ight if they forced him to it. He ordered a careful watch to
be kept aboard every vessel till morning, they being almost within shot,
as well as within sight of the enemy. The day dawning, they weighed
anchor, and sailed again, steering directly towards the Spaniards; who
seeing them move, did instantly the same. The fire-ship sailing before
the rest fell presently upon the great ship, and grappled her; which the
Spaniards (too late) perceiving to be a fire-ship, they attempted to put
her off, but in vain: for the flame seizing her timber and tackling,
soon consumed all the stern, the fore part sinking into the sea, where
she perished. The second Spanish ship perceiving the admiral to burn,
not by accident, but by industry of the enemy, escaped towards the
castle, where the Spaniards themselves sunk her, choosing to lose their
ship rather than to fall into the hands of those pirates. The third,
having no opportunity to escape, was taken by the pirates. The seamen
that sunk the second ship near the castle, perceiving the pirates come
towards them to take what remains they could find of their shipwreck
(for some part was yet above water), set fire also to this vessel, that
the pirates might enjoy nothing of that spoil. The first ship being set
on fire, some of the persons in her swam towards the shore; these
pirates would have taken up in their boats, but they would not ask or
take quarter, choosing rather to lose their lives than receive them from
their hands, for reasons which I shall relate.

[Illustration: "'THE FIRE-SHIP, SAILING BEFORE THE REST, FELL PRESENTLY
UPON THE GREAT SHIP'"--_Page 158_]

The pirates being extremely glad at this signal victory so soon
obtained, and with so great an inequality of forces, conceived greater
pride than they had before, and all presently ran ashore, intending to
take the castle. This they found well provided with men, cannon, and
ammunition, they having no other arms than muskets, and a few hand
granadoes: their own artillery they thought incapable, for its
smallness, of making any considerable breach in the walls. Thus they
spent the rest of the day, firing at the garrison with their muskets,
till the dusk of the evening, when they attempted to advance nearer the
walls, to throw in their fire-balls: but the Spaniards resolving to sell
their lives as dear as they could, fired so furiously at them, that they
having experimented the obstinacy of the enemy, and seeing thirty of
thei