pirate, promising to pay for the
ships if they were lost. Three vessels of 200 tons each sailed out to
the attack, and for several days they fired at the French corsair,
which, being a patache of light draught, had run up the bay beyond their
reach. Finally one morning the Frenchmen were seen pressing with both
sail and oar to escape from the port. A Spanish vessel cut her cables to
follow in pursuit, but encountering a heavy sea and contrary winds was
abandoned by her crew, who made for shore in boats. The other two
Spanish ships were deserted in similar fashion, whereupon the French,
observing this new turn of affairs, re-entered the bay and easily
recovered the three drifting vessels. Two of the prizes they burnt, and
arming the third sailed away to cruise in the Florida straits, in the
route of ships returning from the West Indies to Spain.[53]

The corsairs, however, were not always so uniformly successful. A band
of eighty, who attempted to plunder the town of St. Jago de Cuba, were
repulsed with some loss by a certain Diego Perez of Seville, captain of
an armed merchant ship then in the harbour, who later petitioned for the
grant of a coat-of-arms in recognition of his services.[54] In October
1544 six French vessels attacked the town of Santa Maria de los
Remedios, near Cape de la Vela, but failed to take it in face of the
stubborn resistance of the inhabitants. Yet the latter a few months
earlier had been unable to preserve their homes from pillage, and had
been obliged to flee to La Granjeria de las Perlas on the Rio de la
Hacha.[55] There is small wonder, indeed, that the defenders were so
rarely victorious. The Spanish towns were ill-provided with forts and
guns, and often entirely without ammunition or any regular soldiers. The
distance between the settlements as a rule was great, and the
inhabitants, as soon as informed of the presence of the enemy, knowing
that they had no means of resistance and little hope of succour, left
their homes to the mercy of the freebooters and fled to the hills and
woods with their families and most precious belongings. Thus when, in
October 1554, another band of three hundred French privateers swooped
down upon the unfortunate town of St. Jago de Cuba, they were able to
hold it for thirty days, and plundered it to the value of 80,000 pieces
of eight.[56] The following year, however, witnessed an even more
remarkable action. In July 1555 the celebrated captain, Jacques Sore,
l