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
A little while after they came in sight of the highest steeple in Panama;
and one can imagine their satisfaction. All their trumpets were sounded,
and drums beat. Then they pitched their camp for that night; the whole
army waiting with impatience for the morning, when they intended to attack
the city. During the evening fifty horse appeared, who came out of the
city on the noise of the drums and trumpets, to observe the enemy’s
position, and came almost within musket-shot of the army. Those on
horseback hallooed to the pirates, and threatened them, saying, “Perros!
nos veremos!”—that is, “Ye dogs! we shall meet ye!” They then returned to
the city, except only seven or eight horsemen, who hovered about to watch
the pirates. “Immediately after the city fired, and ceased not to play
their biggest guns all night long against the camp, but with little or no
harm to the pirates, whom they could not easily reach. Now also the 200
Spaniards, whom the pirates had seen in the afternoon, appeared again,
making a show of blocking up the passages, that no pirates might escape
their hands. But the pirates, though in a manner besieged, instead of
fearing their blockades, as soon as they had placed sentinels about their
camp, opened their satchels, and, without any napkins or plates, fell to
eating very heartily the pieces of bulls’ and horses’ flesh which they had
reserved since noon. This done they laid themselves down to sleep on the
grass, with great repose and satisfaction, expecting only with impatience
the dawning of the next day.
“The tenth day, betimes in the morning, they put all their men in order,
and, with drums and trumpets sounding, marched directly towards the city;
but one of the guides directed Captain Morgan not to take the common
highway, lest they should find in it many ambuscades. He took his advice,
and chose another way through the wood, though very irksome and difficult.
The Spaniards, perceiving the pirates had taken another way they scarce
had thought of, were compelled to leave their barricades and batteries,
and come out to meet them. The Governor of Panama put his forces in order,
consisting of two squadrons, four regiments of foot, and a large number of
wild bulls, which were driven by a large number of Indians, with some
negroes and others to help them.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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