Ships were lost during these dark voyages, and said to have had a similar end to that of the famous ship the Flying Dutchman. During this period, Sir Francis Drake – another English sea-rover – in 1509 and 1511 launched two sea-raiders into the Atlantic, one near Grazon, and the other near Porto San Giorgio. The names of these ships have long been forgotten, and only in recent times have they been given names related to Drake. As a kind of bonus, we would like to mention two other French sea-raiders during the Middle Ages. The first was the famous pirate called Red Lion of Marseilles, and the second is the Corsair, Jacques d'Aubusson. THE FRENCH AND OTHER SEA-RAIDERS The Red Lion of Marseilles THE PRINCE AUGUSTE, A SEA-RAIDER OF THE 14TH CENTURY A sailor from Marseilles is the one who launched his ship, and sails into the unknown, and brings back booty from the Portuguese and Spanish coasts, as well as the English and Spanish possessions in the Azores, in the Atlantic. The ship is a kind of brigantine with 40 men. There are seven masts with sails of different sizes, and two fighting cannons. The vessel is armed at both sides and in the stern. The bow is well-defended with a crescent-shaped board that prevents cannon balls from damaging the men and rigging. A little over 1,500 kilometres west of the coast of Africa, in the English Channel, on April 13, 1421, it sails into the Atlantic. The crew are men from the port of Marseilles, sailors, fishermen, as well as other inhabitants of the port. On their way, they face bad weather and rough seas. They head towards the Portuguese coast and, at least, five days later, the pirates enter the Portuguese port of Lagos. They come across the ships of Lisbon, and while some remain hidden, others continue to raid, killing, looting and setting fire to the enemy vessels. However, the English, in order to avoid further provocations, set off on a mission to capture or attack these pirates, who have stolen a considerable number of men and riches from the Portuguese. The English ships pursue the pirates who, fearing capture, take refuge in a Portuguese port to the south of the village of São Brás de Alportel. Here, they enter the little port of São Salvador da Matosinhos. The men take refuge in a fortified place, but as they cannot remain hidden for long, they are captured, and taken to London where they spend a number of months in prison. In London, while on route to the Tower, they meet their compatriot from the Prince Charles and his mother, the Duchess of Savoy, Catherine de Medici. THE PRINCE AUGUSTE IS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS ACHIEVEMENTS In Spain, where he is known as 'Red Lion', the pirate Prince Augustus finds a defender in Ferdinand of Aragon, King of Castille and Leon. The Pirate Prince Augustus is proclaimed to be the defender of the coasts and ports of the Portuguese. It is in the port of Lisbon that Prince Augustus is recognized by Ferdinand for his efforts, for his contribution to the defense of the port and the coasts of Portugal. By the Portuguese, who, at that time, believe the whole of the sea is theirs, it is a small thing to call upon the Spanish for assistance in the defense of their coasts, but it is certainly a huge recognition, and a sign of the respect they give to the Prince Augustus, the defender of the port of Lisbon. A few months later, the pirates appear off the coast of Galway, Ireland. There, the same Ferdinand of Aragon is received by Prince Augustus, and both men decide to become allies and friends. The Pirate Prince Augustus will sail in and out of the ports of Galway in various ships, always in search of opportunities, without regard for the inhabitants. He will capture several English and Dutch ships, taking some of them as corsairs. Prince Augustus and Ferdinand will remain in contact, and continue to fight and fight, attacking one another and, through a series of naval battles, they will reach a truce. After the truce of Madrid, the Prince Augustus will remain with his new ally in the port of Lisbon. In 1525, an English ship – the Mary Francis – is stolen from Lisbon. She belongs to the London merchant Richard Madox. With the help of Prince Augustus, as well as the ships of the Prince Edward, her captain and husband, she is recovered. THE CROSS SEARCH FOR THE MARY FRANCIS The Corsair THE CROSSROADS – THE END OF THE PRINCE AUGUSTE The next pirate after Prince Augustus is Jacques d'Aubusson. In 1452, the Prince Louis and the Cardinal Charles d'Anjou, King of Sicily, and later of Naples and Jerusalem, plan the conquest of Naples and Sicily, in order to put a stop to the Italian trade of pirating vessels that cross the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Adriatic Sea. The Duke of Anjou, accompanied by a squadron of ships, lands at Messina and besieges the city. The French forces suffer the consequences of some very bad weather, and, in the meantime, the Duke is delayed by the English. The French and English agree to set sail at different times. The English squadron, headed by the Admiral Frobisher, sails off to the west, and while Frobisher fights off the English fleet of the Duke of Anjou, the other squadrons are attacked by the British Royal Navy under the command of Humphrey Stafford. Jacques d'Aubusson launches his vessel from the French port of Provence. He comes across a ship of the fleet of the Duke of Anjou and, as it is passing the island of Pantellaria, he sets his masts on fire. The English immediately know of the presence of the French fleet and attempt to stop the ship. Jacques d'Aubusson escapes but, for a number of days, the English patrol ships in the area find no trace of the ship. It is not until, on the morning of August 12, they see a smoke coming from the south that they realize that the ship of the fleet of the Duke of Anjou is still sailing to the west, in the midst of a storm. The English and the French give up any attempt to catch the ship, and the Admiral of England heads back to England, from where he sends a message to the King. The King in his turn must inform the French, informing them that his fleet is going back to England. In Spain, the Marquis of Pescara returns to Valencia from his victory in the sea battle at the river Tagus, that took place on the 20th of May 1462. The French fleet leaves from the port of Palma de Mallorca on July 24, and, in the middle of the night, they arrive near the port of Valencia. From there, the French advance to the port of Alicante, and there they set up a camp. The Marquis of Pescara leaves the Valencian port with a small fleet, following the French fleet under the command of Jacques d'Aubusson, who, being at his ease, lets the ships sail off and sets sail by himself. The French squadron goes on towards the Spanish coast, and enters the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar. The English fleet of Admiral Frobisher has set off for England. The French squadron, coming into the area of Cape Falcon, between the port of Algeciras and Cape Pizarro, on the 8th of October, attacks a ship belonging to the King of Spain. This ship is carrying supplies to a convoy of ships carrying wine. The attack lasts about two days, and at the end of it the French win the battle. Among the French victory, as well as a small number of prisoners, is Francis de Luc, the leader of the expedition. THE PRINCESS MARY – A BRITISH PRISONER An English ship carries a shipment of gold and silver to the port of Valencia. The English ship sets sail from the port of Palma de Mallorca, and around midnight of October 23, while the English ship is sailing towards the port of Valencia, she is attacked by the French squadron. The ship is captured by the French. Among the prisoners taken in the attack