en with dollars and
church-plate; and the officer who commanded her informed us of the
preceding night's transactions, such as we have already related them.
About two in the afternoon we came to an anchor in ten fathoms and a
half, at a mile and a half distance from the town, and were consequently
near enough to have a more immediate intercourse with those on shore.

COLLECTING THE TREASURE.

And now we found that Mr. Brett had hitherto gone on in collecting and
removing the treasure without interruption; but that the enemy had
rendezvoused from all parts of the country on a hill at the back of the
town, where they made no inconsiderable appearance; for, amongst the rest
of their force, there were two hundred horse, seemingly very well armed
and mounted, and, as we conceived, properly trained and regimented, being
furnished with trumpets, drums, and standards. These troops paraded about
the hill with great ostentation, sounding their military music and
practising every art to intimidate us (as our numbers on shore were by
this time not unknown to them), in hopes that we might be induced by our
fears to abandon the place before the pillage was completed. But we were
not so ignorant as to believe that this body of horse, which seemed to be
what the enemy principally depended on, would dare to venture in streets
and among houses, even had their numbers been three times as great; and
therefore, notwithstanding their menaces, we went on, as long as the
daylight lasted, calmly, in sending off the treasure and in employing the
boats to carry on board the refreshments such as hogs, fowls, etc., which
we found here in great abundance. But at night, to prevent any surprise,
the Commodore sent on shore a reinforcement, who posted themselves in all
the streets leading to the parade; and for their greater security they
traversed the streets with barricades six feet high; and the enemy
continuing quiet all night, we at daybreak returned again to our labour
of loading the boats and sending them off.

On the second day of our being in possession of the place, several negro
slaves deserted from the enemy on the hill, and coming into the town,
voluntarily entered into our service. One of these was well known to a
gentleman on board, who remembered him formerly at Panama. And the
Spaniards without the town being in extreme want of water, many of their
slaves crept into the place by stealth and carried away several jars of
water to their