During the seventeenth century the Spanish Main was beset with a horde of
freebooters or buccaneers, as they called themselves, to whose fierce
attacks the treasure-ships bound for Spain were constantly exposed, and
who did not hesitate to assail the strongholds of the Spaniards in quest
of plunder. They differed from pirates only in the fact that their
operations were confined to Spain and her colonies, no war giving warrant
to their atrocities. Most ferocious and most successful among these
worthies was Henry Morgan, a man of Welsh birth, who made his name dreaded
by his daring and cruelty throughout the New-World realms of Spain. The
most famous among the deeds of this rover of the seas was his capture of
the city of Panama, which we shall here describe.

On the 24th of October, 1670, there set sail from the island haunts of the
freebooters the greatest fleet which these lawless wretches had ever got
together. It consisted of thirty-seven ships, small and large, Morgan's
flag-ship, of thirty-two guns, being the largest, and flying the English
standard. The men had gathered from all the abiding-places of their
fraternity, eager to serve under so famous a leader as Morgan, and looking
for rich spoil under a man whose rule of conduct was, "Where the Spaniards
obstinately defend themselves there is something to take, and their best
fortified places are those which contain the most treasure."

[Illustration: THE CITY OF PANAMA.]

THE CITY OF PANAMA.

Not until they reached the vicinity of the isthmus did Morgan announce to
his followers the plan he had conceived, which was to attack the important
and opulent city of Panama, in which he expected to find a vast wealth of
gold and silver. It was no trifling adventure. This city lay on the
Pacific side of the Isthmus of Panama, and could be reached only by a long
and toilsome land journey, the route well defended by nature and doubtless
by art, while not a man on board the fleet had ever trod the way thither.
To supply themselves with a guide the island of St. Catharine, where the
Spaniards confined their criminals, was attacked and taken, and three of
the convicts were selected for guides, under promise of liberty and
reward.

Panama was at that time one of the largest and wealthiest cities in
America. It contained some seven thousand houses, one-third the number
being large and handsome dwellings, many of them strongl