Yorke #04 - Corsair by Dudley Pope

Author:Dudley Pope [Pope, Dudley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Great Britain, Historical, Action & Adventure, Buccaneers, Jamaica
ISBN: 9780755104406
Google: CD21O0olUR8C
Amazon: 0755104404
Publisher: House of Stratus
Published: 1989-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

The three ships sailed from Port Royal before nightfall, the Griffin leading, followed by the Peleus and the Phoenix. A brisk east wind scattered white crests across the sea; very soon after dusk a new moon showed up almost shyly on the western horizon, the whole of its orb faintly visible.

Aurelia was cheerful and as they finished their supper commented to Ned: 'So thanks to Sir Harold we are at sea again!'

'Thanks to four ships acting as pirates,' Ned corrected her.

'Pouf, pirates! Last week we were pirates when we went to Riohacha. It's an easy word to use.'

Ned agreed, but added: 'When Jamaica's ships are attacked, though, we have to do something about it.'

'Oh, yes, of course, but I rather like being called a "corsair": it is a nice word. Even better than buccaneer.'

'I think I'd sooner be a buccaneer,' Ned said. 'There's something rather comforting about having a sheet of paper signed by the governor. I miss not having a commission in my drawer.'

The ship was pitching as the following wind filled her sails and sent her surging ahead of the waves, and the mainyard creaked and squeaked. The big mainsail occasionally lost the wind and filled again with a bang which shook the ship.

'When do we reach the Caymans?' Aurelia asked.

'They're very scattered. The biggest is Grand Cayman, but Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are seventy-five miles or so away to the north-east of it.'

'So you may have trouble finding your "corsairs"?'

'Yes, unless they are anchored at one or other of the islands.'

'Where was our ship attacked?'

'Off Grand Cayman.'

'What was she doing there?'

'Going in for turtles, I think. No other reason for visiting the Caymans. Just a few people live there - fisherfolk and turtlers.'

'What would corsairs go there for?'

'They can get fresh water from a natural cistern at Gun Bluff, on Grand Cayman. Fresh water is hard to find on the other two islands. Turtles - the Dons like to get them for their shells.'

'Apart from fresh water, there doesn't seem much to attract corsairs there!'

'If they're desperate, they might seize a few local turtle boats. Or capture something like the one that got away and started all this fuss.'

'These corsairs must be buffoons if they let a coasting vessel escape them,' Aurelia said. 'If it was going to the Caymans for turtles, it can't be very big.'

'That's what puzzles me. Firstly, why pirates bother with such a ship, and secondly, having bothered, failed capture it.'

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