Blackbeard

Blackbeard, by B. Barker

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Title: Blackbeard Or, The Pirate of Roanoke.
Author: B. Barker
Release Date: February 26, 2006 [EBook #17863]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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BLACKBEARD;
OR, THE
PIRATE OF THE ROANOKE.
A Tale of the Atlantic.
BY B. BARKER, ESQ.
Author of 'The Sea Serpent,' 'Dwarf of the Channel,' 'Mornilva,' &c.
BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY F. GLEASON, AT THE FLAG OF OUR
UNION OFFICE, CORNER OF COURT AND TREMONT
STREETS.
1847.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by F. Gleason,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.




CHAPTER I.
The Island of Trinidad. Landing of the Earl of Derwentwater and his
party upon the Isle--Its Enchanted Scenery. Unnatural Sounds. Sudden
appearance of the Notorious Pirate Blackbeard.
Situated upon the broad bosom of the vast Atlantic Ocean, about two
hundred leagues from the coast of Brazil, is a small but fertile island,

which has retained from the period of its first discovery, the familiar
name of Trinidad. This beautiful island, although a lovely and
sequestered spot, has been for various general reasons, but rarely
visited by the hardy mariners of the deep, and never permanently
settled or inhabited by man. Its surface is agreeably diversified with
high hills and low beautiful valleys, whilst its circumference is almost
wholly surrounded by a chain of dark, rocky cliffs, which gives to this
remote island a somewhat fantastic appearance to the eye of the
beholder, as he approaches it from the sea. On this circumscribed but
favored spot of earth, nature seems to have reveled in almost boundless
profusion, scattering here and there throughout its valleys her choicest
favors, in the shape of delicious tropical fruits, and ever green luxuriant
herbage, whose fragrance as it mingled with the pure fresh breeze of
the ocean, has proved to be a sweet balsam of health to many a sick and
weary mariner as he sailed within reach of its invigorating influence.
Although this fair island possessed no convenient harbor for its vessels
of any class, still there was upon its southern side, a small piece of
white sandy beach, upon which a single boat might easily land, and
here upon this same spot, a boat did land about an hour after sunrise, on
the thirty-first day of October, 1717.
The boat in question, was occupied by six persons, who, as soon as its
keel grazed upon the clear white sand, immediately disembarked and
dispersed themselves singly and by twos, in different directions for the
purpose of enjoying a short ramble amongst the shady trees and
fragrant foliage of the island.
The party to which we have alluded, consisted of the Earl of
Derwentwater, a noble looking gentleman, who, apparently had but just
spent the prime of life,--his fair niece, Mary Hamilton, a stately and
beautiful girl, about twenty-three years of age,--Arthur Huntington and
his twin brother, Henry--a huge red headed but fat and good natured
son of the 'Emerald Isle,' who acted in the capacity of servant to the earl,
and last, though by no means least, a beautiful golden haired, cherry
cheerful nymph of fourteen, whom for the sake of a name we shall call
Ellen Armstrong.

After having rambled about for a short space of time, the earl and his
fair niece suddenly encountered each other on the brow of a rising
eminence, when the latter then accosted her companion:
'Dear uncle, this lovely island seems to me, like a miniature paradise,
wherein I could always wish to live as long as the precious boon of life
should be granted unto me.'
'I declare, Mary,' replied the earl, as a slight smile passed over his noble
countenance, 'you appear to be an enthusiast in every thing. I grant, that
this is a beautiful spot, yet not to be compared in my estimation, even
for a moment, with my lovely park near London, in merry old England.'
'But, you forget, dear uncle,' replied Mary Hamilton, 'that our English
parks are not now what they once were.'
'How so, Mary, do not the staunch old oaks, grow to a height as lofty as
of yore?'
'Perhaps they do, but still, uncle, there is too much art mixed up with
nature, in our