El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-17

their way up the River Chagres to
what was then known as the Castle Of
the Chagres. This was san Lorenzo, a
picnieking place for the canal employees
of today. There was a fort there and
some sort Of a structure called cas-
tie, which 1 suppose was only a block
house.
At any rate they took the castle and
fort after a strong defence on the part
of the Spaniards, who cried out, Come
on. ye English dogs. enemies to God
ANA this boutl"
The pirates used fireballs and finally
burned down the fort They lost about
100 men during this battle.
One can follow the road from San
Lorenzo to old Panama now. 1t goes
right through the jungle, but is plainly
marked. The pirates cut their way
through il and almost starved on the
way. At one time they were in such
straits that they cooked some leather
bags which they had found in the
fort, but this food fermented in their
stomachs and gnawed their very bow
They had other hardships. and at last
came TO Las Cruces, where the new
town they saw smoke. and supposed
that the Spaniards were cooking their
dinner. They found that the smoke
came from the ruins. The SPaniards
had fired Las Cruces and fled The
pirates greedily drank SOM Peru wine
that was left. but the vine was poi
soned, and it made them sick almost
A Battle With Wild Bulls.
Leaving Las Cruces. the pirate army
went on over the line Of the road
which we are now about to macadam-
lze, and at last they came to noun
Pacific ocean Going down this. they
entered the saTannas, which are just
outside the present city of Panama and
not more than a mile from the Tivoli
a
cattle which they killed. They ate the
meat half raw They camped on the
savannas for a day, and thence went
on to attack the city Of old Panama
The Spaniards thought to defend
themselves by using wild bulls,
drove of which they sent in front of
them, but the bulls turned and ran
back on their owners, and thus aided
in their defeat
1t did not take Morgan long to cap
ture the city and loot il. and, according
a vast treasure. The churches and
monasteries were full of gold and sill
Yer, and in the fire which took place
much gold plate was melted by the
flames Some of this may be found in
the excavations now making.
After destroying the city ana spend
ing some time in a great drunken spree,
the pirates took the treasure and their
captives and started back to the At
lantic. They tortured the Spaniards to
make them confess where they had hid
den their money They twisted cords
about their foreheads so tightly that
the eyes of the victims popped out as
big as eggs and as though like to fall
from the skull" They put even the
women and priests on the rack and
committed all sorts Of barbarities. The
number of prisoners carried away was
900. and it took us beasts of burden to
transport the silver and gold The
prisoners were held for ransom under
threats that they would be sold into
slavery, and every cruelty imaginable
was used to make them confess where
they had hidden their treasures.
The New Panama.
For a year after this raid there was
no city of any size on the Pacific coast
of the isthmus. Then the queen OF
Spain decreed that Panama should be
rebuilt, and a plan was made which
placed the city where it is now. The
cid site was much worse than the pres
ent one. although the latter is not good
The landing at old Panama was such
that ships could not come in at low