Division of Labor & Wages
Each junk was under the command of a lao-pan [a skipper or a boss] and a tou-mu [headman], who was easily distinguished by his better dress and fare. Occasionally there were more than one tou-mu. Pirate tou-mus were very different from merchant tou-mus because on merchant junks the tou-mu were petty officers in charge of the anchor or sails. Pirate tou-mu were above such work since they served as important authority figures. Next in command was the to-kung [helmsman] who was in charge of the general management of the sails and steering. There were typically two to-kung onboard. Under the to-kung were three of four men called huo-chang, who were in charge of deck duties. Each junk also designated two to four people who manned cannon, threw the anchors, and burned incense. Pursers acted as accountants taking care of keeping track of protection contracts and booty. All other crew members were responsible for hauling up the sails and sculling.
Sailors were paid in one of three ways: in space, in kind, and in cash. Over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, being paid in cash became increasingly important. For pirates, what and how they were paid depended heavily on the particular organization and leader of the pirate gang. Oftentimes, pirates were allowed to keep some share of their plunder, while they turned the rest over to a communal pool to be sold. The cash was to be redistributed at a later date.3