History of the Buccaneers of America Part 10

The 13th, Davis and Swan with their prizes sailed from the _Bay of Guayaquil_ to the Island _Plata_, and found there the bark which had been in quest of Eaton's ship.

From _Plata_, they sailed Northward towards the _Bay of Panama_, landing at the villages along the coast to seek provisions. They were ill provided with boats, which exposed them to danger in making descents, by their not being able to land or bring off many men at one time; and they judged that the best places for getting their wants in this respect supplied would be in rivers of the Continent, in which the Spaniards had no settlement, where from the native inhabitants they might obtain canoes by traffic or purchase, if not otherwise. Dampier remarks that there were many such unfrequented rivers in the Continent to the Northward of the _Isle de la Plata_; and that from the Equinoctial to the _Gulf de San Miguel_ in the _Bay of Panama_, which is above eight degrees of lat.i.tude, the coast was not inhabited by the Spaniards, nor were the Indians who lived there in any manner under their subjection, except at one part near the Island _Gallo_, 'where on the banks of a Gold River or two, some Spaniards had settled to find gold.'

[Sidenote: The Land Northward of Cape San Francisco. The Cotton Tree and Cabbage Tree.] The land by the sea-coast to the North of _Cape San Francisco_ is low and extremely woody; the trees are of extraordinary height and bigness; and in this part of the coast are large and navigable rivers. The white cotton-tree, which bears a very fine sort of cotton, called silk cotton, is the largest tree in these woods; and the cabbage-tree is the tallest. Dampier has given full descriptions of both.

He measured a cabbage-tree 120 feet in length, and some were longer. 'It has no limbs nor boughs except at the head, where there are branches something bigger than a man's arm. The cabbage-fruit shoots out in the midst of these branches, invested or folded in leaves; and is as big as the small of a man's leg, and a foot long. It is white as milk, and sweet as a nut if eaten raw, and is very sweet and wholesome if boiled.'

[Sidenote: River of St. Jago.] The Buccaneers entered a river with their boats, in or near lat.i.tude 2 N, which Dampier, from some Spanish pilot-book, calls the _River of St. Jago_. It was navigable some leagues within the entrance, and seems to be the river marked with the name _Patia_ in the late Spanish charts, a name which has allusion to spreading branches.

Davis's men went six leagues up the river without seeing habitation or people. They then came in sight of two small huts, the inhabitants of which hurried into canoes with their household-stuff, and paddled upwards against the stream faster than they could be pursued. More houses were seen higher up; but the stream ran here so swift, that the Buccaneers would not be at the labour of proceeding. [Sidenote: Island Gallo.] They found in the two deserted huts, a hog, some fowls and plantains, which they dressed on the spot, and after their meal returned to the ships, which were at the _Island Gallo_.

'The Island _Gallo_ is clothed with timber, and here was a spring of good water at the NE end, with good landing in a small sandy bay, and secure riding in six or seven fathoms depth[50].'

[Sidenote: River Tomaco.] They entered with their boats another large river, called the _Tomaco_, the entrance of which is but three leagues from the _Island Gallo_. This river was shoal at the mouth, and navigable for small vessels only. A little within, was a village called _Tomaco_, some of the inhabitants of which they took prisoners, and carried off a dozen jars of good wine.

[Sidenote: 1685. January.] On the 1st of January, they took a packet-boat bound for _Lima_, which the President of _Panama_ had dispatched to hasten the sailing of the Plate Fleet from _Callao_; the treasure sent from _Peru_ and _Chili_ to _Old Spain_ being usually first collected at _Panama_, and thence transported on mules to _Portobello_. The Buccaneers judged that the _Pearl Islands_ in the _Bay of Panama_ would be the best station they could occupy for intercepting ships from _Lima_.

On the 7th, they left _Gallo_, and pursued their course Northward. An example occurs here of Buccaneer order and discipline. 'We weighed,' says Dampier, 'before day, and all got out of the road except Captain Swan's tender, which never budged; for the men were all asleep when we went out, and the tide of flood coming on before they awoke, we were forced to stay for them till the following tide.'

[Sidenote: Island Gorgona.] On the 8th, they took a vessel laden with flour. The next day they anch.o.r.ed on the West side of the _Island Gorgona_, in 38 fathoms depth clear ground, a quarter of a mile from the sh.o.r.e. _Gorgona_ was uninhabited; and like _Gallo_ covered with trees. It is pretty high, and remarkable by two saddles, or risings and fallings on the top. It is about two leagues long, one broad, and is four leagues distant from the mainland. It was well watered at this time with small brooks issuing from the high land. At its West end is another small Island. The tide rises and falls seven or eight feet; and at low water sh.e.l.l-fish, as periwinkles, muscles, and oysters, may be taken. At _Gorgona_ were small black monkeys. 'When the tide was out, the monkeys would come down to the sea-sh.o.r.e for sh.e.l.l-fish. Their way was to take up an oyster and lay it upon a stone, and with another stone to keep beating of it till they broke the sh.e.l.l[51].' [Sidenote: Pearl Oysters.] The pearl oyster was here in great plenty: they are flatter than other oysters, are slimy, and taste copperish if eaten raw, but were thought good when boiled. The Indians and Spaniards hang the meat of them on strings to dry.

'The pearl is found at the head of the oyster, between the meat and the sh.e.l.l. Some have 20 or 30 small seed-pearl, some none at all, and some one or two pretty large pearls. The inside of the sh.e.l.l is more glorious than the pearl itself[52].'

[Sidenote: Bay of Panama. Galera Isle.] They put some of their prisoners on sh.o.r.e at _Gorgona_, and sailed thence on the 13th, being six sail in company; that is to say, Davis's ship, Swan's ship, three tenders, and their last prize. The 21st, they arrived in the _Bay of Panama_, and anch.o.r.ed at a small low and barren Island named _Galera_.

On the 25th, they went from _Galera_ to one of the Southern _Pearl Islands_, where they lay the ships aground to clean, the rise and fall of the sea at the spring tides being ten feet perpendicular. The small barks were kept out cruising, and on the 31st, they brought in a vessel bound for _Panama_ from _Lavelia_, a town on the West side of the _Bay_, laden with Indian corn, salt beef, and fowls.

Notwithstanding it had been long reported that a fleet was fitting out in _Peru_ to clear the _South Sea_ of pirates, the small force under Davis, Swan, and Harris, amounting to little more than 250 men, remained several weeks in uninterrupted possession of the _Bay of Panama_, blocking up access to the city by sea, supplying themselves with provisions from the Islands, and plundering whatsoever came in their way.

[Sidenote: The Pearl Islands.] The _Pearl Islands_ are woody, and the soil rich. They are cultivated with plantations of rice, plantains, and bananas, for the support of the City of _Panama_. Dampier says, 'Why they are called the _Pearl Islands_ I cannot imagine, for I did never see one pearl oyster about them, but of other oysters many. It is very pleasant sailing here, having the mainland on one side, which appears in divers forms, beautified with small hills clothed with woods always green and flourishing; and on the other side, the _Pearl Islands_, which also make a lovely prospect as you sail by them.'

The Buccaneers went daily in their canoes among the different Islands, to fish, fowl, or hunt for guanoes. One man so employed and straggling from his party, was surprised by the Spaniards, and carried to _Panama_.

[Sidenote: February.] In the middle of February, Davis, who appears to have always directed their movements as the chief in command, went with his ships and anch.o.r.ed near the City of _Panama_. He negociated with the Governor an exchange of prisoners, and was glad by the release of forty Spaniards to obtain the deliverance of two Buccaneers; one of them the straggler just mentioned; the other, one of Harris's men.

A short time after this exchange, as the Buccaneer ships were at anchor near the Island _Taboga_, which is about four leagues to the South of _Panama_, they were visited by a Spaniard in a canoe, who pretended he was a merchant and wanted to traffic with them privately. He proposed to come off to the ships in the night with a small vessel laden with such goods as the Buccaneers desired to purchase. This was agreed to, and he came with his vessel when it was dark; but instead of a cargo of goods, she was fitted up as a fire-ship with combustibles. The Buccaneers had suspected his intention and were on their guard; but to ward off the mischief, were obliged to cut from their anchors and set sail.

In the morning they returned to their anchorage, which they had scarcely regained when a fresh cause of alarm occurred. Dampier relates, [Sidenote: Arrival of fresh bodies of Buccaneers from the West Indies.] 'We were striving to recover the anchors we had parted from, but the buoy-ropes, being rotten, broke, and whilst we were puzzling about our anchors, we saw a great many canoes full of men pa.s.s between the Island _Taboga_ and another Island, which at first put us into a new consternation. We lay still some time, till we saw they made directly towards us; upon which we weighed and stood towards them. When we came within hail, we found that they were English and French privateers just come from the _North Sea_ over the _Isthmus of Darien_. We presently came to an anchor again, and all the canoes came on board.'

[Sidenote: Grogniet and L'Escuyer.] This new arrival of Buccaneers to the _South Sea_ consisted of 200 Frenchmen and 80 Englishmen, commanded by two Frenchmen named Grogniet and L'Escuyer. Grogniet had a commission to war on the Spaniards from a French West-India Governor. The Englishmen of this party upon joining Davis, were received into the ships of their countrymen, and the largest of the prize vessels, which was a ship named the San Rosario, was given to the Frenchmen.

From these new confederates it was learnt, that another party, consisting of 180 Buccaneers, commanded by an Englishman named Townley, had crossed the _Isthmus_, and were building canoes in the _Gulf de San Miguel_; on which intelligence, it was determined to sail to that Gulf, that the whole buccaneer force in this sea might be joined. Grogniet in return for the ship given to the French Buccaneers, offered to Davis and Swan new commissions from the Governor of _Pet.i.t Goave_, by whom he had been furnished with spare commissions with blanks, to be filled up and disposed of at his own discretion. Davis accepted Grogniet's present, 'having before only an old commission which had belonged to Captain Tristian, and which, being found in Tristian's ship when she was carried off by Cook, had devolved as an inheritance to Davis.' The commissions which, by whatever means, the Buccaneers procured, were not much protection in the event of their falling into the hands of the Spaniards, unless the nation of which the Buccaneer was a native happened to be then at war with _Spain_. Instances were not uncommon in the _West Indies_ of the Spaniards hanging up their buccaneer prisoners with their commissions about their necks. But the commissions were allowed to be valid in the ports of other powers. Swan however refused the one offered him, and rested his justification on the orders he had received from the Duke of York; in which he was directed, neither to give offence to the Spaniards, nor to submit to receive affront from them: they had done him injury in killing his men at _Baldivia_, and he held his orders to be a lawful commission to do himself right.

[Sidenote: March. Townley and his Crew.] On the 3d of March, as they approached the _Gulf de San Miguel_ to meet the Buccaneers under Townley, they were again surprised by seeing two ships standing towards them. These proved to be Townley and his men, in two prizes they had already taken, one laden with flour, the other with wine, brandy, and sugar; both designed for _Panama_. [Sidenote: Pisco Wine.] The wine came from _Pisco_, 'which place is famous for wine, and was contained in jars of seven or eight gallons each. Ships which lade at _Pisco_ stow the jars one tier on the top of another, so artificially that we could hardly do the like without breaking them: yet they often carry in this manner 1500 or 2000, or more, in a ship, and seldom break one.'

On this junction of the Buccaneers, they went altogether to the _Pearl Islands_ to make arrangements, and to fit their prize vessels as well as circ.u.mstances would admit, for their new occupation. Among the preparations necessary to their equipment, it was not the last which occurred, that the jars from _Pisco_ were wanted to contain their sea stock of fresh water; for which service they were in a short time rendered competent.

The 10th, they took a small bark in ballast, from _Guayaquil_. On the 12th, some Indians in a canoe came out of the River _Santa Maria_, purposely to inform them that a large body of English and French Buccaneers were then on their march over the _Isthmus_ from the _North Sea_. This was not all; for on the 15th, one of the small barks which were kept out cruising, fell in with a vessel in which were six Englishmen, who were part of a crew of Buccaneers that had been six months in the _South Sea_, under the command of a William Knight. These six men had been sent in a canoe in chase of a vessel, which they came up with and took; but they had chased out of sight of their own ship, and could not afterwards find her. Davis gave the command of this vessel to Harris, who took possession of her with a crew of his own followers, and he was sent to the River _Santa Maria_ to look for the buccaneers, of whose coming the Indians had given information.

This was the latter part of the dry season in the _Bay of Panama_.

Hitherto fresh water had been found in plenty at the _Pearl Islands_; but the springs and rivulets were now dried up. The Buccaneers examined within _Point Garachina_, but found no fresh water. [Sidenote: Port de Pinas.

25th. Taboga Isle.] They searched along the coast Southward, and on the 25th, at a narrow opening in the mainland with two small rocky Islands before it, about seven leagues distant from _Point Garachina_, which Dampier supposed to be _Port de Pinas_, they found a stream of good water which ran into the sea; but the harbour was open to the SW, and a swell set in, which rendered watering there difficult and hazardous: the fleet (for they were nine sail in company) therefore stood for the Island _Taboga_, 'where,' says Dampier, 'we were sure to find a supply.'

[Sidenote: April.] Their boats being sent before the ships, came unexpectedly upon some of the inhabitants of _Panama_ who were loading a canoe with plantains, and took them prisoners. One among these, a Mulatto, had the imprudence to say he was in the fire-ship which had been sent in the night to burn the Buccaneer ships; upon which, the Buccaneers immediately hanged him.

They had chocolate, but no sugar; and all the kettles they possessed, constantly kept boiling, were not sufficient to dress victuals for so many men. Whilst the ships lay at _Taboga_, a detachment was sent to a sugar-work on the mainland, from which they returned with sugar and three coppers.

[Sidenote: More Buccaneers arrive.] On the 11th of April, they went from _Tabogo_ to the _Pearl Islands_, and were there joined by the Flibustiers and Buccaneers of whose coming they had been last apprised, consisting of 264 men, commanded by Frenchmen named Rose, Le Picard, and Des-marais. Le Picard was a veteran who had served under Lolonois and Morgan. In this party came Raveneau de Lussan, whose Journal is said to be the only one kept by any of the French who were in this expedition.

Lussan's Narrative is written with much misplaced gaiety, which comes early into notice, and shews him to have been, even whilst young and unpractised in the occupation of a Buccaneer, of a disposition delighting in cruelty. In the account of his journey overland from the _West Indies_, he relates instances which he witnessed of the great dexterity of the monkeys which inhabited the forests, and among others the following: '_Je ne puis me souvenir sans rire de l'action que je vis faire a un de ces animaux, auquel apres avoir tire plusieurs coups de fusil qui lui emportoient une partie du ventre, en sorte que toutes ses tripes sortoient; je le vis se tenir d'une de ses pates, ou mains si l'on veut, a une branche d'arbre, tandis que de l'autre il rama.s.soit ses intestins qu'il se refouroit dans ce qui lui restoit de ventre[53]._'

Ambrose Cowley and Raveneau de Lussan are well matched for comparison, alike not only in their dispositions, but in their conceptions, which made them imagine the recital of such actions would be read with delight.

The Buccaneers in the _Bay of Panama_ were now nearly a thousand strong, and they held a consultation whether or not they should attack the city.

They had just before learnt from an intercepted packet that the Lima Fleet was at sea, richly charged with treasure; and that it was composed of all the naval force the Spaniards in _Peru_ had been able to collect: it was therefore agreed not to attempt the city at the present, but to wait patiently the arrival of the Spanish fleet, and give it battle. [Sidenote: Chepo.] The only enterprise they undertook on the main-land in the mean time, was against the town of _Chepo_, where they found neither opposition nor plunder.

The small Island _Chepillo_ near the mouth of the river which leads to _Chepo_, Dampier reckoned the most pleasant of all the Islands in the _Bay of Panama_. 'It is low on the North side, and rises by a small ascent towards the South side. The soil is yellow, a kind of clay. The low land is planted with all sorts of delicate fruits.' The Islands in the Bay being occupied by the Buccaneers, caused great scarcity of provision and distress at _Panama_, much of the consumption in that city having usually been supplied from the Islands, which on that account and for their pleasantness were called the Gardens of _Panama_.

In this situation things remained till near the end of May, the Buccaneers in daily expectation of seeing the fleet from _Lima_, of which it is now time to speak.

CHAP. XV.

_=Edward Davis= Commander. Meeting of the Spanish and Buccaneer Fleets in the =Bay of Panama=. They separate without fighting.

The Buccaneers sail to the Island =Quibo=. The English and French separate. Expedition against the City of =Leon=. That City and =Ria Lexa= burnt. Farther dispersion of the Buccaneers._

[Sidenote: 1685. May. Bay of Panama.] The Viceroy of _Peru_ judged the Fleet he had collected, to be strong enough to encounter the Buccaneers, and did not fear to trust the treasure to its protection; but he gave directions to the Commander of the Fleet to endeavour to avoid a meeting with them until after the treasure should be safely landed. In pursuance of this plan, the Spanish Admiral, as he drew near the _Bay of Panama_, kept more Westward than the usual course, and fell in with the coast of _Veragua_ to the West of the _Punta Mala_. Afterwards, he entered the _Bay_ with his fleet keeping close to the West sh.o.r.e; and to place the treasure out of danger as soon as possible, he landed it at _Lavelia_, thinking it most probable his fleet would be descried by the enemy before he could reach _Panama_, which must have happened if the weather had not been thick, or if the Buccaneers had kept a sharper look-out by stationing tenders across the entrance of the _Bay_. [Sidenote: The Lima Fleet arrives at Panama.] In consequence of this being neglected, the Spanish fleet arrived and anch.o.r.ed before the city of _Panama_ without having been perceived by them, and immediately on their arrival, the crews of the ships were reinforced with a number of European seamen who had purposely been sent over land from _Porto Bello_. Thus strengthened, and the treasure being placed out of danger, the Spanish Admiral took up his anchors, and stood from the road before _Panama_ towards the middle of the Bay, in quest of the Buccaneers.

[Sidenote: 28th.] May the 28th, the morning was rainy: the Buccaneer fleet was lying at anchor near the Island _Pacheca_, the Northernmost of the _Pearl Islands_. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the weather cleared up, when the Spanish fleet appeared in sight about three leagues distant from them to the WNW. The wind was light from the Southward, and they were standing sharp trimmed towards the Buccaneers.

[Sidenote: Meeting of the two Fleets.] Lussan dates this their meeting with the Spanish Fleet, to be on June the 7th. Ten days alteration of the style had taken place in _France_ three years before, and no alteration of style had yet been adopted in _England_.

[Sidenote: Force of the Buccaneer.] The Buccaneer fleet was composed of ten sail of vessels, of different sizes, manned with 960 men, almost all Europeans; but, excepting the Batchelor's Delight and the Cygnet, none of their vessels had cannon. Edward Davis was regarded as the Admiral. His ship mounted 36 guns, and had a crew of 156 men, most of them English; but as he was furnished with a French commission, and _France_ was still at war with _Spain_, he carried aloft a white flag, in which was painted a hand and sword. Swan's ship had 16 guns, with a crew of 140 men, all English, and carried a Saint George's flag at her main-topmast head. The rest of their fleet was well provided with small-arms, and the crews were dexterous in the use of them. Grogniet's ship was the most powerful, except in cannon, her crew consisting of 308 men.

[Sidenote: Force of the Spanish Fleet.] The Spanish fleet numbered fourteen sail, six of which were provided with cannon; six others with musketry only, and two were fitted up as fire-ships. The buccaneer accounts say the Spanish Admiral had 48 guns mounted, and 450 men; the Vice-Admiral 40 guns, and men in proportion; the Rear-Admiral 36 guns, one of the other ships 24, one 18, and one 8 guns; and that the number of men in their fleet was above 2500; but more than one half of them Indians or slaves.

When the two fleets first had sight of each other, Grogniet's ship lay at anchor a mile to leeward of his confederates, on which account he weighed anchor, and stood close upon a wind to the Eastward, intending to turn up to the other ships; but in endeavouring to tack, he missed stays twice, which kept him at a distance all the fore part of the day. From the superiority of the Spaniards in cannon, and of the buccaneer crews in musketry, it was evident that distant fighting was most to the advantage of the Spaniards; and that the Buccaneers had to rest their hopes of success on close fighting and boarding. Davis was fully of this opinion, and at three o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy's fleet being directly to leeward and not far distant, he got his vessels under sail and bore right down upon them, making a signal at the same time to Grogniet to board the Spanish Vice-Admiral, who was some distance separate from the other ships of his fleet.

Here may be contemplated the Buccaneers at the highest pitch of elevation to which they at any time attained. If they obtained the victory, it would give them the sole dominion of the _South Sea_; and Davis, the buccaneer Commander, aimed at no less; but he was ill seconded, and was not possessed of authority to enforce obedience to his commands.

The order given to Grogniet was not put in execution, and when Davis had arrived with his ship within cannon-shot of the Spaniards, Swan shortened sail and lowered his ensign, to signify he was of opinion that it would be best to postpone fighting till the next day. Davis wanting the support of two of the most able ships of his fleet, was obliged to forego his intention, and no act of hostility pa.s.sed during the afternoon and evening except the exchange of some shot between his own ship and that of the Spanish Vice-Admiral.

When it was dark, the Spanish fleet anch.o.r.ed, and at the same time, the Spanish Admiral took in his light, and ordered a light to be shewn from one of his small vessels, which he sent to leeward. The Buccaneers were deceived by this artifice, believing the light they saw to be that of the Spanish Admiral, and they continued under sail, thinking themselves secure of the weather-gage. [Sidenote: 29th.] At daylight the next morning the Spaniards were seen well collected, whilst the buccaneer vessels were much dispersed. Grogniet and Townley were to windward of the Spaniards; but all the rest, contrary to what they had expected, were to leeward. At sunrise, the Spanish fleet got under sail and bore down towards the leeward buccaneer ships. The Buccaneers thought it not prudent to fight under such disadvantages, and did not wait to receive them. They were near the small Island _Pacheca_, on the South side of which are some Islands yet smaller.

Among these Islands, Dampier says, is a narrow channel in one part not forty feet wide. Townley, being pressed by the Spaniards and in danger of being intercepted, pushed for this pa.s.sage without any previous examination of the depth of water, and got safe through. Davis and Swan, whose ships were the fastest sailing in either fleet, had the credit of affording protection to their flying companions, by waiting to repulse the most advanced of the Spaniards. Dampier, who was in Davis's ship, says, she was pressed upon by the whole Spanish force. 'The Spanish Admiral and the rest of his squadron began to play at us and we at them as fast as we could: yet they kept at distant cannonading. They might have laid us aboard if they would, but they came not within small-arms shot, intending to maul us in pieces with their great guns.' After a circuitous chace and running fight, which lasted till the evening, the Buccaneers, Harris's ship excepted, which had been forced to make off in a different direction, anch.o.r.ed by the Island _Pacheca_, nearly in the same spot whence they had set out in the morning.

[Sidenote: 30th.] On the 30th, at daylight, the Spanish fleet was seen at anchor three leagues to leeward. The breeze was faint, and both fleets lay quiet till ten o'clock in the forenoon. The wind then freshened a little from the South, and the Spaniards took up their anchors; but instead of making towards the Buccaneers, they sailed away in a disgraceful manner for _Panama_. Whether they sustained any loss in this skirmishing does not appear. The Buccaneer's had only one man killed outright. In Davis's ship, six men were wounded, and half of her rudder was shot away.