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Pieces of Eight



Image result for pieces of eightA pirate can be described as an individual who travels overseas in search of treasure or "booty" to steal. An enormous quantity of pirates have done justice to this description over time. Their journeys searching for such items have lead them to riches and to nothing at all. They would mostly search through seaports for such precious and high valued items. These seaports would hold high importance as they would give many pirates the name and respect in which they are in debt to.

Seaports such as Nombre De Dios located in Panama would be a crucial port for figures like Francis Drake. Francis Drake was an Englishmen who was not exactly a pirate but committed plentiful amounts of piracy. The novel Under the Black Flag describes many of his adventures. One of his expeditions he had found himself on a raid to a small town of Venta Cruces after failing to acquire any treasures on his first raid. This turned out to be successful as the mule trains were holding a copious amount of treasure satisfying Francis Drake and his men.

Additionally, Francis Drake was able to plunder the Cacafuego. This achievement would end up being his greatest prize. He was able to trick the Cacafuego's captain by pretending to be a merchant and setting fire upon the surprised pirates. The ship held a vast amount of riches. This included thirteen chests of royal plate, eighty pounds of gold, and twenty-six tons of uncoined silver.

The ports were very significant to Francis Drake since they allowed him to produce a name for himself and collect an enormous amount of treasures.

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