography of the ocean floor. The British expedition of 1872-76 on the Challenger corvette (captains J. S. Nares and F. T. Thomson, who succeeded him in 1874) discovered a number of basins in the Atlantic Ocean, the Puerto Rico trench, and underwater ridges around Antarctica; in the Pacific Ocean, the first determinations of depths were made in a number of underwater basins, underwater uplifts and hills were identified, the Mariana Trench. The German expedition of 1874-76 on the military corvette "Gazelle" (commander G. von Schleinitz) continued to discover bottom relief elements and measure depths in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Russian expedition of 1886-89 on the Vityaz corvette (commander S. O. Makarov) for the first time revealed the main laws of the general circulation of surface waters in the Northern Hemisphere and discovered the existence of a “cold intermediate layer” that preserves the remnants of winter cooling in the waters of the seas and oceans.

In the 20th century, major discoveries were made during round-the-world voyages, mainly by Antarctic expeditions, which established the contours of Antarctica in general terms, including the British expedition on the ship Discovery-N under the command of D. John and W. Carey, which in 1931-33 in the South Pacific, she discovered the Chatham Rise, traced the South Pacific Ridge for almost 2,000 km, and conducted an oceanographic survey of Antarctic waters.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, round-the-world voyages began to be carried out for educational, sports and tourist purposes, including solo ones. The first solo circumnavigation was carried out by the American traveler J. Slocum (1895-98), the second by his compatriot G. Pidgeon (1921-1925), the third by the French traveler A. Gerbaud (1923-29). In 1960, the first round-the-world voyage took place on the Triton submarine (USA) under the command of Captain E. Beach. In 1966, a detachment of Soviet nuclear submarines under the command of Rear Admiral A. I. Sorokin made the first round-the-world voyage without surfacing to the surface. In 1968-69, the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world was carried out on the sailing yacht Suhaili by the English captain R. Knox-Johnston. In 1976-78, the Polish traveler K. Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, on the Mazurek yacht, was the first woman to circumnavigate the world solo. Great Britain was the first to introduce round-the-world single races and made them regular (since 1982). The Russian navigator and traveler F.F. Konyukhov (born in 1951) made 4 solo round-the-world voyages: the 1st (1990-91) - on the Karaana yacht, the 2nd (1993-94) - on the Formosa yacht, 3rd (1998-99) - on the yacht "Modern Humanitarian University", participating in the international sailing race "Around the World - Alone", 4th (2004-05) - on the yacht "Scarlet Sails". The first round-the-world voyage of the Russian training sailboat Kruzenshtern in 1995-1996 was timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet.

The first round-the-world trip from west to east was made by P. Teixeira (Portugal) in 1586-1601, circumnavigating the Earth on ships and on foot. The second in 1785-1788 was made by the French traveler J. B. Lesseps, the only surviving member of the expedition of J. La Perouse. In the last third of the 19th century, after the publication of J. Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days (1872), round-the-world travel in record time became widespread. In 1889-90, the American journalist N. Bly circumnavigated the Earth in 72 days; in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this record was repeatedly improved. In the 2nd half of the 20th century, round-the-world voyages and travels no longer seemed to be something exotic, latitudinal ones were added to them. In 1979-82, for the first time in the history of mankind, R. Fiennes and C. Burton (Great Britain) made a round-the-world trip along the Greenwich meridian with relatively short deviations to the east and west through both poles of the planet (by ships, cars, motor narts, motor boats and on foot) . Travelers contributed to the geographical study of Antarctica. In 1911-13, the Russian athlete A. Pankratov made the first ever round-the-world trip on a bicycle. The first round-the-world flight in the history of aeronautics belongs to the German airship "Graf Zeppelin" under the command of G. Eckener: in 1929, in 21 days, he overcame about 31.4 thousand km with three intermediate landings. In 1949, the American B-50 bomber (commanded by Captain J. Gallagher) made the first non-stop round-the-world flight (with in-flight refueling). The first space flight around the Earth in the history of mankind was performed in 1961 by the Soviet cosmonaut Yu. A. Gagarin on the Vostok spacecraft. In 1986, the British crew made the first round-the-world flight in an airplane without refueling in the history of aviation (D. Rutan and J. Yeager). Husband and wife Kate and David Grant (Great Britain) with their three children traveled around the world in a van drawn by a pair of horses. They left the Orkney Islands (Great Britain) in 1990, crossed the oceans, the countries of Europe, Asia and North America, and in 1997 returned to their homeland. A horseback round-the-world trip in 1992-98 was made by Russian travelers P.F. Plonin and N.K. Davidovsky. In 1999-2002, V. A. Shanin (Russia) traveled around the world in passing cars, airplanes, cargo ships. In a balloon, S. Fossett (USA) first flew around the Earth alone in 2002, and in 2005 he made the first solo round-the-world non-stop flight in an airplane without refueling in the history of aviation.

Lit .: Ivashintsov N. A. Russian travels around the world from 1803 to 1849, St. Petersburg, 1872; Baker J. History of geographical discoveries and research. M., 1950; Russian sailors. [Sat. Art.]. M., 1953; Zubov N. N. Domestic navigators - explorers of the seas and oceans. M., 1954; Urbanchik A. Alone across the ocean: One hundred years of solo navigation. M., 1974; Magidovich IP, Magidovich VI Essays on the history of geographical discoveries. 3rd ed. M., 1983-1986. T. 2-5; Fiennes R. Around the world along the meridian. M., 1992; Blon J. The great hour of the oceans. M., 1993. T. 1-2; Slocum J. One under sail around the world. M., 2002; Pigafetta A. Journey of Magellan. M., 2009.

A number of brilliant geographical studies are known in the history of the first half of the 19th century. Among them, one of the most prominent places belongs to Russian round-the-world travel.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia occupied a leading position in the organization and conduct of round-the-world voyages and exploration of the oceans.

The first voyage of Russian ships around the world under the command of lieutenant commanders I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky lasted three years, like most of the round-the-world voyages of that time. With this journey in 1803, a whole era of remarkable Russian round-the-world expeditions began.

Yu.F. Lisyansky received an order to go to England to buy two ships intended for circumnavigation. These ships, Nadezhda and Neva, Lisyansky bought in London for 22,000 pounds sterling, which was almost the same 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 the corrections they had to pay an additional 5,000 pounds. The ship "Nadezhda" has already counted three years from the date of 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, compasses, barometers, a hygrometer, several thermometers, one artificial magnet, chronometers by Arnold and Pettiwgton, and more. 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 antiscorbutic drugs, 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 suitable for various climatic conditions for the team. 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 saltonia, whose ambassador with domestic salt was produced by the merchant Oblomkov. The Nadezhda team consisted of 58 people, and the Neva of 47. They were selected from volunteer sailors, who turned out to be so many that everyone who wanted to participate in a round-the-world trip could be enough to complete several expeditions. It should be noted that none of the crew members participated in long-distance voyages, since in those days Russian ships did not descend south of the northern tropic. The task that confronted the officers and the expedition team 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., to visit a number of little-studied coasts, where sailors 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 ratings" that it rejected the offer to take on board several foreign sailors familiar with the conditions of long-distance voyages. Of the foreigners in the expedition were naturalists Tilesius von Tilenau, Langsdorf and astronomer Horner. Horner was of Swiss origin. He worked at the then famous Seeberg Observatory, the head of which recommended him to Count Rumyantsev. The expedition was also accompanied by a painter from the Academy of Arts.

The artist and scientists were together with the Russian envoy to Japan, N.P. Rezanov, and his retinue on board the large ship - Nadezhda. "Hope" was commanded by Kruzenshtern. Lisyansky was entrusted with the command of the Neva. Although Kruzenshtern was listed as the commander of the Nadezhda and the head of the expedition for the Naval Ministry, in the instructions transmitted by Alexander I to the Russian ambassador to Japan, N.P. Rezanov, he was called the chief head of the expedition. This dual position was the cause of the conflict between Rezanov and Krusenstern. Therefore, Kruzenshtern repeatedly sent 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 have agreed that his position "does not consist only to look after the sails, "etc. Soon, relations between Rezanov and Kruzenshtern escalated so much that a riot broke out among the crew of the Nadezhda.

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 appointed against Kruzenshtern, which took on an unfavorable character for him. Considering the situation, Kruzenshtern publicly apologized to Rezanov and asked Koshelev not to give further progress to the investigation. Only thanks to the courtesy of Rezanov, who decided to stop the case, Kruzenshtern avoided major troubles that could have fatal consequences for his career.

The above episode shows that discipline on the Nadezhda ship, commanded by Kruzenshtern, was not up to par if such a high and special person as the Russian envoy to Japan could be subjected to a number of insults by the crew and the captain of the Nadezhda himself. It is probably no coincidence that the "Nadezhda" during her voyage several times found herself in a very risky position, while the "Neva" only once landed on a coral reef and, moreover, in a place where she could not be expected. by cards. All this suggests that the generally accepted idea of ​​the leading role of Krusenstern in the first Russian round-the-world trip is not true.

Although the first part of the journey to England, and then across the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing Cape Horn, the ships were supposed to make together, but then they had to separate at the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands. Nadezhda, according to the expedition plan, was to go to Kamchatka, where she was to leave her cargo. Then Kruzenshtern should have gone to Japan and brought there the Russian ambassador N.P. Rezanov with his retinue. After that, "Nadezhda" was supposed to return to Kamchatka again, take a load of furs and take it to Canton for sale. The path of the Neva, starting from the Hawaiian Islands, was completely different. Lisyansky was supposed to go "and northwest, to Kodiak Island, where the main office of the Russian-American Company was located at that time. The Neva was supposed to winter here, and then she was supposed to take a load of furs and deliver it to Canton, where she was appointed the 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, albeit with retreats caused by storms, which separated the ships for a long time, as well as lengthy stops for necessary repairs and food replenishment.

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

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 connected with the organization of an 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 arrival in Japan, he failed to establish trade relations with this country.

On August 5, 1806, the Neva arrived safely at the Kronstadt raid. The cannon salutes of the Neva and the return volleys of the Kronstadt fortress rang out. Thus, the Neva stayed at sea for three years and two months. On August 19, the Nadezhda arrived, which was in a round-the-world voyage for fourteen days longer than the Neva.

The first Russian round-the-world voyage marked an epoch in the history of the Russian fleet and provided world geographical science with a number of new information about little-explored countries. A whole series of islands that were visited by Lisyansky and Kruzenshtern were only recently discovered by navigators, and their nature, population, customs, beliefs and economy remained almost completely unknown. Such 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 explored. It is not surprising that the descriptions of the Russian round-the-world travel made by Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky aroused the keenest interest among a wide range of readers and were translated into a number of Western European languages. The materials collected during the journey of the "Neva" and "Nadezhda" were of great value for the study of the primitive peoples of Oceania and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Our first Russian travelers observed these peoples at the stage of tribal relations. For the first time, they described in detail the peculiar, ancient Hawaiian culture with its immutable taboo laws 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 studying the peoples inhabiting the Pacific islands.

Thus, the first Russian round-the-world trip 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 round-the-world travelers.

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

The first Russian round-the-world voyage opens up a whole galaxy of brilliant round-the-world trips made under the Russian flag.

During these trips, excellent cadres of sailors were created, who gained experience in long-distance navigation and high qualifications in the art of navigation, which is difficult 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, outfitted at the expense of Count Rumyantsev.

The expedition on the ships "Neva" and "Nadezhda" paved the route of a new route to the Russian North American colonies. Since then, they have been supplied with the necessary food and goods by sea. These continuous long-distance voyages revived colonial trade and in many respects contributed to the development of the North American colonies and the development of Kamchatka.

Maritime ties between Russia and the Pacific became stronger, and foreign trade developed significantly. A number of valuable observations along the long-distance navigation routes, the first Russian round-the-world voyage, laid a solid scientific foundation for the difficult art of long-distance navigation.