B U C A 
ed up the river in his (loops for thirty-three, miles, tiH he 
came to Cruces, where it ceafes to be navigable. He then 
proceeded by land to Panama, which was only five leagues 
difhmt. Upon a large and’extenlive plain that was before 
the city, he met with a confiderable body of troops, whom 
he put to flight with the greatelt cafe, and entered into 
the city, which was now abandoned. Here were found 
prodigious treafures concealed in the wells and caves. 
Some valuable commodities u ere alfo taken ti'pon the boats 
that were left aground at low water; and in the neigh¬ 
bouring forelhs were alfo found feveral rich depofits. Hav¬ 
ing burnt the city, they let fail with a great number of 
priloneis, who were ranfomed a few days-after; they 
then returned to the mouth of the Chagre with a prodi¬ 
gious booty. 
In 1603, an expedition of fome cqnfequence was form¬ 
ed by Van Hoorn, a native of Offend, but who had ferv- 
ed all-his life among the French. His intrepidity would 
never let him fuller the lead; figns of cowardice among 
thofe who allociated with him. In the heat of an engage¬ 
ment, he went about his (hip ; fucceffively obferving his 
men ; and immediately killed thofe who fhrunkat the Hid¬ 
den report of a piftol, gun, or cannon. This extraordinary 
difeipline made him become the terror of the coward, and 
the idol of the brave. In other refpefts, he readily (hared 
with the men of fpirit and bravery the iminenfe riches 
that were acquired by fo- warlike a difpofition. When he 
went upon thefe expeditions, he generally failed in his 
frigate, which was his own property. But, thefe new de- 
figns requiring greater numbers, to-carry them into execu¬ 
tion, he rook to his afliftance Gramont, Godfrey, and 
Jbnque, three Frenchmen diltinguifhed by their exploits ; 
and Lawrence de Graat, a Dutchman. Twelve hundred 
bttcaneers joined theinfelves to thefe intrepid commanders, 
and. failed in fix veffels f6r Vera Cruz: The darknefs of 
th’e night favoured, their landing, which'-was effeftdd at 
three leagues from the place, where they arrived vs ithout 
being dilcovered. The governor, the fort, the barracks, 
and "the pofts of the greatelt confeqtience, were taken- by 
the break of day. All the citizens, men, women, and 
children, were (hut up in the churches, whither they had 
fled for fhelter. At the door of each church were placed 
barrels of gun-powder to blow up the building. A buca- 
neer, with a lighted match, was to let fire-to it upon the 
leaf! appearance of an infurreftion. While the city was 
thus kept in terror, it was eafily pillaged ; and after the 
bucaneers had carried off what was molt valuable, they 
made a propofal to the citizens to ranfom their lives for a 
contribution of 437,5001. Thefe unfortunate people, who 
had neither eate% nor drunk for three days, cheerfully ac¬ 
cepted the terms. Half the money was paid the fame day : 
the other part was tu be procured-from the internal parts 
of the country ; when there appeared on an eminence a 
confiderable body of troops advancing, and near the port 
a-fleet of feventeen (hips from Europe. At the fight of. 
this armament, .the. bucaneers, without any marks ofi-fur- 
piriz.e, retreatedfqnietiy, with 1500 prifoners, as an indem¬ 
nification for the relt of. the money they expefted, the fet¬ 
tling of which they deferred to a more favourable oppor¬ 
tunity. Their retreat was equally daring. They boldly 
failed through the mid(l of the Spanifh-fleet ; which let 
them pafs without firing a gun, and were in fact rather 
afraid of being attacked’and beaten. About a year after 
this adventure, they determined to go and plunder the 
country of Peru. It is probable, that the hope of-find¬ 
ing greater treafures upon a fea little frequented, than on 
one long expofed to piracies of this kind, was the caufe 
of this expedition. But it is remarkable; that both the 
Engliflt and French, and the particular adbeiations of thefe 
two nations, had projected this plan at the fame time; 
without any communication, hitercourfe, or defign of aft-' 
ing in concert with each other. About 4000 men were 
employed in this expedition. Some of them came by Ter¬ 
ra Firma, others by the (traits of Magellan, to the place 
that was the objeft'of their- wifhes. If the intrepidity of 
N E E R. 475 
thefe barbarians had been direfted, under the influence of 
a ikilful and relpeftable commander, to one fingle uni¬ 
form end, it is probable that they would have deprived 
the Spaniards of this important colony. But their natu¬ 
ral character was an invincible obltacle to inch an union. 
Grogmer, Lecuyer, Picard, and Le Sage, were the molt 
difthiguifhed officers among the Frdnch ; David, Saiiuns, 
Peter, Wilner, and Tow ley,' among the Engliffi. Such- 
ot them as had-got into the South Seas, by the (fruits of 
Darien, feized upon the firlt vellels they found upon the 
coaft. Their affociates, who had failed in their own vef- 
fels, were not much better provided. Weak however as 
they were, they beat feveral times the fqttadrons that were 
fitted out again!! them. But thefe victories were prejudi¬ 
cial to them, as they interrupted their navigation. When 
there were no more ffiips to be taken, they were continu¬ 
ally obliged to make defeents upon the coafls to get pro- 
vilions, or to go by land to plunder thofe'cities where the 
booty was fecured. They- fucceffively attacked Seppa, 
Phebla Nuevo, Leon, Realejo, Puebla-Viejo, Ghiriquita, 
Lefparlo, Granada, Villia, Nicoya, Tecoanteca, Muc- 
meluna, Chiloteca, New Segovia, and Guayaquil. Many, 
ot thefe places were taken by furprize ; and moft of them 
were deferted by their inhabitants, who fled at the fight 
ot thefe defperadoes. As foon as they took a town, it was 
fet on fire, tinlefs a firm proportioned to its value was gi- • 
vers to fave it. The prifoners taken in battle were mafia-'- 
cred without mercy, if they were not ranfomed by the 
governor or fome'of the inhabitants: gold, pearls, or 
precious (rones, were the onlythings accepted for ranfom. 
While thefe piracies were committed on the foil them 
ocean, the northern was threatened by Gramont, who 
embarked, in 1685, to attack Campeachy. Hi'S party 
landed without oppofition ; but at fome difiance from the 
coal! they were attacked by 800 Spaniards, who were 
beaten and purfued into the town, where both parties en¬ 
tered at the fame time ; the cannon they found there was 
immediately levelled againft the citadel ; as it had very 
little efteft, they were contriving fome flratagenrto ena¬ 
ble them to become mailers of the place, when intelligence 
was brought that it was-abandoned. There remained in it 
only a gunner, an Englifhman, and an officer of fuch fig- 
nai courage; that he chofe rather to expofe himfelf to the 
greateft extremities,, than balely to defert his port. Gra¬ 
mont received him with marks of diflinctioiv,. generoully 
releafed him, gave him up all his effefts, and compli¬ 
mented with fome valuable prefonts. The conquerors 
fp'ent nearly two months- in fearching ail the environs of 
the city, for twelve.-or fifteen leagues, carrying off every 
tiling that the inhabitants, in their flight, thought they 
had preferved. When the treafure they had collected was 
depolited in the ffiips, a propofal was made to the gover¬ 
nor of the province, who (till kept the field with 900 men, 
to ranfom his capital city, 'Hisrefuf.il determined.them 
to burn it, and demolifii the citadel. The French, on 
the feftival of St. Lewis, were there celebrating the an- 
niverfary of their king; and, in the tranfports of their loy¬ 
alty, they burnt to the value of a-million of logwood ; a 
part, and a very cenfidenible one too, of the fpoil they had 
taken. After this lingular and extravagant inftance of 
folly, they returned to St. Domingo. 
In 1697, about 1200 bucaneers were induced to join a 
fquadron of fcVen (hips that failed from Europe under the 
command of Pointis, to attack the famous city of Cartha¬ 
ge na* This was'the mod-difficult enterprife that had been 
attempted.- The (Ituation of the port, the ftrength of the 
place, the badnefs of the climate, were' fo many obllucies 
that feenied infurmountable to any but fuch men as the bu- 
canee.rs were. Every obflacle yielded to their valour and 
good fortune : the city was taken, and booty acquired to 
the amount of 1,750,0001.. Their rapacious commander, ■ 
however, deprived- them of the-advantages refulting from 
their fuccefs. He icrupled not, as foon as they fet fail, 
to offer 5250I. for the fhare of thofe who had been the 
chief inl.lruments in procuring him fo-confiderable a fpoil. 
