Pirate swords and weapons

[VANDOO]

SOME EUROPEAN VERSIONS AND ONE THAT LEWIS AND CLARK TOOK ALONG ON THEIR EXPLORATIONS. SOME WERE BREACH LOADERS.

A INTERESTING BIT OF INFO. IN THE 1970'S AN AMERICAN FROM FLORIDA SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR LETTERS OF MARKE. HIS PROPOSITION WAS THAT HE WOULD PREY ON ALL THE DRUG RUNNERS AROUND FLORIDA AND GET TO SELL THE VESSELS AND CONTENTS AND KEEP ANY MONEY AND WOULD TURN OVER ANY DRUGS TO THE GOVERNMENT. DURING THIS TIME A TYPE OF PIRATE WAS PREVELENT THRUOUT THE CARIBEAN THEY WOULD SIGN ON AS CREW HERE AND KILL THE OWNERS ONCE AT SEA AND USE THE BOATS TO RUN DRUGS. MANY BOATS WERE ALSO TAKEN BY SPEED BOATS FULL OF DRUG PIRATES AND ALL ON BOARD KILLED. MANY SAIL BOATS AS WELL AS POWER BOATS AND CREWS DISSAPEARED DURING THOSE YEARS.
A RELATIVE OF MINE LIVED IN FLORIDA DURING THOSE YEARS AND TOLD A STORY OF A FRIEND OF HIS COMING BACK INTO PORT WITH ONE SIDE OF HIS SAILBOAT BLACK. WHEN ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED HE SAID A SPEED BOAT HAD CAME UP ON HIM OFFSHORE AND THE MEN HAD GUNS ,SO WHEN THEY GOT CLOSE HE THREW TWO HANDGRENADES HE KEPT FOR SUCH EMERGENCYS IN THEIR BOAT AND DUCKED AND LEFT THEM SINKING AND BURNING. IF THE STORY WAS TRUE THEN AT LEAST ONE BOATLOAD OF PIRATES WENT MISSING IN THE 1970'S.