Galveston, Texas has a lot of things going for
it: beaches, swimming, boating, fishing, lying in the sun, great places to eat
and varied cultural attractions. However, we didn’t expect to meet Real
Pirates on their ship, the Whydah, inside a bronze pyramid. The Whydah had
been a
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| Aboard the Whydah |
slave ship but because of its speed and responsive handling, Captain Sam
Bellamy seized it making it his personal flagship. Interestingly, slaves on
ships captured by pirates were given the choice of becoming part of the crew or
being released in sight of land; many preferred the freedom of the open seas to
the possible return to slavery on land. Later, loaded with treasure, the Whydah
sank during a terrible storm off of Cape Cod. Legend has it that Captain
Bellamy was returning to the woman he loved, planning to take her away with
him. When we boarded no one was conscripting sailors or firing cannons, but we did get
to tie knots in lines and play with authentic pirate treasure.
