depart thence presently after payment of money and cattle. The one and
the other being delivered, the whole fleet set sail, causing great joy
to the inhabitants of Maracaibo, to see themselves quit of them: but
three days after they renewed their fears with admiration, seeing the
pirates appear again, and re-enter the port with all their ships: but
these apprehensions vanished, upon hearing one of the pirate's errand,
who came ashore from Lolonois, "to demand a skilful pilot to conduct one
of the greatest ships over the dangerous bank that lieth at the very
entry of the lake." Which petition, or rather command, was instantly
granted.

They had now been full two months in these towns, wherein they committed
those cruel and insolent actions we have related. Departing thence, they
took their course to Hispaniola, and arrived there in eight days,
casting anchor in a port called Isla de la Vacca, or Cow Island. This
island is inhabited by French buccaneers, who mostly sell the flesh they
hunt to pirates and others, who now and then put in there to victual, or
trade. Here they unladed their whole cargazon of riches, the usual
storehouse of the pirates being commonly under the shelter of the
buccaneers. Here they made a dividend of all their prizes and gains,
according to the orders and degree of every one, as has been mentioned
before. Having made an exact calculation of all their plunder, they
found in ready money 260,000 pieces-of-eight: this being divided, every
one received for his share in money, as also in silk, linen, and other
commodities, to the value of 100 pieces-of-eight. Those who had been
wounded received their first part, after the rate mentioned before, for
the loss of their limbs: then they weighed all the plate uncoined,
reckoning ten pieces-of-eight to a pound; the jewels were prized
indifferently, either too high or too low, by reason of their ignorance:
this done, every one was put to his oath again, that he had not smuggled
anything from the common stock. Hence they proceeded to the dividend of
the shares of such as were dead in battle, or otherwise: these shares
were given to their friends, to be kept entire for them, and to be
delivered in due time to their nearest relations, or their apparent
lawful heirs.

The whole dividend being finished, they set sail for Tortuga. Here they
arrived a month after, to the great joy of most of the island; for as to
the common pirates, in three weeks they had scarc