The principal facts about the exploits of the English and Frenchbuccaneers of the seventeenth century in the West Indies aresufficiently well known to modern readers. The French Jesuit historiansof the Antilles have left us many interesting details of their mode oflife, and Exquemelin's history of the freebooters has been reprintednumerous times both in France and in England. Based upon these old,contemporary narratives, modern accounts are issued from the press withastonishing regularity, some of them purporting to be serious history,others appearing in the more popular and entertaining guise of romances.All, however, are alike in confining themselves for their information towhat may almost be called the traditional sources--Exquemelin, theJesuits, and perhaps a few narratives like those of Dampier and Wafer.To write another history of these privateers or pirates, for they have,unfortunately, more than once deserved that name, may seem a ratherfruitless undertaking. It is justified only by the fact that there existnumerous other documents bearing upon the subject, documents which tillnow have been entirely neglected. Exquemelin has been reprinted, thestory of the buccaneers has been re-told, yet no writer, whether editoror historian, has attempted to estimate the trustworthiness of the oldtales by comparing them with these other sources, or to show theconnection between the buccaneers and the history of the Englishcolonies in the West Indies. The object of this volume, therefore, isnot only to give a narrative, according to the most authentic, availablesources, of the more brilliant exploits of these sea-rovers, but, whatis of greater interest and importance, to trace the policy pursuedtoward them by the English and French Governments.The "Buccaneers in the West Indies" was presented as a thesis to theBoard of Modern History of Oxford University in May 1909 to fulfill therequirements for the degree of Bachelor of Letters. It was written underthe supervision of C.H. Firth, Regius Professor of Modern History inOxford, and to him the writer owes a lasting debt of gratitude for hisunfailing aid and sympathy during the course of preparation.