50 THE SEA. 



other precious goods of the best and richest merchants of Panama ; a number of nuns also 

 had embarked with them all the ornaments of their church, consisting of gold, plate, and 

 other things of great value. " The strength of this galleon was inconsiderable, having 

 only seven guns and ten or twelve muskets, and very ill provided with victuals, necessaries, 

 and fresh water." They subsequently took a tolerably rich prize, having on board 20,000 

 dollars in coin. 



February 24th, 1671, Captain Morgan departed from Panama, or rather from the 

 place where Panama had once stood.* The spoils included 175 beasts of burden, laden with 

 silver and gold, besides about 600 prisoners, men, women, children, and slaves. 



When the march began, the cries and shrieks of the unfortunate prisoners were 

 renewed, which did not worry Captain Morgan. They marched in the same order as 

 before, one party of the pirates in the van, the prisoners in the middle, and the rest 

 of the pirates in the rear, by whom the miserable Spaniards were abused, punched, and 

 thrust in their backs and sides, to make them walk faster. A beautiful and virtuous lady, 

 the wife of a merchant, was led prisoner by herself, between two pirates. Her lamentations 

 pierced the skies, seeing herself carried away into captivity, often crying to the pirates, 

 and telling them " that she had given orders to two religious persons, in whom she had 

 relied, to go to a certain place, and fetch so much as her ransom did amount to ; that they 

 liad promised faithfully to do it, but having obtained the money, instead of bringing it to 

 her, they had employed it another way, to ransom some of their own and particular friends." 

 This Captain Morgan found to be true, and he gave the lady her liberty ; otherwise he 

 had designed to transport her to Jamaica. But he detained the monks as prisoners in her 

 place, using them according to their deserts. Many of the prisoners ransomed themselves 

 later, while others were taken to Jamaica and sold. About half-way across the Isthmus 

 Morgan had his men searched, going through the form himself. This was to see whether 

 ;any one had secreted valuables for his own use. The French pirates of Morgan's expedition 

 took great offence at this, but they were forced to submit. At Chagres the dividend 

 was made, and there was a considerable amount of dissatisfaction, his own companions 

 telling him to his face that he had reserved the best jewels for himself. It appears likely 

 that he had done so, and at all events, at this period he suddenly sailed away from the 

 larger part of his pirate-associates, and left them in the lurch. Indeed, afterwards, some 

 of them suffered great privations before they reached the common rendezvous in Jamaica. 



Many of Morgan's former associates vowed to murder him if they could catch him, 

 believing that he had enriched himself greatly at their expense. He, for the nonce, settled 

 in Jamaica, and married the daughter of a wealthy man. Long after this the pirates 

 sought means to punish him, and hearing that he intended to retire to the island of St. 

 Catherine, vowed among themselves to waylay him on the voyage. An unexpected incident 

 saved Morgan. At this very crisis a new governor (Lord Vaughan) arrived at Port Royal, 

 Jamaica, bringing a royal order for the successful bucanier to be sent to England, to 

 answer the complaints of the King of Spain, in regard to the depredations made on his 



* The city site was almost immediately afterwards moved to a spot, four miles off, where the present 

 Panama stands to-day. : 



