Buccaneers vs Longhunters

[Monterey Jack]

Greetings all~

In attempting to replicate accurate buccaneer garb and weapons I'm finding a lot of similarities in clothing, lifestyle, and weapons to the colonial longhunter; with the exception that the buccaneers eventually went to sea, while the longhunters went west...or north.

Climate, food sources and local threats to their livelihoods would be different, resulting in variations in lifestyle, but I'm wondering who else out there has found comparisons and vast differences?

I've been following the other buccaneer discussions dealing with authentic clothing, but I didn't see it approached from this angle. This also stems from the fact that I can afford just one kit, and it needs to incorporate both worlds and be as authentic as possible.

Thanks in advance, I'll be off-board til Monday.

[MadMike]

MJ,

Have you read "The Buccaneers of America"? It's available here-

http://home.wanadoo.nl/m.bruyneel/archive/...boa/tboa002.htm

Yours, &c.

Mike

[Monterey Jack]

Got it; its one of my favorites.

It tends to confirm what I'm finding regarding the accoutrements being very similar in some respect. Because its written at the actual time it doesn't dwell much on clothing or weapons of the period,all that stuff was a "given"; so its not a great source in that respect; but in every other its in my top 5.

[MadMike]

MJ,

I'm assuming you plan to reenact a French buccaneer, as opposed to English?

The French on Hispaniola (let's say, the 1620 to 1700 time frame) wore a variety of clothing. Since you'd like to use some equipment for the later longhunter (F&I period?) let's take a look at some similar goods-

Headgear- a "Rogers Rangers" style cap seen in period prints, Patrick Hand made one from a felt hat (trimmed to shape). From what we see in period pic's the French buccaneers also went bareheaded, one individual wore a "Mark Baker" style cap (to use a better term) or thrum cap, while others wear caps with short brims. At least three individuals in the background are wearing cocked hats (print "Les Boucaniers ou Filibustiers").

Shirts- hard to tell, but may be period style shirts worn under a smock (in every respect like a longhunter).

Coats, jackets, etc- Appear to be period style, either sailors jackets or smocks (difficult to tell in the picture). Source is "Saxenbourg decouverte par Guillaume Schellinger l'an 1669".

Shoes- difficult to make out in the prints, appear to be like a mocassin but likely French style shoes, boots, or Caribbean style footwear peculiar to the French buccaneer.

Pants- Could be buckskin (as per Pere Labat), but also could be French style cloth trousers, seaman's trousers, breeches, etc (French fly). Doesn't appear to be any "leggins", could they be mitasses?

Weapons- all appear to have club butt muskets (most likely fusil de boucanier). Then again, there were numerous types of weapons available from matchlocks to doglocks. Check out "The Rifle Shoppe" website for period arms.

The "Saxenbourg" print shows a buccaneer in some detail, with a triangular container holding what appears to be three large knives at his side.

Don't see any bandoliers of chargers (not "apostles") in the prints, nor any powder horns. I see one pouch, and a long knife or pistol slung through a sash. Personally, I don't see any problem using a French or English fowler as long as it's obviously not from the F&I period.

Interesting subject, don't see many French buccaneer reenactors around, maybe we can start a new area of interest? Had several buccaneer raids to the east of here in 1683 and '87.

Swords- don't see any in the prints, but they obviously had and used edged weapons.

Yours, &C.

Mike

Pirates of Massacre Island

http://www.geocities.com/flpyrate/index.html

[Monterey Jack]

MJ,

I'm assuming you plan to reenact a French buccaneer, as opposed to English?

The French on Hispaniola (let's say, the 1620 to 1700 time frame) wore a variety of clothing. Since you'd like to use some equipment for the later longhunter (F&I period?) let's take a look at some similar goods-

Never got a chance to thank ye for the references; I've been doing a bit of background work on both cultures with aid of a few folk up in New Brunswick and down in Key West. Seems my instincts were pretty close to the mark regarding the similarities of Buccaneesr and longhunters / rangers.

Clothing based on the climate seems to be the only variable....and food. Items worn in one area wouldn't work in the other, and natural sources for food (animals as well as vegs and fruits) would change with the region. Other than that the bucc and the LH are interchangeable. A goos source that helped cinch it for me was a book originally printed in 1952 by the New Brunswick heritage society called Acadia at the End of the 17th Century (avail. at Amazon for about $10). Its drawn from first hand accounts of the French and their struggles with the English and the Indians. When you look at the trade routes the French had set up and where their navy was being drawn to and sent from in the Caribbean, its easy to see how the cultures could develop from the same source.

I also have to thank Hawkyns for suggesting the Historical Trekking website; I've learned a lot about both cultures just reading thru all the old posts!

If any starts up a Historical Buccaneer group in the Pacific Northwest I'll be in line to sign up!

Thanks again for the help!

[Patrick Hand]

I read somewhere else that ye were coming ter San Fransico next May..... ... hey only half a year away.... maybe see you there... then we can discuss Buccaneers..........

But not to make this a personnel greet thing.....

I've been looking at what the Voyers (dang... can never spell that right...) carried..... because of the very heavy French infleuenc in the area... I figure most of the same stuff would be avalible for Buccaneers....... Looking at the Trecking sites... the earlyest are about 1750..... but Buccanneers DO fit into thier time period... just not that many of us yet...........

Longhunters... Buccaneers.... same ides.... but there are enough differences, that I don't think you could "use the same stuff to do both"..... OK some of the kit.... but the garb is different... (OK once again...... but shirts are the same......)

OK.... most of your camp gear will cross..... and some garb.... but there are enough differences that one set of garb wont work for both......... (hummm did that come out right.... ?)

Hey ..... Rum is period for both tyme periods...... with that ... I think I better just stop fer th' night.....

[Monterey Jack]

I read somewhere else that ye were coming ter San Fransico next May..... ... hey only half a year away.... maybe see you there... then we can discuss Buccaneers..........

Longhunters... Buccaneers.... same ides.... but there are enough differences, that I don't think you could "use the same stuff to do both"..... OK some of the kit.... but the garb is different... (OK once again...... but shirts are the same......)

OK.... most of your camp gear will cross..... and some garb.... but there are enough differences that one set of garb wont work for both......... (hummm did that come out right.... ?)

Hey ..... Rum is period for both tyme periods...... with that ... I think I better just stop fer th' night.....

At this point I'll be down in the bay area teaching a class on boarding weapons technique; once the date is locked in and the ads go out I'll send a note out from here as well.

You're right about all the same gear not working. Most equipment, weapons, travel gear and such would work, but unlike the voyageurs the buccaneers wouldn't need the heavier clothing, capotes, fur hats, longcoats, etc. However it wouldn't be unlikely that a Frenchman traveling in both circles would have plenty of crossover gear in his bag.

Leggings, more common to the woodland will still work in the Haitian jungle, and seamens slops, seemingly something the buccaneer can't be without, would be just as common in Port Royal, Acadia, as they would in Port Royale, Jamaica.

Looking forward to meeting with ye!