LOSS OF A JAMAICA SLOOP. 263 
they anchored with their ships, and landed their men undis- 
covered ; they marched that night about ten or twelve miles, 
and in the morning retired between the high sand-hills which 
lie along that coast. The men lay hid all day, and marched 
again in the night, in order to surprise the town in the morn- 
ing, at the opening of the gates, which they effected thus : The 
bucaneers were about six hundred men; when they came near 
the town they halted, and sent a small party that could speak 
Spanish, habited like the country people, in order to seize on 
one of the gates as soon as they were opened; which was ex- 
ecuted thus: At the opening of the gates one of the party 
mounted a ladder w^hich led up to the bastion, or tower that 
commanded the gate, and under pretence to beg fire of the 
sentinel to light his pipe, with his pistol he killed him : this 
was the signal for seizing the gate. It being immediately put 
in execution, they gave notice to their main body, who instant- 
ly marched into the town, and at the same time attacked and 
took another small work, both of which they guarded, and 
then marched into the parade. IMost of the Spaniards being 
in bed, could not presently get together, but soon took the 
alarm, and formed a body of horse and foot ; they marched 
in good order through one of their broad streets to attack the 
enemy in form ; the bucaneers being dra^Am up upon the pa- 
rade, and seeing the Spaniards marching toward them, pre- 
pared to receive them, and part of them drew up at the end of 
the street in which the Spaniards were marching, and v.'hen 
they came near enough to engage, they fired upon them; the 
bucaneers having disposed themselves in such order, that as 
soon as their first rank had fired, they marched beyond the 
street, and the second took place, and so the third ; so that 
they kept a continual fire upon the Spaniards, and killed many 
of themx, and their horses not being able to stand the fire, 
they were soon put into disorder, and fled ; the bucaneers pur- 
sued them, but the Spaniards flying out of one of the gates 
into the country, they left the chace ; the castle of St. Juan 
taking the alarm, fired briskly into the town, in order to beat 
out the enemy, but they being resolved to plunder it before 
they left it, called a consultation, to consider what was proper 
to be done, and resolved to seize on the fathers which had 
most authority and respect among them; having beheaded 
some of them, they obliged others to carry them in a little 
boat to the castle, present them to the governor, and tell him, 
if he did not leave off firing immediately, they would use all 
the fathers in the town in the same manner. The governor 
