166 DUTCH AND ENGLISH ON THE HUDSON
doubloons of Spain, the louis d'or of France, and
other strange coin which at this epoch had begun
to circulate together with ivory and sandalwood
in the little town at the tip of Manhattan Island.
In one sense Fletcher cannot be held responsible
for the existence of piracy in the colony or on the
high seas. The institution was as old as naviga-
tion. Moreover the issuance of letters of marque
in the war with Spain had legalized privateering,
which was so near akin to piracy that it was often
hard to distinguish between the two. Even roy-
alty was not above accepting a share in the ques-
tionable spoils of the sea, as in the well-known case
of Queen Elizabeth and the booty which Drake
brought home.
It is easy, therefore, to guess the source of the
Eastern rugs, the carved teakwood furniture, -and
stuffs from India looms which adorned the houses
of the rich men of New York. On the streets
pirate captains were pointed out as celebrities.
One of them, Edward Coates, presented Madam
Fletcher with jewels, silks, and cashmere shawls.
Thomas Tew, another "filibustier," is described
by a contemporary as a slight, dark man about
forty years of age, who wore a uniform consisting
of a blue jacket bordered with gold lace and short