service
of one, who, according to the practice of those parts, sold him as soon
as he came ashore. He served his time at Barbadoes, and obtaining his
liberty, betook himself to Jamaica, there to seek new fortunes: here he
found two vessels of pirates ready to go to sea; and being destitute of
employment, he went with them, with intent to follow the exercises of
that sort of people: he soon learned their manner of living, so exactly,
that having performed three or four voyages with profit and success, he
agreed with some of his comrades, who had got by the same voyages a
little money, to join stocks, and buy a ship. The vessel being bought,
they unanimously chose him captain and commander.

With this ship he set forth from Jamaica to cruise on the coasts of
Campechy, in which voyage he took several ships, with which he returned
triumphant. Here he found an old pirate, named Mansvelt (whom we have
already mentioned), busied in equipping a considerable fleet, with
design to land on the continent, and pillage whatever he could. Mansvelt
seeing Captain Morgan return with so many prizes, judged him to be a man
of courage, and chose him for his vice-admiral in that expedition: thus
having fitted out fifteen ships, great and small, they sailed from
Jamaica with five hundred men, Walloons and French. This fleet arrived,
not long after, at the isle of St. Catherine, near the continent of
Costa Rica, latitude 12 deg. 30 min. and distant thirty-five leagues
from the river Chagre. Here they made their first descent, landing most
of their men, who soon forced the garrison that kept the island to
surrender all the forts and castles thereof; which they instantly
demolished, except one, wherein they placed a hundred men of their own
party, and all the slaves they had taken from the Spaniards: with the
rest of their men they marched to another small island, so near St.
Catherine's, that with a bridge they made in a few days, they passed
thither, taking with them all the ordnance they had taken on the great
island. Having ruined with fire and sword both the islands, leaving
necessary orders at the said castle, they put to sea again, with their
Spanish prisoners; yet these they set ashore not long after, on the firm
land, near Puerto Velo: then they cruised on Costa Rica, till they came
to the river Colla, designing to pillage all the towns in those parts,
thence to pass to the village of Nata, to do the same.

The governor of Panama, on