bargained for freedom for one thousand pieces, and a few days later, the money having been paid, he was set at liberty, though, as Esquemeling tells us, ‘so horribly maimed in body that ’tis scarce to be believed he survived many weeks after.’ “But even these fearful and disgusting torments were mild as compared to some that Morgan inflicted on the men and women in his mad lust to wring their riches from them. Dozens were crucified, others were staked out by pointed sticks driven through them into the earth; others were bound with their feet in fires, others roasted alive. For five long, awful weeks they continued their unspeakable atrocities until, finding further efforts useless, and fearing that his retreat to sea would be cut off, Morgan left the stricken town, carrying a number of prisoners for hostages. “At Maracaibo they learned that Spanish warships had arrived and that three armed vessels were blockading the harbor mouth. The largest of these carried forty guns, the second thirty and the smallest twenty-four. That the buccaneers, with no heavy guns and with only small vessels, could escape seemed impossible, but Morgan once more showed himself the resourceful commander and sent a Spanish prisoner to the Admiral in command of the ships demanding a free passage to sea as well as a ransom if Maracaibo was not to be burned. To this the Admiral replied contemptuously, telling Morgan that, provided he would surrender all the plunder and prisoners he had taken, he would allow him and his men to depart, but otherwise would totally destroy them and give no quarter. This letter Morgan read aloud to his men, asking them whether they preferred to fight or lose their plunder. The reply was unanimously that they had rather fight till their last drop of blood rather than abandon what they had won. Then one of the men suggested that they fit up a fire ship, disguise her by logs of wood dressed as men on deck and with dummy cannon at the ports, and let her drift down on the Spanish vessels. Although all approved the idea, still Morgan decided to try guile and diplomacy—with a deal of bluff—before resorting to strenuous measures. Consequently he dispatched another messenger to the Admiral, offering to quit Maracaibo without firing it or exacting ransom, and agreeing to liberate all the prisoners if he and his men were allowed to pass. But the doughty old Spanish commander would have none of this and replied that unless Morgan surrendered according to the original terms within two days he would come and take him.