ended ▁for ▁hundreds ▁of ▁years – part icular ly ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁when ▁the ▁B ale ar ics ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁Ber bers ▁and ▁pir ates ▁who ▁pl under ed ▁towns ▁and ▁houses ▁and ▁captured ▁their ▁inhabitants ▁for ▁r ans om . ▁The ▁capt ives ▁could ▁spend ▁years ▁on ▁end ▁in ▁North ▁African ▁lands , ▁until ▁they ▁were ▁eventually ▁ex changed , ▁sold , ▁or ▁their ▁r ans om ▁was ▁paid , ▁sometimes ▁collected ▁from ▁al ms . ▁There ▁are ▁chron icles ▁of ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁Cap ▁del ▁Pin ar ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 1 , ▁when ▁ 2 5 ▁Mall or c ans ▁were ▁taken ▁host age ▁and ▁whose ▁r ans om ▁of ▁two ▁thousand ▁esc ud os ▁was ▁advanced ▁by ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Alc ú dia . ▁ ▁The ▁is let ▁with ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁was ▁built . ▁For ▁one ▁hundred ▁years , ▁the ▁l ighth ouse ▁keep ers – s ometimes ▁with ▁their ▁families ▁in ▁to w – l ived ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁times ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁res cu ing ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁ship w re cks . ▁Tw ice ▁a ▁week , ▁a ▁boat ▁brought ▁them ▁supplies ▁from ▁the ▁Port ▁d ' Al c ud ia , ▁but ▁at ▁times ▁they ▁were ▁isolated ▁when ▁ships ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁sail ▁due ▁to ▁bad ▁weather , ▁and ▁their ▁st ap