nths before the departure of Mansfield from
Jamaica, there had returned to Port Royal from a raid in the same region
three privateer captains named Morris, Jackman and Morgan.[255] These
men, with their followers, doubtless helped to swell the ranks of
Mansfield's buccaneers, and it was probably their report of the wealth
of Central America which induced Mansfield to emulate their performance.
In the previous January these three captains, still pretending to sail
under commissions from Lord Windsor, had ascended the river Tabasco, in
the province of Campeache, with 107 men, and guided by Indians made a
detour of 300 miles, according to their account, to Villa de Mosa,[256]
which they took and plundered. When they returned to the mouth of the
river, they found that their ships had been seized by Spaniards, who, on
their approach, attacked them 300 strong. The Spaniards, softened by the
heat and indolent life of the tropics, were no match for one-third their
number of desperadoes, and the buccaneers beat them off without the loss
of a man. The freebooters then fitted up two barques and four canoes,
sailed to Rio Garta and stormed the place with only thirty men; crossed
the Gulf of Honduras to the Island of Roatan to rest and obtain fresh
water, and then captured and plundered the port of Truxillo. Down the
Mosquito Coast they passed like a devouring flame, consuming all in
their path. Anchoring in Monkey Bay, they ascended the San Juan River in
canoes for a distance of 100 miles to Lake Nicaragua. The basin into
which they entered they described as a veritable paradise, the air cool
and wholesome, the shores of the lake full of green pastures and broad
savannahs dotted with horses and cattle, and round about all a coronal
of azure mountains. Hiding by day among the numerous islands and rowing
all night, on the fifth night they landed near the city of Granada, just
a year before Mansfield's visit to the place. The buccaneers marched
unobserved to the central square of the city, overturned eighteen cannon
mounted there, seized the magazine, and took and imprisoned in the
cathedral 300 of the citizens. They plundered for sixteen hours, then
released their prisoners, and taking the precaution to scuttle all the
boats, made their way back to the sea coast. The town was large and
pleasant, containing seven churches besides several colleges and
monasteries, and most of the buildings were constructed of stone. About
1000 Indians, d