The largest of the Lesser Curry-Beans measures fourty kilometers in its largest dimension. The smallest ones are simple rocks, sometimes barely at the level of the water surface. Rarely, these islands have a lagoon but they can also be surrounded directly by a reef and most of them are quite montainous, even if their average height generally doesn't exceed five or six hundred meters. They have the following configuration with few exceptions: turkish blue foreshores (only by sunny wheather, well that is to say almost all the time anyway), hot black or glistening white sand beaches (idem) sometimes separated by mangroves or low cliffs, more rarely by massive basaltic blocks (Those islands were formed on an ancient volcanic bow); behind the beach, coconut trees, planted or naturally there, then houses and plantations – in the most welcoming bays, of course, harbour structures replace all that.

Then, the ground tends to elevate more rapidly and the forest reclaims the land. The forest is also exploited but only until a practicable altitude, for medical substances, rare woods and hunt. Over that limit, it is let free for wild animals… and the indigenous Indians – the Curry-Beans – « Marooning » slaves and Voodoo Sorcerers (check applicable items in each specific case)… Even higher, two cases are possible: either the island is still a volcano – which can be active – or it is the remnant of a volcano or of a lava block resulting from tectonic movements. In the first case, the island is dominated by a unique summit, massive and relatively high (up to, rarely though, over one thousand five hundred meters), which can be topped by a permanent plume of ashes and smokes; in the other case, the island shows several low and deeply cut mounts, which are the signs of its past activity.

The islands are geographically aligned on a bow which surrounds almost completely a shallow and rather calm sea: the Sea of the Lesser Curry-Bean, an elected place for exchanges, travel routes… and of course Piracy!

Inhabited islands

Almost all inhabited islands, that is to say over thirty, have a Governor. The largest bear several agglomerations and small harbours, some beautiful colonial mansions and, upon a cathedral and a lot of churches, at least one Voodoo shop and cult center. Plantations are many and variegated: coffee, Tobaggo, subsistence crops, fruits, vegetables, coconuts, etc. The smaller islands are all of that but on a smaller scale, sometimes even reduced to only the Governor'S house and its plantations. Generally, one fifth of the island is exploitable in more or less easy conditions.

Slavery is commonly spread, a real chance for some Pirates who may recruit there strapping Seamen ready for anything… The Lesser Curry-Bean island with the largest population, Santa Cruise, counts about fifty thousand inhabitants, of which at least twenty thousand slaves and at most two thousand Indians…

Pirates happen to land on that island or the other but it is their own interest to remain quiet. They, by the way, prefer to hang around in the countryside or in the mountainous forests. At some occasions, Pirates come to the greater of those small islands for a Loot and then take their leave for a forsaken rock which is their operation base. The small islands are first-choice retreat points for Pirates who wish to leave the business for a while or forever. They barely entice active Pirates because they bear too few value things or provisions, the latter meaning above all Rum or Grog…

Islets and Rocks

The Lesser Curry-Bean is a very crowded place in terms of rocks! We try here only to talk about the most famous and most visitable ones for our Young Pirate friends… We also try to describe the most typical sorts. There is absolutely no doubt that through a well-filled - yet not always pleasurable - Pirate carreer, one has the opportunity to visit many of them!

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