History of the Buccaneers of America Part 17

In making their way through the woods, they found the rudder, sails, and other furniture of the Spanish barks in the river; the barks themselves were near at hand, and the Buccaneers embarked in them; but the flood tide making, they came to an anchor, and lay still for the night.

[Sidenote: June 26th.] The next morning, as they descended the river, they saw the boats which they had so richly freighted, now cleared of their lading and broken to pieces; and near to their wreck, was the head which the Spaniards had stuck up. This spectacle, added to the mortifying loss of their booty, threw the Buccaneers into a frenzy, and they forthwith cut off the heads of four prisoners, and set them on poles in the same place.

In the pa.s.sage down the river, four more of the Buccaneers were killed by the firing of the Spaniards from the banks.

[Sidenote: 27th.] The day after their retreat from the river of _Lavelia_, a Spaniard went off to them to treat for the release of the prisoners, and they came to an agreement that 10,000 pieces of eight should be paid for their ransom. Some among them who had wives were permitted to go on sh.o.r.e that they might a.s.sist in procuring the money; but on the 29th, the same messenger again went off and acquainted them that the _Alcalde Major_ would not only not suffer the relations of the prisoners to send money for their ransom, but that he had arrested some of those whom the Buccaneers had allowed to land. On receiving this report, these savages without hesitation cut off the heads of two of their prisoners, and delivered them to the messenger, to be carried to the _Alcalde_, with their a.s.surance that if the ransom did not speedily arrive, the rest of the prisoners would be treated in the same manner. The next day the ransom was settled for the remaining prisoners, and for one of the captured barks; the Spaniards paying partly with money, partly with provisions and necessaries, and with the release of the Buccaneer they had taken. In the agreement for the bark, the Spaniards required a note specifying that if the Buccaneers again met her, they should make prize only of the cargo, and not of the vessel.

After the destruction of _Lavelia_, it might be supposed that the perpetrators of so much mischief would not be allowed with impunity to remain in the _Bay of Panama_; but such was the weakness or negligence of the Spaniards, that this small body of freebooters continued several months in this same neighbourhood, and at times under the very walls of the City. On another point, however, the Spaniards were more active, and with success; for they concluded a treaty of peace and alliance with the Indians of the _Isthmus_, in consequence of which, the pa.s.sage overland through the Darien country was no longer open to the Buccaneers; and some small parties of them who attempted to travel across, were intercepted and cut off by the Spaniards, with the a.s.sistance of the natives.

[Sidenote: July.] The Spaniards had at _Panama_ a military corps distinguished by the appellation of Greeks, which was composed of Europeans of different nations, not natives of _Spain_. Among the atrocities committed by the crew under Townley, they put to death one of these Greeks, who was also Commander of a Spanish vessel, because on examining him for intelligence, they thought he endeavoured to deceive them; and in aggravation of the deed, Lussan relates the circ.u.mstance in the usual manner of his pleasantries, 'we paid him for his treachery by sending him to the other world.'

[Sidenote: August.] On the 20th of August, as they were at anchor within sight of the city of _Panama_, they observed boats pa.s.sing and repa.s.sing between some vessels and the sh.o.r.e, and a kind of bustle which had the appearance of an equipment. [Sidenote: Battle with Spanish armed Ships.]

The next day, the Buccaneers anch.o.r.ed near the Island _Taboga_; and there, on the morning of the 22d, they were attacked by three armed vessels from _Panama_. The Spaniards were provided with cannon, and the battle lasted half the day, when, owing to an explosion of gunpowder in one of the Spanish vessels, the victory was decided in favour of the Buccaneers. Two of the three Spanish vessels were taken, as was also one other, which during the fight arrived from _Panama_ as a reinforcement. In the last mentioned prize, cords were found prepared for binding their prisoners in the event of their being victorious; and this, the Buccaneers deemed provocation sufficient for them to slaughter the whole crew. This battle, so fatal to the Spaniards, cost the Buccaneers only one man killed outright, and 22 wounded. Townley was among the wounded.

Two of the prizes were immediately manned from the canoes, the largest under the command of Le Picard, who was the chief among the French of this party.

They had many prisoners; and one was sent with a letter to the President of _Panama_, to demand ransom for them; also medicines and dressings for the wounded, and the release of five Buccaneers who they learnt were prisoners to the Spaniards. The medicines were sent, but the President would not treat either of ransom, or of the release of the buccaneer prisoners. The Buccaneers dispatched a second message to the President, in which they threatened that if the five Buccaneers were not immediately delivered to them, the heads of all the Spaniards in their possession, should be sent to him. The President paid little attention to this message, not believing that such a threat would be executed; but the Bishop of _Panama_, regarding what had recently happened at _Lavelia_ as an earnest of what the Buccaneers were capable, was seriously alarmed. He wrote a letter to them which he sent by a special messenger, in which he exhorted them in the mildest terms not to shed the blood of innocent men, and promised if they would have patience, to exert his influence to procure the release of the buccaneer prisoners. His letter concluded with the following remarkable paragraph, which shews the great hopes entertained by the Roman Catholics respecting _Great Britain_ during the Reign of King James the IId. '_I have information_,' says the Bishop, '_to give you, that the English are all become Roman Catholics, and that there is now a Catholic Church at Jamaica_.'

The good Prelate's letter was p.r.o.nounced by the Buccaneers to be void of truth and sincerity, and an insult to their understanding. They had already received the price of blood, shed not in battle nor in their own defence; and now, devoting themselves to their thirst for gain, they would not be diverted from their sanguinary purpose, but came to the resolution of sending the heads of twenty Spaniards to the President, and with them a message purporting that if they did not receive a satisfactory answer to all their demands by the 28th of the month, the heads of the remaining prisoners should answer for it. Lussan says, 'the President's refusal obliged us, though with some reluctance, to take the resolution to send him twenty heads of his people in a canoe. This method was indeed a little violent, but it was the only way to bring the Spaniards to reason[87].'

What they had resolved they put into immediate execution. The President of _Panama_ was entirely overcome by their inhuman proceedings, and in the first shock and surprise, he yielded without stipulation to all they had demanded. On the 28th, the buccaneer prisoners (four Englishmen and one Frenchman) were delivered to them, with a letter from the President, who said he left to their own conscience the disposal of the Spanish prisoners yet remaining in their hands.

To render the triumph of cruelty and ferocity more complete, the Buccaneers, in an answer to the President, charged the whole blame of what they had done to his obstinacy; in exchange for the five Buccaneers, they sent only twelve of their Spanish prisoners; and they demanded 20,000 pieces of eight as ransom of the remainder, which demand however, they afterwards mitigated to half that sum and a supply of refreshments. On the 4th of September, the ransom was paid, and the prisoners were released.

[Sidenote: September. Death of Townley.] September the 9th, the buccaneer commander, Townley, died of the wound he received in the last battle. The English and French Buccaneers were faithful a.s.sociates, but did not mix well as comrades. In a short time after Townley's death, the English desired that a division should be made of the prize vessels, artillery, and stores, and that those of their nation should keep together in the same vessels: and this was done, without other separation taking place at the time.

[Sidenote: November.] In November, they left the _Bay of Panama_, and sailed Westward to their old station near the _Point de Burica_, where, by surprising small towns, villages, and farms, a business at which they had become extremely expert, they procured provisions; and by the ransom of prisoners, some money.

[Sidenote: 1687. January.] In January (1687) they intercepted a letter from the Spanish Commandant at _Sonsonnate_ addressed to the President of _Panama_, by which they learnt that Grogniet had been in _Amapalla Bay_, and that three of his men had been taken prisoners. The Commandant remarked in his letter, that the peace made with the _Darien_ Indians, having cut off the retreat of the Buccaneers, would drive them to desperation, and render them like so many mad dogs; he advised therefore that some means should be adopted to facilitate their retreat, that the Spaniards in the _South Sea_ might again enjoy repose. '_They have landed_,' he says, '_in these parts ten or twelve times, without knowing what they were seeking; but wheresoever they come, they spoil and lay waste every thing_.'

A few days after intercepting this letter, they took prisoner a Spanish horseman. Lussan says, 'We interrogated him with the usual ceremonies, that is to say, we gave him the torture, to make him tell us what we wanted to know.'

Many such villanies were undoubtedly committed by these banditti, more than appear in their Narratives, or than they dared to make known. Lussan, who writes a history of his voyage, not before the end of the second year of his adventures in the _South Sea_, relates that they put a prisoner to the torture; and it would have appeared as an individual instance, if he had not, probably through inadvertence, acknowledged it to have been their established practice. Lussan on his return to his native land, pretended to reputation and character; and he found countenance and favour from his superiors; it is therefore to be presumed, that he would suppress every transaction in which he was a partic.i.p.ator, which he thought of too deep a nature to be received by his patrons with indulgence. A circ.u.mstance which tended to make this set of Buccaneers worse than any that had preceded them, was, its being composed of men of two nations between which there has existed a constant jealousy and emulation. They were each ambitious to outdo the other in acts of daringness, and were thereby instigated to every kind of excess.

[Sidenote: Grogniet rejoins them.] On the 20th, near _Caldera Bay_, they met Grogniet with sixty French Buccaneers in three canoes. Grogniet had parted from Townley at the head of 148 men. They had made several descents on the coast. At the _Bay of Amapalla_, they marched 14 leagues within the coast to a gold-mine, where they took many prisoners, and a small quant.i.ty of gold. Grogniet wished to return overland to the West-Indian Sea, but the majority of his companions were differently inclined, and 85 quitted him, and went to try their fortunes towards _California_. Grogniet nevertheless persevered in the design with the remainder of his crew, to seek some part of the coast of _New Spain_, thin of inhabitants, where they might land unknown to the Spaniards, and march without obstruction through the country to the sh.o.r.e of the _Atlantic_, without other guide than a compa.s.s. The party they now met with, prevailed on them to defer the execution of this project to a season of the year more favourable, and in the mean time to unite with them.

[Sidenote: February. They divide.] In February, they set fire to the town of _Nicoya_. Their gains by these descents were so small, that they agreed to leave the coast of _New Spain_ and to go against _Guayaquil_; but on coming to this determination, the English and the French fell into high dispute for the priority of choice in the prize vessels which they expected to take, insomuch that upon this difference they broke off partnership. [Sidenote: Both Parties sail for the Coast of Peru.] Grogniet however, and about fifty of the French, remained with the English, which made the whole number of that party 142 men, and they all embarked in one ship, the canoes not being safe for an open sea navigation. The other party numbered 162 men, all French, and embarked in a small ship and a _Barca longa_. The most curious circ.u.mstance attending this separation was, that both parties persevered in the design upon _Guayaquil_, without any proposal being made by either to act in concert. They sailed from the coast of _New Spain_ near the end of February, not in company, but each using all their exertions to arrive first at the place of destination.

[Sidenote: They meet again, and reunite.] They crossed the Equinoctial line separately, but afterwards at sea accidentally fell in company with each other again, and at this meeting they accommodated their differences, and renewed their partnership.

[Sidenote: April.] April the 13th, they were near _Point Santa Elena_, on the coast of _Peru_, and met there a prize vessel belonging to their old Commander Edward Davis and his Company, but which had been separated from him. She was laden with corn and wine, and eight of Davis's men had the care of her. They had been directed in case of separation, to rendezvous at the Island _Plata_; but the uncertainty of meeting Davis there, and the danger they should incur if they missed him, made them glad to join in the expedition against _Guayaquil_, and the provisions with which the vessel was laden, made them welcome a.s.sociates to the Buccaneers engaged in it.

[Sidenote: Attack on Guayaquil.] Their approach to the City of _Guayaquil_ was conducted with the most practised circ.u.mspection and vigilance. On first getting sight of _Point Santa Elena_, they took in their sails and lay with them furled as long as there was daylight. In the night they pursued their course, keeping at a good distance from the land, till they were to the Southward of the _Island Santa Clara_. [Sidenote: 15th.] Two hundred and sixty men then (April the 15th) departed from the ships in canoes. They landed at _Santa Clara_, which was uninhabited, and at a part of the _Island Puna_ distant from any habitation, proceeding only during the night time, and lying in concealment during the day.

[Sidenote: 18th.] In the night of the 17th, they approached the _River Guayaquil_. At daylight, they were perceived by a guard on watch near the entrance, who lighted a fire as a signal to other guards stationed farther on; by whom, however, the signal was not observed. The Buccaneers put as speedily as they could to the nearest land, and a party of the most alert made a circuit through the woods, and surprised the guard at the first signal station, before the alarm had spread farther. They stopped near the entrance till night. [Sidenote: 19th. 20th.] All day of the 19th, they rested at an Island in the river, and at night advanced again. Their intention was to have pa.s.sed the town in their canoes, and to have landed above it, where they would be the least expected; but the tide of flood with which they ascended the river did not serve long enough for their purpose, and on the 20th, two hours before day, they landed a short distance below the town, towards which they began to march; but the ground was marshy and overgrown with brushwood. Thus far they had proceeded undiscovered; when one of the Buccaneers left to guard the canoes struck a light to smoke tobacco, which was perceived by a Spanish sentinel on the sh.o.r.e opposite, who immediately fired his piece, and gave alarm to the Fort and Town. This discovery and the badness of the road caused the Buccaneers to defer the attack till daylight. The town of _Guayaquil_ is built round a mountain, on which were three forts which overlooked the town. [Sidenote: The City taken.] The Spaniards made a tolerable defence, but by the middle of the day they were driven from all their forts, and the town was left to the Buccaneers, detachments of whom were sent to endeavour to bring in prisoners, whilst a chosen party went to the Great Church to chant _Te Deum_.

Nine Buccaneers were killed and twelve wounded in the attack. The booty found in the town was considerable in jewels, merchandise, and silver, particularly in church plate, besides 92,000 dollars in money, and they took seven hundred prisoners, among whom were the Governor and his family.

Fourteen vessels lay at anchor in the Port, and two ships were on the stocks nearly fit for launching.

On the evening of the day that the city was taken, the Governor (being a prisoner) entered into treaty with the Buccaneers, for the City, Fort, Shipping, himself, and all the prisoners, to be redeemed for a million pieces of eight, to be paid in gold, and 400 packages of flour; and to hasten the procurement of the money, which was to be brought from _Quito_, the Vicar General of the district, who was also a prisoner, was released.

[Sidenote: 21st.] The 21st, in the night, by the carelessness of a Buccaneer, one of the houses took fire, which communicated to other houses with such rapidity, that one third of the city was destroyed before its progress was stopped. It had been specified in the treaty, that the Buccaneers should not set fire to the town; 'therefore,' says Lussan, 'lest in consequence of this accident, the Spaniards should refuse to pay the ransom, we pretended to believe it was their doing.'

Many bodies of the Spaniards killed in the a.s.sault of the town, remained unburied where they had fallen, and the Buccaneers were apprehensive that some infectious disorder would thereby be produced. [Sidenote: 24th. At the Island Puna.] They hastened therefore to embark on board the vessels in the port, their plunder and 500 of their prisoners, with which, on the 25th, they fell down the River to the _Island Puna_, where they proposed to wait for the ransom.

[Sidenote: May. Grogniet dies.] On the 2d of May, Captain Grogniet died of a wound he received at _Guayaquil_. Le Picard was afterwards the chief among the French Buccaneers.

The 5th of May had been named for the payment of the ransom, from which time the money was daily and with increasing impatience expected by the Buccaneers. It was known that Spanish ships of war were equipping at _Callao_ purposely to attack them; and also that their former Commander, Edward Davis, with a good ship, was near this part of the coast. They were anxious to have his company, and on the 4th, dispatched a galley to seek him at the Island _Plata_, the place of rendezvous he had appointed for his prize.

The 5th pa.s.sed without any appearance of ransom money; as did many following days. The Spaniards, however, regularly sent provisions to the ships at _Puna_ every day, otherwise the prisoners would have starved; but in lieu of money they subst.i.tuted nothing better than promises. The Buccaneers would have felt it humiliation to appear less ferocious than on former occasions, and they recurred to their old mode of intimidation.

They made the prisoners throw dice to determine which of them should die, and the heads of four on whom the lot fell were delivered to a Spanish officer in answer to excuses for delay which he had brought from the Lieutenant Governor of _Guayaquil_, with an intimation that at the end of four days more five hundred heads should follow, if the ransom did not arrive.

[Sidenote: 14th.] On the 14th, their galley which had been sent in search of Davis returned, not having found him at the Island _Plata_; but she brought notice of two strange sail being near the Cape _Santa Elena_.

[Sidenote: Edward Davis joins Le Picard.] These proved to be Edward Davis's ship, and a prize. Davis had received intelligence, as already mentioned, of the Buccaneers having captured _Guayaquil_, and was now come purposely to join them. He sent his prize to the Buccaneers at _Puna_, and remained with his own ship in the offing on the look-out.

The four days allowed for the payment of the ransom expired, and no ransom was sent; neither did the Buccaneers execute their sanguinary threat. It is worthy of remark, that intreaty or intercession made to this set of Buccaneers, so far from obtaining remission or favour, at all times produced the opposite effect, as if reminding them of their power, instigated them to an imperious display of it. The Lieutenant Governor of _Guayaquil_ was in no haste to fulfil the terms of the treaty made by the Governor, nor did he importune them with solicitations, and the whole business for a time lay at rest. The forbearance of the Buccaneers may not unjustly be attributed to Davis having joined them.

[Sidenote: 23d.] On the 23d, the Spaniards paid to the Buccaneers as much gold as amounted in value to 20,000 pieces of eight, and eighty packages of flour, as part of the ransom. The day following, the Lieutenant Governor sent word, that they might receive 22,000 pieces of eight more for the release of the prisoners, and if that sum would not satisfy them, they might do their worst, for that no greater would be paid them. Upon this message, the Buccaneers held a consultation, whether they should cut off the heads of all the prisoners, or take the 22,000 pieces of eight, and it was determined, not unanimously, but by a majority of voices, that it was better to take a little money than to cut off many heads.

Lussan, his own biographer and a young man, boasts of the pleasant manner in which he pa.s.sed his time at _Puna_. 'We made good cheer, being daily supplied with refreshments from _Guayaquil_. We had concerts of music; we had the best performers of the city among our prisoners. Some among us engaged in friendships with our women prisoners, who were not hard hearted.' This is said by way of prelude to a history which he gives of his own good fortune; all which, whether true or otherwise, serves to shew, that among this abandoned crew the prisoners of both s.e.xes were equally unprotected.

[Sidenote: 26th.] On the 26th, the 22,000 pieces of eight were paid to the Buccaneers, who selected a hundred prisoners of the most consideration to retain, and released the rest. The same day, they quitted their anchorage at _Puna_, intending to anchor again at Point _Santa Elena_, and there to enter afresh into negociation for ransom of prisoners: but in the evening, two Spanish Ships of War came in sight.

The engagement which ensued, and other proceedings of the Buccaneers, until Edward Davis parted company to return homeward by the South of _America_, has been related. [Sidenote: See pp. 196 to 200.] It remains to give an account of the French Buccaneers after the separation, to their finally quitting the _South Sea_.

CHAP. XXIV.

_Retreat of the =French Buccaneers= across =New Spain= to the =West Indies=. All the =Buccaneers= quit the =South Sea=._

[Sidenote: 1687. June. Le Picard and Hout.] The party left by Davis consisted of 250 Buccaneers, the greater number of whom were French, the rest were English, and their leaders Le Picard and George Hout. They had determined to quit the _South Sea_, and with that view to sail to the coast of _New Spain_, whence they proposed to march over land to the sh.o.r.e of the _Caribbean Sea_.

[Sidenote: July. On the Coast of New Spain.] About the end of July, they anch.o.r.ed in the _Bay of Amapalla_, and were joined there by thirty French Buccaneers. These thirty were part of a crew which had formerly quitted Grogniet to cruise towards _California_. Others of that party were still on the coast to the North-West, and the Buccaneers in _Amapalla Bay_ put to sea in search of them, that all of their fraternity in the _South Sea_ might be collected, and depart together.

In the search after their former companions, they landed at different places on the coast of _New Spain_. Among their adventures here, they took, and remained four days in possession of, the Town of _Tecoantepeque_, but without any profit to themselves. At _Guatulco_, they plundered some plantations, and obtained provisions in ransom for prisoners. Whilst they lay there at anchor, they saw a vessel in the offing, which from her appearance, and manner of working her sails, they believed to contain the people they were seeking; but the wind and sea set so strong on the sh.o.r.e at the time, that neither their vessels nor boats could go out to ascertain what she was; and after that day, they did not see her again.

[Sidenote: December. In Amapalla Bay.] In the middle of December they returned to the _Bay of Amapalla_, which they had fixed upon for the place of their departure from the sh.o.r.es of the _South Sea_. Their plan was, to march by the town of _Nueva Segovia_, which had before been visited by Buccaneers, and they now expected would furnish them with provisions.

According to Lussan's information, the distance they would have to travel by land from _Amapalla Bay_, was about 60 leagues, when they would come to the source of a river, by which they could descend to the _Caribbean Sea_, near to _Cape Gracias a Dios_.

Whilst they made preparation for their march, they were anxious to obtain intelligence what force the Spaniards had in their proposed route, but the natives kept at a distance. On the 18th, seventy Buccaneers landed and marched into the country, of which adventure Lussan gives the account following. They travelled the whole day without meeting an inhabitant.

They rested for the night, and next morning proceeded in their journey, but all seemed a desert, and about noon, the majority were dissatisfied and turned back. Twenty went on; and soon after came to a beaten road, on which they perceived three hors.e.m.e.n riding towards them, whom they way-laid so effectually as to take them all. [Sidenote: Chiloteca.] By these men they learnt the way to a small town named _Chiloteca_, to which they went and there made fifty of the inhabitants prisoners. [Sidenote: Ma.s.sacre of Prisoners.] They took up their quarters in the church, where they also lodged their prisoners, and intended to have rested during the night; but after dark, they heard much bustle in the town, which made them apprehensive the Spaniards were preparing to attack them, and the noise caused in the prisoners the appearance of a disposition to rise; upon which, the Buccaneers slew them all except four, whom they carried away with them, and reached the vessels without being molested in their retreat.

The prisoners were interrogated; and the accounts they gave confirmed the Buccaneers in the opinion that they had no better chance of transporting themselves and their plunder to the _North Sea_, than by immediately setting about the execution of the plan they had formed. [Sidenote: The Buccaneers burn their Vessels.] To settle the order of the march, they landed their riches and the stores necessary for their journey, on one of the Islands in the Bay; and that their number might not suffer diminution by the defection of any, it was agreed to destroy the vessels, which was executed forthwith, with the reserve of one galley and the canoes, which were necessary for the transport of themselves and their effects to the main land. They made a muster of their force, which they divided into four companies, each consisting of seventy men, and every man having his arms and accoutrements. Whilst these matters were arranging, a detachment of 100 men were sent to the main land to endeavour to get horses.

They had destroyed their vessels, and had not removed from the Island, when a large Spanish armed ship anch.o.r.ed in _Amapalla Bay_; but she was not able to give them annoyance, nor in the least to impede their operations. [Sidenote: 1688. January.] On the 1st of January, 1688, they pa.s.sed over, with their effects, to the main land, and the same day, the party which had gone in search of horses, returned, bringing with them sixty-eight, which were divided equally among the four companies, to be employed in carrying stores and provisions, as were eighty prisoners, who besides being carriers of stores, were made to carry the sick and wounded.

Every Buccaneer had his particular sack, or package, which it was required should contain his ammunition; what else, was at his own discretion.

Many of these Buccaneers had more silver than themselves were able to carry. There were also many who had neither silver nor gold, and were little enc.u.mbered with effects of their own: these light freighted gentry were glad to be hired as porters to the rich, and the contract for carrying silver, on this occasion, was one half; that is to say, that on arriving at the _North Sea_, there should be an equal division between the employer and the carrier. Carriage of gold or other valuables was according to particular agreement. Lussan, who no doubt was as sharp a rogue as any among his companions, relates of himself, that he had been fortunate at play, and that his winnings added to his share of plunder, amounted to 30,000 pieces of eight, the whole of which he had converted into gold and jewels; and that whilst they were making ready for their march, he received warning from a friend that a gang had been formed by about twenty of the poorer Buccaneers, with the intention to waylay and strip those of their brethren, who had been most fortunate. On considering the danger and great difficulty of having to guard against the machinations of hungry conspirators who were to be his fellow-travellers in a long journey, and might have opportunities to perpetrate their mischievous intentions during any fight with the Spaniards, Lussan came to the resolution of making a sacrifice of part of his riches to insure the remaining part, and to lessen the temptation to any individual to seek his death. To this end he divided his treasure into a number of small parcels, which he confided to the care of so many of his companions, making agreement with each for the carriage.