“The next matter to attend to was the agreement as to compensation for death or accidents, and the trip was considered so hazardous that the amounts to be paid were double the usual sums. Then the fleet set sail for Old Providence or, as the buccaneers called it, St. Catherine, for in order to be sure that his retreat was not cut off, Morgan realized he must destroy this heavily fortified spot and leave a garrison of his own in charge. Moreover, he knew that outlaws and brigands were imprisoned there, and that these men, if released, would join his forces and would be invaluable as guides in crossing the Isthmus of Panama. “On the 29th of December, 1670, they reached St. Catherine, which Morgan expected to take easily. However, since his former attack under Mansvelt, the Dons had greatly strengthened the forts. Landing about one thousand men, Morgan attempted to take the place by land, but the Spaniards kept up a galling fire, the buccaneers were without provisions—as they had expected to live off their enemies—and at night a pouring rain came on, drenching the buccaneers to the skin. At this time, so tired, hungry and miserable were the men that, had the Dons but known it, they could easily have wiped out the buccaneers with a force of less than one hundred men, and no doubt had they done so Panama would have been saved. The rain continued incessantly the next day and the buccaneers were able to do nothing. So starved and desperate were they that when an old horse was discovered in a field they instantly killed it and fought over it like wolves, devouring even the offal. By this time the men began to grumble, and even suggested giving up and became mutinous. Morgan, seeing that unless something was done at once his expedition would be a failure, resorted to his old game of bluff, and sent a canoe with a flag of truce to the Governor, demanding the surrender of the island and threatening to give no quarter unless it was done at once. So terrified were the Dons that the Governor merely asked two hours to consider and at the end of that time sent to Morgan and offered to deliver the place provided Morgan would agree to carry out a deception by which it would appear that the Governor was overpowered.