Part 17 - The Pirate Grave

Part 17 - The tomb of Joseph Pierre Lachartier

"Ahar me ship mates and shiver me timbers." said Paddington.

"Are you feeling cold," enquired Mr Smith trying to ignore the nasty looking sword in the bears hand. "And what's with the fancy costume?"

"We be Pirates we be." stated the bear "and we wants to see our brethren in the old pirate cemetery."

"Pet cemetery more likely." Muttered Mr Smith. "You probably also need a training day looking at the way you're flaying around with that wooden sword. I'm surprised you haven't cut yourself with it yet, or given yourself a close shave."

Paddington stopped practicing his swashbuckling technique and glared at Mr Smith. Unfortunately the eye patch severely limited the overall effect and Mr Smith was left to grin at the poor bear's predicament. "It's a safety sword." Retorted Paddington, "that's why it's called a cut-less!"

"Touché, mon ami. Your tongue is more nibble then your sword and for that quick repost we shall visit the cemetery this very morning on our way into town."

Thursday morning, or in fact the whole day, was not suitable for ambling around since, as predicted, the weather had turned inclement. Well that was the polite 'British' way of putting it. Later that evening it didn't so much as rain as 'pour'. It was as if the gods had left the 'rose' off their watering cans as the water came down in one solid lump. Fortunately everyone was inside at the time otherwise they might not have been able to breath from fear of drowning.

As it was when the small party set out in a 'tuc-tuc' it was only a gentle shower and this managed to blow over five minutes before they arrived at the cemetery. To label it as a Pirates Graveyard might be stretching the truth someone but it certainly drew in the tourists by the ones and twos. The place isn't half the site it use to be though - literally. Back in 1998 there was a severe cyclone which caused half of the peninsular to drop into the bay taking many of the graves with it. Of the current tomb stones only one now bares the skull and crossbones motif. The remaining graves are to sailors, wife's and assorted others.

The graveyard peninsular points towards a small island that lies within a shallow bay next to the main town. It was on this secure island that the Pirates had their base, but it was not safe! Who would have thought that the French Pirates who inhabited this island would fall prey to a tiny insect which would eventually wipe them out by the late 1800's. Malaria was going strong even back then.

 

Paddington's fact for the day: European Pirates started to move to Madagascar when life in the Caribbean started to become uncomfortable. An earthquake at Port Royal in 1692 had decimated their community and they were being driven from Tortuga and other strongholds. Captain Kidd and other infamous British corsairs visit Madagascar and became Kings of their own areas but non settled on Isle Saint Marie.