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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What was admitted to be a serious reverse soon followed. On being informed of the capture of the island of Santa Catalina so soon after the bold though unsuccessful invasion of Costa Rica, Don Juan Perez Guzman, a knight of the order of Santiago, who had lately been appointed governor of the Tierra Firme and the province of Veragua, became greatly alarmed, and took prompt measures for its recovery. It had been taken by Mansfield on May 3. In a few days this was known at Puerto Bello, and on May 25 the English ship, Concord, of 200 tons, lying at anchor in that harbour, was seized by order of the commandant. Her master, Henry Wasey, who had a licence to trade, was confined in irons and accused of being a spy. On June 14, Guzman assembled his council at Panama and told the members that the depredations of the "pirates" upon the Spanish dominions made it absolutely necessary to send a sufficient force at once to retake Santa Catalina, otherwise "such conquests would soon enable them to become masters of all these countries." Some members of the council dissented, saying that the enemy could not provision themselves in that barren island and would be forced to abandon it, without causing them to incur the trouble and expense of sending an expedition to expel them. In spite of this objection, the governor, "como valiente Soldado que era", ordered large supplies to be taken to Puerto Bello and went there himself, "at great risk of his life", said a Spanish engineer. Arriving on July 7 he found in the harbour a good ship called the San Vicente, belonging to the "Compania de los Negros", well armed, manned, and victualled, and even loaded with munitions. This vessel, the Concord and a New England ketch, were at once impressed as transports. Joseph Sanchez Ximinez, major of the town of Puerto Bello, was appointed to command the expedition, composed of 270 soldiers, thirty-seven prisoners from the island, thirty-four Spaniards from the garrison, twenty-nine mulattoes from Panama, twelve Indians, who were expert archers, seven constables, who were skilled artillerists, two adjutants, two pilots, a surgeon, and a priest of the "Orden Serafico", as confessor. The governor gave the officers careful instructions and told them that the governor of Cartagena would co-operate with ships, troops, and all things needful in compliance with a letter written to him. The wind being favourable on July 14, he addressed the whole force, exhorting them to fight valiantly against the enemies of the Catholic religion, and particularly against those accursed pirates, who had committed so many atrocious crimes upon the subjects of his Catholic Majesty, promising liberal rewards to all, but chiefly to those who should distinguish themselves in the King's service.