Pirates of Nassau
Author:
Sue Whitney The Golden Age of Piracy lasted from 1690 to 1720, and Nassau was at its heart. The city became a virtual pirate H.Q., thriving with stolen gold and goods and attracting rogues, merchants and wild women from faraway places. The infamous Blackbeard is just one of the cutthroats who found Nassau to be a pirate paradise.
The newly opened Pirates of Nassau museum provides a firsthand glimpse of the pirate life. Visitors will be transported back in time by walking through the belly of a pirate ship called the Revenge. The story of Captain Woodes Rogers - sent by the Crown to suppress Caribbean pirates in 1718 - unfolds in this one-hour walk through Bahamian history. Hear pirates plan their next attack, smell the dampness of a dungeon and listen to one poor wretch's final prayer before his execution. There was a strict system of equal sharing, and the penalty for stealing a shipmate's booty (being marooned with a pistol and a flask of water) was dire.
The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is US$15 for adults, US$8 for children ages 3 to 12. The entire exhibit is wheelchair-accessible. It's located on the corner of Marlborough and George streets, one street behind the popular Bay Street in downtown Nassau on New Providence Island. Brochures are available in Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, French and English. Private pirate parties are also available for groups of 20 to 130 people. For more information call 242-356-3759 or send an e-mail to info@pirates-of-nassau.com .
Posted online 01/01/99.
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