Читать книгу The Life of Sir Henry Morgan. With an account of the English settlement of the island of Jamaica онлайн

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Yet there can be little doubt that their houses and shops were thoroughly ransacked for money and plate. Bulky articles could not possibly be removed by the rough bridle-paths over the hills to their ships. Proposals for the payment of a ransom to save the town from destruction were readily accepted, and an agreement was soon made for the delivery of a stipulated number of cattle. Morgan's official report to Modyford, dated five months later at the end of his cruise was very brief.

"We were driven to the south keys of Cuba," he wrote, "where, being like to starve, and finding French in like condition, we put our men ashore, and finding all the cattle driven up country and the inhabitants fled, we marched 20 leagues to Porto Principe on the north of the island, and with little resistance possessed ourselves of the same. There we found that 70 men had been pressed to go against Jamaica; that the like levy had been made in all the island, and considerable forces were expected from Vera Cruz and Campeachy to rendezvous at the Havannah and from Porto Bello and Cartagena to rendezvous at St. Jago of Cuba, of which I immediately gave notice to Governor Modyford. On the Spaniards' entreaty we forbore to fire the town, or bring away prisoners, but on delivery of 1,000 beeves, released them all."[136]