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Title: The Pirates of Panama
or, The Buccaneers of America; a True Account of the Famous Adventures and Daring Deeds of Sir Henry Morgan and Other Notorious Freebooters of the Spanish Main
Author: A. O. (Alexandre Olivier) Exquemelin
Editor: George Alfred Williams
Release Date: September 23, 2008 [eBook #26690]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE PIRATES OF PANAMA
PIRATES OF
PANAMA OR THE BUCCANEERS OF AMERICA
OF THE FAMOUS ADVENTURES AND DARING DEEDS OF SIR HENRY MORGAN
AND OTHER NOTORIOUS FREEBOOTERS OF THE SPANISH MAIN BY JOHN ESQUEMELING
EDITED AND ILLUSTRATED BY
GEORGE ALFRED WILLIAMS
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Frederick A. Stokes Company
All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages.
Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. The Introduction—The Author sets forth for the Western Islands, in the service of the West India Company of France—They meet with an English frigate, and arrive at the Island of Tortuga 1
CHAPTER II. A description of Tortuga—The fruits and plants there—How the French first settled there, at two several times, and forced out the Spaniards—The Author twice sold in the said island 7
CHAPTER III. A description of Hispaniola—Also a relation of the French Buccaneers 19
CHAPTER IV. Original of the most famous pirates of the coasts of America—Famous exploit of Pierre le Grand 34
CHAPTER V. How the pirates arm their vessels, and regulate their voyages 39
CHAPTER VI. Of the origin of Francis Lolonois, and the beginning of his robberies 57
CHAPTER VII. Lolonois equips a fleet to land upon the Spanish islands of America, with intent to rob, sack, and burn whatsoever he met with 63
CHAPTER VIII. Lolonois makes new preparations to take the city of St. James de Leon; as also that of Nicaragua; where he miserably perishes 81
CHAPTER IX. The origin and descent of Captain Henry Morgan—His exploits, and the most remarkable actions of his life 101
CHAPTER X. Of the Island of Cuba—Captain Morgan attempts to preserve the Isle of St. Catherine as a refuge to the nest of pirates; but fails of his design—He arrives at, and takes, the village of El Puerto del Principe 112
CHAPTER XI. Captain Morgan resolving to attack and plunder the City of Puerto Bello, equips a fleet, and with little expense and small forces takes it 123
CHAPTER XII. Captain Morgan takes the City of Maracaibo, on the coast of Neuva Venezuela—Piracies committed in those seas—Ruin of three Spanish ships set forth to hinder the robberies of the pirates 134
CHAPTER XIII. Captain Morgan goes to Hispaniola to equip a new fleet, with intent to pillage again on the coast of the West Indies 170
CHAPTER XIV. What happened in the river De la Hacha 173
CHAPTER XV. Captain Morgan leaves Hispaniola, and goes to St. Catherine's, which he takes 179
CHAPTER XVI. Captain Morgan takes the Castle of Chagre, with four hundred men sent to this purpose from St. Catherine's 187
CHAPTER XVII. Captain Morgan departs from Chagre, at the head of twelve hundred men, to take the city of Panama 195
CHAPTER XVIII. Captain Morgan sends canoes and boats to the South Sea—He fires the city of Panama—Robberies and cruelties committed there by the pirates, till their return to the Castle of Chagre 213 ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE Pierre le Grand commanding the Spanish Captain to surrender the ship 36 "Portugues made the best of his way to del Golpho Triste" 46 "They boarded the ship with great agility" 92 "Lolonois, with those that remained, had much ado to escape aboard their boats" 96 Captain Morgan recruiting his forces 114 "Being come to the place of the duel, the Englishman stabbed the Frenchman in the back" 120 "Morgan commanded the religious men and women to place the ladders against the walls" 128 "They hanged him on a tree" 146 "The fire-ship sailing before the rest fell presently upon the great ship" 158 Morgan dividing the treasure taken at Maracaibo 166 Sacking of Panama—"Morgan re-entered the city with his troops" 214 INTRODUCTION
This volume was originally written in Dutch by John Esquemeling, and first published in Amsterdam in 1678 under the title of De Americaeneche Zee Roovers. It immediately became very popular and this first hand history of the Buccaneers of America was soon translated into the principal European languages. The first English edition was printed in 1684.
Of the author, John Esquemeling, very little is known although it is generally conceded that he was in all probability a Fleming or Hollander, a quite natural supposition as his first works were written in the Dutch language. He came to the island of Tortuga, the headquarters of the Buccaneers, in 1666 in the employ of the French West India Company. Several years later this same company, owing to unsuccessful business arrangements, recalled their representatives to France and gave their officers orders to sell the company's land and all its servants. Esquemeling then a servant of the company was sold to a stern master by whom he was treated with great cruelty. Owing to hard work, poor food and exposure he became dangerously ill, and his master seeing his weak condition and fearing to lose the money Esquemeling had cost him resold him to a surgeon. This new master treated him kindly so that Esquemeling's health was speedily restored, and after one year's service he was set at liberty upon a promise to pay his benefactor, the surgeon, 100 pieces of eight at such a time as he found himself in funds.
Once more a free man he determined to join the pirates and was received into their society and remained with them until 1672. Esquemeling served the Buccaneers in the capacity of barber-surgeon, and was present at all their exploits. Little did he suspect that his first hand observations would some day be cherished as the only authentic and true history of the Buccaneers and Marooners of the Spanish Main.
From time to time new editions of this work have been published, but in many cases much new material, not always authentic, has been added and the result has been to mar the original narrative as set forth by Esquemeling. In arranging this edition, the original English text only has been used, and but few changes made by cutting out the long and tedious description of plant and animal life of the West Indies of which Esquemeling had only a smattering of truth. But, the history of Captain Morgan and his fellow buccaneers is here printed almost identical with the original English translation, and we believe it is the first time this history has been published in a suitable form for the juvenile reader with no loss of interest to the adult.
The world wide attention at this time in the Isthmus of Panama and the great canal connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean lends to this narrative an additional stimulus. Here are set forth the deeds of daring of the wild freebooters in crossing the isthmus to attack the cities, Puerto Bellow and Panama. The sacking and burning of these places accompanied by pillage, fire, and treasure seeking both on land and on sea form exciting reading. The Buccaneers and Marooners of America well deserves a place on the book shelf with those old world-wide favorites Robinson Crusoe and the Swiss Family Robinson.
THE TRANSLATOR TO THE READER (of 1684).
From whence it hath proceeded, that nothing of this kind was ever, as yet, published in England, I cannot easily determine; except, as some will say, from some secret Ragion di Stato. Let the reason be as t'will; this is certain, so much the more we are obliged unto this present Author, who though a stranger unto our Nation, yet with that Candour and Fidelity hath recorded our Actions, as to render the Metal of our true English Valour to be the more believed and feared abroad, than if these things had been divulged by our selves at home. From hence peradventure will other Nations learn, that the English people are of
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