Part 12 (1/2)

The cruelties of the buccaneers at Porto Bello are confirmed by a letter from John Style to the Secretary of State, complaining of the disorder and injustice reigning in Jamaica. He writes: ”It is a common thing among the privateers, besides burning with matches and such like slight torments, to cut a man in pieces, first some flesh, then a hand, an arm, a leg, sometimes tying a cord about his head and with a stick twisting it till the eyes shot out, which is called 'woolding.' Before taking Puerto Bello, thus some were used, because they refused to discover a way into the town which was not, and many in the town because they would not discover wealth they knew not of. A woman there was by some set bare upon a baking stone and roasted because she did not confess of money which she had only in their conceit; this he heard some declare with boasting, and one that was sick confess with sorrow.” (C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, No. 138.)

Modyford writes concerning the booty got at Porto Bello, that the business cleared each privateer 60, and ”to himself they gave only 20 for their commission, which never exceeded 300.” (C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, No. 103.) But it is very probable that the buccaneers did not return a full account of the booty to the governor, for it was a common complaint that they plundered their prizes and hid the spoil in holes and creeks along the coast so as to cheat the government of its tenths and fifteenths levied on all condemned prize-goods.]

[Footnote 273: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, No. 1838.]

[Footnote 274: C.S.P. Colon., 1661-68, Nos. 1863, 1867, 1892.]

[Footnote 275: Ibid., No. 1867; Beeston's Journal, 15th October 1668.]

[Footnote 276: Ibid., C.S.P. Colon., 1674-76, Addenda, No. 1207.]

[Footnote 277: Exquemelin gives a French version of the episode, according to which the commander of the ”Cour Volant” had given bills of exchange upon Jamaica and Tortuga for the provisions he had taken out of the English s.h.i.+p; but Morgan, because he could not prevail on the French captain to join his proposed expedition, used this merely as a pretext to seize the s.h.i.+p for piracy. The ”Cour Volant,” turned into a privateer and called the ”Satisfaction,” was used by Morgan as his flags.h.i.+p in the expedition against Panama.]

[Footnote 278: According to Exquemelin the booty amounted to 250,000 crowns in money and jewels, besides merchandise and slaves. Modyford, however, wrote that the buccaneers received only 30 per man.]

[Footnote 279: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, No. 1; S.P. Spain, vol. 54, f.

118; vol. 55, f. 177.]

[Footnote 280: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 227, 578.]

[Footnote 281: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, No. 129.]

[Footnote 282: Ibid., No. 149.

In 1666 the Consejo de Almirantazgo of Flanders had offered the government to send its frigates to the Indies to pursue and punish the buccaneers, and protect the coasts of Spanish America; and in 1669 similar proposals were made by the ”armadores” or owners of corsairing vessels in the seaport towns of Biscay. Both offers were refused, however, because the government feared that such privileges would lead to commercial abuses infringing on the monopoly of the Seville merchants. Duro, _op. cit._, V. p. 169.]

[Footnote 283: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 113, 161, 162, 172, 182, 264, 280.]

[Footnote 284: Ibid., Nos. 207, 211, 227, 240.]

[Footnote 285: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 207, 209-212, 226.]

[Footnote 286: Ibid., No. 194.]

[Footnote 287: Ibid., No. 237.]

[Footnote 288: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74; Nos. 310, 359, 504; Exquemelin, _ed._ 1684, Pt. III. pp. 3-7; Add. MSS., 13,964, f. 24.]

[Footnote 289: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 293, 310.]

[Footnote 290: S.P. Spain, vol. 57, ff. 48, 53.]

[Footnote 291: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 293, 310; Add. MSS., 13,964, f. 26. The Spaniards estimated their loss at 100,000 pieces of eight.

(Add. MSS. 11,268, f. 51.)]

[Footnote 292: C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 310, 359, 504. In a report sent by Governor Modyford to England (_ibid._, No. 704, I.) we find a list of the vessels under command of Henry Morgan, with the name, captain, tonnage, guns and crew of each s.h.i.+p. There were twenty-eight English vessels of from 10 to 140 tons and from zero to 20 guns, carrying from 16 to 140 men; the French vessels were eight in number, of from 25 to 100 tons, with from 2 to 14 guns, and carrying from 30 to 110 men.]

[Footnote 293: Ibid., No. 504. According to Exquemelin, before the fleet sailed all the officers signed articles regulating the disposal of the booty. It was stipulated that Admiral Morgan should have the hundredth part of all the plunder, ”that every captain should draw the shares of eight men, for the expenses of his s.h.i.+p, besides his own; that the surgeon besides his ordinary pay should have two hundred pieces of eight, for his chest of medicaments; and every carpenter above his ordinary salary, should draw one hundred pieces of eight. As to recompenses and rewards they were regulated in this voyage much higher than was expressed in the first part of this book. For the loss of both legs they a.s.signed one thousand five hundred pieces of eight or fifteen slaves, the choice being left to the election of the party; for the loss of both hands, one thousand eight hundred pieces of eight or eighteen slaves; for one leg, whether the right or left, six hundred pieces of eight or six slaves; for a hand as much as for a leg, and for the loss of an eye, one hundred pieces of eight or one slave. Lastly, unto him that in any battle should signalize himself, either by entering the first any castle, or taking down the Spanish colours and setting up the English, they const.i.tuted fifty pieces of eight for a reward. In the head of these articles it was stipulated that all these extraordinary salaries, recompenses and rewards should be paid out of the first spoil or purchase they should take, according as every one should then occur to be either rewarded or paid.”]

[Footnote 294: Sir James Modyford, who, after the capture of Providence by Mansfield in 1666, had been commissioned by the king as lieutenant-governor of the island, now bestirred himself, and in May 1671 appointed Colonel Blodre Morgan (who commanded the rear-guard at the battle of Panama) to go as deputy-governor and take possession.

Modyford himself intended to follow with some settlers shortly after, but the attempt at colonization seems to have failed. (C.S.P. Colon., 1669-74, Nos. 494, 534, 613.)]