The Nets, The Kills, and the Tears
The demand for sloops, these small, fast and manoeuvrable vessels, has never been greater.
Privateers, merchants and even Portuguese officers sought to obtain them for war, privateering or escorting convoys.
Local carpenters, helped by African labour and craftsmen from Lisbon, work tirelessly.
The hulls are assembled from Central African hardwoods: iroko, padauk or local teak, renowned for their resistance to the sea and worms.
The frames are reinforced, the keels deep for better wind resistance.
Some sloops were ordered by plans by wealthy merchants or privateer captains: they advanced the money, sometimes in ingots, sometimes in fabrics or in promises to share the booty.
Others are bought second-hand, or even taken from captured ships, then repaired and adapted on the spot.
The sails were cut from linen or cotton canvas, sometimes even from fabrics seized from Dutch or English convoys.
On the platforms, negotiations are going well.
Luis, purse in hand, argues bitterly with a master carpenter: he wants 5 light sloops, with a shallow draft, capable of going up the river as well as going on the ocean.
We check the solidity of the rudder, the tension of the shrouds, the quality of the pulleys.
The holds are reinforced to carry special nets, weighted with metal balls and equipped with rubber floats, lined with hardwood hooks and sometimes wrought iron hooks.
When the sloops are ready, they are blessed by a priest, and then hastily armed: a few light cannons, muskets, grappling hooks, and above all, a crew chosen for their cunning, speed, and foolish experience.
The men boarded, the nets were neatly stowed on board, ready to be deployed during the next ambush against the VOC convoys.
In the port of Luanda, the construction and purchase of sloops became an art and a trade as vital as the slave trade or war.
Each hull launched into the sea is a promise of fortune... or revenge on the Dutch.
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Night had fallen on the sea, concealing the movements of the corsair fleet.
While the five harassing frigates were already exchanging broadsides with the VOC escorts, diverting their attention, a flotilla of sloops glided silently between the waves.
On board, the men deployed flexible nets, weighted with metal balls and bristling with hooks.
The vulcanized rubber floats kept the nets at the ideal depth, just below the surface, invisible in the dark. Within minutes, the traps were in place, slowly drifting toward the escorts.
At the signal, the harassing frigates redoubled their fire, forcing the escort ships to maneuver precipitately.
It was then that the first cries resounded: the rudder chains, in action, were bringing the nets back into the mechanisms. The wooden hooks insinuated themselves into the pulleys and nets with them, blocking the manoeuvres cleanly.
The helmsmen, surprised, tried to force the helms, but nothing worked: the ships suddenly became deaf to all orders.
Taking advantage of the confusion, the five boarding frigates set off, now at a good distance from the Indians, waiting for the sloops commanded by Luis to resume their operations with each of the Indians.
Immobilized, the esorts were shot at without being able to retaliate by the frigate harassing a fleet of privateers before leaving them sometimes in flames, sometimes too damaged to continue their duties before resuming their journeys, the Indians in the slurry of the sloops.
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After the Indians of the VOC could no longer find their escorts, and while they were about to gather in tight formation in line, without having noticed the driftnets slipping everywhere, in large numbers in front of them, the harassing frigates began their bombardment: their objectives: to force them to launch some maneuver to block the rudders.
And the training had not been in vain...
10 Indians found themselves in loose formation far from each other, blocked, unable to manoeuvre
The deck of the modified frigate swayed violently during the collision with the first indiaman, pontoons with hooks and grappling hooks biting the railing of the Dutch Indiaman, before beginning the work of properly taking the ship.
Under the smoke of the cannons, the cries of the sailors mingled with the clatter of the wood and the crack of muskets that followed the explosions of hand grenades or the "speciales de Joao".
The corsair frigates, scattered, each attacking their designated immobilized indiaman, had pounded the opposing decks to disperse the defenders, paving the way for the assault.
"Hand grenades! In a rifle position!"
The detonations finished dispersing the deck crews and a volley of musket ended the resistance of the deckmen.
Another one
At Captain Rui's signal, half a dozen sailors rushed forward, each carrying a removable pontoon on his shoulder. With a precise gesture they tipped them over the railing: the iron ends fell heavily on the deck of the Indiaman, the spikes sinking into the wood with a sharp crack.
"Board!" shouted Rui, saber in hand.
Immediately, the corsairs rushed on these improvised footbridges, protected by the wooden railings. Some Dutch defenders tried to push back the pontoons with halberds, but the steel claws held firm, biting the enemy bridge.
In a few seconds, the breach was made. The captain's men leaped onto the opposing deck, sabres drawn, and the melee began at the top of the pontoons, with a crash of iron and shouts, splitting the last resistance fighters of the Indian.
Others, more agile, hoisted themselves up by the shrouds, taking advantage of the confusion to reach the upper deck of the Indiaman, pacing their grappling hooks.
In contact with the soldiers of the Indian, the melee was brutal.
The privateers, armed with cutlasses, axes and pistols, confronted the Dutch sailors entrenched behind the crates and cannons.
The first ranks collapsed under the grape-shot, but the mass of attackers, carried by the momentum, overwhelmed the defense. The grappling hooks were firmly anchored: it was impossible to break the grip.
In the smoke, orders flew in several languages.
Battles were fought at point-blank range, sometimes with bare hands, for control of the hatches and stairs leading to the hold.
A few privateers, taking advantage of the confusion, rushed down to secure the powder bunker and prevent any attempt at sabotage.
Joao, recognizable by his blue coat and rapier, led the assault in the lead.
He pushed back a Dutch officer with the back of his waves, stepped over a body, and ordered his men to hoist their flag on the poop.
The capture was made: the last defenders, surrounded, laid down their arms.
In the distance, on the other Indiamans, the fighting was raging.
The corsair frigates, after immobilizing the enemy ships, in turn launched their troops to the assault, transforming the sea into a theater of carnage and fortune.
When silence fell, the deck was strewn with debris, torn ropes, and wounded.
But the privateer flag was now flying on the Indiaman's mainmast, proof that everyone else had accomplished the goal.
Joao organized the occupation of the Indian, leaving 100 men of tourpes experienced in the art of navigation to monitor and take full control of the ship while repatriating the others to the frigate in order to go to another Indian.
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The sixth Indiaman stood out in the mist, still in control of his movements, but isolated. The boarding frigate, sails reduced, approached silently, aligning her reinforced stern against the massive stern of the Dutch ship.
On the frigate, iron plates, cleverly riveted, covered the stern like an improvised cuirass. Between each plate, packed wool absorbed the shocks, cushioning the impact to come. The men, clinging to the railings, held their breath.
At the decisive moment, Diogo the corsair captain ordered: "Full steam ahead!"
The ship leaped, striking the stern of the Indiaman with a resounding crash.
The iron plates took the shock, the wool muffled the noise but not the shaking, and the two shells remained briefly welded. Immediately, the grappling hooks flew, biting the Dutch wood.
Pontoons were thrown across, the iron spikes sinking into the deck of the Indiaman.
The corsairs, screaming, rushed to the bridges, sabres and axes raised.
From the stern, they swept onto the aft deck after launching their hand-held grenades, taking the defenders by surprise and from the rear.
The Dutch, surprised, tried to regroup, but the assault wave was irresistible.
In a few minutes, the poop was submerged. The Dutch officers, surrounded, had to capitulate. The corsairs hoisted their flags, while the last shots died down in the mist.
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The deck of the captured ship was still strewn with debris and wounded when the privateer captain gave his orders.
"Half the troop remains here!" Secure the hold, keep an eye on the prisoners, hoist our flag! The others, with me!
In haste, the men divided up. One squad remained on board the Indiaman, locking the hatches, posting sentries at each entrance, inspecting the hold to prevent any attempt at sabotage or fire.
Meanwhile, the boarding frigate, still moored by the stern, was preparing for the disengagement manoeuvre. The grappling hooks were removed one by one, the pontoons raised.
The sailors, at the manoeuvre, turned the ship with the help of the tail oars and foresails, taking advantage of a gust of wind to move away from the enemy hull.
Barely freed, the frigate turned back, picking up the men who remained on board, and then set sail for the next Indiaman still free.
Pietro and his crew, along with Joao, galvanized by their success, were already preparing for a new assault, leaving behind them a conquered ship, guarded by their comrades.
At sea, privateer tactics were deployed like a well-oiled machine: capture, securing, disengagement, and new boarding. The Indiamans, one by one, fell under the control of the audacious attackers.
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The deck of the seventh Indiaman was bathed in blood and smoke. The privateers had already taken the poop and forecastle, but in the centre of the ship the Dutch guard had entrenched themselves, forming a compact square around the mainmast. There were about thirty of them, dressed in blue coats, armed with pikes, matchlock muskets and short sabres. Their faces, blackened by the powder, were closed with fierce resolution.
A privateer officer, his voice hoarse, gave them a final warning:
"Surrender!" You will be saved, sailor's word!
But the Dutch sergeant, a veteran with a stiff moustache, replied in an icy tone:
"We are not commodities to be sold, nor prisoners to be humiliated. We are soldiers of the King, not of the Company!
A tense silence fell.
Then, without waiting, the guard fired, a volley of muskets cracking at point-blank range.
Two corsairs fell, but already the riposte was flying. The assailants, furious, charged, sabers and axes raised. The front rows clashed in a deluge of steel and screams.
The melee was brief and savage.
The Dutch, disciplined, repulsed the first wave, pikes forward, but the corsairs, more numerous and carried by rage, overwhelmed them.
The fighting continued even on the hatches, the defenders struggling with the energy of despair. One by one they fell, refusing to retreat, refusing to throw down their arms.
The sergeant, wounded in the leg, continued to fight on his knees, striking with his sabre until a privateer shot him down with a musket shot, not without taking a long breath, skilfully reloading the musket and firing. Around him, his men were succumbing, but none of them asked for mercy.
When silence returned, there was not a single defender left standing. The corsairs, panting, contemplated the carnage. The privateer officer, his face closed, saluted with a gesture the bravery of his adversaries.
"They chose death over shame." Let him be thrown into the sea with the honours due to soldiers.
On the reddened deck the Indiaman's guard had come to an end—not in surrender, but in fire and steel, true to its oath to the last breath.
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Rudder Release ( hard to do, and even more hard to find gow they did those maneuver in the second half of the 17 th century)
Calm had at last returned to the sea, but the traces of the battle remained on every hull.
The captured privateer frigates and Indiaman formed a motley procession, patched sails, masts sometimes tilted, but all now flying the Portuguese flag.
On each Indiaman, teams of sailors were busy around the rudder.
The rubber nets, bristling with wooden hooks, had done their work: the operating chains were entangled, the pulleys blocked by the debris. Using axes, saws and levers, the corsairs cut the nets, dismantled the fittings, and cleared the rudders.
Sometimes it was necessary to dive into cold water to extract the last hooks stuck below the waterline. The biggest damage was repaired in a hurry: a pulley replaced here, a chain reforged there, a rudder put back in place with a lot of swearing and ropes.
On the captured frigates, the manoeuvre was the same, but the damage was more numerous: sails with holes, shrouds broken, a few gaping ports, traces of cannonballs on the sides. Shipwrights improvised makeshift repairs, nailing planks, sealing breaches with tar and canvas.
After the somewhat unexpected victory - there were only 5 Indians and not a dozen and double escorts than expected and the crossing trying, the flotilla of sloops, flanked by a Portuguese frigate, entered the bay of Luanda.
The port, still marked by the tensions of the Restoration War, was animated by the comings and goings of African and European merchants, soldiers and merchants
.
The frigate, bearing the Cross of Portugal, had followed the sloops from the open sea, making sure that these ships, now useless to privateers, did not fall into the wrong hands. The Portuguese authorities, anxious to control trade and the security of the port, had ordered that all transactions be carried out under their supervision.
On the docks, local carpenters and merchants inspected the sloops: sleek hulls, strong sails, rubber floats still intact, evidence of their effectiveness in capturing the Indiamans. The negotiations opened under the watchful eye of the Portuguese officers, who ensured that each sale was duly registered and taxed.
A few sloops were bought by the Portuguese navy itself, eager to strengthen its coastal fleet in the face of Dutch and Spanish threats.
Others found buyers among local merchants or coasting captains, seduced by the speed and manoeuvrability of these ships, ideal for trade or coastal defence.
The corsair crews, relieved to get rid of these small units, recovered a tidy sum, quickly divided among the men and reinvested in the taverns and markets of Luanda. The corsair frigate, after having ensured the order and security of the transaction, waited to pick up Luis' alcoholics, was only able to weigh anchor to resume her patrol after their return, while the old sloops sailed for new horizons, now integrated into the life of the African port.
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The Road Home
The motley fleet set sail for Lisbon, advancing cautiously. The Indiamans, heavy with their cargo and damage, advanced slowly, escorted by the privateer frigates and captured frigates, now under Portuguese command. At each stopover, repairs were reinforced, the wounded were treated, and the dead were released into the sea with a few prayers.
The crossing was long, marked by vigilance: it was necessary to avoid enemy patrols, to keep an eye on the Dutch prisoners, and to contain the excitement of the crews at the prospect of booty.
The weary fleet was slowly advancing towards Lisbon, sails patched and hulls scarred by battle.
Off Cape St. Vincent, two sails appeared on the horizon. The lookouts first recognized the Portuguese colors: a squadron of coastguards, alerted by the signals of victory, came to meet the captured Indiamans.
Each captain had the flags of alliance hoisted and fired a salute.
The Portuguese, at first suspicious of the imposing motley fleet, soon recognized the agreed signals.
Salutes, laughter, a few barrels of wine were exchanged, and the patrol placed itself as an escort of honor.
But scarcely had the party begun, when another squadron emerged from the south: three Spanish galleons, bearing the cross of Burgundy, were approaching, guns ready.
Spain, always quick to defend her interests, smelled the fabulous prize.
The captains had the batteries armed and ordered their frigate to place itself in a defensive line, Indiaman in the centre. The Portuguese, understanding the threat, sided with their allies.
The confrontation was brief: a few well-timed broadsides, the determination of the crews, and the numerical superiority of the victors were enough to convince the Spanish to retreat, but not without having tried a few exchanges of cannonballs.
When calm returned, the fleet resumed its course, now escorted not only by the glory, but also by the vigilance of its Portuguese allies.
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Lisboa, June 1655
When the fleet appeared at the mouth of the Tagus, Lisbon was ablaze with an unprecedented rumor.
Ten Indiamans, sails inflated, flags captured, entered in file, followed by ten frigates flying the Portuguese or privateer colors. On the quays, the crowd gathered, incredulous at the size of the ships, the richness of the prizes, and the boldness of the feat.
The Indiamans, still scarred by the battle — blackened decks, patched sails, masts sometimes tilted, traces of cannonballs on the hull — were escorted by the victorious frigates. The crews, exhausted but proud, saluted the city, while the cannons thundered in victory.
After the docking: a delegation of royal inspectors was dispatched
A delegation of royal inspectors, recognizable by their embroidered cloaks and their sashes stamped with the king's coat of arms, solemnly advances. Their leader, Inspector-General Dom Álvaro de Sousa, speaks to the crowd and the new heroes:
"In the name of His Majesty the King, may God keep,
We, the Royal Inspectors, salute your victorious return and the solemn entry of your ships and men into the city of Lisboa.
Through your deeds, you have not only served the crown, but also exemplified the greatness of the kingdom and ensured the security of our seas and lands. Your actions, worthy of the most illustrious annals, have attracted the attention of His Majesty, who has charged us to convey his gratitude to you and to see to the fair distribution of rewards and honors.
Let everyone here know that the king forgets neither courage, nor loyalty, nor service rendered. The lands that will be granted to you, the titles that will be granted to you, will be granted under the watchful eye of the Crown: it is now up to you to show that virtue and discipline will be able to equal valour.
We will inspect your accounts, your ships, your men; we will see that justice is done, that order is maintained, and that royal peace reigns in this new city.
May Providence bless your installation, and may fidelity to the Crown remain your first honor."
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After a few days of inspections
In the holds, the catches were beyond imagination. The Portuguese scribes and clerks, who had come to inventory the booty, could not believe their eyes:
Black and white pepper: hundreds of tons, in jute bags, filling entire holds.
Rare spices: Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, saffron, ginger, sometimes stored in precious wood boxes.
Silks and cottons: bundles of shimmering fabrics, Indian brocades, fine muslins, velvets, damasks, fabrics embroidered with gold and silver.
Porcelain and lacquerware: crates of fine crockery, vases, objets d'art from China and Japan.
Ivory, pearls, precious stones: sealed caskets, bags of pearls, rubies, sapphires, jade, sometimes hidden in the officers' holds.
Tea, indigo, precious woods: bales of tea leaves, indigo breads, sandalwood trunks, ebony, teak.
Silver: chests of Spanish piastres, ingots, jewellery, silver coins, sometimes hidden in double bottoms.
Exotic objects: feathers, live animals, natural curiosities, scientific instruments, mechanical automatons, oriental weapons.
Estimate: The total value of the loot far exceeded anything Europe had seen in a century. In a single catch, the Horizon Brazil company, by its privateer activity, had just beaten Francis Drake's record... by a little.
The Indiamans' holds were full of sacks of black pepper, bundles of shimmering silks, caskets of jade and pearls, fine china, crates of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. In the officers' cabins were also found bags of rough diamonds, rubies from Golconda, sapphires from Bengal, and pearls from the Gulf, hidden in linings of clothing.
A few chests of coined silver, intended for purchases in Asia, were discovered in the double funds: Spanish piastres, thalers, Portuguese cruzados, but little pure gold.
In total, the prize was estimated at more than 5 million cruzados, a booty so fabulous that it made us remember the exploits of Francis Drake (600,000 pounds sterling) about 3 times more, and which upset the trade of the whole of Europe.
The VOC's fortunes had changed hands, and Lisbon, for a time, became the capital of the merchant world.
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The news went around Europe. Kings, merchants and adventurers flocked to Lisbon, fascinated by the wealth stolen from the Dutch Company. The corsair crews were celebrated, decorated, sometimes jealous... but all knew that they had just entered the legend.
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Royal council early july 1655
King Dom João IV: Gentlemen, we are gathered to decide on the extraordinary prize of our corsairs: ten Indiamen captured, a booty estimated at five million cruzados. This is an unprecedented event for our kingdom. We must decide the division, the reward due to these men, and the fate of the ships.
Royal Treasurer: Sire, such a sum could replenish our coffers, finance the war against Spain and support our colonies. But it was customary to grant a share to privateers according to their contracts.
Admiral: Your Majesty, these men have risked their lives and won a resounding victory. If they are not rewarded according to custom, we risk losing their loyalty and encouraging indiscipline.
Count of Castelo Melhor: I propose that the Crown take half of the booty for the treasury and the war, the rest to be divided among the captains, crews, and officers, according to their rank and merit.
King: So be it. Half for the Crown, the other half shared according to merit and contract. Have the role of the shares drawn up.
Chancellor Manuel de Sousa de Castelo Branco: Your Majesty, the captains have shown courage and loyalty worthy of the nobility. To ennoble them would be an example to all those who serve the Crown at sea.
Admiral: And that would inspire others to follow their example, Sire.
King: I consent to the ennoblement of the eleven principal captains, with the right to bear arms, to receive lands and privileges, and to be enrolled among the fidalgos of the Royal House. Let the declaration be drawn up.
Count of Castelo Melhor: Sire, the Indiamen are great merchant ships, valuable for trade. I propose that they be integrated into the royal fleet or sold for the benefit of the Treasury.
Admiral: As for captured frigates, they are better suited for privateering and harassment warfare. I recommend leaving them to the privateers, so that they can continue to serve the Crown at sea.
King: Decision approved. The Indiamen will be seized on behalf of the kingdom; The frigates remained the property of the privateers, in recognition of their services.
King Dom João IV: Let everything be recorded in the records of the Council. Let the rewards be just, and let the glory of the kingdom be increased by the valour of its sons.
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When the 11 captain, Diogo decided to make the announcement, he asked everyone to play a kind of "distress" face in front of the 1600 gomems of crew:
"I have two bad news for you:
It is with regret that I announce the bad news... ha what bad news!! Imagine!! You'll only have an average of 800 cruzados of loot for each of you!! In addition to your salary, and don't forget that even at the port you are still the employees of the company horizon brazil!"
After a brief moment of incredulity, bad news seemed to still ring in their ears like a trruc who does not want to go out despite the facts.
Then a few of them started laughing – all of Diogo's crew – probably used to his humor too, Joao thought –
It was a little longer for the others:
Never, even in their wildest dreams, had men imagined such fortune.
Some were crying, some were laughing, some understood that their lives had changed forever.