Captain Morgan goes to Hispaniola to equip a new fleet, with
intent to pillage again on the coast of the West Indies.
Captain Morgan perceived now that Fortune favoured him, by giving
success to all his enterprises, which occasioned him, as is usual in
human affairs, to aspire to greater things, trusting she would always
be constant to him.
Such was the burning of Panama, wherein Fortune failed not to assist
him, as she had done before, though she had led him thereto through a
thousand difficulties. The history hereof I shall now relate, being so
remarkable in all its circumstances, as peradventure nothing more
deserving memory will be read by future ages.
Captain Morgan arriving at Jamaica, found many of his officers and
soldiers reduced to their former indigency, by their vices and
debaucheries. Hence they perpetually importuned him for new exploits,
thereby to get something to expend still in wine and strumpets, as
they had already done what they got before.
Captain Morgan, willing to follow Fortune’s call, stopped the mouths
of many inhabitants of Jamaica, who were creditors to his men for
large sums, with the hopes and promises of greater achievements than
ever, by a new expedition. This done, he could easily levy men for any
enterprise, his name being so famous through all those islands as that
alone would readily bring him in more men than he could well employ.
He undertook therefore to equip a new fleet, for which he assigned the
south side of Tortuga as a place of rendezvous, writing letters to all
the expert pirates there inhabiting, as also to the governor, and to
the planters and hunters of Hispaniola, informing them of his
intentions, and desiring their appearance, if they intended to go with
him. These people upon this notice flocked to the place assigned, in
huge numbers, with ships, canoes, and boats, being desirous to follow
him. Many, who had not the convenience of coming by sea, traversed the
woods of Hispaniola, and with no small difficulties arrived there by
land. Thus all were present at the place assigned, and ready against
October 24, 1670.
Captain Morgan was not wanting to be there punctually, coming in his
ship to Port Couillon, over against the island De la Vaca, the place
assigned. Having gathered the greatest part of his fleet, he called a
council to deliberate about finding provisions for so many people.
Here they concluded to send four ships and one boat, with four hundred
men, to the continent, in order to rifle some country towns and
villages for all the corn or maize they could gather. They set sail
for the continent towards the river De la Hacha, designing to assault
the village called La Rancheria, usually best stored with maize of all
the parts thereabouts. Meanwhile Captain Morgan sent another party to
hunt in the woods, who killed a huge number of beasts, and salted
them: the rest remained in the ships, to clean, fit, and rig them,
that, at the return of their fellows, all things might be in a
readiness to weigh anchor and follow their designs.