Shiver Me Timbers!!

Pirates are known for cruel and unusual punishments, but just how cruel were they? In numerous stories told in Under The Black Flag, pirates were ruthless. Just one scenario to name, Edward North had reported an attack on his ship by pirates. They violently beat them, but singled out one seaman and tied him hand and foot to the bowsprit. They then burned his eyes with matches and put a muzzle of a loaded gun in his mouth to get him to tell him where all their money was. Not only did pirates torture the men on ships that they raided, but also had very extreme punishments for their own. For example, if a boy or woman was found onboard, the pirate who brought them on would face death. Also, if a pirate deserted their ship or quarters during battle, the punishment was death or marooning. Marooning was essentially leaving them alone on a deserted island with no means of escape. I believe that a lot of their means for business and even their punishments are too harsh. They could easily have quickly killed the men that they were invading, instead they chose to torture these men and make them suffer. The punishments were also very extreme. I completely understand that if you break any laws, pirate ship or not, you need to face the consequences. Death, however, is the ultimate punishment. I do not understand their need to be so cruel. To win and be victorious, that is an understandable goal. The means they accomplish this could be a lot more humane. Instead they choose to do the absolute worst to others.