THE PIRATE SAWKIXS. . 51 



subjects. Of his trial little or nothing is known, but he was soon after knighted by 

 Charles II., and appointed Commissioner for the Admiralty at Jamaica ! Furthermore, 

 in the autumn of 1080, the Earl of Carnarvon, then Governor of Jamaica, returning to 

 England, left the ci-devant pirate as his deputy, and Morgan seized the opportunity to 

 hang many of his old comrades ! In the next reign he was thrown into prison wherefore, 

 precisely is not known, and his final fate is uncertain. So much for the vicissitudes of a 

 pirate's life. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE PIRATES AND BUCANIERS (continued}. 



The Exploits of Captain Sawkins Three Ships attacked by Canoes Valiant Peralta Explosion on Board Miserable 

 Sight on Two Ship's Decks Captiire of an Empty Ship Dissatisfaction among the Pirates Desertion of many 

 Message from the Governor of Panama The Pirate Captain's Bravado His Death Fear inspired on all the Southern 

 Coasts Preparations for punishing and hindering the BucanieHS Captain Kidd His first Commission as Privateer- 

 Turns Pirate The Mocha Fleet Almost a Mutiny on Board Kills his Gunner Capture of Rich Prizes A Rich 

 Ransom derided Grand Dividend Kidd deserted by some of his Men Proclamation of Pardon Kidd excepted 

 Rushes on his Doom Arrested in New York Trial at the Old Bailey Pleadings Execution with Six Companions. 



AMONG the great bucaniers of the seventeenth century were Captains Coxon, Harris, 

 Bournano, Sawkins, and Sharp, of the exploits of only one or two of whom we shall 

 have space to speak. On one of their principal expeditions they started with nine vessels, 

 having on board 460 men, and, after a desertion of two of the ships' companies, had 

 still three-fourths of the number left. Their march from the coast of Darien the point 

 of destination being the unfortunate city of Panama presented similar difficulties to 

 those already experienced by Morgan, and the narration of them would be, therefore, 

 tedious. On the way they took the town of Santa Maria, but did not obtain much booty. 

 From thence they proceeded by river, in thirty-five canoes and a boat, to the Pacific 

 Ocean. At the mouth of the river, and on the rocks outside, some of them were shipwrecked, 

 and for a time the company became separated, although almost all of them were able 

 afterwards to rejoin. On the morning of April 23rd, 1G80 (St. George's Day), they 

 arrived within sight of the city of Panama, and also in full view of some Spanish men-of-war 

 ready for the fray, as they immediately weighed anchor and sailed towards them. Some 

 of the canoes were sailing faster than the boats, and there was every fear that the former 

 would be run down by the ships. When the fight commenced, the pirates had only 

 sixty-eight men to contend against 228, Biscayans, mulattoes, and negroes. 



Captain Sawkins's canoe, and also that on which was the narrator of the fight, were 

 much to leeward of the rest, so that one of the Spanish ships came between the two 

 and fired on both, wounding, with these broadsides, five men in the two* canoes. But 

 the commander paid dearly for his passage between them, as he was not quick in 

 coming about again, and making the same way; for the pirates killed, with their first 

 volley, several of his men upon the decks. Thus they got also to windward, as the rest 

 were before. The admiral of this armadilla (or little fleet) came up with them instantly, 



