🔸 STORIES FROM TRAVEL TRAILS, the indexing program of the travel literature at the Gennadius Library
Pirates in the Archipelago
The diary of Mr. Roberts offers a glimpse into the world of piracy in the Aegean Archipelago in the late 17th century. After surviving a shipwreck near the island of Ios, Roberts was captured by pirates from Genoa, Livorno, Britain, and Denmark who forced him to join their attacks against Greek merchant vessels.
Dr. Stavros Oikonomidis
Mr. Robert’s adventures among the corsairs of the Levant; His account of their way of living; Description of the Archipelago islands, London 1729, p. 2.
“So, ashore they came in search of me and one of them being a Genuese, soon found me. Upon our meeting, he saluted me with a kiss, and called me by my name, having learned it of our men; for I never saw him in my life before. He invited me to drink, which I refused as partly knowing his design; and I had heard how miserably men lived in a crusal. Seeing therefore that all his wits would not take, he left me. In the evening came to me an English man who had sailed in her 8 years, his name was Dawes, he was a native of Saltash in Cornwall, whom we had taken out of this crusal before our ship was lost: But he, like a dog returning to his vomit, went on board again; where he yet remains, for ought I know. Then came a Dane, and strove to wheedle me: After him a Livorneze with a letter from the captain, promising me great rewards, if I would come on board and be his gunner; all which I utterly refused, and denyed: so that June the 16th, coming to the water side to embark for Scio, there came out of the rocks 12 rogues, whereof this Dawes was one, laid hold on me, and carried me on board on the Star boat side; where I no sooner ascended, but came a fellow and clapped a chain on my legg, and no one spoke to me one word”.
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