Derailleur gears designed and built in the late 19th century. One example is the Protean two-speed derailleur available on the Whippet safety bicycle. The French bicycle tourist, writer and cycling promoter Paul de Vivie (1853–1930), who wrote under the name "Vélocio", invented a two speed rear derailleur in 1905 which he used on forays into the Alps. Some early designs used rods to move the chain onto various gears. 1928 saw the introduction of the "Super Champion Gear" (or "Osgear") from the company founded by champion cyclist Oscar Egg, as well as the Vittoria Margherita; both employed chainstay mounted 'paddles' and single
French corsairs of the French Crown, if captured by the enemy, they could in principle claim treatment as prisoners of war, instead of being considered pirates. Because corsairs gained a swashbuckling reputation, the word "corsair" is also used generically as a more romantic or flamboyant way of referring to privateers, or even to pirates. The Barbary pirates of North Africa as well as the Ottoman Empire were sometimes called "Turkish corsairs". The word "corsair" comes directly from the French word "corsaire", itself borrowed from the Italian "corsaro". This derives from the Latin "cursus", meaning "course" (as in journey or expedition). The French