he other castles, made use of fire-balls, which they threw with their
hands, designing to burn the doors of the castles. But the Spaniards
from the walls let fall great quantities of stones, and earthen pots
full of powder, and other combustible matter, which forced them to
desist. Captain Morgan seeing this desperate defence made by the
Spaniards, began to despair of success. Hereupon, many faint and calm
meditations came into his mind; neither could he determine which way to
turn himself in that strait. Being thus puzzled, he was suddenly
animated to continue the assault, by seeing the English colors put forth
at one of the lesser castles, then entered by his men; of whom he
presently after spied a troop coming to meet him, proclaiming victory
with loud shouts of joy. This instantly put him on new resolutions of
taking the rest of the castles, especially seeing the chiefest citizens
were fled to them, and had conveyed thither great part of their riches,
with all the plate belonging to the churches and divine service.

To this effect, he ordered ten or twelve ladders to be made in all
haste, so broad, that three or four men at once might ascend them: these
being finished, he commanded all the religious men and women, whom he
had taken prisoners, to fix them against the walls of the castle. This
he had before threatened the governor to do, if he delivered not the
castle: but his answer was, "he would never surrender himself alive."
Captain Morgan was persuaded the governor would not employ his utmost
force, on seeing the religious women and ecclesiastical persons exposed
in the front of the soldiers to the greatest danger. Thus the ladders,
as I have said, were at once put into the hands of religious persons of
both sexes, and these were forced, at the head of the companies, to
raise and apply them to the walls. But Captain Morgan was fully
deceived in his judgment of this design; for the governor, who acted
like a brave soldier in performance of his duty, used his utmost
endeavor to destroy whomsoever came near the walls. The religious men
and women ceased not to cry to him, and beg of him, by all the saints of
heaven, to deliver the castle, and spare both his and their own lives;
but nothing could prevail with his obstinacy and fierceness. Thus many
of the religious men and nuns were killed before they could fix the
ladders; which at last being done, though with great loss of their
number, the pirates mounted them in g