In olde New York; sketches of old times and places in both the state and the city . ut, swarthy, beardedman, his sinister face tanned by Indian suns, a fine,beautifully wrought gold chain from Arabian work-shops about his neck, rings set with gems on liis fingers,and under his coat a netted belt through whose mesheswe catch the gleam of gold. Once ashore he makeshis way to the mansion, whence he presentlyreturns smiling and rubbing his hands gleefully, andthen hurries away to the ship. Next morning wegather with the crowd to see the latter berthed, andwhen this is done and the hatch
In olde New York; sketches of old times and places in both the state and the city . ut, swarthy, beardedman, his sinister face tanned by Indian suns, a fine,beautifully wrought gold chain from Arabian work-shops about his neck, rings set with gems on liis fingers,and under his coat a netted belt through whose mesheswe catch the gleam of gold. Once ashore he makeshis way to the mansion, whence he presentlyreturns smiling and rubbing his hands gleefully, andthen hurries away to the ship. Next morning wegather with the crowd to see the latter berthed, andwhen this is done and the hatches removed, bale afterbale of costly merchandise is hauled up and carriedaway. One might fancy himself for the nonce trans-ported to the Orient. Tea and cassia, rich silks ofCliina, woven fabrics of Cashmere, Indian sandalwood, perfumes, and gems, spices and gums of gold and ivory, with half the products ofEuropean workshops, the vessel pours out, until half-a-million dollars in value has passed from her is no doubt as to the character of the craft; she. o 3o i c o J 03 0 ,,T o ^ •* -H The Old City Dock 5 belonged to that powerful guild of pirates which atthis period, under the corrupt Governor Fletcher, hadbecome one of the wealtliiest interests of the city. These colonial pirates at this distance of time seemthe ideal freebooters. As a rule they were the mostenterprising shipmasters of their day, who were drawnfrom the merchant service into privateering duringthe French and Spanish wars, and on the return ofpeace, impatient of restraint, became privateers ongeneral principles and turned their guns on vesselsof every flag. The whole waste of waters was theircruising ground, but their special field was the IndianOcean. With characteristic ingenuity they reducedthe business to a system. The home merchants, whoin many cases had fitted them out and had a share inthe profits, established lines of swift vessels to Mada-gascar, the rendezvous of the pirate
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectnewyorkstatehistory
