former associates. He died, by the favour of Charles II.,
the " gallant " Sir Henry Morgan.From 1671 to 1685 is the time of the greatest daring, prosperity, and maritime power of the Buccaneers. But the expedition against Panama had not been without its influ ence. Notwithstanding the vigour with which they executed their piratical projects in the Caribbean, and the many successes which they obtained on land, including a second plunder of the unfortunate city of Porto Bello, thsir thoughts ran frequently on the great expedition across the Isthmus, and they pictured to themselves the shores of the South Sea as a far wider and more lucrative field for the display of their united power.
In 1680 those longings took formidable shape. A body of marauders over 300 strong, well armed and pro visioned, landed on the shore of Darien and struck across the country ; and the cruelty and mismanagement displayed in the policy of the Spaniards towards the Indians were now in small part revenged by the assistance which the natives eagerly rendered to the adventurers. They acted as guides during a difficult journey of nine days, kept the invaders well supplied with food, provided them with skilfully constructed canoes, and only left them after the taking of the fort of Santa Maria, when the Buccaneers were fairly embarked on a broad and safe river which emptied itself into the South Sea. With John Coxon as commander they entered the Bay of Panama, where rumour had been before them, and where the Spaniards had hastily prepared a small fleet to quell this dangerous attempt to carry insecurity and terror into the Pacific. But the valour of the Buccaneers won for them another victory, and within a week they escaped from the confinement of canoes, and took possession of a small fleet of four Spanish ships ; and now successes flowed upon them. The Pacific, formerly free from their intrusion, showed many sail of merchant vessels, while on land opposition south of the Bay of Panama was of little avail, since few were acquainted with the use of fire-arms, and defence as an art was utterly unknown Coxon and seventy of his men returned as they had gone, but the others under Sawkins, Sharp, and Watling, roamed north and south, on islands and mainland, and remained for long ravaging the coast of Peru. Never scant of silver and gold, but often in want of the neces saries of life, they continued their practices for a little longer ; then, evading the risk of recrossing the Isthmus, they boldly cleared Cape Horn, and arrived in the Indies, in the not very tender hands of the representatives of the different Governments there. Again in 1683, however, numbers of them under John Cook departed for the South Sea by way of Cape Horn, near which they hailed a Thames built ship fitted out apparently as a trader, but in reality for the purposes of privateering. Thus straight from England the Buccaneers were now receiving a great accession to their numbers and their strength ; and Eaton, the commander of the new vessel, told Cook of a certain Captain Swan who would probably be met with soon, pro secuting the same dangerous business. They sailed northward, and on the death of Cook, Edward Davis, undoubtedly the greatest and most prudent commander who ever led the forces of the Buccaneers at sea, took command of his ship. Davis parted with Eaton, who left for the Easb Indies, but Swan arrived, and the two captains began a cruise which was disastrous to the Spanish trade in the Pacific.
In 1685 they were joined in the Bay of Panama by large numbers of Buccaneers who had crossed the Isthmus under Townley and others. This increased body of men required an enlarged measure of adventure, and this in a few months was supplied by the Viceroy of Peru. That officer, sole representative of the Spanish sovereign in the vast kingdom, saw that the trade of the colony was cut off, that supplies were stopped, that towns were burned and cleared of the precious metals, and that settled life was broken in upon by the harassing and repeated attacks of the unsparing marauders, and he resolved by vigorous means to put an end to this state of matters. But this was not easily accomplished. In this same year, indeed, a fleet of fourteen sail hove in sight of the united forces of the Buccaneers in the Bay of Panama. The ten ships of the pirates were miserably deficient in cannon, and hung off. The Spaniards evidently were not aware of their advantage, and the two fleets, after remaining in proximity for three days, separated without testing their strength except in the way of a small and distant cannonade.
At this period the power of the Buccaneers was at its height. But the combination was now too extensive for its work, and the different nationality of those who composed it was a source of growing discord. Nor was the dream of equality ever realized for any length of time. The immense spoil obtained on the capture of wealthy cities was indeed divided equally among the crew of the attacking ships, the commander alone getting an extra share. But in the gambling and debauchery which followed, nothing was more common than that one-half of the conquerors should find themselves on the morrow in most pressing want ; and while those who had prudently retained or fortunately increased their store of the precious metals would willingly have directed their course home wards, the others clamoured for renewed attacks upon the hated Spaniards, The separation of the English and French Buccaneers, who together presented a united front to the Spanish fleet in 1685, marks the beginning of the third and last epoch in their history that of disunion, decay, and extinction as an unaided community.
The brilliant exploits begun in this third period by the sack of Leon and Realejo by the English under Davis have, even in their variety and daring, a sameness which deprives them of interest, and the wonderful confederacy is now seen to be falling gradually to pieces. The skill of Davis at sea was on one occasion displayed in a seven days engagement with two large Spanish vessels, and the interest undoubtedly centres in him. Townley and Swan had, however, by this time left him, and after cruising together for some time, they, too, parted. In 1688 Davis cleared Cape Horn and arrived in the West Indies, while Swan s ship, the "Cygnet," was abandoned as unseaworthy, after sailing as far as Madagascar. Townley had hardly joined the French Buccaneers remaining in the South Sea ere he died, and the Frenchmen with their companions crossed New Spain to the West ladies. And thus the Pacific, ravaged so long by this powerful- and mysterious band of corsairs, was at length at peace from California to Cape Horn.
The West Indies had by this time become hot enough even for the banded pirates. They hung doggedly along the coasts of Jamaica and St Domingo, but their day was nearly over. Only once again at the siege of Carthagena did they appear great ; but even then the expedition was not of their making, and they formed an accession to regular forces organized in France. After the treachery of the French commander of this expedition a spirit of unity and despairing energy seemed reawakened in them ; but this could not avert and scarcely delayed the rapidly approaching extinction of the community.
remarkable body of men are to be found in European policy. The accession of William of Orange to the English throne in 1689 had raised the jealousy of Louis XIV., and the war which ensued was protracted and
severe. French and English rovers in the Caribbean could