A lively contemporary account recounts the origins, habits, and raids of Caribbean buccaneers, describing island bases, local geography, methods of arming ships, and the organization of expeditions. It narrates bold attacks and sieges, notably raids on coastal towns and a major overland expedition, and chronicles individual careers, losses, and acts of brutality. The second section presents focused biographies of several notorious pirates, offering portraits of their rise, ventures, and fates. Interwoven are observations on buccaneer society, the division of plunder, and the practicalities and consequences of life conducted beyond legal authority.
