er circumstances he desired to know. After
every question they made him a thousand menaces to kill him, if he
declared not the truth. Then they advanced to the city, carrying the
said sentinel bound before them: having marched about a quarter of a
league, they came to the castle near the city, which presently they
closely surrounded, so that no person could get either in or out.

Being posted under the walls of the castle, Captain Morgan commanded the
sentinel, whom they had taken prisoner, to speak to those within,
charging them to surrender to his discretion; otherwise they should all
be cut in pieces, without quarter. But disregarding these threats, they
began instantly to fire, which alarmed the city; yet notwithstanding,
though the governor and soldiers of the said castle made as great
resistance as could be, they were forced to surrender. Having taken the
castle, Morgan resolved to be as good as his word, putting the Spaniards
to the sword, thereby to strike a terror into the rest of the city.
Whereupon, having shut up all the soldiers and officers as prisoners
into one room, they set fire to the powder (whereof they found great
quantity) and blew up the castle into the air, with all the Spaniards
that were within. This done, they pursued the course of their victory,
falling upon the city, which as yet was not ready to receive them. Many
of the inhabitants cast their precious jewels and money into wells and
cisterns, or hid them in places underground, to avoid as much as
possible, being totally robbed. One of the party of pirates, assigned to
this purpose, ran immediately to the cloisters, and took as many
religious men and women as they could find. The governor of the city,
not being able to rally the citizens, through their great confusion,
retired to one of the castles remaining, and thence fired incessantly at
the pirates: but these were not in the least negligent either to assault
him, or defend themselves, so that amidst the horror of the assault,
they made very few shots in vain; for aiming with great dexterity at the
mouths of the guns, the Spaniards were certain to lose one or two men
every time they charged each gun anew.

The fight continued very furious from break of day till noon; indeed,
about this time of the day the case was very dubious which party should
conquer, or be conquered. At last, the pirates perceiving they had lost
many men, and yet advanced but little towards gaining either this, or
t