The rules of each pirate captain were clearly stated to each member of the crew. There was little ambiguity about acceptable behavior among pirates on a typical pirate ship. When a rule was breached, the crew was often without pity or remorse in punishing a guilty crew member. Although in cases of particularly useful pirates such as skillful fighters, exceptions were inevitably made. Below, a sample code of conduct is provided. Outlined below is a sample. Sample Code of Conduct:

Every man shall obey civil Command; the Captain shall have one full share and a half in all Prizes; the Master, Carpenter, Boatswain and Gunner shall have one Share and quarter.

If any man shall offer to run away, or keep any Secret from the Company, he shall be marroon'd with one Bottle of Powder, one Bottle of Water, one small Arm and shot.

If any Many shall steel any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marroon'd or shot. If at any Time we should meet another Marrooner (that is Pyrate) that Man that shall sign his Articles without the Consent of our Company, shall suffer such Punishment as the Captain and Company shall think fit.

That Man that shall strike another whilst these Articles are in force, shall receive Mose's Law (that is 40 stripes lacking one) on the bare Back.

That Man that shall snap his Arms, or smoak Tobacco in the Hold, without a cap to his Pipe, or carry a Candle lighted without a Lanthorn, shall suffer the same Punishment as in the former Article.

That Man that shall not keep his Arms clean, fit for an Engagement, or neglect his Business, shall be cut off from his Share, and suffer such other Punishment as the Captain and the Company shall think fit. If any Man shall lose a Joint in time of an Engagement he shall have 400 pieces of Eight; if a limb 800. If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.

Facts of Piracy
Title: Rewards of Piracy
Author: Krzysztof Wilczynski

It is probably an obvious statement to say that the main force behind piracy, has always been the search for wealth. Pirates were able to acquire amazing riches, and goods, through their campaigns. The assets, of which the most noted, and often most prized were; gold and silver pieces, currency, jewelry, and precious stones. But the actual pirate booty, was acquired from looted merchant ships which usually included items such as linens, cloths, food, anchors, rope, and sometimes medical supplies. The cargo even included rare articles such as spices, sugar, indigo, and quinine.

The types of goods pillaged, depended on the type of ship encountered, therefore many pirates were very selective in the ship they attacked, to be certain that the booty received was worth the risks of battle. It was equally important for the captain to choose the most rewarding area to monitor. One such area was the Spanish Main, rewards of which attracted many pirates. It was a well known fact in the pirate archives, that the Spanish treasure fleet made frequent yearly visits to Portobello to load treasure from Peru, which was twice the yearly revenue of England's King, and often included 25 million pesos in the form of silver bars, and coins.

Choosing the right ship and the right cargo to pillage, was an essential part of any pirate ship captain’s duty, wishing to avoid mutiny. However, failing to attack a promising ship, could also result in a similar outcome, since most of his crew were sailing, for a share in the plundered goods.

Another concern was the actual method for dividing the assets acquired. The pirate code, stated that, any loot plundered, had to be shared out equally. Some treasure was more easily divided among the crew than others. For example, certain coins, such as pieces of eight were cut up into smaller change. However, jewels were not as easily divisible. Evidence of the dividing process, can be observed in the Pirate knife markings on some of the pirate loot, on exhibition in museums around the world.

The idea of buried treasure is mostly a mythical one, as it is romantically portrayed in books such as Treasure Island. One pirate however, who may have started the myth, and was known for burying his treasure was Captain Kidd. But even though some pirates may have hid their plunder in this way, a great deal more money was spent searching for it, than has ever been uncovered. Most pirates were extreme squanderers and rarely accumulated enough treasure to bury. Due to the danger and uncertainty of their profession, they were usually determined to live life for the present, and not save for the future.

Jolly Roger
Title: Origin of the Jolly Roger
Author: Peter Jeans

The origin of the term "Jolly Roger" is not likely to have derived from the supposed French "jolie rouge", 'pretty red', because pirate flags did not come into common use for many years; and in any case the red flag of piracy was infrequently flown. The far more likely source is that the English commonly named their stud bulls "Roger", this word already being a term widely used for sexual intercourse, usually of a vigorous nature. One of the characteristics of pirates was their brutal treatment of female prisoners, who commonly were 'rogered at the rail' by one and all and then thrown overboard, to fend for themselves. The supposed history of the Jolly Roger is of a one with that old-time favourite of writers of piratical stories, "walking the plank". In fact there is no evidence that pirates ever made their victims walk the plank; there was far too much sport of another kind to be had. A favourite method of dealing with prisoners was to tie them to the mast and then pelt the unfortunate victim with broken bottles. Many other cruelties were also employed. The life of a pirate was, above all things, exquisitely wretched and boring; such that when prisoners were taken there was much gleeful anticipation among the pirate crew regarding the entertainment in store for them. It is most curious that the piratical life - nasty, short, and invariably brutish - has been so romanticised by literature.x

Pirate Legends
Title: Parrots
Author: Krzysztof Wilczynski

Parrots: Probably became widely thought of from the story "Treasure Island", specifically from the character "Long John Silver". There is a deal of controversy on this subject as many people suspect that pirates were much too practical to deal with pets. A parrot permanently stationed on the shoulder of a pirate would regularly generate a mess. As well, a parrot might get in the way of work, or be consumed during hard times at sea. So it is highly unlikely that having a parrot, or any pet for that matter, was too popular with pirates... Maybe some pirates dealt with their pet's messes just like some people today?

Pirate Legends
Title: Peg Legs
Author: Krzysztof Wilczynski
Peg Legs: Probably originated from the story "Treasure Island", from the character "Long John Silver". The character does not a use a peg leg in the story; his use of crutches has been misrepresented and through time and Hollywood productions this pirate legend was formed. In real life, however, this stereotype holds a good deal of truth; although its use is exaggerated in the minds of many people. If a pirate were injured in the leg, amputation would in most cases be the only option to save him. If the pirate crew were educated enough, they would call upon the cook to cut the injured limb off (to prevent Gang Green, or infection). Doctors were uncommon aboard pirate ships, so often the ship’s cook would be called upon in the case of amputation. However, such crude operations were seldom successful, as the inexperienced "surgeon" could not stop the bleeding which followed. Although much less likely, the pirate might also die from infection. A substitute was later required for the missing leg, which was usually any free material on the ship, a long piece of wood, for instance.

Pirate Legends
Title: Pirate Hooks
Author: Krzysztof Wilczynski
Pirate Hooks: Probably originated from the story "Peter Pan", specifically from the character "Captain Hook". It’s true that quite a few pirates lost a hand in battle, and it was not uncommon for a pirate to search for a useful substitute, which would be handy around the ship. A hook was relatively easy to construct from onboard ship materials, so it is highly probable (not certain) that in some cases it was used as a temporary or permanent prosthetic hand. A hook could be easily constructed from a wooden bowl placed over the stump with a hook fashioned from extra ship metal by the blacksmith. This combination could be strapped to the arm with some leather.