he place, they found nobody
in it, the Spaniards being fled, and leaving nothing behind but a few
leathern bags, all empty, and a few crumbs of bread scattered on the
ground where they had eaten. Being angry at this, they pulled down a few
little huts which the Spaniards had made, and fell to eating the
leathern bags, to allay the ferment of their stomachs, which was now so
sharp as to gnaw their very bowels. Thus they made a huge banquet upon
these bags of leather, divers quarrels arising concerning the greatest
shares. By the bigness of the place, they conjectured about five hundred
Spaniards had been there, whom, finding no victuals, they were now
infinitely desirous to meet, intending to devour some of them rather
than perish.

Having feasted themselves with those pieces of leather, they marched on,
till they came about night to another post, called Torna Munni. Here
they found another ambuscade, but as barren as the former. They searched
the neighboring woods, but could not find anything to eat, the Spaniards
having been so provident, as not to leave anywhere the least crumb of
sustenance, whereby the pirates were now brought to this extremity.
Here again he was happy that he had reserved since noon any bit of
leather to make his supper of, drinking after it a good draught of water
for his comfort. Some, who never were out of their mothers' kitchens,
may ask, how these pirates could eat and digest those pieces of leather,
so hard and dry? Whom I answer, that, could they once experiment what
hunger, or rather famine, is, they would find the way as the pirates
did. For these first sliced it in pieces, then they beat it between two
stones, and rubbed it, often dipping it in water, to make it supple and
tender. Lastly, they scraped off the hair, and broiled it. Being thus
cooked, they cut it into small morsels, and ate it, helping it down with
frequent gulps of water, which, by good fortune, they had at hand.

The fifth day, about noon, they came to a place called Barbacoa. Here
they found traces of another ambuscade, but the place totally as
unprovided as the former. At a small distance were several plantations,
which they searched very narrowly, but could not find any person,
animal, or other thing, to relieve their extreme hunger. Finally, having
ranged about, and searched a long time, they found a grot, which seemed
to be but lately hewn out of a rock, where were two sacks of meal,
wheat, and like things, with two