CHAPTER III. 



History of the Isthmus continued — Crusade of the Buccaneers against 

 Old Panama— 'Its plunder and destruction by Morgan and his men, 

 in 1670. 



Among the few modern writers who have contributed 

 to redeem the history of this country from the ob- 

 livion to which it was fast sinking, the well-known 

 Dr. Theller is deserving honorable mention for the 

 service he has done in this field of inquiry. I fre- 

 quently encountered him on the Isthmus, and am in- 

 debted to him for the particulars of the important 

 episode tconnecting with this region the name of 

 Morgan. 



The history of that period, on this coast, and all 

 that was then known as the " Spanish Main," is but 

 one series of aggressions on the Spanish possessions, 

 and the Spanish shipping returning home, by nu- 

 merous bands of men known as " Freebooters," or 

 " Filbustiers." Among them was one desperate char- 

 acter, named Morgan, an Englishman. He was the 

 most reckless and bloodthirsty among thousands 

 whose passion was blood, and whose trade was rob- 

 bery. After having desolated a goodly number of 

 the young Spanish towns on the main coast of the 

 Caribbean Sea, he thought he would visit Panama on 



