Read Online The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen by Cate Ludlow - Free Book Online
Authors: Cate Ludlow
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the freebooters, he ought to oppose a bravado to such imminent danger. He therefore sent one of his prisoners to the Spanish admiral, to demand twenty thousand piasters for the ransom of Maracäibo, which was in his possession. In case of a refusal, he should proceed to burn that city and cut all his prisoners to pieces.
Such unexpected insolence disconcerted the Spaniards; whose commander, Don Alphonso del Campo y Espinola, sent him a formal answer, in which he frankly told Morgan that he had been sent to chastise the freebooters;– that the moment was now arrived when he (Morgan) saw it was impossible for him to escape with his fleet, – that nevertheless, if he would restore all the plunder he had taken, both in gold, silver, jewels, and merchandise, and would surrender up all his prisoners, including the slaves, he would allow him to retire peaceably; but that, in case of a refusal, all the freebooters should be exterminated; and that his fate was so much the more inevitable, as his brave soldiers were desirous of nothing more than to avenge the cruelties which the corsairs had inflicted on their countrymen. With regard to the article of ransom, Don Alphonso verbally replied as follows, by means of the messenger: ‘Tell Morgan, that I will pay him the ransom he demands only with shot; and that I charge myself with the bringing of that kind of currency.’
Such an answer had been expected by Morgan, who had formed his determination in consequence. As soon as the messenger returned, he convened his comrades in the square of Maracäibo, to whom he communicated the commander’s letter and verbal reply, and then asked them,– ‘Will you purchase your liberty by the sacrifice of all your plunder? Or would you rather fight in defence of it?’ They all unanimously declared that they would fight to the very last drop of their blood, rather than give up, in such a cowardly manner, what had cost them so many dangers. But when they had reflected fasting upon their situation, and had coolly compared their strength with the forces of their adversaries, this effusion of enthusiasm subsided a little. Never before had any company or body of freebooters been placed in such critical circumstances, in which their courage was paralysed, and in which they could neither foresee nor expect a favourable conclusion. On the following day, therefore, they authorized their captain to submit these proposals to the Spanish admiral:– ‘The freebooters offer to evacuate the Maracäibo, without committing any damage to the city, and without insisting further on the ransom; and at the same time to set at liberty all the prisoners, half the slaves, and the hostages they had brought from Gibraltar as securities for the contributions promised.’
These proposals were contemptuously rejected by Don Alphonso, who left the pirates only two days to accept his first capitulation. If they persisted in refusing it, they should experience all his power: it only remained for the pirates to make their choice between a shameful retreat, preceded by the restitution of all their booty, and a mortal engagement.
From this moment Morgan excited all his brave companions in arms to the most persevering activity. He ordered all his hostages, prisoners, and slaves to be secured, and carefully watched: next he ordered all the pitch, tar, and sulphur he had, to be collected together, as well as all the gunpowder he could spare, in order to convert one of his largest vessels into a fire-ship; whither he directed all his combustibles to be conveyed. He formed various masses of pitch and sulphur, mixed with tar and powder, and proper to be shot; and took every possible measure to give the greatest effect to these extraordinary expedients. The side planks of the ships were prepared on the inside in such a manner that they would burst and shiver to pieces: there was not a single stratagem that he did not conceive, in order to conceal both the nature and extent of his
Such unexpected insolence disconcerted the Spaniards; whose commander, Don Alphonso del Campo y Espinola, sent him a formal answer, in which he frankly told Morgan that he had been sent to chastise the freebooters;– that the moment was now arrived when he (Morgan) saw it was impossible for him to escape with his fleet, – that nevertheless, if he would restore all the plunder he had taken, both in gold, silver, jewels, and merchandise, and would surrender up all his prisoners, including the slaves, he would allow him to retire peaceably; but that, in case of a refusal, all the freebooters should be exterminated; and that his fate was so much the more inevitable, as his brave soldiers were desirous of nothing more than to avenge the cruelties which the corsairs had inflicted on their countrymen. With regard to the article of ransom, Don Alphonso verbally replied as follows, by means of the messenger: ‘Tell Morgan, that I will pay him the ransom he demands only with shot; and that I charge myself with the bringing of that kind of currency.’
Such an answer had been expected by Morgan, who had formed his determination in consequence. As soon as the messenger returned, he convened his comrades in the square of Maracäibo, to whom he communicated the commander’s letter and verbal reply, and then asked them,– ‘Will you purchase your liberty by the sacrifice of all your plunder? Or would you rather fight in defence of it?’ They all unanimously declared that they would fight to the very last drop of their blood, rather than give up, in such a cowardly manner, what had cost them so many dangers. But when they had reflected fasting upon their situation, and had coolly compared their strength with the forces of their adversaries, this effusion of enthusiasm subsided a little. Never before had any company or body of freebooters been placed in such critical circumstances, in which their courage was paralysed, and in which they could neither foresee nor expect a favourable conclusion. On the following day, therefore, they authorized their captain to submit these proposals to the Spanish admiral:– ‘The freebooters offer to evacuate the Maracäibo, without committing any damage to the city, and without insisting further on the ransom; and at the same time to set at liberty all the prisoners, half the slaves, and the hostages they had brought from Gibraltar as securities for the contributions promised.’
These proposals were contemptuously rejected by Don Alphonso, who left the pirates only two days to accept his first capitulation. If they persisted in refusing it, they should experience all his power: it only remained for the pirates to make their choice between a shameful retreat, preceded by the restitution of all their booty, and a mortal engagement.
From this moment Morgan excited all his brave companions in arms to the most persevering activity. He ordered all his hostages, prisoners, and slaves to be secured, and carefully watched: next he ordered all the pitch, tar, and sulphur he had, to be collected together, as well as all the gunpowder he could spare, in order to convert one of his largest vessels into a fire-ship; whither he directed all his combustibles to be conveyed. He formed various masses of pitch and sulphur, mixed with tar and powder, and proper to be shot; and took every possible measure to give the greatest effect to these extraordinary expedients. The side planks of the ships were prepared on the inside in such a manner that they would burst and shiver to pieces: there was not a single stratagem that he did not conceive, in order to conceal both the nature and extent of his
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