22 THE SEA. 



all your companions/ At last, amongst these horrible cruelties and inhuman threats, one 

 promised to show the place where the rest of the Spaniards were hid ; but those that were 

 fled, having intelligence of it, changed place, and buried the remnant of their riches, so 

 that the pirates could not find them out. Besides, the Spaniards flying from one place to 

 another every day, and often changing woods, were jealous even of each other, so as the 

 father durst scarce trust his own sou." 



After the pirates had been fifteen days in Maracaibo they made up their minds to 

 capture Gibraltar, not a task quite so difficult as the taking of that other which guards 

 the portals of the Mediterranean, but still sufficiently troublesome. The inhabitants had 

 received intelligence of their approaching advent, and that they afterwards intended to 

 attempt the capture of Merida, another city of that country, and they therefore informed 

 the governor, who was a brave soldier, and had served in Flanders. His answer was, " he 

 would have them take no care, for he hoped in a little while to exterminate the said pirates ; " 

 whereupon he brought a force of 400 well-armed men to Gibraltar, ordering at the same 

 time the inhabitants to arm. He soon had a force of 800 fighting men. With the same 

 speed he raised a battery, mounting twenty guns, and covered with great baskets of earth. 

 In another place he constructed a smaller battery of eight guns, and this done, he barricaded 

 a narrow passage, an approach to the town, through which the pirates must pass ; at the 

 same time he opened another, through morasses of dirt and mud, into the wood, totally 

 unknown to the freebooters. 



"The pirates, ignorant of these preparations, having embarked all their prisoners and 

 l)ooty, took their way towards Gibraltar. Being come in sight of the place, they saw the 

 Royal Standard hanging forth, and that those of the town designed to defend their houses. 

 Lolonois seeing this, called a council of war, what they ought to do, telling his officers and 

 mariners ' that the difficulty of the enterprise was very great, seeing the Spaniards had had 

 so much time to put themselves in a posture of defence, and had got a good body of men 

 together, with much ammunition ; but notwithstanding/ said he, ' have a good courage ; 

 we must either defend ourselves like good soldiers, or lose our lives with all the riches we 

 have got. Do as I shall do who are your captain. At other times we have fought with 

 fewer men than we have in our company at present, and yet we have overcome greater 

 numbers than there possibly can be in this town; the more there are, the more glory and 

 the greater riches we shall gain.' The pirates supposed that all the riches of the inhabitants 

 of Maracaibo were transported to Gibraltar, or at least the greater part. After this speech 

 they all promised to follow and to obey him. Lolonois made answer, 'It is well; but 

 know ye, withal, that the first man who shall show any fear, or the least apprehension 

 thereof, I will pistol him with my own hands ! ' 



" With this resolution they cast anchor nigh the shore, near three-quarters of a league 

 from the town; next day, before sun-rise, they landed 380 men, well provided, and armed 

 every one with a cutlass and one or two pistols, and sufficient powder and bullets for 

 thirty charges. Here they all shook hands, in testimony of good courage, and began their 

 march, Lolonois speaking thus : f Come, my brethren, follow me, and have good courage/ 

 They followed their guide, who, believing he led them well, brought them to the way which 

 the governor had barricaded. Not being able to pass that way, they went to the other 



