the plate of the king of Spain, as well
as private men, towards the North Sea. The neighbouring fields are full
of fertile plantations and pleasant gardens, affording delicious
prospects to the inhabitants all the year.

[Illustration: "'MORGAN RE-ENTERED THE CITY WITH HIS TROOPS'"--_Page
215_]

The Genoese had in this city a stately house for their trade of negroes.
This likewise was by Captain Morgan burnt to the very ground. Besides
which building, there were consumed two hundred warehouses, and many
slaves, who had hid themselves therein, with innumerable sacks of meal;
the fire of which continued four weeks after it had begun. The greatest
part of the pirates still encamped without the city, fearing and
expecting the Spaniards would come and fight them anew, it being known
they much outnumbered the pirates. This made them keep the field, to
preserve their forces united, now much diminished by their losses. Their
wounded, which were many, they put into one church, which remained
standing, the rest being consumed by the fire. Besides these decreases
of their men, Captain Morgan had sent a convoy of one hundred and fifty
men to the castle of Chagre, to carry the news of his victory at Panama.

They saw often whole troops of Spaniards run to and fro in the fields,
which made them suspect their rallying, which they never had the courage
to do. In the afternoon Captain Morgan re-entered the city with his
troops, that every one might take up their lodgings, which now they
could hardly find, few houses having escaped the fire. Then they sought
very carefully among the ruins and ashes, for utensils of plate or gold,
that were not quite wasted by the flames: and of such they found no
small number, especially in wells and cisterns, where the Spaniards had
hid them.

Next day Captain Morgan dispatched away two troops, of one hundred and
fifty men each, stout and well armed, to seek for the inhabitants who
were escaped. These having made several excursions up and down the
fields, woods, and mountains adjacent, returned after two days, bringing
above two hundred prisoners, men, women, and slaves. The same day
returned also the boat which Captain Morgan had sent to the South Sea,
bringing three other boats which they had taken. But all these prizes
they could willingly have given, and greater labour into the bargain,
for one galleon, which miraculously escaped, richly laden with all the
king's plate, jewels, and other precio