The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3
by Frederick Whymper · English · Gutenberg #39343 · 988,427 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3
Author: Frederick Whymper
Release date: April 1, 2012 [eBook #39343]
Most recently updated: June 17, 2020
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39343
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEA: ITS STIRRING STORY OF ADVENTURE, PERIL, & HEROISM. VOLUME 3 ***
[Illustration: MORGAN’S ATTACK ON GIBRALTAR.]
THE SEA
_Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism._
BY
F. WHYMPER,
AUTHOR OF “TRAVELS IN ALASKA,” ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED._
* * *
CASSELL, PETTER, GALPIN & CO.:
_LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK_.
[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED]
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS. PAGE
Who was the First Pirate?—The Society of Bucaniers—Home of the 1
Freebooters—Rise of the Band—Impecunious Spanish Governors and
their Roguery—Great Capture of Spanish Treasure—An Unjust
Seizure, but no Redress—Esquemeling’s Narrative—Voyage from
Havre—“Baptism” of the French Mariners—Other Ceremonies—At
Tortuga—Occupied and Reoccupied by French and Spanish—The French
West India Company—Esquemeling twice Sold as a Slave—He Joins the
Society of Pirates—Wild Boars and Savage Mastiffs—How the Wild
Dogs came to the Islands—Cruelty of the Planters—A Terrible Case
of Retribution—The Murderer of a Hundred Slaves—The First
Tortugan Pirate—Pierre le Grand—A Desperate Attack—Rich Prize
Taken—Rapid Spread of Piracy—How the Rovers Armed their
Ships—Regulations of their Voyages—“No Prey, no Pay”—The
richly-laden Vessels of New Spain—The Pearl Fisheries—An
Enterprising Pirate—Success and Failure—His Final Surrender
CHAPTER II.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
The Pirate Portuguez—Another Successful Boat Attack—Re-taken—A 13
Gibbet or Life—Escape—Saved by Two Wine-jars—Helped by the
Pirates—Rich again—And suddenly Poor—A Dutch Pirate—From Sailor
to Captain—A Grand Capture—And a brutal Commander—No Surrender to
the Spaniards—Victory and Horse-flesh—The Rover’s Prodigality—A
Stratagem—Worse than Ever—The Spaniards reduce their
Commerce—Lewis Scot—John Davis—Outrages at Nicaragua—Piratical
Gains—Lolonois the Bad and Brave—His First Wounds—And his Early
Successes—Six Hundred and Sixty Pirates—The Capture of Maracaibo
and Gibraltar—Division of the Gains—His Brutalities—And Deserved
Death
CHAPTER III.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
The Second Lolonois—Captain Henry Morgan—His first Successes—A 29
Pirate Fleet of Seven Hundred Men—Attack on a Cuban Town—Morgan’s
Form—Not to be Beaten—Puerto Bello—Morgan’s Strategy—The Castle
taken—Extravagant Demands—The Governor of Panama Derided—Return
to Jamaica—Their Dissipation—A Fresh Start—Maracaibo re-taken—A
Chance for Guy Fawkes—Gibraltar again—Cruel Tortures inflicted on
Prisoners—Horrible Brutalities—Arrival of a Spanish
Fleet—Morgan’s Insolence—Letter from the Spanish Admiral—“To the
Death!”
CHAPTER IV.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
Attack resolved—The Fire-ship—Morgan passes the Castle—Off for 40
St. Catherine’s—Given up by a Stratagem—St. Catherine’s an Easy
Prey—Power of Fire—Thirty in Three Hundred Saved—The March on
Panama—A Pirate Band of Twelve Hundred—Sufferings on the Way—A
Pipe for Supper—Leather and Cold Water—Panama at Last—The First
Encounter—Resolute Fighting—Wild Bulls in Warfare—Victory for the
Pirates—Ruthless Destruction of Property—Cruelty to
Prisoners—Searching for Treasure—Dissatisfaction at the
Dividend—The Last of Morgan
CHAPTER V.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
The Exploits of Captain Sawkins—Three Ships Attacked by 51
Canoes—Valiant Peralta—Explosion on Board—Miserable Sight on Two
Ships’ Decks—Capture of an Empty Ship—Dissatisfaction among the
Pirates—Desertion of Many—Message from the Governor of Panama—The
Pirate Captain’s Bravado—His Death—Fear inspired on all the
Southern Coasts—Preparations for Punishing and Hindering the
Bucaniers—Captain Kidd—His First Commission as Privateer—Turns
Pirate—The Mocha Fleet—Almost a Mutiny on Board—Kills his
Gunner—Capture of Rich Prizes—A Rich Ransom Derided—Grand
Dividend—Kidd Deserted by some of his Men—Proclamation of
Pardon—Kidd Excepted—Rushes on his Doom—Arrested in New
York—Trial at the Old Bailey—Pleadings—Execution with Six
Companions
CHAPTER VI.
THE PIRATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
Difference between the Pirates of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth 59
Centuries—Avery’s brief Career—A Captain all at Sea—Capture of
his Ship—Madagascar a Rendezvous for Pirates—A Rich Prize—The
Great Mogul’s Ship Taken—Immense Spoils—The Great Mogul’s
Rage—Avery’s Treachery—His Companions abandon their Evil Ways—The
Water-rat beaten by Land-rats—Avery dies in abject Poverty—A
Pirate Settlement on Madagascar—Roberts the Daring—Sails among a
Portuguese Fleet, and selects the best Vessel for his Prey—His
Brutal Destruction of Property—His End—Misson and
Caraccioli—Communistic Pirates—Their Captures—High Morality and
Robbery Combined—Their Fates
CHAPTER VII.
THE PIRATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY (_concluded_).
Mary Read, the Female Pirate—As Male Servant, Soldier, and 67
Sailor—Her Bravery and Modesty—The Pirate Vane—No Honour among
Thieves—Delivered to Justice—The brief Career of Captain
Worley—The Biter Bit—A more than usually brutal Pirate—Captain
Low’s Life of Villainy—His Wonderful Successes—An unfortunate
Black Burned to Death—Torture of a Portuguese Captain—Of Two
Portuguese Friars—The Results of Sympathy—Low’s Cupidity defeated
by a Portuguese—Eleven Thousand Moidores dropped out of a Cabin
Window—An Unpunished Fiend
CHAPTER VIII.
PAUL JONES AND DE SOTO.
Paul Jones, the Privateer—A Story of his Boyhood—He Joins the 71
American Revolutionists—Attempt to Burn the Town and Shipping of
Whitehaven—Foiled—His Appearance at St. Mary’s—Capture of Lady
Selkirk’s Family Plate—A Letter from Jones—Return of the Plate
several Years after—A Press-gang Impressed—Engagement with the
_Ranger_—A Privateer Squadron—The Fight off Scarborough—Brave
Captains Pearson and Piercy—Victory for the Privateers—Jones Dies
in abject Poverty—A Nineteenth Century Freebooter—Benito de
Soto—Mutiny on a Slave Ship—The Commander left Ashore and the
Mate Murdered—Encounters the _Morning Star_—A Ship without a
Gun—Terror of the Passengers—Order to spare no Lives—A Terrified
Steward—De Soto’s Commands only partially observed, and the Ship
Saved—At Cadiz—Failure of the Pirate’s Plans—Captured, Tried, and
Hanged at Gibraltar
CHAPTER IX.
OUR ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.
Our Latest Arctic Expedition—Scene at Portsmouth—Departure of the 84
_Alert_ and _Discovery_—Few Expeditions really ever pointed to
the Pole—What we know of the Regions—Admitted and Unadmitted
Records—Dutch Yarns—A Claimant at the Pole—Life with the
Esquimaux—A Solitary Journey—Northmen Colony—The Adventurer
kindly treated—Their King—Sun-worshippers—Believers in an Arctic
Hell—The Mastodon not Extinct—Domesticated Walruses—The whole
story a nonsensical _Canard_
CHAPTER X.
CRUISE OF THE _PANDORA_.
The Arctic Expedition of 1875-6—Its Advocates—The _Alert_ and 91
_Discovery_—Cruise of the _Pandora_—Curious Icebergs—The First
Bump with the Ice—Seal Meat as a Luxury—Ashore on a Floe—Coaling
at Ivigtut—The Kryolite Trade—Beauty of the Greenland Coast in
Summer—Festivities at Disco—The Belles of Greenland—A Novel
Ball-room—The dreaded Melville Bay—Scene of Ruin at
Northumberland House—Devastation of the Bears—An Arctic
Graveyard—Beset by the Ice—An Interesting Discovery—Furthest
Point Attained—Return Voyage—A Dreadful Night—The Phantom
Cliff—Home again
CHAPTER XI.
THE _ALERT_ AND _DISCOVERY_.
Nares’ Expedition—Wonderful Passage through Baffin’s Bay—Winter 99
Quarters of the _Discovery_—Capital Game-bag—Continued Voyage of
the _Alert_—Highest Latitude ever attained by a Ship—“The Sea of
Ancient Ice”—Winter Quarters, Employments, and Amusements—The
Royal Arctic Theatre—Guy Fawkes’ Day on the Ice—Christmas
Festivities—Unparalleled Cold—Spring Sledging—Attempt to Reach
the _Discovery_—Illness and Death of Petersen—The Ravages of
Scurvy—Tribute to Captain Hall’s Memory—Markham and Parr’s
Northern Journey—Highest Latitude ever reached—Sufferings of the
Men—Brave Deeds—The Voyage Home
CHAPTER XII.
THE FIRST ARCTIC VOYAGES.
Early History of Arctic Discovery—The Hardy Norseman—Accidental 115
Discovery of Iceland—Colony Formed—A Fisherman Drifted to
Greenland—Eric the Red Head—Rapid Colonisation—Early Intercourse
with America—Voyages of the _Zeni_—Cabot’s Attempt at a
North-West Passage—Maritime Enterprise of this Epoch—Voyage of
the _Dominus Vobiscum_—Of the _Trinitie_ and _Minion_—Starvation
and Cannibalism—A High-handed Proceeding—Company of the Merchant
Adventurers—Attempts at the North-East—Fate of
Willoughby—Chancelor, and our First Intercourse with Russia
CHAPTER XIII.
EARLY ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.
Attempts at the North-West Passage—Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s 123
Advocacy—The One thing left undone—Frobisher’s Expeditions—Arctic
“Diggins”—A Veritable Gold Excitement—Large Fleet
Despatched—Disaster and Disappointment—Voyages of John
Davis—Intercourse with the Natives—His Reports concerning Whales,
&c.—The Merchants Aroused—Opening of the Whaling
Trade—Maldonado’s Claim to the Discovery of the North-West
Passage
CHAPTER XIV.
THE VOYAGES OF BARENTS.
North-Eastern Voyages of the Dutch—Barents reaches Nova 129
Zembla—Adventures with the Polar Bears—Large Trading Expedition
organised—Failure of the Venture—Reward Offered for the Discovery
of a North-East Passage—Third Voyage—Dangers of the Ice—Forced to
Winter on Nova Zembla—Erection of a House—Intense
Cold—Philosophical Dutchmen—Attacks from Bears—Returning
Spring—The Vessel Abandoned—Preparations for a Start—The Company
Enfeebled and Down-hearted—Voyage of 1,700 miles in Two Small
Boats—Death of Barents and Adrianson—Perils of Arctic
Navigation—Enclosed in the Ice—Death of a Sailor—Meeting with
Russians—Arrival in Lapland—Home once more—Discovery of the
Barents Relics by Carlsen—Voyages of Adams, Weymouth, Hall, and
Knight
CHAPTER XV.
VOYAGES OF HUDSON AND HIS SUCCESSORS.
Henry Hudson’s Voyages—Projected Passage over the Pole—Second 144
Expedition—A Mermaid Sighted—Third Voyage in the Dutch
Service—Discovery of the Hudson River—Last Voyage—Discovery of
Hudson’s Bay—Story of an Arctic Tragedy—Abacuk Pricket’s
Narrative—Their Winter Stay—Rise of a Mutiny—Hudson and Nine
Companions Set Adrift and Left to Die—Retribution—Four of the
Mutineers Killed—Sufferings from Starvation—Death of a
Ringleader—Arrival in Ireland—Suspicious Circumstances—Baffin’s
Voyages—Danish Expeditions to Greenland—Jens Munk and his
Unfortunate Companions—Sixty-one Persons Starved to Death—Voyage
of Three Survivors across the Atlantic—An unkingly King—Death of
Munk—Moxon’s Dutch Beer-house Story—Wood and Flawes—Wreck of
Wood’s Vessel—Knight’s Fatal Expedition—Slow Starvation and Death
of the whole Company—The Middleton and Dobbs’ Agitation—£20,000
offered for the Discovery of the North-West Passage
CHAPTER XVI.
EXPEDITIONS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
Paucity of Arctic Expeditions in the Eighteenth Century—Phipps’ 154
Voyage—Walls of Ice—Ferocious Sea-horses—A Beautiful
Glacier—Cook’s Voyage—A Fresh Attempt—Extension of the Government
Rewards—Cape Prince of Wales—Among the Tchuktchis—Icy
Cape—Baffled by the Ice—Russian Voyages—The two Unconquerable
Capes—Peter the Great—Behring’s Voyages—Discovery of the
Straits—The Third Voyage—Scurvy and Shipwreck—Death of the
Commander—New Siberia—The Ivory Islands
CHAPTER XVII.
THE EXPEDITIONS OF ROSS AND PARRY.
Remarkable Change in the Greenland Ice-Fields—Immense Icebergs 162
found out of their Latitudes—Ross the First’s
Expedition—Festivities among the Danes—Interviews with
Esquimaux—Crimson Snow—A Mythical Discovery—The Croker
Mountains—Buchan’s Expedition—Bursting of Icebergs—Effects of
Concussion—The Creation of an Iceberg—Spitzbergen in
Summer—Animated Nature—Millions of Birds—Refuge in an
Ice-pack—Parry and his Exploits—His Noble Character—First Arctic
Voyage—Sails over the Croker Mountains
CHAPTER XVIII.
PARRY’S EXPEDITIONS (_continued_).
Five Thousand Pounds Earned by Parry’s Expedition—Winter 170
Quarters—Theatre—An Arctic Newspaper—Effects of Intense Cold—The
Observatory Burned Down—Return to England—Parry’s Second
Expedition—“Young” Ice—Winter at Lyon’s Inlet—A Snow Village in
Winter and Spring—Break-up of the Ice—The Vessels in a Terrible
Position—Third Winter Quarters—Parry’s Fourth Winter—The _Fury_
Abandoned—The Old _Griper_ and her Noble Crew
CHAPTER XIX.
PARRY’S BOAT AND SLEDGE EXPEDITION.
Parry’s Attempt at the Pole—Hecla Cove—Boat and Sledge 178
Expedition—Mode of Travelling—Their Camps—Laborious
Efforts—Broken Ice—Midnight Dinners and Afternoon
Breakfasts—Labours of Sisyphus—Drifting Ice—Highest Latitude
Reached—Return Trip to the Ship—Parry’s Subsequent
Career—Wrangell’s Ice Journeys
CHAPTER XX.
THE MAGNETIC POLE—A LAND JOURNEY TO THE POLAR SEA.
Sir John Ross and the _Victory_—First Steam Vessel Employed in 186
the Arctic—Discovery of the Magnetic Pole—The British Flag Waving
over it—Franklin and Richardson’s Journeys to the Polar Sea—The
Coppermine River—Sea voyage in Birch-bark Canoes—Return
Journey—Terrible Sufferings—Starvation and Utter
Exhaustion—Deaths by the Way—A Brave Feat—Relieved at
Length—Journey to the Mouth of the Mackenzie—Fracas with the
Esquimaux—Peace Restored
CHAPTER XXI.
VOYAGE OF THE _TERROR_.
Back’s effort to reach Repulse Bay—Nine Months in the Ice—The 196
_Terror_ Nipped and Crushed—A General Disruption—Extreme
Peril—Increase of Pressure—Providential Delivery—Another Nip—Bow
of the Ship Split—Preparations for Emergencies—The Crew—An early
Break-up—Frozen Again—A Tremendous Rush of Ice—The Day of Release
CHAPTER XXII.
FRANKLIN’S LAST VOYAGE.
Sir John Franklin and his Career—His Last Expedition—Takes the 201
Command as his Birthright—The last seen of his Ships—Alarm at
their Long Absence—The Search—A few Faint Traces Discovered by
Parry—A Fleet beset in the Ice—Efforts made to Communicate with
Franklin—Rockets and Balloons—M’Clure’s Expedition—Discovery of
the North-West Passage—Strange Arrival of Lieutenant Pim over the
Ice—The _Investigator_ Abandoned—Crew Saved—Reward of £10,000 to
M’Clure and his Ship’s Company
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE FRANKLIN SEARCH.
The Franklin Expedition—The First Relics—Dr. Rae’s 215
Discoveries—The Government Tired of the Search—Noble Lady
Franklin—The Voyage of the _Fox_—Beset in the Ice for Eight
Months—Enormous Icebergs—Seal and Bear Hunts—Unearthly Noises
under the Floes—Guy Fawkes in the Arctic—The Fiftieth Seal Shot—A
Funeral—A Merry Christmas—New Year’s Celebration—Winter
Gales—Their Miraculous Escape—Experience of a Whaler—Breakfast
and Ship Lost together
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE LAST TRACES.
M’Clintock’s Summer Explorations—The Second Winter—Sledging 223
Parties—Snow Huts—Near the Magnetic Pole—Meeting with
Esquimaux—Franklin Relics Obtained—Objection of Esquimaux to
Speak of the Dead—Hobson’s Discovery of the Franklin Records—Fate
of the _Erebus_ and _Terror_—Large Quantity of Relics Purchased
from the Natives—The Skeleton on the Beach—Fate of Crozier’s
Party—“As they Fell they Died”—The Record at Point Victory—Boat
with Human Remains Discovered—The Wrecks never Seen—Return of the
_Fox_
CHAPTER XXV.
KANE’S MEMORABLE EXPEDITION.
Dr. Kane’s Expedition—His short but eventful Career—Departure of 232
the _Advance_—Dangers of the Voyage—Grinding Ice—Among the
Bergs—A Close Shave—Nippings—The Brig towed from the
Ice-beach—Smith’s Sound—Rensselaer Harbour—Winter Quarters—Return
of an Exploring Party—Fearful Sufferings—To the
Rescue—Saved—Curious Effects of Intense Cold
CHAPTER XXVI.
KANE’S EXPEDITION (_continued_).
Arrival of Esquimaux at the Brig—A Treaty Concluded—Hospitality 238
on Board—Arctic Appetites—Sledge Journeys—A Break-down—Morton’s
Trip—The Open Sea—The Brig hopelessly Beset—A Council
Called—Eight Men stand by the _Advance_—Departure of the
Rest—Their Return—Terrible Sufferings—A Characteristic Entry—Raw
Meat for Food—Fruitless Journeys for Fresh Meat—A Scurvied
Crew—Starving Esquimaux—Attempted Desertion—A Deserter brought
back from the Esquimaux Settlements
CHAPTER XXVII.
KANE’S EXPEDITION (_concluded_).
A Sad Entry—Farewell to the Brig—Departure for the South—Death of 247
Ohlsen—Difficult Travelling—The Open Water—The Esquimaux of
Etah—A Terrible Gale—Among the broken Floes—A Greenland Oasis—The
Ice Cliff—Eggs by the Hundred—An Anxious Moment—A Savage
Feast—The First Sign of Civilisation—Return to the
Settlements—Home once more
CHAPTER XXVIII.
HAYES’ EXPEDITION—SWEDISH EXPEDITIONS.
Voyage of the _United States_—High Latitude attained—In Winter 255
Quarters—Hardships of the Voyage—The dreary Arctic Landscape—Open
Water once more—1,300 Miles of Ice traversed—Swedish
Expeditions—Perilous Position of the _Sofia_
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE SECOND GERMAN EXPEDITION.
The First German Expedition—Preparations for a Second—Building of 258
the _Germania_—The _Hansa_—The Emperor William’s Interest in the
Voyage—The Scientific Corps—Departure from Bremerhaven—Neptune at
the Arctic Circle—The Vessels Separated among the Ice—Sport with
Polar Bears—Wedged in by the Grinding Ice—Preparations to Winter
on the Floe—The _Hansa_ lifted Seventeen Feet out of the Water—A
Doomed Vessel—Wreck of the _Hansa_
CHAPTER XXX.
ON AN ICE-RAFT.
A Floating Ice-Raft—The Settlement—Christmas in a New 263
Position—Terrible Storms—Commotion under the Ice—The Floe breaks
up—House Ruined—Water on the Floe—A Spectre Iceberg—Fresh Dangers
and Deliverances—Drifted 1,100 Miles—Resolution to Leave the
Ice—Open Water—Ice again—Tedious Progress—Reach Illuidlek
Island—Welcome at the Greenland Settlements—Home in
Germany—Voyage of the _Germania_—Discovery of Coal—A New
Inlet—Home to Bremen
CHAPTER XXXI.
HALL’S EXPEDITION—THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EXPEDITION—NORDENSKJÖLD.
Captain Hall’s Expedition—High Latitude Attained—Open Water 268
Seen—Death of Hall—The _Polaris_ Beset—An Abandoned Party—Six
Months on a Floating Ice-floe—Rescue—Loss of the
Steamer—Investigation at Washington—The Austro-Hungarian
Expedition—The _Tegethoff_ hopelessly Beset in the Ice—Two Long
Weary Years—Perils from the Ice Pressure—Ramparts raised round
the Ship—The Polar Night—Loss of a Coal-hut—Attempts to Escape—A
Grand Discovery—Franz Josef Land—Sledging Parties—Gigantic
Glaciers—The Steamer Abandoned—Boat and Sledge Journey to the Bay
of Downs—Prof. Nordenskjöld’s Voyage—The North-East Passage an
accomplished Fact
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS.
Has the South Pole been Neglected?—The Antarctic even more 276
Inhospitable than the Arctic—The Antarctic Summer—Search for the
_Terra Australis_—Early Explorers—Captain Cook’s
Discoveries—Watering at Icebergs—The Southern Thule—Smith’s
Report—Weddell’s Voyage—Dead Whale Mistaken for an
Island—D’Urville’s Adélie Land—Wilkes Land—Voyages of James
Ross—High Land Discovered—Deep Beds of Guano—Antarctic
Volcanoes—Mounts Erebus and Terror—Victoria Land
CHAPTER XXXIII.
DECISIVE VOYAGES IN HISTORY.—DIAZ—COLUMBUS.
An Important Epoch in the History of Discovery—King John II. of 281
Portugal and his Enterprises—Diaz the Bold—Ventures out to
Sea—Rounds the Cape—Ignorant of the Fact—The Cape of Storms—King
John re-christens it—Columbus and the Narrative of his Son—His
Visit to Portugal—Marriage—An un-royal Trick—Sends his Brother to
England—His Misfortune—Columbus in Spain—A prejudiced and
ignorant Report—The One Sensible Ecclesiastic—Again Repulsed—A
Friend at Court—Queen Isabella Won to the Cause—Departure of the
Expedition—Out in the Broad Atlantic—Murmurs of the Crews—Signs
of Land—Disappointment—Latent Mutiny—Land at Last—Discovery of
St. Salvador—Cuba—Natives Smoking the Weed—Utopia in
Hispaniola—Columbus Wrecked—Gold Obtained—First Spanish
Settlement—Homeward Voyage—Storms and Vows—Arrival in
Europe—Triumphant Reception at Barcelona
CHAPTER XXXIV.
DECISIVE VOYAGES IN HISTORY.—COLUMBUS—VASCO DA GAMA.
Columbus and his Enemies—Unsuitable Settlers—Outrageous Conduct 294
of the Colonists—The Second Expedition of Columbus—Discovery of
Jamaica—Dangerous Illness of Columbus—Return to Spain—The
Excitement over—Difficulty of Starting a New Expedition—Third
Voyage—Columbus reaches the Mainland of America—Insurrection in
Hispaniola—Machinations at Home—Columbus brought to Spain in
Chains—Indignation in Spain—His Fourth Voyage—Ferdinand’s
Ingratitude—Death of the Great Navigator—Estimate of his
Character—Vasco da Gama—First Voyage—The Cape reached—First Sight
of India—At Calicut—Friendship of the King of Cananore—Great
Profits of the Expedition—Second Voyage—Vengeance on the Ruler of
Calicut—His Brutality—Subsequent History of Da Gama
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE COMPANIONS AND FOLLOWERS OF COLUMBUS.
The Era of Spanish Discovery—Reasons for its Rapid 300
Development—Ojeda’s First Voyage—Fighting the Caribs—Indians and
Cannon—Pinzon’s Discovery of Brazil—A Rough Reception—Bastides
the Humane—A New Calamity—Ships leaking like Sieves—Economical
Generosity of King Ferdinand—Ojeda’s Second Voyage—The disputed
Strong-Box—Ojeda Entrapped—Swimming in Irons—Condemned
Abroad—Acquitted at Home—A Triumphant Client, but a Ruined Man—A
Third Voyage—Worthy La Cosa—Rival Commanders—A Foolish Challenge
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE COMPANIONS AND FOLLOWERS OF COLUMBUS (_concluded_).
Nicuesa and the Duns of San Domingo—Indian Contempt for a Royal 308
Manifesto—La Cosa’s Advice Disregarded—Ojeda’s Impetuosity—A
Desperate Fight—Seventy Spaniards Killed—La Cosa’s Untimely
End—Ojeda found Exhausted in the Woods—A Rival’s Noble
Conduct—Avenged on the Indians—A New Settlement—Ojeda’s Charm
fails—A Desperate Remedy—In Search of Provisions—Wrecked on
Cuba—A Toilsome March—Kindly Natives—Ojeda’s Vow Redeemed—Dies in
Abject Poverty—The Bachelor Enciso and Balboa—Smuggled on Board
in a Tub—Leon and his Search for the Fountain of Youth—Discovery
of Florida—Magellan—Snubbed at Home—Warmly Seconded by the
Spanish Emperor—His Resolute Character—Discovery of the
Straits—His Death—The First Voyage round the World—Captain Cook’s
Discoveries—His Tragical Death—Vancouver’s Island
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Morgan’s Attack on Gibraltar _Frontispiece_
Pirate Vessels (17th century) 4
Pierre Le Grand taking the Spanish Vessel 8
Pierre François attacking the Vice-Admiral 9
Escape of Portuguez 13
Brasiliano’s Escape _To face page_ 15
Map of Central America and the West India Islands 17
The Struggle with the Pirates at Gibraltar 21
Lolonois’ Fight with the Spaniards 25
On the Coast of Costa Rica 32
Blowing up of the French Pirate Ship 36
Morgan’s Attack on Maracaibo 40
Captain Henry Morgan 41
Captain Morgan’s Escape from Maracaibo 44
Burning of Panama 48
View of Panama 52
Avery chasing the Great Mogul’s Ship 61
Death of “Captain” Roberts 65
The Female Pirates 68
Paul Jones and Lady Selkirk 73
Paul Jones 77
De Soto chasing the _Morning Star_ 80
Cadiz 81
Captain Nares conducting H.R.H. The Prince of Wales
over the _Alert_ at Portsmouth
Departure of the _Alert_ and _Discovery_ from _To face page_ 85
Portsmouth
Sir George Nares 85
Cape Desolation 88
Map of the North Polar Regions 89
The Arctic Yacht _Pandora_
The Arctic Store Ship _Valorous_
Disco 93
Entrance to the Music Hall, Disco 96
Explorers Crossing Hummocks _To face page_ 97
The Monument to Bellot 97
Winter Quarters of the _Discovery_ 101
Winter Quarters of the _Alert_ 104
An _Alert_ Sledge Party _en route_ to the _Discovery_ 108
Sunshine in the Polar Regions 109
A Sledge Party starting for Cape Joseph Henry 112
Arrival of Lieutenant Parr on board the _Alert_ 113
Sebastian Cabot 120
Frobisher passing Greenwich 124
An Arctic Scene: Floating Ice 125
Martin Frobisher 128
An Iceberg breaking up _To face page_ 129
Nova Zembla, showing the route taken by Barents and 131
his Followers
Mock Suns, seen on 4th June, 1596, by Barents and his 132
Followers
Transporting Wood on Sledges for Building the House 133
Attacked by Bears 136
Repairing the Boat 137
Unloading, Dragging, and Carrying Boats and Goods 140
View on the Hudson 144
The Remnants of Knight’s Expedition 145
In Smith’s Sound 149
Mock Suns 152
Encounter with Sea-horses 156
Tchuktchi Indians Building a Hut 157
Sir John Ross 161
Fiskernæs, South Greenland 164
The _Dorothea_ and the _Trent_ in the Ice 165
Magdalena Bay, Spitzbergen _To face page_ 166
The North Cape 169
Esquimaux of West Greenland 172
An Esquimaux Snow Village 173
Captain Lyon and his Crew offering Prayers for their 177
Preservation
The Edge of the Pack 180
Dr. (afterwards Sir) John Richardson 185
Fort Enterprise 188
Richardson’s Adventure with White Wolves 189
Perrault Dividing his Little Store 192
Esquimaux Kaiyacks and Boat 196
The _Terror_ Nipped in the Ice 197
Back Addressing the Seamen 201
Sir John Franklin 205
The _Erebus_ and the _Terror_ among Icebergs _To face page_ 207
Cutting Ice Docks 208
Ice Mountains 209
Captain Robert Le Mesurier M’Clure 213
The Sledge Party of the _Resolute_, under Lieut.
Bedford Pim, Finding the _Investigator_
Back’s Great Fish River 217
Esquimaux Catching Seals 220
A Natural Arch in the Arctic Regions 221
Captain (afterwards Sir Leopold) M’Clintock 224
An Esquimaux Sledge and Team of Dogs _To face page_ 225
Cape York, Melville Bay 228
Relics brought back by the Franklin Search Expedition 229
Whale Sound, Greenland 233
Dr. Kane 236
Morton Discovers the Open Sea 241
Esquimaux Snow Houses 244
Kalutunah 245
Cape Alexander, Greenland 249
The Home of the Eider Duck 252
Godhavn, a Danish Settlement in Disco Island,
Greenland
The Schooner, _United States_, at Port Foulke 256
The House of the _Hansa_ on the Ice _To face page_ 260
A Young Bear chained to an Anchor 261
The Sun at Midnight in the Arctic Regions 264
The Funeral of Captain Hall 269
Start of Lieutenant Payer’s Sledge Expedition 272
Fall of the Sledge into a Crevasse 273
View of Cape Horn 277
Lisbon in the 16th Century 281
Bartholomew Diaz on his Voyage to the Cape 284
Christopher Columbus 285
Caravels of Columbus 288
Columbus’s First Sight of Land 289
Discovery of the Isle of Spain 292
Reception of Columbus by Ferdinand and Isabella _To face page_ 293
Ancient Gold-washing at St. Domingo 293
Columbus under Arrest 297
View of Calicut in the 15th Century 300
Vasco da Gama 301
Ojeda’s Attempted Escape 305
The Death of La Cosa 309
Arrival of Ojeda and his Followers at the Indian 312
Village
Ferdinand de Magellan 317
[Illustration]
THE SEA.
CHAPTER I.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS.
Who was the First Pirate?—The Society of Bucaniers—Home of the
Freebooters—Rise of the Band—Impecunious Spanish Governors and
their Roguery—Great Capture of Spanish Treasure—An Unjust Seizure,
but no Redress—Esquemeling’s Narrative—Voyage from Havre—“Baptism”
of the French Mariners—Other Ceremonies—At Tortuga—Occupied and
re-occupied by French and Spanish—The French West India
Company—Esquemeling twice sold as a Slave—He joins the Society of
Pirates—Wild Boars and Savage Mastiffs—How the Wild Dogs came to
the Islands—Cruelty of the Planters—A Terrible Case of
Retribution—The Murderer of a Hundred Slaves—The First Tortugan
Pirate—Pierre le Grand—A Desperate Attack—Rich Prize taken—Rapid
Spread of Piracy—How the Rovers armed their Ships—Regulations of
their Voyages—“No Prey, no Pay”—The richly-laden Vessels of New
Spain—The Pearl Fisheries—An Enterprising Pirate—Success and
Failure—His Final Surrender.
Who was the first pirate is a question easier to ask than to answer. We
may be sure, however, that not long after navigation had become a
recognised art the opportunities for robbery on the sea produced a breed
of “water-rats,” who infested the ocean, and were the terror of the honest
shipowner. That “hardy Norseman,” of whom we sing so pleasantly, was in
very truth nothing better; while some of the great names among the
mariners of the middle ages are, practically, those of pirates, whose
occupation bore the stamp of semi-legality from royal sanction, directly
given or implied.
But the society of pirates, of which the following chapters will furnish
some account, was, _sui generis_, the greatest on record, and was
formidable even to the great Powers of Europe. “It preserved itself
distinct from all the more regular and civilised classes of mankind, in
defiance of the laws and constitutions by which other nations and
societies were governed. In their history we find a perpetual mixture of
justice and cruelty, fair retaliation and brutal revenge, of rebellion and
subordination, of wise laws and desperate passions, such as no other
confederacy ever exhibited, and which kept them together as a body, until
the loss of their bravest and best leaders, who could not be replaced,
obliged them to return to the more peaceable arts of life, and again to
mix with nations governed by law and discipline.”(1) The origin of the
term _bucaneer_, or _bucanier_, is not to be very easily traced; it has an
allusion to those who dried the flesh of wild cattle and fish after the
manner of the Indians, and was first applied to the French settlers of St.
Domingo, who had at first no other employment than that of hunting bulls
or wild boars, in order to sell their hides or flesh. Many of them
subsequently became pirates, and the term was permanently applied to them.
The West Indies, for good reason, were long the especial home of the
freebooters. They abounded—as indeed they still abound—in little
uninhabited islands and “keys,” _i.e._, low sandy islands, appearing a
little distance above the surface of the water, with only a few bushes or
grass upon them. These islands have any quantity of harbours, convenient
for cleansing and provisioning vessels. Water and sea fowl, turtle and
turtle eggs, shell and other fish, were abundant. The pirates would,
provided they had plenty of strong liquor, want for nothing as regards
indulgence; and in these secluded nooks they often held high revel, whilst
many of them became the hiding-places for their ill-gotten treasures. From
them they could dart out on the richly-laden ships of Spain, France, or
England; while men-of-war found it difficult to pursue them among the
archipelago of islands, sand-banks, and shallows.
The rise of these rovers, or at least the great increase of them in the
West Indies, was very much due to the impecunious Spanish governors—hungry
courtiers, who would stick at no peculation or dishonesty that could
enrich them. They granted commissions—practically letters of marque—to
great numbers of vessels of war, on pretence of preventing interlopers
from interfering with their trade, with orders to seize all ships and
vessels whatsoever within five leagues of their coasts. If the Spanish
captains exceeded their privileges, the victims had an opportunity of
redress in the Spanish courts, but generally found, to their sorrow, that
delays and costs swallowed up anything they might recover. The frequent
losses sustained by English merchants during the latter half of the
seventeenth century led to serious reprisals in after years; a prominent
example occurred in 1716.
About two years previously, the Spanish galleons, or plate fleet, had been
cast away in the Gulf of Florida, and several vessels from the Havannah
(Cuba) had been at work with diving apparatus to fish up the lost
treasure. The Spaniards had recovered some millions of dollars, and had
carried it to the Havannah; but they had some 350,000 pieces on the spot,
and were daily taking out more. In the meantime, two ships and three
sloops, fitted out from Jamaica, Barbadoes, &c., under Captain Henry
Jennings, sailed to the gulf, and found the Spaniards then upon the wreck,
the silver before mentioned being deposited on shore in a storehouse,
under a guard. The rovers surprised the place, landing 300 men, and seized
the treasure, which they carried off to Jamaica. On their way they fell in
with a richly-laden Spanish ship, bound for the Havannah, having on board
bales of cochineal, casks of indigo, 60,000 pieces of silver, and other
valuable cargo, “which,” says the chronicler, “their hand being in, they
took,” and having rifled the vessel, let her go. They went away to Jamaica
with their booty, and were followed in view of the port by the Spaniards,
who, having seen them thither, went back to the Governor of the Havannah
with their complaints. He immediately sent a vessel to the Governor of
Jamaica, making representations as regards this robbery, and claiming the
goods. As it was in a time of peace, and contrary to all justice and right
that this piracy had been committed, the Governor of Jamaica could do
nothing else but order their punishment. They, however, escaped to sea
again, but not until they had disposed of their cargo to good advantage;
and being thus made desperate, they turned pirates, robbing not the
Spaniards only, but the vessels of any nation they met. They were joined
by other desperadoes, notably by a gang of logwood cutters from the Bays
of Campechy and Honduras. The Spaniards had attacked them and carried off
the logwood, but had humanely given them three sloops to carry them home.
But the men thought they could do better in piracy, and joined the
before-mentioned rovers.
And now to one of the historians, Joseph Esquemeling, whose record is
incorporated in the work on which these pages are founded, and who was
afterwards in company with such noted pirates as Lolonois, Pierre le
Grand, Roche Brasiliano, and others. He says:—
“Not to detain the reader any longer with these particulars, I shall
proceed to give an account of our voyage from Havre de Grâce in France,
from whence we set sail, in a ship called _St. John_, May the 2nd, 1666.
Our vessel was equipped with twenty-eight guns, twenty marines, and two
hundred and twenty passengers, including those whom the Company sent as
free passengers. Soon after we came to an anchor under the Cape of
Barfleur, there to join seven other ships of the same West India Company
which were to come from Dieppe, under convoy of a man-of-war, mounted with
thirty-seven guns and two hundred and fifty men. Of these ships two were
bound for Senegal, five for the Caribbee Islands, and ours for Tortuga.
Here gathered to us about twenty sail of other ships, bound for
Newfoundland, with some Dutch vessels going for Nantz, Rochelle, and St.
Martin’s, so that in all we made thirty sail. Here we put ourselves in a
posture of defence, having notice that four English frigates, of sixty
guns each, waited for us near Alderney. Our admiral, the Chevalier
Sourdis, having given necessary orders, we sailed thence with a favourable
gale, and some mists arising, totally impeded the English frigates from
discovering our fleet. We steered our course as near as we could to the
coast of France, for fear of the enemy. As we sailed along, we met a
vessel of Ostend, who complained to our admiral that a French privateer
had robbed him that very morning, whereupon we endeavoured to pursue the
said pirate; but our labour was in vain, not being able to overtake him.
[Illustration: PIRATE VESSELS (17TH CENTURY).]
“Our fleet, as we sailed, caused no small fears and alarms to the
inhabitants of the coasts of France, these judging us to be English, and
that we sought some convenient place for landing. To allay their fright we
hung out our colours, but they would not trust us. After this we came to
an anchor in the Bay of Conquet, in Brittany, near Ushant, there to take
in water. Having stored ourselves with fresh provisions here, we
prosecuted our voyage, designing to pass by the Pas of Fontenau, and not
expose ourselves to the Sorlingues, fearing the English that were cruising
thereabouts. The river Pas is of a current very strong and rapid, which,
rolling over many rocks, disgorges itself into the sea on the coast of
France, in 48 deg. 10 min. latitude, so that this passage is very
dangerous, all the rocks as yet not being thoroughly known.”
Esquemeling mentions the ceremony which, at this passage and some other
places, was used by mariners, and by them called “baptism.” The master’s
mate clothed himself with a ridiculous sort of garment which reached to
his feet, and put on his head a comically constructed cap, made very
burlesque; in his right hand he had a naked wooden sword, and in his left
a pot full of ink. His face was horribly blacked with soot, and his neck
adorned with a collar of many little pieces of wood. Thus apparelled he
ordered every one to be called who had never passed through that dangerous
place before, and then, causing them to kneel down, he made the sign of
the cross on their forehead with ink, and gave every one a stroke on the
shoulder with his wooden sword. Meanwhile, the standers-by threw a bucket
of water over each man’s head, and so ended the ceremony. But that done,
each of the baptised was obliged to give a bottle of brandy, placing it
near the mainmast, without speaking a word. If the vessel never passed
that way before, the captain was compelled to distribute some wine amongst
the mariners and passengers; other gifts, which the newly baptised
frequently offered, were divided among the old seamen, and of them they
made a banquet among themselves.
“The Hollanders likewise, not only at this passage, but also at the rocks
called Berlingues, nigh the coast of Portugal, in 39 deg. 40 min. (being a
passage very dangerous, especially by night, when in the dark the rocks
are not distinguishable, the land being very high), they use some such
ceremony; but their manner of baptising is very different to that of the
French, for he that is to be baptised is fastened and hoisted up thrice at
the mainyard’s end, as if he were a criminal. If he be hoisted the fourth
time, in the name of the Prince of Orange or of the captain of the vessel,
his honour is more than ordinary. Thus every one is dipped several times
in the main ocean, but he that is dipped first has the honour of being
saluted with a gun. Such as are not willing to fall must pay twelve pence
for ransom; if he be an officer, two shillings; and if a passenger, at
their own pleasure. If the ship never passed that way before, the captain
is to give a small rundlet of wine, which, if he denies, the mariners may
cut off the stern of the vessel. All the profit accruing by this ceremony
is kept by the master’s mate, who, after reaching their port, usually laid
it out in wine, which was drunk amongst the ancient seamen. Some say that
this ceremony was instituted by the Emperor Charles V., though it is not
amongst his laws.” After recording some similar ceremonies, we find
Esquemeling at Tortuga, their desired port, where they landed the goods
belonging to the West India Company.
Our chronicler, after describing the abundant fruits and fine trees, the
flocks of wild pigeons and abundance of turtle—from which the island
derives its name, being supposed to resemble one in the general outline of
its coasts—speaks of the multitudes of large crabs, both of land and sea.
“These,” naïvely says the narrator, “are good to feed servants and slaves,
whose palates they please, but are very hurtful to the sight; besides,
being eaten too often they cause great giddiness in the head, with much
weakness of the brain, so that very frequently they are deprived of sight
for a quarter of an hour.”
The French, having settled on the Isle of St. Christopher, planted there
some large trees, of which they built long boats, and in which they
proceeded to discover neighbouring islands. They first reached Hispaniola,
where they landed, and found large quantities of cattle, horses, and wild
boars, but did not stop there, as there was already a considerable colony
of Spaniards. They proceeded to the neighbouring island of Tortuga, which
they seized without difficulty, there being not more than ten or twelve
Spaniards in possession. The French were afterwards obliged to abandon it.
In 1664 it was occupied by the West India Company of France, who sent
thither Monsieur Ogeron as governor. The company expected considerable
trade, and even went so far as to give a large amount of trust both to the
pirates and to traders. This, as might be expected, did not answer, and
they had to resort to force of arms in order to collect some of their
payments. To make a long story short, the Company eventually recalled
their factors, and sold the servants as slaves. On this occasion
Esquemeling was also sold, being a servant of the said Company, and
received very hard usage from his first master, the lieutenant-general of
the island. Fortunately for himself, he fell sick, and his master, fearing
to lose him altogether, sold him cheaply to a surgeon, who treated him
humanely, and he soon recovered his health. After having served him one
year, he was offered his liberty on a promise to pay a ransom when he was
in a position to do so. “Being,” says the chronicler, “now at liberty,
though like Adam when he was just created—that is, naked and destitute of
all human necessaries—not knowing how to get my living, I determined to
enter into the order of pirates or robbers at sea. Into this society I was
received with common consent, both of the superior and vulgar sort, where
I continued till 1672. Having assisted them in all their designs and
attempts, and served them in many notable exploits, I returned to my own
native country.”
After some very graphic descriptions of the alligators and other animals,
he gives some interesting particulars respecting the numerous wild
mastiffs and boars of the island, the former of which were introduced by
the bucaniers. He says:—
“The Governor of Tortuga, Monsieur Ogeron, finding that the wild dogs
killed so many of the wild boars that the hunters of that island had much
ado to find any, fearing lest that common sustenance of the island should
fail, sent for a great quantity of poison from France to destroy the wild
mastiffs. This was done anno 1668, by commanding horses to be killed and
empoisoned, and laid open at certain places where the wild dogs used to
resort. This being continued for six months, there were killed an
incredible number; and yet all this could not exterminate and destroy the
race, or scarce diminish them, their number appearing almost as large as
before. These wild dogs are easily tamed among men, even as tame as
ordinary house-dogs. The hunters of those parts, whenever they find a wild
bitch with whelps, commonly take away the puppies and bring them home,
which, being grown up, they hunt much better than other dogs.
“But here the curious reader may perhaps inquire how so many wild dogs
came here. The occasion was, the Spaniards having possessed these isles,
found them peopled with Indians—a barbarous people, sensual and brutish,
hating all labour, and only inclined to killing and making war against
their neighbours: not out of ambition, but only because they agreed not
with themselves in some common terms of language; and perceiving the
dominion of the Spaniards laid great restrictions upon their lazy and
brutish customs, they conceived an irreconcilable hatred against them, but
especially because they saw them take possession of their kingdoms and
dominions. Hereupon they made against them all the resistance they could,
opposing everywhere their designs to the utmost; and the Spaniards,
finding themselves cruelly hated by the Indians, and nowhere secure from
their treacheries, resolved to extirpate and ruin them, since they could
neither tame them by civility nor conquer them with the sword. But the
Indians—it being their custom to make the woods their chief places of
defence—at present made these their refuge whenever they fled from the
Spaniards. Hereupon, those first conquerors of the new world made use of
dogs to range and search the intricatest thickets of woods and forests for
those their implacable and unconquerable enemies; thus they forced them to
leave their old refuge, and submit to the sword, seeing no milder usage
would do it; hereupon they killed some of them, and, quartering their
bodies, placed them in the highways, that others might take warning from
such a punishment. But this severity proved of ill consequence, for
instead of frighting them and reducing them to civility, they conceived
such horror of the Spaniards that they resolved to detest and fly their
sight for ever; hence the greatest part died in caves and subterraneous
places of the woods and mountains, in which places I myself have often
seen great numbers of human bones. The Spaniards, finding no more Indians
to appear about the woods, turned away a great number of dogs they had in
their houses, and they, finding no masters to keep them, betook themselves
to the woods and fields to hunt for food to preserve their lives; thus by
degrees they became unacquainted with houses, and grew wild. This is the
truest account I can give of the multitudes of wild dogs in these parts.
“But besides these wild mastiffs, here are also great numbers of wild
horses everywhere all over the island; they are but low of stature,
short-bodied, with great heads, long necks, and big or thick legs: in a
word, they have nothing handsome in their shape. They run up and down
commonly in troops of 200 or 300 together, one going always before to lead
the multitude. When they meet any person travelling through the woods or
fields, they stand still, suffering him to approach until he can almost
touch them, and then, suddenly starting, they betake themselves to flight,
running away as fast as they can. The hunters catch them only for their
skins, though sometimes they preserve their flesh likewise, which they
harden with smoke, using it for provisions when they go to sea.
“Here would be also wild bulls and cows in great number, if by continual
hunting they were not much diminished; yet considerable profit is made to
this day by such as make it their business to kill them. The wild bulls
are of a vast bigness of body, and yet they hurt not any one except they
be exasperated. Their bodies are from eleven to thirteen feet long.”
The cruelty of many of the planters to their slaves, some of whom were
kidnapped Europeans, was revolting. A terrible case is that of one of them
who had behaved so brutally to a servant that the latter ran away; after
having taken refuge in the woods for some days, he was captured, and
brought back to the wicked Pharaoh. No sooner had he got him than he
commanded him to be tied to a tree, where he gave him so many lashes on
his back that his body ran with an entire stream of blood. Then, to make
the smart of his wounds the greater, he anointed him with lemon-juice
mixed with salt and pepper. In this miserable posture he left him tied to
the tree for four-and-twenty hours, after which he began his punishment
again, lashing him again so cruelly that the miserable wretch gave up the
ghost, with these dying words:—“I beseech the Almighty God, creator of
heaven and earth, that He permit the wicked spirit to make thee feel as
many torments before thy death as thou hast caused me to feel before
mine!” The sequel is worthy the attention of those who believe in earthly
retribution. “Scarce three or four days were past after this horrible fact
when the Almighty Judge, who had heard the cries of that tormented wretch,
suffered the evil one suddenly to possess this barbarous and inhuman
homicide, so that those cruel bonds which had punished to death his
innocent servant were the tormentors of his own body; for he beat himself
and tore his own flesh after a miserable manner till he lost the very
shape of a man, not ceasing to howl and cry without any rest by day or
night. Thus he continued raving mad till he died. Many other examples of
this kind I could rehearse. The planters of the Caribbee Islands are
rather worse and more cruel to their servants than the former. In the Isle
of St. Christopher a planter was known to have killed above a hundred of
his slaves with blows and stripes.” And, if Esquemeling is to be believed,
the English planters of the period were little better.
[Illustration: PIERRE LE GRAND TAKING THE SPANISH VESSEL.]
The first pirate of Tortuga was Pierre le Grand, or Peter the Great. He
was born at Dieppe, in Normandy. The action which rendered him famous was
his taking the vice-admiral’s ship of the Spanish fleet, near the Cape of
Tiburon, on the west side of Hispaniola; this he performed with only one
boat and twenty-eight men. Until that time the Spaniards had passed and
re-passed with all security through the channel of Bahama; so that Pierre
le Grand, setting out to sea by the Caycos, took this grand ship with all
the ease imaginable. The Spaniards found aboard were set ashore, and the
vessel was sent to France. “The manner how this undaunted spirit attempted
and took this large ship,” says the narrator, “I shall give you out of the
journal of the author in his own words, ‘The boat,’ says he, ‘wherein
Pierre le Grand was with his companions had been at sea a long time
without finding any prize worth his taking, and their provisions beginning
to fail, they were in danger of starving. Being almost reduced to despair,
they spied a great ship of the Spanish flota separated from the rest; this
vessel they resolved to take, or die in the attempt. Hereupon they sailed
towards her to view her strength. And though they judged the vessel to be
superior to theirs, yet their covetousness and the extremity they were
reduced to made them venture. Being come so near that they could not
possibly escape, they made an oath to their captain, Pierre le Grand, to
stand by him to the last. ’Tis true, the pirates did believe they should
find the ship unprovided to fight, and therefore the sooner master her. It
was in the dusk of the evening they began to attack; but before they
engaged they ordered the surgeon of the boat to bore a hole in the sides
of it, that their own vessel sinking under them, they might be compelled
to attack more vigorously, and endeavour more hastily to board the ship.
This was done accordingly; and without any other arms than a pistol in one
hand and a sword in the other, they immediately climbed up the sides of
the ship, and ran altogether into the great cabin, where they found the
captain, with several of his companions, playing at cards. Here they set a
pistol to his breast, commanding him to deliver up the ship. The
Spaniards, surprised to see the pirates on board their ship, cried,
“Jesus, bless us! Are these devils, or what are they?” Meanwhile some of
them took possession of the gun-room, and seized the arms, killing as many
as made any opposition; whereupon the Spaniards presently surrendered.
That very day the captain of the ship had been told by some of the seamen
that the boat which was in view cruising was a boat of pirates, whom the
captain slightly answered, “What, then, must I be afraid of such a pitiful
thing as that is? No! though she were a ship as big and as strong as mine
is.” As soon as Pierre le Grand had taken this rich prize, he detained in
his service as many of the common seamen as he had need of, setting the
rest ashore, and then set sail for France, where he continued without ever
returning to America again.’”
The planters and hunters of Tortuga had no sooner heard of the rich prize
those pirates had taken than they resolved to follow their example. Many
of them left their employments, and endeavoured to get some small boats
wherein to exercise piracy; but not being able to purchase or build them
in Tortuga, they set out in their canoes, and sought them elsewhere. With
these they cruised at first upon Cape de Alvarez, where the Spaniards used
to trade from one city to another in small vessels, in which they carried
hides, tobacco, and other commodities to the Havannah, and to which the
Spaniards from Europe frequently resorted.
Here it was that those pirates at first took a great many boats laden with
the before-mentioned commodities; these they used to carry to Tortuga, and
sell the whole purchase to the vessels that waited for their return or
accidentally happened to be there. With the gains of these prizes they
provided themselves with necessaries wherewith to undertake other voyages,
some of which were made to Campechy, and others toward Hispaniola, in both
which the Spaniards then drove a good trade. Upon those coasts they found
great numbers of trading vessels, and often ships of great burden. Two of
the biggest of these vessels, and two great ships which the Spaniards had
laden with plate in the port of Campechy to go to the Caraccas, they took
in less than a month’s time, and carried to Tortuga, when the people of
the whole island, encouraged by their success—especially seeing in two
years the riches of the country so much increased—they augmented the
number of freebooters so fast, that in a little time there were in that
small island and port above twenty pirate-ships. The Spaniards, not able
to bear their robberies any longer, equipped two large men-of-war, both
for the defence of their own coasts and to cruise upon the enemy’s. We
shall see the result.
Before the pirates went to sea they gave notice to all concerned of the
day on which they were to embark, obliging each man to bring as many
pounds of powder and ball as they thought necessary. Being all come
aboard, they consulted as to where to get provisions, especially flesh,
seeing they scarcely used anything else: this was ordinarily pork and
tortoise, which they salted a little; sometimes they robbed the hog-yards,
where the Spaniards often had a thousand head of swine together. They
approached these places in the night, and having beset the keeper’s lodge,
would force him to rise and give them as many head as they desired,
threatening to kill him if he refused or made any noise; and these menaces
were oftentimes executed on the miserable swine-keepers or any other
person that endeavoured to hinder their robberies.
Having got flesh sufficient for their voyage, they returned to the ship.
Here every one was allowed, twice a day, as much as he could eat, without
weight or measure; nor did the steward of the vessel give any more flesh,
nor anything else, to the captain than to the meanest mariner. “The ship
being well victualled, they would deliberate whether they should go to
seek their desperate fortunes, and likewise agree upon certain articles,
which were put in writing, which every one was bound to observe; and all
of them, or the chiefest part, set their hands to it. Here they set down
distinctly what sums of money each particular person ought to have for
that voyage, the fund of all the payments being what was netted by the
whole expedition, for otherwise it was the same law among these people as
other pirates—‘No prey, no pay.’ First, therefore, they calculated how
much the captain was to have for his ship; next the salary of the
carpenter or shipwright who careened, mended, and rigged the vessel; this
commonly amounted to one hundred or one hundred and fifty pieces of
eight,(2) according to the agreement. Afterwards, for provisions and
victualling, they drew out of the same common stock about two hundred
pieces of eight; also a salary for the surgeon and his medicine chest,
which usually is rated at two hundred or two hundred and fifty pieces of
eight. Lastly, they agreed what rate each one ought to have that was
either wounded or maimed in his body, or should suffer the loss of any
limb: as, for the loss of a right arm, six hundred pieces of eight, or six
slaves; for the left arm, five hundred pieces of eight, or five slaves;
for a right leg, five hundred pieces of eight, or five slaves; for the
left leg, four hundred pieces of eight, or four slaves; for an eye, one
hundred pieces of eight, or one slave; for a finger, the same as for an
eye: all which sums were taken out of the common stock of what was
gathered by their piracy, and a very exact and equal dividend was made of
the remainder. They had also regard to qualities and places; thus, the
captain or chief was allotted five or six portions to what the ordinary
seamen had, the master’s mate only two, and other officers proportionately
to their employ; after which they drew equal parts, from the highest to
the lowest mariner, the boys not being omitted, who drew a half share,
because when they take a better vessel than their own it was the boys’
duty to fire the former vessel, and then retire to the prize.”
They observed among themselves very good order; for in the prizes which
they took it was severely prohibited to any one to take anything for
themselves; hence all they got was equally divided. They took a solemn
oath to each other not to conceal the least thing they might find among
the prizes; and if any one was found false to his oath he was immediately
turned out of the society. They were very kind and charitable to each
other, so that if any one wanted what another had, he was immediately
supplied. As soon as these pirates had taken a prize, they immediately set
ashore the prisoners, detaining only some few for their own help and
service, whom also they released after two or three years. They refreshed
themselves at one island or another, but especially at those on the south
of Cuba; here they careened their vessels, while some went hunting, and
others cruised in canoes for prizes. They often took the poor turtle
fishermen, and made them work during their pleasure.
[Illustration: PIERRE FRANÇOIS ATTACKING THE _VICE-ADMIRAL_.]
The inhabitants of New Spain and Campechy were wont to lade their best
merchandise in ships of great bulk; the vessels from Campechy sailed in
the winter to Caraccas, the Trinity Isles, and that of Margarita, and
returned back again in the summer. The pirates, knowing these seasons (and
thoroughly alive to the situation), always cruised between the places
above-mentioned; but in case they lighted on no considerable booty,
commonly undertook some more hazardous enterprise; “one remarkable
instance of which,” says our chronicler, “I shall here give you. A certain
pirate, called Pierre François, or Peter Francis, waiting a long time at
sea with his boat and twenty-six men for the ships that were to return
from Maracaibo to Campechy, and not being able to find any prey, at last
he resolved to direct his course to Rancheiras, near the River de la
Plata, in 12½° north latitude. Here lies a rich bank of pearl, to the
fishery whereof they yearly sent from Carthagena twelve vessels, with a
man-of-war for their defence. Every vessel has at least two negroes, who
are very dexterous in diving to the depth of six fathoms, where they find
good store of pearls. On this fleet, called the Pearl Fleet, Pierre
François resolved to venture rather than go home empty. They then rode at
anchor at the mouth of the River de la Hacha, the man-of-war scarce half a
league distant from the small ships, and the wind very calm. Having spied
them in this posture, he presently pulled down his sails and rowed along
the coast, feigning to be a Spanish vessel coming from Maracaibo; but no
sooner was he come to the pearl-bank, when suddenly he assaulted the
_Vice-Admiral_, of eighty guns and sixty men, commanding them to
surrender. The Spaniards made a good defence for some time, but at last
were forced to submit. Having thus taken the _Vice-Admiral_, he resolved
to attempt the man-of-war, with which addition he hoped to master the rest
of the fleet. To this end he presently sunk his own boat, putting forth
the Spanish colours, and weighed anchor with a little wind which then
began to stir, having with threats and promises compelled most of the
Spaniards to assist him; but so soon as the man-of-war perceived one of
his fleet to sail, he did so too, fearing lest the mariners designed to
run away with the riches they had on board. The pirates on this
immediately gave over the enterprise, thinking themselves unable to
encounter force to force; hereupon they endeavoured to get out of the
river and gain the open seas by making as much sail as they could; which
the man-of-war perceiving, he presently gave them chase, but the pirates
having laid on too much sail, and a gust of wind presently rising, their
mainmast was brought by the board, which disabled them from escaping.
“This unhappy event much encouraged those in the man-of-war, they gaining
upon the pirates every moment, and at last overtook them; but they,
finding they had twenty-two sound men, the rest being either killed or
wounded, resolved to defend themselves as long as possible. This they
performed very courageously for some time, till they were forced by the
man-of-war, on condition that they should not be used as slaves to carry
stones, or be employed in other labours for three or four years, as they
served their negroes, but that they should be set safe on shore on free
land. On these articles they yielded, with all they had taken, which was
worth in pearls alone above 100,000 pieces of eight, besides the vessel,
provisions, goods, &c., all of which would have made this a greater prize
than he could desire: which he had certainly carried off if his mainmast
had not been lost, as we said before.”
[Illustration: ESCAPE OF PORTUGUEZ.]
CHAPTER II.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
The Pirate Portuguez—Another Successful Boat Attack—Re-taken—A
Gibbet or Life—Escape—Saved by Two Wine-jars—Helped by the
Pirates—Rich again—And suddenly Poor—A Dutch Pirate—From Sailor to
Captain—A grand Capture—And a brutal Commander—No Surrender to the
Spaniards—Victory and Horse-flesh—The Rover’s Prodigality—A
Stratagem—Worse than ever—The Spaniards reduce their
Commerce—Lewis Scot—John Davis—Outrages at Nicaragua—Piratical
Gains—Lolonois the Bad and Brave—His First Wounds—And his Early
Successes—Six Hundred and Sixty Pirates—The Capture of Maracaibo
and Gibraltar—Division of the Gains—His Brutalities—And Deserved
Death.
Bold attempts were the order of the day. A certain pirate named Portuguez
was cruising off the Cape Coriente in Cuba, where he met a ship from
Maracaibo and Carthagena bound to the Havannah provided with twenty
“great” guns of the period, and seventy passengers and crew. This ship he
attacked, and was at first beaten off. The assault was renewed on the part
of the pirates, and after a long and dangerous fight the rovers became the
victors. The Portuguese lost only ten men and had four wounded. But the
Spaniards had a much larger force in those waters.
Being very near the cape before-named, they unexpectedly met with three
vessels coming from New Spain, and bound for the Havannah; by these, not
being able to escape, they were easily re-taken, both ship and pirates,
and all made prisoners, and stripped of all the riches they had taken just
before. The cargo consisted of 120,000 weight of cocoa-nuts,(3) the chief
ingredient of chocolate, and 70,000 pieces of eight. Two days after this
misfortune there arose a great storm, which separated the ships from one
another. The great vessel, where the pirates were, arrived at Campechy,
where a number of merchants resided. The Portuguese pirate was well known
there for the outrages he had committed. The next day after their arrival,
the magistrates of the city sent to demand certain prisoners, but fearing
the Portuguese pirate might escape, kept him guarded on board, while they
erected a gibbet on shore, expecting to hang him next day. Bartholomew
Portuguez was too much for them, and managed to escape, after stabbing his
sentinel, and swimming ashore with the help of two wine-jars, as he was a
bad swimmer. He took to the woods, living on wild herbs, and secreted
himself for days in the hollow of a tree, while his enemies were searching
for him. Eventually he escaped, after travelling some forty leagues, a
fortnight after, half starved and exhausted, to Del Golpho Triste. He had
on his way made a boat or raft from a plank and some osiers. But at Golpho
Triste he met some of his own kidney—pirates of his own kind. They
naturally sympathised, and gave him a boat and twenty men. Eight days
after he accomplished his will. He took the boat to Campechy, and “with an
undaunted courage, and without any noise, he assaulted the said ship;
those on board thought it was a boat from land that came to bring
contraband goods, and so were not in no posture of defence; which
opportunity the pirates laying hold of, assaulted them so resolutely, that
in a little time they compelled the Spaniards to surrender. Being masters
of the ship, they immediately weighed anchor and set sail for the port,
lest they should be pursued by other vessels. This they did with the
utmost joy, seeing themselves possessors of so brave a ship; especially
Portuguez, who by a second turn of fortune was become rich and powerful
again, who was so lately in that same vessel a prisoner condemned to be
hanged. With this purchase he designed greater things which he might have
alone,” and so forth. Piracy did not prosper with him in the end, for his
vessel was afterwards lost, and he was never fortunate again.
“Not less considerable,” wrote Esquemeling, “are the actions of another
pirate who now lives at Jamaica, who on several occasions has performed
very surprising things. He was born at Groninghen, in the United
Provinces. His own name not being known, his companions gave him the name
of Roche Brasiliano, by reason of his long residence in Brazil; hence he
was forced to fly when the Portuguese took those countries from the Dutch,
several nations then inhabiting at Brazil (as English, French, Dutch, and
others) being constrained to seek new fortunes.
“This person fled to Jamaica, where, being at a stand how to get his
living, he entered into the society of pirates, where he served as a
private mariner for some time, and behaved himself so well that he was
beloved and respected by all. One day some of the mariners quarrelled with
that degree that they left the boat. Brasiliano, following them, was
chosen their leader, who, having fitted out a small vessel, they made him
captain.”
Within a few days after he took a rich plate ship coming from New Spain,
and carried it to Jamaica. This action brought him great reputation, and
he was, for the time, a great man ashore. He was, however, a terrible
brute when drunk—the average condition of the pirate on land—and would run
wildly about the streets, insulting, beating, or wounding any one he
chanced to meet. Pleasant Brasiliano!
[Illustration: BRASILIANO’S ESCAPE.]
To the Spaniards he was always barbarous and cruel, out of an inveterate
hatred against their nation. On several occasions he commanded men to be
roasted alive on wooden spits, for not showing hog-yards where he might
steal swine. After committing many such cruelties, as he was cruising on
the coasts of Campechy, a dismal tempest surprised him so violently that
his ship was wrecked upon the coasts, the mariners only escaping with
their muskets and some few bullets and powder, which were the only things
they could save. The ship was lost between Campechy and the Golpho Triste;
here they got ashore in a canoe, and, marching along the shore with all
the speed they could, directed their course towards Golpho Triste, the
common refuge of the pirates. On their journey, all very exhausted and
hungry, they were pursued by a troop of 100 Spaniards. The pirates were
but thirty; yet, seeing their brave commander resolute, they fought
bravely, and facing the troop of Spaniards, discharged their muskets on
them so dexterously that they killed one horseman almost with every shot.
The fight continued for an hour, till at last the Spaniards were put to
flight. They stripped the dead, and took from them what was most for their
use; such as were not quite dead they despatched with the ends of their
muskets.
“Having vanquished the enemy, they mounted on horses they found in the
field, and continued their journey, Brasiliano having lost but two of his
companions in this bloody fight, and had two wounded. Prosecuting their
way, before they came to the port they spied a boat at anchor from
Campechy, well manned, protecting a few canoes that were lading wood;
hereupon they sent six of their men to watch them, who next morning, by a
wile, possessed themselves of the canoes. Having given notice to their
companions, they boarded them, and also took the little man-of-war, their
convoy. Being thus masters of the fleet, they wanted only provisions, of
which they found little aboard those vessels; but this defect was supplied
by the horses, which they killed and salted, which by good fortune the
wood-cutters had brought with them, with which they supported themselves
till they could get better.
“They took also another vessel going from New Spain to Maracaibo, laden
with divers sorts of merchandise and pieces of eight, designed to buy
cocoa-nuts for their lading home; all these they carried to Jamaica, where
they safely arrived, and, according to custom, wasted all in a few days in
taverns and disorderly houses. Some of these pirates will spend two or
three thousand pieces of eight in a night, not leaving themselves a good
shirt to wear in the morning. My own master,” says Esquemeling, “would buy
sometimes a pipe of wine, and placing it in the street, would force those
that passed by it to drink with him, threatening also to pistol them if
they would not. He would do the like with barrels of beer or ale, and very
often he would throw these liquors about the streets and wet people’s
clothes, without regarding whether he spoiled their apparel.
“Among themselves these pirates are very liberal; if any one has lost all,
which often happens in their manner of life, they freely give him of what
they have. In taverns and alehouses they have great credit; but at Jamaica
they ought not to run very deep in debt, seeing the inhabitants there
easily sell one another for debt. This happened to my patron, to be sold
for a debt of a tavern wherein he had spent the greater part of his money.
This man had, within three months before, three thousand pieces of eight
in ready cash, all which he wasted in that little time, and became as poor
as I have told you.”
The history of a pirate is that of many another man made suddenly rich.
Brasiliano, after having spent all, naturally went to sea again, and set
forth for the coast of Campechy. Fifteen days after his arrival he took a
canoe, and went to examine the port, but his fortune failed, and he and
all his men were taken and committed to a dungeon. Doubtless they would
have all been hanged but for a stratagem of Brasiliano, which saved their
lives. He wrote a letter to the governor in the names of his fellow
pirates at sea, warning him of their power, and that their blood would be
on his head. The governor was frightened out of his wits, and released
them on the bare promise that they would not be pirates again. As a
nominal punishment, he sent them as drafts on the Spanish galleons, and
they went to Spain. They returned, to be worse pirates than ever.
The Spaniards about this period became so tired of sending vessels to sea
only to lose them, that they diminished the number considerably. But this
was of no avail, for the pirates then turned their attention to the
Spanish towns and settlements. One Lewis Scot sacked the city of Campechy,
which he almost ruined; another pirate, named Mansvelt, invaded New
Granada; while John Davis gave his unwelcome attentions to Nicaragua.
This freebooter, having long been unfortunate in his enterprises, resolved
on a desperate expedient. Leaving his ship hidden on the coast, he took
eighty out of ninety men which he had in all, and divided them in three
canoes. In the dark of night they entered the river leading to the city;
proceeding cautiously, they hid themselves by day under the thickly wooded
banks. On the third night they arrived at the city, at the outposts of
which, on the river, the guard allowed them to pass, as most of them spoke
Spanish, and he took them for fishermen. They had with them an Indian
guide who had run away from his master in Nicaragua, and he went ashore
and speedily despatched the sentinel. The pirate band then entered the
city, and knocked softly at the houses of several chief citizens, who,
believing them to be friends, opened their doors. The pirates soon
convinced them to the contrary, and rifled them of all the money and plate
they could find. The churches were pillaged and profaned. Meantime the
citizens collected their forces, and the pirates saw that they must get
away with the prisoners they had taken; “these they led away, that if any
of them should be taken by the Spaniards they might use them for ransom.
Thus they got to their ships, and with all speed put to sea, forcing the
prisoners, before they let them go, to procure as much flesh as was
necessary for their voyage to Jamaica. But no sooner had they weighed
anchor when they saw a troop of about 500 Spaniards, all well armed, at
the sea-side; against these they let fly several guns, wherewith they
forced them to quit the sands and retire, with no small regret to see
these pirates carry away so much plate of their churches and houses,
though distant at least forty leagues from the sea.” Davis and his men
divided the Spanish coin and jewels, to the value of about ten thousand
pounds in English money. The captain was afterwards chosen admiral of
seven or eight vessels, and pillaged a town in Florida, named St.
Augustine, although it possessed a castle protected by 200 men.
One of the most famous—or, more properly speaking, infamous—pirates of the
day was Francis Lolonois, a native of France. “In his youth he was
transported to the Caribee Islands, in quality of servant or slave,
according to custom, of which we have already spoken. Being out of his
time, he came to Hispaniola, where he joined for some time the hunters,
before he began his robberies upon the Spaniards, till his unfortunate
death.” These are Esquemeling’s words; some of his victims would hardly
endorse the latter opinion.
At first he made two or three voyages as a common mariner, and behaved
himself so courageously as to gain the favour of the Governor of Tortuga,
Monsieur de la Place, insomuch that he gave him a ship in which he might
seek his fortune, which was very favourable to him at first; for in a
short time he acquired a considerable amount of wealth.
[Illustration: MAP OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIA ISLANDS.]
“But his cruelties to the Spaniards were such that the latter in his time
would rather die, or sink fighting, than surrender, knowing they should
have no mercy at his hands. But he was overtaken by a reverse of fortune,
and lost his ship on the coast of Campechy. The men were all saved, but
upon landing, the Spaniards pursued them and killed the greater part,
wounding also Lolonois. Not knowing how to escape, he saved his life by a
stratagem: mingling sand with the blood of his wounds, he besmeared his
face and other parts of his body, and hiding himself dexterously among the
dead, continued there till the Spaniards quitted the field.
“They being gone, he retired to the woods, and bound up his wounds as well
as he could. These being pretty well healed, he took his way to Campechy,
having disguised himself in a Spanish habit; here he enticed certain
slaves, to whom he promised liberty if they would obey him and trust to
his conduct. They accepted his promises, and, stealing a canoe, went to
sea with him. Now the Spaniards having made several of his companions
prisoners, kept them close in a dungeon, while Lolonois went about the
town and saw what passed. These were often asked, ‘What has become of your
captain?’ To whom they constantly answered, ‘He is dead;’ which rejoiced
the Spaniards, who made bonfires, and, knowing nothing to the contrary,
gave thanks to God for their deliverance from such a cruel pirate.
Lolonois, having seen these rejoicings for his death, made haste to
escape, with the slaves above-mentioned, and came safe to Tortuga, the
common refuge of all sorts of wickedness, and the seminary, as it were, of
pirates and thieves. Though now his fortune was low, yet he got another
ship with craft and subtilty, and in it twenty-one men. Being well
provided with arms and necessaries, he set forth for Cuba, on the south
whereof is a small village called De los Cayos. The inhabitants drive a
great trade in tobacco, sugar, and hides, and all in boats, not being able
to use ships, by reason of the little depth of the sea.
“Lolonois was persuaded he should get here some considerable prey; but by
the good fortune of some fishermen who saw him, and the mercy of God, they
escaped him; for the inhabitants of the town despatched immediately a
vessel overland to the Havannah, complaining that Lolonois was come to
destroy them with two canoes. The governor could scarcely believe this,
having received letters from Campechy that he was dead; but at their
importunity he sent a ship to their relief, with ten guns and ninety men
well armed, giving them this express command, ‘that they should not return
into his presence without having totally destroyed those pirates.’ To this
effect he gave them a negro to serve them for a hangman, and orders that
they should immediately hang every one of the pirates excepting Lolonois,
their captain, whom they should bring alive to the Havannah. This ship
arrived at Cayos, of whose coming the pirates were advertised beforehand,
and, instead of flying, went to seek it in the river Estera, where she
rode at anchor. The pirates seized some fishermen, and forced them by
night to show them the entry of the port, hoping soon to obtain a greater
vessel than their two canoes, and thereby to mend their fortune. They
arrived, after two in the morning, very nigh the ship; and the watch on
board the ship asking them whence they came, and if they had seen any
pirates abroad, they caused one of the prisoners to answer that they had
seen no pirates nor anything else; which answer made them believe that the
pirates had fled upon hearing of their coming.
“But they soon found the contrary, for about break of day the pirates
assaulted the vessel on both sides with their two canoes with such vigour
that though the Spaniards behaved themselves as they ought, and made as
good defence as they could, making some use of their great guns, yet they
were forced to surrender, being beaten by the pirates, with sword in hand,
down under the hatches. From thence Lolonois commanded them to be brought
up one by one, and in this order caused their heads to be struck off.
Among the rest came up the negro designed to be the pirates’ executioner.
This fellow implored mercy at his hands very dolefully, telling Lolonois
he was constituted hangman of that ship, and if he would spare him he
would tell him faithfully all that he should desire. Lolonois, making him
confess what he thought fit, commanded him to be murdered with the rest.
Thus he cruelly and barbarously put them all to death, reserving only one
alive, whom he sent back to the Governor of the Havannah, with this
message in writing: ‘I shall never henceforth give quarter to any Spaniard
whatsoever, and I have great hopes I shall execute on your own person the
very same punishment I have done upon them you sent against me. Thus I
have retaliated the kindness you designed to me and my companions.’ The
governor, much troubled at this sad news, swore in the presence of many
that he would never grant quarter to any pirate that should fall into his
hands. But the citizens of the Havannah desired him not to persist in the
execution of that rash and rigorous oath, seeing the pirates would
certainly take occasion from thence to do the same, and they had a hundred
times more opportunity for revenge than he; that being necessitated to get
their livelihood by fishery, they should hereafter always be in danger of
their lives. By these reasons he was persuaded to bridle his anger, and
remit the severity of his oath.
“Now Lolonois had got a good ship, but very few provisions and people in
it; to purchase both which he determined to cruise from one port to
another. Doing thus for some time without success, he determined to go to
the port of Maracaibo. Here he surprised a ship laden with plate and other
merchandise, outward bound to buy cocoa-nuts. With this prize he returned
to Tortuga, where he was received with joy by the inhabitants, they
congratulating his happy success and their own private interest. He stayed
not long there, but designed to equip a fleet sufficient to transport five
hundred men and necessaries. Thus provided, he resolved to pillage both
cities, towns, and villages, and finally to take Maracaibo itself. For
this purpose he knew the island of Tortuga would afford him many resolute
and courageous men, fit for such enterprises; besides, he had in his
service several prisoners well acquainted with the ways and places
designed upon.”
Lolonois gave notice to a large number of the pirates, and gathered
together in a little while above 400 men, among whom was then in Tortuga
another freebooter, named Michael de Basco, who, by his piracy, had become
rich enough to live at ease and go no more abroad, having withal the offer
of major of the island. But seeing the great preparations that Lolonois
made for this expedition, he joined him, and offered him that if he would
make him his chief captain by land (seeing he knew the country very well,
and all its approaches) he would share in his fortunes and go with him.
This precious pair of thieves agreed, to the great joy of Lolonois, who
knew that Basco had done great things in Europe, and had the repute of
being a good soldier. Then they all embarked in eight vessels, that of
Lolonois being the greatest, having ten guns.
All things being ready, and the whole company on board, they set sail
together about the end of April, being in all about six hundred and sixty
persons. They steered for the port of Bayala, north of Hispaniola. Here
they took into their company some French hunters, who volunteered, and
provided themselves with victuals and necessaries for their voyage.
“From hence they sailed again the last of July, and steered directly to
the eastern cape of the isle called Punta d’ Espada. Hereabouts espying a
ship from Puerto Rico, bound for New Spain, laden with cocoa-nuts,
Lolonois commanded the rest of the fleet to wait for him near Savona, on
the east of Cape Punta d’ Espada, he alone intending to take the said
vessel. The Spaniards, though they had been in sight two hours, and knew
them to be pirates, yet would not flee, but prepared to fight, being well
armed and provided. The combat lasted three hours, and then they
surrendered. This ship had sixteen guns and fifty fighting men aboard.
They found in her 120,000 weight of cocoa, 40,000 pieces of eight, and the
value of 10,000 more in jewels. Lolonois sent the vessel presently to
Tortuga to be unladed, with orders to return as soon as possible to
Savona, where he would wait for them. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet
being arrived at Savona met another Spanish vessel coming from Coman, with
military provisions to Hispaniola, and money to pay the garrisons there.
This vessel they also took, without any resistance, though mounted with
eight guns. In it were 7,000 weight of powder, a great number of muskets
and like things, with 12,000 pieces of eight.”
These successes emboldened the pirates, and we find their next exploit
that of taking a town of no inconsiderable size, that of Maracaibo in
Venezuela. The island on which it is situated is divided by a gulf or bay
from two others; on one was placed a watch-tower, while on the other was a
castle, and as the water about was often shallow, with many dangerous
sand-banks, vessels had to come in very close to it. Maracaibo, the city
or town, had some 3,000 or 4,000 Spanish inhabitants, and about 800 able
to bear arms. There was a large church, four monasteries, and one
hospital; the trade of the town was largely in tobacco, hides, and to an
extent flesh, which they exchanged for cocoa-nuts, oranges, lemons, and
other fruits, with a town named Gibraltar, situated some distance in the
country on the Lake of Maracaibo. The latter is described as delightfully
situated among plantations of sugar, and cocoa, and woods, the timber of
which was often large enough for ship and boat building. The whole country
abounded in rivers and brooks, while the tobacco grown had a high
reputation in Europe, being known as _tobacco de sacerdotes_, or priests’
tobacco.
Lolonois arrived at the Gulf of Venezuela, and cast anchor out of sight of
the watch-tower already mentioned; next morning he made in for the Lake of
Maracaibo, which communicates with the sea, and cast anchor again. Then a
number of the men landed to attack the fortress which commanded the bar,
and which was merely composed of earthworks. The governor, however, knew
of their approach, and had placed an ambuscade to cut them off behind,
while he should attack them in front. This the pirates discovered, and
manœuvred so successfully and fought so desperately that not a man could
retreat to the castle. This done, Lolonois, with his followers, advanced
immediately to the fort, and after a desperate fight of nearly three hours
completely mastered it, without any other arms than swords and pistols.
While this fight was in progress, the routed ambuscade, not being able to
get into the castle, retired into Maracaibo in great confusion and
disorder, crying out, “The pirates will presently be here with two
thousand men and more!” The city had been formerly sacked by pirates, and
the people knew well of what quality was their mercy. There was then a
general stampede in boats and canoes to Gibraltar, with such of the
portable wealth as could be taken. Arrived there, they spread the dismal
news, and there was general dismay.
The castle thus taken by the pirates, they signalled to the ships their
victory, that they should come further in without fear of danger. The rest
of the day was spent in ruining and demolishing the castle. They nailed(4)
the guns, and burnt as much as they could not carry away, burying the
dead, and sending the wounded on board the fleet. Next day, very early,
they weighed anchor, and steered altogether towards Maracaibo, about six
leagues distant from the fort; but the wind failing, they could advance
little, being forced to wait for the tide. Next morning they came in sight
of the town, and prepared for landing under the protection of their own
guns, fearing the Spaniards might have laid an ambuscade in the woods;
they put their men into canoes, brought for the purpose, and landed where
they thought most convenient, shooting still furiously with their great
guns. Of those in the canoes half only went ashore, the other half
remaining aboard. They fired from the ships as fast as possible towards
the woody part of the shore, but could discover nobody. Then they entered
the town, the inhabitants of which had retired to the woods and Gibraltar
with their families. Their houses were found well provided with victuals,
as flour, bread, pork, brandy, wines, and poultry, with which the pirates
fell to, making high havoc; having had no opportunity for four weeks
before of filling their stomachs with such good cheer.
“They instantly possessed themselves of the best houses in the town,” says
the narrator, “and placed sentinels wherever they thought convenient; the
great church serving them for their main guard. Next day they sent out 160
men to find out some of the inhabitants in the woods thereabouts; these
returned the same night, bringing with them 20,000 pieces of eight,
several mules laden with household goods and merchandise, and twenty
prisoners, men, women, and children. Some of these were put to the rack to
make them confess where they had hid the rest of the goods; but they could
extort very little from them. Lolonois, who valued not murdering, though
in cold blood, ten or twelve Spaniards, drew his cutlass, and hacked one
to pieces before the rest, saying, ‘If you do not confess and declare
where you have hid the rest of your goods, I will do the like to all your
companions.’ At last, amongst these horrible cruelties and inhuman
threats, one promised to show the place where the rest of the Spaniards
were hid; but those that were fled, having intelligence of it, changed
place, and buried the remnant of their riches, so that the pirates could
not find them out. Besides, the Spaniards flying from one place to another
every day, and often changing woods, were jealous even of each other, so
as the father durst scarce trust his own son.”
[Illustration: THE STRUGGLE WITH THE PIRATES AT GIBRALTAR.]
After the pirates had been fifteen days in Maracaibo they made up their
minds to capture Gibraltar, not a task quite so difficult as the taking of
that other which guards the portals of the Mediterranean, but still
sufficiently troublesome. The inhabitants had received intelligence of
their approaching advent, and that they afterwards intended to attempt the
capture of Merida, another city of that country, and they therefore
informed the governor, who was a brave soldier, and had served in
Flanders. His answer was, “he would have them take no care, for he hoped
in a little while to exterminate the said pirates;” whereupon he brought a
force of 400 well-armed men to Gibraltar, ordering at the same time the
inhabitants to arm. He soon had a force of 800 fighting men. With the same
speed he raised a battery, mounting twenty guns, and covered with great
baskets of earth. In another place he constructed a smaller battery of
eight guns, and this done, he barricaded a narrow passage, an approach to
the town, through which the pirates must pass; at the same time he opened
another, through morasses of dirt and mud, into the wood, totally unknown
to the freebooters.
“The pirates, ignorant of these preparations, having embarked all their
prisoners and booty, took their way towards Gibraltar. Being come in sight
of the place, they saw the Royal Standard hanging forth, and that those of
the town designed to defend their houses. Lolonois seeing this, called a
council of war, what they ought to do, telling his officers and mariners
‘that the difficulty of the enterprise was very great, seeing the
Spaniards had had so much time to put themselves in a posture of defence,
and had got a good body of men together, with much ammunition; but
notwithstanding,’ said he, ‘have a good courage; we must either defend
ourselves like good soldiers, or lose our lives with all the riches we
have got. Do as I shall do who are your captain. At other times we have
fought with fewer men than we have in our company at present, and yet we
have overcome greater numbers than there possibly can be in this town; the
more there are, the more glory and the greater riches we shall gain.’ The
pirates supposed that all the riches of the inhabitants of Maracaibo were
transported to Gibraltar, or at least the greater part. After this speech
they all promised to follow and to obey him. Lolonois made answer, ‘It is
well; but know ye, withal, that the first man who shall show any fear, or
the least apprehension thereof, I will pistol him with my own hands!’
“With this resolution they cast anchor nigh the shore, near three-quarters
of a league from the town; next day, before sun-rise, they landed 380 men,
well provided, and armed every one with a cutlass and one or two pistols,
and sufficient powder and bullets for thirty charges. Here they all shook
hands, in testimony of good courage, and began their march, Lolonois
speaking thus:—‘Come, my brethren, follow me, and have good courage.’ They
followed their guide, who, believing he led them well, brought them to the
way which the governor had barricaded. Not being able to pass that way,
they went to the other newly made in the wood among the mire, which the
Spaniards could shoot into at pleasure; but the pirates, full of courage,
cut down the branches of trees and threw them on the way, that they might
not stick in the dirt. Meanwhile, those of Gibraltar fired with their
great guns so furiously that they could scarce hear nor see for the noise
and smoke. Being past the wood, they came on firm ground, where they met
with a battery of six guns, which immediately the Spaniards discharged
upon them, all loaded with small bullets and pieces of iron; and the
Spaniards, sallying forth, set upon them with such fury as caused the
pirates to give way, few of them caring to advance towards the fort, many
of them being already killed and wounded. This made them go back to seek
another way, but the Spaniards having cut down many trees to hinder the
passage, they could find none, but were forced to return to that they had
left. Here the Spaniards continued to fire as before; nor would they sally
out of their batteries to attack them any more. Lolonois and his
companions not being able to grimp up the baskets of earth, were compelled
to use an old stratagem, wherewith at last they deceived and overcame the
Spaniards.
“Lolonois retired suddenly with all his men, making show as if he fled,
whereupon the Spaniards, crying out, ‘They flee, they flee! let us follow
them!’ sallied out with great disorder to the pursuit. Being drawn to some
distance from the batteries, which was the pirates’ only design, they
turned upon them unexpectedly, sword in hand, and killed above 200 men,
and thus fighting their way through those who remained, they possessed
themselves of the batteries. The Spaniards that remained abroad, giving
themselves over for lost, fled to the woods; those in the battery of eight
guns surrendered themselves, obtaining quarter for their lives. The
pirates being now become masters of the town, pulled down the Spanish
colours and set up their own, taking prisoners as many as they could find.
These they carried to the great church, where they raised a battery of
several great guns, fearing lest the Spaniards that were fled should rally
and come upon them again; but next day, being all fortified, their fears
were over. They gathered the dead to bury them, being above 500 Spaniards,
besides the wounded in the town and those who died of their wound in the
woods. The pirates had also above 150 prisoners and nigh 500 slaves, many
women and children.”
Of their own companions only forty were killed and about eighty wounded,
of whom, however, the greater part died through the pestilential air of
the place. They put the slain Spaniards into two great boats, and towing
them a quarter of a league to sea, they sunk the boats. This done, they
gathered all the plate, valuables generally, and merchandise they could,
or thought convenient to carry away. “The Spaniards who had anything left
had hid it carefully; but the unsatisfied pirates, not content with the
riches they had got, sought for more goods and merchandise, not sparing
those who lived in the fields, such as hunters and planters. They had
scarce been eighteen days on the place when the greater part of the
prisoners died of hunger; for in the town there were few provisions,
especially of flesh, though they had some, but no sufficient quantity of
flour, and this the pirates had taken for themselves, as they also took
the swine, cows, and poultry, without allowing any share to the poor
prisoners; for these they only provided some small quantity of mule’s and
ass’s flesh; and many who could not eat of that loathsome provision died
of hunger, their stomachs not being accustomed to such sustenance. Only
some women were allowed better cheer, but not for the best reasons.” Of
the prisoners, many also died under the tortures sustained to make them
give up their money or jewels; many died, accordingly, who possessed
neither, or would not admit the facts.
After having been in possession of the town four entire weeks, they sent
four of their prisoners to the Spaniards that were fled to the woods,
demanding of them a ransom of 10,000 pieces; they threatened to reduce it
to ashes. The Spaniards were unable or indisposed to bring in a sum so
considerable in the stipulated time—namely, only two days—and the pirates
fired the town in several places, whereupon the inhabitants begged them to
help extinguish the fire, and the ransom should be readily paid. The
pirates agreed, but in spite of all their best endeavours one part of the
town was ruined. The church belonging to the monastery was burned down.
After they had received the sum fixed they carried on board all the riches
they had gathered, with a great number of slaves which had not paid the
ransom. Thence they returned to Maracaibo, where they found a general
consternation in the city, which was not quieted when they demanded 50,000
pieces of eight to be brought on board, or the inhabitants’ houses should
be sacked anew. Meantime the pirates stripped the great church of all its
valuables. At last a compromise was effected, that on payment of 20,000
pieces of eight, and 500 cows, the pirates would depart peaceably. Both
these demands being paid, the fleet set sail. But three days afterwards,
the townspeople’s fears were renewed at seeing the pirates appear again,
and re-enter the port with all their ships. Their alarm subsided when they
found that the pirates only required a pilot to take them over the bar and
banks at the entrance of the Lake of Maracaibo.
At Hispaniola the freebooters made a division of their gains, according to
the order and rank of every one. They found that they had considerably
over a _quarter of a million_ pieces of eight to share, besides any
quantity of rich spoils. Those who had been wounded received their
proportion for the loss of their limbs after the first general division.
Then they weighed the plate, allowing ten pieces of eight (ten dollars) to
a pound. The jewels were frequently, no doubt, either greatly over-valued
or under-valued by reason of their ignorance. This done, every one was put
to his oath again that he had not concealed anything from the rest or
smuggled anything from the common stock. The shares of those who had died
in battle or otherwise were carefully given to the proper relatives or
friends—honour among thieves with a vengeance! The dividends having been
arranged, they started for Tortuga, where these _nouveaux riches_ were
received with great rejoicings. Two French ships, laden with wine and
brandy, &c., had arrived shortly before, and these liquors were
comparatively cheap when the pirates sailed into harbour; a week or two
afterwards prices had increased wonderfully, and the larger part of the
bucaniers had not a dollar to bless themselves wherewith. The governor of
the island purchased a ship-load of cocoa from them for about a twentieth
part of its worth; and in a week or two the tavern-keepers, gamblers, and
loafers, had acquired a good proportion of the riches, so hardly and
bravely, albeit so dishonestly, earned.
Lolonois was now the great man of Tortuga, as he brought wealth to the
town, and all men flocked to his standard; he had no difficulty in
obtaining all the volunteers he desired. He resolved, therefore, on
another voyage to Nicaragua, that country, as the reader may be reminded,
which in later days has been the scene of the exploits of Walker the
filibuster, and which may some day hold a prominent place in the eyes of
the world in connection with a great ship canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific. Having promulgated his new programme, some seven hundred men
enrolled themselves under him. Of these he put about three hundred on the
great prize ship he took at Maracaibo, and the rest on five smaller
vessels. Fancy an expedition of seven hundred men starting on such an
errand, even in these days! What harm might they not accomplish?
[Illustration: LOLONOIS’ FIGHT WITH THE SPANIARDS.]
The expedition being ready, Lolonois proceeded to a port in Hispaniola to
take in provisions, and afterwards to Matamana, on the south coast of
Cuba, where he intended to rob the poor turtle-hunters of their canoes.
They captured as many as they wanted, to the sorrow of their owners, but
to their own satisfaction, as they were always useful in shallow waters,
and the port to which they were directing their course came under that
category. Hence they steered for the Cape Gracias a Dios, and being at sea
were becalmed for a long while, and were carried by the currents into the
Gulf of Honduras. The ship which carried the commander of the expedition
could not keep up with the rest, and what was worse, they were running
short of provisions, so that they were obliged to send their canoes to the
river Xagua, where there were a number of Indians, whom they first killed.
After that, as a mere matter of secondary importance, they thought it no
harm to carry off the hogs, hens, and millet, of their settlements, which
were found in abundance. They resolved further to remain there till the
bad weather was over, and pillage all the villages and towns on the coast
of the gulf, but were not particularly successful till they came to Puerto
Cavallo. Here the Spaniards had two storehouses, where they kept the
produce of the country till the arrival of their ships. There was then in
the port a Spanish ship of twenty-four guns and sixteen pedreros, or
mortar-pieces. This ship was immediately seized by the pirates, and the
two storehouses burned with all the rest of the houses there. Many of the
inhabitants were made prisoners, and they committed upon them the most
inhuman cruelties that ever heathens invented, putting them to the
cruellest tortures they could devise. “It was the custom of Lolonois that,
having tormented persons not confessing, he would instantly cut them in
pieces with his hanger, and pull out their tongues, desiring to do so, if
possible, to every Spaniard in the world. It often happened that some of
these miserable prisoners, being forced by the rack, would promise to
discover the place where the fugitive Spaniards lay hid, which not being
able afterwards to perform, they were put to more cruel deaths than they
who were dead before.
“The prisoners being all dead but two (whom they reserved to show them
what they desired), they marched hence to the town of San Pedro, or St.
Peter, ten or twelve leagues from Puerto Cavallo, being three hundred men
whom Lolonois led, leaving behind him Moses Van Vin, his lieutenant, to
govern the rest in his absence. Being come three leagues on his way, they
met with a troop of Spaniards, who lay in ambuscade for their coming;
these they set upon with all the courage possible, and at last totally
defeated. Howbeit, they behaved themselves very manfully at first, but not
being able to resist the fury of the pirates, they were forced to give way
and save themselves by flight, leaving many pirates dead in the place,
some wounded, and some of their own party maimed by the way. These
Lolonois put to death without mercy, having asked them what questions he
thought fit for his purpose.”
There were still some five prisoners not wounded; these were asked by
Lolonois, if any more Spaniards remained farther on in ambuscade? They
answered there were. Then, being brought before him one by one, he asked
if there was no other way to the town but that? this he did to avoid those
ambuscades, if possible. But they all constantly answered him they knew
none. Having asked them all, and finding they could show him no other way,
Lolonois grew outrageously passionate, so that he drew his cutlass, and
with it cut open the breast of one of those poor Spaniards, and pulling
out his heart began to bite and gnaw it with his teeth, like a ravenous
wolf, saying to the rest, “I will serve you all alike if you show me not
another way!” The poor wretches promised to show him another way, but
averred that it was a most difficult route. He tried it and found that
they were right. He was so exasperated that he swore the horrible
oath—_Mort Dieu, les Espagnols me le payeront!_ Next day he kept his word,
for meeting an ambuscade of Spaniards, he attacked them with such fury
that few remained to tell the tale. The Spaniards hoped by these
ambuscades to destroy the pirates in detail. Later he met another and a
stronger party, more advantageously placed, but the pirates attacking them
with much vigour, and using fire-balls in great numbers, forced the
remnant to flee leaving the larger part killed and wounded. There was but
one path that led to the town, and this was very well barricaded, while
the settlement was surrounded by planted shrubs of a prickly and pointed
nature, probably something of the cactus variety. The Spaniards, posted
behind their defences, plied the pirates with their artillery, and were
answered with showers of fire-balls; the latter were for the present
unable to advance. A second attack was made, the pirates’ orders being not
to fire until very close to the enemy; and in this they were successful,
as every shot told. The conflict continued raging till night, when the
Spaniards hoisted the white flag and desired to parley, the only
conditions they required being that the pirates should give the
inhabitants quarter for two hours. This was a _ruse_ to enable them to
carry off and hide their valuables. Granting this request, the pirates
marched into the town, and continued there the two hours without
committing the least outrage; but the time past, Lolonois ordered that the
inhabitants should be followed, robbed of all they had carried away, and
made prisoners. They had succeeded, however, knowing the country, in
making such good use of their time that the pirates could only capture a
few sacks of indigo. Having remained there a few days, committing all
kinds of outrages and stealing all they could, they returned to the coast,
rejoining some of their companions, who had been engaged in robbing the
poor fishermen of the coast, and others who came from Guatemala. A vessel
from Spain was daily expected to arrive off this river, and they left two
canoes to attack her, whilst they went over to some islands on the other
side of the gulf to careen and cleanse their ships and obtain provisions,
they knowing well that turtle abounded. They also made a number of ropes
and nets from the rind of the macoa-tree, and obtained a quantity of a
kind of bitumen or pitch, useful on board ship. In short, these islands
would seem to supply nearly all that was required for the seaman’s use.
The pirates, having been in the gulf three months, received advice that
the expected Spanish ship had arrived, and hastened to the spot where she
lay unloading her merchandise. They had previously sent away some of the
boats to seek for a smaller vessel, also expected, richly laden with
plate, indigo, and cochineal. Meanwhile the ship’s crew, expecting an
attack, had prepared for a good defence. Her armament consisted of
forty-two guns, and she had on board one hundred and thirty well-armed
men. Lolonois simply laughed at all this, and assaulted them with great
courage. His own ship had but twenty-two guns. The Spaniards behaved
excellently, and forced the pirates to retire momentarily, but Lolonois
was still equal to the occasion. Taking advantage of the dense smoke
caused by the bad powder of those days, he again attacked the ship,
boarded her from all sides, and forced the Spaniards to surrender. They
were considerably chagrined to find that their fight had been almost for
nothing—piratically considered—for they found on board little more than
fifty bars of iron, a small parcel of paper, and some earthen jars of
wine.
Lolonois now called a council of war, and stated that he was bound for
Guatemala. A division of opinion immediately arose, and he was especially
opposed by some of the men who were but “green hands” in the art of
piracy, and who had expected long ere this to have become wealthy, or, as
the chronicler puts it, had expected “that pieces of eight were gathered
as easy as pears from a tree.” Many of these immediately seceded and left
the fleet, returning home as best they might. Another section averred that
they would rather starve than return without plenty of prize money. The
major part did not approve of the proposed voyage, and separated from
Lolonois and his adherents. Their ring-leaders, Moses Vanclein and Pierre
le Picard, on the voyage home, pillaged a town in Costa Rica, but only
gained some seven or eight pounds of native gold.
Lolonois, thus deserted by the larger number of his companions, remained
alone in the Gulf of Honduras, where all suffered severely from want of
provisions. Roast monkey was their main sustenance. At last, near Cape
Gracias a Dios, his ship struck on a sandbank near the little island, one
of the group named De las Puertas, and although they threw overboard the
guns, iron, and other weighty things on the ship, she stuck fast, and no
art could remove her. They were forced to break her up, and build
themselves a boat to get away. The islands were inhabited by some Indians,
who are described as being very tall and nimble, running as fast as a
fleet horse, and enormously strong; “at diving also,” says the chronicler,
“they are very dexterous and hardy. From the bottom of the sea I saw them
take up an anchor of six hundred-weight, tying a cable to it with great
dexterity, and pulling it from a rock.” Their arms were of wood, and in
place of iron points crocodiles’ teeth were often used. They had
plantations of bananas, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. They
occasionally indulged in cannibalism. Two of the men, a Frenchman and a
Spaniard, went into the woods, where they lost themselves. A party of
Indians pursued them. They defended themselves with their swords, but were
at last forced to flee; the nimbler of the two, the Frenchman, escaped,
but the Spaniard was taken. Some days after, twelve well-armed pirates,
conducted by the above-mentioned Frenchman, reached the place where the
Spaniard had been left. Here they found the evidences that the Indians had
camped and made a fire, and at a small distance discovered a man’s bones
well roasted, and with shreds of flesh, ill scraped off, adhering to them.
A human hand, with but two fingers remaining, was also found, and they
could only conclude that these were the last of the poor Spaniard, as he
was never heard of again.
Their boat was now finished, and they determined to make for the river of
Nicaragua. She could not hold the number, and to avoid disputes they cast
lots who should go or stay. Lolonois and half his men embarked in the
long-boat and in the skiff which they had before, the other half remaining
ashore. At the river of Nicaragua that ill-fortune assailed the pirate
leader which of long time had been reserved for him as a punishment due to
the multitude of horrible crimes committed in his wicked and licentious
life. Here he met with both Spaniards and Indians, who, jointly setting
upon him and his companions, were killed on the place. Lolonois with those
that remained alive, had much ado to escape aboard their boats; yet,
notwithstanding this great loss, he resolved not to return to those he had
left at the Isle of Puertas without taking some boats such as he sought.
To this effect he determined to go on to the coasts of Carthagena; but
“God Almighty,” says Esquemeling—“the time of His divine justice being now
come—had appointed the Indians of Darien to be the instruments and
executioners thereof. These Indians of Darien were esteemed as bravoes, or
wild savage Indians, by the neighbouring Spaniards, who never could
civilise them. Hither Lolonois came (brought by his evil conscience that
cried for punishment), thinking to act his cruelties; but the Indians,
within a few days after his arrival, took him prisoner, and tore him in
pieces alive, throwing his body limb by limb into the fire, and his ashes
into the air, that no trace or memory might remain of such an infamous,
inhuman creature. One of his companions gave me an exact account of the
tragedy, affirming that himself had escaped the same punishment with the
greatest difficulty. He believed also that many of his comrades who were
taken in that encounter by those Indians were, as their cruel captain,
torn in pieces and burnt alive. Thus ends the history, the life, and
miserable death of that infernal wretch Lolonois, who, full of horrid,
execrable, and enormous deeds, and debtor to so much innocent blood, died
by cruel and butcherly hands, such as his own were in the course of his
life.” Those that remained on the island De las Puertas waiting for their
companions’ return were later taken off on the ship of another pirate. The
united crews, now in number 500, made for the river at Gracias a Dios,
which they entered in canoes. They took little provision, expecting to
“find”—in the pirate’s meaning, steal—plenty ashore. In this they were
disappointed, for the Indians had got notice of their coming, and had
fled. They were thus reduced to extreme necessity and hunger, and a few
green herbs formed their only sustenance. After a laborious search in the
woods for food, during which time they were reduced to eat their own boots
and the leather sheaths of their swords and knives, and at which period
they also vowed to sacrifice any Indians they might meet to appease their
own appetites—which, fortunately for the Indians, did not happen—their
courage oozed out, and they returned to the ships. The greater part of
them subsequently perished from hunger and exhaustion, or in the same
manner as had their commander Lolonois not long before.
And now to the deeds of another famous freebooter, “who,” as Esquemeling
says, “may deservedly be called the second Lolonois, not being unlike or
inferior to him either in achievements against the Spaniards or in
robberies of many innocent people.” The notorious pirate Captain Morgan
now appears upon the scene.
CHAPTER III.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
The Second Lolonois—Captain Henry Morgan—His first Successes—A
Pirate Fleet of Seven Hundred Men—Attack on a Cuban Town—Morgan’s
Form—Not to be Beaten—Puerto Bello—Morgan’s Strategy—The Castle
taken—Extravagant Demands—The Governor of Panama Derided—Return to
Jamaica—Their Dissipation—A Fresh Start—Maracaibo re-taken—A
Chance for Guy Fawkes—Gibraltar again—Cruel Tortures inflicted on
Prisoners—Horrible Brutalities—Arrival of a Spanish Fleet—Morgan’s
Insolence—Letter from the Spanish Admiral—“To the Death!”
Captain Henry Morgan was born in Wales; his father was in easy
circumstances, as many who bear that name in Wales were and are known to
be. Morgan, when young, had no inclination for the calling of his father,
and therefore left the country and came to the sea-coast, to seek some
other employment more suitable to his aspirations. He volunteered on board
a vessel bound for Barbadoes, the captain of which, according to the
frequent practice of those times, sold him as soon as he went ashore. “He
served his time at Barbadoes, and, obtaining his liberty, betook himself
to Jamaica, there to seek new fortunes. Here he found two vessels of
pirates ready to go to sea; and being destitute of employment he went with
them, with intent to follow the exercises of that sort of people; and he
soon learnt their mode of living so exactly that, having performed three
or four voyages with profit and success, he agreed with some of his
comrades, who had got by the same voyages a little money, to join stocks
and buy a ship. The vessel being bought they unanimously chose him captain
and commander.”
With this ship he left Jamaica, and off the coast of Campechy took several
prizes, with which he returned triumphantly. He next met an old pirate,
Mansvelt by name, who was then engaged in forming and manning a fleet, and
who offered Morgan the post of vice-admiral in his expedition, which the
latter accepted. There was no nonsense about the piracy of those days; for
we read that the freebooters’ fleet consisted of no less than fifteen
vessels, great and small, manned by 500 adventurers. They first proceeded
to the Isle of St. Catherine, near the coast of Costa Rica, where they
landed most of their men, and soon “forced all the forts and castles
thereof,” which they instantly demolished, except one, which they
garrisoned with 100 men of their own, and all the slaves taken from the
Spaniards. With the rest of their forces they proceeded to a neighbouring
island, so close, indeed, that in a few days they made a bridge and
carried over all the captured ordnance. Having ruined with fire and sword
both the islands, they put to sea again with the intention of pillaging
all the towns and villages on the coast of Costa Rica. The Governor of
Panama learned of these proceedings, and made preparations to meet the
pirates, of which fact they also learned, and they retired, finding the
whole country was alarmed. They returned to St. Catherine, where the
governor whom they had left in charge—a Frenchman, Le Sieur Simon by
name—had made good use of his charge by putting the greater island in an
excellent state of defence, while he had cultivated the lesser one to such
an extent that he was able to re-victual the fleet. Mansvelt was very much
bent on keeping these islands, as they were conveniently situated for
piracy, and easily defended. He laid the matter before the Governor of
Jamaica, who rejected his plans. He then proceeded to Tortuga for
volunteers to man the island with supplies, but here death put an end to
his wicked life, leaving all things in suspense. The new Governor of Costa
Rica did not approve of the islands remaining in the hands of pirates; but
before taking action offered easy terms to Le Sieur Simon, promising him
good reward should he give them up. The latter, after some small show of
resistance, delivered them up to Spain.
Captain Morgan was now entirely in command of the pirate fleet, and had
under his command no less than 700 men, part English and part French, on
twelve vessels. A council was called, and some recommended an attempt on
the City of Havannah, while others, who had been prisoners there, thought
it useless to try any such scheme with less than 1,500 men. They finally
resolved to attack the town of El Puerto del Principe, an inland town of
Cuba, tolerably near the coast, where the inhabitants were wealthy, and
had never yet been attacked by the pirates. They made sail, steering
toward the coast nearest that town. At a bay named El Puerto del Santa
Maria, a Spanish prisoner on board the fleet swam ashore by night, and
succeeded in reaching the threatened town, where he gave the inhabitants
information of the coming attack, and they, of course, immediately began
to hide and carry away their riches and movables. The governor immediately
enrolled all the males of the town, about 800, and posted part of them in
a position where by necessity the pirates must pass, while he made other
preparations for hindering them, by cutting down trees and laying them
across the roads. He placed ambuscade parties with cannon to harass them
on their march.
“Captain Morgan with his men now on the march found the avenues to the
town impassable; hereupon they took their way through the wood, traversing
it with great difficulty, whereby they escaped divers ambuscades; at last
they came to the place from its figure called by the Spaniards La Savanna,
or the Sheet. The governor seeing them come, detached a troop of horse to
charge them in the front, thinking to disperse them, and to pursue them
with his main body; but this design succeeded not, for the pirates marched
in very good order at the sound of their drums, and with flying colours.
Coming near the horse, they drew into a semicircle, and so advanced
towards the Spaniards, who charged them vehemently for a while; but the
pirates being very dexterous at their arms, and their governor and many of
their companions being killed, they retreated towards the wood, to save
themselves with more advantage; but before they could reach it most of
them were killed. Thus they left the victory to these new-come enemies,
who had no considerable loss of men in the battle, and but very few
wounded. The skirmish lasted four hours; after which they entered the
town, not without very great resistance of such as were within, who
defended themselves as long as possible, and many seeing the enemy in the
town shut themselves up in their own houses and thence made several shots
upon the pirates, who therefore threatened them, saying, ‘If you surrender
not voluntarily, you shall soon see the town in a flame, and your wives
and children torn in pieces before your faces.’ Upon these menaces, the
Spaniards submitted to the discretion of the pirates, believing they could
not continue there long.”
As soon as the pirates had captured the town, they imprisoned all the
Spaniards—men, women, children, and slaves—in several churches, and
pillaged all the goods they could find. They then searched the country
round about, bringing in daily prisoners, goods, and provision. “With this
they fell to making great cheer, after their old custom, without
remembering the poor prisoners, whom they let starve in the churches,
though they tormented them daily and inhumanly to make them confess where
they had hid their goods, money, &c., though little or nothing was left
them; not sparing the women and children; giving them nothing to eat,
whereby the greater part perished.
“Pillage and provisions growing scarce, they thought convenient to depart
and seek new fortunes in other places. They told the prisoners they should
find money to ransom themselves, or else they should all be transported to
Jamaica; and beside, if they did not pay a second ransom for the town,
they would burn every house to the ground.” The Spaniards hereupon
nominated among themselves four fellow-prisoners to go and seek for the
above-named contributions; but the pirates, to the intent they should
return presently with those ransoms, tormented several cruelly in their
presence before they departed. After a few days the Spaniards returned,
telling Captain Morgan, “We have run up and down and searched all the
neighbouring woods and places we most suspected, and yet have not been
able to find any of our own party, nor consequently any fruit of our
embassy; but if you are pleased to have a little longer patience with us,
we shall certainly cause all that you demand within fifteen days;” which
Captain Morgan granted. But not long after, there came into the town seven
or eight pirates who had been ranging in the woods and fields, and got
considerable booty. These brought, amongst other prisoners, a negro, whom
they had taken with letters. Captain Morgan having perused them, found
they were from the Governor of Santa Iago, being written to some of the
prisoners, wherein he told them:—“They should not make too much haste to
pay any ransom for their town or persons or any other pretext; but, on the
contrary, they should put off the pirates as well as they could with
excuses and delays, expecting to be relieved by him in a short time, when
they would certainly come to their aid.” Upon this intelligence, Captain
Morgan ordered all their plunder to be carried aboard; and withal, he told
the Spaniards that the very next day they should pay their ransoms, for he
would not wait a moment longer, but reduce the whole town to ashes if they
failed of the sum he demanded.
“With this intimation Captain Morgan made no mention of the letters he had
intercepted. They answered—‘That it was impossible for them to give such a
sum of money in so short a space of time, seeing their fellow-townsmen
were not to be found in all the country thereabouts.’ Captain Morgan knew
full well their intentions, but thought it not convenient to stay there
any longer, demanding only of them 500 oxen or cows, with sufficient salt
to powder them, with this condition, that they should carry them on board
his ships. Thus he departed with all his men, taking with him only six of
the principal prisoners as pledges. Next day the Spaniards brought the
cattle and salt to the ships, and required the prisoners; but Captain
Morgan refused to deliver them till they had helped his men to kill and
salt the beeves. This was performed in great haste, he not caring to stay
there any longer, lest he should be surprised; and having received all on
board, he liberated the hostages.”
Captain Morgan was hardly to be disconcerted by any defection on the part
of his late allies, and he therefore immediately rallied his remaining
men, who swore to stick by him to death. Another pirate captain joined
him, and in a few days he had collected a fleet of nine sail, manned by
four hundred and sixty fighting men. Morgan immediately steered for the
coast of Costa Rica, keeping his intended plan of action closely locked
within his own bosom.
[Illustration: ON THE COAST OF COSTA RICA.]
The land was now in sight, and a council of war was called. Morgan
informed his company that he intended to plunder Puerto Bello by night,
and put the whole city to the sack. He recalled to them the fact that he
had kept the matter entirely secret, and that his victims could therefore
have had no notice. Some thought that they had not a sufficient number of
men to successfully attack the town. Morgan’s answer was characteristic.
“If our numbers are small,” said he, “our hearts are great, and the fewer
persons we are, the more union, and the better shares we shall have in the
spoil.” The attack was settled.
The city or town of Puerto Bello was in those days one of the strongest of
the Spanish main, or West Indian isles, Havannah and Carthagena alone
out-ranking it. Two forts defended the entrance to its harbour; it had a
garrison of 300 soldiers; and was inhabited by some 400 families. The
merchants did not generally reside there, owing to the unhealthiness of
the climate, but stopped at Panama, and brought their commodities over at
regular seasons, when the Spanish galleons or slave-ships were expected.
Captain Morgan, who knew the neighbouring country thoroughly, anchored his
vessels some little distance from the town to be attacked, and leaving a
few men on board to bring them into port next day, proceeded with the bulk
of his company in boats and canoes. About midnight they reached a place
called Estera longa Lemos, where they all went on shore, and marched to
the city. They had with them an Englishman who had formerly been a
prisoner there, and he with three or four others contrived to seize the
sentinel before he had time to give any warning. The latter was brought
with his hands bound to Captain Morgan, and closely interrogated as to the
strength of the place, with threats of death if he did not speak truly.
Then, having gathered all the information they could, they marched up to
the castle or fort near the city, and closely surrounded it. Let
Esquemeling now describe to us the sequence.
“Being posted under the walls of the castle, Captain Morgan commanded the
sentinel whom they had taken prisoner to speak to those within, charging
them to surrender to his discretion, otherwise they should all be cut in
pieces without quarter. But they, regarding none of these threats, began
instantly to fire, which alarmed the city; yet, notwithstanding, though
the governor and soldiers of the said city made as great resistance as
could be, they were forced to surrender. Having taken the castle, they
resolved to be as good as their words, putting the Spaniards to the sword,
thereby to strike a terror into the rest of the city. Whereupon, having
shut up all the officers and soldiers into one room, they set fire to the
powder (whereof they found great quantity) and blew up the castle into the
air, with all the Spaniards that were within. This done, they pursued the
course of their victory, falling upon the city, which, as yet, was not
ready to receive them. Many of the inhabitants cast their precious jewels
and money into wells and cisterns, or hid them in places underground, to
avoid as much as possible being totally robbed. One party of the pirates,
being assigned to this purpose, ran immediately to the cloisters, and took
as many religious men and women(5) as they could find. The governor of the
city, not being able to rally the citizens through their great confusion,
retired to one of the castles remaining, and thence fired incessantly at
the pirates; but these were not in the least negligent either to assault
him or to defend themselves, so that amidst the horror of the assault they
made very few shots in vain; for, aiming with great dexterity at the
mouths of the guns, the Spaniards were certain to lose one or two men
every time they charged each gun anew. This continued very furious from
break of day till noon; yea, about this time of day the case was very
dubious which party should conquer or be conquered. At last, the pirates
perceiving they had lost many men, and yet advanced but little towards
gaining either this or the other castles, made use of fire-balls, which
they threw with their hands, designing to burn the doors of the castles;
but the Spaniards from the walls let fall great quantities of stones, and
earthen pots full of powder and other combustibles, which forced them to
desist. Captain Morgan, seeing this generous defence made by the
Spaniards, began to despair of success. Hereupon many faint and calm
meditations came into his mind; neither could he determine which way to
turn him in that strait. Being thus puzzled he was suddenly animated to
continue the assaults by seeing English colours put forth in one of the
lesser castles, then entered by his men, of whom he presently afterwards
spied a troop coming to meet him, proclaiming victory with loud shouts of
joy. This instantly put him on new resolutions of taking the rest of the
castles, especially seeing the chiefest citizens were fled to them, and
had conveyed thither great part of their riches, with all the plate
belonging to the churches and divine service.
“To this effect he ordered ten or twelve ladders to be made in all haste,
so broad that three or four men at once might ascend them. These being
finished, he commanded all the religious men and women whom he had taken
prisoners to fix them against the walls of the castle. This he had before
threatened the governor to do if he delivered not the castle, but his
answer was, ‘He would never surrender himself alive.’ Captain Morgan was
persuaded the governor would not employ his armed force, seeing the
religious women and ecclesiastical persons exposed in front of the
soldiers to the greatest danger. Thus the ladders, as I have said, were
put into the hands of religious persons of both sexes, and these were
forced at the head of the companies to raise and apply them to the walls;
but Captain Morgan was fully deceived in his judgment, for the governor,
who acted like a brave soldier in the performance of his duty, used his
utmost endeavour to destroy whosoever came near the walls. The religious
men and women ceased not to cry to him, and beg of him by all the saints
of Heaven, to deliver the castle, and spare both his and their lives; but
nothing could prevail with his obstinacy and fierceness. Thus, many of the
religious men and nuns were killed before they could fix the ladders,
which at last being done, though with great loss of the said religious
people, the pirates mounted them in great numbers, and with not less
valour, having fire-balls in their hands, and earthen pots full of powder;
all which things being now at the top of the walls, they kindled and cast
in among the Spaniards.
“This effort of the pirates was very great, inasmuch as the Spaniards
could no longer resist nor defend the castle, which was now entered.
Hereupon they all threw down their arms, and craved quarter for their
lives. Only the governor would crave no mercy, but killed many of the
pirates with his own hands, and not a few of his own soldiers, because
they would not stand to their arms. And though the pirates asked him if he
would have quarter, yet he constantly answered, ‘By no means; I would
rather die as a valiant soldier than be hanged as a coward!’ They
endeavoured as much as they could to take him prisoner, but he defended
himself so obstinately that they were forced to kill him, notwithstanding
all the cries and tears of his own wife and daughter, who begged him on
their knees to demand quarter and save his life.”
The pirates now gave themselves up to all kinds of debauchery, some of the
details of which shall not disgrace these pages. The chronicler says that
at this time fifty determined men could easily have re-taken the city. The
President of Panama sent a body of men to the rescue, who were met by the
pirates and put to flight. He later sent a message full of threats, at
which Morgan only laughed, and sent word that he would demolish the forts
and burn the town unless he should immediately receive 100,000 pieces of
eight (over £20,000), and it was eventually paid. The Governor or
President of Panama was puzzled to learn how 400 men, without ordnance,
could have taken a town so well fortified as Puerto Bello, and sent to
Morgan, asking for some small patterns of his arms. The pirate captain
forwarded by the messenger a pistol and some small bullets, and desired
the president “to accept that slender pattern of the arms wherewith he had
taken Puerto Bello, and keep them a twelvemonth; after which time he
promised to come to Panama and fetch them away.” The governor returned the
presents, sending him back a golden ring, and desiring him not to trouble
himself about Panama, as he might obtain a warmer reception than he
expected. The results of this expedition comprised a quarter of a million
dollars, besides merchandise in silk, linen, and cloth. The
tavern-keepers, traders, and gamblers of Jamaica reaped the larger part of
these enormous gains.
Morgan’s next enterprise, in which he was joined by many other pirate
commanders, was against the already unfortunate city of Maracaibo. A
French pirate-ship, carrying thirty-six guns, was then at Jamaica, and
Morgan tried to induce the commander and his men to join them. This the
French refused; whereupon he invited the captain and several of his men to
dine with him, and treacherously made them prisoners.
This unjust action of Captain Morgan was followed by very swift
retribution. Captain Morgan, immediately after he had taken these French
prisoners, called a council to deliberate what place they should select
for this new expedition. It was determined to go to the Isle of Savona, to
wait for the fleet then expected from Spain, and take any of the Spanish
vessels straggling from the rest. This resolution being made, they began
to feast aboard the prize in expectation of their new voyage. They drank
many healths and discharged many guns—common signs of mirth among the
pirates. Most of the men being drunk—by what accident is not known—the
ship was suddenly blown up, with 350 Englishmen, besides the French
prisoners in the hold; of whom only thirty men escaped, who were in the
main cabin, at some distance from the full force of the powder. Many more,
it is thought, might have escaped had they not taken too much wine. The
French prisoners were accused of having fired the vessel, and Morgan a
little later seized their ship and crew.
[Illustration: BLOWING UP OF THE FRENCH PIRATE SHIP.]
“Eight days after the loss of the said ship, Captain Morgan commanded the
bodies of the miserable wretches who were blown up to be searched for as
they floated on the sea: not to afford them Christian burial, but for
their clothes and attire; and if any had gold rings on their fingers these
were cut off, leaving them exposed to the voracity of the monsters of the
sea. At last they set sail for Savona, the place of their assignation.
There were in all fifteen vessels, Captain Morgan commanding the biggest,
of only fourteen small guns. His number of men was 960. Few days after
they arrived at the Cabo de Lobos, south of Hispaniola, between Cape
Tiburon and Cape Punta de Espada. Hence they could not pass, by reason of
contrary winds, for three weeks, in spite of every effort to do so. Then
Captain Morgan doubled the cape, and spied an English vessel at a
distance. Having spoken to her, they found she came from England, and
bought of her, for ready money, some provisions they wanted.
“Captain Morgan proceeded on his voyage till he came to the port of Ocoa;
here he landed some men, sending them into the woods to seek water and
provisions, the better to spare such as he had already on board. They
killed many beasts, and among others some horses. But the Spaniards, not
well satisfied at their hunting, laid a stratagem for them, ordering three
or four hundred men to come from Santo Domingo, not far distant, and
desiring them to hunt in all the parts thereabout near the sea, that so if
the pirates should return they might find no subsistence. Within few days
the pirates returned to hunt, but finding nothing to kill, a party of
about fifty straggled farther on into the woods. The Spaniards, who
watched all their motions, gathered a great herd of cows, and set two or
three men to keep them. The pirates, having spied them, killed a
sufficient number; and though the Spaniards could see them at a distance,
yet they could not hinder them at present; but as soon as they attempted
to carry them away they set upon them furiously, crying—‘Mata, mata!’
which is, ‘Kill, kill!’ Thus the pirates were compelled to quit the prey,
and retreat to their ships; but they did it in good order, retiring by
degrees, and when they had opportunity discharging full volleys on the
Spaniards, killing many of their enemies, though with some loss.
“The Spaniards, seeing their damage, endeavoured to save themselves by
flight and carry off their dead and wounded companions. The pirates
perceiving them flee would not content themselves with what hurt they had
already done, but pursued them speedily into the woods, and killed the
greatest part of those that remained. Next day Captain Morgan, extremely
offended at what had passed, went himself, with 200 men, into the woods to
seek for the rest of the Spaniards, but finding nobody, he revenged
himself on the houses of the poor and miserable rustics that inhabited
those scattering fields and woods, of which he burnt a great number; with
this he returned to his ship, somewhat more satisfied in his mind for
having done some considerable damage to the enemy, which was always his
most ardent desire.”
Captain Morgan having waited impatiently for some of his ships which had
not yet joined company, was recommended by a French captain who had served
with Lolonois to make an attempt with his present forces—eight ships and
about 500 men—on Maracaibo. The Spaniards had built another fort since the
action with Lolonois, and when the pirates arrived gave them a very warm
reception, which lasted till evening. In the obscurity of the night Morgan
and his men crept up to the fort, when they found that the Spaniards had
deserted it. They had left, however, a train of powder with match burning,
with the intention of playing Guy Fawkes with the pirates, and had not
Morgan discovered it in time they would undoubtedly have suffered great
loss. The freebooters found a considerable amount of powder and muskets,
with which they furnished the fleet, and they spiked sixteen cannons. Next
day they proceeded in boats and canoes to the town, which, with an
adjacent fort, was found deserted.
“As soon as they had entered the town the pirates searched every corner,
to see if they could find any people who were hid who might offend them
unawares; not finding anybody, every party, as they came out of their
several ships, chose what several houses they pleased. The church was
deputed for the common corps du guard, where they lived, after their
military manner, very insolently. Next day after they sent a troop of 100
men to seek for the inhabitants and their goods. These returned next day,
bringing with them thirty persons—men, women, and children—and fifty mules
laden with good merchandise. All these miserable people were put to the
rack, to make them confess where the rest of the inhabitants were and
their goods. Among other tortures, one was to stretch their limbs with
cords and then to beat them with sticks and other instruments. Others had
burning matches placed between their fingers, which were thus burnt alive.
Others had slender cords or matches placed about their heads till their
eyes burst out. Those who would not confess, or had nothing to declare,
died under the hands of those villains. These tortures and racks continued
for three whole weeks, in which time they sent out daily parties to seek
for more people to torment and rob, they never returning without booty and
new riches.
“Captain Morgan having now gotten into his hands about a hundred of the
chief families, with all their goods, at last resolved for Gibraltar, as
Lolonois had done before. With this design he equipped his fleet,
providing it sufficiently with all necessaries. He put likewise on board
all the prisoners, and weighing anchor, set sail with resolution to hazard
a battle. They had sent before some prisoners to Gibraltar to require the
inhabitants to surrender, otherwise Captain Morgan would put them all to
the sword without any quarter. Arriving before Gibraltar, the inhabitants
received him with continued shooting of great cannon bullets; but the
pirates, instead of fainting hereat, ceased not to encourage one another,
saying—‘We must make one meal upon bitter things before we come to taste
the sweetness of the sugar this place affords.’”
Next day, early in the morning, they landed all their men, and being
guided by the Frenchman beforenamed, they marched towards the town, not by
the ordinary way, but crossing through woods, which way the Spaniards did
not expect they would have come, for at the beginning of their journey
they pretended to march the next and open way to the town, hereby to
deceive the Spaniards; “but these remembering full well what Lolonois had
done but two years before, thought it not safe to expect a second brunt,
and hereupon all fled out of the town as fast as they could, carrying all
their goods and riches, as also all their powder, and having nailed all
the great guns; so as the pirates found not one person in the whole city
but one poor innocent man who was born a fool. This man they asked whither
the inhabitants had fled, and where they had hid their goods. To all which
questions and the like he constantly answered—‘I know nothing, I know
nothing!’ but they presently put him to the rack, and tortured him with
cords, which torments forced him to cry out—‘Do not torture me any more,
but come with me and I will show you my goods and my riches!’ They were
persuaded, it seems, he was some rich person disguised under those clothes
so poor and that innocent tongue; so they went along with him, and he
conducted them to a poor miserable cottage, wherein he had a few earthen
dishes and other things of no value, and three pieces of eight, concealed
with some other trumpery under ground. Then they asked him his name, and
he readily answered, ‘My name is Don Sebastian Sanchez, and I am brother
unto the Governor of Maracaibo.’ This foolish answer, it must be
conceived, these inhuman wretches took for truth; for no sooner had they
heard it but they put him again upon the rack, lifting him up on high with
cords, and tying large weights to his feet and neck. Besides which they
burnt him alive, applying palm-leaves burning to his face.” They sent out
parties, and captured some prisoners, several of whom were tortured or
killed. Among others there was a Portuguese, who was falsely reported by a
negro to be very rich. This man was commanded to produce his riches. His
answer was that he had no more than 100 pieces of eight in the world, and
these had been stolen from him two days before by his servant. The pirates
would not believe him, but dragged him to a rack without any regard to his
age of sixty years, and stretched him with cords, breaking both his arms
behind his shoulders. “This cruelty went not alone, for he not being able
or willing to make any other declaration, they put him to another sort of
torment more barbarous; they tied him with small cords by his two thumbs
and great toes to four stakes fixed in the ground at a convenient
distance, the whole weight of his body hanging by these cords. Not
satisfied yet with their cruel torture, they took a stone of above 200
pounds and laid it on his belly, as if they intended to press him to
death; they also kindled palm-leaves and applied the flame to the face of
this unfortunate Portuguese, burning with them the whole skin, beard, and
hair. At last, seeing that neither with these tortures nor others they
could get anything out of him, they untied the cords, and carried him,
half-dead, to the church, where was their corps du guard; here they tied
him anew to one of the pillars thereof, leaving him in that condition
without giving him either to eat or drink, unless very sparingly and so
little that would scarce sustain life, for some days. Four or five being
past, he desired one of the prisoners might come to him, by whose means he
promised he would endeavour to raise some money to satisfy their demands.
The prisoner whom he desired was brought to him, and he ordered him to
promise the pirates 500 pieces of eight for his ransom; but they were deaf
and obstinate at such a small sum, and instead of accepting it beat him
cruelly with cudgels, saying, ‘Old fellow, instead of 500, 5,000 pieces of
eight; otherwise you shall here end your life.’ Finally, after a thousand
protestations that he was but a miserable man, and kept a poor tavern for
his living, he agreed with them for 1,000 pieces of eight. These he
raised, and having paid them, got his liberty, though so horribly maimed,
that it is scarce to be believed he could survive many weeks.” Morgan
proceeded later to Gibraltar, and his proceedings there are but a
repetition of his former acts. And yet in searching the interior he and
some of his men were at one time in such straits that a couple of score or
so of Spaniards could have annihilated them.
And now they returned to Maracaibo, where an unpleasant surprise awaited
them. They learned from a poor old Spaniard that three large Spanish ships
had arrived off the bar, and were awaiting the exit of the pirates; and,
further, that the castle at the entrance had been repaired, well provided
with guns and ammunition, and thoroughly manned. Morgan sent a boat down
to find out how far this was true, and the report was that its crew had
ventured so near that they were in great danger of being shot; that there
were three great ships, mounting respectively forty, thirty, and
twenty-four guns. Morgan disguised the apprehension he must have felt, and
sent a message, couched in his usual style of braggadocia, demanding a
heavy ransom for not putting the city of Maracaibo to the flames. Here
follows the answer of the Spanish Admiral:—
“_The letter of Don Alonso del Campo y Espinosa, Admiral of the Spanish
Fleet, to Captain Morgan, Commander of the Pirates:_—
“Having understood by all our friends and neighbours the unexpected news
that you have dared to attempt and commit hostilities in the countries,
titles, towns, and villages belonging to the dominions of his Catholic
Majesty, my Sovereign Lord and Master, I let you understand by these lines
that I am come to this place, according to my obligation, near that castle
which you took out of the hands of a parcel of cowards, where I have put
things into a very good posture of defence, and mounted again the
artillery which you nailed and dismounted. My intent is to dispute with
you your passage out of the lake, and follow and pursue you everywhere, to
the end you may see the performance of my duty. Notwithstanding, if you be
contented to surrender with humility all that you have taken, together
with the slaves and all other prisoners, I will let you freely pass,
without trouble or molestation, on condition that you retire home
presently to your own country. But if you make any resistance or
opposition to what I offer you, I assure you I will command boats to come
from Caraccas, wherein I will put my troops, and coming to Maracaibo, will
put you every man to the sword. This is my last and absolute resolution.
Be prudent, therefore, and do not abuse my bounty with ingratitude. I have
with me very good soldiers, who desire nothing more ardently than to
revenge on you and your people all the cruelties and base infamous actions
you have committed upon the Spanish nation in America. Dated on board the
royal ship named the _Magdalen_, lying at anchor at the entry of the lake
of Maracaibo, the 24th April, 1669.
“DON ALONSO DEL CAMPO Y ESPINOSA.”
[Illustration: MORGAN’S ATTACK ON MARACAIBO.]
CHAPTER IV.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
Attack resolved—The Fire-ship—Morgan passes the Castle—Off for St.
Catherine’s—Given up by a Stratagem—St. Catherine’s an Easy
Prey—Power of Fire—Thirty in Three Hundred Saved—The March on
Panama—A Pirate Band of Twelve Hundred—Sufferings on the Way—A
Pipe for Supper—Leather and Cold Water—Panama at last—The First
Encounter—Resolute Fighting—Wild Bulls in Warfare—Victory for the
Pirates—Ruthless Destruction of Property—Cruelty to
Prisoners—Searching for Treasure—Dissatisfaction at the
Dividend—The last of Morgan.
On receipt of the captain’s letter Morgan called his men together and
asked them whether they were going to fight or surrender. They answered
unanimously that they would fight to the last drop of blood rather than
surrender so easily the booty they had obtained with so much danger.
“Among the rest one said to Captain Morgan, ‘Take you care for the rest,
and I will undertake to destroy the biggest of those ships with only
twelve men; the manner shall be by making a _brulot_, or fire-ship, of
that vessel we took in the river of Gibraltar, which, to the intent she
may not be known for a fire-ship, we will fill her decks with logs of
wood, standing with hats and montera caps, to deceive their sight with the
representation of men. The same we will do at the port-holes that serve
for the guns, which shall be filled with counterfeit cannon. At the stern
we will hang out English colours, and persuade the enemy she is one of our
best men-of-war going to fight them.’ This proposition was approved.
Attempts were afterwards made to compromise with Don Alonso, but he would
not listen to them, and sent them a peremptory message, which, simply
translated, meant that they must give in, or give up.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN HENRY MORGAN.
(_From Captain C. Johnson’s __“__Lives of Famous Highwaymen, Pirates,
&c.__”_)]
“No sooner had Captain Morgan received this message from Don Alonso than
he put all things in order to fight, resolving to get out of the lake by
main force, without surrendering anything. First, he commanded all the
slaves and prisoners to be tied and guarded very well, and gathered all
the pitch, tar, and brimstone they could find in the whole town for the
fire-ship above-mentioned. Then they made several inventions of powder and
brimstone with palm-leaves well anointed with tar. They covered very well
their counterfeit cannon, laying under every piece many pounds of powder;
besides, they cut down many outworks of the ship, that the powder might
exert its strength the better; breaking open also new port-holes, where,
instead of guns, they placed little drums used by the negroes. Finally,
the decks were handsomely beset with many pieces of wood, dressed up like
men, with hats or monteras, and armed with swords, muskets, and
bandeleers.”
The fire-ship being fitted, they prepared to proceed to the entry of the
port. All the prisoners were put into one great boat, and in another all
the women were placed, with the plate, jewels, and other rich things; into
others they put the bales of goods, merchandise, and bulky articles. Each
of these boats had twelve armed men aboard; the _brulot_ had orders to go
before the rest of the vessels, and presently to fall foul of the great
ship. All things being ready, Captain Morgan exacted an oath of his
comrades, making them promise to defend themselves to the last drop of
blood without demanding quarter; promising, withal, that whoever behaved
himself thus should be well rewarded.
With this resolution they set sail to meet the Spaniards. On April 30th,
1669, they found the Spanish fleet riding at anchor in the middle of the
entry of the lake. “Captain Morgan, it being now late and almost dark,
commanded all his vessels to an anchor, designing to fight even all night
if they forced him to it. He ordered a careful watch to be kept aboard
every vessel till morning, they being almost within shot, as well as
within sight, of the enemy. The day dawning, they weighed anchor and
sailed again, steering directly towards the Spaniards, who, seeing them
move, did instantly the same. The fire-ship, sailing before the rest, fell
presently upon the great ship and grappled her, which the Spaniards (too
late) perceiving to be a fire-ship, they attempted to put her off, but in
vain; for the flame seizing her timber and tackling, soon consumed all the
stern, the fore-part sinking into the sea, where she perished. The second
Spanish ship perceiving the _Admiral_ to burn, not by accident, but by
industry of the enemy, escaped towards the castle, where the Spaniards
themselves sunk her, choosing to lose their ship rather than to fall into
the hands of those pirates. The third, having no opportunity to escape,
was taken by the pirates.”
The pirates were, we can well believe, rejoiced at this easy victory, and
they now attempted to take the castle. This was thoroughly well garrisoned
and provided, whereas they had nothing but muskets and a few hand
grenades. They consequently failed; the Spaniards gave them volley after
volley, and they at last retired, with a loss of thirty killed and as many
wounded. The attack was not renewed. From a pilot who was taken prisoner
the following day Captain Morgan learned that the expedition, which had
been sent out by the Supreme Council of State in Spain, consisted of six
well-equipped men-of-war, with instructions to root out the English
pirates. It had been organised in Spain, upon the receipt of the news of
the loss of Puerto Bello and other places, after fruitless representations
had been made to the King of England, who simply disclaimed any connivance
with the pirates. Two of the principal vessels had returned to Spain,
being considered too large for the enterprise, and one had been lost in a
gale. This pilot entered the service of Captain Morgan, and informed him
that in the ship which was sunk there was a great quantity of treasure,
and that he could see for himself that the Spaniards, in boats, were
endeavouring to rescue some of it. Morgan again sent a message to the
admiral, who had escaped to the castle, demanding a ransom, or he would
fire Maracaibo. This was at first, of course, indignantly refused, and the
pirate chief renewed his threats, when the Spanish settlers, down-hearted
at their constant ill-fortune, consented to pay the sum of 20,000 pieces
and 500 head of cattle, though the admiral, Don Alonso, sternly objected.
Morgan, in spite of his successes, rather feared passing the castle at the
entrance of the lake, and he endeavoured, by means of the prisoners he
held, to secure his escape, by sending some of them to Don Alonso with a
promise to give them all up if he would not fire, or hang them if he did.
A deputation of prisoners waited on the admiral, urging his consent; but
Don Alonso told them, “If you had been as loyal to your king in hindering
the entry of these pirates as I shall do their going out, you had never
caused these troubles, neither to yourselves nor to our whole nation,
which hath suffered so much through your pusillanimity. In a word, I shall
never grant your request, but shall endeavour to maintain that respect
which is due to my king according to my duty.” Thus the poor wretched
prisoners had to return to Morgan, and report the failure of their
mission. His reply was, in his usual vein, that he would find the means of
accomplishing his object in spite of Don Alonso.
The stratagem employed was as follows:—During the day that they hoped to
escape after dark they put a number of their men in canoes, and rowed
towards the shore, as if they intended to land. There they hid themselves
among the trees and by lying down in the boats. Then the canoes returned
to the ships, two or three men rowing in each, and the rest remaining at
the bottom concealed. Thus much only could be observed from the castle,
and the ruse was repeated several times, the impression given being that
the pirates intended to scale the walls by night from the land. This
caused the Spaniards to place most of their greater guns on the land side,
with the principal part of the garrison, leaving the side towards the sea
almost destitute of defence. Night being come they weighed anchor, and by
moonlight, without setting sail, the tide gently took them towards the
entrance near the castle. Having arrived off the latter, they spread their
sails with all speed. The Spaniards, perceiving this, brought their guns
over to the sea side, but the pirates, being favoured by this loss of time
and also with a good breeze, escaped almost scatheless. Just as they were
departing, Morgan ironically saluted the castle with a volley from seven
of his largest guns.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN MORGAN’S ESCAPE FROM MARACAIBO.]
His next expedition, in which he was joined by many other pirates,
assembled on the south side of Tortuga on October the 24th, 1670, when a
council of ways and means was convened, the principal lack being in
provisions. This, however, was to them a small matter, and they resolved
to rob and rifle the towns and settlements of the mainland. Four vessels
were despatched on this errand to the River de la Hacha, where a village
was situated which was usually well provided with corn. Meanwhile, another
party was despatched into the woods, and the hunters were very successful.
The rest remained in the ships to clean and re-fit them. The river
expedition was becalmed off the coast, which gave the Spaniards ashore
time to hide and take away their goods. A large ship from Carthagena was
lying in the river, laden with maize (Indian corn), ready to depart. The
pirates soon made short work of this vessel, the crew of which was easily
mastered. The Spaniards peppered them from a battery when they landed, but
the freebooters drove them back to a fortified village, whence, after some
little resistance, the former were driven into the woods. They captured,
tortured, and robbed a number of these unfortunate settlers, who at length
were glad to get rid of them by paying a ransom of 4,000 bushels of maize.
Morgan had begun to despair of their return, when they arrived with the
captured ship and an enormous supply of the needed corn.
Captain Morgan having divided the maize, and the flesh which the hunters
brought in, among the ships according to their number of men, he departed,
having inspected beforehand every ship. “Thus he set sail, and stood for
Cape Tiburon, where he resolved to determine what enterprise he should
take in hand. No sooner were they arrived, but they met some other ships
newly come to join them from Jamaica; so that now their fleet consisted of
thirty-seven ships, wherein were 2,000 fighting men, beside mariners and
boys.
“Captain Morgan having such a number of ships, divided the whole fleet
into two squadrons, constituting a Vice-Admiral and other officers of the
second squadron distinct from the first. To these he gave letters patent,
or commissions to act all manner of hostilities against the Spanish
nation, and take of them what ships they could, either abroad at sea or in
the harbours, as if they were open and declared enemies (as he termed it)
of the King of England, his pretended master. This done, he called all his
captains and other officers together, and caused them to sign some
articles of agreement betwixt them, and in the name of all. Herein it was
stipulated that he should have the hundredth part of all that was gotten
to himself; that every captain should draw the shares of eight men for the
expenses of his ship besides his own. To the surgeon, besides his pay, 200
pieces of eight for his chest of medicaments. To every carpenter, above
his salary, 100 pieces of eight. The rewards were settled in this voyage
much higher than before: as, for the loss of both hands, 1,800 pieces of
eight, or eighteen slaves; for one leg, whether right or left, 600 pieces
of eight, or six slaves; for a hand as much as for a leg; and for the loss
of an eye 100 pieces of eight or one slave. Lastly, to him that in any
battle should signalise himself, either by entering first any castle, or
taking down the Spanish colours and setting up the English, they allotted
fifty pieces of eight for a reward. All which extraordinary salaries and
rewards to be paid out of the first spoil they should take, as every one
should occur to be either rewarded or paid.” The first captain who should
take a Spanish vessel was to receive the tenth part of its value. One of
three cities was to be attacked—Carthagena, Panama, or Vera Cruz; and
after a council had been held the lot fell on Panama. They resolved to
first visit the Isle of St. Catherine, there to obtain guides for the
enterprise.
As soon as Captain Morgan approached the island he sent one of his best
sailing vessels to examine the entrance of the river, and see whether
there were any foreign ships there, and next day they anchored in a
neighbouring bay, where the Spaniards had built a battery, which made no
resistance. Morgan landed about 1,000 men, and marched them through the
woods, where they discovered another deserted battery, the Spaniards
having retired to the smaller and adjacent island, which was thoroughly
fortified. As soon as the pirates got in range the Spaniards opened a
furious fire upon them, and the former were that day compelled to retreat
to a hungry camp, as they had come utterly unprovided, while about
midnight the rain somewhat damped their ardour. They passed a miserable
and shelterless night; nor did the weather improve next day, when they
found in the fields an old lean and diseased horse, which they killed and
ate, but this was not anything like sufficient to satisfy the cravings of
their hunger, as it afforded only a morsel each for a part of them, some
being compelled to go entirely without. But nothing could daunt Morgan,
and he had the audacity to send a canoe with a flag of truce to the
Spanish governor, telling him that he would put the Spaniards to the
sword, without quarter, if they did not instantly submit.
In the afternoon the canoe returned with this answer:—“That the governor
desired two hours’ time to deliberate with his officers about it, which
having passed he would give his positive answer.” This time elapsed, the
governor sent two canoes with white colours, having on board two persons
to treat with Captain Morgan; but, before they landed, they demanded of
the pirates two men as hostages. These were readily granted by Captain
Morgan, who delivered up two of his captains for a pledge of the security
required. The Spaniards then announced that they had resolved to deliver
up the island, not being provided with sufficient forces to defend it
against a fleet. Morgan was asked to use a stratagem of war, for the
better saving of their credit, which was as follows:—That he would come
with his troops by night to the bridge that joined the smaller island to
the principal one, and there attack the fort of St. Jerome; that at the
same time all his fleet would draw near the castle of Santa Teresa and
attack it by land, landing in the meantime more troops near the battery of
St. Matthew; that these troops being landed, should by this means
intercept the governor as he endeavoured to pass to St. Jerome’s fort, and
then take him prisoner, making pretence as if they had forced him to
deliver the castle, and that he would lead the English into it under
colour of being his own troops. That on both sides there should be
continual firing carried on, but without bullets, or at least that they
should be fired only into the air, so that no side might be hurt. That
thus having obtained two such considerable forts, the chiefest of the
isle, he need not take care for the rest, which must fall of course into
his hands.
These propositions were granted by Captain Morgan, and, soon after, he
commanded the whole fleet to enter the port, and his men to be ready to
assault that night the Castle of St. Jerome. Thus the false battle began,
with incessant firing from both the castles against the ships, but without
bullets, as was agreed. Then the pirates landed, and assaulted the lesser
island by night, which they took, with both the fortresses, forcing the
Spaniards, in appearance, to fly to the church.
St. Catherine’s thus became an easy prey to Morgan and his followers, and
the first few days were simply spent in riotous feasting. The prisoners
which they had taken numbered 459 souls; and besides all kinds of plunder
they secured no less than thirty thousand pounds of powder, together with
large quantities of other ammunition. The fortresses were, with one
exception, demolished.
Morgan’s next enterprise was against the important city of Panama. He took
with him 1,200 men, five boats laden with artillery, and thirty-two
canoes. But the Chagres river of the time was very like that of to-day—a
shallow stream, except in the freshet season—and after a few days of
tedious progress, they left it, preferring to continue their journey by
land. On this trip a pipe of tobacco was the only supper that many of them
could obtain, while a piece of leather, washed down by a draught of muddy
water, formed, by comparison, a splendid meal.
On the ninth day of that tedious journey, Captain Morgan marched on while
the fresh air of the morning lasted, a common practice in very hot
countries. The way was now more difficult than before; but after two
hours’ march they observed some Spaniards in the distance, who watched
their motions. They endeavoured to catch some of them, but could not, as
they would suddenly disappear, and hide themselves in caves among the
rocks, unknown to the pirates. At last, ascending a high hill, the latter
saw in the distance the blue waters of the Pacific, then known as the
South Sea. This happy sight, as it seemed the end of their labours, caused
great joy among them; they could see, also, one ship and six boats, which
were sailing from Panama, and proceeded to the Islands of Torvoga and
Tavogilla; then they came to a valley, where they found cattle in
abundance, of which they killed a number. There, while some killed and
flayed horses, cows, bulls, and asses, others kindled fires, and got wood
to roast them; then cutting the flesh into convenient pieces, or gobbets,
they threw them into the fire, and, half burnt or roasted, they devoured
them with greedy appetite. Such was their hunger, they behaved as though
they were rather cannibals than Europeans, “the blood many times running
down from their beards to their waists.”
A little while after they came in sight of the highest steeple in Panama;
and one can imagine their satisfaction. All their trumpets were sounded,
and drums beat. Then they pitched their camp for that night; the whole
army waiting with impatience for the morning, when they intended to attack
the city. During the evening fifty horse appeared, who came out of the
city on the noise of the drums and trumpets, to observe the enemy’s
position, and came almost within musket-shot of the army. Those on
horseback hallooed to the pirates, and threatened them, saying, “Perros!
nos veremos!”—that is, “Ye dogs! we shall meet ye!” They then returned to
the city, except only seven or eight horsemen, who hovered about to watch
the pirates. “Immediately after the city fired, and ceased not to play
their biggest guns all night long against the camp, but with little or no
harm to the pirates, whom they could not easily reach. Now also the 200
Spaniards, whom the pirates had seen in the afternoon, appeared again,
making a show of blocking up the passages, that no pirates might escape
their hands. But the pirates, though in a manner besieged, instead of
fearing their blockades, as soon as they had placed sentinels about their
camp, opened their satchels, and, without any napkins or plates, fell to
eating very heartily the pieces of bulls’ and horses’ flesh which they had
reserved since noon. This done they laid themselves down to sleep on the
grass, with great repose and satisfaction, expecting only with impatience
the dawning of the next day.
“The tenth day, betimes in the morning, they put all their men in order,
and, with drums and trumpets sounding, marched directly towards the city;
but one of the guides directed Captain Morgan not to take the common
highway, lest they should find in it many ambuscades. He took his advice,
and chose another way through the wood, though very irksome and difficult.
The Spaniards, perceiving the pirates had taken another way they scarce
had thought of, were compelled to leave their barricades and batteries,
and come out to meet them. The Governor of Panama put his forces in order,
consisting of two squadrons, four regiments of foot, and a large number of
wild bulls, which were driven by a large number of Indians, with some
negroes and others to help them.”
The pirates, now upon their march, came to the top of a low hill, whence
they had a prospect of the city and champaigne country underneath. Here
they found the forces of the people of Panama in battle array to be so
numerous that they were rather alarmed. Much doubting the fortunes of the
day, most of them wished themselves at home, or at least free from the
obligation of fighting at that moment, but it was obvious that they must
either fight resolutely or die; for no quarter could be expected from an
enemy on whom they had committed so many cruelties. They divided
themselves into three battalions, sending in advance two hundred
bucaniers, who were good shots. Descending the hill they marched directly
towards the Spaniards, who waited for their coming. As soon as they
approached, the Spaniards began to shout and cry, “Viva el Roy!” (“God
save the King!”) and immediately their horse moved against the pirates;
but the fields being full of quagmires, soft under foot, they could not
wheel about as they desired. The two hundred bucaniers who went before,
each putting one knee to the ground, began the battle briskly with a full
volley of shot; the Spaniards defended themselves courageously, doing all
they could to disorder the enemy. Their infantry endeavoured to second the
cavalry, but were constrained by the pirates to leave them. Finding
themselves baffled, they attempted to drive a number of half-wild bulls
against them behind, to put them into disorder; but the cattle ran away
frightened with the noise of the battle; some few broke through the
English companies, and only tore the colours in pieces, while the
bucaniers shot every one of them dead.
The battle having continued two hours, the greater part of the Spanish
horse was routed, and almost all killed; the rest fled, which the foot
seeing, and finding that they could not possibly prevail, they discharged
the shot they had in their muskets, and throwing them down, fled away,
every one as he could. The pirates could not follow them, being too much
harassed and wearied with their long journey. Many, not being able to fly
whither they desired, hid themselves temporarily among the shrubs of the
sea-side, but very unfortunately, for most of them being found by the
pirates were instantly killed, without any quarter. Some priests were
brought prisoners before Captain Morgan, but he was deaf to their cries,
and commanded them all to be pistolled, which was done. Soon after they
brought a captain to him, whom he examined very strictly as to the forces
of Panama. He answered, their whole strength consisted in four hundred
horse, twenty-four companies of foot, each of one hundred men complete;
sixty Indians and some negroes, who were to drive two thousand wild bulls
upon the English, and thus, by breaking their files, put them into a total
disorder; besides, that in the city they had made trenches and raised
batteries in several places; and that at the entry of the highway leading
to the city, they had built a fort mounted with eight great brass guns,
defended by fifty men. The pirates were now, however, both elated by their
successes and furious at their losses, and that same day the city fell
completely into their hands. Strict injunctions were given to the
freebooters not to even taste the wine they found, as the captain feared
that a considerable amount of debauchery must ensue after the privations
they had endured. He gave out, however, that he had been informed that the
wine was poisoned. Captain Morgan, as soon as he had placed the necessary
guards, commanded twenty-five men to seize a large boat, which had stuck
in the mud of the port, for want of water, at a low tide. The same day,
about noon, he fired privately several great edifices of the city, nobody
knowing who was the author of the outrage; the fire increased so that
before night the greater part of the city was in flames. Captain Morgan
pretended that the Spaniards had done it, finding that his own people
blamed him for the action. Many of the Spaniards, and some of the pirates,
did what they could either to quench the flames, or, by blowing up houses
with gunpowder, and pulling down others, to stop it, but almost in vain,
for in less than half an hour it consumed a whole street. All the houses
of the city were then built of cedar.
[Illustration: BURNING OF PANAMA.]
Next day Captain Morgan despatched away two troops, of 150 men each, to
seek for the inhabitants who had escaped. Above 200 prisoners, men, women,
and slaves, were taken. Three other boats were also taken. But all these
prizes they would willingly have given for one galleon, which miraculously
escaped, richly laden with the king’s plate, jewels, and other precious
goods of the best and richest merchants of Panama; a number of nuns also
had embarked with them all the ornaments of their church, consisting of
gold, plate, and other things of great value. “The strength of this
galleon was inconsiderable, having only seven guns and ten or twelve
muskets, and very ill provided with victuals, necessaries, and fresh
water.” They subsequently took a tolerably rich prize, having on board
20,000 dollars in coin.
February 24th, 1671, Captain Morgan departed from Panama, or rather from
the place where Panama had once stood.(6) The spoils included 175 beasts
of burden, laden with silver and gold, besides about 600 prisoners, men,
women, children, and slaves.
When the march began, the cries and shrieks of the unfortunate prisoners
were renewed, which did not worry Captain Morgan. They marched in the same
order as before, one party of the pirates in the van, the prisoners in the
middle, and the rest of the pirates in the rear, by whom the miserable
Spaniards were abused, punched, and thrust in their backs and sides, to
make them walk faster. A beautiful and virtuous lady, the wife of a
merchant, was led prisoner by herself, between two pirates. Her
lamentations pierced the skies, seeing herself carried away into
captivity, often crying to the pirates, and telling them “that she had
given orders to two religious persons, in whom she had relied, to go to a
certain place, and fetch so much as her ransom did amount to; that they
had promised faithfully to do it, but having obtained the money, instead
of bringing it to her, they had employed it another way, to ransom some of
their own and particular friends.” This Captain Morgan found to be true,
and he gave the lady her liberty; otherwise he had designed to transport
her to Jamaica. But he detained the monks as prisoners in her place, using
them according to their deserts. Many of the prisoners ransomed themselves
later, while others were taken to Jamaica and sold. About half-way across
the Isthmus Morgan had his men searched, going through the form himself.
This was to see whether any one had secreted valuables for his own use.
The French pirates of Morgan’s expedition took great offence at this, but
they were forced to submit. At Chagres the dividend was made, and there
was a considerable amount of dissatisfaction, his own companions telling
him to his face that he had reserved the best jewels for himself. It
appears likely that he had done so, and at all events, at this period he
suddenly sailed away from the larger part of his pirate-associates, and
left them in the lurch. Indeed, afterwards, some of them suffered great
privations before they reached the common rendezvous in Jamaica.
Many of Morgan’s former associates vowed to murder him if they could catch
him, believing that he had enriched himself greatly at their expense. He,
for the nonce, settled in Jamaica, and married the daughter of a wealthy
man. Long after this the pirates sought means to punish him, and hearing
that he intended to retire to the island of St. Catherine, vowed among
themselves to waylay him on the voyage. An unexpected incident saved
Morgan. At this very crisis a new governor (Lord Vaughan) arrived at Port
Royal, Jamaica, bringing a royal order for the successful bucanier to be
sent to England, to answer the complaints of the King of Spain, in regard
to the depredations made on his subjects. Of his trial little or nothing
is known, but he was soon after knighted by Charles II., and appointed
Commissioner for the Admiralty at Jamaica! Furthermore, in the autumn of
1680, the Earl of Carnarvon, then Governor of Jamaica, returning to
England, left the _ci-devant_ pirate as his deputy, and Morgan seized the
opportunity to hang many of his old comrades! In the next reign he was
thrown into prison—wherefore, precisely is not known, and his final fate
is uncertain. So much for the vicissitudes of a pirate’s life.
CHAPTER V.
THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (_continued_).
The Exploits of Captain Sawkins—Three Ships attacked by
Canoes—Valiant Peralta—Explosion on Board—Miserable Sight on Two
Ship’s Decks—Capture of an Empty Ship—Dissatisfaction among the
Pirates—Desertion of many—Message from the Governor of Panama—The
Pirate Captain’s Bravado—His Death—Fear inspired on all the
Southern Coasts—Preparations for punishing and hindering the
Bucaniers—Captain Kidd—His first Commission as Privateer—Turns
Pirate—The Mocha Fleet—Almost a Mutiny on Board—Kills his
Gunner—Capture of Rich Prizes—A Rich Ransom derided—Grand
Dividend—Kidd deserted by some of his Men—Proclamation of
Pardon—Kidd excepted—Rushes on his Doom—Arrested in New York—Trial
at the Old Bailey—Pleadings—Execution with Six Companions.
Among the great bucaniers of the seventeenth century were Captains Coxon,
Harris, Bournano, Sawkins, and Sharp, of the exploits of only one or two
of whom we shall have space to speak. On one of their principal
expeditions they started with nine vessels, having on board 460 men, and,
after a desertion of two of the ships’ companies, had still three-fourths
of the number left. Their march from the coast of Darien—the point of
destination being the unfortunate city of Panama—presented similar
difficulties to those already experienced by Morgan, and the narration of
them would be, therefore, tedious. On the way they took the town of Santa
Maria, but did not obtain much booty. From thence they proceeded by river,
in thirty-five canoes and a boat, to the Pacific Ocean. At the mouth of
the river, and on the rocks outside, some of them were shipwrecked, and
for a time the company became separated, although almost all of them were
able afterwards to rejoin. On the morning of April 23rd, 1680 (St.
George’s Day), they arrived within sight of the city of Panama, and also
in full view of some Spanish men-of-war ready for the fray, as they
immediately weighed anchor and sailed towards them. Some of the canoes
were sailing faster than the boats, and there was every fear that the
former would be run down by the ships. When the fight commenced, the
pirates had only sixty-eight men to contend against 228, Biscayans,
mulattoes, and negroes.
[Illustration: VIEW OF PANAMA.]
Captain Sawkins’s canoe, and also that on which was the narrator of the
fight, were much to leeward of the rest, so that one of the Spanish ships
came between the two and fired on both, wounding, with these broadsides,
five men in the two canoes. But the commander paid dearly for his passage
between them, as he was not quick in coming about again, and making the
same way; for the pirates killed, with their first volley, several of his
men upon the decks. Thus they got also to windward, as the rest were
before. The admiral of this armadilla (or little fleet) came up with them
instantly, scarce giving time to charge, thinking to pass by them all with
as little damage as the first of the ships had done. But, as it happened,
it turned out much the worse for him; for they were so fortunate as to
kill the man at the helm, so that his ship ran into the wind, and her
sails lay aback. By this means they all had time to come up under her
stern, and, firing continually into his vessel, they killed all that came
to the helm; besides which slaughter they cut asunder his mainsheet and
brace with their shot. At this time the third vessel was coming to the aid
of their general. Hereupon Captain Sawkins, who had changed his canoe and
had gone into one of the boats, left the admiral to four canoes (for his
own was quite disabled), and met the captain of the second ship. “Between
him and Captain Sawkins,” says the chronicler, “the dispute was very hot,
lying aboard each other, and both giving and receiving death as fast as
they could charge. While we were thus engaged the first ship tacked about,
and came up to relieve the admiral; but, we perceiving it, and foreseeing
how hard it would go with us if we should be beaten from the admiral’s
stern, determined to prevent his design. Hereupon two of our canoes, to
wit, Captain Springer’s and my own, stood off to meet him. He made up
directly towards the admiral, who stood upon the quarter-deck waving unto
him with a handkerchief so to do; but we engaged him so closely in the
middle of his way, that had he not given us the helm, and made away from
us, we had certainly been on board him. We killed so many of the men that
the vessel had scarce men enough left alive, or unwounded, to carry her
off; yet, the wind now blowing fresh, they made shift to get away from us,
and save their lives.
“The vessel which was to relieve the admiral being thus put to flight, we
came about again upon the admiral, and all together gave a loud halloo,
which was answered by our men in the periagua (large boat), though at a
distance from us. At that time we came so close under the stern of the
admiral, that we wedged up the rudder; and withal killed both the admiral
himself and the chief pilot of his ship; so that now they were almost
quite disabled and disheartened likewise, seeing what a bloody massacre we
had made among them with our shot. Hereupon, two-thirds of his men being
killed, and many others wounded, they cried for quarter, which had several
times been offered to them, and as stoutly denied till then. Captain Coxon
boarded the admiral, and took with him Captain Harris, who had been shot
through both his legs as he boldly adventured up along the side of the
ship. This vessel being thus taken we put on board her all our wounded
men, and instantly manned two of our canoes to go and aid Captain Sawkins,
who had now been three times beaten from on board Peralta, such valiant
defence had he made; and, indeed, to give our enemies their due, no men in
the world did ever act more bravely than these Spaniards.
“Thus coming close under Peralta’s side, we gave him a full volley of
shot, and expected to have the like return from him again; but on a sudden
we saw his men blown up that were abaft the mast, some of them falling on
the deck and others into the sea. This disaster was soon perceived by
their valiant captain Peralta; but he leaped overboard, and, in spite of
all our shot got several of them back into the ship again, though he was
much burnt in both his hands himself. But as one misfortune seldom cometh
alone, meanwhile he was recovering these men to reinforce his ship withal
and renew the fight, another jar of powder took fire forward, and blew up
several others upon the forecastle. Among this smoke, and under the
opportunity thereof, Captain Sawkins laid them on board, and took the
ship.”
Soon after they were taken the narrator went on board Captain Peralta’s
vessel to see what condition they were in, and a miserable sight it was;
for there was not a man that was not either killed, desperately wounded,
or horribly burnt with powder. Their dark skins were frequently turned
white, the powder having torn it from their flesh and bones. On the
admiral’s ship there were but twenty-five men alive out of eighty-six. Of
these twenty-five men only eight were able to bear arms, all the rest
being desperately wounded and by their wounds totally disabled to make any
resistance, or defend themselves. Their blood ran down the decks in whole
streams, and scarce one place in the ship was found that was free from
blood.
Having possessed themselves of these two vessels, Captain Sawkins asked
the prisoners how many men there were on board the greatest ship, lying in
the harbour of the island of Perico, as also on the others that were
something smaller. Captain Peralta hearing these questions, dissuaded him
as much as he could, saying that in the biggest alone there were three
hundred and fifty men, and that he would find the rest too well provided
for defence against his small number. But one of the men who lay dying
upon the deck contradicted Peralta as he was speaking, and told Captain
Sawkins there was not one man on board those ships that were in view, for
they had all been taken out of them to fight the pirates, in the three
vessels just taken. These words were credited as proceeding from a dying
man; and steering their course to the island they went on board them, and
found, as he had said, not one person there. The largest of the ships,
which was called _La __Santissima Trinidad_, they had set on fire. They
had also made a hole in her, and loosened her fore-sail. But they quenched
the fire with all speed, and stopped the leak. This being done they put
their wounded men on board her, and made her for the present their
hospital.
Having surveyed their own loss, they found eighteen of their men had been
killed in the fight, and twenty-two wounded. The three captains against
whom they had fought had been esteemed by the Spaniards the bravest in all
the “South Seas”; neither was their reputation undeserved, as may easily
be inferred from the narrative given of the engagement. As the third ship
was running away from the fight, she met with two more coming out to their
assistance; but gave them so little encouragement that they turned back
and dared not engage the pirates. The fight began about half an hour after
sunrise, and by noon the battle was finished. Captain Peralta, while he
was their prisoner, would often break out into admiration of their valour,
and say that surely “Englishmen were the most valiant men in the whole
world, who endeavoured always to fight openly, whilst all other nations
invented all the ways imaginable to barricade themselves, and fight as
close as they could.”
Other vessels were shortly afterwards taken. But in spite of their
successes, there was dissatisfaction among some of the pirates, and
Captain Coxon was openly branded as a coward by some of them, for the
small part he had taken in the engagement. He immediately deserted with
seventy of the men. Soon afterwards other pirates, however, joined the
forces.
Eight days after their arrival at Tavoga (now called Toboga), they took a
ship that was coming from Truxillo, and bound for Panama. In this vessel
they found two thousand jars of wine, fifty jars of gunpowder, and
fifty-one thousand pieces of eight. This money had been sent from that
city to pay the soldiers belonging to the garrison of Panama. From the
prize they had information that there was another ship coming from Lima
with one hundred thousand pieces of eight more, which vessel was to sail
ten or twelve days after them, and which, they said, could not be long
before she arrived at Panama. Within two days after this intelligence they
took another ship laden with flour from Truxillo, and the men on this
prize confirmed what the first had told them, and said that the rich
vessel might be expected there in the space of eight or ten days.
While they lay at Tavoga the President or Governor of Panama sent a
message by some merchants to them to know what they came for. To this
message Captain Sawkins made answer that “he came to assist the King of
Darien, who was the true lord of Panama and all the country thereabouts,
and that since he had come so far it was reasonable that they should have
some satisfaction. So that if he pleased to send five hundred pieces of
eight for each man and one thousand for each commander, and would not any
further annoy the Indians, but suffer them to use their own power and
liberty, as became the true and natural lords of the country, that then
they would desist from further hostilities, and go away peaceably;
otherwise, that he should stay there, and get what he could, causing the
Spaniards what damage was possible.” From the Panama merchants they
learned there lived there as Bishop of Panama, one who had formerly been
Bishop of Santa Martha, and who had been prisoner to Captain Sawkins when
he took the place about four or five years before. The captain having
received this intelligence sent two loaves of sugar to the bishop as a
present. The next day the merchant who carried them, returning to Tavoga,
brought the captain a gold ring, and a message to Captain Sawkins from the
President above mentioned, to know farther of him, since they were
Englishmen, “From whom they had their commission, and to whom he ought to
complain for the damages they had already done them?” To this message
Captain Sawkins sent back for an answer, “that as yet all his company were
not come together, but that when they were come up, they would come and
visit him at Panama, and bring their commissions on the muzzles of their
guns; at which time he should read them as plain as the flame of gunpowder
could make them.” But Sawkins’s bravado never came to anything, and he was
shortly afterwards killed at Puebla Nueva.
But the impression made by the pirates’ deeds had spread far and wide.
Some time afterwards, when Captain Sharp, who succeeded Sawkins, and had
made several captures in the meantime, took a vessel of the Spanish armada
on that coast (not the Great Armada, gentle reader; the word simply
signifies “fleet”) the captain proved to them in a speech how the fame and
fear of the pirates had pervaded the South Pacific, and what preparations
had been made to resist them. He said, “Gentlemen, I am now your prisoner
of war by the overruling providence of Fortune; and, moreover, am very
well satisfied that no money whatsoever can procure my ransom, at least
for the present, at your hands; hence I am persuaded it is not my interest
to tell you a lie, which if I do, I desire you to punish me as severely as
you think fit. We heard of your taking and destroying our armadilla and
other ships at Panama, about six weeks after that engagement, by two
several barks which arrived here from thence; but they could not inform us
whether you designed to come any farther to the southward, but rather
desired we would send them speedily all the help by sea that we possibly
could; hereupon we sent the rumour of your being in these seas to Lima,
desiring they would expedite what succour they could send to join with
ours. We had at that time in our harbour two or three great ships, but all
of them very unfit to sail; for this reason, at Lima, the Viceroy of Peru
pressed three large merchant-ships, into the biggest of which he put
fourteen brass guns, into the second ten, and in the other six. Unto these
he added two barks, and put 750 men on board them all. Of this number of
men they landed eight score at Point St. Helen, all the rest being carried
down to Panama, with design to fight you there. Besides these forces two
other men-of-war, bigger than the afore-mentioned, are still lying at
Lima, and fitting out with all speed to follow and pursue you. One of
these men-of-war is equipped with thirty-six brass guns, and the other
with thirty; these ships, besides their complement of
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