The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-06-17
Sacking Of Porte Bello.


ing still vestiges Of its former beauty
All the gilded decorations have been de-
stroyed, and its shrine rifed of what
ever of value it contained. But some
of the antique carving yet remains-the
marble pavements and the frescoed walls
Two or three bells still hang in the di-
lapidated tower, but the rest lie half
buried at the base. From these bells
the notes of warning rang when Nor
gan began that terrific attack that ended
in the sack and ruin Of the city in
1865. While the cannon thundered
from fort and castle, their wild, shrill
peal sounded clear and high amid the
frightful tumult, summoning all for gen.
eral defense. At the other extremity
of the street stands the dismantled fort
of Todo Hero, half hidden by the en-
veloping foliage of the huge trees that
have taken root in and within its walls
Here Morgan began his attack. He
had long had his eye on this point, the
fame of whose great wealth attracted,
while the strength of its Notifications
seemed to render an assault almost mad
ness. Under the cover of night the
bold bucanneer crept up to the very
walls. Before the startled sentinel had
time to sound the warning "alerte,
he was overpowered and brought to
Morgan, who wrung from him valuable
information that led to the capture Of
the CITY, Then the attack began. The
roar of cannon and crash of fire arms
awakened the slumbering town. From
the beginning the buccaneers had the
advantage Soon the assault became
conquest, and turned into slaughter. 1t
WIS pitiless butchery. No quarter was
given; the shrieks Of women and chill
dren mutilated and tortured by the
cruel soldiery rent the air. The COVER
nor's castle held out to the last, the gov.
ernor himself never faltering for an in
slant. At length priets and nuns, torn
from their cloisters, were forced to the
van of the attack, bearing scaling lad
ders, that thus they might drown the fire
of the castle. Urged on ward from the
rear, they were mown down by their
own friends, who did not dare to listen
to their cries for mercy. When the gov
ernor hims elf fell, covered with wounds,
a panic seized his followers, and the city
surrendered Internationally. For sew
eral days riot and debauchery reigned
among the buccaneers. The forts were
dismantled, the cathedral and churches
were stripped, the wealth of Porto Bello
pluudered. At length, satiated with
their brutal bacchanalia, Morgan and
his men set sail for Jamaica, bearing
with them their spoils and leav-
ing heap of ruins where
once had stood beautiful and pros
porous city. Porto Bello never recov-
cred from that terrible sacking. 1t re-
vived little in time, but no sooner had
the tide Of prosperity began to set to-
ward it than down swooped the ravag-
ers again, and under Admiral Vernon,
in 1889, gave it the finishing stroke,
capturing and dismantling it. Thus this
gem of the coronst Of Spain, torn from
its setting, and trodden under foot by
the marauders, has, with the decline Of
power in the parent country, sunk into
utter ruin. Where once stretched an
open, fertile country, with broad fields
Of vegetables and grain, with groves of
cocoanuts and pines, where the toll and
activity of man added beauty and use
fulness to the gifts Of nature, now, un-
pruned and ungarnered, her very lavish
ness is destruction, and her fertility,
death. Decay and desolation are writ
ten everywhere. Against walls and
towers that once stood in stately pride,
now lean the wretched bamboo huts of
tho modern Porto Bellians, while the
rich merchants of CASTLE and Leon
have been superseded by mongrel race.
composed of the mingled blood of the
negro, the native and the Spaniard, who
lounge away their lives amid the pleHti-
tude of natures providing, without a
thought of the past or care for the flu
ture, content tn exist as mere beneficial
ries of the land-Letter to the New