The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII Century Part 11

[Footnote 228: Ibid., No. 866.]

[Footnote 229: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 839, 843.]

[Footnote 230: Ibid., No. 786.]

[Footnote 231: Ibid., No. 943.]

[Footnote 232: Ibid., Nos. 910, 919, 926.]

[Footnote 233: Ibid., Nos. 942, 976.]

[Footnote 234: Ibid., No. 944.]

[Footnote 235: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 979. There were really nine s.h.i.+ps and 650 men. Cf. _ibid._, No. 1088.]

[Footnote 236: Ibid., Nos. 980, 983, 992.]

[Footnote 237: Ibid., No. 1088.]

[Footnote 238: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 1073, 1088.]

[Footnote 239: Ibid., No. 1042, I. Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Morgan (not to be confused with Colonel Edward Morgan), who was left in command of St. Eustatius and Saba, went in April 1666 with a company of buccaneers to the a.s.sistance of Governor Watts of St. Kitts against the French. In the rather shameful defence of the English part of the island Morgan's buccaneers were the only English who displayed any courage or discipline, and most of them were killed or wounded, Colonel Morgan himself being shot in both legs. (Ibid., Nos. 1204, 1205, 1212, 1220, 1257.) St. Eustatius was reconquered by a French force from St. Kitts in the early part of 1667. (Ibid., No. 1401.)]

[Footnote 240: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1082.]

[Footnote 241: Ibid., No. 1125. Stedman was later in the year, after the outbreak of war with France, captured by a French frigate off Guadeloupe. With a small vessel and only 100 men he found himself becalmed and unable to escape, so he boldly boarded the Frenchman in buccaneer fas.h.i.+on and fought for two hours, but was finally overcome.

(Ibid., No. 1212.)]

[Footnote 242: Ibid., No. 1085; Beeston's Journal. Mansfield was the buccaneer whom Exquemelin disguises under the name of "Mansvelt."]

[Footnote 243: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 1130, 1132-37.]

[Footnote 244: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 1129, 1263.]

[Footnote 245: Ibid., Nos. 1144, 1264.]

[Footnote 246: Ibid., Nos. 1138, 1144.]

[Footnote 247: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1264, slightly condensed from the original.]

[Footnote 248: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 1142, 1147. The Governor of Havana wrote concerning this same exploit, that on Christmas Eve of 1665 the English entered and sacked the town of Cayo in the jurisdiction of Havana, and meeting with a vessel having on board twenty-two Spaniards who were inhabitants of the town, put them all to the sword, cutting them to pieces with hangers. Afterwards they sailed to the town of Bayamo with thirteen vessels and 700 men, but altering their plans, went to Sancti Spiritus, landed 300, plundered the town, cruelly treated both men and women, burnt the best houses, and wrecked and desecrated the church in which they had made their quarters. (S.P. Spain, vol. 49, f.

50.)

Col. Beeston says that Mansfield conducted the raid; but according to the Spanish account to which Duro had access, the leader was Pierre Legrand. (Duro, _op. cit._, v. p. 164).]

[Footnote 249: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1147; Beeston's Journal.

Beeston reports that after a six weeks' search for Mansfield and his men he failed to find them and returned to Jamaica.]

[Footnote 250: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1213.]

[Footnote 251: Exquemelin, however, says that he had 500 men. If he attacked Providence Island with only 200 he must have received reinforcements later.]

[Footnote 252: Duro, _op. cit._, v. p. 167; S.P. Spain, vol. 49, f. 50.

The accounts that have come down to us of this expedition are obscure and contradictory. Modyford writes of the exploit merely that "they landed 600 men at Cape Blanco, in the kingdom of Veragua, and marched 90 miles into that country to surprise its chief city, Cartago; but understanding that the inhabitants had carried away their wealth, returned to their s.h.i.+ps without being challenged." (C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1213.) According to Exquemelin the original goal of the buccaneers was the town of Nata, north of Panama. The Spanish accounts make the numbers of the invaders much greater, from 800 to 1200.]

[Footnote 253: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1263.]

[Footnote 254: Ibid., Nos. 1309, 1349. The capture of Providence Island was Mansfield's last exploit. According to a deposition found among the Colonial papers, he and his s.h.i.+p were later captured by the Spaniards and carried to Havana where the old buccaneer was put in irons and soon after executed. (Ibid., No. 1827.) Exquemelin says that Mansfield, having been refused sufficient aid by Modyford for the defence of Providence, went to seek a.s.sistance at Tortuga, when "death suddenly surprised him and put a period to his wicked life."]

[Footnote 255: Exquemelin refers to a voyage of Henry Morgan to Campeache at about this time, and says that he afterwards accompanied Mansfield as his "vice-admiral." There were at least three Morgans then in the West Indies, but Colonel Edward and Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas were at this time doubtless busy preparing the armament against Curacao.]

[Footnote 256: "Villa de Mosa is a small Town standing on the Starboard side of the River ... inhabited chiefly by Indians, with some Spaniards.... Thus far s.h.i.+ps come to bring Goods, especially European Commodities.... They arrive here in November or December, and stay till June or July, selling their Commodities, and then load chiefly with Cacao and some Sylvester. All the Merchants and petty Traders of the country Towns come thither about Christmas to Traffick, which makes this Town the chiefest in all these Parts, Campeache excepted."--Dampier, _ed._ 1906, ii. p. 206. The town was twelve leagues from the river's mouth.]

[Footnote 257: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1142; Beeston's Journal, 20th August 1665. The viceroy of New Spain, in a letter of 28th March 1665, reports the coming, in February, of 150 English in three s.h.i.+ps to Tabasco, but gives the name of the plundered town as Santa Marta de la Vitoria. According to his story, the buccaneers seized royal treasure amounting to 50,000 pieces of eight, besides ammunition and slaves.

(S.P. Spain, vol. 49, f. 122.)]

[Footnote 258: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 1826, 1827, 1851; Exquemelin, _ed._ 1684, Part II. pp. 65-74.]

[Footnote 259: S.P. Spain, vols. 46-49. Correspondence of Sir Richard Fanshaw.]

[Footnote 260: Ibid., vol. 46, f. 192.]

[Footnote 261: Ibid., vol. 49, f. 212.]

[Footnote 262: Ibid., vol. 52, f. 138; Record Office, Treaties, etc., 466.]

[Footnote 263: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1276.]

[Footnote 264: Ibid., No. 1264.]

[Footnote 265: Ibid., No. 1537.]

[Footnote 266: Ibid., No. 1264.

There was probably some disagreement in the Council in England over the policy to be pursued toward the buccaneers. On 21st August 1666 Modyford wrote to Albemarle: "Sir James Modyford will present his Grace with a copy of some orders made at Oxford, in behalf of some Spaniards, with Lord Arlington's letter thereon; in which are such strong inculcations of continuing friends.h.i.+p with the Spaniards here, that he doubts he shall be highly discanted on by some persons for granting commissions against them; must beg his Grace to bring him off, or at least that the necessity of this proceeding may be taken into serious debate and then doubts not but true English judges will confirm what he has done." On the other hand he writes to Arlington on 30th July 1667: "Had my abilities suited so well with my wishes as the latter did with your Lords.h.i.+p's, the privateers' attempts had been only practised on the Dutch and French, and the Spaniards free of them, but I had no money to pay them nor frigates to force them; the former they could not get from our declared enemies, nothing could they expect but blows from them, and (as they have often repeated to me) will that pay for new sails and rigging?... (but) will, suitable to your Lords.h.i.+p's directions, as far as I am able, restrain them from further acts of violence towards the Spaniards, unless provoked by new insolences." Yet in the following December the governor tells Albemarle that he has not altered his posture, nor does he intend until further orders. It seems clear that Arlington and Albemarle represented two opposite sets of opinion in the Council.]

[Footnote 267: On 21st December 1671, Morgan in a deposition before the Council of Jamaica gave his age as thirty-six years. (C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, No. 705.)]

[Footnote 268: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1838; Exquemelin, _ed._ 1684, Part II., pp. 79-88. According to Exquemelin the first design of the freebooters had been to cross the island of Cuba in its narrowest part and fall upon Havana. But on receiving advice that the governor had taken measures to defend and provision the city, they changed their minds and marched to Puerto Principe.]

[Footnote 269: The city of Porto Bello with its large commodious harbour afforded a good anchorage and shelter for the annual treasure galleons.

The narrow entrance was secured by the two forts mentioned in the narrative, the St. Jago on the left entering the harbour, and the San Felipe on the right; and within the port was a third called the San Miguel. The town lay at the bottom of the harbour bending round the sh.o.r.e like a half-moon. It was built on low swampy ground and had no walls or defences on the land side. (_Cf._ the descriptions of Wafer and Gage.) The garrison at this time probably did not exceed 300 men.]

[Footnote 270: This statement is confirmed by one of the captains serving under Morgan, who in his account of the expedition says: "After remaining some days ... sickness broke out among the troops, of which we lost half by sickness and fighting." (C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, No. 1.) And in "The Present State of Jamaica, 1683," we read that Morgan brought to the island the plague "that killed my Lady Modyford and others."]

[Footnote 271: Morgan reported, however, that the ransom was offered and paid by the President of Panama. (C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1838.)]

[Footnote 272: Exquemelin, _ed._ 1684, Part II. pp. 89-103.