on both sides, without doing any mischief to either. It was to be a war consisting of noise, and fire, and smoke, but in which blood, and wounds, and death, were to have no part. Both parties conducted this farce with singular address, and both commanders acted in character. Morgan wanted booty, and he obtained it; the governor was an arrant coward, and his conduct proved it.

Morgan, having taken possession of the forts and citadel, demolished all the fortifications, and seizing an immense quantity of warlike stores, which he put on board, proceeded onward on his expedition. In his passage he was obliged to attack another fort, which was defended by an officer of a very different character. At this place a real conflict ensued. It was assailed with courage, and defended with bravery; victory seemed for a long time doubtful, and the assailants were on the eve of raising the siege; when nearly at the same time the fort took fire, and its brave defender was killed. These circumstances decided the fate of the garrison and the fate of Panama.

In his progress he met a considerable body of troops who made scarcely any resistance: he therefore entered the city with the utmost ease, as it had been abandoned by its inhabitants on the approach of Morgan. In Panama and its environs, an inconceivable quantity of riches was discovered. Every place of concealment was made a depository of treasure. The wells teemed with wealth; and the caves, which had been unfrequented, abounded' in gold. The boats, which had been negligently abandoned at low water, were made the receptacles of the most valuable articles. The forests, to which the inhabitants had retired, concealed a considerable portion of their riches; but all yielded their stores to these daring invaders.*

On the conduct of Morgan toward the Spaniards on this occasion, historians considerably differ. By some he has been represented as courageous, brave, enterprising, and humane; but by others he has been held up to the hatred and detestation of mankind.

Raynal, among others, says on this occasion, "that the party of Buccaniers who were making excursions into the country, not content with the booty they discovered, exercised the most shocking tortures on the Spaniards, negroes, and Indians, whom they met with, to oblige them to discover where they had secreted their own or their masters' riches. A beggar accidentally going into a castle, that had been deserted through fear, found some apparel, which he put on. He had scarcely dressed himself in this manner, when he was perceived by these pirates, who demanded of him where his gold was. The unfortunate wretch showed them the ragged clothes he had just thrown off. He was nevertheless instantly tortured; but as he made no discovery, he was given up to some slaves who put an end to his life. Thus (continues Raynal) the treasures which the Spaniards had acquired in the New World by massacres and tortures, were restored again in the same manner."

To the wealth which they had thus acquired, they added a vast number of prisoners, who were afterwards ransomed with

Mr. Bryan Edwards, dissenting from this opinion, apologizes for Morgan in the following manner : "The favour extended by the king to Henry Mor gan, the most celebrated of the English Buccaniers (a man indeed of an elevated mind and invincible courage) arose, doubtless, in a great measure from the good understanding [i. e. from the king's having a share in the booty] that prevailed between them in the copartnership that I have mentioned. When the earl of Carlisle returned from Jamaica, Morgan was appointed deputy governor and lieutenant-general in his absence; and proceeding himself at a subsequent period to England, he was received very graciously, and had the honour of knighthood conferred on him by his sovereign. I hope therefore, and indeed have very good reason to believe, that all or most of the heavy accusations which have been brought against this gallant commander, of Outrageous cruelty towards his Spanish captives, had no foundation in truth."

What Mr. Edwards's good reasons are, he has not told us, and therefore we may plead a powerful excuse for not entering into his convictions. That the king received him graciously, and conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, will be readily admitted in point of fact; yet the history of mankind will assure us, that honour and humanity are not always inseparable companions. But especially, if we admit that Charles II. " continued to receive a share of the booty (as Edwards expresses it) even after he had publicly issued orders for the suppression of this species of hostility," we cannot avoid concluding, that he had not learned justice, if he discountenanced inhumanity.

Mr. Brown, in his History of Jamaica, when speaking of the Buccaniers, has the following note, which peculiarly applies to Morgan, in whose favour Mr. Edwards appears to apologize. "Morgan was a native of Wales, and the son of a farmer. He was transported to Barbadoes in the quality of a servant, from whence (after the expiration of his time) he went to Jamaica, and joined the pirates, among whom he was soon distinguished for his superior courage and daring resolution, and in consequence was soon after elected a leader; in which situation he had always behaved with great intrepidity, and was as constantly attended with success. He brought no less than 250,000 pieces of eight from Porto Bello, and as much from Maracaybo and Gibraltar, besides jewels, plate, and slaves to a considerable value. By his expedition to Panama it is computed that he got 400,000 pieces of eight to his own share, and about 200 more for each of his party, at that time near 1200 in

number.

"He left off his courses immediately after this, and became a sober settler and great promoter of industry; he was both an excellent citizen, an happy planter, and in course of time was admitted one of the council, and afterwards knighted, and appointed lieutenant-governor; in which station he behaved with great applause from 1680 to 1682. But when the peace was concluded with the king of Spain, that monarch insisted on his being punished for his former depredations. He was accordingly sent for, and committed to the Tower in 1683-4; where he continued without trial or hearing for three years; at which he could hardly fail of clearing his own character, as he had always acted under commission from the governor of Jamaica, while he continued in that active state of life. But indeed such barbarities as were fre quently committed on these occasions, were not to be authorised or countenanced by any christian power, nor committed by any but such as looked upon themselves as lawless people." Brown's History of Jamaica, p. 4.

Upon the whole, when we consider the occupation of these Buccaniers, the dangers to which they were exposed, the difficulties which they had to sur, mount, in their pursuit of gold, we must pay a compliment to human naturą

more treasure.

Having wrested from the inhabitants by pillage and extortion an immensity of riches, they set fire to the city, and consumed it to ashes. They then departed from a country which they had nearly desolated as well as plundered, and reached the mouth of the Chagre with an almost inconceivable booty. At this place they had proposed to make a division of the spoil, and a day was appointed for this strange administration of justice.

But honour and integrity did not always accompany these adventurers. Morgan, who had planned the expedition, and led on his associates to the spoils which they had attained, began now to lay a scheme for himself. Honesty is not always to be found among thieves. Previous to the division of the spoil, Morgan prepared privately to decamp with what treasure he had on board; and in the night which preceded the day of division he set sail, while his companions were locked up in sleep, and at last arrived with all his wealth at Jamaica. A case so unprecedented in the annals of Buccaniering roused the vengeance of the drowsy pirates. They awoke like furies to pursue the robber who had purloined the prize; and it was only because Morgan was not overtaken, that the wealth which he had embezzled was not made the source of new crimes.

The dishonesty of Morgan, however, tended to enrich the island to which he conducted his ill-gotten wealth. It was a booty

which will impeach our judgments, if we suppose that such men would shudder at an act of inhumanity, with sabres in their hands, with victims before them, and with suspicions that immense treasure lay concealed. A distant removal from the dread of punishment takes off all restraint from the infuriate passions, and justice and humanity are frequently trampled in the dust together. When therefore I contemplate the partnership between king Charles and Morgan, I cannot avoid concluding that they were well met. Each acted his part like true Buccaniers;-Morgan was inhuman, and Charles was unjust.

Mr. Edwards, speaking of the Buccaniers, says, "Of that singular association of adventurers it were to be wished that a more accurate account could be obtained than has hitherto been given." If Mr. Edwards were to change his word accurate for satisfactory or pleasing, I should heartily concur with him in sentiment. The actions of these men present to us a gloomy picture, but I fear that it is just. And the reason why we are dissatisfied with the account is, not because the evidence we have is insufficient to produce conviction, but because it recedes from that standard of justice which as Englishmen we could always wish to see embellishing the actions of our countrymen.

The miseries which had been inflicted upon the unhappy natives by the early Spanish invaders, seem to have been returned to their posterity by the Buc caniers. In the order of Divine providence, wickedness is punished by wickedness. But we see but in part, and we know but in part; the shadows which encircle the justice of God in this life, we cannot penetrate; and therefore we look for another,

which might have laid the foundation of an empire. His vessel was laden with the most valuable articles which a city, that had served as the staple of commerce between the Old and New World, could produce. Other adventurers of less note repaired also to Jamaica with such wealth as they had been able to obtain from the Spaniards. In short, Jamaica was one great depository of the riches which had been taken both by sea and land; the spoils of conquest laid the foundation of her future greatness, and urged her on to that prosperity which at present elevates her to a pinnacle of grandeur, and places her among the most valuable islands of the world.

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While the English were busily engaged in plundering and burning Panama, the French were pursuing the same measures in the pillage of Vera Cruz. Twelve hundred men were gaged in this expedition. They plundered the city, and carried off every thing valuable; and after having shut up the inhabitants in a large church to which they had retired for shelter, and kept them three days without either meat or drink, they obliged them to pay £437,500 as a ransom for their liberties and lives.

On the return of the English and French from these enterprises, the Buccaniers of both nations, stimulated by one common impulse, set off for the pillage of Peru. The successes which had attended these marauders in the ravages of Mexico inspired them with fresh vigour; and, without consulting with each other, they both started at the same time. Some entered by Terra Firma and others passed the straits of Magellan. Peru was the centre of their views, because it was the centre of wealth. About fourteen places abounding in riches were pillaged in these desperate adventures; and wherever the Spaniards made any defence, they were sure to be defeated. They never attempted any resistance unless they could muster about twenty to one Buccanier, and even in this case they were obliged to yield to superior valour.

The cowardice and terror of the inhabitants tended to embolden their invaders, who gained by these circumstances that courage which the natives had lost. The towns which were taken were instantly consumed by fire, unless ransomed at an exorbitant price; and the inhabitants who were the captives of the war were inhumanly murdered, unless they were instantly redeemed. Precious stones, or gold, or pearls, were the only things deemed worthy of acceptance. Silver was too common, and became an useless load; it was an article that would hardly pass in barter either for towns or their inhabitants.

Thus the wealth which had tempted the Spaniards to the commission of the greatest enormities became the source of their own disasters, and procured a punishment for their crimes.

The sufferings of the Indians were retaliated upon their oppres sors; the depredations of the Buccaniers were made the strange administration of justice; and the enormities of Spain were somewhat requited, in a national view, by the calamities which were inflicted on her degenerate sons, both in Mexico and Peru.

But guilt and prosperity are not always inseparable compani ons. The moral government of the universe is locked up in darkness; we discover enough to assure us that it exists, and enough to convince us that it baffles our comprehensions without the doctrine of a future state. These desperadoes, after having marked their footsteps in Peru with blood and ashes, turned their thoughts toward their respective islands. Laden with treasures, fatigued with exertions, and harassed with perpetual conquests, they proceeded by the same routes by which they had entered Peru. Few, however, returned to their nativẹ land. Many fell the just victims of debauchery and intemperance; and innumerable distresses, in the midst of gold, prevented others from ever reaching their native shores.

Many of those who returned by the straits of Magellan were overtaken by storms, and perished in those unfrequented seas. The treasures for which they had ventured their lives met with the same fate, and sunk to the bottom of the remorseless deep. Thus placed beyond the reach of mortals, they can no longer hold out a temptation to avarice, nor kindle in the bosom of the rapacious a thirst for human blood. Many of those who attempted to convey their wealth by the way of Darien, fell into ambuscades which had been laid on purpose to ensnare them, where they in one moment lost their treasure, and found their grave. Neither the English nor the French gained any thing considerable by this desperate undertaking. About 4000 embarked in the enterprise, and but few returned. Both earth and ocean swallowed the adventurers, and even robbed them of their spoils. The wealth which had been accumulated in the ravages of four years, would have made but a poor requital for the loss which the islands sustained in their bravest inhabitants, had it reached their shores. The loss was certain and irretrievable, which no power could recover, which no wealth could buy.

Before we take our leave of this singular association of men, it is but just to remark that honour had not entirely deserted their breasts. Of this truth their history affords us many remarkable instances, which we cannot contemplate without the liveliest emotions of admiration and astonishment. Let the following narration serve as a specimen.

The Spanish merchants, finding all their efforts ineffectual,

VOL. I.

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