e fire within the castle still continuing, the pirates from abroad did
what they could to hinder its progress, by shooting incessantly against
it; one party of them was employed only for this, while another watched
all the motions of the Spaniards. About noon the English gained a
breach, which the governor himself defended with twenty-five soldiers.
Here was made a very courageous resistance by the Spaniards, with
muskets, pikes, stones, and swords; but through all these the pirates
fought their way, till they gained the castle. The Spaniards, who
remained alive, cast themselves down from the castle into the sea,
choosing rather to die thus (few or none surviving the fall) than to ask
quarter for their lives. The governor himself retreated to the corps du
gard, before which were placed two pieces of cannon: here he still
defended himself, not demanding any quarter, till he was killed with a
musket-shot in the head.

The governor being dead, and the corps du gard surrendering, they found
remaining in it alive thirty men, whereof scarce ten were not wounded:
these informed the pirates that eight or nine of their soldiers had
deserted, and were gone to Panama, to carry news of their arrival and
invasion. These thirty men alone remained of three hundred and fourteen
wherewith the castle was garrisoned, among which not one officer was
found alive. These were all made prisoners, and compelled to tell
whatever they knew of their designs and enterprises. Among other things,
that the governor of Panama had notice sent him three weeks ago from
Carthagena, that the English were equipping a fleet at Hispaniola, with
a design to take Panama; and, beside, that this had been discovered by a
deserter from the pirates at the river De la Hacha, where they had
victualled. That upon this, the governor had sent one hundred and
sixty-four men to strengthen the garrison of that castle, with much
provision and ammunition; the ordinary garrison whereof was only one
hundred and fifty men, but these made up two hundred and fourteen men,
very well armed. Besides this, they declared that the governor of Panama
had placed several ambuscades along the river of Chagre; and that he
waited for them in the open fields of Panama with three thousand six
hundred men.

The taking of this castle cost the pirates excessively dear, in
comparison to what they were wont to lose, and their toil and labour was
greater than at the conquest of the isle of St. Cather