On the seventh day they crossed the river and reached Cruces, the head of navigation of the Chagres River, and beheld the city in flames. Here they found some wine, one sack of bread and some dogs and cats, which they ate and drank. Then they were taken sick; and Morgan laid it to the wine, which was a happy thought.
On the eighth day they repulsed an Indian ambuscade near by, and lost ten men. Before they left, they were caught in a rainstorm, which was more serious. As they had no houses for shelter, they put the ammunition in holes and cellars of the destroyed houses to keep it dry while they themselves passed the night taking a shower bath.
On the ninth day they pushed on and reached El Cerro de los Filibusteros, and took their first look at the Pacific Ocean. Here they found droves of horses, mules, oxen, etc., and ate them. Spanish cavalry appeared often, but upon seeing the pirates, crossed themselves and withdrew, not wishing to be fired upon or touched by such a horde of unholy tramps. Where was Don Juan P. de G., P. of P., N. G.? At prayers where good men love to be. He thought he had the faith that confoundeth the enemy, forgetting that there is no faith without deeds. In the meantime Morgan’s men took a good sleep and recuperated.
On the tenth day Morgan abandoned the regular road which the watchers and waiters had prepared to defend with cannon, and made a new road and appeared on a hill that was separated from the city by a plain. Here the Panamanians assembled 400 horse, 2,400 foot soldiers and 2,000 head of cattle, males and females, to resist the buccaneers.
The cavalry ran out at Morgan, floundered about on the boggy plain and retired. The cattle then were shoved at him, but they were no braver than the cavalry and were stampeded back into the Panamanian lines, causing great slaughter. The main body was then flanked by Morgan’s left wing and promptly routed. Time, two hours. Casualties, 600 Panamanians left dead on the field, and many pirates sent to Satan.
Don Juan N. G. then had the town set on fire, and it slowly burned down. Indeed, Don Juan played the Muscovite game from beginning to end. But Morgan was only fifty miles from his base, with which he had already established communication, and was not now in danger of starving or freezing. In fact, it is thought by some authorities that Morgan started the fire. Anyway the fire burned. Morgan looked down from the hill and said, “Let her burn.” Don Juan looked up from the flames and said, “Let us pray.”
Then Morgan rode down and made his promised call. He and his fiendish followers staid in what was left of Panama for four months, plundering the surrounding country and ravishing the women. He held as many prominent persons as he could for ransom, and also tortured many to make them divulge the hiding places of valuables. He took what vessels he found in the port and scoured the South Sea for many miles. He captured a few stray ships, but the galleon upon which the greatest valuables had been placed escaped him. He then returned to Fort San Lorenzo with his booty and gave each of the surviving pirates $400, pretending to divide equally with them. The pirates accused him of keeping the greater part of the treasures and thought themselves poorly paid for the work they had done and the risks they had run. Those who were sent to Satan were the only ones whose rewards were in keeping with the character of their work.
Having failed to get a ransom for the castle of Chagres, he demolished some of its walls and set sail secretly for Jamaica, leaving the majority of his men behind, and almost as poor as before the expedition. God did not help Don Juan, but he hit the pirates hard. Few men would be willing to do so much dangerous work for so little pay. There certainly were and are many honest occupations available, even for the most ignorant men, that pay better in the end than trying to obtain by sword cuts or short cuts, what belongs to others. But everything has to be tried and exploited in this immature world, and Henry Morgan did pioneer work. As a reward for this, Henry was made a Sir and appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, and the island has ever since been a victim of the four elements. These were golden days for buccaneers, for they were not only tolerated at Jamaica but were licensed by Great Britain to rob and kill Spanish men and women, and to spend the money and sell the jewels at British ports.
A paragraph from John Evelyn’s diary tells the story:
“1698, 6 Aug.—I dined with Mr. Pepys, where was Capt. Dampier, who had been a famous Buccaneer, had brought hither the painted Prince Job, and printed a relation of his very strange adventure, and his observations. He was now going abroad again by the King’s encouragement, who furnished a ship of 290 tons. He seemed a more modest man than one would imagine by the relation of the crew he has assorted with.”