r in South America. His greatest
exploit, however, occurred in 1670, when at the head of the fleet of
thirty-seven ships of all sizes manned by more than two thousand
pirates, he captured the forts on the Chagres River, marched across the
Isthmus of Panama, and after ten days of incredible hardship and
suffering, fighting against a force of twenty-five hundred men, captured
the city of Panama. After a stay of about three weeks he returned across
the Isthmus.

So unsatisfactory in value were the spoils of this expedition, that
Morgan was accused of embezzling some portion, and in consequence became
very unpopular with his followers.

However, as this expedition was made against the Spanish, it received
some approval from the English; and Morgan, abandoning his career as a
pirate, accepted the lieutenant-governorship of Jamaica, and was
subsequently made governor of that island, in which capacity he did much
toward suppressing piracy in the Caribbean Sea.

We have two notable accounts of the deeds of the early buccaneers. One
was published in 1678 in Amsterdam by John Esquemeling, who wrote from
observation, as he was himself one of the pirates, and present at many
of the conflicts which he describes. The second account is the journal
of Basil Ringrose, who, as a pirate, took part in Sharp's voyage around
South America, and was finally killed in a plundering raid.

CAPTAIN MORGAN AT MARACAIBO[1]

[Footnote 1: This account of Henry Morgan's deeds at Maracaibo is taken
from the narrative of John Esquemeling, but no attempt has been made to
give a literal translation of his words. Morgan had passed through the
Gulf of Venezuela, captured the town of Maracaibo and made his way
through the narrow passage into the lake of the same name, where he
captured and despoiled Gibraltar. At the opening of this sketch, he is
in Lake Maracaibo, seeking an opportunity to return to the open sea.]

Captain Morgan had been so long absent from Maracaibo that he knew that
the Spaniards had had sufficient time to fortify themselves strongly,
and so hinder his departure from the lake. Without waiting to collect
the full sum he had required from the inhabitants of Gibraltar, he
demanded some of the townsmen as hostages, whom he might carry with him
on his return journey, and whom he would release upon the full payment
of the tribute he had levied.

Four persons who had been agreed upon were delivered to him as hostages
for the sums d