MORGAN THE BUCCANEER

Evening Star, Issue 18137, 29 November 1922, Page 10

MORGAN THE BUCCANEER

JAMAICA’S CHIEF CLORY, THE CONQUEROR OF PANAMA, The following epitome of a lecture delivered by tbe late W. Lowelyn Williams to the Honorable Society of Cyrnmrodorion appeared in a. recent issue of ‘John o’ London’s Weekly ' : Of tin* Welshmen who played a part in the stirring drama, of Empire-building there is none so generally known as Sir Henry Morgan, the Buccaneer. His name has become a household word; his exploits in the Spanish Main rival in song and story tho heroic adventures of Drake and Frobisher and Hawkins. I Ho was born at Poncarn, near Newport, in the county of Monmouth, in 1635 ; he ran to sea about 1553; he shipped at Bristol, and served his seven years’ apprenticeship in the plantations- at Barhadoes. About 1660 ho obtained his liberty and proceeded to Jamaica, where he joined !the buccaneers; early in 1663 was in comI maud of a vessel, and in January, 1665, i with John Morris and Jachman as colleagues, he entered upon a larger fame by his successful expedition against the • Spaniards in the Bay of Campeachy.

After Cromwell's capture of Jamaica, in 1654 it naturally became the rendezvous of tho English 'buccaneers, who up to that tirao were not recognised, although their designs were winked at. They did not carry -tho King’s Commission, and if captured they were dealt with as pirates, ’they fought for their own gains and not for patriotism, and it is. small wonder if men brought up iu the adventurous and daring life of the Spanish .Main should bo accused of cruelty and wildness. In 1664 Morgan's kinsman, Sir Edward Morgan, was sent out as Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica (with Sir Thomas Modyford as Governor), and certainly would have done much for his relative had he not himself been killed the very next year ; bub by this time Henry .Morgan had found his own fee. He had gained great fame for his success in Ga.fnpeachy ; he had married a, daughter of the late Lieutenant-Governor, his kinsman, and was in touch with the authorities, and was appointed to Chief Command.

I In 1668, with his ten sail of ship and 500 men, he attached, took, and sacked l Porto Principe nad Porto Bello. The next year he had various expeditions against Gibraltar, and Maracaibo, and destroyed the “ Spanish Armada,” which had been sent out to cope with the English privateers, and he completely baffled the Spaniards by his mixture of shrewdness and daring. When ho divided the booty amongst his comrades we read; “The accounts being oast up, they found to the value of two hundred and fifty thousand pieces of eight in money and jewels, besides huge quantities of merchandise and slaves.” In June, 1670, he was granted a commission aa admiral—“To he Comman-der-In-Chief of ships of war belonging to this harbor (Jamaica), and to seize, attack, and destroy the enemy’s vessels." ■Meanwhile great changes were taking place in England. In the West Indies the Spaniards were still the enemy, but at Homo opinion had veered, and in 1670 a treaty of peace was concluded between England and Spain, and (Sir Thomas Lynch was sent out to Jamaica as LieutenantGovernor to inaugurate the friendship with Spain, and bo break with the buccaneers. A great game began. Modyford kept sending instructions to Morgan as to tho treaty of peace with Spain, requiring him to return to Jamaica, and desist from hostility. Whether Modyford was not anxious to disperse an expedition which cost so much money and trouble before it had achieved brilliant victories, or whether Morgan, flushed with first- successes, deliberately evaded communications. will never bo known. The fact remains that the instructions always miraculously missed him, and he proceeded gaily on In’s way.

His victorious advance on Panama, was tho wildest of all tiis adventures : at times the buccaneers were in evil plight—they had to march for ten days through primeval forest, their provisions gave out, and they were reduced to eating leather! But Morgan’s courage earned everything through. After much hard lighting Panama was at last captured, and Ihu city was fired by the Spaniards themselves. The tired troops rested for four weeks, taking three thousand prisoners and plunder amounting to Unity thousand pounds. ■ Tu March they were back in Jamaica, where they were received with great rejoicing, and Homy Morgan publicly thanked, tho Governor himself thinking that Morgan’s brilliant success would justify the expedition, for there was no doubt he, had absolutely pricked Ihe bubble of Spanish prestige in the NewWorld. But they reckoned without, their host, as within sixteen months both the. Governor and Henry Morgan, the “ Conqueror of Panama.'' as he was called, were prisoners on their way to London to answer “for offences against the King, his Crown, and dignity.”

Powerful friends, however, prevailed. Ho became a favorite, at Court, and His Merry Majesty presented him with a snuffbox with the Royal portrait set in diamonds. The King knighted him before his return to Jamaica a.s Deputy Governor, but ins calumniators eventually succeeded in driving him from office. He was not restored to favor until the year of liis death—.1589.

Henry Morgan was no plaster saint, but he was a good hater and a firm friend. The fame of the buccaneer is reckoned the chief glory and pride of Jamaica.