Kornvalaj Piratoj!

…de The Tribune:

As I learned more about British history, I learned about “piracy” in Cornwall and the adjacent Scilly Isles. The Cornish Peninsula is the most westward part of England. It’s both extremely rugged and remote.

By 1860, more than 692 shipwrecks were recorded off southwest England’s dangerous coastline. While there were sometimes French pirates off the coast, most often it was the indigenous population of Cornwall that was engaged in piracy….

… The locals would then plunder the wrecked ship’s hold for what they referred to as “legal salvage.”

There were numerous squadrons of soldiers and police sent by officials in London to suppress these acts of piracy.

But the Cornish had their own Celtic language dating to pre-Roman days, and they could be most secretive. As W. S. Gilbert wrote, “A policeman’s lot is not an easy one.” …