52 



THE SEA. 



scarce giving time to charge, thinking to pass by them all with as little damage as the 

 first of the ships had done. But, as it happened, it turned out much the worse for him ; 

 for they were so fortunate as to kill the man at the helm, so that his ship ran into the 

 wind, and her sails lay aback. By this means they all had time to come up under her 

 stern, and, firing continually into his vessel, they killed all that came to the helm ; besides 

 which slaughter they cut asunder his mainsheet and brace with their shot. At this time 

 the third vessel was coming to the aid of their general. Hereupon Captain Sawkins, who 

 had changed his canoe and had gone into one of the boats, left the admiral to four 

 canoes (for his own was quite disabled), and met the captain of the second ship. "Between 



VIEW OF PANAMA. 



him and Captain Sawkins," says the chronicler, " the dispute was very hot, lying aboard 

 each other, and both giving and receiving death as fast as they could charge. While 

 we were thus engaged the first ship tacked about, and came up to relieve the admiral; 

 but, we perceiving it, and foreseeing how hard it would go with us if we should be beaten 

 from the admiral's stern, determined to prevent his design. Hereupon two of our canoes, 

 to wit, Captain Springer's and my own, stood off to meet him. He made up directly 

 towards the admiral, who stood upon the quarter-deck waving unto him with a handkerchief 

 so to do ; but we engaged him so closely in the middle of his way, that had he not 

 given us the helm, and made away from us, we had certainly been on board him. We 

 killed so many of the men that the vessel had scarce men enough left alive, or unwounded, 

 to carry her off ; yet, the wind now blowing fresh, they made shift to get away from us, 

 and save their lives. 



"The vessel which was to relieve the admiral being thus put to flight, we came 

 about again upon the admiral, and all together gave a loud halloo, which was answered 



