Pirates of Canada - part 2

When Dutch pirates raided the Newfoundland coast in 1673, they made the mistake of sailing to St. John's after laying siege to Avalon. Eight years earlier, Admiral De Ruyter, a legendary Dutch buccaneer, had twice captured and burned all the ships, houses, and chattel in the harbor. This time, the people of St. John's took the offensive. Led by Captain Martin, thirty men stretched a heavy chain from one side of the harbor to the other. The pirate ships caught on the chain and while they tried to disengage, Martin set fire to small boats loaded with combustible material and maneuvered them toward the pirates. The Dutch ships caught fire, and several sank.

Pierre Maisonnate, aka Baptiste, was a French pirate who frequented the ports of St. John's and Beaubassin. In 1692 over a period of six months, he captured nine English ships. He sailed them to France where he regaled his countrymen with tales of his exploits. Upon his return to Nova Scotia two years later, he brought with him five prizes taken off the New England coast. The following year he and his men eluded capture by two English warships, but the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick meant Baptiste could no longer prey upon English ships. Instead, the French hired him to enforce the treaty's provisions that prohibited New Englanders from fishing within sight of Acadian lands. This led to his capture in 1702, but since England and France were once again at war, he was no longer considered a pirate but rather a prisoner of war. After four years of captivity, he was exchanged for the Reverend John Williams, a prominent New Englander captured by the Abenaki in a raid. Baptiste married twice and outfitted privateers until 1713 when the French ceded their settlements to England. The last mention of him appeared in the 1714 census.

Perhaps the most daring pirate endeavor, though, belongs to Bartholomew Roberts, aka Black Bart. He turned to piracy at the age of 36 when the pirate Howell Davis captured the ship on which Roberts sailed. Upon Davis' death, the pirates chose Roberts as their new captain even though he abhorred liquor, forbade gambling, and encouraged prayer. In just 2 ½ years, he captured more than 400 prizes. Known for his flamboyant dress, Black Bart wore crimson waistcoat and breeches, a hat with a scarlet plume, and a jeweled cross hanging

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