                                   PIRATES!
                                   --------

                              Sid Meier's PIRATES!
                    Copyright 1987 Microprose Software, Inc.
                   Being a complete and comprehensive account
               of the Great Age of Buccaneering in the West Indies
                        between the years 1560 and 1700.

Introduction
------------
It was an era of new kings and empires, of new tests of strength and power. It
was a day when a man could rise from humble beginnings and be knighted for brave
and daring service to the Crown.  Now you can be such a man in PIRATES!, a game
of hot-blooded swashbuckling across the Spanish Main.

You are transported to the Caribbean as it was in the heyday of smugglers,
privateers, buccaneers and pirates. All the skills real men needed for survival
and success are present, in real-time action!

In PIRATES! you navigate the wide Caribbean by guess, compass, and occasional
sun sights with your astrolabe. In peace or battle, your sailing skill can spell
the difference between a profitable journey and a watery grave. And if it comes
to battle, you must do what real buccaneer Captains did - lead your men from the
front, sword in hand, until you meet and defeat the enemy commander. This is a
new type of game, an action simulation. Your game activities are based on how
men actually did them, such as sailing ships and dueling with swords.

The Caribbean is a canvas of grand adventure, from the treasure-laden ambushes
of Sir Francis Drake to the piratical plunderings of the notorious Henry Morgan
(whose name still graces a brand of Jamaican rum). Like these men, you can
discuss politics with provincial governors, sneak into towns for clandestine
smuggling arrangements with local merchants, cross swords with vicious noblemen
of all nationalities, rescue helpless waifs from vile slave plantations, even
find a beautiful wife! When you accumulate sufficient treasure, land, honours,
and satisfaction, you can take a pleasant retirement appropriate to your gains.

PIRATES! brings alive the grand scope of a venturesome and bygone age. As in
every Microprose simulation, extensive research into the details of places and 
people, ships and battles brings you unparalleled realism. PIRATES! goes beyond
simple fantasy and touches the reality of an exciting page in history.

If you prefer to learn PIRATES! while playing, consult your "Captain's
Broadsheet". If you like to understand the concepts before you begin playing,
turn to "In the Beginning" and read all of Book I.

                                     BOOK I
                            Instructions to Captains
                            ------------------------

                               IN THE BEGINNING...
                               -------------------

The stars of new Kings and Emperors are rising in Europe. New opportunities
abound for the ambitious man. There are reputations to be made, fortunes to be
won, beautiful women to wed, and with royal favour you may even gain a patent of
nobility. 'Duke of the Realm' has a fine sound to it, does it not? These are
days when glorious careers can come from a humble start.

To begin your adventure, load the game (see your "Captain's Broadsheet" for
specific instructions, including troubleshooting instructions if you have
trouble loading). To make a choice, move the pointer on the screen (using your
joystick, mouse, or keyboard cursor keys, as appropriate) to highlight the
option you prefer. To select the highlighted option, press the joystick trigger.
You need not wait for the "Press to Continue" message.

A Word About your Goals
-----------------------
From a humble start, you are seeking to make your fortune in the West Indies so
that you can retire to a life of wealth, ease, and high status. The quality of
your retirement is a sum of your personal fortune, your rank, your lands, your
reputation, the wife you marry (if any), and whatever especially pleasing events
befall you during the course of your adventures.

After any voyage, when you return to port and divide up the plunder, you can
then retire. If your health permits, you can leave retirement and take up
adventuring again, should you wish to try for more. As you learn the game make a
few 'trial retirements' to understand this. See "Your Career on the High
Seas" for more information about your retirement and future happiness.

You can save a retired character in a 'Hall of Fame'. You must have a properly
formatted save-game disc for this. Use the save-game routine (available at any
port under check information) to format a disc. See your "Captain's Broadsheet"
for more information on saving games.

Initial Opportunities
---------------------
A new player should select Start a New Career.

Start a New Career begins a complete adventure, from your first arrival in the
New World to your well-earned retirement. This is the 'standard' game, and can
continue for quite some time.

Continue a Saved Game allows you to resume any game in progress. Do not insert
the save-game disc until instructed on screen. See the "Captain's Broadsheet"
for how to create and use a save-game disc.

Command a Famous Expedition is a 'short game' where you command just one
expedition. These expeditions are usually large, but end whenever you divide the
plunder. Famous expeditions are not for a novice - doing as well as the
historical model can be a very challenging task.

Famous Expeditions
------------------
   Battle of San Juan de Ulua (John Hawkins, 1569)
   The Silver Train Ambush (Francis Drake, 1573)
   The Treasure Fleet (Piet Heyn, 1628)
   The Sack of Maracaibo (L'Ollonais, 1666)
   The King's Pirate (Henry Morgan, 1671)
   The Last Expedition (Baron de Pointis, 1697)

A new player should try a career rather than a famous expedition. Each
expedition is a short, self-contained adventure that ends when you divide up the
loot. In reality these expeditions were commanded by an experienced, skillful
leader. To do well, you also should be an experienced leader.

John Hawkins, 1569:
This is a fairly difficult situation. You have a large, powerful squadron, but
are in a totally Spanish Caribbean. The only friendly ports are tiny anchorages.
In reality, Hawkins tried to be a peaceful trader (sometimes at gunpoint - a
most peculiar combination), and failed. See "Famous Expeditions" in Book III for
additional background information.

Francis Drake, 1573:
This is a very difficult situation. Like Hawkins, you are faced with a
completely Spanish Caribbean, but now you have a small force. In reality, after
a few false starts, Drake's boldness and bravery made him successful. See
"Famous Expeditions" in Book III for additional background information.

Piet Heyn, 1628:
This is a fairly easy situation. You have a balanced task force, and are 
admirably positioned to intercept Spanish treasure galleons off the Havana or in
the Florida Channel. Equalling Heyn's feat of ambushing the entire Treasure
Fleet will take a combination of good luck and persistence at the right place
and time. See "Famous Expeditions" in Book III for additional background
information.

L'Ollonais, 1666:
This is a fairly easy situation. You have many potentially friendly bases and
militarily weak Spaniards. However, duplicating L'Ollonais' achievement of
conquering and plundering the entire Maracaibo region may prove taxing. See
"Famous Expeditions" in Book III for additional background information.

Henry Morgan, 1671:
This is a very easy situation. You have overwhelming forces, various friendly
bases, and an enemy already weakened by earlier raids. Morgan captured Puerto
Bello and sacked Panama. With any luck, so can you. See "Famous Expeditions" in
Book III for additional background information.

Baron de Pointis, 1697:
This is another very easy situation. You have powerful forces, while the Spanish
are at their lowest militarily. Duplicating de Pointis' capture and sack of
Cartagena isn't too difficult. See "Famous Expeditions" in Book III for
additional  background information.

Selecting an Historical Time Period
-----------------------------------
   The Silver Empire (1560)
   Merchants and Smugglers (1600)
   The New Colonists (1620)
   War for Profit (1640)
   The Buccaneer Heroes (1660)
   Pirates' Sunset (1680)

A new player should answer No, Thanks. This automatically gives you the most
advantageous era for piracy: The Buccaneer Heroes (1660).

The Caribbean and the Spanish Main were a changing environment as military and
economic power waxed and waned, new colonies appeared and old cities declined.
The region gradually changed from total Spanish dominion in the 1560s, to a wild
frontier for European colonization, and eventually to a cosmopolitan nexus in a
new global economy.

The Silver Empire (1560):
In this era the Spanish Empire is at its peak. all the colonies (with one
lonesome exception) are Spanish, all the major ports and trade are controlled
by Spain. However, Spain's gains have been so great other Europeans are
attracted to steal and plunder whatever Spain cannot protect. Because of Spain's
great power, this is an extremely challenging era, and should not be attempted
by novices. See "The Silver Empire (1560-1600)" in Book III for more
information.

Merchants & Smugglers (1600):
This era is very similar to The Silver Empire, but Spain is slightly weaker. A
few abortive non-Spanish colonial ventures have begun, but the Caribbean remains
essentially Spanish. Another change is the predominance of the Dutch smuggling
trade. Like the 1560s, this era should not be attempted by novices. See
"Merchants & Smugglers (1600-1620)" in Book III for more information.

The New Colonists (1620):
This era sees the first successful colonies founded by the enemies of Spain,
while Spanish power continues to decline. With these colonies prospects for
piracy and privateering are improved. Life is fairly challenging for would-be
pirates and privateers. See "The New Colonists (1620-1640)" in Book III for more
information.

War for Profit (1640):
This era is the heyday for small, independent buccaneers. The Spanish military
and economy are at their nadir, while new European colonies are blooming
throughout the Antilles. This period is a golden age (literally!) for the
independent and resourceful man. It is an enjoyable era for players of all skill
levels. See "War for Profit (1640-1660)" in Book III for more information.

The Buccaneer Heroes (1660):
These decades are the peak of swashbuckling adventure in the Caribbean. Spanish
wealth is reappearing, but Imperial military power remains a joke. European
colonies and ports abound, fortune-hunting sailors crowd the taverns, searching
for lucky Captains. This classic age makes piracy a pleasure for players of
every skill level. See "The Buccaneer Heroes (1660-1680)" in Book III for more
information.

Pirates' Sunset (1680):
This era is the last for Caribbean pirate adventuring. European nations now take
seriously events in the Caribbean. Navy warships are on patrol, Letters of
Marque are harder to find, governors are less tolerant. Enjoy this era while you
can, for it is the end of an age. This period is somewhat tough for novices but
interesting and challenging for all others. See "Pirates' Sunset (1680-1700)" in
Book III for more information.

Selecting a Nationality
-----------------------
   English Buccaneer
   French Buccaneer
   Dutch Adventurer
   Spanish Renegade

A new player should select English Buccaneer. Specific roles available vary from
period to period (no Dutch role is available in 1560). The role you choose
determines where you start, what ship(s) you have, the size of your crew, your
initial wealth and reputation, etc. Your initial nationality does not require
you to support that nation (many of France's admirals in the Caribbean during
the 1680s were Dutch buccaneers!). Your acts speak for you: if you deeds please
a nation, a governor may reward you. If you anger a nation, a governor can order
his harbour forts to fire on you!

English is often a useful nationality. This nation supports privateers into the
16th Century, and just as generously supported private colonisation ventures in
the next century.

French is the second classic nationality for pirates. Although this nation
provides less support to its sons overseas, it also gives them more independence
and more freedom of action. Furthermore, the growing 17th Century French
colonies on Western Hispaniola and Tortuga are ideal pirate bases.

Dutch is an exciting and different nationality. Except in the 1620s, the Dutch
sailed as traders to the Caribbean, not as warriors. Of course, once in the
Caribbean, more than a few supplemented their trading with more violent and
profitable pursuits. As a rule, Dutch traders tried to stay on the good side of
the French and English, although this was not always possible.

Spanish is the most challenging nationality. As a Spanish renegade you start in
a weak position, although in 1680 you can play the interesting role of Costa
Guarda - the Spanish Caribbean coast guard who often acted liked pirates
themselves! In either event, Spanish origin is a pleasant change and refreshing
challenge.

After you have selected your nationality, type in your family name. You are
limited to nine characters. Press the RETURN key to finish your entry.

Difficulty Level
----------------
   Apprentice
   Journeyman
   Adventurer
   Swashbuckler

A new player should choose Apprentice. This gives you the easiest and most
helpful environment for learning.

Apprentice gives the player maximum 'aid' from expert subordinate officers on
board the ship. This makes play easier, but whenever the party's loot is
divided, all these experts take rather large shares, leaving little for you.

Journeyman is moderately easy. The player's subordinates are less expert
(although still quite good), but your share of the loot is larger.

Adventurer is moderately difficult. Your subordinates are mediocre, but your
share of the loot is very good.

Swashbuckler is extremely difficult. Your subordinates are 'drunken gutter
swine' of precious little value. Of course, your share of the loot is the 
largest possible.

Special Abilities
-----------------
   Skill at Fencing
   Skill at Navigation
   Skill at Gunnery
   Wit and Charm
   Skill at Medicine

New players may select what they please. Apprentice difficulty level ensures
that all activities are fairly easy.

Skill at Fencing gives you well-trained reflexes that make enemy actions and
reactions seem sluggish by comparison.

Skill at Navigation make travel on the high seas faster and easier.

Skill at Gunnery aids you during naval battles, making your broadsides more
likely to land on-target.

Wit and Charm is useful when dealing with governors and others of high station.

Skill at Medicine helps you preserve your good health longer, and to suffer
less from injuries. As a result, your career can last longer.

Your Starting Tale: Treasure Fleets & Silver Trains
---------------------------------------------------
As your early life unfolds, you are asked for a crucial piece of information:
when the Spanish Treasure Fleet or Silver Train arrives at a particular city.
The itinerary varies from year to year. The itineraries appear in chronological
order later in this document. Be sure you have the correct year, and don't
mistake the Treasure Fleet for the Silver Train, or vice versa. If you answer
the question correctly, then events will unfold to your advantage. If you answer
incorrectly, you are warned about an unpromising start. Heed the advice and
start over, otherwise you'll find your situation most bleak.

Spain & Peru:
At times the Treasure Fleet is not in the Caribbean, but in Seville, Spain,
preparing for another journey. similarly, at times the Silver Train is not in
the Caribbean, but in Peru, loading silver and gold there. In both cases it is
inaccessible to you. You'll have to wait until it reappears in the Caribbean
area.

Historical Footnotes
--------------------
From the 1530s onward, Spanish ships suffered from privateers and outright
piracy, not only in the West Indies, but also in the Atlantic. Spain's solution
adopted informally in the 1560s, was to 'convoy' ships together in one powerful
fleet.

Each year the fleet ('flota') sailed from Seville in Spain, carrying passengers,
troops, and European trade goods to the Spanish colonies of the new world.
However, its principal purpose was returning silver from the mines in New Spain
(Mexico) and Potosi (Peru) to the Spanish government in Europe. This vast wealth
made the returning fleet a tempting target. Privateer and pirate ships
frequently followed it, hoping to pick off stragglers. This was a dangerous
business, since a well-handled war galleon could (and sometimes did) turn the
tables and capture a pirate!
   
Similarly, the mule train roads along the coast of Terra Firma (South America)
moved silver and other goods toward the major ports of Cartagena, Nombre de
Dios, and Puerto Bello. These trains carried produce and species destined to be
loaded aboard the treasure fleet.

                                     1560

   THE TREASURE FLEET                          THE SILVER TRAIN
   ------------------                          ----------------
   Cumana - Early October                      Cumana - Early April
   Puerto Cabello - Late October               Borburata - Late April
   Maricaibo - Early November                  Puerto Cabello - Early May
   Rio de la Hacha - Late November             Coro - Late May
   Nombre de Dios - Early December             Gibraltar - Early June
   Cartagena - Late December                   Maracaibo - Late June
   Campeche - Late January                     Rio de la Hacha - Early July
   Vera Cruz - Early February                  Santa Marta - Late July
   Havana - Early March                        Cartagena - Early August
   Santiago - Late March                       Panama - Late August
   Florida Channel - Late April                Nombre de Dios - Early October

                                     1600
  
   Cumana - Early October                      St. Thome - Early April
   Caracas - Late October                      Cumana - Late April
   Maracaibo - Early November                  Caracas - Early May
   Rio de la Hacha - Late November             Pureto Cabello - Late May
   Santa Marta - Early December                Coro - Early June
   Puerto Bello - Late December                Gibraltar - Late June
   Cartagena - Early January                   Maracaibo - Early July
   Campeche - Early February                   Rio de la Hacha - Late July
   Vera Cruz - Late February                   Santa Marta - Early August
   Havana - Late March                         Cartagena - Late August
   Florida Channel - Late April                Panama - Early September
                                               Puerto Bello - Late October

                                     1620

   Caracas - Early September                   St. Thome - Early March
   Maracaibo - Late September                  Cumana - Late March
   Rio de la Hacha - Early October             Caracas - Early April
   Santa Marta - Late October                  Puerto Cabello - Late April
   Puerto Bello - Early November               Gibraltar - Early May
   Cartagena - Early December                  Maracaibo - Late May
   Campeche - Early January                    Rio de la Hacha - Early June
   Vera Cruz - Late January                    Santa Marta - Late June
   Havana - Late February                      Cartagena - Early July
   Florida Channel - Late March                Panama - Late July
                                               Puerto Bello - Early September

                                     1640

   Caracas - Early October                     Cumana -Early April
   Maracaibo - Late October                    Caracas - Late April
   Rio de la Hacha - Early November            Gibraltar - Early May
   Santa Marta - Late November                 Maracaibo - Late May
   Puerto Bello - Early December               Rio de la Hacha - Early June
   Cartagena - Early January                   Santa Marta - Early July
   Campeche - Early February                   Cartagena - Late July
   Vera Cruz - Late February                   Panama - Late August
   Havana - Late March                         Puerto Bello - Early October
   Florida Channel - Late April            

                                     1660

   Caracas - Early September                   Cumana - Early March
   Maracaibo - late September                  Caracas - Late March
   Rio de la Hacha - Early October             Gibraltar - Early April
   Santa Marta - Late October                  Maracaibo - Late April
   Puerto Bello - Early November               Rio de la Hacha - Early May
   Cartagena - Early December                  Santa Marta - Early June
   Campeche - Early January                    Cartagena - Late June
   Vera Cruz - Late January                    Panama - Late July
   Havana - Late February                      Puerto Bello - Early September
   Florida Channel - Late March

                                     1680

   Caracas - Early October                     Cumana - Early April
   Rio de la Hacha - Late October              Caracas - Late April
   Santa Marta - Early November                Maracaibo - Late May
   Puerto Bello - Late November                Rio de la Hacha - Late June
   Cartagena - Late December                   Santa Marta - Early July
   Campeche - Late January                     Cartagena - Late July
   Vera Cruz - Early February                  Panama - Late August
   Havana - Early March                        Puerto Bello - Early October
   Florida Channel - Late April

                               FENCING & SWORDPLAY
                               -------------------

Early Modern Europe was a willful and violent age. You discouraged thieves, 
righted injustice, protected your family, and maintained your honour with a
sword. Whether challenged to a duel, or fighting your way through a tavern
brawl, skill with cold steel was simple survival.

Basics of Control
-----------------
The descriptions here assume you are using a joystick (stick). If not, see the
"Captain's Broadsheet" for your equivalent controls.

You are on the right side of the battle scene, your opponent is on the left.

To Attack, push the stick left, toward the enemy. Push high for a high attack,
horizontal for a mid-level attack, low for a low attack. Hold the trigger before
and during the attack for a slower but more powerful slashing attack.

To Parry, do not push left or right. Just push up to parry high attacks, leave
centred to parry mid-level attacks, and push down to parry low attacks.

To Retreat, push the stick right, away from the enemy. You parry while
retreating, and like normal parries, these can be high, mid-level, or low,
depending on stick position.

To Pause, press the Pause key. To resume fencing, press it again.

                     Attack high                 Parry high
               (slash w/trigger)   Parry high    and retreat
                                \       |       /
                                 \      |      /
              Attack mid-level    \     |     /    Parry mid-level
             (slash w/trigger) ------ Parry ------ and retreat
                                  / mid-level \
                                 /      |      \
                                /       |       \
                     Attack low     Parry low     Parry low
              (slash w/trigger)                   and retreat

Choosing your Weapon
--------------------
Three types of swords are available: rapier, cutlass and longsword. For all
three weapons, a slash is twice as effective as a normal attack, should it hit.
Of course, slashes take longer to execute. Your opponent also has different
weapons. The colour of your opponent's shirt indicates the weapon he carries.

The rapier is a long, thin, flexible weapon with a sharp point. It can be
manoeuvred easily and thrust into a target with accuracy. It has a longer reach
than any other weapon, but its strikes do the least damage (that is, you must
hit more often to defeat the enemy).

The cutlass is a short, heavy, curved cleaver with a mean edge but short reach.
Cutlass hits can be devastating (twice as damaging as a rapier) making it a
popular weapon among untutored fighters.

The longsword is a classic weapon of medium length (longer than a cutlass,
shorter than a rapier). Its attacks do more than a rapier, but less than a
cutlass.

The Principles of Fencing
-------------------------
Like all active men of your time, you are a trained swordsman. Attacking and
defensive movements, including wrist, arm, body, and footwork are as automatic
as throwing or kicking a ball. Put together, these motions form 'combinations'
that allow you to attack, parry, or retreat in various ways. Each combination
takes one to two seconds to execute.

In battle, victory depends on selecting the best combination. If you recognise
an attacking combination fast enough, you can block it with a defensive
combination, or counterattack with a combination that exploits his attack.

A 'hit' occurs whenever an attack connects. You'll see a flash and a hint of
blood when you hit. Each hit weakens your enemy and demoralises his followers.

Retreat from battle is easy. Just select retreat combinations until you move off
the screen. This ends the battle. Of course, you lose whatever you were fighting
over and your reputation suffers. On the other hand, when facing a skillful
enemy, retreat is often better than defeat!

Panic & Surrender occurs whenever a leader in 'panic' is hit. It also occurs in
large battles when a leader's forcer are reduced to just one man, and then he is
hit. Striking a man who surrendered is an unchivalrous deed that may inspire him
to rise and fight on.

Novices are advised to select a cutlass and just keep attacking, high, low, and
middle, relying on the large damage done with each hit. However, if you'd like
to defend yourself with some parry combinations, a weapon with more reach, such
as a longsword or rapier, is recommended.

Combinations
------------
Each combination is different swordfighting manoeuvre in combat. As a fencer,
you select a combination and your body automatically makes the appropriate 
moves.

All attacking combinations include forward-moving footwork. Therefore, to
advance against your opponent, select an attacking combination. Similarly, all
retreating combinations cause you to back away from your opponent.

Slashing High takes the longest period of time to execute, but has an extra-long
reach. If it hits, this combination does twice the damage of a normal attack.

Slashing Mid-Level is a faster slash, but slower than normal attacks and
parries. If it hits, this combination does double the damage of a normal attack.

Slashing Low is the fastest slash, but has a slightly shorter reach. If it hits,
this combination does twice as much damage as a normal attack.

Attacking High is a moderately fast attack that exploits the point rather than
the edge of a weapon. It has a longer reach than mid-level or low attacks and
slashes. If it hits, this combination does half as much damage as a slash.

Attacking Mid-Level is the second-fastest attack. It also emphasizes the point,
rather than the edge. Therefore, if it hits this combination only does half as
much damage as a slash.

Attacking Low is the fastest attack, but has a slightly shorter reach than
normal. Like high and mid-level attacks, it uses the point. Therefore, if it
hits this combination only does half as much damage as a slash.

Parrying High counters any high combination, attack or slash. As high attacks
are slower developing than mid-level or low, defensive fighters rarely stand 'on
guard' in a high parry.

Parrying Mid-Level counters any mid-level combination, attack or slash. This is
a classic 'on guard' position to which many swordsmen return. A fencer can move
from this position to any other position very quickly.

Parrying Low counters any low combination, attack or slash. Experienced
swordsmen periodically stand 'on guard' in a low parry, since low attacks can
develop very quickly.

High Parry & Retreat combines the standard high parry with backpedal foot
movements that move you away from your opponent.

Mid-Level Parry & Retreat combines the standard mid-level parry with backpedal
foot movements that move you away from your opponent.

Low Parry & Retreat combines the standard low parry with backpedal foot
movements that move you away from your opponent.

Leadership in Battle
--------------------
Only a few of your battles are man-to-man duels. Most of the time you are
leading your stalwart crew against the enemy. As you duel the enemy leader, your
crewmen are also fighting.

Morale:
Your hits against the enemy leader, and his against you, change the morale of
each side in battle. Morale levels run from Wild! (the best) downward through
Strong, Firm, Angry, Shaken and finally Panic.

Number of Men:
As you fight, a battle rages around you. The rate each side suffers casualties
depends on their strength and their morale. If morale is fairly equal, a force
with superior numbers will inflict more casualties. However, an inferior force
that has high morale can avoid casualties and inflict serious losses on a larger
force with very low morale. Therefore, morale can be more important than
numerical comparisons.

Retreat & Surrender:
You can lead your men into a retreat from battle by retreating yourself.
Surrender occurs when you inflict sufficient hits on an enemy leader in 'panic'
or when you've reduced the enemy to just one remaining man and then hit the
leader (regardless of morale). Of course, the same could happen to you.

The Memoirs of Capt'n Sydney
----------------------------
Many a buccaneer captain is nothin' but a big bully. Unschooled in fencing, he'd
carry a sharp cutlass and swing away, knowing that a spine-splittin slash do'd
more than a half dozen rapier thrusts. I hear Blackbeard himself, who always
used a cutlass, was run through several score times by a rapier before he fell.
He'd not lasted so long with a cutlass in his gizzard, mate!

Well, I'm no fencing master, but I had some schoolin' in the art of cold steel.
I'd use a cutlass to terrify poor, inept merchant Captains, slashin 'em up and
chopin' 'em down quick as a slipped anchor. 'Gainst most opponents I preferred
me longsword. Toledo steel it was, with a fine balance and nice edge. In a
serious fight I'd not slash much, since it slowed me down and exposed me too
long. Now I know rapiers are all the rage now, and their extra reach is right
handy. But it takes too bless'd long to do in the opposition with an overgrown
pin!

Now if'n I 'twas leadin' my men 'gainst greater numbers, me tactics did change.
I remember bein' boarded by a war galleon commanded by an Admiral or Count or
somethin'. Long fancy name, he had. sure to be a good fencer, I thought, and he
was. But outnumbered as we were, I had ta' strike quick like, get the battle
goin' our way, or me mates would've been slaughtered up right quick.

So I's grabbed a cutlass and charged that Don, howlin' like a demon. I shrugged
off a couple rapier pricks and got right in eye-to-eye, slashin' at 'is legs.
That took some stuffin' out of him right quick! With them papists all shaken and
panicky like, it didna' take long to polish 'em off.

Historical Footnotes
--------------------
The Common Man as Warrior:
In this turbulent time there were more clergymen than sheriffs! A man protected
his own property and person against thieves and banditry, since the kingdom
often could not. It was the rare man who went without some weapon. Noblemen
settled disputes 'quietly' in duels, rather than through open warfare (a
medieval practice the Crown frowned upon). Commoners used staves, clubs, crude
spears, large knives and such. Where available, the heavy cutlass was an ideal
weapon for a stout but untutored fighter.

The Colonial Frontier:
Life in the colonies was even more unruly than the homeland. This was especially
true of the English and French colonies, largely populated with convicts,
fortune hunters, deadbeats, religious fanatics, and other people the homeland
was happy to see off. Furthermore, in the colonies the landholder might be
absent or non-existent. In Europe every square inch of land was part of some
nobleman's demise, and he or his family usually lived just up the road, ready to
enforce ancient feudal custom and law.

Firearms existed in this era, but were still newfangled weapons of slow speed
and dubious reliability. Throughout the 1500s firearms were fired with a
slow-burning match. Reloading was a long, laborious process that required two
minutes or more, complicated by the need to handle loose gunpowder while you
held a lighted match! The flintlock and trigger (invented in 1615 in France) was
used by hunters, sportsmen, and probably buccaneers by 1630. However, it was not
reliable enough for military use until 1670. In battle you might carry a loaded
pistol or three, but you relied upon your sword, not your guns. Note that the
musketeers of Dumas' Three Musketeers (based on events in the 1620s) generally
used their swords, despite being members of the most elite firearms unit in the
entire French army!

                            TRAVELLING THE CARIBBEAN
                            ------------------------

The Caribbean is a wide, warm, and pleasant sea. Idyllic tropical islands and
lush jungled shores contain in its steady currents. Stretching over three
thousand miles, the water is a broad highway between mainland ports, island
towns and hidden anchorages.

Information
-----------
   Continue Travels
   Party Status
   Personal Status
   Ship's Log
   Maps
   Cities
   Take Sun Sight
   Search
   Save Game

You can see information about your situation by selecting Check Information
while in town, or by pressing the joystick trigger, mouse button, or RETURN key
(depending on your computer) while travelling around the Caribbean.

Continue Travels returns you to your previous activity.

Party Status shows what your group owns and the attitude of your men (happy,
pleased, unhappy, or angry). Beware of mutiny if the men remain angry too long.
Expect defections if you run out of food.

Personal Status shows your standing with each nation, and personal details about
your age, health, wealth and reputation. If your health is poor, you will be
forced to retire soon.

Ship's Log recaps your activities and travels, with notes about special
information you found. If you're confused about recent events, consult your log.
  
Maps is a file of all your map fragments to buried treasures and other hidden
locations. Initially you have none. You'll find that all maps have the objective
(buried treasure, hidden plantation, etc.) in the centre. Unfortunately, it's a
secret map, so parts may be missing. Once you follow a map to the spot where you
think the object is to be found, you must spend time searching for the object
(see Search option, below).

Cities provide all available information about the various towns and cities in
the Caribbean. Just point to a name and press the joystick trigger, mouse button
or RETURN key (as appropriate) to see more information. If an important event
(such as a pirate attack or a new governor) radically changes information about
a town you'll find "no information available" until you either visit the town or
purchase new information from a traveller in a tavern.

Take a Sun Sight allows you to spend the day plotting your position with the
astrolabe. An explanation of this technique is found later on in this document.

Search means you'll spend a day searching for treasure or other hidden things at
your present location. If you're in the right spot, and have the appropriate map
fragment, you'll find what's there. Without a map fragment you always find
nothing. This option is not available if you are at sea or in a town.

Save Game allows you to save the game in progress. This option is available only
if you are in a town.

Getting Around Town
-------------------
   Visit the Governor
   Visit a Tavern
   Trade with a Merchant
   Divide Up the Plunder
   Check Information
   Leave Town

Visit the Governor:
A visit to the governor's mansion may be useful. He can tell you with whom his
nation wars and allies. He may make special offers or awards. With luck and
sufficient prestige, you may meet his daughter. However, the governor does not
spend much time entertaining coarse sea dogs like you. Once you have visited
the governor of a town, don't expect to gain admittance again soon.

Visit a Tavern:
Taverns are a place where you can recruit additional men for your crew, hear the
news, purchase detailed information from travellers, and perhaps meet new and
interesting people. You can visit a tavern again and again, drowning your
sorrows in drink while time passes. however, you'll notice that new crewmen
aren't interested in signing up with an old sot.

Trade with a Merchant:
This option is explained in more detail below.

Divide Up the Plunder:
As Captain, you get a fixed percentage of the party's wealth (the percentage
varies with difficulty level). The remainder is divided among the crew.
Furthermore, not only is the plunder divided, but also the ships, stores, goods
and cannon on them. The crew always disperses with their newfound wealth,
leaving you with just your flagship and its share of the provisions and
armament. After refitting your ship (which takes a few months) you'll have to
rebuild your band from scratch.

Check Information:
This shows information about you, your party, and the current situation (see the
preceding subsection for details).

Leave Town:
Your party departs from the town, ready to either set sail or march away
overland, as you prefer.

Trading with Merchants
----------------------
The merchants in a town can buy and sell food, European goods, and the current
export crop (hides, tobacco, or sugar, depending on the era). They can repair or
buy ships and cannon, but almost never have any for sale.

To buy or sell any item, move the pointer up or down to select the line with the
proper item. Then move the pointer left to move items onto your ship (the
appropriate amount of gold is automatically given to the merchant). Move the
pointer right to sell items to the merchant (the appropriate amount of gold is
automatically moved from the merchant to you). When items are bought and sold,
the amount of space left in your hold is also adjusted automatically.

In addition, if you have more than one ship, you can sell the extras. If you
have any damaged ships, you can pay for their repair. If you sell too many
ships, you may start trading with negative space in your hold (more cargo than
room). In this case you must sell at least enough items to bring the space up
to zero.

Travel by Sea
-------------
When travelling your party moves over the land and seas of the Caribbean. See
your "Captain's Broadsheet" for a detailed description of the controls.

Set Sail:
If your ship is on the coastline and your party of men is touching it, you can
set sail. Use the Set Sail control to select one of the eight possible
directions to set sail.

Sailing:
Once you have set sail, controls change. You will remain on course if you do not
change the controls. In addition, you can turn right (starboard) or turn left
(port) as you desire, like a real ship.

Speed:
The speed of a ship depends on how the wind blows against it. Travelling
directly into the wind is always slowest. Travelling with wind coming diagonally
from the rear is generally the fastest. Each type of ship has a different 'point
of sailing' (the wind position at which the ship develops maximum speed). What
with shifting winds and periodic storms, sailing requires more than a little
judgement and skill.

If you have a fleet of many ships, the entire fleet travels at the speed of the
single largest ship.

Pause:
To pause your travels (to deal with the minor details of life outside the
Spanish Main) press the Pause key. To resume, press it again.

Weather:
The clouds travelling overhead indicate the direction of the wind, which varies
significantly. Clouds are storm fronts that provide strong, fast wind if you are
near, but may trap our ship if you sail too close.

Shoals & Reefs:
You can see where the sea breaks across shallow reefs and shoals. If you pass
over these, one of your ships could lose its bottom. Pinnaces and sloops have a
very shallow draft, allowing them to sail across the hazards without risk.

Anchoring:
You can only anchor in shallow, coastal water. Do this by sailing directly up to
the coast. The ship automatically stops and your crew disembarks. If you anchor
at a town, you have special choices (see Arriving at a Town, below).

Getting Information:
Press the Get Information key to temporarily pause your travels and get
information (see "Information", earlier in this document).

Minimum Crew:
It takes at least eight men to sail a ship. If you have fewer than eight men per
ship, your men will abandon one.

Overland Travel
---------------
When your party is on land, you can move in eight directions. See your
"Captain's Broadsheet" for details on controls. Of course, the land is mostly
trackless jungle, swamps and mountains, making overland movement very slow.

When moving on land your party can carry only as much as you can fit into your
ships.

Arriving at a Town
------------------
   Sail into Harbour
   Attack Town
   Sneak into Town
   Leave Town

Sail into Harbour means that your ships sail peacefully up to the quays. This
option is available only if you arrive at the town by sea. If the town is
guarded by a fort, the fort may open fire on your ships if that nation is
hostile. If the nation is wary, the fort generally will not fire unless the
governor personally dislikes you.

March into Town means that your entire party walks into town openly and 
peacefully. This option is available only if you arrive by overland travel.

Attack Town has different effects, depending on whether you arrive by land or by
sea.

If by land, you will attack the town overland. If the town has a fort with a
large enough (and brave enough!) garrison, they may sally out and meet you
outside in a land battle outside of town (see "Pike & Shot", later in this
document). Other times the troops may sit in the fortress or town, forcing you 
to lead your men against them in close-quarters hand to hand combat (see
"Fencing & Swordplay").

If by sea, you flagship will have to fight a naval battle against the fort (see
"Broadsides", later in this document for details). Your goal is to sail your
ship to the shore near the fort, so you men can land and storm the seaward side
of the fortress (see "Fencing & Swordplay"). Naturally, this is rather
dangerous, what with the fort's guns firing at you!

Sneak into Town means that you hide your ships in a nearby cove and creep into
the back streets at night with a few trusted men. If you are afraid of fire from
the forts, this is an excellent way to get inside and do some quiet business.
However, if your reputation is large, you may be recognised and attacked. If
that happens, you must fight your way out of town, or be captured and
imprisoned.

When you sneak into town, the need to keep your identity secret prevents you
from recruiting men in a tavern. In addition, the party's loot is left behind in
the ship, preventing you from dividing the plunder.

Leave Town returns you to travelling about the Caribbean.

Take a Sun Sight & Find your Position
-------------------------------------
'Shooting the sun' with an astrolabe is a technique for finding your latitude. A
latitude scale appears on the side of your map of the Caribbean for easy
reference.

Controlling the Astrolabe:
See the "Captain's Broadsheet" for information on how to control the astrolabe.
It can be moved left or right, and its platform can be moved up or down.

Using the Astrolabe:
Your goal is to move the astrolabe beneath the sun and raise the platform so it
just touches the bottom of the sun. To get an accurate reading, you must do this
at noon (when the sun reaches its highest point). Many Captains take multiple
sun sights during a day, to insure they get a good noon sighting.

Note that cloudy weather makes sun sightings difficult.

Dead Reckoning Longitude:
Longitude (east-west position) can be found only through dead reckoning. If
you're an apprentice captian, your expert sailing master provides a
dead-reckoning estimate. Otherwise, you must make your own guess, based on how
fast you've been travelling east or west.

The Memoirs of Capt'n Sydney
----------------------------
On me first voyage, sailing as a 'prentice, al seemd easy. I'd just order the
course and we'd sail there. If'n I was uncertain about our position, we'd take a
sun sight, d'ye see, and the sailing master'd reckon our longitude nice as you
please. But come time to divide the plunder, and I found my officers were
getting three pieces o' eight to my one. No profit in that, thinks I, and go
'venturing next time with fewer officers.

Well, it took me a bit o' times to learn better those chores that'd come so easy
before. But 'twas all worth it, the time I sailed from Port Royale to Curacao,
sou' by sou'east, and made a dead perfect landfall! But bi'god a long tack to
windward, to the Caribbees say, 'twas always a tiresome bit. After we'd got
Providence Isle back from the Dons... oh, Santa Catalina they call it now...
anyway, that harbour made a nice place to divide the loot and sell off those
slow prizes. I'd just hold onto me handy sloop. A quick refit we'd be off upwind
to Barbados, see, with not one square-rigger to slow us down!

And I got right sneaky about getting what I wanted at ports. As any sailor
knows, any ol' anchorage'd do for repairs; but to move plundered sugar and
goods, my favourite device 'twas sailing to some big, wealth port, then sneak in
to talk trade with the merchants. Spaniards weren't much for this in the rich
towns, but narry an Englishman, Frenchman, or Dutchman lived who'd not do
business wi' honest Capt'n Sydney! Let 'em sense a profit, and they'd be at yer
rail and hand what the gov'ner thought!

And mate, I remember those times I'd visit the gov'ner hi'self. Got the true
lowdown on war and allies and the like, sometimes even a dinner, or a nice rank
if'n he liked me. Aye, and his ugly daughter, all religious like...she'd all be
fawnin' on me, happy to tell every little secret in her blessed little heart.
Well, I'd a more sense than marryin' the dear, let me tell ye!

Ah, well, then I got famous, and had ta' stop al this sneakin' bout. I was too
well known. If the gov'ner took a dislike ta' me face, one step into town and
guards'd be swarming. Price of success, mate, took half the pleasure out of
life.

Geographical Footnotes
----------------------
Weather Patterns:
The Caribbean is a warm ocean. The water surrounding the islands stays a
constant 77 degrees F. This steady sea temperature maintains a pleasant climate
on the surrounding land, although weather and elevation cause notable
variations. The most extended period of bad weather occurs in the summer and
autumn, from June to November, with hurricanes not uncommon in the later part of
this season.

In all seasons, the prevailing winds are trade winds coming from the east. Of
course, local, temporary variations are not uncommon.

Channels & Passages:
The classic sailing pattern in the Caribbean was to enter through the Caribbee
Islands (Lesser Antilles), put into ports along the Spanish Main (the coastline
of Terra Firma), swing northward into the Yucatan Channel northward to catch the
North Atlantic prevailing westerlies back to Europe. Along this route the
Florida Channel was the point of maximum danger. Unwary captains could be driven
upon the Florida coast, or tack too far upwind and become lost in the
treacherous Bahama shoals.

                      BROADSIDES: THE TACTICS OF SEA BATTLE
                      -------------------------------------

Encounters at Sea
-----------------
Sail Ho! Your first sighting of an enemy ship is its sails and masts coming over
the horizon. Continuing your voyage is a nearly foolproof way to evade any
encounter. Investigating the sail means you automatically close on the other
ship.

Ship in View:
If you investigated the sail, you'll now see the whole ship. If you sail away
now, you may evade contact, but maybe not. Instead you can continue
investigating, which closes the range further, allowing you to determine the
ship's nationality.

See her Colours:
After the other ship hoists its colours, you can try to sail away peacefully,
come alongside and talk over the latest news, or attack her. If the ship is a
pirate or pirate-hunter, it may recognize you and attack, regardless of your
choice.

Select Your Flagship:
If a battle occurs and you have more than one ship, you can select which will be
your flagship. The ship you select fights the battle. Consider your choice
carefully, since the type of ship you're sailing can be important in battle.

The number of men and guns available for battle is a theoretical figure. If your
flagship is small, you'll find the number of men and guns limited by the
capacity of the ship. See "A Gazetteer of Ships" in Book II for information
about each type of ship. Furthermore, it takes four of your crewmen to man each
gun. If your crew is too small, you may have fewer than the maximum number of
cannon  available.

The ship you select remains your flagship until the next battle.

Battle at Sea
-------------
When an encounter leads to battle, the scene changes to a ship-against-ship
duel. The colour of a ship's hull matches the colour of its name below. See the
"Captain's Broadsheet" for specific control information.

Sailing:
Manoeuvring in battle is similar to travel by sea. You can turn right, turn
left, or remain on course.

Change Sails:
You can either Set Full Sails for maximum speed in battle, or Reduce to Battle
Sails for lower speeds with much less risk of rigging damage. You begin battle
with battle sails set.

Fire Broadside:
Push the Fire Broadside key to shoot. Your gun captains automatically fire the
side of the ship nearest the enemy. Remember, your guns are mounted along the
left and right sides of the ship. Therefore, to aim your guns, you must turn the
ship so its side faces the enemy.

After a broadside is fired the gun crews reload as fast as possible. Reloading
speed depends on morale of your crew. A happy crew loads faster than an unhappy
one. Enemy reloading speed depends on the quality of their crew (warships,
pirate-hunters, and pirates have better quality crews than peaceful merchantmen
and cargo fluyts). Reloading is temporarily halted if you change your sails -
the gun crews are needed to aloft to handle the sails.

The effect of gunfire varies with the number of guns firing, and the size of
ship hit. For example, an broadside from a 20-gun ship into a galleon may have
little effect while the same into a pinnace might leave her a flaming wreck.

Pause:
Press the Pause key to halt the action, and again to resume it.

Escape From Battle:
To escape from a naval battle, sail away from the enemy. Once the distance
between ships is large enough, the battle ends automatically. In addition, in a
long action, nightfall may end the fight.

If you escape from battle and the enemy ship is undamaged, you may lose a ship
to enemy pursuit. This is only a danger if you have two or more ships.

Grapple & Board:
If you sail your ship alongside or into the enemy, the ships automatically
grapple for a boarding battle. You must lead your men into the fight. See
"Fencing & Swordplay" for more information.

Prizes and Plunder
------------------
Prizes:
When you win a battle at sea, you can either take the enemy ship for your own
(send a prize crew), or you can just take its cargo, while burning and sinking
the ship itself. After the battle you'll get a report about the enemy ship's
armament and capacity, as well as the empty space remaining in the holds of your
fleet.

In general, taking a ship prize is useful, since you can sell the ship as well
as its cargo at a friendly port. This disadvantages are that a slow-sailing
prize will slow down your entire fleet (Spanish galleons and badly damaged ships
are especially slow sailers). Furthermore each prize requires eight men to
handle it. This means eight fewer men available for battle on your flagship.

For example, if you capture a 100-ton merchantman and you only have 80 tons of
space available in your fleet now, and the merchantman is full of cargo, you
won't have enough space for everything. On the other hand, it's unlikely the
merchantman will be completely full, and she may slow down your fleet
considerably. If speed is important to you, perhaps you should sink her.

Plunder:
Regardless of whether you take the ship prize or sink her, you must decide what
you wish to plunder and call your own, and what you wish to leave behind (throw
overboard). You'll automatically take all the gold from the ship. Compared to
its value, gold weighs virtually nothing, and therefore doesn't affect your
cargo capacity.

Transferring goods to your ship, or throwing things overboard, works just like
trading with merchants. To transfer items to your ship, move the pointer up or
down until it is on the correct line, then flick it to the left to move things
to your ship, or to the right to leave things behind.

Amphibious Assaults on Towns
----------------------------
If you sail into a town and select Attack Town, you begin an amphibious assault
on that town. In an assault, your flagship must sail up to the fort guarding the
town, touching land as close to the fort as possible. If you land too far away,
the men will refuse to march and the assault ends in failure. If you land close
enough, the men jump ashore and storm into the fort, leading to a fight on the
battlements (see "Fencing & Swordplay"). The number of men participating in the
assault is limited to the number that can fit on your flagship. 

As in normal sea battles, you can retreat (end the battle) by sailing away.

The Memoirs of Capt'n Sydney
----------------------------
Captains todays are all lily-livered cowards! In my time, 'twas was the mark
of a Captain that he could take a galleon with a pinnace. Aye, I did it meself
off Yucatan. 'Twas a laggardly galleon from the Treasure Fleet, beating upwind
to Havana. We took the weather guage, danced around her broadsides, gave her a
few cannonades into the stern, and boarded 'em. Our firen' had the Dons half
demoralized already - I bloody'd 'em some, and the battle was done.

'Tis my opinion that yer main choice is the flagship. 'Gainst a fore-'n'-aft
rig ye need similar, sloop preferred. Otherwise they'll just escape upwind.
Taking down fluyts and merchantmen 'tis oft a job for a fore-'n'-aft rig, but
it's right dangerous using such 'gainst a frigate or galleon. A couple
broadsides and yer swimmin' with wood chips. Besides, in strong winds a square
rigger on broad reach outruns a fore-'n'-aft. Suchlike times, I oft take a
square-rigger meself, so the swabs don' take a powder and disappear over the
horizon.

When I'm engagin', I always rig full sails and get a broadside into 'em quick t'
slows 'em down. With all me sail set, I dance 'bout 'em smartly. 'Course, this
is right dangerous work, wince I canna' afford to take any fire, elsewise I'll
lose plenty of sail and perhaps a mast. I've seen other Capt's just run
broadside to broadside under battle sail, poundin' away. Then I'se knows fellows
who hardly fire a cannon. They sail up and board directly, trustin' t' cold
steel. So 'tis really a matter of temperment, d'ya see?

Me most terrifyin' battle was the time we sailed into Caracas, lookin' to storm
fort from seaside. Those two forts mounted 24 cannon. I'd a merchantman for the
flag, givin' an even match in firepower. But we was approachin' with the wind on
the quarter or towards the bow some. I had me choice of sailing bow in and
taking it wi' no chance a' reply, or turning a broadside but falling off
downwind. We tried a couple broadsides 'n' knocked out a few guns, but lost a
mast. Soon we was a' fallin' off seriously, the hull leakin', and no way back
upwind. Befor' we was sunk I put back out to sea, poorer but wiser. 'Twas for
the better anyway - the bloomin' fort 'ad me outnumbered!

Historical Footnotes
--------------------
LeGrand's Galleon:
In 1635, Pierre LeGrand and 28 men were lost somewhere off the west coast of
Hispaniola, rudder broken and their pinnace leaking. At dusk they sighted a
towering Spanish galleon. They crept up to her in the twilight, keeping under
her stern and away from the formidable broadside power of the huge ship. Finally
close enough, Le Grand and his men bored holes in their unseaworthy craft and
climbed up the Spaniard's stern in a do-or-die assault. They captured the
surprised Spanish Captain in his cabin, playing cards. He was sure that a paltry
pinnace was no threat to him!

Best Speed:
Different ships make their best speed in different directions. Fore-and-aft
rigged ships (pinnace, sloop, barque) do best on a broad beam reach, or a beam
reach. Square-rigged ships (all others) do best on a broad reach or running
broad reach. In light winds smaller ships are often faster, while in strong
winds bigger, heavier ships sail faster if the wind is in an advantageous
position. See the "Gazetteer of Ships" in Book II for more information.

The Weather Gauge:
A ship upwind (closer to the wind source) than another has the "weather gauge".
With this advantage a ship can run downwind and rapidly attack its opponent,
while the enemy must laboriously tack upwind to reach it. The weather gauge was
especially valuable protecting for smaller ships. Their fore-and-aft sails
allowed them to sail into the wind faster. These ships often had oars to permit
movement directly into the wind. A small ship with the weather gauge can tack
back and forth across the bow or stern of a much larger ship, firing broadside
after broadside with impunity.

                     PIKE & SHOT: THE TACTICS OF LAND BATTLE
                     ---------------------------------------

The English, French and Dutch pirates were no fools. They knew that the wealth
carried by Spanish ships originally came from Spanish towns. But gaining these
riches meant they had to overpower small armies of Spanish regular and militia
troops, then storm powerful fortresses.

Battle on Land
--------------
When your party marches overland into a town and selects Attack the Town, the
town's defenders may form a small army, march out, and meet you in open battle.
If the defenders are especially cowardly or weak, no land battle occurs - your
men storm into the fort or the town's streets.

IMPORTANT:
Controlling your forces on land is different from all other activities. Pike &
Shot warefare is quite unlike other fighting. Please read the following
instructions carefully and see the "Captain's Broadsheet" for details.

Giving Orders:
In a land battle your party is divided into two or three groups. You can give
orders to each group separately, or give the same order simultaneously to
everyone.

The Select a Group key shifts your control from one group to another. The
currently selected group changes colour on the map, and their strength and morale
appear below. Press again to select another group.

Move All Groups controls move all groups (not just the selected group) in one of
eight directions. This is the only way to move your force as a whole.

Pause:
Press the Pause key to pause the battle. Press it again to resume the action.

Combat:
Your men fight automatically when in range. You do not have a 'fire' or 'attack'
control. After all, a band of pirates is hardly a disciplined land army! Your
men can fight in two ways. They fire muskets a short distance, or they melee
with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. In melee combat, everyone participates,
not just those armed with muskets.

Musket fire occurs when your men are stationary. Each group selects the nearest
enemy within range and fires. If no enemy is within range, that group doesn't
fire. Remember, your men cannot fire while moving!

Melee combat occurs whenever your men move directly into an enemy group, or vice
versa. You can continue moving while the melee rages. Although your party and
most defenders are on foot, some larger Spanish towns field cavalry forces that
move fast and are excellent melee fighters on open ground. Cavalry, however,
lacks long-range muskets and is hindered greatly in woods.

Visibility:
Men in woods and within a town are invisible to the opposition. You'll notice
that enemy troups disappear in such situations. When you are in woods or a town,
the enemy loses sight of you. Use this to your advantage by hiding a group along
the edge of a woods or town, then luring the enemy in range by exposing another
group.

Terrain Effects:
Woods, town buildings, and marshlands slow down all troops. In addition, woods
and buildings provide cover from enemy fire. This means the troops take fewer
casualties and cannot be hit at long range. Enemy forces have small coastal
boats available, allowing them to sail quickly over water. Your men, however,
must wade through the shallows.

Morale:
Each group has a separate morale level. Morale ranges from Strong (the best) to
Firm, Angry, Shaken and finally Panic (the worst). When a group panics they run
away from the enemy, regardless of orders.

Significant casualties will demoralize a group, while a respite from combat
restores morale. Troops out of battle recover their morale faster than troops
under enemy fire or attack.

The Final Assault:
Your goal is to move your men onto the enemy fort. When you do this the open
field fighting ends and a swordfight on the ramparts decides whether the enemy
surrenders the city, or your attack fails (see "Fencing & Swordplay").

Retreat:
You can retreat from the battlefield by moving off the edge of the map with all
your groups. This ends the attack.

The Memoirs of Capt'n Sydney
----------------------------
Me best battle was gettin' revenge on Caracas for the beatin' their fort gave me
flagship. We went ashore a bit east and marched along the coast. Some Spaniard,
gov'ner or some such, rallied their troops and marched to stop us. Well, we
split into two groups. The quartermaster and all our best musket-men took cover
in the edge of a woods, overlookin' a marsh. Then me with a smaller bunch danced
around in a field just beyond the marsh, howlin' and carryin' on.

Thinkin' us weak and stupid, the Spaniards charged toward us. Their cavalry hit
the marsh first and blam! They was droppin' like acorns in a storm. In a minute
we'd 'em decimated and panicking back to town. Then we danced and yelled some
more and their infantry came up. The Dons stopped in the marsh and returned
fire, brave like, but we had the cover, and when me mates came up, we had more
muskets too. They tried to close to hand-to-hand, but it 'twas slow goin' in the
marsh, and they was droppin' fast.

Well, we keep tradin' lead with those Spaniards 'till they tired of it and
started home. With a yell we poured out of the trees in hot pursuit. 'Twas a
long chase, but we overran 'em in the town just below their fort, cuttin 'em up
somethin' fierce. Stormin' the fort was child's play then, as they'd hardly a
man left for the garrison!

I don' pretend to be a great general. Me and my mates don' know a refused flank
from a countermarch. But those Don's fall for ambush like bears to honey. Worked
like a charm every time. 'Cept the time one of our parties lured them out into
the wilderness while the other sneaked to town and stormed the fort whilst they
were away! But that, matey, I did right rarely. I always preferred to bury them
papists outside the walls, rather than face them hand to hand within their fort.
After all, fort stormin' 'twas a right chancy business; belike 'cause the men
insisted that I take my place at the head of the stormin' party!

Historical Footnotes
--------------------
Pike & Shot Warfare:
Land warfare in the 16th and 17th century saw the supremacy of infantry restored
after the long reign of the mounted knight. In Europe the Spanish Tericio was
the great military system of the 16th century, as formidable in its day as the
Roman legions. The Tercio was a solid block of pikemen, sixteen or more ranks
deep. It developed an awesome power charging forward, as well as nearly
invincible bristling defense against cavalry. Men with firearms (arquebuses and
the heavier muskets) formed loose groups at the corners, giving supported fire
and softening the enemy for the pikemen's punch. Bayonets did not exist and a
firearm took over two minutes to reload. Therefore, when close action
threatened, the musketeers retired behind the pikemen. Spanish Tercios were
built of well-drilled, professional soldiers, ready to instantly perform the
complex drill evolutions that maneuvered the cumbersome blocks of pike and their
supporting musketeers. This military system was widely copied in Europe
throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. As firearms improved, the proportion of
musketeers gradually increased.

In the West Indies, the slightly faster-firing flintlock musket was popular
among privateers and buccaneers decades before regular troops were issued the
weapon. The buccaneers had uncommon accuracy and skill with their weapons
because they relied on them for hunting ashore. Buccaneer firepower was among
the most accurate on earth at the time. Furthermore a risk-all, gain-all
attitude made buccaneers ferocious opponents in melee. No wonder many Spaniards
ran from the crack-shooting, cutlass-wielding berserkers of Tortuga and Port
Royale.

The great weakness of the buccaneers was cavalry. Their firepower was
insufficient to stop an organised, disciplined cavalry attack. However, Spanish
cavalry in America was an undisciplined militia force of local notables more
interested in preserving their wealth than killing pirates. Even in the defence
of Panama, where the Spanish had 100 to 200 horsemen, the mounted arm was timid
and indecisive, with many desertions before and during the battle.

Drake's Assault on Cartagena, 1586:
One late winter afternoon, Francis Drake in his 30-gun galleon flagship
Elizabeth Bonaventure led a fleet of ships to Cartagena, fresh from the
plundering of Santo Domingo. His ships anchored in the roadstead, outside of the
range of the forts. That night, while the Spanish prepared for a naval attack
into the harbour, Drake disembarked over 1,000 men onto the harbour large outer
peninsula and marched over the sandpit connecting this to the city proper. There
his men cut through a fence of poisoned barbs, waded out to sea to avoid the
gunfire from Spanish ships anchored in the harbour, and finally charged the 750
defending Spaniards. The hand-to-hand melee swirled back into the city, where
the Spanish finally broke and surrendered (or ran). Victorious, Drake's men
plundered it all. Eventually the Spanish governor raised 110,000 ducats (a vast
fortune) as ransom for Drake's departure. Drake agreed, as he and his supporters
preferred money to ownership of a plundered city.

The Defence of Panama, 1671:
When Don Juan Perez de Guzman, President of Panama, organized the city's defence
against Henry Morgan's buccaneers, his 'army' consisted of two companies of
Spanish regular infantry (each about 100 men), plus militia companies of
Spaniards, mullattoes, free blacks, mestizos, and zamboos (various Spanish-
African-Indian racial mixtures) which may have totalled 800 or more. The pure-
blooded Spanish militia was largely mounted, carrying pistols and swords,
theoretically capable of a battle-winning charge over the open ground north of
the city. The remainder served as infantry, many with no weapon better than a
crude pike (12" or longer pointed pole). None of these had sufficient military
drill to move in the dense, formidable blocks of pikemen that won battles in
Europe. Indeed, few had sufficient discipline to withstand more than one or two
volleys of musket fire. Curiously, in battle the native Spaniards were the first
to flee (many of them departed before the battle started) while the free Blacks
were among the most stalwart defenders of the city.

                                     BOOK II
                            Life in the West Indies
                            -----------------------

                          YOUR CAREER ON THE HIGH SEAS
                          ----------------------------

A Merry Crew 'On Account'
-------------------------
Buccaneers and pirates are unique: they were a democratic group, governed by
voting, in an age of absolute kings and imperious aristocrats. Among pirates,
spoils are divided fairly and equally. The Captain gets extra shares, but only
because he takes larger risks. His crew is said to sail 'on account' when they
are paid by shares of the loot, instead of by wages.

At the Start:
Each voyage means a new start for the Captain and crew. you will have one ship,
recently cleaned and outfitted, some initial funds from your financial backers
(about 10% of the last voyage's profit), and a core of loyal crewmen.

Recruiting crewmen is done in taverns, and sometimes from captured ships. If you
sneak into town you cannot recruit in taverns (recruiting is a very public
activity). Recruiting from captured ships is easiest if the capture is a pirate,
or a ship with a very large crew.

'On Account':
Your crew is not paid wages. Instead, at the end of the voyage, the party's
profits are split. Each man will get his fair share. Until the division of
plunder, the Quartermaster is keeping an 'account' for each man from which are
deducted expenses for his clothing, penalties for crimes and misdemeanours,
gambling losses, etc. The term 'sailing on account' refers to this complex
process of bookkeeping. This approach is also sometimes known as 'no purchase,
no pay'!

As Captain, be careful to distinguish between the entire party's wealth
(displayed in Party Status) and your personal wealth (displayed in Personal
Status). Certainly your crew knows the difference! During the course of a
voyage, the party's wealth is the combined profit of the voyage. It is the
property of all and strongly affects crew morale (see below). At the end of the
voyage, when you divide up the loot, each man gets his fair share. Only then do
you get your share, which appears in your Personal Status money.

Morale:
The attitude of the crew varies from Happy (the best) to Pleased, Unhappy, and
Angry (the worst). The more money the party has, the happier they are. The crew
attaches little importance to captured ships, goods, and other items. Their eyes
are on gold! In addition, the crew is impatient. As the months pass, they want
to disband and spend their loot, or (if you don't have much loot) they start
thinking about joining some other Captain. The only way to keep them happy is to
keep collecting more and more gold. It's difficult to keep the crew pleased for
more than a year, and almost impossible to keep them pleased for two years or
longer.

When the crew is unhappy or angry, they will start deserting whenever you visit
port. If they are angry too long, they mutiny. This means you must fight to
remain Captain.

Note that it is easier to keep a small crew happy than a large crew. This is
because with a small crew, each man's share is larger, making him a happier
fellow! Also note that converting plundered cargo to gold helps keep morale
high, especially if you sell at a town with high prices.

Dividing the Plunder:
When the cruise ends and you divide up the plunder, don't be surprised when the
men disperse to enjoy their wealth. Also remember that everything is split
fairly, including the ships, cannons and, cargo. As Captain, you retain only
your flagship. Therefore, it's advisable to sell everything except your flagship
before dividing the plunder.

A fixed percentage of the party's gains go to the officers. Each officer's share
is worth a bit over 2%. Therefore an apprentice Captain with two shares gains
5%, a journeyman with four gains 10%, an adventurer with six gains 15%, and a
swashbuckler with eight gains 20%. Note that the size of the crew has no effect
on the Captain's share. This is to discourage Captains from leading their crews
into massacres! In addition, a flat 10% is returned to the patrons and sponsors
of the voyage as their profit. Generally, the Captain's financiers will make
this money available again as capital for the next voyage.

Shares to the crew are an equal distribution of everything remaining. The size
of each crewman's share affects the Captain's reputation. If the shares are
large, the Captain's prestige is enhanced. If the shares are small, the
Captain's reputation suffers, making it harder for him to recruit new crewmen.

Gains and Goals
---------------
An Age of New Beginnings:
This is an era of privilege. A man of high rank or title lives under different
laws than the commoners. More importantly, this is an age of social mobility.
Old families with the wrong religious beliefs, incorrect political views or
insufficient wealth disappear from the national scene. Even the royal houses
change frequently. England's royal family was the House of Tudor to 1603, the
House of Stuart to 1649, the Cromwellian Commonwealth to 1660, the House of
Stuart again to 1688, and then the House of Orange!

Onto this stage of turmoil and change, a single man of energy and boldness can
grasp power and prestige for generations to come. A common seafarer from an
undistinguished family, such as Francis Drake, could gain titles of nobility,
rank, honours, and immense prestige.

What to seek? Planning for a happy retirement means seeking as much of
everything as possible. Personal wealth is always valuable. Land is also useful
- among the nobility, for example, land is considered the measure of a man. As a
rule, the more you accomplish at a rink, the more land you receive when you are
promoted to the next higher rank. In addition your reputation, your family
(including a wife, if any), and your health all contribute to your future
happiness.

When to retire? Roving the seas is an enjoyable and exciting life, but a wise
man keeps an eye toward retirement. Eventually wounds from battle and the taxing
demands of sea voyages affect your health. If your health is poor, helpful
friends will advise retirement. Heed their advice - if you ignore them life
becomes more and more difficult, until one day you are unable to recruit a new
crew for another voyage. In general, your career is limited to five to ten years
of active endeavour. However, waiting until you're at death's door is not a good
way to start a happy retirement!

The Memoirs of Capt'n Sydney
----------------------------
Me voyages were always a fine balance between the men's temper and their
strength. It took time t' build up a fleet of three or four ships and a sturdy
band of a few hundreds. By the time all'd be assembled, they'd be right and
hungry for plunder. I had'a please 'em quick with some fine, large stoke. Like
plunderin' a city or three. If'n I didn't, they'd get so surly as t' be
unreliable in battle and desertin' at every port. Eventually, ye must either
accomplish some grand design, as I did at Campeche, or just put in, divide the
swag, and hope the next cruise be better.

Me biggest disappointment always was settling accounts after a cruise. I'll
grant it 'twas all done democratic and fair-like, but 'tis none the less
frustratin' to be already thinkin' pon the next expedition, and here me fine 
fleet scatters!

Reputation was my most treasured possession. A few successful cruises gave me
much in others' estimations. Havin' the good word about helped raise new crews,
even if the last voyage 'twas a bit thin on the pickin's. Of course, maintainin'
a big reputation required ever bigger exploits. In the fact, that a' why I
retired. I just couldn't top me own adventures! Still, a large reputation was a
godsend in later life, let'in' me escape mortification more than once.

Historical Footnotes
--------------------
A Captain's Qualifications:
Among buccaneers the Captain was elected by the crew, not appointed by
government or owners (as is common on military or commercial vessels). He was
the man the crew agreed was best for the job. If the crew decided the Captain
was inept, they would replace him with another of their number. Often the new
candidate duelled the old for the Captaincy.

In the crew's mind, the Captain's most important skill was leading them in
battle. For this they wanted bravery and ferocity more than they wanted tactical
genius. However, the best Captains, such as Henry Morgan, had both.

Outside of battle, when dealing with governors and other officials, the Captain
acted as 'front man' to represent the group. Although pirates professed disdain
for the privilege and status of the aristocracy, often their Captains were
former military men, merchants or aristocrats with a 'lordly manner'.

Finally a Captain needed a good reputation, with numerous past successes to his
credit. It was his name that brought new recruits aboard. This experience was
doubly valuable since most of the really good plans for profitable expeditions
were conceived by veteran Captain.

Henry Morgan was a Welsh adventurer. Although his origins are uncertain, he
probably came to the Antilles in 1655 as part of the invasion force that
captured Jamaica. He advanced both as a militia officer (on land) and a
privateering leader (at sea). In 1667 he was commissioned as Admiral of
Privateers by the English governor at Port Royale. In the next few years he
plundered numerous ships and cities, including Puerto Bello. Then, in 1671, he
took Panama, the richest city in the New World.

Patrons who benefited financially from his Panama expedition included Sir Thomas
Modyford (Governor of Jamaica), George Monck (the Duke of Albemarle, Modyford's
aging but influential patron at Court), and James Stewart (Lord High Admiral,
the Duke of York, and incidentally, the brother of Charles II, King of England
since his restoration in 1660). Despite the Treaty of Madrid (in 1670) where
England pledged to stop attacks on Spain, none of these notables refused their
share of the expedition's reward! Morgan was officially 'arrested' (probably to
mollify the Spanish ambassador) but not confined. He travelled in aristocratic
circles, was toasted everywhere, and consulted on West Indian policy by the
King's advisors. In 1674 King Charles II knighted him Sir Henry Morgan. He was
appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, where he lived a pleasant life amid
his large plantations.

                                 COLONIAL LIFE
                                 -------------

The Governor
------------
Towns with a population greater than six hundred citizens have a governor. His
residence is the seat of government, and the center of news and intrigue for the
colony. A governor's attitude toward you begins with the 'official' attitude of
his nation toward your activities. However, any particular favours you have done
for him are remembered, as well as any especially nasty things you have done to
his city (such as plundering it!)

You can curry favour with a governor by capturing pirates in waters near his
port and then returning that pirate to him. Conversely, a governor is dismayed
if you capture his nation's ships near his town, and is especially unhappy if
you've plundered his town.

When a governor is hostile to you, he will order any harbour forts to fire upon
your vessels as they sail in. In general, if the governor's nation is hostile
toward you the forts usually fire. If the nation is wary, the governor's
personal attitude and the size of your force are deciding factors. The nation
may not be wary, but the governor may still remember past transgressions toward
his area.

Therefore, consider your actions carefully, especially in the vicinity of rich
non-Spanish ports.

Ranks & Titles:
The governor of a town is responsible for protecting and guarding it from
attack. But all too often, he has no money, no naval forces, and pitifully few
land troops. So, he commissions loyal subjects to aid him, giving them military
ranks and authority. Naturally, a governor favours men who have proved their
bravery and worth by fighting then enemy, while ignoring those who have done
nothing for his cause.

The military ranks a governor bestows are, from lowest to highest:

   Ensign of Privateers, a junior officer or aide
   Captain of Privateers, commanding a ship
   Major of a Colonial Militia, commanding a company
   Colonel of a Colonial Militia, commanding a regiment
   Admiral of Privateers, commanding a fleet

After military ranks, a governor might use his influence at Court to promote
patents of nobility for valued associates. Naturally, you must perform large and
significant services to gain such bounty. From lowest to highest, these titles
are:

   Baron, a minor title, but a knighthood none the less
   Count, a title of some prestige and power
   Marquis, a title of significant prestige and power
   Duke, a title of great prestige and power

European Politics
-----------------
Whenever you attack a nation's ships or towns, that nation becomes ill-disposed
toward you. A few attacks may make it wary, while many attacks make it hostile.
Naturally, don't expect advancement from a governor of a wary or hostile nation.

However, if your target is at war, the target's wartime opponent will applaud
your actions and those governors may reward you. For example, if England and
Spain are at war, attacks on the Spanish will make the Spanish wary or hostile,
but make the English very happy.

If nations are allied, attacks on a nation are remembered and disliked by its
ally. For example, England is allied with Holland but at war with Spain. If you
attack English towns or ships the Spanish governor will be delighted and the
English angry. In addition, England's ally Holland will also be angry. This is
because the Dutch are concerned about attacks on their ally. However, if you
attack Spanish towns and ships, the English governor will be delighted, but the
Dutch won't care: The Dutch are still at peace with Spain, and thus unwilling to
reward military activities against her.

Although declarations of war, peace and alliance are public knowledge, ends of
alliances are not. Of course, when former allies declare war, it's a safe
assumption that the alliance is over! Otherwise, to learn the 'inside news'
about a nation's politics, visit one of its governors. Even if you sneak into
town, the governor's mansion remains the best source of news.

Pirate Amnesty
--------------
When a nation offers a pirate amnesty, it is willing to forget its former
hostility toward pirates. Each governor of that nation is empowered to offer
former pirates a pardon for their activities, although sometimes the pardon can
be expensive. When seeking an amnesty, be careful about sailing into harbour.
Although the nation may offer an amnesty, a local governor may still distrust
you enough to open fire. This is especially likely if your force is large, or
you have made attacks in the vicinity. If you sneak into town you usually have a 
better chance of getting to the governor and convincing him to provide the
amnesty his nation promises.

The Tavern
----------
The first time you visit a tavern openly your reputation will precede you. Men
often approach you, hoping to join your crew. Subsequent visits while in port
will not yield additional recruits. Men are attracted to heroes, not drunks!

You can purchase information from travellers who have recently visited another
town. They will know the state of the town's population, economy, and defences.
If you are looking for somebody believed to be at that town, they usually
remember if he's been seen there recently.

Finally, the tavern is a centre for public news of all sorts, and a home for old
pirates and other rumourmongers.

Local Merchants
---------------
The lifeblood of any colonial town is trade. The strength of the local merchant
community is proportional to the town's economic strength and population. A
strong merchant community has many goods for sale, and plenty of money to buy
yours. It also has higher prices. Small, poor towns have the lowest prices, but
their merchants are poor also, with tiny warehouses.

Economic experts find the 16th and 17th century Caribbean a most peculiar place,
especially on the Spanish Main. Complex and restrictive trade laws, combined
with peculiar and unnatural population patterns, produce unexpected situations.
Most importantly, individual towns often have special markets and needs, causing
especially high or low prices for certain items. All these effects are
transitory, but while some patterns only last days or weeks, others can last for
years.

Merchants are usually happy to trade with privateers, pirates and smugglers.
After all, a profit is a profit! Merchants in Spanish towns are an exception.

Spanish Trade Restrictions
--------------------------
Towns and cities on the Spanish Main have four levels of economic vitality. This
affects the affairs of their merchants. In Spanish towns it is illegal to trade
with anyone other than Spanish merchants who sailed from Seville and are
properly accredited by the Spanish government. However, local governors and 
merchants often ignore this tiresome legality, especially if the economy is
suffering. As a result, traders in towns may ignore what the national government
says and instead develop their own opinions, based on your deeds in that area.

Struggling towns are in economic difficulties. They will trade with almost
anyone, regardless of laws, excepting only pirates whose reputation in that area
is extremely evil. Of course, prices and quantities of goods are usually quite
low.

Surviving towns have either small or depressed economies. The Spanish usually
trade with foreigners whose local reputation is fairly decent. Prices and
quantities of goods are modest.

Prosperous towns have large, strong economies. Prosperous Spanish towns only
trade with Captains of high repute. Prices are fairly high and goods are
available in reasonable quantities.

Wealthy towns are at the peak of the economic spectrum. These Spanish towns
almost always follow the letter of the law. Prices are high and goods are
plentiful.

The Rise & Fall of Colonies
---------------------------
All other things being equal, colonies slowly prosper and grow, gaining economic
strength, which attracts population, who in turn hoard wealth, which obliges the
government to install troops and forts to protect this wealth. Traders and
smugglers help this economic growth with their buying, selling and carriage of
goods. But pirates, buccaneers and privateers taking ships from waters near the
colony will hurt its economic growth.

Indian attacks will deplete the soldiers guarding the town, but leave the
population and economy unaffected.

Pirate raids on a town take whatever gold the pirates can find. The raid also
damages the economy.

Malaria and other diseases reduce both the troop garrison and the number of
citizens. This tends to slow down or even stop economic growth.

Gold mines cause a one-time upswing in the economy and add large quantities of
disposable gold. The gold mine is usually just a short-lived alluvial wash in a
nearby stream or river, but it invariably generates a 'gold rush' mentality
boom town.

The Memoirs of Capt'n Sydney
----------------------------
God's truth, I started honestly enough, carryin' good European manufacture to
the Indies. But the big, rich towns with nice prices were all Spanish, and those
thieven' Dons just wouldn't let me into market. I found a few smaller towns
that'd do business, privately, but me profits suffered. But at the next city
some papist blueblood, blind 'im, recognized me for English and I rotted for six
months in a foul dungeon, tortured by their damnable Inquisition, 'til me crew
rescued me. Betwixt times, the filthy Dons had taken my ship and cargo, every
last ounce of it. So I had to make my own justice. We took a handy pinnace a'
lyin' in the harbour, mounted a few guns, and taught those Spaniards a lesson!

I've a Dutch friend who maintain the best route to fortune is friendly trade. He
buys low, transports it, and sells high. He keeps his crew low and pays 'em off
regularly, bankin' his profits. 'E even claims the towns benefit from his trade
'n' such. Well, I tell ye, I'd not sail the Main with twenty men and four
cannon, no siree! But then, I trust to steel 'n' gunpowder, not to accounts
ledgers.

Anyway, I've never forgotten that Spanish dungeon, and made 'em pay dearly for
it. I'd keep abreast of the news, matey. A couple Indian attacks or plagues and
they'd be ripe for the pluckin'. Attackin' 'em after a pirate raid wasn't so
smart. They'd be cleaned out, but the garrison'd be reinforced and smartin' for
action.

The King, God bless 'em, is right obligen' in havin' convenient wars. Me Letters
of Marque are all proper and legal, but I've a 'known fellows who'd get some
clerk for forge up any ol' thing. One dunderhead had a Letter a' Marque alright
- a Letter t' kill sheep! Didn't stop him none from goin' after the Spanish
a' course.

Most of me victories left me wi' more plunder in food, tobacco, sugar and goods
than it did shin' gold. I 'member one cruise where I chanced upon Trinidad,
lookin' to sell a bit a' loot. Had a right nice fleet, then. We landed up the
coast and marched into town. Some insolent Spaniard said something that got me
back up. Well, quick as a wink we had the garrison locked in its own dungeon and
the citizens cowering behind their doors. We were enjoying ourselves in the
mansion of the gov'nor, who'd disappeared right sudden. Then a delegation of the
leading citizens visited us. They begged us to rein in our men. I confess some
were gettin' a' tad enthused in their plunderin'.

We thought on it. One of the leading merchants was part English, so we said that
if they flew the Cross of Saint George, pledged themselves to the English Crown,
and appointed that part-English merchant their governor, we'd settle down and
respect their property, legal as you please.

Shortly after that I took a wound in a battle off Margarita, curse it, and was
laid up for a while. I never did find out how long Trinidad remained 'English'.
Pe'haps not so long. But I ne'er heard of me friends having trouble there again.
I'd like to emphasise, though, that we had a powerful lot of men, and the
populace 'twas right small. With us fewer, or them more, it'd a' never happened.

Historical Footnotes
--------------------
No Peace Beyond the Line:
In 1493 and 1494 the only two European powers exploring the world (Spain and
Portugal) agreed to a 'fair' division of responsibility along a north-south line
270 leagues west of the cape Verde Islands. In the Treaty of Tordesillas,
Portugal gained authority over the eastern Atlantic, the African coast, and what
became the African route to India. Spain gained authority of the western
Atlantic and the entire New World except the tip of the Brazilian coast.
Supported by a Papall Bull, Spain claimed this gave her sole possession and
control over the Americas. Unfortunately for Spain, the English, Dutch and
French governments never recognised the legality of this line.

The result was that English, French and Dutch traders and colonists constantly
'invaded' Spanish regions where their presence was illegal by Spanish law.
However, Spain never installed sufficient military strength in the region to
consistently enforce her laws. So, even when European nations were at peace, the
constant smuggling and colonisation could cause small battles at any time.
Worse, each time European nations went to war, an orgy of privateering and
piracy exploded across the West Indies.

Privateers:
In the 16th and 17th centuries, royal governments were desperately short on
funds (useful taxation techniques, such as universal income tax, had not been
invented). Building warships, much less maintaining and crewing them, was so
expensive that even powerful battleships doubled as cargo carriers in peacetime.
What few did exist were needed in home waters. Colonial governors got little or
no military forces. Most colonies relied on a local militia for their defence.
Not until the 1680s did a nation base a regular squadron of warships in the
Caribbean for use year-round.

Because nations had little or no fleet, in wartime the crown 'commissioned'
private ships to become its navy. These 'freelance' warriors were not paid
wages. Instead, they kept a large percentage of whatever they captured. The
official authorisation for this was the 'Letter of Marque'. Ships operating with
a Letter of Marque were 'privateers'. The English fleet that defeated the
Spanish invasion Armada (in 1588) was almost completely composed of privateers.

In an age of poverty and limited wealth, privateering was one of the few ways to
make a quick fortune. Those men who sailed with Francis Drake on his 1572-73
privateering voyage to Nombre de Dios (where he captured the Silver Train)
returned rich for life. A crewman's share from the capture of just one
merchantman was often more than a sailor's yearly wage in peacetime. A privateer
Captain known for skill and success had little trouble recruiting.

Beyond the benefits to the crew, privateering was big business. Wealthy
merchants and noblemen put up the money for a voyage, and earned a percentage of
the 'take' in return. The gains were also split with the crown (the 'price' of a
Letter of Marque). The sale of prizes and captured goods was a godsend to
merchants, who resold it for a profit. This created a prosperous colonial
economy. In the 1660s and 1670s the prime industry of Jamaica was neither
sugar nor tobacco, but piracy!

The Buccaneers:
These men were a special breed who appeared in the West Indies during the 1630s
and 1640s, and remained a feature there throughout the century. Most buccaneers
were fugitives from English and French colonial ventures. Many colonists came to
the Americas expecting to find a paradise full of easy wealth. Instead they were
indentured servants on harsh tobacco and sugar plantations. Some were violent
criminals sentenced to 'transportation to the colonies'. Whatever their origin,
they left the tiny colonies to live free and easy among the islands.

Buccaneers learned two vital skills to survive outside of an organized colony.
The first was seamanship. They were experts at building small canoes or
pinnaces, and quite skilled at sailing them from island to island. The second
was marksmanship. Their livelihood was hinting wild animals and cattle. In fact,
the name 'buccaneer' is derived from their method of curing meat over an open
fire.

It didn't take long before buccaneers combined their skills of seamanship and
marksmanship, taking to the seas in search of treasure and wealth. The Spanish
colonies, militarily weak and economically failing, were easy targets for
buccaneer attacks. The old tradition of 'no peach beyond the line' lent
quasi-legality to their activities, while their use of non-Spanish ports as
trading bases helped the new colonies grow. It wasn't difficult for a British,
French or Dutch governor to condone buccaneering on the principle that the best
defence against Spanish aggression was a good offence, especially an offence by
troops who provided their own pay, and profit to the colony as well!

The buccaneers had a free-wheeling, democratic spirit. They were hard-living,
violent men, ideally suited to the hard and violent life on a new frontier.

The End of Piracy:
By the 1690s and 1700s nations offered privateering commissions less and less
often. National navies were larger now. The financial advantages of peaceful
trade were recognized as more valuable than the occasional profits from a
privateer's plunder.

Buccaneers and old privateers, with legal and quasi-legal avenues closed,
continued anyway. they turned truly pirate and roamed the seven seas, looking
for rich ships with weak defenses. But it was increasingly difficult to find men
willing to finance new ventures, while naval warships gradually chased down and
destroyed the existing pirates. By the 1700s pirates were disappearing from the
Caribbean, by the 1710s the North American and West African coasts were too hot
for them, and by the 1720s even distant Madagascar and the Indian Ocean were
closing. An age of adventure on the high seas was over.

                         A GAZETTEER OF SHIPS CIRCA 1690
                         -------------------------------

Among the myriad types, sizes and rigs of ships sailing the Caribbean, nine
basic approaches to shipbuilding can be discerned. Although each ship was
individually designed and build, shipwrights learned by copying one another,
producing ships of remarkable similarity. These general types are summarized
below. However, expect to meet the exception more often than the rule!

Definitions
-----------
Burden, in tons, refers to available cargo space, after deduction for food,
water, crewmen, and other common materials and stores. This should not be
confused with tonnage that describes the entire weight-carrying capacity of the
ship when completely unloaded.

Speeds are given in leagues (about 2.5 miles) travelled during a watch (about
four hours). The first value is best speed in light wind, the second is best
speed in strong wind.

Best Point of Sailing refers to the wind direction in which the ship makes its
best speed. Each type of ship has a different point of sailing.

                                   Beam Reach
                                       |
                  Broad Beam Reach     |      Close-Hauled Beam Reach
                          \            |            /
                           \           |           /
          Broad Reach       \          |          /     Close-Hauled
                  \          \         |         /          /
                    \         \        |        /         /
                      \        \       |       /        /
      Running Broad     \       \      |      /       /   Close-Hauled
           Reach          \      \     |     /      /     Into the Eye
               \            \     \    |    /     /            /
                    \         \    \   |   /    /         /
                         \      \   \  |  /   /      /   
      Running                 \   \  \ | /  /   /            Into the Eye
      Before the Wind              \  \|/  /                 of the Wind
            +------------------------- + -------------------------+
                                   /  /|\  \
                               /  /  / | \  \   \
                         /      /   /  |  \   \      \
                    /         /    /   |   \    \         \
               /            /     /    |    \     \            \
      Running Broad       /      /     |     \      \      Close-Hauled
         Reach          /       /      |      \       \    into the Eye
                      /        /       |       \        \
                    /         /        |        \         \
                  /          /         |         \          \
         Broad Reach        /          |          \       Close-Hauled
                           /           |           \ 
                          /            |            \
                   Broad Beam          |         Close-Hauled
                     Reach             |          Beam Reach
                                       |
                                  Beam Reach

                              * SPANISH GALLEON *

7-15 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Reach.........................Best Point of Sailing
36 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
20-24 Guns..........................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
288 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
275 Men.............................Typical Crew and Passengers
160 Tons............................Cargo Space

Galleons are the largest sailing vessels on the Spanish Main. Originally they
were created because one large ship was cheaper to build than two smaller ones.
However, large ships were much less manoeuvrable, which increased the chance of
shipwreck, not to mention hindering them in battle. Galleons are slow to turn,
and are especially poor sailers close-hauled. Tacking into the wind is very 
difficult with this type of ship. Still, the enormous carrying capacity and
powerful armament makes the galleon a formidable opponent in battle.

                             * SPANISH WAR GALLEON *

7-15 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Reach or Running Reach........Best Point of Sailing
32 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
28-32 Guns..........................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
256 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
250 Men.............................Typical Crew and Passengers
140 Tons............................Cargo Space

War galleons are similar to mercantile types. They have less cargo capacity, but
more guns and crewmen. The most important difference is that war galleons are
crewed by soldiers and commanded by noble officers, making them brave and
formidable opponents in battle. Due to their better crew, war galleons are
slightly faster than merchant galleons on a running broad reach, but otherwise
just as ponderous and unmanoeuvrable as their more peaceful cousins.

Only the most powerful warships can expect to engage a war galleon and succeed.
The preferred Spanish tactic with these ships was to run alongside the opponent,
fire one broadside at point-blank range, then board for hand-to-hand combat.

                                * FAST GALLEON *

9-12 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Reach or Running Reach........Best Point of Sailing
28 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
24 Guns.............................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
224 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
215 Men.............................Typical Crew and Passengers
120 Tons............................Cargo Space

The northern European powers refined the basic galleon design, revising the sail
plan for more flexibility, then reducing the upperworks and hull shape for
better seakeeping. The resulting ship was smaller than a Spanish galleon, but
faster in light winds and considerable more maneuverable. However, it suffers
the universal disadvantage of all galleons - poor speed when close-hauled.
Still, its superior manoeuvrability and seakeeping showed when the English fast
galleons and smaller craft defeated a Spanish fleet of conventional galleons
in 1588.

                                  * FRIGATE *

9-12 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Reach or Running Reach........Best Point of Sailing
28 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
26-28 Guns..........................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
224 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
190 Men.............................Typical Crew
120 Tons............................Cargo Space

Square-rigged frigates are fast sailers, fairly handy to manoeuvre, and faster 
than most square-rigged ships when close-hauled. A frigate is extraordinarily
useful for patrols and independent cruises. Almost all frigates are built for
the Crown as naval warships. With their well-drilled and professional crews,
frigates are dangerous opponents at any time. Most pirates and buccaneers 
disappear over the horizon whenever a frigate appears.

                                * MERCHANTMAN *

9-12 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Reach.........................Best Point of Sailing
24 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
6-12 Guns...........................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
198 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
20-45 Men...........................Typical Crew and Passengers
100 Tons............................Cargo Space

Square-rigged merchantmen are a trader's dream. They have large cargo capacity,
space for numerous guns for use in dangerous waters, and plenty of room for crew
and passengers. Furthermore, where appropriate they can be sailed with a
smallish crew to save money.

Most merchantmen are peaceful traders, disinclined to fight. They tend to have
large cargos and sometimes a bit of wealth. Privateers and pirates always look
forward to capturing a 'juicy' merchantman. However, some merchantmen have been
converted to pirate ships, with stronger armament and a ferocious crew of
cutthroats. These ships are extremely dangerous.

                                * CARGO FLUYT *

9-12 Leagues........................Best Speed
Running Reach.......................Best Point of Sailing
20 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
4-12 Guns...........................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
160 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
12-24 Men...........................Typical Crew and Passengers
80 Tons.............................Cargo Space

Fluyts were invented by the Dutch around 1600, then widely copied throughout
northern Europe. Essentially a smaller but much more economical merchantman, it
can be sailed with a tiny crew (12 to 15 men is not uncommon). A fluyt has large
cargo spaces, but a draft so shallow it can enter rivers, coves and small
harbours unsuitable to large craft. Its sailing qualities are equivalent to a
merchantman, although the best point of sailing is slightly different.

The smallest of the square-rigged ships, fluyts make poor warships. Almost
always they are manned by peaceful traders who often surrender after a broadside
or two. They are unpopular as pirate ships.

                                   * BARQUE *

9-12 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Beam Reach....................Best Point of Sailing
16 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
4-6 Guns............................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
128 Men.............................Maximum Personnel
12-36 Men...........................Typical Crew and Passengers
60 Tons.............................Cargo Space

The largest fore-and-aft rigged ships, barques are a traditional design similar
to many Mediterranean merchant and war craft. Many barques are built in the
Caribbean, rather than in Europe. Barques are good sailers for quiet seas, but
all too easily come to grief in a rough ocean crossing. This means that few
barques return from the Caribbean to Europe, as the North Atlantic west-to-east
route is often stormy.

Barques are the slowest close-hauled sailers among fore-and-aft rigs, and the
least manoeuvrable. However, the advantages of the rig are so great that barques
still surpass all square-rigged ships in both departments. Furthermore, barques
carry oars, allowing them to row straight into the eye of the wind. Due to its
large size and good handling, a pirate barque can be a formidable adversary.

                                    * SLOOP *

9-10 Leagues........................Best Speed
Broad Reach or Broad Beam Reach.....Best Point of Sailing
12 Guns.............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
4-6 Guns............................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
96 Men..............................Maximum Personnel
8-12 Men............................Typical Crew and Passengers
40 Tons.............................Cargo Space

Another Dutch design that gradually appeared during the 1630s and 1640s, the
sloop (or jacht, or schooner) became very popular in the Caribbean. It is
extremely fast and exceptionally manoeuvrable - better than almost any other
ship in light winds. Close-hauled it sails very fast, and under oars it can move
directly into the wind. Most importantly, sloops have a shallow draft, allowing
them to sail over shoals with no risk. The main weakness of a sloop is that in
strong winds it is considerably slower than a large square-rigged ship. The only
advantage is its manoeuvrability and its superior speed close-hauled or into the
wind.

Despite its modest size and cargo capacity, a sloop's manoeuvrability is so
great that many buccaneers prefer it to larger, more powerful craft. Indeed, in
recent years the English Royal Navy has built a number of sloops for its own use
as pirate-catchers.

                                  * PINNACE *

9-10 Leagues........................Best Speed
Beam Reach or Broad Beam Reach......Best Point of Sailing
8 Guns..............................Maximum Number of Heavy Cannon
2-4 Guns............................Typical Number of Heavy Cannon
64 Men..............................Maximum Personnel
8-12 Men............................Typical Crew and Passengers
20 Tons.............................Cargo Space

Until the advent of the sloop, pinnaces were the primary small craft of the
Caribbean. Like a sloop, a pinnace is very fast, very manoeuvrable, and with a
draft that permits sailing in shoal waters. Sailing upwind (close-hauled) it is
even faster than a sloop, and much faster when rowing into the wind.

However, a pinnace is also much smaller than a sloop, with minuscule capacity
for cargo and guns. Still, many a pirate raid was conducted in tiny pinnaces
crammed with fighting men. Drake himself abandoned his merchantmen in favour of
pinnaces when raiding on the Spanish Main.


                                    BOOK III
                                    --------
                               The Golden Antilles
                               -------------------

                               FAMOUS EXPEDITIONS
                               ------------------

John Hawkins and the Battle of San Juan de Ulua (1569)
------------------------------------------------------
Your Forces:
One slow galleon: Jesus of Lubeck
One merchantman: Minion
Four pinnaces: William and John, Swallow, Angel, Judith
308 men.

Political Situation:
Spain is at war with France and England.

Your Prospects:
You have a formidable squadron, but the flagship is a cumbersome, unmanoeuvrable
galleon of the Spanish type. As you approach the Spanish Main, your big decision
must be: peaceful trade, or warlike raids?

Peaceful trade means you can use the smaller Spanish ports to reprovision and
perhaps even recruit additional crew. However, it also means that the rich
larger ports are closed to you. Unfortunately, the profits from peaceful trade
are modest, especially so given your large crew and the slowness of your 
flagship.

Warlike raids offer a better prospect for immediate gain, but your fleet isn't
strong enough to attack the truly great cities such as Santiago, Santo Domingo,
or Panama. For repairs you can use the privateer anchorages at the tip of
Florida and in the Bahamas. These places have few provisions, but captured
Spanish ships could provide those. Your biggest problem will be selling captured
goods and replacing crewmen lost in battle.

Historical Chronicle:
Inheritor at age 21 of an English shipping firm, John Hawkins voyaged twice to
the West Indies (in 1562 and 1564), selling European goods and African slaves to
smaller Spanish towns. In 1567 he organized his third and largest expedition
(this one) around the galleon Jesus of Lubeck.

On the Main, Hawkins found the Spanish increasingly unwilling to trade with him.
The Spanish home government was aware of Hawkins' voyage, and was putting
pressure on the colonials to obey the letter of the law. Hawkins resorted to
forcing open the marketplace at gunpoint in a few ports, and was chased out of
others by gunfire from forts.

Disappointed by the Main, Hawkins set sail for Havana, but a storm blew his
ships far into the Gulf of Campeche. The only harbour where he could repair his
ships was San Juan de Ulua, the island anchorage for Vera Cruz. Unfortunately
for Hawkins, the day after he arrived the Spanish treasure fleet appeared, armed
to the teeth with war galleons and troops. After a few days of organising, the
Spanish attacked Hawkins in harbour, destroying most of his ships and scattering
the rest. These sad remnants, without food or water, struggled home to England.
Hawkins got home on the Minion with only fifteen men left in his crew.

After this voyage, Hawkins became a staunch enemy of Spain, serving England as
treasure and controller of the Navy, an admiral on the victory against the
Spanish Armada, leader of raids against Spanish South America, and finally as
Member of Parliament. He died in 1595 at age 63.

Francis Drake and the Silver Train Ambush (1573)
------------------------------------------------
Your Forces:
One merchantman: Pasha
One pinnace: Swan
73 men.

Political Situation:
Spain is at war with England.

Your Prospects:
Only a man with foolhardy bravery would dare attack the Spanish Main at the peak
of its might and power with a paltry 73 men on board two small ships. Making any
profit from this venture will be most difficult. A cautious man would adopt a
trading strategy, calling at smaller Spanish ports and building both his wealth
and his crew before beginning to raid and plunder. Only someone as bold as Drake
himself would immediately begin raiding and plundering, trusting to luck and
good fortune.

This is an extremely difficult expedition for a fighter. You must rely on your
superb and charismatic leadership to overwhelm enemies in hand-to-hand combat
before they wipe out your tiny forces. Exploit and maintain the high morale of
your small band. Always seek to meet the enemy leaders sword to sword and defeat
them quickly. Needless to say, skill in fencing is advised.

Historical Chronicle:
Drake arrived on the Main in June, 1572 with two small ships. Within five days
he raided Nombre de Dios, carrying off a huge pile of silver from the governor's
house before a musket ball wound overcame him. Next he captured a ship off
Cartagena (the city itself was too strong to attack). By September he was back
in the Gulf of Darien, taking Spanish ships to replenish his provisions and
trying to ambush the Silver Train between Panama and Nombre de Dios. But that
winter he failed: the Spanish were alert to his threat.

Drake returned to his distant and secret base at the Isle of the Pines (at the
southwest end of Cuba) and reorganized. He gathered up reinforcements from 
friendly French privateers and Cimaroon rebels. (Cimaroons were African slaves
who escaped the Spanish). In March 1573 he returned to Darien and finally
ambushed the Silver Train at Nombre de Dios, taking a fortune in gold. He had to
leave behind another fortune in silver because it was too heavy to carry! Drake
sailed swiftly for England and arrived at Plymouth on Sunday, August 9, 1573. A
mere thirty Englishmen returned with him, but each survivor was rich for life.

In 1577-80 Drake raided the Pacific coast of Spain's American empire, then
returned via Asia, circumnavigating the globe. With Hawkins he was an admiral of
the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada (1588), but died of disease in 1596
(at age 56) after an attack on San Juan, where some Spanish treasure galleons
had sought shelter.

Piet Heyn and the Treasure Fleet (1628)
---------------------------------------
Your Forces:
Four fast galleons: Vergulde Valk, Hollandia, Dolfijn, Haarlem
Two sloops: Tijger, Postpaard
700 men.

Political Situation:
Holland is at war with Spain and allied with England. France and England are
also at war with Spain.

Your Prospects:
You command a powerful if cumbersome squadron, vanguard of the great Dutch
privateering fleet. The Spanish Treasure Fleet is an excellent goal. However,
it's late in the season. You must start hunting immediately off Havana or in the
Florida Channel. You'll undoubtedly find a variety of smaller ships, but if
you're lucky and persistent, you may find the treasure galleons. If you miss the
Treasure Fleet, don't be shy about raiding a Spanish port or two. Your forces
are not especially manoeuvrable, buy they are quite powerful. This is a
situation where a good plan, patient execution, and more than a little luck are
the keys to success.

Historical Chronicle:
Piet Heyn was already a famous Captian when he sailed under Admiral Willekens
and led the 1624 attack that captured the Spanish colony of Sao Salvador (Bahia)
on the Brazilian coast. Although the conquest only lasted one year, the Dutch
gained invaluable expertise in producing fine sugar from sugar cane, knowledge
they spread around the Caribbean in the succeeding decade. By 1626 Sao Salvador
was producing for Spain again, so Heyn raided it again!

In 1628 Heyn sailed for the West Indies with a powerful warfleet of nine large
warships and five jachts (sloops). He cruised along the Main, then swung up to
the north coast of Cuba. Off Havana he finally sighted the Spanish Treasure
Fleet of forty to fifty sails. He quickly captured nine small stragglers while
the rest escaped in all directions, two running aground in the process. Four
royal treasure galleons fled in Matanzas Bay on the Cuban coast. Heyn pursued
them ran his ships onto the shoals alongside the Spanish, traded broadsides and
boarded. The battered and demoralized Spanish either surrendered or fled ashore,
leaving 46 tons of silver in Dutch hands. This loss ruined the Spanish economy
and gave the Dutch government much-needed funds at a critical point in the
Thirty Years War.

There was great rejoicing in Amsterdam when a fast jacht sailed into that
port carrying the news of Heyn's fabulous victory.

L'Ollonais and the Sack of Maracaibo (1666)
-------------------------------------------
Your Forces:
One sloop
Five pinnaces
400 men.

Political Situation:
France is at war with England and Spain, and allied to Holland. In addition,
England and Holland are at war.

Your Prospects:
Your force is strong in men but weak in naval power. Therefore, like L'Ollonais,
your best prospects are in attacks on ports rather than captures at sea. All but
the strongest Spanish cities are within your grasp. Beware the fragile morale of
your men. These Tortuga buccaneers are impatient for riches. They will not
tolerate long, fruitless cruises. But still, a target must be selected with
care. One disappointment, and mutiny is not far off.

This expedition is challenging but not extraordinarily difficult. However, you
must exercise good judgement at the start, and then execute the plan quickly and
confidently.

Historical Chronicle:
Arriving in the Indies as an indentured servant to the planter in French
Hispaniola, Jean-David Nau came from Les Sables d'Ollone in Brittany. When his
indenture was up in 1660 he immediately went to Tortuga; within a few years he
was commanding his own buccaneer voyages. Nicknamed L'Ollonais ("the man from
d'Ollone"), he was one of the most ferocious and inhuman pirates who ever lived.

In 1666 the terror and prestige of his name was enough to collect a fleet of
small boats, crowded with men, bound for Maracaibo. he surprised the forts and
took the city by storm. Despite a bloody plundering that lasted a fortnight,
the town yielded only modest amounts of gold and silver. His next stop was
Gibraltar. The Spanish there mustered a powerful militia, but after a difficult
fight in marshy ground, L'Ollonais' buccaneers prevailed again. The town was
thoroughly sacked, inhabitants tortured and killed, and ruins left in the
Frenchman's wake. Six months after departing, L'Ollonais arrived at Tortuga
with enough plunder to return to France a wealthy man. But he had expected
riches beyond imagination.

   So L'Ollonais mounted a new expedition to the coast of Nicaragua and 
Honduras. Despite escalating barbarity and cruelty, he found so little that
his companion ships sailed away,leaving his tiny band forlorn and hungry.
L'Ollonais and his men went inland, raiding Indian villages for food. This
final bit of nastiness was his undoing. Jean-David Nau's muttering and mutinous
crew deserted him when vengeful Indians ambushed the party. Grievously wounded
by poison arrows, he was clubbed to death.

Henry Morgan, the King's Pirate (1671)
--------------------------------------
Your Forces:
One frigate: Satisfaction
Two merchantmen: Lilly, Dolphin
One barque: Mayflower
Two sloops: Fortune, William
One pinnace: Prosperous
600 men.

Political Situation:
England and France are both at war with Spain.

Your Prospects:
You have a formidable force for either land or sea fighting. You could seek
additional recruits and food, or you can immediately venture against almost any
place in the Indies with good prospects of success. Your greatest immediate
difficulties are procuring enough food to keep your men fed, and enough plunder
to keep up morale. This is an expedition that appears easy initially, but can
become rather challenging.

Historical Chronicle:
Henry Morgan was a successful privateer and buccaneer leader. He had sacked
Puerto Principe, plundered Gran Granada on the far side of Nicaragua,
overwhelmed the fortifications of Puerto Bello, and followed in L'Ollonais'
footsteps at Maracaibo and Gibraltar, although both places yielded little wealth
and plenty of hot fighting with aroused Spanish defenders.

On August 24, 1670, Morgan sailed as Admiral of Privateers under the auspices of
Governor Modyford of Jamaica. He rendezvoused with French buccaneers from
Tortuga and western Hispaniola, swelling his forces to 2,000 men or more, making
him strong enough for any venture. His goal was Panama, richest city of the
Spanish overseas empire. Sailing upriver and then marching overland, he arrived
outside the city in January, 1671. Here the governor of the province, Don Juan
Perez de Guzman, had collected his troops and militia.

On the plains outside the city the two forces fought a pitched battle. The
Spanish lost. The city was taken, plundered, and ultimately burned to the
ground. However, the loot was disappointing. Many of the richest Spaniards had
fled with their families and wealth, rather than staying around to defend it.

The sack of Panama was Morgan's crowning achievement. He wisely retired while
still ahead. Although Modyford lost his governorship and was imprisoned because
of the affair, Morgan received a knighthood. He retired on Jamaica an honoured
and wealthy man. He died of too much drink in 1688, at age 53.

Baron de Pointis and the Last Expedition (1697)
-----------------------------------------------
Your Forces:
Five frigates
One sloop
1200 men.

Political Situation:
France is at war with England and Spain.

Your Prospects:
Your force is the most powerful ever on the Spanish Main. You are free to select
the target of your choice and strike. The real question is, how much treasure
can you carry off?

This expedition is a pleasant romp, suitable for commanders who enjoy the 'sure
thing'. To obtain a suitable challenge at all, select Swashbuckler difficulty
level. After all, in the real expedition both de Pointis and du Casse were
wounded in battle!

Historical Chronicle:
In March 1697 Baron de Pontis was in Saint Domingue (the French colonies of
western Hispaniola) with thirteen warships of the royal French navy under his
command. Louis XIV's France was simultaneously at war with England and Spain,
and running short of men, ships and money. The Baron's goal: Cartagena. His
purpose? To strike a crippling blow at Spain as well as securing a large
treasure to support the French war effort.

Jean Baptiste du Casse, the French colonial governor since 1691, was ordered to
support de Pointis. He collected hundred of local buccaneers and privateers
under the command of Jean Bernard Louis Desjeans, who had sailed with the French
privateering fleets of the 1680s.

The French expedition arrived off Cartagena in April and began reducing the
Spanish defences. Outlying forts were seized, often with the buccaneers in the
vanguard, while the fleet moved up behind in support. Isolated and demoralized,
the Spanish fell back on the city. The French deployed and opened fire with
powerful 24-pounder and 36-pounder siege mortars, demolishing the city's
fortifications. On May 6, 1697, Governor Don Diego de los Rios y Quesada
surrendered Cartagena. Baron de Pointis carried off all the available wealth,
paying the buccaneers at the same rate as his own men (which was a pittance
compared to a privateer-style division of plunder). Worried about a powerful
English squadron known to be hunting him, de Pontis sailed for home with a 
treasure worth 20 million livres in his hold.

The buccaneers, upset and angry with their tiny share, returned to the still
prostrate city. There they sacked, pillaged, raped and tortured until the
residents coughed up another 5 million livres worth of plunder. Meanwhile de
Pointis was intercepted by Neville's English fleet south of Jamaica, but the
French outmanoeuvred the English at night and escaped.

The sack of Cartagena in 1697 was the last great expedition involving
buccaneers. It wouldn't have occured without de Pointis' powerful and well-
equipped invasion force. Nations were now fielding regular army and navy units
in the Caribbean. The pirate's freedom of the seas was at an end.

                                  ANOTHER AGE
                                  -----------

Around 1500, when Spain discovered the Caribbean basin, Europe was just emerging
from the Middle Ages. Most people were peasants, farmers scratching out a bare
living form the soil, ruled by a small but powerful class of aristocratic
landlords. Some people lived in the towns and cities founded in the Middle Ages,
but townspeople remained a small percentage of the population. Their trade and
industry only made a marginal impact on the lives of the vast majority. A rare
few made their living "on the road" as peddlers, beggars, sailors and thieves.
To the majority they were a source of tales, or warnings for children ("Be nice
or Black Bart the highway man will eat you for dinner!")

The period from 1550 to 1650 is sometimes termed "The Iron Century" because
ordinary people's lives became so harsh. Europe's population had been growing
rapidly since the early 1400s. Around 1500 the number of people began to exceed
the amount of available farmland. Trade and manufacture had developed
sufficiently so some peasants with little or no land could do part-time weaving
(the source of much cloth in Europe), or move to towns and cities to seek
employment in business centred there.

These enterprises could absorb only some of the surplus population. So, some
young men found employment in mercenary armies that served competing causes in
the growing Catholic-Protestant conflict. Unfortunately this employment did more
damage than good, for armies then were not as polite as today. Soldiers lived
off the land, ruining the farms and livelihoods of the peasants. This destroyed
the economic substructure upon which all depended. The intense religious hatreds
added an extra measure of ferocity to the struggles, international or civil,
causing devastation and death wherever war occurred.

As the 16th century came to an end, overpopulation, war, and the growing taxes
brought unprecedented poverty to most areas of Europe. Villages were torn
between the lucky few who had enough land to support their families, and the
insecure majority whose survival depended on a fortunate growing season and
sufficient extra work. Swarms of paupers huddled in slum quarters of towns,
while beggars and brigands infested the countryside. Vagabonds, the rootless
poor, became an unmanageable problem, straining Europe's charitable institutions
and swamping its courts.

Brigands were beggars who stole instead of asking. They often fared better as a
result. They were just one group of many criminal elements who found in
lawlessness an escape from grinding poverty. In towns they practiced burglary
and larceny; in the countryside they worked as highwaymen and thieves; and at
sea they operated as pirates. Thieves worked alone or in small bands, brigands
in moderates sized bands, while pirates operated in larger groups because they
needed to crew a sizeable ship. Sometimes pirates even worked in fleets of
several ships.

The Mediterranean had long known pirates, who went so far as to organize mini-
kingdoms on the Barbary coast of North Africa. The New World opened new
opportunities for piracy. But whether they operated as thieves, brigands, or
pirates, all these men struggled to survive in a harsh and unfeeling world by
preying on others. They redistributed wealth from those who had it but could not
protect it, to those who didn't have it but had the power to seize it.

A brigand or pirate might begin his career in order to survive, but he often
continued it to prosper. In a society torn by religious hatred and war, with
governments still weak and uncertain, success bred success and power respected
power. A brigand band could join an army as a group of mercenaries. A pirate
might well drift in and out of service of a government. Governments found it
expedient to use pirates against their enemies, while pirates found it
profitable to ply their trade with a royal seal of approval, a privateer's
Letter of Marque. Perversely, a pirate might find himself fighting alongside a
Count or an Earl, championing the cause of a king about whose goals and needs he
knew little and cared less. However, notable service could bring notable
rewards: wealth, land, legitimacy, and perhaps a title of nobility! A man who
began as a poverty-stricken nobody might rise to rub elbows with the old
aristocratic families who had led the realm for generations.

The mounting cycles of war and poverty climaxed in 1618 with the outbreak of the
Thirty Years War. What began as a religious strive in Germany became a
constitutional struggle as the Habsburgs tried to consolidate their hold on that
land. Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and ultimately France intervened to help the
German Protestants frustrate this plan. The international melee turned vast
areas of Germany into wasteland. Entrepreneurs stepped in where kings and
emperors were weak. They created huge mercenary armies that swarmed across the
countryside like a plague of locusts. This was the heyday of the mercenary and
the freebooter, as soldiers and captains sold their services to the highest
bidder and switched sides when the time seemed ripe.

But even the greatest of the mercenaries was defeated in battle by a well-
organised national army (that of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden), recruited
through national conscription and supported by national taxes. The French also
used a national army fashioned after the Swedish, and the English Civil War,
which raged separately on that tormented isle, was won by Cromwell's 'New Model
Army' formed on the same principles. As the 17th century approached its
midpoint, the age of the mercenary and pirate was waning in Europe. Within a few
decades this new national power and organization would extend into the
Caribbean, driving out the buccaneers and pirates.

The rise of national governments brought new taxes, oppressive new central
administrations, and government bureaucrats whose powers rivalled that of the
old nobility. A series of revolutions in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France,
and near-revolutionary constitutional conflicts elsewhere showed how the lower
classes and local nobles resisted the new order. But the powerful national
governments emerged victorious. No longer would the state tolerate independent
agents using the techniques of war. Armies were firmly under royal control,
disciplined and supplied from depots. Navies were directed to put down piracy as
well as to fight with other countries. The France of Louis XIV, the Sun King,
epitomised this new order.

Meanwhile, the colonies around the Caribbean were no longer serving as silver
mines for the Spanish Empire. Instead, the new English and French colonies, the
'Sugar Island', formed the cornerstone of a triangular trade network involving
Europe and Africa. This was the most important of many economic developments
that helped Europe sustain its growing population in the later part of the 17th
and 18th centuries. Conditions were still hard for many, but prosperity grew as
the economy found new forms and new energies.

This wealth was little endangered by pirates, for long before it reached its
peak the naval vessels and royal courts of the various European kingdoms had all
but eliminated piracy from the high seas. The age of the freebooter was gone.
The age of the bureaucrat had begun.

   Edward Bever, PhD (History)

                         THE SILVER EMPIRE (1560-1600)
                         -----------------------------

Introduction
------------
The Spanish Empire reaches its peak in this era, both in Europe and in the New
World. The empire is built on mountains of silver bullion from New Spain
(Mexico) and Peru. This bullion finances Spain's imperial glory, but also
encourages misguided economic policies that will soon ruin the country.

The secondary export from the Indies is hides of uncured leather. Spanish
colonial grandees prefer ranching large herds to managing farms and plantations.
Ranches are equivalent to the property noblemen own in old Spain.

Holland, a province of this far-flung empire, begins its revolt against Spanish
rule into the 1560s. England, ruled by Elizabeth I (1558-1603) develops an anti-
Spanish policy as well. France had been and will remain consistently anti-
Spanish, surrounded as it is by Habsburg territory (the Habsburg family
controlled the Austrian and Spanish thrones, whose territory included a
considerably amount of Italy as well).

Spain in this era is the only European nation with large, populous colonies in
the New World. With the exception of one abortive venture at St. Augustine, the
other European powers have nothing more than temporary anchorages and tent
towns, casual bases for privateering and smuggling that appear and disappear
with the season.

Cities & Trade
--------------
Spanish Colonies:
Cartagena, Panama, Santiago, and Santo Domingo are the great and powerful cities
of the Spanish Main. All except Panama have impressive fortifications, and all
have large military garrisons. Prices for everything are high here; European
goods are in especially high demand but Spanish trade laws are firmly enforced.
San Juan (on Puerto Rico) is very nearly as large as the major cities.

Havana is a growing port that during this era becomes one of the new, great
cities of the region. The increasingly frequent stops by the treasure fleet
boost Havana's economy. Vera Cruz and Nombre de Dios are unhealthy cities that
are only populous and wealthy when the annual fleet is in. At that time vast
wealth from Peru (to Panama) and New Spain (to Vera Cruz) is being loaded onto
the ships.

Larger, politically important cities with a craving for European goods include
Campeche, Cumana and Maracaibo.

The towns in economic difficulties, and therefore more likely to trade with
foreigners, include all ports on underdeveloped Jamaica and Hispaniola (except
the capital Santo Domingo), and the lesser ports of the Main, such as Santa
Marta, Gibraltar, Coro, Puerto Cabello and Margarita, although the last is rich
only from its declining pearl fisheries. The inland capitals of Villa Hermosa
and Gran Granada are still economically weak. Both were in the front lines of
Spanish conquest just a few years previously.

Trinidad is tiny, but already beginning its unique role as a transshipment point
between Atlantic carriers and local Caribbean trade, an activity illegal by
Spanish law, but nonetheless profitable. Smugglers find a ready supply of cheap
European trade goods, and good market for selling hides.

Other Colonies:
The only non-Spanish colony is the new French one at St. Augustine (in Florida).
A few additional French and English privateering bases exist in the Florida Keys
and Bahamas. These have an erratic population and uncertain wealth. No
agriculture exists, so food supplies are uncertain.

The only official colonial governor of either nation exists at St. Augustine.
Unless other colonies grow or change colours, be sure to remain friendly with
the French here. All non-Spanish promotions, titles, and land must come from
him.

Prospects for Success
---------------------
A successful career in this period requires exceptional skill and guile. All the
major ports are Spanish controlled, forcing one to either trade with them (as
Hawkins tried), or to capture them by assault (Drake's method). Trading
eventually improves the economic status of the towns, making them more likely to
obey Spanish laws and shut you out! Conquest is difficult, especially against
well-populated cities, and often is undone by a Spanish counterattack.
Furthermore, once you initiate warlike actions and the Spanish become hostile,
you must wait for a 'pirate amnesty' before attempting a trading strategy once
more.

You must husband your crew carefully. Avoid dividing up the plunder for as long
as possible. Recruiting new crewmen can be extremely difficult.

The English Seahawk:
With solid backing from your monarch, you have a powerful and flexible force.
This is fortunate, since you'll need to find quick profits to enlarge your tiny
coffers.

The French Corsair:
Your small, fore-and-aft rigged craft is no match for a well-armed war galleon.
If you encounter men of good reputation or high rank, discretion is definitely
the better part of valour. Even if you survive the encounter, your crew may be
so depleted that recruiting replacements may take months.

The Spanish Renegade:
You start in a regrettably weak position, and must take risks at almost every
turn to improve your fortunes. This is not the life for the faint-hearted!

                        MERCHANTS & SMUGGLERS (1600-1620)
                        ---------------------------------

Introduction
------------
After the 1590s the Spanish Empire begins a slow slide into decay and chaos,
both militarily and economically. Misguided economic policies combined with a
short-sighted aristocracy, redoubled by a powerful and restrictive church, will
doom Spain for centuries to come.

In the Americas, expensive fortifications and garrisons have increased, but
silver shipments and Spanish-owned merchant ships are fewer. Most astoundingly,
the empire in America is literally an empty one. Diseases brought by Europeans 
to the New World have inflicted a century of horrifying plagues. The Caribbean
basin has been depopulated. In New Spain (Mexico) the Indian population plunges
from 25 million in 1500 (before the conquest) to less than 2 million in 1600.
Food supplies are short for lack of farmers, and mine output falls for lack of
workers. Spaniards in New Spain totaling more than 100,000 by 1600. Worse,
virtually no Spaniards are productive members of society - they expect to live
a grandiose life, with slaves and Indian peons serving them. The same pattern
repeats throughout the Caribbean and along the Spanish Main.

Conversely, England and France are growing, vital nations. In this era both have
new kings who seek peaceful relations with Spain. Although this reduces the
opportunity for privateering and piracy, neither monarch discourages
colonisation. The reputation of riches, pleasant climate, and emptiness of the
Americas all beckon. A miscellaneous assortment of Frenchmen and Englishmen
start new colonial ventures.

The Netherlands, after decades of rebellion against Spain, are virtually
victorious. More amazing, Holland is an economic miracle. Out of war, peaceful
and profitable enterprises spring. With new ship designs (the fluyt), joint-
stock companies, and the twelve years of truce, Dutch commercial interests are
exploding worldwide. However, at this time the big Dutch companies are mainly
interested in Indonesia and Asia, leaving the West Indies to smaller operators.

Cities & Trade
--------------
Spanish Colonies:
The cities of Cartagena, Havana, Panama, Santo Domingo and Santiago are the
capital cities of the West Indies. Each is populous, rich, well fortified,
heavily garrisoned and intolerant of foreigners. Here tobacco and European goods
command premium prices.

Puerto Bello has replaced Nombre de Dios as Panama's Caribbean port for the
Silver Train and Treasure Fleet. Vera Cruz continues to serve the vast inland
areas of New Spain. Both cities are still unhealthy, which limits their growth
and economic success.

The majority of the Spanish Main and inland Central America is now economically
viable. The smaller towns of the Main frequently grow tobacco and welcome
smugglers. The hinterlands of Hispaniola are another area where tobacco
smugglers are welcome.

Trinidad is in its heyday as a wide open smuggler's port. Local Caribbean
smugglers can sell their tobacco for decent prices, then buy European goods from
Atlantic traders in reasonable quantities. The Spanish governor, without harbour
forts and served by a laughably small garrison, can do little but take lucrative
bribes and look the other way.

English Colonies:
Early colonies exist on St. Lucia and Grenada, although both are at considerable
risk from the cannibalistic Caribe Indians. Both need regular imports of food.
No large tobacco plantations or organized defence exist yet.

French Colonies:
No French colonies exist, but old privateering anchorages with small 'tent camp'
towns can be found in the Bahamas. Here there is no local agriculture. Food
costs are dear, precious little is available to supply a ship.

Dutch Colonies:
Although Dutch fluyts are common traders in these waters, no Dutch ports 
('factories') exist. This is because the monied interests in the Netherlands are
busy financing colonial ventures in the East Indies (notably Indonesia). The
Dutch spend most of their time trading in smuggled goods with the smaller
Spanish colonies. Trinidad is their unofficial home port in the New World.

Prospects for Success
---------------------
Difficulties in this era are similar to the 1560 period. Furthermore, Europe is
tending toward peach, dimming the prospect for privateering profits. With the
dearth of friendly ports and peach in the offing, you should seriously consider
searching for friendly Spanish ports and smuggling goods between them and
Trinidad, with occasional trips to the new English colonies or the old French
privateering anchorages to the north.

The English Explorer:
The situation and strategies for this era are not unlike those of the previous
decades. Do you settle into a life of peaceful trade and smuggling, or do you
seek out a war and go on privateering expeditions? Your large crew suggests
privateering, but the capacious merchantman with its sluggish sailing qualities
and weak armament makes trading attractive too.

The French Adventurer:
Your ship and crew are will suited to privateering. However, the lack of strong,
friendly ports is a serious handicap when recruiting men or selling captured
goods. Conquering a few Spanish ports and installing friendly administrations
should be a high priority.

The Dutch Trader:
Your ship is admirably suited to mercantile endeavour, but sluggish and
underarmed for battle. While trading keep the crew under twenty (but not below
eight, as that's the minimum to operate a ship). Pay them off and recruit new 
ones periodically to keep morale high. Use Trinidad as a base and experiment at
various Spanish cities. Discover which governors are tolerant, and which will
open fire. Privateering against the Spanish is tricky business - and you will
lose trading privileges until Spain offers an amnesty.

The Spanish Renegade:
The renegade's life, never easy, is quite difficult in this era. Only the most
courageous should undertake this course.

                          THE NEW COLONISTS (1620-1640)
                          -----------------------------

Introduction
------------
Europe is ablaze with a new and bloody war between Protestant and Catholic (the
Thirty Years War). The decay of Spain's American empire continues. Towns and
cities are financially weaker, with fewer troops than ever. The economy and
culture is stagnant. Spanish ranches, plantations and mines are increasingly
dependent on slave labour imported from Africa.

Holland is now the world's leader in mercantile shipping. Dutch companies
finally turn their attention to the West Indies. The renewed war with Spain
offers many opportunities for the large join-stock companies to finance military
expeditions against the Spanish. The old English and French privateering
anchorages swarm with Dutch warships.

In England, a new round of colonial ventures is fuelled by declining economic 
opportunity and growing intolerance for radical Protestants (such as the
Puritans). After the demise of St. Lucia and Grenada colonies, and the near
death of Virginia, new and stronger colonies are being founded. These colonies
will persevere.

France, in the grip of Cardinal Richelieu, is slipping once more into civil war
between the Protestant Huguenots and the Catholic government. Throughout the
1620s French Huguenots flee France and found colonies in the New World. Then, in
the 1630s, France enters the cataclysm in Germany: The Thirty Years War.

Cities & Trade
--------------
Spanish Colonies:
The cities of Cartagena, Havana, and Panama remain the capital cities of the
West Indies. Santiago and Santo Domingo, the old capitals, have declined to a
secondary position, though each is still rich by American standards.

Many cities on the Main are economically viable, but few are prosperous. Tobacco
is a cheap export crop at some towns. The more backward towns in the hinterlands
of Jamaica and Hispaniola are primarily victualling and watering ports.

Trinidad remains a popular smuggling port where European goods are plentiful and
fairly cheap, having come across on trans-Atlantic traders, while good prices
are paid for tobacco. However, this port is being overshadowed by the new
English colonies to the north.

English Colonies:
Barbados, the first successful English colony in the West Indies, is growing
fast. Increasingly, English ships use it as their home port in the Caribbean. As
at Trinidad, merchants serving the trans-Atlantic trade will pay good prices for
tobacco. The colony on Nevis is newer and smaller. The new venture on Providence
island off the Mosquito Coast, deep in the heart of the Spanish Empire, is the
premier base for privateers and pirates raiding the Main.

French Colonies:
On the shared island of St. Christophe (St. Kitts to the English), the French
have the upper hand. This colony is largely Catholic, while the unofficial but
growing presence in northeast Hispaniola is largely Protestant. These
enterprising Huguenots have already claimed Tortuga off the coast, as well as
establishing Petit Goave.

Dutch Colonies:
Fully fledged Dutch colonies are sparse. Along with the traditional Bahaman and
Floridan privateering anchorages, the Dutch have begun a 'factory' (trading
town) on an island positioned right in the center of the Spanish Main: Curacao.

Prospects for Success
---------------------
The new colonial ports are a godsend to privateers, who now have legal
employment thanks to renewed warfare in Europe. Pinnaces and barques with
piratical intent are everywhere in the Caribbean. Spanish strength continues to
wane, especially at sea. A well outfitted force can even attempt to capture
the Treasure Fleet on the high seas.

Still, one must watch political developments closely. Spain is quite capable of
mounting periodic counterattacks to wipe out intrusive colonies or troublesome
privateer bases.

The English Adventurer:
Don't be shy about privateering against the Spanish. After building your
reputation, fortune, and fleet, you can venture ashore and try your hand at
plundering the smaller towns and cities. Opportunities about for a man of
boldness.

The French Huguenot:
Your Barque is a handy vessel for the Caribbean, and well suited to privateering
against Catholic Spain and its hated Inquisition. Tortuga and Petit Goave are
ideal bases, deep in Spanish territory and only a short sail from the Florida
Channel and its yearly treasure fleet.

The Dutch Privateer:
You have a very powerful force, but there is a lack of Dutch bases. Therefore,
cultivate friendship with the French and English (regardless of your
government's opinion, if possible). Can you duplicate Piet Heyn's feat of 1628
and capture the Spanish Treasure Fleet?

The Spanish Renegade:
As in 1560 and 1600, the life of a renegade is unenviable, but conditions are
somewhat improved. The non-Spanish colonies are few, so it's wise to remain
friendly with England, France and Holland.

                           WAR FOR PROFIT (1640-1660)
                           --------------------------

Introduction
------------
In Holland, Germany and France the last great religious war of Europe (the
Thirty Years War), begun in 1618, is degenerating into famine, plague and
starvation across a landscape of ruins. England, having avoided European
disasters, is on the brink of its own ruinous civil war that will result in a
short but brutal military dictatorship by Oliver Cromwell and his Protestant
armies. Of all the European nations, Spain is the worst position. Economic and 
political conditions in her homeland are so bad that provinces are revolting 
against a bankrupt and ineffective government.

Disasters in Europe breed new opportunities in the West Indies. Spain's colonies
are at their military and economic nadir. Freebooters and privateers,
experienced from the European conflicts, can pillage and plunder the helpless
Spanish with ease, and with precious little interference from European
governments. Non-Spanish colonies are growing everywhere, fueled by boatloads of
refugees. While some settle into the plantation economy, others take to the
buccaneering life. Meanwhile, the crafty Dutch are making a fortune by carrying
the trade goods among these new colonies. Peaceful trading may not be as
profitable as privateering, but it's a safer business.

Cities & Trade
--------------
Spanish Colonies:
The richest Spanish cities remain the great capitals of the region: Panama,
Cartagena, Havana, and Santiago. These continue to have wealthy economies and
high prices. San Juan and Santo Domingo are prospering, but remain populated by
old, aristocratic families with expensive tastes. Both cities are well fortified
and garrisoned. All other Spanish cities are barely prospering, if that. Towns
in the hinterlands are on the verge of disappearing under the tidal wave of
immigration from England, France and Holland.

English Colonies:
Barbados is the unofficial capital of the English West Indies. It is a trader's
dream. European goods are freely available, sugar sells for premium prices, and
the local merchants are wealthy and well-stocked. The colonies on St. Kitts and
Nevis are economically strong and well populated while Antigua, Montserrat,
Bermuda, and Eleuthera are newer, smaller colonies with little population, low
prices, and tiny warehouses.

French Colonies:
Guadeloupe and Martinique are the major colonies in the Caribbee Islands (Lesser
Antilles). However, all eyes are drawn to that well fortified haven of
privateers, buccaneers and outright pirates: Tortuga. Already this name inspires
terror. Mainland Hispaniola French colonies are developing slowly at Petit
Goave. French privateers still use anchorages in the Florida Keys to plunder
Spaniards in the Florida Channel, as well to descend upon the north coast of
Cuba.

Dutch Colonies:
Curacao is the Dutch equivalent of Barbados. This large, rich, well-defended
free port offers good prices for sugar and sells quantities of European goods in
return. A second international free port is developing at St. Eustatius, while
sleepy St. Martin is a placid place for sugar planters and other peaceful
fellows.

Prospects for Success
---------------------
Opportunities abound and success awaits. Spain is almost always at war with
somebody, and not uncommonly with everybody! Since Spanish military power is a
joke, the opportunities for privateering and outright plunder are legion. After
a rich cruise against the hapless Spanish, no voyage is complete without a wild
party at Tortuga, Barbados, or Curacao.

The English Adventure:
As a privateer, everything is in your favour. A plethora of friendly English
colonies are ready and willing to buy your plundered goods, while the taverns
are brimming with sailors seeking a berth with a successful Captain. Smiling
governors will shake your hand and bestow land and honour for your efforts.
Isn't life grand?

The French Privateer:
Privateering is a growth industry with great profits for the French, as with the
English. Tortuga is the ideal base for such activities, sitting between Santo
Domingo, the great cities of Cuba, and the rich fleets passing outbound through
the Florida Channel. Down a pleasant beam reach to the south lies the heartland
of the Spanish Main and the usually friendly port of Curcao.

The Dutch Trader:
Tired of war, many Dutchmen prefer the peaceful role of trading. The new and
growing French and English colonies offer many opportunities to a savvy
merchant. Trade routes between the large, rich colonies and the new, small ones
yield easy profits. One can also trade with the poorer Spanish cities, who have
cheap sugar and food that sells for premium prices on Curacao or Barbados. Of
course, the lure of privateering for the English or French remains strong!

The Spanish Renegade:
This is one of the two eras (the other is 1660) where the life of a renegade can
be fairly pleasant. Raiding the Spanish is a rewarding occupation, war or no
war.

                        THE BUCCANEER HEROES (1660-1680)
                        --------------------------------

Introduction
------------
The military decline of the Spanish Empire continues when senile King Philip IV
is succeeded by the lax and inept regency for Charles (Carlos) II, who in 1665
becomes King at the age of four. Although Spanish America is left without
military protection, bureaucratic interference in its economic affairs
diminishes also. This, combined with renewed output form the silver mines,
starts an upswing in the Spanish-American economy.

England, France and Holland are now strong colonial powers. Jealous of Holland's
commercial success, England begins economic war against Holland with the
Navigation Act (1651) and the Staple Act (1663), legislating trade limits that
would ruin the free-trade Dutch merchants. This causes three shooting wars
within twenty years. Meanwhile, Louis XIV has finally taken control of France
with the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661. The 'Sun King''s aggressive foreign
policy sparks almost constant warfare with England, Holland, and Spain as
frequent opponents. In short, Europe is a dogfight of international intrigue and
warfare, with enemies and allies changing as frequently as partners in a court
dance.

In the Caribbean, governors face new threats from all directions. St. Eustatius
changes hands ten times between 1664 and 1674. The home governments provide
virtually no military forces, so the governors ask buccaneers, privateers and
pirates to guard their colony and carry the fight to the enemy. These sensible,
profit-oriented warriors are often difficult to control.

Cities & Trade
--------------
Spanish Colonies:
Panama, Havana, and Cartagena endure as the three greatest Spanish cities, rich,
well fortified, and well garrisoned. Still sizeable but of declining importance
are Santiago, Santo Domingo, and San Juan. The remaining Spanish towns are
beginning to prosper again, but are so weak militarily that all are prey to
buccaneers and pirates.

English Colonies:
Barbados remains the great English colony, with St. Kitts close behind. Captured
from Spain in 1655, Jamaica is the home of Port Royale, the new English
buccaneer haven in the midst of the Spanish empire, only a short voyage downwind
from the French colonies on Hispaniola.

French Colonies:
In the Caribbee Islands (Lesser Antilles), Guadeloupe and Martinique are the
main bastions of French power, while around western Hispaniola Tortuga, Port-de-
Paix, Petit Goave, and Leogane are buccaneering stongholds amid the growing
wealth of French sugar plantations.

Dutch Colonies:
Curacao remains the premier Dutch colony and one of the greatest free ports in
the world. St. Eustatius almost surpasses it, but conquest and reconquest by
numerous expeditions has damaged its economy.

Prospects for Success
---------------------
This era is sometimes called the 'golden age of buccaneering'. There's plenty of
warfare to legalize your actions, and a plethora of rich Spanish and non-Spanish
ports to either raid or use as bases, as you prefer. Because of her military
weakness, Spain's ships and towns are the popular target for buccaneers and
pirates of all nationalities.

The English Buccaneer:
Port Royale makes an excellent base of operations, while Barbados is still the
best place to dispose of large amounts of loot at a very good price. The main
disadvantage of Port Royale is that recruiting a good crew often requires side
trips to the French buccaneer towns on Hispaniola, while a base in the Caribbees
give you access to many English ports for quick, easy recruiting.

The French Buccaneer:
Privateer or pirate, it is wise to leave one or two nations alone, so you have
potential trading partners in case an unexpected peace breaks out. You'll find
recruiting especially easy in the vicinity of Hispaniola, with four separate
French buccaneer ports within a short sail.

The Dutch Adventurer:
Dutchmen of this period weren't shy about offering their services to other
nations, and were always looking for the main chance - a venture with profit, be
it peaceful or warlike. Don't ignore the excellent prospects for peaceful trade.
Above all, remember that Barbados and Curacao are the two richest ports in non-
Spanish America, good fore either trading or selling a looted cargo.

The Spanish Renegade:
Although a renegade's life is never easy, this era is a bright spot on a dark
sea of danger. Privateering or piracy against Spain is, of course, the
recommended course.

                           PIRATES' SUNSET (1680-1700)
                           ---------------------------

Introduction
------------
Europe is as full as ever of tumult and warfare, rapidly shifting alliances and
strange political bedfellows. But the depredations of the buccaneers in the
Americas have taught politicians and military men a lesson. Warriors who fight
for profit can ruin the local economy. Meanwhile, nations have bigger and more
powerful fleets and armies, big enough so troops can be spared for important
colonies in the West Indies.

All this spells the doom of privateering and the buccaneers. Spain may be ruled
by a deformed idiot (the unhappy product of excessive intermarriage by the
Habsburgs), but despite this the pirates disappear, chased from the seas by an
English naval squadron based in Port Royale. Letters of Marque are harder and
harder to get. Buccaneers of all nationalities flock to the French flag in 1684
when it offers Letters of Marque again.

Economically, this is an era of rising wealth and trade for all nations in the
Caribbean. Although some piracy remain, the road to the future is one of
peaceful trade and smuggling.

Cities & Trade
--------------
Spanish Colonies:
Havana, Panama, Cartagena, and Santiago are still important cities, despite the
raids and misfortunes of the last century. Caracas has risen to prominence as
the main harbour serving inland Terra Firma (South America), while Santo Domingo
and San Juan have slipped to a second rank, isolated among the growing French
and English island wealth.

English Colonies:
Port Royale, Barbados, and St. Kitts are the great English ports, with the other
English Caribbees sound and healthy trading posts. The Bahamas are the new
colonial frontier. Nassau, for example, is a wide-open pirate haven. A small
English colony has even sprung up at Belize in Honduras!

French Colonies:
The French colonial empire has not changed its shape greatly in two decades.
Guadeloupe and Martinique remain the twin economic capitals, now equal to the
largest English ports. Tortuga is declining but the Hispaniolan towns of Port-
de-Paix, Petit Goave, and Leogane are all thriving.

Dutch Colonies:
As with France, the shape of the Dutch dominions also is constant: Curacao is
the great free port, while St. Eustatius is recovering from wartime disasters
and trying to live on trade with the recalcitrant English nearby. St. Martin,
the northerly satellite, continues to expand quietly its plantation economy.

Prospects for Success
---------------------
Prospects in this era appear as good as the 1660s and 1670s. However pirate-
hunting warships appear more frequently, while the non-Spanish ports are larger
and better fortified. Indeed, the fairly equal distribution of strong and weak
ports throughout the Caribbean means the prospects for trading are the best in
fifty years. If you do pursue a bellicose path, take advantage of pirate
amnesties when offered, so you are prepared for a sudden outbreak of peace.

The English Pirate:
Well, mate ye always wanted a life of piracy. Try it on for size now! Novices
are encouraged to try a voyage or two in the 1660s first, to get the feel of
privateering, before embarking on a career of high seas crime. Beware the navy
pirate hunters!

The French Buccaneer:
Privateering commissions are legally available still. Take advantage of them to
raid the Spanish. Of course, it pays to beware of the Costa Guarda pirate
hunters.

The Dutch Adventurer:
As a peace-loving free-trade Dutchman, you should think long on the advantages
of trading and smuggling. Dutch ports are few, and although England and France
have laws prohibiting trade with you, in reality the laws are ignored. Even the
Spanish can be coaxed into trading more often than not. Of course, some of your
compatriots made their reputation by sailing as privateers for France. In fact,
two admirals of the French privateers in 1685 are Dutchmen!

The Spanish Costa Guarda:
Now that the English and French colonies are as rich as the Spanish, it's only
appropriate that they taste some of their own medicine! The only difficulty is
evading those French, English and Dutch warships that so inconveniently clutter
up the seascape.


                                   APPENDICES
                                   ----------

                              GEOGRAPHICAL INDEX
                              ------------------

The latitudes and longitudes given in this index are consistent with the B&H
map, included in this package. While quite good for the era, the measurements
on this map are very inexact by modern standards. All founding dates are
approximate.

Antigua:
21 degrees N, 62 degrees W. Colonized in the 1640s, this island is a small
pleasant backwater with a classic plantation economy. In the 18th century it
will become one of the two great naval bases for the British Royal Navy in the
Caribbean.

Barbados:
18 degrees N, 59 degrees W. The first major English colony in the Caribbean (in
the 1620s), Barbados is the economic capital of the Caribbee Islands (Lesser
Antilles) throughout the middle and later parts of the 17th century. Caribbean
traders will find European goods numerous and the selling price of tobacco and
sugar quite good.

Belize:
21 degrees N, 88 degrees W. This small but hardy settlement of logwood cutters
appears in the 1680s in a region conceded to be Spanish, but as yet uncolonised.
Its stubborn presence will cause diplomatic problems for decades to come.

Bermuda:
30 degrees N, 65 degrees W. Settled in the 1640s, Bermuda built its early
economy on shipwrecks, thanks to the many treacherous reefs that surround the
tiny island.

Borburata:
16 degrees N, 67 degrees W. This modes city on the Spanish Main is noteworthy
only in the late 16th century. Thereafter it is sublimated in the growing power
and importance of Caracas.

Campeche:
23 degrees N, 90 degrees W. A well-established 'old' Spanish city with
aristocratic tastes, Campeche is an important port serving the inland provinces
of southern New Spain and Yucatan. European goods fetch good prices here.

Caracas:
16 degrees N, 66 degrees W. This city rises to prominence at the end of the 16th
century. It is the main port for inland farms and plantations, and home of many
important Spanish families, who have expensive tastes in European goods.

Cartagena:
16 degrees N, 75 degrees W. This is the largest port city of the Spanish Main,
and after the 1590s a supposedly impregnable fortress. Here the Treasure Fleet
winters before its return voyage via Havana and the Florida Channel. It has a
powerful garrison of troops and a thriving economy with little need for illegal
trade and smuggling.

Coro:
17 degrees N, 70 degrees W. This small city on the east side of the Gulf of
Venezuela thrives in the 16th Century, but after the 1600s it is overshadowed
by the new ports to the east. During its brief heyday, Coro is a good source of
hides and tobacco.

Cumana:
16 degrees N, 64 degrees W. The main port city of New Andalusia, it forms the
eastern anchor of the Spanish Main, the last major harbour and fortress. It is a
good market for European goods. This does not prevent it from indulging in
smuggling and other nefarious pursuits from time to time.

Curacao:
17 degrees N, 69 degrees W. First used in the 1620s, this island becomes a great
free port under Dutch control. Spanish produce smuggled from everywhere along
the Main are bought here by Dutch merchants, who happily exchange them for
European products that can be profitable and smuggled to the Spanish.

Eleuthera:
26 degrees N, 76 degrees W. At first just an anchorage for privateers, Eleuthera
becomes and English colony eventually. In the 17th Century it really never
grows, remaining a backwater haven for pirates, privateers, and the other riff-
raff who hide among the Bahamas.

Florida Channel:
26 degrees N, 80 degrees W. The powerful Gulf Stream current has cut this
channel along the southeast coast of Florida, forming a safe path past the
Bahama shoals. Each year in the spring or summer the Spanish Treasure Fleet
passes up this channel from Havana, bound for the North Atlantic Westerlies and
the trip home.

Florida Keys:
26 degrees N, 81 degrees W. Among this chain of tiny islands and reefs are
transitory anchorages for privateers of varying nationalities. No permanent
colonies are found here - it is too close to powerful Spanish Havana.

Gibraltar:
15 degrees N, 71 degrees W. This city is a modest-size port for the inland farms
and plantations of Caracas province. The horrifying rape and pillage of the city
by L'Ollonais and again by Morgan destroyed its economic vitality, making it a
nonentity by the 1680s.

Gran Granada:
17 degrees N, 86 degrees W. Situated on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, this is
the largest and wealthiest city of the Honduran provinces.

Grand Bahama:
28 degrees N, 79 degrees W. This island in the northern Bahamas is used
periodically as a privateering anchorage. It does not become an English colony
until the very end of the era.

Grenada:
17 degrees N, 61 degrees W. A group of English colonists attempt settlement here
in the 1600s, but fail and the colony disappears by the 1620s.

Guadeloupe:
20 degrees N, 61 degrees W. Colonised by the French, Guadeloupe becomes
economically viable in the 1640s. Along with Martinique, it is the cornerstone
of French power in the eastern Caribbean. In the 1660s its fortress and garrison
are increased as part of France's new interest in overseas colonisation.

Havana:
25 degrees N, 82 degrees W. One of the old cities of Cuba, during the middle
16the Century it grew rapidly because the Treasure Fleet used its harbour for a
last provisioning before the dangerous journey back to Spain. Havana is a rich
town where all mercantile activity is done strictly according to law. Prices are
extremely high.

Isabella:
23 degrees N, 71 degrees W. This tiny port town was initially established by
Columbus himself, but fades in and out of existence as disease takes its toll.
At the start of the 17th Century it is officially abandoned by the Spanish
Government, its residents forced to resettle around Santo Domingo.

La Vega:
22 degrees N, 71 degrees W. This smuggler's haven of the early and middle
17th Century serves the inland ranches and farms of northern Hispaniola. Prices
are low and the law non-existent, save the law you make with the point of your
sword.

Leogane:
22 degrees N, 73 degrees W. One of the new French buccaneer ports of the 1660s,
Leogane serves the unofficial but rapidly growing French presence in western
Hispaniola.

Maracaibo:
16 degrees N, 72 degrees W. This is the chief port on the Gulf of Venezuela and
guardian of the Maracaibo Lagoon (also known as Lake Maracaibo). As such it has
more than its share of aristocratic families, with expensive tastes in European
fashion.

Margarita: 
17 degrees N, 63 degrees W. In the early 16th century, this island was one of
the richest pearl fisheries in the world. Unfortunately, the pearl beads are now
fished out. Margarita is a shadow of its former wealth, with the ports abandoned
and many families moving to bigger and richer mainland cities, such as Cumana
and Caracas.

Martinique:
19 degrees N, 61 degrees W. Colonised by the French, Martinique becomes
economically viable in the 1640s. With Guadeloupe, it is the cornerstone of
French power in the eastern Caribbean. In the 1660s its fortress and garrison
are increased as part of France's new interest in overseas colonisation.

Montserrat:
21 degrees N, 62 degrees W. This English colony, founded around 1640, remains
one of small plantations and gentleman farming, a pleasant port of call with no
especially important characteristics save low prices.

Nassau:
26 degrees N, 77 degrees W. Since the mid 16th century, this Bahaman island has
been a pirate anchorage. An English colony, officially begun in the 1680s, soon
degenerates into a loud, squalid pirate haven full of verminous and evil men.
The port is named 'New Providence', to distinguish it from Providence Island
('Old Providence').

Nevis:
21 degrees N, 63 degrees W. This pleasant island, separated from St. Kitts by a
narrow channel, was populated by the English at about the same time - the 1620s.
While St. Kitts becomes a port of some importance, Nevis remains more
agricultural, with pleasant plantations rolling across sun-drenched
mountainsides.

Nombre Dios:
15 degrees N, 79 degrees W. This town is the Caribbean port for Panama and Peru
throughout the 16th century. However, it is sited in an unhealthy swamp, is
almost impossible to fortify, and is plundered mercilessly by English sea hawks.
At the end of the 16th century it is abandoned and a new port (Puerto Bello)
established nearby.

Panama:
15 degrees N, 80 degrees W. This large city links the wealth Spanish realms of
Peru with the Caribbean. All trade with Peru is by ship on the Pacific coast,
with Panama the terminus. Panama is linked to a Caribbean port (Nombre de Dios
in the 16th century, Puerto Bello in the 17th) by a mule train over the
mountains of the Darien Isthmus.

Petit Goave:
22 degrees N, 73 degrees W. Among the many small and informal French Huguenot
settlements on the Western Hispaniola, this is the first (in the 1620s) to gain
repute as an important port. but as the 17th Century continues, planters and
plantation lords push out the rude buccaneers, gradually civilising the raw
colonial frontier.

Port-de-Paix:
23 degrees N, 73 degrees W. This later French Huguenot settlement becomes a
significant port in the 1660s, and by the 1680s is the informal capital of the
French colonies in the Western Hispaniola.

Port Royale:
21 degrees N, 77 degrees W. In a natural harbour on southeast Jamaica lies a
curving spit and sandbar. By 1660, just five years after the English conquest
of Jamaica, the spit is covered by Port Royale, a booming, rollicking, buccaneer
town. Its reputation was so evil that when an earthquake destroyed it at the end
of the century, colonials and Europeans alike considered it an act of divine
justice.

Puerto Cabello:
16 degrees N, 68 degrees W. This secondary port along the Spanish Main is a city
of note through the 1620s. Ultimately, however, Caracas takes most of its
business, while the new Dutch free port at Curacao destroys the rest.

Puerto Principe:
24 degrees N, 78 degrees W. This was one of the first cities on Cuba. It
represents the strengths of Spanish America: a wealthy city surrounded by
ranches and a cattle economy.

Providence:
18 degrees N, 82 degrees W. Also known as 'Old Providence', it is first settled
by an English colonial venture in 1620. The tiny island quickly becomes a base
for privateers and pirates operating deep in the Spanish Main. The island is
such a danger to Spain that a major expedition is mounted in 1640 to recapture
it. This is successful, and to this day the island remains knowns by what the
Spanish renamed it: Santa Catalina.

Puerto Bello:
15 degrees N, 80 degrees W. By 1600 this city replaces abandoned Nombre de Dios
as the Caribbean port for Panama and the Viceroyalty of Peru. Each year, when
the Treasure Fleet arrives to pick up the Peruvian silver, Puerto Bello becomes
a rich boom town. Weeks later, when the fleet departs for Cartagena, it lapses
into malarial somnolence once more.

Rio de la Hacha:
17 degrees N, 73 degrees W. This is one of the two major ports for the Colombian
highlands (Santa Marta is the other). It does a thriving trade in export goods:
first hides, then tobacco.

San Juan: 
22 degrees N, 66 degrees W. This is the great port city of Puerto Rico, and one
of the most powerfully fortified of all cities in Spanish America. San Juan was
settled early and remains a bastion of old Spanish aristocracy. Prices for all
goods except food are high, and most times Spanish law is vigorously enforced.
Ultimately it becomes a base for Costa Guarda raids on the Caribbees.

Santa Catalina:
18 degrees N, 82 degrees W. When Spaniards take Providence Island from the
English in the 1640s, they rename it Santa Catalina. Although the island is
valueless to Spain, a garrison is maintained to prevent it from falling into 
English hands once more.

Santo Domingo:
22 degrees N, 70 degrees W. This is the great capital city of Hispaniola, one of
the largest and oldest in the entire American Empire of Spain. In the 17th
century its power and importance are fading, but the Spanish aristocrats and
ranchers remain vigorous enough to defeat an English invasion in 1655
(disappointed, the English invade and conquer Jamaica instead).

Santa Marta:
17 degrees N, 74 degrees W. Along with Rio de la Hacha, this is the other
principal port serving the Colombian highlands. Large farmsteads nearby mean
this city has low food prices, as well as reasonably priced hides and tobacco.

Santiago:
23 degrees N, 76 degrees W. This is the original capital city of Cuba, and
remains a large, strong city until very late in the era. Like all the great
Spanish cities, prices are high while Spanish trade law is vigorously enforced.

Santigo de la Vega:
21 degrees N, 77 degrees W. This is the main Spanish town on Jamaica before the
English conquest. Spanish Jamaica was a tiny backwater, of little economic or
military importance.

St. Augustine:
30 degrees N, 81 degrees W. Originally a French colony in 1560, Spain attacks
and captures it, massacring the Frenchmen and establishing their own fortress
and garrison to discourage other Europeans. St. Augustine is of such small
importance that nobody bothers to dispute Spain's ownership.

St. Christophe:
21 degrees N, 63 degrees W. First colonized in the 1620s by a combination of
Frenchmen and Englishmen, the Frenchmen are ascendant on the island in the early
days. Later the English predominate and their spelling of the name is commonly
used: St. Kitts.

St. Eustatius:
21 degrees N, 63 degrees W. Settled in the 1640s by the Dutch, this island
becomes one of the great free trade ports in the heyday of Dutch mercantilism.
Unfortunately, its poor defences and powerful English and French neighbours make
it one of the most fought-over islands. The political and military turmoil 
badly damage the economy.

St. Kitts:
21 degrees N, 63 degrees W. By the 1640s the English gain the upper hand on St.
Christophe. When the English are predominant, this English name for the island
is commonly used. The island develops a significant port that does a thriving
trade with all nationalities.

St. Lucia:
19 degrees N, 61 degrees W. English colonists settled here in preference to
South America in the 1600s, but were quickly wiped out by their own ineptitude
and the ferocious Carib Indians.

St. Martin:
22 degrees N, 63 degrees W. This island is colonised by the Dutch in the 1640s.
It remains a quiet, peaceful plantation isle for the remainder of the 17th
century.

St. Thome:
15 degrees N, 61 degrees W. This tiny town, deep inland along the Orinoco River,
acquires a small Spanish garrison about 1600. This is in response to Sir Walter
Raleigh's abortive expeditions up-river.

Tortuga:
23 degrees N, 73 degrees W. First settled by French buccaneers and Huguenots
in the 1620s, it is built up and fortified into a great pirate base of the 1640s
and '60s. Despite Spanish attacks, it survives as long as the buccaneers and
pirates remained strong, but disappears as their power wanes.

Trinidad:
16 degrees N, 61 degrees W. Theoretically a Spanish colony, this island never
has a large population, nor much of a Spanish government and garrison. Its
heyday as a smuggler's paradise is in the first years of the 1600s.

Vera Cruz and San Juan de Ulua Harbour:
23 degrees N, 96 degrees W. This city with its island anchorage is the main port
for the great inland Viceroyalty of New Spain (also known as Mexico). Once a
year, when the Treasure Fleet arrives, this otherwise unhealthy city becomes a
rich boom town.

Villa Hermosa:
22 degrees N, 93 degrees W. This inland city is the capital of Tobasco province,
a southerly but nontheless rich region of New Spain.

Yaguana:
22 degrees N, 72 degrees W. In the 16th century this town is a small port
serving the Spanish west coast of Hispaniola. It is officially abandoned and its
population deported at the end of the century as a punishment for excessive
smuggling.

                              CAPTAIN'S BROADSHEET
                              --------------------

A Quick Start
-------------
For your first game, the following 'Quick Start' is recommended.

Starting Options:
Begin your first game with the following selections (starting selections are
described in detail early in this document).

   Welcome: Start a New Career.
   Special Historical Period?: No, thanks.
   What Nationality are you?: English.
   Type your name (no more than 9 characters) and press RETURN.
   Difficulty Level?: Apprentice.
   Special Ability?: Skill at Fencing.

Important
---------
You must know when the Treasure Fleet or Silver Train arrives. Refer to the
chart listed in Book I.

Learn by Doing
--------------
Some players prefer to learn by experimentation. To do so, just read the notes
below and refer to the controls summary in this broadsheet. If you are confused,
refer to the indicated sections of the manual for more details.

Pause:
The SPACE bar pauses the action. This is handy while learning.

Your First Duel:
The joystick controls your fencing tactics. You see these tactics acted out on
screen. You don not control each specific wrist, arm, body, and leg motion.

In Port:
Explore the port and the options available before leaving for your first cruise.
However, do not divide up the plunder yet. 

Cruising the Seas:
Push your joystick in the direction you wish to set sail. Once sailing, leave
the stick centered to remain on course, pull it left or right to turn in that
direction (just like the rudder of a real ship). For information while sailing,
press the trigger. If you're lost, one of the information options is a 'sun
sight' with your astrolabe.

Fighting Ships:
If you encounter and fight an enemy ship, read the section that describes your
options. If you pull alongside, a boarding battle with swordfighting may occur.

Finishing Your Voyage:
Return to port, sell your gains to the merchant, visit the governor for any
rewards, then divide The plunder. After that, select retirement. This ends the
game and shows your score. Don't worry! You can come out of retirement again
(health permitting).

Saving Games & Hall of Fame
---------------------------
You need an extra, blank disc to save PIRATES! during play. You cannot save any
information on the game disc.

Saving the Game:
To save the game, enter any town and select Check Information. The option list
includes Save Game. Select this option and follow the instructions. PIRATES!
save game discs use a special format. You must use the format option offered in
Save Game; a normally formatted disc will not suffice. Note that formatting a 
disc prepares it for saving games, but does not actually save anything.

The Hall of Fame:
Having a formatted disc is necessary to record your final score on the Hall of
Fame. The same disc can hold both your saved games and the Hall of Fame.

                               THE ART OF COMMAND
                               ------------------

Menus
-----
Joystick............................Move pointer (changes highlighted option)
Trigger on Joystick.................Select highlighted option
SPACE Bar...........................Stop music

Trading & Moving Goods
----------------------
Joystick Up/Down....................Select item to be traded or moved
Joystick Left.......................Buy or take item for your party
Joystick Right......................Sell or abandon items held by your party
Trigger on Joystick.................Exit

Fencing & Swordplay
-------------------
Joystick Left.......................Fast attack high, mid-level or low
Joystick Left & Trigger Down........Slashing attack high, mid-level or low
Joystick in Centre..................Parry (blocks attacks) high, middle or low
Joystick Right......................Retreat and parry high, mid-level or low
SPACE Bar...........................Pause and resume

Note: Joystick height (upward, horizontal, or downward) controls the height of
an attack or parry (high, mid-level or low). For example, the joystick left and
upward is a fast attack high, while the joystick left and downward is a fast
attack low.

Marching Overland
-----------------
Joystick (any direction)............Party marches in that direction
Trigger on Joystick.................Get information
SPACE Bar...........................Pause and resume

Sailing the Caribbean
---------------------
Joystick (any direction)............Set sail (joystick controls direction)
Joystick Left.......................Turn left (port) while sailing
Joystick Right......................Turn right (starboard) while sailing
Trigger on Joystick.................Get information
SPACE Bar...........................Pause and resume

Note: You can anchor safely anywhere on the coast and disembark automatically.
However, any travel over shoals (reefs) may be fatal.

Sea Battles
-----------
Joystick Left.......................Turn left (port)
Joystick Right......................Turn right (starboard)
Joystick Up.........................Full sails (raises all sails for maximum
                                    speed)
Joystick Down.......................Battle sails (reduces risk of gunfire
                                    damage)
Trigger on Joystick.................Fire cannon broadside
SPACE Bar...........................Pause and resume

Land Battles
------------
Joystick (any direction)............Move the highlighted group only
Trigger on Joystick.................Change highlighted group
Joystick & Trigger Down.............Move all groups simultaneously
(Automatic When Stationary).........Group fires
(Automatic When Stationary).........Group fights hand-to-hand with enemy
SPACE Bar...........................Pause and resume

Taking a Sun Sight with the Astrolabe
-------------------------------------
Joystick Left/Right.................Move astrolabe under sun
Joystick Up/Down....................Raise/lower astrolabe platform
Trigger on Joystick.................Exit
SPACE Bar...........................Pause and resume

                           THE POWER OF OBSERVATION
                           ------------------------

National Colours
----------------
Red.................................England
Green...............................Netherlands (Holland)
Dark Blue...........................France
Cyan/Light Blue.....................Spain

Sea Battles
-----------
You can distinguish friendly from hostile ships by colour.

Black Hull, White Sails.............Your ship
Orange Hull, White Sails............Enemy ship

Land Battles
------------
You can distinguish one group from another by colour.

White...............................Your highlighted (selected) group
Black...............................Your other group(s)
Red.................................Enemy group(s)

                                NOTES & MEMORANDA
                                -----------------

PIRATES! began as a glimmer in an historian's eye. Here at Microprose, we knew
that the buccaneering era in the Caribbean would make a fabulous game. However,
to do the era justice, we had to invent a new type of action/adventure
simulation.

Superficially, PIRATES! appears to be an arcade-style game. The sailing, ship
battles, and swordfights all run in real-time where your actions and reactions
must be quick, decisive, and correct. But upon closer examination, each aspect
of the game is based around the actual principles of that activity.

Sailing controls work like a real ship's rudder, and sailing speeds depend on
the ship's hull, rigging, and the strength of the wind. When playing at
Swashbuckler reality level, there is no game assistance for sailing into the
wind (as there is at lower levels). The difficulties of tacking into the wind
and the importance of catching each wind change is quite evident. You'll also
see the grave flaws in the galleon ship design (bigger is not always better).
Try sailing a galleon from Vera Cruz to Havana, and then up the Florida Channel
to St. Augustine. You'll soon see why so many Spanish Captains came to grief
in those waters!

Similarly, swordfighting is deceptive. You do not control motions per se, but
instead select 'combinations' for attack and defence. This approach to fencing 
is based on the sports of Epee, Foil and Saber - modern equivalents to duelling.
If you're familiar with those, you'll soon see the similarities between those
modern competitions and what happens in PIRATES! Fighters close for a quick
flurry, then spring apart again.

Strange as it may seem to us in the 20th century, the buccaneers really did
insist that their Captain fight at the forefront. They didn't want a leader
who'd stand back and give orders, they wanted somebody who'd risk his neck
alongside them! Surviving commentary show that personal leadership and duels
between commanders were not infrequent in boarding and storming battles.

The game does simplify the options and possibilities inherent in West Indian
colonial life, in order to streamline gameplay. Even so, colonial port society
actually centred around three main elements: recreation (the taverns), trading
(the merchant), and politics (the governor). Recent excavations and mappings of
Port Royale (destroyed by earthquake in 1692) demonstrate the truth of this.

We must confess to adding a few minor elements of romance and adventure. After
all, no voyage would be complete without buried treasure maps, evil Spaniards,
and beautiful women! Actually, even the governor's daughter represents a feature
of the period: inside political information. In real life, as in the game,
confidential information gained through personal connections can be an
invaluable aid.

To some our choice of period may seem strange. The most famous pirates, such as
Edward Teach (Blackbeard) were in the 1700s through 1720s. However, those men
were psychotic remnants of a great age, criminals who wouldn't give up. They
were killed in battle or hung for evils no European nation condoned. There was
no political intrigue or golden future to their lives, just a bullet or a short
rope. We found them unattractive and uninteresting compared to the famous sea
hawks and buccaneers that preceded them.

PIRATES! was a fascinating and challenging game to create. We're confident
you'll find it enjoyable. We also hope you'll find it an enlightening window
to life in another age.
