, than which nothing could be more opportune for the
castle, where they began already to want things of this kind.

This good luck of those of Chagre caused Captain Morgan to stay longer
at Panama, ordering several new excursions into the country round about;
and while the pirates at Panama were upon these expeditions, those at
Chagre were busy in piracies on the North Sea. Captain Morgan sent
forth, daily, parties of two hundred men, to make inroads into all the
country round about; and when one party came back, another went forth,
who soon gathered much riches, and many prisoners. These being brought
into the city, were put to the most exquisite tortures, to make them
confess both other people's goods and their own. Here it happened that
one poor wretch was found in the house of a person of quality, who had
put on, amidst the confusion, a pair of taffety breeches of his
master's, with a little silver key hanging out; perceiving which, they
asked him for the cabinet of the said key. His answer was, he knew not
what was become of it, but that finding those breeches in his master's
house, he had made bold to wear them. Not being able to get any other
answer, they put him on the rack, and inhumanly disjointed his arms;
then they twisted a cord about his forehead, which they wrung so hard
that his eyes appeared as big as eggs, and were ready to fall out. But
with these torments not obtaining any positive answer, they hung him up
by the wrists, giving him many blows and stripes under that intolerable
pain and posture of body. Afterwards they cut off his nose and ears, and
singed his face with burning straw, till he could not speak, nor lament
his misery any longer: then, losing all hopes of any confession, they
bade a negro to run him through, which put an end to his life, and to
their inhuman tortures. Thus did many others of those miserable
prisoners finish their days, the common sport and recreation of these
pirates being such tragedies.

Captain Morgan having now been at Panama full three weeks, commanded all
things to be prepared for his departure. He ordered every company of men
to seek so many beasts of carriage as might convey the spoil to the
river where his canoes lay. About this time there was a great rumor,
that a considerable number of pirates intended to leave Captain Morgan;
and that, taking a ship then in port, they determined to go and rob on
the South Sea, till they had got as much as they thought fit, and