ng in readiness, the expedition sailed in December, 1670,
the ultimate destination of which was to pay the promised visit to the
governor of Panama--the richest city of Spanish America. Preliminary,
however, to their landing upon the isthmus, a detachment of the fleet
was sent against a fortress at the mouth of the Chagu--which river it
was necessary to ascend before disembarking for Panama. This fortress
was built upon a steep rock, against which the waves of the sea were
continually breaking, and was defended by an officer of distinguished
ability and courage, and by a garrison in all respects worthy of such a
commander. For a time the contest was doubtful, but the fates favored
the freebooters. The Spanish commander was slain, and, the fort taking
fire, the position fell into the hands of the besiegers. The manner in
which the fire was communicated to the fortress was very remarkable.
During the fight, an arrow from the bow of one of the garrison was
lodged in the eye of one of the pirates, standing near his chief.
Extracting the barbed shaft from his head with his own hand, and binding
some cotton around the missile, he set it on fire, and shot it back into
the fortress from the barrel of his gun. The burning arrow fell upon the
roof of a house thatched with palm leaves, which were dry, and a
conflagration ensued, which the garrison strove in vain to resist. But
for this untoward occurrence, it was believed that Brodley, the pirate
vice-admiral, would have been repulsed.

Brodley was now joined by the main fleet under Morgan himself; and the
vessels, having been brought to anchor, were left with a sufficient
guard, while the commander, with twelve hundred men, embarked in boats
and canoes, and commenced the ascent of the river toward the capital,
the sacking of which was to be the crowning act of his career of outrage
and blood. They were compelled soon to leave their boats; and their
march for nine days was one of the severest operations ever successfully
encountered by man. The country was desolate, villages and plantations
being alike deserted, and in the flight of the people nothing had been
left behind that could possibly be converted into food, or in any wise
minister to the cupidity of the invaders. The hardships they underwent
in climbing mountains almost inaccessible, and traversing morasses
nearly impassable, while in a state bordering upon starvation, exceed
the power of language to describe. The carcass o