Please forgive poor English. Am learning much from dear Captain, my friend and saviour, but still have far to go.

For just more than 200 years my Serbia does not exist. We are conquered by the Turk. My home city of Smederevo is last to fall, in 1459. We are at first allowed to live as we will, but taxes grow heavy and the Janissaries who rule our land become greedy and corrupt. Strange to hear stories of boys going to sea willingly: I went to sea at 14, sold to the slave-galleys of the Sultan's navy to pay off my family's taxes.

These are dark years of endless slavery, bad food, and many deaths, and I will speak of them no more. Ship was taken by Spanish, on whom I spit, because they not free us, just chain us in hold and take us many weeks west. I am slave, they see me as slave, so I am sold as slave. Serbs are Slav people, not make good slaves. Too, what is word, too headstrong? Yes, headstrong.

I escape from first master and am found, beaten, and sold. I escape from second master and do better job, kill two men chasing me and take their clothes and guns and coins. I have little Spanish but people in Santiago not care. From them I learn and even make small money as tailor. These things I do in Santiago: Make flag of my country from fine silk, learn about where I am, these Caribbean Sea islands, and learn that there are men who take gold from the Spanish and kill their sailors and nobles and priests. To become privateer like these men I am determined.

I sign on with trading ship to repair sails, and go at sea for first time as free man. Ship is "Vandermeer", Dutch felucca with good men who treat me well, and I learn much of sailing. We come to Saint Tomas, a good sign for I am "son of Tomas", and I begin search for privateer. I am close to end of coins when my dear Captain O'Harrigan comes into port and his mates call for able seamen to serve him. I volunteer, show the captain flag and tell story. He takes all to heart.

Tomasevic could not have hoped for a better man to serve. As Serbs are enslaved peoples longing to be free, so too are the privateers freedom fighters against the Spanish pigs. I am at the side of my dear captain always, and he has given me fine uniforms and flies my country's flag as his. Once my glorious flag was stolen by traitor while back in Santiago with my new friends and dear captain...

...but that is whole other story, yes?