CHAPTER IV
THE SACKING OF MARACAIBO
“But I thought Morgan was Governor of Jamaica and a ‘Sir,’ ” said Jack.
“He was. I’m coming to that presently,” replied his father. “Of course, Morgan, having taken Porto Bello and thus won the greatest fame, buccaneers flocked to him, begging for a chance to join him on his next expedition. Indeed, he could have easily raised a force of several thousand men, but Morgan, despite his faults, was a wise man, a born leader and an experienced buccaneer and he knew that too large a force would be a disadvantage. But realizing that he could command any number of ships and men, he foresaw the possibility of accomplishing such feats as no buccaneer had ever before undertaken. Naming the Island of La Vaca, or Cow Island, south of Santo Domingo, as a rendezvous, Morgan and his old captains set sail and there awaited the coming of the buccaneers. And from every lair they flocked to his standard. French and English, [[65]]Dutch and Danes, from Tortuga Samaná, the Virgins and the Caymans, they sped to join their fortunes with Morgan. Even the Governor of Jamaica sent forth a ship, a brand-new vessel from New England mounting thirty-six guns, the largest buccaneer ship that had ever borne down upon the hapless Dons. Next in size to her was a French ship, a vessel of twenty-four iron guns and twelve brass carronades which happened to be lying at anchor at the island. Upon her Morgan cast envious eyes and used every argument to induce her captain to join with him. The French, however, were distrustful of the English and flatly refused. And then the redoubtable Morgan showed his teeth and proved himself the cowardly, underhand, treacherous rascal that he was in reality. It seemed that some time previously this big French vessel had been short of provision at sea and, meeting a British buccaneer, had secured supplies, giving in payment not ready cash but bills of exchange on Jamaica and Tortuga. Knowing of this, Morgan, finding he could not induce the French captain to join him, seized upon the incident as a means to carry out his nefarious ends. Inviting the French commander and his officers to dine aboard his ship, Morgan received them hospitably, [[66]]but no sooner were they seated than he and his men whipped out pistols, seized the Frenchmen and bound them as prisoners. Stating that he had seized them as pirates for having taken provisions from a British ship without pay, he informed the unhappy Frenchmen that he intended to hang them and to confiscate their ship as warning to others. But fate intervened and brought a just and speedy retribution upon Morgan and his men for their treacherous act. Having thus possessed himself of the French flagship, Morgan called a council at which it was agreed to go to Saona Island and wait for the plate fleet from Spain. Then, as usual, the buccaneers boarded their ships and held a farewell feast in celebration of their coming voyage, drinking, carousing and, as was customary, discharging their guns in salute to one another. Half drunk, hilarious and careless, the men did not notice that a gun discharged upon the big flagship of the fleet dropped a bit of smoldering wadding onto the deck. There was a terrific explosion and the vessel was blown to bits, destroying three hundred and fifty English buccaneers and the unfortunate French prisoners who were confined in the hold. Only thirty members of the crew, including Morgan, escaped, they [[67]]having been within the cabin at the high poop of the vessel and away from the main force of the explosion.
“But instead of being a wholesome lesson to Morgan and his fellows, this accident only enraged them, and, claiming that their ship had been blown up by the French prisoners—despite the fact that they were manacled and far from the magazine—they at once seized all the French ships in the harbor and sent them with their crews as prisoners to Jamaica, with word that they had been found with papers authorizing them to commit piracy against the British. In reality the papers were merely permits from the Governor of Barracoa permitting the French to trade in Spanish ports and to ‘cruise against English pirates,’ the clause being inserted as a cloak to cover the reason for the permits. But despite their protests and the fact that they had repeatedly aided the English buccaneers against the Dons, Morgan’s influence was such that the Frenchmen were imprisoned and several were hanged when they reached Jamaica.
“Morgan’s brutality was still further shown when, eight days after the explosion, he sent out boats to gather up the bodies of the buccaneers [[68]]which were now floating about, not, as Esquemeling assures us, ‘with the design of affording them Christian burial, but only to obtain the spoil of their clothes and attire.’ Rings were cut from their dead fingers, earrings torn from their ears, their weapons and garments stripped from the corpses and the naked bodies cast back for the sharks. Then, the loot from their dead comrades having been auctioned off, the buccaneers set sail with fifteen ships—the largest carrying fourteen guns—and nine hundred and sixty men.
“Sending some of his ships and men to plunder the farms and villages of Santo Domingo for provisions and cattle, Morgan continued to Saona. But his men met with reverses on the island, many of the buccaneers were killed, and though they escaped they were empty-handed and dared not return to Morgan with their tale of reverses. Impatient at the delay, Morgan at last decided to go on without them, and, with his fleet reduced to eight ships and a force of five hundred men, he started for the Gulf of Maracaibo.
“Since it had been looted by L’Ollonois, Maracaibo and its neighboring city of Gibraltar had prospered and grown immensely rich, the fortifications had been greatly strengthened and a Spanish [[69]]fleet was constantly cruising near to prevent raids by the buccaneers. Arriving off the port at night, Morgan drew close to the harbor bar unseen and opened fire at daybreak. From morn until night the battle raged until, feeling that they could not hold out another day, the garrison evacuated the fort at nightfall and left a slow match leading to the magazine in the hopes of blowing up the buccaneers if they entered. In this they were very nearly successful, but Morgan himself discovered the burning fuse and stamped it out when within six inches of the explosives.
“Finding his ships could not enter the shallow harbor, Morgan embarked in boats and canoes and after terrific fighting silenced one fort after another and took the town. Then began an awful scene of butchery and torture. All that L’Ollonois had done in the stricken town before was repeated a hundredfold. The people, rounded up and shackled, were broken on the wheel, torn to pieces on the rack, spread-eagled and flogged to a pulp. Burning fuses were placed between their fingers and toes. Wet rawhide thongs were twisted about their heads and allowed to dry until, as they shrunk, the wretches’ eyes burst from their skulls and many were cut to pieces a bit at a time or [[70]]flayed alive. Those who had no treasures whose hiding place they could divulge died under their torments, and those who confessed were too far gone to recover. For three terrible weeks this awful work went on, the buccaneers sparing neither young nor old, men, women or children, and daily scouring the countryside to bring new victims to the torture chambers. Then, satisfied he had every cent that it was possible to secure, Morgan loaded his remaining prisoners on his ships and sailed for Gibraltar as L’Ollonois had done. He had sent prisoners ahead, demanding the surrender of the town and threatening to torture and butcher every living soul if resistance were made, but notwithstanding this the inhabitants and the garrison put up a stiff fight. Finding he could not take the place by assault, Morgan started his men overland through the woods, and the people, realizing the buccaneers would take the place, fled with what valuables they could gather into the country, first having spiked the guns and destroyed the powder in the forts. As a result the buccaneers entered the city without a shot fired and found no living soul save one half-witted man. Despite the fact that he was a demented, helpless creature the buccaneers ruthlessly [[71]]placed him on the rack until he begged for mercy and promised to guide his tormentors to his riches. Following him, they were led to a tumble-down house containing nothing of any value with the exception of three pieces of eight—all the poor man’s earthly possessions. The buccaneers, however, had gotten a crazy idea that the fellow was a rich man masquerading as a dunce, and when in reply to their question he announced that his name was ‘Don Sebastian Sanchez’ and ‘I am brother to the Governor,’ instead of being convinced that he was crazy, the buccaneers believed his ridiculous words and tortured him anew. Despite his shrieks and heart-rending appeals he was racked, his limbs were stretched by cords passed over pulleys and with immense weights attached to them, he was scorched to a crisp by burning palm leaves passed over his face and body, and not till the miserable wretch had died after half an hour of this fiendish torment did the buccaneers cease their efforts to wring from him the secret of his supposed wealth.