The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish MainExquemelin, A. O. (Alexandre Olivier)
History
The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish Main
Exquemelin, A. O. (Alexandre Olivier)
Buccaneers; Pirates; Spanish Main; West Indies -- History
Next day, when the march began, those lamentable cries and shrieks were
renewed, so as it would have caused compassion in the hardest heart: but
Captain Morgan, as a man little given to mercy, was not moved in the
least. They marched in the same order as before, one party of the
pirates in the van, the prisoners in the middle, and the rest of the
pirates in the rear; by whom the miserable Spaniards were at every step
punched and thrust in their backs and sides, with the blunt ends of
their arms, to make them march faster.
A beautiful lady, wife to one of the richest merchants of Tavoga, was
led prisoner by herself, between two pirates. Her lamentations pierced
the skies, seeing herself carried away into captivity often crying to
the pirates, and telling them, "That she had given orders to two
religious persons, in whom she had relied, to go to a certain place, and
fetch so much money as her ransom did amount to; that they had promised
faithfully to do it, but having obtained the money, instead of bringing
it to her, they had employed it another way, to ransom some of their
own, and particular friends." This ill action of theirs was discovered
by a slave, who brought a letter to the said lady. Her complaints, and
the cause thereof, being brought to Captain Morgan, he thought fit to
inquire thereinto. Having found it to be true--especially hearing it
confirmed by the confession of the said religious men, though under some
frivolous exercises of having diverted the money but for a day or two,
in which time they expected more sums to repay it--he gave liberty to
the said lady, whom otherwise he designed to transport to Jamaica. But
he detained the said religious men as prisoners in her place, using them
according to their deserts.
Captain Morgan arriving at the town called Cruz, on the banks of the
river Chagre, he published an order among the prisoners, that within
three days every one should bring in their ransom, under the penalty of
being transported to Jamaica. Meanwhile he gave orders for so much rice
and maize to be collected thereabouts, as was necessary for victualling
his ships. Here some of the prisoners were ransomed, but many others
could not bring in their money. Hereupon he continued his voyage,
leaving the village on the 5th of March following, carrying with him all
the spoil he could. Hence he likewise led away some new prisoners,
inhabitants there, with those in Panama, who had not paid their
ransoms. But the two religious men, who had diverted the lady's money,
were ransomed three days after by other persons, who had more compassion
for them than they had showed for her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Pirates of Panama: or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish Main — John Shaqi
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