n such sort, that we could not put our
hands the length of one foote asunder the one from the other, and every
night they searched our chains three times, to see if they were fast
riveted."

SAWKINS, CAPTAIN RICHARD. Buccaneer.

We know little of the early career of this remarkable buccaneer. He was
loved by his crew, and had great influence over them. It is recorded that
one Sunday morning, finding some of his men gambling, he threw the dice
overboard, saying "he would have no gambling aboard his ship."

We know that on one occasion he was caught in his vessel by H.M.S.
_Success_ and brought to Port Royal, Jamaica, and that on December 1st,
1679, he was in prison awaiting trial for piracy. Apparently he got off,
for this brilliant young buccaneer is soon afterwards heard of as
commanding a small vessel of sixteen tons, armed with but one gun and a
crew of thirty-five men. He was one of a party of 330 buccaneers who,
under the leadership of Coxon and Sharp, landed on the coast of Darien and
marched through the jungle to attack and plunder the town of Santa Maria.
The remainder of the journey across the isthmus was done in canoes, in
which the pirates travelled down the Santa Maria River until they found
themselves in the Pacific. On this expedition each captain had his company
and had his own colours, Sawkins's flag being a red one with yellow
stripes. Arrived at the sea, they captured two small Spanish vessels, and,
the rest of the company being in the canoes, they boldly sailed towards
Panama City. Meeting with the Spanish fleet of eight ships, the buccaneers
attacked it, and, after a most furious battle, came off victorious. This
was one of the most gallant episodes in the whole history of the "brethren
of the coast," and was afterwards known as the Battle of Perico. Sawkins
fought in the most brave and desperate manner, and took a large share in
the successful enterprise. After this action some quarrelling took place,
which ended by Captain Coxon going off with some seventy men, to return
across the isthmus on foot. The company that remained in the Pacific
elected Sawkins to be their leader, as Captain Sharp, a much older man,
was away in his ship.

The buccaneers, ever since they defeated the Spanish fleet, had blockaded
the harbour, and a correspondence took place between the Governor of
Panama and Sawkins, the former wishing to know what the pirates had come
there for. To this message Sawkins sent back answe