about this time of the 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 combustible matter, which forced them to
desist. Captain Morgan seeing this desperate 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 himself in that strait. Being thus puzzled, he was suddenly
animated to continue the assault, by seeing the English colors put forth
at one of the lesser castles, then entered by his men; of whom he
presently after 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 utmost
force, on seeing the religious women and ecclesiastical persons exposed
in the front of the soldiers to the greatest danger. Thus the ladders,
as I have said, were at once 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 of this design; for the governor, who acted
like a brave soldier in performance of his duty, used his utmost
endeavor to destroy whomsoever 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 own 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 their
number, the pirates mounted them in great numbers, and with reckless
valor, having fire-balls in their hands, and earthen pots full of
powder; which, being now at the top of the walls, they kindled and cast
down among the Spaniards.
This effort of the pirates was very great, insomuch that the Spaniards
could not 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 of the city would crave no mercy, but killed
many of the pirates with his own hands, and not a few of his own
soldiers; because they did not stand to their arms. And though the
pirates asked him if he would have quarter; yet he constantly answered,
"By no means, I had rather die as a valiant soldier, than be hanged as a
coward." They endeavored 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.
When the pirates had possessed themselves of the castle, which was about
nightfall, they enclosed therein all the prisoners, placing the women
and men by themselves, with some guards. The wounded were put in an
apartment by themselves, that their own complaints might be the cure of
their diseases; for no other was afforded them.
This done, they fell to eating and drinking, and as usual, to committing
all manner of debauchery and excess, so that fifty courageous men might
easily have retaken the city, and killed all the pirates. Next day,
having plundered all they could find, they examined some of the
prisoners (who had been persuaded by their companions to say they were
the richest of the town), charging them severely to discover where they
had hid their riches and goods. Not being able to extort anything from
them, they not being the right persons, it was resolved to torture them:
this they did so cruelly, that many of them died on the rack, or
presently after. Now the president of Panama being advertised of the
pillage and ruin of Puerto Bello, he employed all his care and industry
to raise forces to pursue and cast out the pirates thence; but these
cared little for his preparations, having their ships at hand, and
determining to fire the city, and retreat. They had now been at Puerto
Bello fifteen days, in which time they had lost many of their men, both
by the unhealthiness of the country, and their extravagant debaucheries.
Hereupon, they prepared to depart, carrying on board all the pillage
they had got, having first provided the fleet with sufficient victuals
for the voyage. While these things were doing Captain Morgan demanded of
the prisoners a ransom for the city, or else he would burn it down, and
blow up all the castles; withal, he commanded them to send speedily two
persons, to procure the sum, which was 100,000 pieces-of-eight. To this
effect two men were sent to the president of Panama, who gave him an
account of all. The president, having now a body of men ready, set forth
towards Puerto Bello, to encounter the pirates before their retreat;
but, they, hearing of his coming, instead of flying away, went out to
meet him at a narrow passage, which he must pass: here they placed a
hundred men, very well armed, which at the first encounter put to flight
a good party of those of Panama. This obliged the president to retire
for that time, not being yet in a posture of strength to proceed
farther. Presently after, he sent a message to Captain Morgan, to tell
him, "that if he departed not suddenly with all his forces from Puerto
Bello, he ought to expect no quarter for himself, nor his companions,
when he should take them, as he hoped soon to do." Captain Morgan, who
feared not his threats, knowing he had a secure retreat in his ships,
which were at hand, answered, "he would not deliver the castles, before
he had received the contribution-money he had demanded; which if it were
not paid down, he would certainly burn the whole city, and then leave
it, demolishing beforehand the castles, and killing the prisoners."
The governor of Panama perceived by this answer that no means would
serve to mollify the hearts of the pirates, nor reduce them to reason:
whereupon, he determined to leave the inhabitants of the city to make
the best agreement they could. In a few days more the miserable citizens
gathered the contributions required, and brought 100,000 pieces-of-eight
to the pirates for their ransom. The president of Panama was much amazed
that four hundred men could take such a great city, with so many strong
castles, especially having no ordnance, wherewith to raise batteries,
and, knowing the citizens of Puerto Bello had always great repute of
being good soldiers themselves, who never wanted courage in their own
defence. His astonishment was so great, that he sent to Captain Morgan,
desiring some small pattern of those arms wherewith he had taken with
such vigor so great a city. Captain Morgan received this messenger very
kindly, and with great civility; and gave him a pistol, and a few small
bullets, to carry back to the president his master; telling him, withal,
"he desired him to accept that slender pattern of the arms wherewith he
had taken Puerto Bello, and keep them for a twelvemonth; after which
time he promised to come to Panama, and fetch them away."[9] The
governor returned the present very soon to Captain Morgan, giving him
thanks for the favor of lending him such weapons as he needed not; and,
withal, sent him a ring of gold, with this message, "that he desired him
not to give himself the labor of coming to Panama, as he had done to
Puerto Bello: for he did assure him, he should not speed so well here,
as he had done there."
After this, Captain Morgan (having provided his fleet with all
necessaries, and taken with him the best guns of the castles, nailing up
the rest) set sail from Puerto Bello with all his ships, and arriving in
a few days at Cuba, he sought out a place wherein he might quickly make
the dividend of their spoil. They found in ready money 250,000
pieces-of-eight, besides other merchandise; as cloth, linen, silks, etc.
With this rich purchase they sailed thence to their common place of
rendezvous, Jamaica. Being arrived, they passed here some time in all
sorts of vices and debaucheries, according to their custom; spending
very prodigally what others had gained with no small labor and toil.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] From _The Buccaneers of America_.
[9] This promise was kept. See The Capture of Panama (footnote).
THE WAYS OF THE BUCCANEERS[10]
JOHN MASEFIELD after JOHN ESQUEMELING
Throughout the years of buccaneering, the buccaneers often put to sea in
canoas and periaguas, just as Drake put to sea in his three pinnaces.
Life in an open boat is far from pleasant, but men who passed their
leisure cutting logwood at Campeachy, or hoeing tobacco in Jamaica, or
toiling over gramma grass under a hot sun after cattle, were not
disposed to make the worst of things. They would sit contentedly upon
the oar bench, rowing with a long, slow stroke for hours together
without showing signs of fatigue. Nearly all of them were men of more
than ordinary strength, and all of them were well accustomed to the
climate. When they had rowed their canoa to the Main they were able to
take it easy till a ship came by from one of the Spanish ports. If she
seemed a reasonable prey, without too many guns, and not too high
charged, or high built, the privateers would load their muskets, and row
down to engage her. The best shots were sent into the bows, and excused
from rowing, lest the exercise should cause their hands to tremble. A
clever man was put to the steering oar, and the musketeers were bidden
to sing out whenever the enemy yawed, so as to fire her guns. It was in
action, and in action only, that the captain had command over his men.
The steersman endeavored to keep the masts of the quarry in a line, and
to approach her from astern. The marksmen from the bows kept up a
continual fire at the vessel's helmsmen, if they could be seen, and at
any gun-ports which happened to be open. If the helmsmen could not be
seen from the sea, the canoas aimed to row in upon the vessel's
quarters, where they could wedge up the rudder with wooden chocks or
wedges. They then laid her aboard over the quarter, or by the after
chains, and carried her with their knives and pistols. The first man to
get aboard received some gift of money at the division of the spoil.
When the prize was taken, the prisoners were questioned, and despoiled.
Often, indeed, they were stripped stark naked, and granted the privilege
of seeing their finery on a pirate's back. Each buccaneer had the right
to take a shift of clothes out of each prize captured. The cargo was
then rummaged, and the state of the ship looked to, with an eye to using
her as a cruiser. As a rule, the prisoners were put ashore on the first
opportunity, but some buccaneers had a way of selling their captives
into slavery. If the ship were old, leaky, valueless, in ballast, or
with a cargo useless to the rovers, she was either robbed of her guns,
and turned adrift with her crew, or run ashore in some snug cove, where
she could be burnt for the sake of the iron-work. If the cargo were of
value, and, as a rule, the ships they took had some rich thing aboard
them, they sailed her to one of the Dutch, French or English
settlements, where they sold her freight for what they could get--some
tenth or twentieth of its value. If the ship were a good one, in good
condition, well found, swift, and not of too great draught (for they
preferred to sail in small ships), they took her for their cruiser as
soon as they had emptied out her freight. They sponged and loaded her
guns, brought their stores aboard her, laid their mats upon her deck,
secured the boats astern, and sailed away in search of other plunder.
They kept little discipline aboard their ships. What work had to be done
they did, but works of supererogation they despised and rejected as a
shade unholy. The night watches were partly orgies. While some slept,
the others fired guns and drank to the health of their fellows. By the
light of the binnacle, or by the light of the slush lamps in the cabin,
the rovers played a hand at cards, or diced each other at "seven and
eleven," using a pannikin as dice-box. While the gamblers cut and
shuffled, and the dice rattled in the tin, the musical sang songs, the
fiddlers set their music chuckling, and the seaboots stamped approval.
The cunning dancers showed their science in the moonlight, avoiding the
sleepers if they could. In this jolly fashion were the nights made
short. In the daytime, the gambling continued with little intermission;
nor had the captain any authority to stop it. One captain, in the
histories, was so bold as to throw the dice and cards overboard, but, as
a rule, the captain of a buccaneer cruiser was chosen as an artist, or
navigator, or as a lucky fighter. He was not expected to spoil sport.
The continual gambling nearly always led to fights and quarrels. The
lucky dicers often won so much that the unlucky had to part with all
their booty. Sometimes a few men would win all the plunder of the
cruise, much to the disgust of the majority, who clamored for a
redivision of the spoil. If two buccaneers got into a quarrel they
fought it out on shore at the first opportunity, using knives, swords,
or pistols, according to taste. The usual way of fighting was with
pistols, the combatants standing back to back, at a distance of ten or
twelve paces, and turning round to fire at the word of command. If both
shots missed, the question was decided with cutlasses, the man who drew
first blood being declared the winner. If a man were proved to be a
coward he was either tied to the mast, and shot, or mutilated, and sent
ashore. No cruise came to an end until the company declared themselves
satisfied with the amount of plunder taken. The question, like all other
important questions, was debated round the mast, and decided by vote.
At the conclusion of a successful cruise, they sailed for Port Royal,
with the ship full of treasure, such as vicuna wool, packets of pearls
from the Hatch, jars of civet or of ambergris, boxes of "marmalett" and
spices, casks of strong drink, bales of silk, sacks of chocolate and
vanilla, and rolls of green cloth and pale blue cotton which the Indians
had woven in Peru, in some sandy village near the sea, in sight of the
pelicans and the penguins. In addition to all these things, they usually
had a number of the personal possessions of those they had taken on the
seas. Lying in the chests for subsequent division were swords,
silver-mounted pistols, daggers chased and inlaid, watches from Spain,
necklaces of uncut jewels, rings and bangles, heavy carved furniture,
"cases of bottles" of delicately cut green glass, containing cordials
distilled of precious mints, with packets of emeralds from Brazil,
bezoar stones from Patagonia, paintings from Spain, and medicinal gums
from Nicaragua. All these things were divided by lot at the main-mast as
soon as the anchor held. As the ship, or ships, neared port, her men
hung colors out--any colors they could find--to make their vessel gay. A
cup of drink was taken as they sailed slowly home to moorings, and as
they drank they fired off the cannon, "bullets and all," again and yet
again, rejoicing as the bullets struck the water. Up in the bay, the
ships in the harbor answered with salutes of cannon; flags were dipped
and hoisted in salute; and so the anchor dropped in some safe reach, and
the division of the spoil began.
After the division of the spoil in the beautiful Port Royal harbor, in
sight of the palm-trees and the fort with the colors flying, the
buccaneers packed their gear, and dropped over the side into a boat.
They were pulled ashore by some grinning black man with a scarlet scarf
about his head and the brand of a hot iron on his shoulders. At the
jetty end, where the Indians lounged at their tobacco and the
fishermen's canoas rocked, the sunburnt pirates put ashore. Among the
noisy company which always gathers on a pier they met with their
companions. A sort of Roman triumph followed, as the "happily returned"
lounged swaggeringly towards the taverns. Eager hands helped them to
carry in their plunder. In a few minutes the gang was entering the
tavern, the long, cool room with barrels round the walls, where there
were benches and a table and an old blind fiddler jerking his elbow at a
jig. Noisily the party ranged about the table, and sat themselves upon
the benches, while the drawers, or potboys, in their shirts, drew near
to take the orders. I wonder if the reader has ever heard a sailor in
the like circumstance, five minutes after he has touched his pay,
address a company of parasites in an inn with the question: "What's it
going to be?"
FOOTNOTES:
[10] From _Buccaneer Customs on the Spanish Main_.
A TRUE ACCOUNT OF THREE NOTORIOUS PIRATES[11]
HOWARD PYLE, ED.
I
CAPTAIN TEACH _alias_ BLACK-BEARD
Edward Teach was a Bristol man born, but had sailed some time out of
Jamaica, in privateers, in the late French war; yet though he had often
distinguished himself for his uncommon boldness and personal courage, he
was never raised to any command, till he went a-pirating, which, I
think, was at the latter end of the year 1716, when Captain Benjamin
Hornygold put him into a sloop that he had made prize of, and with whom
he continued in consortship till a little while before Hornygold
surrendered.
In the spring of the year 1717 Teach and Hornygold sailed from
Providence, for the main of America, and took in their way a billop from
the Havana, with 120 barrels of flour, as also a sloop from Bermuda,
Thurbar master, from whom they took only some gallons of wine, and then
let him go; and a ship from Madeira to South Carolina, out of which they
got plunder to a considerable value.
After cleaning on the coast of Virginia, they returned to the West
Indies, and in the latitude of 24, made prize of a large French
Guineaman, bound to Martinico, which, by Hornygold's consent, Teach went
aboard of as captain, and took a cruise in her. Hornygold returned with
his sloop to Providence, where, at the arrival of Captain Rogers, the
governor, he surrendered to mercy, pursuant to the king's proclamation.
Aboard of this Guineaman Teach mounted forty guns, and named her the
_Queen Ann's Revenge_; and cruising near the island of St. Vincent, took
a large ship, called the _Great Allen_, Christopher Taylor, commander;
the pirates plundered her of what they thought fit, put all the men
ashore upon the island above mentioned, and set fire to the ship.
A few days after Teach fell in with the _Scarborough_, man-of-war, of
thirty guns, who engaged him for some hours; but she, finding the pirate
well-manned, and having tried her strength, gave over the engagement and
returned to Barbadoes, the place of her station, and Teach sailed
towards the Spanish America.
In this way he met with a pirate sloop of ten guns, commanded by one
Major Bonnet, lately a gentleman of good reputation and estate in the
island of Barbadoes, whom he joined; but in a few days after, Teach,
finding that Bonnet knew nothing of a maritime life, with the consent of
his own men, put in another captain, one Richards, to command Bonnet's
sloop, and took the Major on board his own ship, telling him, that as he
had not been used to the fatigues and care of such a post, it would be
better for him to decline it and live easy, at his pleasure, in such a
ship as his, where he would not be obliged to perform the necessary
duties of a sea-voyage.
At Turniff, ten leagues short of the Bay of Honduras, the pirates took
in fresh water, and while they were at anchor there, they saw a sloop
coming in, whereupon Richards, in the sloop called the _Revenge_,
slipped his cable and run out to meet her; who, upon seeing the black
flag hoisted, struck his sail and came to under the stern of Teach, the
commodore. She was called the _Adventure_, from Jamaica, David Harriot,
master. They took him and his men aboard the great ship, and sent a
number of other hands with Israel Hands, master of Teach's ship, to man
the sloop for the piratical account.
The 9th of April they weighed from Turniff, having lain there about a
week, and sailed to the bay, where they found a ship and four sloops;
three of the latter belonged to Jonathan Bernard, of Jamaica, and the
other to Captain James. The ship was of Boston, called the _Protestant
Caesar_, Captain Wyar, commander. Teach hoisted his black colors and
fired a gun, upon which Captain Wyar and all his men left their ship and
got ashore in their boat. Teach's quartermaster and eight of his crew
took possession of Wyar's ship, and Richards secured all the sloops, one
of which they burnt out of spite to the owner. The _Protestant Caesar_
they also burnt, after they had plundered her, because she belonged to
Boston, where some men had been hanged for piracy, and the three sloops
belonging to Bernard they let go.
From hence the rovers sailed to Turkill, and then to the Grand Caimanes,
a small island about thirty leagues to the westward of Jamaica, where
they took a small turtler, and so to the Havana, and from thence to the
Bahama Wrecks; and from the Bahama Wrecks they sailed to Carolina,
taking a brigantine and two sloops in their way, where they lay off the
bar of Charles Town for five or six days. They took here a ship as she
was coming out, bound for London, commanded by Robert Clark, with some
passengers on board for England. The next day they took another vessel
coming out of Charles Town, and also two pinks coming into Charles Town;
likewise a brigantine with fourteen negroes aboard; all of which, being
done in the face of the town, struck so great a terror to the whole
province of Carolina, having just before been visited by Vane, another
notorious pirate, that they abandoned themselves to despair, being in no
condition to resist their force. There were eight sail in the harbor,
ready for the sea, but none dared to venture out, it being almost
impossible to escape their hands. The inward bound vessels were under
the same unhappy dilemma, so that the trade of this place was totally
interrupted. What made these misfortunes heavier to them was a long,
expensive war the colony had had with the natives, which was but just
ended when these robbers infested them.
Teach detained all the ships and prisoners, and, being in want of
medicines, resolved to demand a chest from the government of the
province. Accordingly, Richards, the captain of the _Revenge_ sloop,
with two or three more pirates, were sent up along with Mr. Marks, one
of the prisoners whom they had taken in Clark's ship, and very
insolently made their demands, threatening that if they did not send
immediately the chest of medicines and let the pirate ambassadors
return, without offering any violence to their persons, they would
murder all their prisoners, send up their heads to the governor, and set
the ships they had taken on fire.
Whilst Mr. Marks was making application to the council, Richards and the
rest of the pirates walked the streets publicly in the sight of all
people, who were fired with the utmost indignation, looking upon them as
robbers and murderers, and particularly the authors of their wrongs and
oppressions, but durst not so much as think of executing their revenge
for fear of bringing more calamities upon themselves, and so they were
forced to let the villains pass with impunity. The government was not
long in deliberating upon the message, though it was the greatest
affront that could have been put upon them, yet, for the saving so many
men's lives (among them Mr. Samuel Wragg, one of the council), they
complied with the necessity and sent aboard a chest, valued at between
three and four hundred pounds, and the pirates went back safe to their
ships.
Black-beard (for so Teach was generally called, as we shall hereafter
show), as soon as he had received the medicines and his brother rogues,
let go the ships and the prisoners, having first taken out of them in
gold and silver about L1,500 sterling, besides provisions and other
matters.