Bilingual Buccaneers

[Picaroon Lagoon]

Okay maybe not Buccaneers exclusively, but I love alliteration… Anyway, I’ve seen my fair share of discussions pondering the literacy levels of Golden Age Pirates, but I can’t recall much discussion on their ability to speak and/or understand multiple languages. It seems that Pirates, be they Dutch, French, or from any of the English speaking British Isles would be well served, tactically speaking, to at least have a working understanding of the Spanish language. Considering that Spanish currency was the most highly sought commodity, which meant actively targeting Spanish vessels crewed by Spanish speaking seamen, and carrying out a large percentage of their piratical pursuits in an area commonly called the SPANISH Main….. well, you get the point. 

I wonder, being fairly new here still, if anyone might recall if this has been discussed here in the pub forums before and/or if anyone is aware of any academic investigations (books, blogs, articles, dissertations, etc.) into this topic? 
 

 

[Mary Diamond]

Ah, what a fascinating line of inquiry! I do not recall it being brought forth previously…

[Mission]

I don't recall seeing much in the way of reference to speaking other languages in the English sailor's books I've got from the period. Although I HAVE seen badly mangled spellings for places, foods, animals and such in English sailor's books. Dampier in particular includes foreign words for some of the many interesting things he found to describe in his books. 

None of which means that those interested wouldn't have learned enough of other languages to communicate. As you suggest, it is likely that a certain amount of Dutch and/or French would have been helpful for mixed crews. The Spanish were almost never on the same side as the English during this period so I wouldn't think having a crew of Spanish speakers would have been all that important. You really only needed one or two people who spoke both languages in most situations. In fact, I seem to recall somebody, probably Shelvocke or Rogers, mentioning that they had a crewmember who spoke both Spanish and English who was used to communicate with prisoners and/or combatants.

[Picaroon Lagoon]

1 hour ago, Mission said:

I HAVE seen badly mangled spellings of places, foods, animals and such in English sailor's books.

The English language still had not been fully codified at this point which could account for a good deal of this. 
 

Thank you for your thorough reply! Lots of great information and things to consider! 

[Mission]

8 hours ago, Picaroon Lagoon said:

The English language still had not been fully codified at this point which could account for a good deal of this. 
 

Thank you for your thorough reply! Lots of great information and things to consider! 

Actually, I mistakenly left out a part of that statement. What I meant to say was that I had seen badly mangled spellings of foreign words for places, foods, animals and such in English sailor's books. The makes it more sense with the Dampier comment. (Incidentally, Dampier was remarkably good at spelling such words correctly or close enough that it was easy to figure out what the word was. Much more so than other sailor's books from the period.)

While the English language was still under some development during the GAoP, it was better codified than you might think. Comparing books from the early 17th century to those in the early 18th century by surgeons that I have read, it had improved quite dramatically over the century. Of course, spelling of foreign words would have been done phonetically. In addition, spelling among common men like sailors (and, to a lesser extent, among some government officials) could be pretty poor. However, I have a variety of dictionaries from before or during the golden age of piracy and the spelling of their words agree fairly well with each other. (Note, I have multiple editions of some of them because later editions have added words. I often use them when writing my articles, usually as a way to show when a word was in common enough usage to be included in a dictionary.)

[Mission]

Looking around, I found that Dampier spoke Spanish.

"It was not long before one of the. Priests' came into the Room to me, and received me very civilly. With him I had a great deal of discourse: he was a French Man by Nation, but spoke Spanish  nd Portuguese very well. It was chiefly in Spanish that we entertained each other, which I understood much better, than I could speak..." (William Dampier, A Supplement of the Voyage Round the World, Book 1, 1700, p. 94)

Here are some interesting quotes about speaking foreign languages.

"We had notice these [Spanish] Ladies had some conceal'd Treasure about them, and order'd a Female Negro that we took, and who spoke English, to search them narrowly, and found some Gold Chains and other things cunningly hid under their Clothes." (Woodes Rogers, A Cruising Voyage Round the World, 1712, p. 243)

"...we took those [African] Women aboard, only because they spoke English, and begg'd to be admitted for Landresses, Cooks and Semstresses." (Woodes Rogers, A Cruising Voyage Round the World, 1712, p. 279)

"[1690, Chennai, India] Some time after this, Mr. Moody, who spoke the Malayan Language [I believe he is referring to HIndi although there are many, many dialects over a hundred languages used in India, and hundreds of dialects] very well, and was a Person very capable  to manage the [East India] Company's Affairs, was ordered by the Governor of Fort St. George to prepare to go to Indrapore, an English Factory on the West Coast of Sumatra..." (William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World, 1699, p. 511)

"[Tonquin, China, 1688] I could not be informed of my Guide what this [what Dampier was witnessing] meant but some time after when I was returned to our Ship, the Guide's brother, who spoke English, told me, it was a Funeral Feast..." (William Dampier, A Supplement of the Voyage Round the World, Book 1, 1700, p. 92)

"[1699, Portuguese settlement at Pante Massacar, Timor] I staid there about two Hours, and we spoke to each other by an Interpreter." (William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World, Vol III, 1703, p. 41)

"[1699] The Gunner spoke very good French, and therefore I took him to be my Interpreter, because the Governour [on Timor] speaks French..." (William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World, Vol III, 1703, p. 49-50)

"145. The Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer. 6 September 1718
Philadelphia, July 3. Colston arriv'd from Antego, and Webb from Barbadoes; the former was taken under the Tropick by a Spanish Pyrate with about 80 Men in a Rhode-Island built Briganteen, an extraordinary Sailor, they took from him two Casks of Water, the fresh Provisions, and some Rum; the Pyrate had a Consort Sloop they parted with the Day before, they wore Spanish Colours, many of them spoke good English." (Ed Fox, Pirates in Their Own Words II, 2022, p. 92)

"[Thomas Tew, 1693] There is a. Moorman [this is a general term, referring to natives in the East Indies] on board taken amongst them, whom they have learnt their Lingo, and he is their interpreter to all [the local East India ships] they take..." (Item 397, Charles Hill, "NOTES ON PIRACY IN EASTERN WATERS", The Indian Antiquity, May, 1926, p. 93)

There are more, but you get the general idea. They seem to have primarily relied on interpreters.

[Picaroon Lagoon]

This is awesome! Thank you for taking the time and sharing this information! 
 

1 hour ago, Mission said:

They seem to have primarily relied on interpreters.

So, in your opinion, do you think it is safe to assume that pirate crews would have valued and therefore sought to take on interpreters in much the same way they might seek out those skilled in other trades? I seem to recall reading that while captured ships men were often allowed to go free, certain skilled tradesmen (such as doctors) were more often press ganged into joining the crew as they were deemed too valuable to simply let go. Do you think it plausible that, at least in certain instances, interpreters might have been similarly valued? And if so… this brings to mind a further point of inquiry (though it strays a bit from the topic at hand and perhaps warrants it’s own thread, but for sake of conversational continuity, I will ask it here)… Obviously, a persons learned abilities (such as speaking multiple languages, or even medical training) cannot be surmised purely by visual inspection; therefore do we know to what extent pirates might have questioned (interrogated?) captured ships crews to determine the individual value of particular seamen? And furthermore along the same tangential lines of inquiry, do we, for that matter, have any idea about the process of interviewing possible recruits when assembling a pirate crew, or given the Pirate’s forward thinking attitudes towards equality, could anyone just sign on? (Sort of, ‘No Experience Necessary; Will Train’) 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Picaroon Lagoon
Correct typo

[Mission]

Every example up there is either for pirates, privateers or buccaneers and none of them specifically mention pressing someone into service or treating them any differently than others on board. OTOH, there are specific mentions of special treatment of surgeons, musicians and carpenters. Here are some other examples of the GHoP.

"[Thomas Howard] At length the Pyrates forced Captain Woolley, who spoke the Moors' Language, to go
on board [a captured ship] and offer Quarters, which they accepted..." (Daniel Defoe (Captain Charles Johnson), The General History of the Pyrates, Manuel Schornhorn, ed.,  1999, p. 494)

Here's another example, which likewise suggests they made use of someone without affording them any special treatment. "[Nathaniel North] As the Pyrates had on board several black Slaves, who spoke the East-India Tongue, one of them was ordered to enquire of him where they might find Water, promising him his Liberty if he would direct them." (Defoe (Captain Charles Johnson), p. 522)

Both translators were prisoners, but there is no mention of pressing them into service specifically because of their language skills, nor of special consideration. So I'd have to say it is doubtful unless some more encouraging evidence is produced.

[Mission]

Still looking into this because it's an interesting topic that I haven't seen discussed before. (Clearly I don't remember everything I read because there is quite a bit more about how this was done than I recalled.) I did find an example of a forced interpreter by Thomas Pound's pirates after they captured a fishing vessel near Nantucket and kept the crew aboard. They intended to take another, better vessel and go to the Caribbean, which is where this takes place.

"...Hawkins and his crew in the ketch, steered a course to the northeast, taking with them John Darby of Marblehead, who went voluntarily, and forcing a boy who could speak French, intending to use him as an interpreter..." (Dow and Edmonds, The Pirates of the New England Coast 1630-1730, 1996, p. 56-7)

"[1697, East Indiaman Scepter] Coming out of the Governor's house, we were again set upon the Governor's horses, with very fine harness on them, and conducted to our broker's house, who was our linguister and was to be interpreter and help us to do what business we had occasion for." (Edward Barlow, Edward Barlow's Journal of His Life at Sea In Kings Ships - 1559 - 1703, 1934, p. 479)

"[Buccaneers, May 1681] On Saturday Jacob Marquess our Truchman or Interpreter, and an Indian Boy [this doesn't refer to Marquess] ran away from us to the Spaniards; this person was a Dutchman, who was a good Linguist..." (Basil Ringrose, The Voyages of Capt. Sharp and others, 1684, p. 80)

"[Aug. 25, 1709, Marquesa] Having been discover'd some Days before we came in, the Indians had Time to secure all they had, and drive their Cattel into the Woods, where it was impossible for us to come at them, therefore sent our Interpreter, and a Spanish Captain [apparently a prisoner from another capture], to know whether they would trade, and we would pay them for all we had, or else would burn their Houses." (Edward Cooke, Voyage to the South Seas, 1712, V1, p. 315)

"[March 8, 1710, Guam] We presently sent away Mr. White, our Interpreter, and one Murphy, an Irishman taken in the Batchelor, with a Letter to the Governor, and detained a Spaniard as Hostage, 'till their Return. He sent a very obliging Answer, promising to supply us with what the Island afforded..." (Cooke, V1, p. 6)

"[~1650, unnamed Dutch merchant vessel -  This is early, but I thought it was a fascinating use of an interpreter] Though I was ashore, I was not safe because of the press, neither did I dare speak English. This kind Ducth skipper was so much my friend that he went with me to be my interpreter to hire a horse for me, lest in speaking English I might be discovered." (Edward Coxere, Adventures by Sea of Edward Coxere, 1946, p. 26-7)

[early 1721, English navy interpreter] I was on board the Salisbury, Pilot and Interpreter for Capt. Cockburn, and was Interpreter for the Squadron with the Viceroy of Goa [India]..." (Clement Downing, A Compendious History of the Indian Wars, 1737, p. 62)

More later...

[Mission]

This is interesting because it indicates how the East India Company tried to deal with the language problem at the Cape of Good Hope. It is told as a history without specifics, so the dates are uncertain - it only says this all began 'in Elizabethan times', but it was likely in the early 1600s. It is worth noting that sailor Hamilton's book contains a variety of factual errors and should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

"A few Years after they had left it, the English East-India Company considering what Importance a Port would be of to their Shipping, both in their outward and homeward bound Passages to and from India, were resolved to make another Trial for a Settlement there, and, in order to accomplish their Design, obtained a Reprieve for three condemned Male factors [men in charge of factories aka. warehouses], to be carried thither in order to learn the Language, to serve for Interpreters, and to inspect, as far as they could, into the Manners and Customs of the native Hottentots, and of the Product and Commerce of the Country; After they had been there three Years without being able to learn any of their Language, or to teach any of the Natives a Word of English, a Ship was ordered, in her Passage from India, to call there, to know what was become of these three Persons, and arriving there, found them all alive, but very tired with their manner of living...
Some Years after the Experiment was made on the aforesaid Criminals, an English Ship coming there for Water and Provisions, in their Way homeward to England, the Captain had the Curiosity to detain a Youth that came on board his Ship, and, being ready to sail, carried him to England, where he staid some Years, clothed well after the English Fashion, and kept at School to learn to speak and read English; and, when the East-India Company thought him well enough qualified to serve for an Interpreter, they sent him back to his own Country, very well clothed. Assoon as he appeared ashore among his Friends and Relations, he pulled off his English Apparel, and put on his Country Habit..." (Alexander Hamilton, A new account of the East Indies, 1746, p. 2-3)

[Picaroon Lagoon]

This is amazing stuff! I really appreciate the efforts you’ve gone to in answering my inquiries. 
 

50 minutes ago, Mission said:

- it only says this all began 'in Elizabethan times', but it was likely in the early 1600s.

This fits, as Elizabeth’s reign ended with her death in 1603 (any Stynky Tudor could tell you that 😂🤣) 

[Mission]

4 hours ago, Picaroon Lagoon said:

This is amazing stuff! I really appreciate the efforts you’ve gone to in answering my inquiries.

Informational rabbit holes. Once I get started, I can't resist them, especially when the information I find teaches me something I didn't know. I can't tell you how many times questions like this have led to my writing articles on my website. This one doesn't really fit, but you can never tell...

[Mission]

This explains a lot. It is not entirely surprising because the Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore India by way of the sea.

"[Aden, Yemen, 1702] The people that came off to us in this boat were some of the top of the Town; as a priest, the Meobar or Chief of the Custom house, and the head Bannian or broker of the place, etc., the last of which was the best interpreter we had, he understanding a little Portuguese, or sort of Lingua frank [lingua franca - a common language used by people who speak different languages], which is spoke through all the trading parts of India almost, though but little or nothing of it here, this being a place of hardly any traffic of-late years, especially for Europeans, we being one of the first English ships that ever was in here, as twas said." (Francis Rogers, "The Journal of Francis Rogers", Three Sea Journals of Stuart Times, Bruce Ingram, ed., 1936, p. 165)

Lingua franca is another important indication as to how discussion was facilitated and it comes up repeatedly in the sailor's literature.

Surgeon John Covel, who sailed on the merchant ship London Merchant to the Mediterranean explained while at Carthage in 1673:

"We were informed by our Guides, who spoke broken ltalian and lingua Franca (which is  bastard Spanish, mixt with words of most trading nations), that from Cape Carthage to the Castle was once Terra firma, full of rubbish as the rest now is, but by an Earthquake it sunk down." (John Covel,  "Diary", Early Voyages in the Levant,  Thomas Dallam, ed., 1893, p. 122)

Sailor Edward Coxere (mentioned previously) said that while he was in Porto Farina (modern Ghar al Milh, Tunisia): "I was the more esteemed of because I had the language [of Porto Farina] which was generally spoken, called lingua franca." (Edward Coxere, Adventures by Sea of Edward Coxere, 1946, p. 87)

Dampier notes while at Pulo Condere (modern Con Son Island, Vietnam) that, "The Inhabitants of this Island are by Nation Cochinchinese, as they told us, for one of them spake good Malayan: which Language we learnt a smattering of, and some of us so as to speak it pretty well while we lay at Mindanao, and this is the common Tongue of Trade and Commerce (though it be not in several of them the Native Language) in most of the East India Islands, being the Lingua Franca, as it were, of these parts. I believe 'tis the vulgar Tongue at Malacca, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo; but at Celebes, the Philippine Islands and the Spice islands, it seems borrowed for the carrying on of Trade." William Dampier, A New Voyage Round the World, 1699, p. 394-5)

There are some others, but you see the point. Like everything else, communication between sailors and others was accomplished via several methods. But there does not seem to have been a formal method, nor did everyone speak all the different languages required to communicate with each other. Some people, like Coxere, were adept at learning new languages and others weren't. Sailors of different nations seem to have primarily talked though such gifted men. In the interest of trade, foreign nations learned enough of a language to carry on conversations so they could sell their goods. So it was all done just like it is today, really. 


 

[William Brand]

French continued to be taught among the gentry after English became the common language in England by act of Parliament in 1362.  A lot of legal documents and treatises were written in French (even in England) well into the 18th century. French remained a strong language in day to day diplomacy and commerce so that even final treatises of the Spanish War of Succession were written in French.  

During the 18th century the middle class (in a desire to be perceived as 'refined') continued to teach French at home along with Italian due to the influences of art, music and literature in society.  However, it was common for boys to be taught 'ancient' Latin and Greek, while the 'modern' languages of French and Italian were taught to girls. 

I'm not certain how this effects bilingual numbers among sailors and officers of the navy or further out to buccaneers, but if you study any etymology, you constantly see that word origins begin in French all the time.  English as a developing language owes a lot to French.