The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-11-28
CAPTAINS OF
EMIT
copyrlght BY Bobbsksum Company
By ROGER POCOCK

squadron were Dutcnere0 while they
drowned. Still Fort San Carlos. now
bristling with new guns, had to be dealt
with before the pirates could make
their escape TO the sea. Morgan pre-
tended to attack from the land, so that
all the guns were shifted to that side
Of the fort ready to wipe out his forces.
This being done, he got his men on
board and sailed through the channel
In perfect safety.
And yet attacks upon such places as
Maracaibo were mere triAing, for the
Spaniards held all the wealth Of their
golden Indies at Panama. This gorge
Gus city was on the Pacific ocean, and
I o reach it, one must cross the Isthmus
of Darien by the route in later times
Of the Panama railway and the Pana-
ma canal, through the most unwhole-
some swamps. where to sleep at night
In the open was almost sure death
from fever. Moreover, the landing
place at Chagres was covered by a
strong fortress, the route vas swarm
ing with Spanish troops and wild saw
ages in their pay and their destination
was q walled city esteemed impFegna-
bic.
By way of preparing for his raid,
Morgan SEN four hundred men, who
stormed the castle of Chagres, compel
ling the wretched garrison to jump off
a cliff to destruction. The English flag
shone from the citadel when Morgan's
fleet arrived. The captain landed one
thousand two hundred men and set
off up the Chagres river with five
boats loaded with artillery, thirty-two
canoes. and no food. This was a mis-
take, because the Spaniards had
cleared the whole isthmus, driving off
the cattle, roofing out the crops, cart
ing away the grain, burning every roof,
and leaving nothing for the pirates TO
live on except the microbes of fever.
AS the pirates advanced they retreat
ed, Turing them on day by day into the
heart of the wilderness. The pirates
broiled and ate their sea boots. their
~bandoleers, and certain leather bags.
The river, being foul with fallen tim
Der, they tool to marching. On the
sixth day they found a barn full Of
maize and ate it up. but only on the
ninth day had they a decent meal.
when, sweating, gasping and swearing.
they pounced upon a herd of asses and
cows, and fell TO roasting flesh on the
points of their swords.
On the tenth day they debouched
upon a plain before the City of Pana-
ma, where the governor awaited with
his troops. There were two ~squadrons
of cavalry and four regiments Of foaS
besides guns, and the pirates heartily
wished themselves at home with their
mothers. Happily the Spanish COVER
nor was too sly, for he had prepared
a herd of wild bulls with Indian herd
ers to drive into the pirate ranks.
which bulls, in sheer stupidity, rushed
his own battalions. Such bulls Is
tried TO fly through the pirate lines
were readily shot down. but the rest
brought dire confusion. Then began a
fierce battle, in which the Spaniards
lost six hundred men before they bolt
ed. Afterward, through a fearful
storm of fire from great artillery. the
pirates stormed the city and took pos
session.
Of course. by this time, the rich gal
Icons had made way TO sea with their
treasure, and the citizens had carried
off everything worth moving, TO the
woods. Moreover, the pirates were :
hasty in burning the town. so that the
treasures which had been buried in
wells or cellars were lost beyond all
finding. During four weeks, this splen-
did capital of the Indies burned. while
the people hid in the woods; and the
pirates tortured everybody they could
lay hands on with hendish cruelty.
Morgan himself, caught a beautiful
lady and threw her into q cellar full
of filth because she would not love him.
Even in their retreat to the Atlantic,
the pirates carried OF six hundred
prisoners, who rent the air with their
lamentations, and were not even fed
until their ransoms arrived.
Before reaching Chagres, Morgan
had every pirate stripped to make sure
that all loot was fairly divided. The
common pirates were bitterly offended
at the dividend of only two hundred
pieces Of eight per man, but Morgan
stole the bulk Of the plumber himself
and returned q millionaire TO Jamaica.
Charles II knlghted him and made
him governor of Jamaica as a reward
for robbing the Spaniards. Afterwards
his majesty changed his mind, and
Morgan died q prisoner in the tower
of London as a punishment for the
very crime which had been rewarded
with a title and a v~ieeroyalty.