The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3Whymper, Frederick
History
The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 3
Whymper, Frederick
Adventure and adventurers; Arctic regions; Ocean; Voyages around the world
“Lolonois retired suddenly with all his men, making show as if he fled,
whereupon the Spaniards, crying out, ‘They flee, they flee! let us follow
them!’ sallied out with great disorder to the pursuit. Being drawn to some
distance from the batteries, which was the pirates’ only design, they
turned upon them unexpectedly, sword in hand, and killed above 200 men,
and thus fighting their way through those who remained, they possessed
themselves of the batteries. The Spaniards that remained abroad, giving
themselves over for lost, fled to the woods; those in the battery of eight
guns surrendered themselves, obtaining quarter for their lives. The
pirates being now become masters of the town, pulled down the Spanish
colours and set up their own, taking prisoners as many as they could find.
These they carried to the great church, where they raised a battery of
several great guns, fearing lest the Spaniards that were fled should rally
and come upon them again; but next day, being all fortified, their fears
were over. They gathered the dead to bury them, being above 500 Spaniards,
besides the wounded in the town and those who died of their wound in the
woods. The pirates had also above 150 prisoners and nigh 500 slaves, many
women and children.”
Of their own companions only forty were killed and about eighty wounded,
of whom, however, the greater part died through the pestilential air of
the place. They put the slain Spaniards into two great boats, and towing
them a quarter of a league to sea, they sunk the boats. This done, they
gathered all the plate, valuables generally, and merchandise they could,
or thought convenient to carry away. “The Spaniards who had anything left
had hid it carefully; but the unsatisfied pirates, not content with the
riches they had got, sought for more goods and merchandise, not sparing
those who lived in the fields, such as hunters and planters. They had
scarce been eighteen days on the place when the greater part of the
prisoners died of hunger; for in the town there were few provisions,
especially of flesh, though they had some, but no sufficient quantity of
flour, and this the pirates had taken for themselves, as they also took
the swine, cows, and poultry, without allowing any share to the poor
prisoners; for these they only provided some small quantity of mule’s and
ass’s flesh; and many who could not eat of that loathsome provision died
of hunger, their stomachs not being accustomed to such sustenance. Only
some women were allowed better cheer, but not for the best reasons.” Of
the prisoners, many also died under the tortures sustained to make them
give up their money or jewels; many died, accordingly, who possessed
neither, or would not admit the facts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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