William Burke aided which Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean?
William Burke (pirate) William Burke (d. 1699, first name occasionally Thomas, last name occasionally Burk, Burt, Bourck, Burch, or Burcke) was an Irish pirate and trader active in the Caribbean and near Newfoundland, best known for aiding William Kidd.
Cutting out of the Hermione The Cutting out of the Hermione, or Capture of Hermione, was a naval action that took place at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela on 25 October 1799. The formerly British frigate HMS "Hermione", which had been handed over to the Spanish by its crew following a vicious mutiny, lay in the heavily guarded sea port of Puerto Cabello now under the command of Don Ramon de Chalas. A British frigate, HMS "Surprise" , was sent under Edward Hamilton to recapture "Hermione". In naval terms this was called a "cutting out operation"—a boarding attack by small boats, preferably at night and against an unsuspecting and anchored target. This had become a popular tactic during the later 18th century.