Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-24
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N~SA 1Rgael Sabafni
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By Rafael Sabafni
RAFAEL
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arol stood there and watched this
action, Sc presumptuously undertak-
en- by Blood on his own responsible
ity.
Meanwhile the fight went merrily
on. The fort was suffering badly.
Yet for all their maneuvering the
buccaneers were not escaping pun
ishment. The starboard gunwale of
the Atropos had been hammered in
to splinters, and a shot had caught
her astern in the coach. The Eliza
beth was badly battered about the
forecastle, and the Arabella's main
top had been shot away, whilst to-
ward the end of that engagement
the Lachesis came reeling u of the
fight with a shattered rudder. steer
ing herself by sweeps.
1t may have been a couple of
hours later when Captain Blood, as
spruce and cool as If he had just
| come from q levee, stepped upon h
| quarterback of the VictorieuSe, to
confront NJ. de Rivarol, still in bed
gown and nightcap.
81 have to report, NJ. le Baron,
that we are in possession of the fort
on Boca Chica. The standard OF
France is flying from what remains
of it's tower, and the way into h
outer harbor is open to your fleet"
NJ. de Rivarol was compelled to
swallow his fury.
you are fortunate, NJ. Blood, that
YOU succeeded" he said. 'It would
have gone very i'll with you had you
failed
Blood pointed out the fort at the
mouth of the inner harbor. which
was Just barely visible above the
waving palms on the intervening
tongue of land. He announced that
its armament was less formidable
than that of the outer fort, which
they had reduced; but on the other
hand, the passage was very much
narrower than the Boca Chica, and
before they could attempt to make it
in any case, they must dispose of
those defenses. He proposed that
the French ships should enter the
outer harbor, and proceed at once to
bombardment. Meanwhile, he would
land three hundred buccaneers and
some artillery on the eastern side of
the lagoon, beyond the fragrant gar
den islands dense with richly bearing
fruit trees, and proceed simultane-
ouSly to storm the fort in the rear.
Thus beset on both sides at once,
and ~demoralized by the fate of the
much stronger outer fort, he did not
think the Spaniards would offer a
NCIy IOll5 ICSloLtllCC- LAiClA IL NOulo
be for M. de Rivarol to garrison the
fort, whilst Captain Blood would
sweep on with his men.
At noon on the morrow, Shorn of
defenses and threatened with bonn
bardment, Cartagena sent offers Of
surrender to NJ. de Rivarol.
Swollen with pride by a victory
for which he took the entire credit
to himself, the Baron dictated his
terms. He demanded that all public
effects and office accounts be delv-
cred up; that the merchants sur
render all moneys and goods held by
them for their correspondents; the
inhabitants could choose whether
they would remain in the city or de-
part; but those who went must first
deliver up all their property, II
those who elected to remain must
surrender half, and become the sub
jects of France; religious houseS and
churches should be spared, but they
must render accounts of all moneys
and valuabIes in their possession.
Cartagena agreed, having no
choice in the matter, and on the
next day, which was the 5th of April, |
de Rivarol entered the city and
proclaimed it now a French colony,
appointing M. de Cussy its governor.
CHAPTER XVIII
The Honor of M. de RivaroI
During the c~apitulation and for
some time after, Captain Blood and
the greater portion of his buccaneers
had been at their post utterly in ig-
norance of what was taking place.
Blood, although the man chiefly re-
sponsible for the swift reduction of
the city, was not ever shown the
consideration of being called to the
council of officers, |
This was a slight that at another
time Captain Blood would not have |
borne for a moment. But at present, |
in his odd frame of mind, and its
enforcement from piracy, he was
content to smile his utter contempt |
of the French general. Not so, how
ever, his captains, and still less his
men. 1t was only by undertaking to
voice their grievance to the Baron
that their captain was able for the
moment to pacify them.
The Baron sat scrutinizing ledgers, |
like a city merchant, and checking
to make ure that all was
correct to the last peso. He looked
irritated by the interruption
Captain Blood's advent occa-