The Shasta courier., 1861-07-13

assault the Buccaneers suffered severely be
fore they could make good those quarters il
which they ever maintained q decided snpe
riority in fighting.
Still they resolutely advanced to the 6na
grapples the Spaniards keeping up an inces
SAINT FIRE. The town was gained after des
perate conflict Of three hours, maintained ir
the open streets.
In this assault the Buccaneers neither gave
nor accepted quarter, and the carnage OF
both sides was great. Six hundred Spaniardl
fell on that day, nor was the number of Buc
cancers who perished much less; but te
those who survived double share of plundel
was at all times ample consolation for the
loss of companion whose services were nc
longer required in its acquisition. The city
was no sooner gained than Morgan, who saw
the temper of the inhabitants in the obstinate
nature of the resistance they had offered, and
who we'll knew the besetting sins Of his fol-
lowers, prudently prohibited them from tast-
! ing wine, and aware that such an order would
be very little regarded were it enforced sim
ply by command, he affirmed that he had
private information that all the wine had
been poisoned. They were therefore enjoin-
ed not to touch it under dread of poisoning
and the penalties of discipline. Neither of
| these motives were sufficient to enforce rigid
abstinence, they operated till indulgence be-
came more safe.
As soon as possession of the city was gain
ed, guards were placed, and at the same time
fires broke out simultaneously in different
quarters, which were attributed by the Span
iards to the pirates, and by them to the in
| habitants.
Both assisted in endeavoring to extinguish
the dreadful confagration, which ragged with
fury; but the houses, being built of cedar,
| took the flames like tinder, and were consum-
| ed in very short time. The inhabitants had
previously removed or concealed the most
| valuable part of their goods and furniture.
| The city of Panama consisted of about r.
900 houses, many of them large and magni-
fcent. 1t contained also eight monasteries
and two churches, all richly furnished. The
concealment of the church plate drew upon
| the ecclesiastics the peculiar vengeance Of
the Buccaneers, who, however, spared no one.
The confagration which they could not ar
rest they at last took pleasure in spreading.
A slave market belonging to the Genoese was
burned to the ground, together with many
warehouses stored with meal Many of the
miserable Africans whom the Genoese
brought for sale to Peru, perished in the
flames, which ragged or smouldered for a
month.
For some time the Buccaneers, afraid of
being surprised and overpowered by the
Spaniards, who still outnumbered them ten
to one, encamped about the town. Morgan
had also weakened his force by sending a
hundred and fifty men to Chagres with news
of the victory. Yet by this handful of men
the panic stricken Spaniards were held in
check and subjection, while the pirates ragged
like demons through the burning town, or
prowled among the ruins and ashes in search
of plate and other valuable articles.
The property which had been secreted was
nearly all discovered, and the most active of
the Buccaneers went out to the woods and
heights to search for and bring back the mis-
erable inhabitants who had fed with their
effects. In two days they brought in about
two hundred of the fugitives as prisoners
Of these unhappy persons many were fe-
males, who found the pirates no better than
their fears had painted them. A lady, one
of his prisoners, with whom Morgan fell in
love, is described as believing, till she saw
them, that the freebeoters were not men, but
some sort Of monsters named heretics, who
did neither invoke the blessed Trinity, nor
believe in Jesus Christ" The civilities Of
Captain Morgan inclined her to better
thoughts of his faith and Christianity, espe-
cially as she had frequently heard him swear
| by the sacred names.
Another lady of Panama was very curious
to see the animals called Buccaneers, and the
first time she had that happiness exclaimed
aloud: 'Jesus blesc me these thieves are
like unto US Spaniards ~
In plundering the land, Morgan had not
neglected the sea. By sea, many of the
nsipalinhabitants had escaped, and a boat
wgs Immediately sent in pursuit, which
brought in three prizes though gaileon, in
which was embarked all the plate and Jewels
of the King of Spain, and the wealth of the
principal nunnery of the town, escaped, from
the piratss indulging in brutal revel in their
own bark till it was too late to follow and
capture the ship.
The pursuit was afterwards continued for
four days, at the end of which the Buccaneers
returned with another prize, worth 2O,OOO
pieces of eight, in goods from Paita
While the Buccaneers were thus employed
at sea, and at Panama and Chagress, parties
continued to scour the surrounding country,
taking in turn the congenial duty Of of f6rag-
ing and bringing in booty and prisoners, on
whom they exercised the most atrocious cru.
elites, unscrupulously employing the rack,
and sparing neither age, sex nor condition.
Nothing more was to be wrung forth from
Panama, which after destructive soiourn Of
four weeks, Morgan resolved to leave. Beasts
of burden were therefore collected from all
quarters to convey the spoils to the opposite
coast. The cannon were spiked, and scouts
sent out TO learn what measures had been ia.
ken by the Governor of Panama to intercept
the retarn to Chagres. The Span; ards were
too much depressed to make any preparation
either to annoy or to cut off the retreat of theil
inveterate enemies; and on the 24th of Feb
ruary the Buccaneers, apprehensive of nj
opposition, left the ruins of Panama with {
hundred and seventy five mules, with theil
spoils, and about six hundred prisoners, in
cluding women, children and slaves. The
misery of these wretched captives, driven or
in the midst of the armed Buccaneers, ex
ceeds description.
II has been said that I" the battles of tn,
American Revolution were gained by the ri
fe." The British soldiers were not then in
structed to shoot at a mark; but those day
are all passed forever. At the battle of Wit
toria, in Spain, 500 balls were fred for ever,
man that was killed At the battle of Cher
ubusco, in Mexico, 125 American balls wer,