advice of their arrival, and of the
hostilities they committed, thought it his duty to meet them with a body
of men. His coming caused the pirates to retire suddenly, seeing the
whole country was alarmed, and that their designs were known, and
consequently defeated at that time. Hereupon, they returned to St.
Catherine's, to visit the hundred men they left in garrison there. The
governor of these men was a Frenchman, named Le Sieur Simon, who behaved
himself very well in that charge, while Mansvelt was absent, having put
the great island in a very good posture of defence, and the little one
he had caused to be cultivated with many fertile plantations, sufficient
to revictual the whole fleet, not only for the present, but also for a
new voyage. Mansvelt was very much bent to keep the two islands in
perpetual possession, being very commodiously situated for the pirates;
being so near the Spanish dominions, and easily defended.

Hereupon, Mansvelt determined to return to Jamaica, to send recruits to
St. Catherine's, that in case of an invasion the pirates might be
provided for a defence. As soon as he arrived, he propounded his
intentions to the governor there, who rejected his propositions, fearing
to displease his master, the king of England; besides, that giving him
the men he desired, and necessaries, he must of necessity diminish the
forces of that island, whereof he was governor. Hereupon, Mansvelt,
knowing that of himself he could not compass his designs, he went to
Tortuga; but there, before he could put in execution what was intended,
death surprised him, and put a period to his wicked life, leaving all
things in suspense till the occasion I shall hereafter relate.

Le Sieur Simon, governor of St. Catherine's, receiving no news from
Mansvelt, his admiral, was impatiently desirous to know the cause
thereof: meanwhile, Don John Perez de Guzman, being newly come to the
government of Costa Rica, thought it not convenient for the interest of
Spain for that island to be in the hands of the pirates: hereupon, he
equipped a considerable fleet, which he sent to retake it; but before he
used violence, he writ a letter to Le Sieur Simon, telling him, that if
he would surrender the island to his Catholic Majesty, he should be very
well rewarded; but, in case of refusal, severely punished, when he had
forced him to do it. Le Sieur Simon, seeing no probability of being able
to defend it alone, nor any emolument that by so doin