VALIANT PERALTA. 53 



by our men in the periagua (large boat), though at a distance from us. At that time 

 we came so close under the stern of the admiral, that we wedged up the rudder ; and 

 withal killed both the admiral himself and the chief pilot of his ship; so that now they 

 were almost quite disabled and disheartened likewise, seeing what a bloody massacre we 

 had made among them with our shot. Hereupon, two-thirds of his men being killed, and 

 many others wounded, they cried for quarter, which had several times been offered to them, 

 and as stoutly denied till then. Captain Coxon boarded the admiral, and took with him 

 Captain Harris, who had been shot through both his legs as he boldly adventured up 

 along the side of the ship. This vessel being thus taken we put on board her all our wounded 

 men, and instantly manned two of our canoes to go and aid Captain Sawkins, who had 

 now been three times beaten from on board Peralta, such valiant defence had he made; 

 and, indeed, to give our enemies their due, no men in the world did ever act more bravely 

 than these Spaniards. 



"Thus coming close under Peralta's side, we gave him a full volley of shot, and ex- 

 pected to have the like return from him again ; but on a sudden we saw his men blown 

 up that were abaft the mast, some of them falling on the deck and others into the sea. 

 This disaster was soon perceived by their valiant captain Peralta; but he leaped overboard, 

 and, in spite of all our shot got several of them back into the ship again, though he was 

 much burnt in both his hands himself. But as one misfortune seldom cometh alone, 

 meanwhile he was recovering these men to reinforce his ship withal and renew the fight, 

 another jar of powder took fire forward, and blew up several others upon the forecastle. 

 Among this smoke, and under the opportunity thereof, Captain Sawkins laid them on 

 board, and took the ship." 



Soon after they were taken the narrator went on board Captain Peralta's vessel to 

 see what condition they were in, and a miserable sight it was ; for there was not a man 

 that was not either killed, desperately wounded, or horribly burnt with powder. Their dark 

 skins were frequently turned white, the powder having torn it from their flesh and bones. 

 On the admiral's ship there were but twenty-five men alive out of eighty-six. Of these 

 twenty-five men only eight were able to bear arms, all the rest being desperately wounded 

 and by their wounds totally disabled to make any resistance, or defend themselves. Their 

 blood ran down the decks in whole streams, and scarce one place in the ship was found 

 that was free from blood. 



Having possessed themselves of these two vessels, Captain Sawkins asked the prisoners 

 how many men there were on board the greatest ship, lying in the harbour of the island 

 of Perico, as also on the others that were something smaller. Captain Peralta hearing 

 these questions, dissuaded him as much as he could, saying that in the biggest alone there 

 were three hundred and fifty men, and that he would find the rest too well provided for 

 defence against his small number. But one of the men who lay dying upon the deck 

 contradicted Peralta as he was speaking, and told Captain Sawkins there was not one man 

 on board those ships that were in view, for they had all been taken out of them to fight 

 the pirates, in the three vessels just taken. These words were credited as proceeding from 

 a dying man ; and steering their course to the island they went on board them, and 

 found, as he had said, not one person there. The largest of the ships, which was called La, 



