us goods of the best and richest
merchants of Panama: on board which were also the religious women of the
nunnery, who had embarked with them all the ornaments of their church,
consisting in much gold, plate, and other things of great value.

The strength of this galleon was inconsiderable, having only seven guns,
and ten or twelve muskets, and very ill provided with victuals,
necessaries, and fresh water, having no more sails than the uppermost of
the mainmast. This account the pirates received from some one who had
spoken with seven mariners belonging to the galleon, who came ashore in
the cockboat for fresh water. Hence they concluded they might easily
have taken it, had they given her chase, as they should have done; but
they were impeded from following this vastly rich prize, by their
gluttony and drunkenness, having plentifully debauched themselves with
several rich wines they found ready, choosing rather to satiate their
appetites than to lay hold on such huge advantage; since this only prize
would have been of far greater value than all they got at Panama, and
the places thereabout. Next day, repenting of their negligence, being
weary of their vices and debaucheries, they set forth another boat, well
armed, to pursue with all speed the said galleon; but in vain, the
Spaniards who were on board having had intelligence of their own danger
one or two days before, while the pirates were cruising so near them;
whereupon they fled to places more remote and unknown.

The pirates found, in the ports of the island of Tavoga and Tavogilla,
several boats laden with very good merchandise; all which they took, and
brought to Panama, where they made an exact relation of all that had
passed to Captain Morgan. The prisoners confirmed what the pirates said,
adding, that they undoubtedly knew where the galleon might then be, but
that it was very probable they had been relieved before now from other
places. This stirred up Captain Morgan anew, to send forth all the boats
in the port of Panama to seek the said galleon till they could find her.
These boats, being in all four, after eight days' cruising to and fro,
and searching several ports and creeks, lost all hopes of finding her:
hereupon they returned to Tavoga and Tavogilla; here they found a
reasonable good ship newly come from Payta, laden with cloth, soap,
sugar, and biscuit, with 20,000 pieces of eight; this they instantly
seized, without the least resistance; as also a bo