to the intercepting of ships on their passage, and to the plundering of them on the high seas. It is true, they had occasionally visited the Spanish settlements in times of peculiar distress, but it was only to obtain provisions; and in such expeditions they took with them nothing but the necessaries of life, to satisfy the calls of hunger, and to supply their immediate wants. But the conduct of these pirates now assumed a different appearance; the public roads were as much infested on shore as the frequented latitudes had been on the public seas; and the Spaniards, who had been driven from the water, durst hardly appear on the land.

A new race of adventurers now started into existence, and new associations were formed. The wars of Europe had given countenance to these freebooters, and they obtained licences from their respective courts to act with vigour against Spain. The heroes who signalized themselves in this new species of adventurous excursion, the feats of valour which they performed, and the amazing booty which they obtained, it would be rather too remote from the design of this work to give in detail. The seas swarmed with pirates, and the land was infested with their crews. Michael de Basco, whose name has been already introduced, distinguished himself by taking a Spanish ship of war even under the cannon of Porto Bello, the cargo of which was estimated at no less than two hundred eighteen thousand five hundred pounds, which De Basco safely conducted to Tortuga. In this port he was met and joined by one Montbar, a desperado of France, who had made himself the terror of the Spaniards by his daring exploits, and had obtained from them. the name of the Exterminator.

These heroes of the sword, who were as much idolized by the Buccaniers, as they were dreaded and detested by the Spaniards, having published among their associates that they were about to embark in an enterprise which was at once both daring and glorious, soon obtained a strong party, to the number of four hundred and forty. These men, equally athirst for gold and honour, were equipped for the expedition, and exhibited the most formidable force that the Buccaniers had hitherto collected. They sailed from Tortuga, and entered the bay of Venezula,* which runs up into the country about fifty leagues. Their object was plunder. The entrance into the bay was guarded by a fort which was defended by 250 men.

This

* Venezula lies on the continent of South America, in about 10° north latitude, and about 71° 30% west of London

fort they carried by storm; they then spiked the cannon, and put every person to the sword. From thence they proceeded to a city about ten leagues distant, which was both rich and flourishing; but the inhabitants, having had timely notice of their approaches, had abandoned their habitations, and taken with them their most valuable articles. The invaders, regardless of the immense booty which they were pursuing, took a temporary possession of the city, and spent a fortnight in riot and debauch. Awaking, however, at last from their lethargy, they began to prosecute their pursuit; but the moment was past. They were annoyed in their progress by batteries which the Spaniards had newly erected, and which they had the honour of attacking and demolishing, without finding any thing remarkably valuable to reward them for their toil.

Exasperated at this expensive disappointment, and finding no better prospect to encourage them to persevere, in a fit of frantic rage they set fire to a town named Gibraltar at the extremity of their journey, and consumed it to ashes. From Gibraltar they returned to Maracaybo, the town which had detained them in debauchery; and resolving to indulge their vengeance, if they could not gratify their avarice, they were about to consume it also with fire. But the inhabitants prevented the catastrophe by paying for its preservation an exorbitant ransom. To this sum, which the Buccaniers had received for the ransom of the city, they added the plunder which either houses or churches afforded them. The crosses, the bells, the pictures and other valuables, which enriched the religious edifices, were taken away as the spoils of war, put on board their vessels, and conducted to Tortuga. That the articles which they had taken from the churches were of a sacred nature, they were ready to admit, agreeably to their own superstitious notions; and they were satisfied that it would be sacrilegious to apply them to uses which were deemed profane. To satisfy all scruples which might arise from these considerations, their declarations were, that they intended building a chapel in the island of Tortuga, which was to be embellished with the sacred part of these spoils. "Such (observes Raynal) was the religion of these barbarians, that they could make no other offering to Heaven than that which arose from their robberies and plunder."

While this expedition to Venezula, and others of a similar nature, were carrying on by the French Buccaniers, our own countrymen were not inactive. Morgan, a British Buccanier, who had signalized himself in many desperate engagements, and immortalized his name by his daring exploits, had fixed his place of rendezvous at Jamaica. This commander, collecting his forces, set sail with a design to attack Porto Bello, and

to plunder it of its wealth. His plan of operation was well contrived, and conducted at once with secrecy and dispatch. He immediately proceeded to the port of his destination, and took the city by surprise. But the fort, which lay contiguous, was not so easily subdued. Morgan, to avoid the effusion of blood, and to secure his booty without opposition, had recourse to stratagem, which frequently succeeds better than open violence. Being well acquainted with the gallantry and superstition of the Spaniards, he availed himself of all the advantages which these two circumstances afforded him, and impressed both the ladies and the priests of Porto Bello in his service. He obliged these to fix the ladders by which he intended to scale the walls of the fort, from a full conviction that they would not discharge their artillery upon the objects of their love and affection. But in this he was much deceived. The Spaniards penetrated his artifices, and disconcerted his measures. Morgan was obliged to storm the fort, and attempt by violence what he could not accomplish by fraud. This, after a severe contest, he at length effected, and carried off an immense booty at an exorbitant price of blood. His riches were immediately conducted to Jamaica, in which place prodigality and profusion rioted at large, till poverty compelled him again to have recourse to similar exploits.

Stimulated by the successes which had rewarded his valour at Porto Bello, and urged by those necessities which follow excessive profusion, Morgan proposed to himself a new objectno less than the conquest of Panama, a place of considerable strength and immense riches. To procure guides to conduct his armament thither, he was compelled to attack an island, "which (as Raynal observes) was so strongly fortified, that it ought to have held out ten years against a considerable army.'

The name of the Buccaniers had, however, so far intimidated the governor, that on the first approach of Morgan, he dispatched a messenger privately, to desire him to concert measures for the surrender of the place as well as himself, without exposing him either to the imputation of cowardice, or the reproaches of his country. This affair was soon adjusted to the satisfaction of both parties. It was agreed between them, that Morgan should attack a fort which lay at some distance, in the dead of the night; and that while a violent cannonade was kept up, the governor should sally forth from the citadel to assist a place which was deemed of the utmost consequence. In the mean while Morgan was to attack him in the rear, discomfit his forces, and take him prisoner; and this was to be followed by the surrender of the place. During the process of this iniquitous transaction, a heavy fire was to be constantly kept up

on both sides, without doing any mischief to either. It was to be a war consisting of noise, and fire, and smoke, but in which blood, and wounds, and death, were to have no part. Both parties conducted this farce with singular address, and both commanders acted in character. Morgan wanted booty, and he obtained it; the governor was an arrant coward, and his conduct proved it.

Morgan, having taken possession of the forts and citadel, demolished all the fortifications, and seizing an immense quantity of warlike stores, which he put on board, proceeded onward on his expedition. In his passage he was obliged to attack another fort, which was defended by an officer of a very different character. At this place a real conflict ensued. It was assailed with courage, and defended with bravery; victory seemed for a long time doubtful, and the assailants were on the eve of raising the siege; when nearly at the same time the fort took fire, and its brave defender was killed. These circumstances decided the fate of the garrison and the fate of Panama.

In his progress he met a considerable body of troops who made scarcely any resistance: he therefore entered the city with the utmost ease, as it had been abandoned by its inhabitants on the approach of Morgan. In Panama and its environs, an inconceivable quantity of riches was discovered. Every place of concealment was made a depository of treasure. The wells teemed with wealth; and the caves, which had been unfrequented, abounded in gold. The boats, which had been negligently abandoned at low water, were made the receptacles of the most valuable articles. The forests, to which the inhabitants had retired, concealed a considerable portion of their riches; but all yielded their stores to these daring invaders.*

On the conduct of Morgan toward the Spaniards on this occasion, historians considerably differ. By some he has been represented as courageous, brave, enterprising, and humane; but by others he has been held up to the hatred and detestation of mankind.

Raynal, among others, says on this occasion, "that the party of Buccaniers who were making excursions into the country, not content with the booty they discovered, exercised the most shocking tortures on the Spaniards, negroes, and Indians, whom they met with, to oblige them to discover where they had secreted their own or their masters' riches. A beggar accidentally going into a castle, that had been deserted through fear, found some apparel, which he put on. He had scarcely dressed himself in this manner, when he was perceived by these pirates, who demanded of him where his gold was. The unfortunate wretch showed them the ragged clothes he had just thrown off. He was nevertheless instantly tortured; but as he made no discovery, he was given up to some slaves who put an end to his life. Thus (continues Raynal) the treasures which the Spaniards had acquired in the New World by massacres and tortures, were restored again in the same manner."

To the wealth which they had thus acquired, they added a vast number of prisoners, who were afterwards ransomed with

Mr. Bryan Edwards, dissenting from this opinion, apologizes for Morgan in the following manner: "The favour extended by the king to Henry Morgan, the most celebrated of the English Buccaniers (a man indeed of an elevated mind and invincible courage) arose, doubtless, in a great measure from the good understanding [i. e. from the king's having a share in the booty] that prevailed between them in the copartnership that I have mentioned. When the earl of Carlisle returned from Jamaica, Morgan was appointed deputy governor and lieutenant-general in his absence; and proceeding himself at a subsequent period to England, he was received very graciously, and had the honour of knighthood conferred on him by his sovereign. I hope therefore, and indeed have very good reason to believe, that all or most of the heavy accusations which have been brought against this gallant commander, of outrageous cruelty towards his Spanish captives, had no foundation in truth."

What Mr. Edwards's good reasons are, he has not told us, and therefore we may plead a powerful excuse for not entering into his convictions. That the king received him graciously, and conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, will be readily admitted in point of fact; yet the history of mankind will assure us, that honour and humanity are not always inseparable companions. But especially, if we admit that Charles II. " continued to receive a share of the booty (as Edwards expresses it) even after he had publicly issued orders for the suppression of this species of hostility," we cannot avoid concluding, that he had not learned justice, if he discountenanced inhumanity. Mr. Brown, in his History of Jamaica, when speaking of the Buccaniers, has the following note, which peculiarly applies to Morgan, in whose favour Mr. Edwards appears to apologize. Morgan was a native of Wales, and the son of a farmer. He was transported to Barbadoes in the quality of a servant, from whence (after the expiration of his time) he went to Jamaica, and joined the pirates, among whom he was soon distinguished for his superior courage and daring resolution, and in consequence was soon after elected a leader; in which situation he had always behaved with great intrepidity, and was as constantly attended with success. He brought no less than 250,000 pieces of eight from Porto Bello, and as much from Maracaybo and Gibraltar, besides jewels, plate, and slaves to a considerable value. By his expedition to Panama it is computed that he got 400,000 pieces of eight to his own share, and about 200 more for each of his party, at that time near 1200 in number.

"He left off his courses immediately after this, and became a sober settler and great promoter of industry; he was both an excellent citizen, an happy planter, and in course of time was admitted one of the council, and afterwards knighted, and appointed lieutenant-governor; in which station he be haved with great applause from 1680 to 1682. But when the peace was concluded with the king of Spain, that monarch insisted on his being punished for his former depredations. He was accordingly sent for, and committed to the Tower in 1683-4; where he continued without trial or hearing for three years; at which he could hardly fail of clearing his own character, as he had always acted under commission from the governor of Jamaica, while he continued in that active state of life. But indeed such barbarities as were frequently committed on these occasions, were not to be authorised or countenanced by any christian power, nor committed by any but such as looked upon themselves as lawless people." Brown's History of Jamaica, p. 4.

Upon the whole, when we consider the occupation of these Buccaniers, the dangers to which they were exposed, the difficulties which they had to surmount, in their pursuit of gold, we must pay a compliment to human nature