demolished, except
that of St. Jerome, where the pirates kept guard and resistance. Captain
Morgan inquired for any banditti from Panama or Puerto Bello, and three
were brought him, who pretended to be very expert in the avenues of
those parts. He asked them to be his guides, and show him the securest
ways to Panama, which, if they performed, he promised them equal shares
in the plunder of that expedition, and their liberty when they arrived
in Jamaica. These propositions the banditti readily accepted, promising
to serve him very faithfully, especially one of the three, who was the
greatest rogue, thief, and assassin among them, who had deserved rather
to be broken alive on the wheel, than punished with serving in a
garrison. This wicked fellow had a great ascendant over the other two,
and domineered over them as he pleased, they not daring to disobey his
orders.

Captain Morgan commanded four ships and one boat to be equipped, and
provided with necessaries, to go and take the castle of Chagre, on the
river of that name; neither would he go himself with his whole fleet,
lest the Spaniards should be jealous of his farther design on Panama. In
these vessels he embarked four hundred men, to put in execution these
his orders. Meanwhile, himself remained in St. Catherine's with the rest
of the fleet, expecting to hear of their success.

CHAPTER XVI

_Captain Morgan takes the Castle of Chagre, with four hundred men sent
to this purpose from St. Catherine's._

CAPTAIN MORGAN sending this little fleet to Chagre, chose for
vice-admiral thereof one Captain Brodely, who had been long in those
quarters, and committed many robberies on the Spaniards, when Mansvelt
took the isle of St. Catherine, as was before related; and therefore was
thought a fit person for this exploit, his actions likewise having
rendered him famous among the pirates, and their enemies the Spaniards.
Captain Brodely being made commander, in three days after his departure
arrived in sight of the said castle of Chagre, by the Spaniards called
St. Lawrence. This castle is built on a high mountain, at the entry of
the river, surrounded by strong palisades, or wooden walls, filled with
earth, which secures them as well as the best wall of stone or brick.
The top of this mountain is, in a manner, divided into two parts,
between which is a ditch thirty feet deep. The castle hath but one
entry, and that by a drawbridge over this ditch. To the land it has f