But the President of Panama, by these transactions, was
brought into an extreme admiration, considering that four hundred men
had been able to take such a great city, with so many strong castles;
especially seeing they had no pieces of cannon, nor other great guns,
wherewith to raise batteries against them. And what was more, knowing
that the citizens of Porto Bello had always great repute of being good
soldiers themselves, and who had never wanted courage in their own
defence. This astonishment was so great, that it occasioned him, for to
be satisfied therein, to send a messenger unto Captain Morgan, desiring
him to send him some small pattern of those arms wherewith he had taken
with such violence so great a city. Captain Morgan received this
messenger very kindly, and treated him with great civility. Which being
done, he gave him a pistol and a few small bullets of lead, to carry
back unto the President, his Master, telling him withal: 'He desired him
to accept that slender pattern of the arms wherewith he had taken Porto
Bello and keep them for a twelvemonth; after which time he promised to
come to Panama and fetch them away.' The governor of Panama returned the
present very soon unto Captain Morgan, giving him thanks for the favour
of lending him such weapons as he needed not, and withal sent him a ring
of gold, with this message: 'That he desired him not to give himself the
labour of coming to Panama, as he had done to Porto Bello; for he did
certify unto him, he should not speed so well here as he had done
there.'

"After these transactions, Captain Morgan (having provided his fleet
with all necessaries, and taken with him the best guns of the castles,
nailing the rest which he could not carry away) set sail from Porto
Bello with all his ships. With these he arrived in a few days unto the
Island of Cuba, where he sought out a place wherein with all quiet and
repose he might make the dividend of the spoil they had gotten. They
found in ready money two hundred and fifty thousand pieces of eight,
besides all other merchandises, as cloth, linen, silks and other goods.
With this rich purchase they sailed again from thence unto their common
place of rendezvous, Jamaica. Being arrived, they passed here some time
in all sorts of vices and debauchery, according to their common manner
of doing, spending with huge prodigality what others had gained with no
small labour and toil."[272]

Morgan and his officers, on their ret