
                 HELPFUL HINTS AND THINGS TO KNOW

Things in general...

          With the ST version, you will usually find that the LEFT 
     mouse button will SELECT an item,  and the RIGHT mouse button 
     will allow you to EXIT from a scene.  With a little practice, 
     this will feel perfectly natural.

          Remember to keep your crew fed!  This requires 1 unit of 
     rations per man per day. If you have, say, 30 crewmen and you 
     set out on a 7 day sail,  you will need 30 x 7 units of  food 
     to keep them alive.  When you have some money to spend, stock 
     up on food!

          You need a minimum of 16 men to sail your ship.  If  you 
     find  yourself  with less than 16 men and  attempt  to  sail, 
     you're  liable to be stuck at sea.  Your adventure  will  end 
     right then and there.

Fighting battles at sea:

          In order to fire your cannons, you must follow a precise 
     sequence...

               First,  select  the LOAD function;  then click  the 
          pointer on the cannons that you want to load.  They will 
          turn white when SELECTED.

               Next,  to  have  those cannons  loaded,  click  the 
          pointer on the following items in exactly this order...

               1).GUNPOWDER  (located  just to the  right  of  the 
                  cannon)

               2).THE CANNON ITSELF

               3).THE PUSHROD (just to the right of the gunpowder)

               4).THE CANNON

               5).THE  CANNONBALLS  (on  the  deck,  left  of  the 
                  cannon)

               6).THE CANNON

               7).THE BRUSH ( just above the cannonballs )

               8). THE CANNON

          Remember to click the cannon in the area right below the 
     railing, in between the gunpowder and the brush.

          Now,  if you have done everything correctly,  the bottom 
     row  of  cannon  icons will turn GREEN  on  the  cannons  you 
     selected. If they don't, select UNLOAD, and start over again.

          When you have loaded the cannons you want, you must move 
     to whichever cannon you wish to shoot. Do this by clicking on 
     the  left or right arrows just to the right of  LOAD  UNLOAD. 
     This will cause the deck to move,  as you would see it if you 
     were running from cannon to cannon.  You may load any cannons 
     that  are still functional( they will turn red when they  are 
     out of commission),  but you can only start the LOAD function 
     when you are between cannon positions 3-13.

          When  you  are ready to fire  that  cannon,  select  the 
     ELEVATION  you  wish to use by clicking the  pointer  on  the 
     number  you desire.  The higher the number,  the farther  the 
     cannon shot goes.  You must time things correctly and use the 
     proper elevation in order to hit the other ship. When you have 
     selected your elevation,  click the pointer on the fuse.  The 
     fuse will burn and the cannon will fire.

          If you hit the other ship hard enough and often  enough, 
     your  First Mate will alert you that the other ship is  going 
     down and can be boarded. If you board the ship, you can fetch 
     either  the  information  from the Ship's Log  or  seize  its 
     booty. You won't have time for BOTH, so choose wisely.

The Treasure Island:

          If you happen upon an island that matches your  treasure 
     map,  you  might  choose  to search it and try  to  find  the 
     treasure. Hints as to its location might be obtained from sea 
     battles or by bribing a storekeeper.  There will be a  number 
     of spots where it might lie, each marked with an X. Click the 
     pointer on the one you want to try, but beware!

Fighting with Bloodthroat Himself:

          If you discover the whereabouts of Bloodthroat, you will 
     know  it because the Mate will say that there is  someone  on 
     the island you have just sailed to. If you enter that harbor, 
     you will find it unwise to be there without all your  cannons 
     being  loaded.  You might find it wise to return  at  another 
     time when you can load all your cannons on the way.

Dealing with the Master Traders:

          The  Master Traders were quite wise;  they  were  always 
     looking to make their best profits,  based on the demands for 
     the various items they dealt in.  Such demands changed  quite 
     frequently in those days.  Once the word got out that certain 
     items were bringing high prices at certain ports, many people 
     would try trading them there.  Eventually,  there would be  a 
     glut in the market and prices would fall.

          So remember,  you can't both BUY and SELL the same  item 
     in the same port.  You can do one or the other, but not both. 
     Also, remember, PRICES CHANGE!

                                        Best of Luck, Captain!
