ESCAPE AT LAST. 43 



of treasure, and that he could see for himself that the Spaniards, in boats, were endeavouring 

 to rescue some of it. Morgan again sent a message to the admiral, who had escaped to 

 the castle, demanding a ransom, or he would fire Maracaibo. This was at first, of course, 

 indignantly refused, and the pirate chief renewed his threats, when the Spanish settlers, down- 

 hearted at their constant ill-fortune, consented to pay the sum of 20,000 pieces and 500 

 head of cattle, though the admiral, Don Aloiiso, sternly objected. 



Morgan, in spite of his successes, rather feared passing the castle at the entrance of 

 the lake, and he endeavoured, by means of the prisoners he held, to secure his escape, by 

 sending some of them to Don Alonso with a promise to give them all up if he would not 

 lire, or hang them if he did. A deputation of prisoners waited on the admiral, urging his 

 consent ; but Don Alonso told them, " If you had been as loyal to your king in hindering 

 the entry of these pirates as I shall do their going out, you had never caused these troubles, 

 neither to yourselves nor to our whole nation, which hath suffered so much through your 

 pusillanimity. In a word, I shall never grant your request, but shall endeavour to maintain 

 that respect which is due to my king according to my duty." Thus the poor wretched 

 prisoners had to return to Morgan, and report the failure of their mission. His reply was, 

 in his usual vein, that he would find the means of accomplishing his object in spite of Don 

 Alonso. 



The stratagem employed was as follows : During the day that they hoped to escape 

 after dark they put a number of their men in canoes, and rowed towards the shore, as if 

 they intended to land. There they hid themselves among the trees and by lying down 

 in the boats. Then the canoes returned to the ships, two or three men rowing in each, 

 and the rest remaining at the bottom concealed. Thus much only could be observed from 

 the castle, and the ruse was repeated several times, the impression given being that the 

 pirates intended to scale the walls by night from the land. This caused the Spaniards to place 

 most of their greater guns on the land side, with the principal part of the garrison, leaving 

 the side towards the sea almost destitute of defence. Night being come they weighed anchor, 

 and by moonlight, without setting sail, the tide gently took them towards the entrance 

 near the castle. Having arrived off the latter, they spread their sails with all speed. The 

 Spaniards, perceiving this, brought their guns over to the sea side, but the pirates, being 

 favoured by this loss of time and also with a good breeze, escaped almost scatheless. Just 

 as they were departing, Morgan ironically saluted the castle with a volley from seven of 

 his largest guns. 



His next expedition, in which he was joined by many other pirates, assembled on the 

 south side of Tortuga on October the 24th, 1070, when a council of ways and means was 

 convened, the principal lack being in provisions. This, however, was to them a small 

 matter, and they resolved to rob and rifle the towns and settlements of the mainland. 

 Four vessels were despatched on this errand to the River de la Hacha, where a village was 

 situated which was usually well provided with corn. Meanwhile, another party was des- 

 patched into the woods, and the hunters were very successful. The rest remained in the 

 ships to clean and re-fit them. The river expedition w r as becalmed off the coast, which 

 gave the Spaniards ashore time to hide and take away their goods. A large ship from 

 Carthagena was lying in the river, laden with maize (Indian corn), ready to depart. The 



