e
himself in this general rout; for he fled betimes half-naked, leaving
his wife behind, a young lady of about seventeen, to whom he had
only been married three or four days; yet she also was carried off
half-naked, by a couple of centinels, just as our detachment, ordered
to invest the house, arrived for that purpose. This escape of
the governor was an unpleasant circumstance, as the commodore had
particularly recommended to Mr Brett to secure him if possible, as by
that means he might have treated for the ransom of the place; but his
alacrity in flight rendered this impracticable. The few inhabitants
who remained were confined in one of the churches under a guard,
except some stout negroes, who were employed the remaining part of
the night in carrying the treasure, from the custom-house and other
places, to the fort, each party of them being attended by a file
of musketeers. This transportation of the treasure was the chief
employment of Mr Brett's people after getting possession of the
place; yet the sailors, while thus busied, could not be prevented from
entering the houses in their way, in search of private pillage; when
the first things that occurred to them, were the clothes left by the
Spaniards, and which were mostly embroidered or laced, according to
the fashion of the country. Our people eagerly seized these glittering
dresses, and put them on over their own dirty trowsers and jackets,
not forgetting the tye or bag-wigs, and laced hats, which were
generally found along with the clothes. When this had once begun,
there was no possibility of preventing the whole detachment from
imitating the example; but those who came latest into the fashion, not
finding men's clothes sufficient to equip them, were forced to take
up with women's gowns and petticoats, which, provided these were fine
enough, they made no scruple of putting on and blending with their own
greasy dress: So that, when a party of them first made they appearance
in that guise before Mr Brett, he was extremely surprised at their
grotesque exhibition, and could hardly believe they were his own men.

While these transactions were going on at Payta, we lay-to till one
in the morning, from the time when our boats pushed off; and then,
supposing the detachment to be near landing, we went on under easy
sail for the bay. This we began to open about seven a.m. of the 13th,
and soon after had a view of the town. Though we had no reason to
doubt the success of