n of those arms wherewith he had taken with
such vigor so great a city. Captain Morgan received this messenger very
kindly, and with great civility; and gave him a pistol, and a few small
bullets, to carry back to the president his master; telling him, withal,
"he desired him to accept that slender pattern of the arms wherewith he
had taken Puerto Bello, and keep them for a twelvemonth; after which
time he promised to come to Panama, and fetch them away."[9] The
governor returned the present very soon to Captain Morgan, giving him
thanks for the favor 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 labor of coming to Panama, as he had done to
Puerto Bello: for he did assure him, he should not speed so well here,
as he had done there."

After this, Captain Morgan (having provided his fleet with all
necessaries, and taken with him the best guns of the castles, nailing up
the rest) set sail from Puerto Bello with all his ships, and arriving in
a few days at Cuba, he sought out a place wherein he might quickly make
the dividend of their spoil. They found in ready money 250,000
pieces-of-eight, besides other merchandise; as cloth, linen, silks, etc.
With this rich purchase they sailed thence to their common place of
rendezvous, Jamaica. Being arrived, they passed here some time in all
sorts of vices and debaucheries, according to their custom; spending
very prodigally what others had gained with no small labor and toil.

FOOTNOTES:

[8] From _The Buccaneers of America_.

[9] This promise was kept. See The Capture of Panama (footnote).

THE WAYS OF THE BUCCANEERS[10]

JOHN MASEFIELD after JOHN ESQUEMELING

Throughout the years of buccaneering, the buccaneers often put to sea in
canoas and periaguas, just as Drake put to sea in his three pinnaces.
Life in an open boat is far from pleasant, but men who passed their
leisure cutting logwood at Campeachy, or hoeing tobacco in Jamaica, or
toiling over gramma grass under a hot sun after cattle, were not
disposed to make the worst of things. They would sit contentedly upon
the oar bench, rowing with a long, slow stroke for hours together
without showing signs of fatigue. Nearly all of them were men of more
than ordinary strength, and all of them were well accustomed to the
climate. When they had rowed their canoa to the Main they were able to
take it easy till a ship