nd asked of
them a boat and twenty men to return to Campeche and assault the ship
that was in the river, from which he had escaped fourteen days before.
They readily granted his request, and equipped him a boat with the said
number of men. With this small company he set forth for the execution of
his design, which he bravely performed eight days after he separated
from his comrades; for being arrived at the river of Campeche, with
undaunted courage he assaulted the ship before mentioned. Those that
were on board were persuaded that Bartholomew's was a boat from the land
that came to bring goods, and therefore were not on their defence. So
the pirates assaulted them without any fear of ill success, and in a
short space of time compelled the Spaniards to surrender.

Being now masters of the ship, they immediately weighed anchor and set
sail, determining to fly from the port, lest they should be pursued by
other vessels. This they did with extreme joy, seeing themselves
possessors of such a brave ship--especially Bartholomew Portugues, their
captain, who now, by a second turn of fortune's wheel, was become rich
and powerful again, who had been so lately in that same vessel a poor
miserable prisoner, and condemned to the gallows. With this plunder he
designed to do great things, for he had found in the vessel a great
quantity of rich merchandise. Thus he continued his voyage towards
Jamaica for four days. But coming nigh to the isle of Pino, on the south
side of the island of Cuba, fortune suddenly turned her back once more,
never to show him her countenance again; for a horrible storm arising at
sea caused the ship to split against the rocks, and it was totally lost,
and Bartholomew, with his companions, escaped in a canoe.

In this manner he arrived in Jamaica, where he remained but a short
time, till he was ready to seek his fortune anew. But from that day of
disaster it was always ill-luck with him.

_THE RETURN OF THE FRENCH FREEBOOTERS_[29]

IN January, 1688, the daring band of French pirates who, sometimes
alone, sometimes in company with English captains, had been cruising in
the South Seas, resolved to return to St. Domingo with all the treasure
they had won from the Spaniards. But it was manifest that this return
would be a matter of great difficulty. They had not one seaworthy vessel
left in which to set out for a long voyage, and, with forces exhausted
by the frightful hardships they had gone through