The Pearl Maiden

The brigantine Pearl Maiden sailed into the harbor at Port Royal, Jamaica on June 10, 1674 at about ten in the morning. The fore main and jib were the last sails still set. The crew had been furling the others since the harbor came into sight. As she approached closer, the crew aloft on the foot ropes and horses on the fore mast main yard began pulling that sail up to the yard and tying it securely in place. When Captain William Blackburn deemed the Pearl Maiden was close enough to coast into an anchorage, he nodded to his First Mate, Alec Johnson. Mister Johnson in turn shouted, "Strike the jib", to the crew on deck.

With the jib down and the other sails furled, The Pearl Maiden coasted over the calm water toward Port Royal. When Captain Blackburn nodded again, Mister Johnson shouted, "Let go the port anchor."

There was a splash as the anchor was released from the cat on the port side bow and dropped into the water. The two sailors standing at the port bow watched the heavy anchor cable pay out until the flukes of the anchor caught on the bottom. They had done this often enough they didn't wait to hear Mister Johnson's order to secure the anchor cable around a cleat. Once the anchor cable tightened, they cleated the heavy cable home.

Once the cable was cleated, The Pearl Maiden's momentum caused her to heel over as she stopped moving forward and turned. As the crew aloft climbed back down the ratlines, she stopped turning and sat quietly in the calm waters of the harbor.

The next order, to lower the longboat and the captain's gig from the davits, was carried out quickly because the crew wanted to get ashore as quickly as possible. Already the Quartermaster had brought his chest on the main deck and was ready to distribute the shares of the result of their last raid to each of the crew. As soon as The Pearl Maiden was secure, the crew would be off to Port Royal for some good food, a lot of drink, and an accommodating woman or two.

The Quartermaster had paid out Captain Blackburn's share in pieces of eight and gold doubloons as soon as he brought his chest onto the main deck. The mates were also paid in coin. The rest of the crew was paid partly in coin and partly in what jewelry they'd been able to capture from any passengers. The jewelry would be converted into coin by the many dealers in Port Royal. The Quartermaster was aware of the customary rate of exchange and paid each man accordingly.

Once his crew of oarsmen had been paid, Captain Blackburn ordered them to launch his gig. After a short row from The Pearl Maiden to the piers at Port Royal, Captain Blackburn told his crew he would return in two days and they should be ready to take him back to The Pearl Maiden.

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As Captain Blackburn walked into Port Royal, he was smiling. He had little worry that his oarsmen would be waiting for his return to the pier. Most likely, they would have spent all their coin within the first day. Such was usual. They were men who spent weeks at sea eating the tasteless rations given them, sleeping in a rocking hammock suspended from the ships timbers in a damp nook of the Pearl Maiden, and with only other men for company. To be on shore with a seemingly endless supply of good food, good drink, and willing women was their reward for risking their lives while at sea.

The cost of that reward was high in terms of coin, but the resulting pleasure more than offset the risk of earning that coin. In a day or so, all would return to The Pearl Maiden with no money but many stories to share during the days and nights at sea.

Most of his crew would be headed for the taverns for it was in them the women would be found. Captain Blackburn was bound for a pub where he knew the owner and his wife. This was for two reasons.

The first was his personal preference. After weeks of the mostly boring work of operating and maintaining the Pearl Maiden broken only by the short times of excitement and terror of attacking a large ship, his men would have little restraint regarding food, drink and women. The taverns would be noisy and filled with drunken men either looking to fight or looking to end up under the blankets with a naked woman.

The other reason was that he was somewhat well-known in Port Royal and that carried some risk. He was one of the most successful pirate captains who anchored in Port Royal and his ship, the Pearl Maiden, was known to be faster than most. More than one captain had promoted himself to that position by killing the captain of his or another ship.

In the pub, he felt safe since the normal clientele were known to him and to the owners. Any stranger entering the pub would be carefully watched by Hiram Smithson and his buxom wife Eleanor until the stranger's intentions could be determined. Hiram and Eleanor's three children often played in the pub area and Hiram and Eleanor were quick to stop any foolishness or display of temper. As well, the men in the pub, most of whom were pirates with reputations for being unrepentant killers, treated the children as their own and would have protected them from any potential harm with their own lives.

Still, Captain Blackburn was always cautious in any surrounding. Being aware of his surroundings was what had kept him alive through numerous attacks on Spanish ships. When he entered the pub, he paused to survey the other patrons, and seeing only familiar faces, he took his usual table on one side of the room and facing the door.

Eleanor quickly walked to his table, and William smiled as her large breasts moved sensuously under her dress and her wide hips swayed from side to side. He reflected that Hiram was a lucky man to be married to Eleanor. She was not of the same ilk as most of the women in Port Royal, that being because she had never entertained a sailor in her bedroom in exchange for gold or silver. She had traveled from England along with Hiram and had worked at his side to build his business. Eleanor was also a cook of some renown and only served the freshest of meats, fish, and vegetables to her guests.

When Eleanor stopped at his table she smiled.

"William Blackburn, it has been far too long since you sat at my table. It is good to know you are well and as handsome as ever. What may I get for you tonight?"

William grinned a sly grin.

"First, I think a small roast of beef with potatoes, onions and carrots along with a mug of Hiram's ale. Later on, a room for two nights. I would be very grateful were you to join me and allow me to see why Hiram smiles nearly constantly."

Eleanor tittered.

"William, you know full well that I only share Hiram's bed and no others..."

She smiled then and her eyes sparkled.

"...not that the thought of doing what you suggest has never crossed my mind. T'would be an interesting and shall we say, a very filling experience I think, so to speak. Now, you sit in your chair while I fetch your ale and dish up your roast."

It was a repartee that played itself out every time William entered Hiram's pub and he enjoyed it. Like all men, William missed the attentions of a woman, though unlike most of his crew, his desire was not so much the pleasure of sheathing his manhood inside a woman's snug passage. It was a need for companionship of a person who was refined and soft rather than coarse and hard. He was not without the basic desire for a more intimate relationship, but he chose to leave that desire unfulfilled until such time as he met the right woman.

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William was finished with his roast and sipping a second mug of ale when a stranger dressed in the uniform of the Royal Navy walked into the pub, looked around, and then walked directly to William's table. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and then smiled.

"Captain William Blackburn?"

William let his right hand drop to the dagger on his belt and nodded.

"Aye, I am Captain Blackburn. I am at a loss for your identity though, Sir. Why is it that you interrupt my meal?"

The man sat his elbows on the table and put his fingertips together.

"I am Lieutenant Cornelius Charles of His Majesty's Royal Navy, currently in command of the Royal Navy careening wharf and store house in Port Royal. Upon its arrival in Port Royal, I am to be promoted to the rank of Captain and given command of the HMS Fairfax, a frigate of fifty-two guns. HMS Fairfax will be berthed here at Port Royal to defend the harbor against any Spanish attempts to retake Jamaica. I have no doubts that under my command, she will be successful in that mission."

William smiled. There were always enough pirate vessels anchored in Port Royal that would defend the city against any attack in order to maintain this one pirate haven in the Caribbean. Most were brigantines like The Pearl Maiden. Brigantines usually sported only fourteen guns, but their speed and maneuverability made them more than a match for ships much larger. Port Royal did not need the Royal Navy and certainly did not need a frigate captained by a man so young.

William was not as impressed with this young lieutenant as the young man appeared to be with himself. The man could not have been older than twenty-three or twenty-four and most Royal Navy officers were not promoted to the rank of captain without several years of service at sea as mates. Most were at least thirty years of age and many did not gain command of a ship until the age of forty.

What that meant was that Lieutenant Charles had friends in the government of Jamaica or in the Royal Navy and that was another reason not to trust his words. He could have just told the man to leave, but was curious about his reason for contacting a pirate captain.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Charles, but I still have not an inkling as to why this meeting is taking place. Perhaps you would enlighten me."

Lieutenant Charles frowned.

"I have a situation I can not solve as I do not yet have a ship at my command. I have heard that you are one of the more successful pirate captains who call at Port Royal, and would surely be anchored in Port Royal in the near future. I learned of your arrival this morning through a man I have stationed on the pier who brings me information about departures and arrivals. I seek your assistance in resolving my situation."

William smiled again.

"Sir, you have a way of speaking many words without truly answering the question. Speak to me with words that explain this situation and how I may help you resolve it...should I agree."

Lieutenant Charles took a deep breath.

"There is a trader in sugar and tobacco who was trading in Port Royal before the English took Jamaica from the Spanish. After England captured Jamaica and went about eliminating the Spanish presence on the Island, this man claimed to be a third generation Jamaican and was therefore allowed to remain.

This man has made a business of sailing his sloop to Hispaniola and selling the Spanish the goods he purchases from pirates such as yourself. Then, he would return and inform one of you pirate captains of the cargo carried by a Spanish ship anchored at Santo Domingo and the date of her departure for Spain. When that pirate captain attacked the Spanish ship and relieved her of her cargo, this man would purchase it once again. It is said that oftentimes, he would sell the same goods to the Spanish as many as three times.

"He has made a rather large fortune and is going to relocate to England, or so he says. I have it from my source that he intends to sail his sloop to Santo Domingo and from there book passage for his family on a Spanish ship to Spain.

"This trader has a daughter named Christina who I fancy for my wife. Her father, however, will never accept a man of His Majesty's Royal Navy as a son-in-law, for in spite of his claim that he is Jamaican, he is in fact just another greedy Spaniard. His intention is to take this daughter to Spain and marry her off to a wealthy older gentleman. He will gain a handsome dowry for her as well as insure she will inherit the estate of the old gentleman when he dies. When that happens, he intends to steal as much of that estate as possible.

"I would have Christina stay in Port Royal as my wife and she is of like mind. My proposition to you is that you attack the Spanish ship, secure Christina, and bring her back to me. Your reward will be the cargo the Spanish ship carries. My sources in Santo Domingo tell me she is outbound from Panama and is heavily laden with silver and gold so that reward will be quite handsome."

William smiled.

"I would imagine this girl's father would resist such an attempt. What would you have me do with him?"

Lieutenant Charles smiled.

"I leave that decision to you, but it would be best for all concerned if he were dead. If the father is dead, I will not have to concern myself about any attempts he might make to remove Christina from Port Royal. Christina will miss him for a brief period of time, but with the wealth and social connections conferred by my new position, I shall be able to make her forget. If he remains alive and reaches Spain, it is possible he could force the Spanish Crown to send an expedition to find you and your ship. That would undoubtedly result in your death."

William leaned back in his chair, raised his mug of ale, and took a drink to have some time to think. William was certain he knew the man of whom the Lieutenant spoke. His name was Delmar Cordero and William had dealt with him many times in the past.

Parts of the lieutenant's story were probably true. Delmar Cordero was indeed a third generation Jamaican, his grandfather having been a Spanish soldier and his grandmother being one of the few natives who survived the capture of Jamaica by the Spanish military and the diseases they brought with them. His father was born of that union and had married the daughter of a Spanish official based in Jamaica. Delmar was born in Port Royal sometime in the early 1600's. No one including Delmar was certain of the date. Though being of three-fourths Spanish blood, Delmar Cordero was indeed a native of Jamaica by virtue of being born there. After taking over his father's business in the trade of sugar and tobacco when his father died, Delmar had married a local woman who was also of mixed Spanish and native descent. She had died of some disease two years after the marriage.

What was well known amongst all the pirates who used Port Royal as a base was that Delmar Cordero was a trader who paid in gold and silver for goods seized by the pirates and who did not ask questions about the origin of those goods. It was also well known that he owned a sloop named Winged Dove and that he made frequent trips to Hispanola to sell those same goods to the Spanish. It was true as well that Delmar was a valuable source of information about Spanish ships that berthed at Santo Domingo to resupply before making he voyage to Spain. William had taken advantage of this information on several occasions and had become wealthy in the process.

William knew that Delmar had a daughter, but he had never seen her because Delmar seemed to be careful to keep his family at some distance from his business. She would be maybe nineteen now, possibly twenty. Given Delmar's way of conducting his business, it wasn't difficult to believe that his plan for that daughter was exactly what the lieutenant had said.

The rest of the lieutenant's story was more than a bit difficult to believe. In all William's dealings with Delmar over the past ten years, not once had he seen this daughter nor had Delmar spoken of her. How was it that a mere lieutenant would meet her and decide to take her for his wife?

The information about the Spanish ship was also difficult to believe. The lieutenant said he had sources in Santo Domingo who told him about the ship, yet no Englishman with any sense would be living in Hispaniola at all, much less in Santo Domingo. The Spaniards would execute any Englishman found there as an English spy.

Still, the prospect of a Spanish ship laden with gold and silver was appealing. If the girl was part of the agreement, so be it. William sat his mug of ale back on the table and leaned toward Lieutenant Charles.

"I find your proposal to be interesting, but I wonder how you were able to get information on a Spanish ship loaded with coin and about to sail to Spain. I will not order my crew to attack a Spanish ship which surely will be well guarded only to find that she is not carrying the cargo you promise. Who is this source you spoke of? I would meet this man and speak with him myself before accepting your proposal."

Lieutenant Charles smiled.

"The source of my information is not a man. She is a native woman who has served as mistress to Mister Cordero and mother to Christina since Mister Cordero's wife died. As such, she accompanies him on his voyages between Port Royal and Santo Domingo and thus is privy to his dealings both here and there."

William was still not convinced.

"If what you say is true, why would she turn against Delmar by revealing his intentions?"

Lieutenant Charles chuckled then.

"It is because I have been paying her two pounds sterling every month to keep me informed about the activities of Mister Cordero. These stupid natives will do anything to gain a few pounds in their purse, even to spying on their employer. I calculated that at some point he would commit an infraction against the Crown and I wanted to be the officer who arrested him. Such would improve on my already exemplary service record and also free Christina to become my wife.

.

Lieutenant Charles smiled again.

"There is also a secondary reason. Mister Cordero has informed her that she will not be accompanying him and Christina on their voyage to Spain. His reason is that no self-respecting Spaniard would have a native woman as a consort. She knows if that happens, she will be forced to service men in the taverns of Port Royal or starve. I have promised her she will be able to stay in the house Mister Cordero currently occupies and with sufficient funds that she can live without selling herself to any pirate who offers her money.

"I will have the woman here at noon tomorrow that you may verify my statements. I believe you will see that she is a bit more intelligent than most of these stupid natives and that she speaks the truth."

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At noon the next day William was sitting at the same table and enjoying a lunch of smoked fish and potatoes when Lieutenant Charles walked up to the table.

"I have the woman outside behind the pub. She is reluctant to enter this pub, but will gladly speak with you in the alley behind. Finish your meal and then meet us there."

Fifteen minutes later, William walked around the pub to the narrow alley and saw Lieutenant Charles standing there with a dark-skinned woman. When he walked up to them, Lieutenant Charles smiled.

"Captain Blackburn, this is Gabriela Dutillet, the woman I spoke to you about yesterday evening. I shall wait in the pub and leave the two of you alone so you may question her as you will. She will find her own way home when you are finished with her. If you are convinced, join me for a mug of ale and we shall discuss the details."

As Lieutenant Charles walked away, William looked at Gabriela. It was easy to see why Delmar had chosen her for his mistress and mother to his daughter. She was dark-skinned, but not so dark as most natives of Jamaica. There was at least one Frenchman or a Spaniard in her background somewhere. He guessed the woman at probably forty or so, but she was still a woman to stiffen a man's manhood.

He also saw the look of her face, and it was not the face of a common woman of the taverns on Port Royal. The face was soft and kind, and her speech was also better than he expected. Most natives spoke in broken English, but Gabriela seemed to have learned English better than most. When she smiled as she was speaking, that smile put him at ease.