2C4 LOSS QF A JAMAICA SLOOP. 
being exasperated at so inhuman and barbarous an action, re- 
doubled the fire, which the bucaneers finding, they shut all th« 
gates of the town, and would not suffer any more of the in- 
habitants to leave it, but drove them all in a body to that part 
of the town which lay next to the fort, and most exposed to 
the fire from thence; so that if they Avould not forbear firing, 
they should kill their own men. When the governor saw it 
he was moved with compassion for the inhabitants, and ceased 
firing. The bucaneers plundered the town, and when they 
had so done, marched out, carrying away with them some of 
the chief inhabitants as hostages for a sum of money which 
they demanded for not burning it ; and so retired to their ships 
with very little loss. 
" The Spaniards have since that time built watch-towers, 
and keep sentinels all along that coast, in order to prevent the 
like surprise. 
" When my padrone had finished this story, he told me that 
one of his acquaintance had been taken prisoner by the Spa- 
niards, either in cutting wood, or in some expedition against 
them, which I do not remember ; but he having been kept a 
prisoner a long time, was at last put on board of one of their 
galleons to be sent to Old Spain, of which he had terrible ap- 
prehensions in being kept a close prisoner there; and as the 
ship passed by the island of Cozumel, Avhich is desert, and 
near the coast of Honduras, the ship was to the windward of 
it : and it being very fine weather, he took this opportunity, 
just at the dusk of the evening, and slipt out of one of the 
ports and swam for the shore, though they were near three 
leagues from it. Fie got safe to the island ; but when he 
found himself there, he was in a bad condition : for his fire- 
works which he had fastened with his frock to the nape of his 
neck, were either lost or rendered useless, so that he could get 
no fire. At his first landing he lived upon cockles and other 
shell-fish, till seeing great numbers of large snakes, which 
they call oulers, that are not venomous, he killed several of 
them ; and having flayed them, he split them in pieces, dipped 
them in salt water, and dried them upon the rocks in the sun, 
and found this food much more agreeable to him than his shell- 
fish ; there was no fresh water on the island but what lodged 
in the holes of the rocks Avhen it rained, though he always 
found enough to satisfy his thirst. In this manner he lived 
without fire for near six months, till a sloop happened to touch 
there to cut some fire-Avood, Avho took him on board, and he 
was found very hearty and in good plight. These and some 
