The means of conveyance being limited, and
the need of marching light important, a very small supply of provisions
was taken, it being expected to find an abundance on the route. But in
this the raiders were seriously at fault, the Spaniards fleeing with all
their cattle and cutting all the growing grain, so that the buccaneers
soon found themselves almost destitute of supplies.

The journey was made in boats up the river as far as practicable, five
small vessels carrying the artillery. At the end of the second day most of
the men were forced to abandon the boats and prosecute their journey on
foot. On the third day they found themselves in a marshy forest, which
they traversed with difficulty and reached the town of Cedro Bueno. Here
they had hoped to find food, but the place was deserted and not a scrap of
provisions left.

The affair was now growing very serious, all their food having been
consumed and they left in imminent danger of starvation. Many of them were
reduced to eat the leaves of the trees in their extremity. They found
themselves also benumbed with cold as they spent the night unsheltered on
the chilly river-bank. During the next day their route followed the
stream, the canoes being dragged along, or rowed where the water was of
sufficient depth. The Spaniards still carried away all food from the
country before them, the only things they found being some large sacks of
hides. These, in their extremity, were used as food, the leather being
scraped, beaten, and soaked in water, after which it was roasted. Even
then it could not be swallowed without the aid of copious draughts of
water.

Only the courage and determination of the chiefs induced the men to go on
under such severe privations. The fifth day's journey ended as badly as
the previous ones, the only food found being a little flour, fruit, and
wine, so small in quantity that Morgan had it distributed among the weaker
members of his troop, some of whom were so faint as to seem on the point
of death. For the rest of the men there was nothing to eat but leaves and
the grass of the meadows.

The feebler men were now put on board the boats, the stronger continuing
to travel by land, but very slowly, frequent rests being needed on account
of their great exhaustion. It seemed, indeed, as if the expedition would
have to be abandoned, when, to their delirious joy, they found a great
supply of maize, which the Spaniards by some oversight had abandoned in a