26 THE SEA. 



had two storehouses, where they kept the produce of the country till the arrival of their 

 ships. There was then in the port a Spanish ship of twenty-four guns and sixteen pedreros, 

 or mortar-pieces. This ship was immediately seized by the pirates, and the two storehouses 

 burned with all the rest of the houses there. Many of the inhabitants were made prisoners, 

 and they committed upon them the most inhuman cruelties that ever heathens invented, 

 putting- them to the cruellest tortures they could devise. " It was the custom of Lolonois 

 that, having tormented persons not confessing, he would instantly cut them in pieces with 

 his hanger, and pull out their tongues, desiring to do so, if possible, to every Spaniard 

 in the world. It often happened that some of these miserable prisoners, being forced by the 

 rack, would promise to discover the place where the fugitive Spaniards lay hid, which not 

 being able afterwards to perform, they were put to more cruel deaths than they who 

 were dead before. 



"The prisoners being all dead but two (whom they reserved to show them what they 

 desired), they marched hence to the town of San Pedro, or St. Peter, ten or twelve leagues 

 from Puerto Cavallo, being three hundred men whom Lolonois led, leaving behind him 

 Moses Van Vin, his lieutenant, to govern the rest in his absence. Being come three 

 leagues on his way, they met with a troop of Spaniards, who lay in ambuscade for 

 their coming; these they set upon with all the courage possible, and at last totally 

 defeated. Howbeit, they behaved themselves very manfully at first, but not being able to 

 resist the fury of the pirates, they were forced to give way and save themselves by flight, 

 leaving many pirates dead in the place, some wounded, and some of their own party 

 maimed by the way. These Lolonois put to death without mercy, having asked them 

 what questions he thought fit for his purpose." 



There were still some five prisoners not wounded; these were asked by Lolonois, 

 if any more Spaniards remained farther on in ambuscade ? They answered there were. Then,, 

 being brought before him one by one, he asked if there was no other way to the town 

 but that ? this he did to avoid those ambuscades, if possible. But they all constantly 

 answered him they knew none. Having asked them all, and finding they could show him 

 no other way, Lolonois grew outrageously passionate, so that he drew his cutlass, and with 

 it cut open the breast of one of those poor Spaniards, and pulling out his heart began to bite 

 and gnaw it with his teeth, like a ravenous wolf, saying to the rest, " I will serve you all 

 alike if you show me not another way ! " The poor wretches promised to show him 

 another way, but averred that it was a most difficult route. He tried it and found that they 

 were right. He was so exasperated that he swore the horrible oath Mort Dieu, les Espagnols 

 me le payer out ! Next day he kept his word, for meeting an ambuscade of Spaniards, he 

 attacked them with such fury that few remained to tell the tale. The Spaniards hoped by 

 these ambuscades to destroy the pirates in detail. Later he met another and a stronger party,, 

 more advantageously placed, but the pirates attacking them with much vigour, and using fire- 

 balls in great numbers, forced the remnant to flee, leaving the larger part killed and wounded. 

 There was but one path that led to the town, and this was very well barricaded, while the 

 settlement was surrounded by planted shrubs of a prickly and pointed nature, probably 

 something of the cactus variety. The Spaniards, posted behind their defences, plied the 

 pirates with their artillery, and were answered with showers of fire-balls; the latter were 



