me considerable damage to the
enemy; which was always his most ardent desire.

The impatience wherewith Captain Morgan had waited a long while for some
of his ships not yet arrived, made him resolve to sail away without
them, and steer for Savona, the place he always designed. Being arrived,
and not finding any of his ships come, he was more impatient and
concerned than before, fearing their loss, or that he must proceed
without them; but he waiting for their arrival a few days longer, and
having no great plenty of provisions, he sent a crew of one hundred and
fifty men to Hispaniola to pillage some towns near Santo Domingo; but
the Spaniards, upon intelligence of their coming, were so vigilant, and
in such good posture of defence, that the pirates thought not convenient
to assault them, choosing rather to return empty-handed to Captain
Morgan, than to perish in that desperate enterprise.

At last Captain Morgan, seeing the other ships did not come, made a
review of his people, and found only about five hundred men; the ships
wanting were seven, he having only eight in his company, of which the
greatest part were very small. Having hitherto resolved to cruise on the
coasts of Caraccas, and to plunder the towns and villages there, finding
himself at present with such small forces, he changed his resolution by
advice of a French captain in his fleet. This Frenchman having served
Lolonois in the like enterprises, and at the taking of Maracaibo, knew
all the entries, passages, forces, and means, how to put in execution
the same again in company of Captain Morgan; to whom having made a full
relation of all, he concluded to sack it the second time, being himself
persuaded, with all his men, of the facility the Frenchman propounded.
Hereupon they weighed anchor, and steered towards Curasao. Being come
within sight of it, they landed at another island near it, called Ruba,
about twelve leagues from Curasao to the west. This island, defended by
a slender garrison, is inhabited by Indians subject to Spain, and speak
Spanish, by reason of the Roman Catholic religion, here cultivated by a
few priests sent from the neighbouring continent.

The inhabitants exercise commerce or trade with the pirates that go or
come this way: they buy of the islanders sheep, lambs, and kids, which
they exchange for linen, thread, and like things. The country is very
dry and barren, the whole substance thereof consisting in those three
things, and in