perish yet there is a chance for you-say, will you swear to do my bidding?"

"I will," returned the Spaniard, mournfully but emphatically, and seizing the crucifix, he uttered, "I swear upon this holy symbol to perform your bidding," and he pressed it to his lips.

Enough," responded the pirate, and then calling to some of the men he commanded, "Here, haul up one of the canoes and put these bodies into it-you shall not go alone, Signor."

The order was obeyed; the decapitated carcases were placed in the boat, and the Spanish Captain was directed to descend amongst them. He very naturally shuddered at such horrible companionship, but nevertheless, there was a faint prospect that he might be saved, and he went over the side. The canoe was about to be cast adrift, when the negro earnestly requested that he might be released.

"No, No," exclaimed Lolonois, "you must remain with me, I have sworn to give no quarter to the Spaniards, and I shall require a good hangman to fulfil my oath."

“Ah massa, him Gobernur nebber hab nudder haangman like me," remonstrated Mungo, never reflecting that in sounding his own praises he was sure to afford stronger grounds for his detention.

"I know it, you are the very best of hangmen," responded the chief, "but you shall have your choice, either to add another body to the freight of the canoe or to remain with me."

Well, me massa, ponna me honour me tan wid you," replied the black," but massa gie em plenny for nyam an plenny for drink, no ?"

"Let go the canoe," exclaimed Lolonois, "the matter is decided," and the boat was soon floating with the current away from the vessel, whilst the birds who scented out the blood, hovered in flocks over the human remnants, screaming their discordant screams, and longing to commence the banquet, nay some were so bold that they descended upon the mangled flesh and tore it with their beaks, nor could the efforts of the Spaniard drive them away, indeed they frequently darted down at him, as if they would destroy the only obstacle that prevented their quiet enjoyment of the feast.

Lolonois had now a good ship, but only a few hands, and a small supply of provisions. However trusting to his imposing appearance, he cruised for some time, and off Maracaibo he captured a valuable vessel laden with plate and money, besides a rich cargo in merchandise, and then he returned to Tortuga, where he was joyfully received, and his prize turned to good account. He now equipped a small fleet and captured a Spanish ship of sixteen guns, having a valuable cargo, which was landed at Tortuga, and he took the vessel for his own command.

Shortly afterwards they took another vessel with eight guns, and having on board 7000 lbs. weight of powder and a great number of muskets, pistols, and swords, which completely fitted them out in arms and ammunition. They then entered the lake of Maracaibo and attacked the city of that name, which they took, the inhabitants having abandoned it, and retired to a fortified place, called Gibraltar. This they also assaulted, and after some severe fighting, carried and plundered, committing atrocities disgusting even in brutes. The conquerors thinking only of present debauchery and wickedness, gave no thought for the morrow, and provisions failing, they totally neglected the prisoners, who were starved to death; in fact Lolonois seems to have kept his word, for his rage was brutal in the extreme. On one occasion when marching against the town of San Pedro he took many prisoners and questioning them as to the way they were to go to enter the town, they all unaninously replied that there was but one way, whereupon Lolonois cut open the breast of one of the Spaniards with his cutlass, and pulling out his heart, began to bite and gnaw it with his teeth, declaring to the rest that "he would serve them all alike if they did not show him another way;" after falling into three or four ambuscades, and defeating parties ten times his number, he succeeded in taking the town. The pirates afterwards separated, and Lolonois departed for the coast of Carthagena, but his ship was totally wrecked near the Isthmus of Darien, and he was subsequently taken by the Indians, who, knowing his cruelties, tore him in pieces while yet living, and throwing his body, limb by limb, into a large fire, it was consumed before their eyes, and the ashes scattered to the winds.

The most famous amongst the British pirates was Captain Henry Morgan, whose adventures would more than fill a volume. At first he joined an old pirate, named Mansvelt, but soon obtained the supreme command, constituting himself admiral and chief, and granting commissions to officers who served under him, forming both an army and a navy. He attacked the largest cities and towns, which he plundered, and compelled the inhabitants to ransom them from fire, as well as themselves from death, at a great price. At Porto Bello he forced the priests and the women to advance in front of his troops, and place the scal ing ladders upon the walls of the citadel, notwithstanding the heavy fire that was kept up against the assailants. He took this city, and set at defiance the governor of Panama, who had collected a large force to attack him, but did not dare to venture upon it. Morgan sent them word that " he would visit the governor before long at his own place."

The successes of Morgan brought a great number of adventurers from Europe to join him, and many young men of good family, desirous of enterprise and wealth, placed themselves under his command; and it

appears, that though the government in England did not openly sanction the proceedings of Morgan, yet they did nothing to prevent them. Morgan's ship mounted thirty-six guns; and a French ship refusing to join them, he seized upon her, but she was blown up by accident, and three hundred and fifty Englishmen, besides the French prisoners, lost their lives. He next plundered Maracaibo, and the wretched popu lation were most barbarously treated, in order to make them confess where they had concealed their money. "Among other tortures," says the historian, "one was to stretch their limbs with cords, and then to beat them with sticks and other instruments. Others had burning matches placed betwixt their fingers, which were thus burnt alive. Others had slender cords of matches bound about their heads till their eyes burst out. * * * These tortures and racks continued for three whole weeks, in which time they sent out daily parties to seek for more people to torment and rob, they never returning without booty and new riches." They then marched to Gibraltar, which they found deserted, and burnt a poor wretch to death because he could not tell them where the inhabitants were gone. They took many prisoners in the woods, whom they tortured as they had done those at Maracaibo, but with still greater atrocity.

His escape from Maracaibo was completely the device of a sailor. The castle at the entrance of the lake had been well fortified, and garrisoned, and flanked by two or three Spanish ships of war. These latter Morgan destroyed, and then by repeatedly sending canoes on shore filled with men, (who, however, were not landed, but laid down in the bottom as they returned,) induced the Spaniards to suppose a land attack was meditated, upon which they shifted their guns in the castle to the land-side. Morgan took prompt advantage of this, and, after dark, dropping out with the current unperceived he came abreast the castle, where he spread all his canvass and got clear off with but little injury.

Being determined on attacking Panama, he collected a fleet of thirtyseven ships, wherein were two thousand fighting men, besides mariners and boys. They sailed from Cape Tiburon on the 16th of December, 1670. They first took the Island of Saint Catherine, and thence proceeded to Chagre, which also fell into their hands; and from this place Morgan, with twelve hundred men, set out for Panama, but finding no provisions in their route, and having taken but little with them, they suffered most dreadfully from hunger in a ten days march across the continent, till they came near Panama, where they obtained food, and the next day gave battle to the Spanish forces drawn up to oppose them, whom they defeated with the loss of six hundred men, besides wounded and prisoners;

but a great number of the pirates also lost their lives, so that Morgan's party was much reduced, yet he again attacked the city and took it, and it was afterwards destroyed by fire, and the place continued burning for a whole month. They had here a view of the South Seas, near which Panama stands. Morgan acquired great wealth at this place, and retired to England to enjoy it, where he was subsequently knighted.

The conquests of Morgan induced others to follow in his track, and the South Seas became infested with large bodies of pirates, who, after pillaging wherever they could, returned overland to Chagre, where they embarked for Jamaica. The court of Spain made complaints to the court of England, but the latter asserted that they were no party to the transaction, which was solely undertaken by lawless men. However, fleets were fitted out, and cruisers sent in every direction to exterminate these marauders, but it was a long time before they could drive them away. In 1717 a proclamation was issued, offering a pardon to all such pirates as should surrender themselves within a twelvemonth, for all the acts of piracy they might have committed before the 5th January preceding. After the expiration of the limited time, the following rewards were offered upon the capture and legal conviction of a pirate:-For a captain, 100%.; any other officer, from a lieutenant down to a gunner, 401.; for an inferior officer, 301.; and any private man delivering up a captain or commodore of the pirates was entitled to 2007. on his conviction. In 1721 there was a daring seaman named Roberts, who commanded a fine ship, mounting forty guns, and having one hundred and fifty men, with two other ships of his own, under his orders, (one of thirty guns and one hundred and thirty men, and the third of twenty-four guns and ninety men,) cruised for a long time in the West Indies, levying contributions upon all nations, till the vigilance of the men of war compelled him to cross over to the coast of Africa, whither he was followed by Sir Chaloner Ogle in the Swallow, a fourth rate. Having received intelligence that Roberts was off Cape Lopez, Captain Ogle disguised his ship to look like a merchant-man, and stood in for the land. Roberts's large ship and the small one were well up the bay, careening for a clean bottom, but the other, mounting thirty-two guns, and commanded by a resolute fellow named Skyren, immediately gave chase to the Swallow, who appeared to run, till Captain Ogle had drawn him well off from the shore, so as to be out of hearing from the rest, when he shortened sail and brought him to action. Skyren bravely defended his ship for an hour and a half, but at last was compelled to surrender, himself being badly wounded.

Captain Ogle, after taking possession, stood in for the bay; the piratical colours embellished with a fine death's head and marrow bones being hoisted over the royal ensign. The other two ships had not only righted,

but on seeing, as they supposed, their consort returning victorious, they stood out to meet him, for the purpose of congratulating Skyren on his conquest. But they soon discovered their mistake, for the Swallow on getting them under her guns, fired into them, and brought both ships to action. The pirates fought most furiously for two hours, as they knew it was life or death to them; but Roberts being killed, they at length surrendered. Captain Ogle took his three prizes to Cape Coast Castle, when all the prisoners that survived, one hundred and sixty in number, were immediately put upon their trial. No less than seventy-four were capitally convicted, and of these fifty-two were executed, and their bodies hung in chains along the coast.

Prompt and decisive measures at length put an end to Buccaneering, but the advantages derived from the practice permanently remained. These were, that undaunted courage which taught our seamen to despise a numerical force however superior to their own, and to bear up under every hardship and privation, when the achieving of a particular object was desirable. Nor were these all, they became inured to discipline, and quietly submitted to the frequently harsh and stern control of a man of war. Nor was marine architecture or navigation neglected, for as they required fast sailing vessels, the construction of their ships became ultimately of great consequence; and their cruises in the South Seas rendered a knowledge of navigation indispensably requisite. Besides, it was principally through their means that we became so well acquainted with the coasts of America, both on the east and west shores of the continent.

The cities of New Spain now offer but few inducements to risk the hazard of plundering; in fact, they have so robbed one another, that in most parts they are wretchedly poor. But, for many years, free-traders, that is, smugglers, under the English flag, visited the South Seas, and not only did a smart business in the contraband, but also a little in the buccaneering line. These ships were fine vessels, mounting from eighteen to twenty-four guns, and well manned. They sailed out of Liverpool and London; and I well remember two of them (the Kitty and the George Canning) who fought more than one gallant action with the guarde da costas. In the latter end of 1807, a South Sea man was laying at St. Helena, homeward bound, waiting for convoy; but they had been catching something else besides whales, for the men were plentifully supplied with Spanish dollars, as well as numerous little gold and silver images, stolen from the churches; and I saw many a Virgin Mary, or an Apostle, bartered for a bottle of rum.

Piracy will never be thoroughly prevented in the West Indies, the numerous small islands, and the long straggling one of Cuba, offer a

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