HISTORY OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 816, 8 January 1867, Page 3

HISTORY OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.

(from tho 'Star aud Herald.')

The treasure constantly conveyed across the Isthmus by the Spauiards did not escape the vigilant eyes of the^pirates, who towards the middle of the 16th.century, were already getting numerous in the Caribbean Sea. The Galleons were too well armed to suffer an attack to be made on them with impunity. Other schemes had therefore to be restored to. In 1572 the PlancM and Swan were fitted out in England, and the command given to Francis Drake and his brothers. The object of this expedition was to intercept a treasure of great value which was said to. be carried from Panama to Noinbre de Dios. Drake being joined on the coast of South America by another bark, landed at Nombre de Dios, dismounted the guns of the platform, and while the alarm-bells were ringing and drums beating, marched to the market place. Here a desperate fight ensued, in which Drake received a wound, but knowing that if the general's heart stoops the men's will fail, he concealed it. One of his trusty followers, Oxenham, and his brother, with sixteen men, proceeded to the King's treasure house, and here piles of silver were found, and still more in the Governor's residence. Drake then told his men that "he had brought them to the treasury of the world, and if they did not gain it, none but themselves were to blame." Here, however, from loss of blood, his strength failed him. His men bound up the wound and carried him by main force to his pinnace. On recovering, Drake decided on crossing the Isthmus ; but having lost many men by sickness, among them his brothers Joseph and John, he removed the remaining force to his own ship and pinnace. The Swan was sunk. His object was to intercept on the Isthmus, a train of mules, laden with the King's treasure. On meeting it he attacked and chased the party in charge, as far as Cruces, giving strict orders to his company not to hurt women or unarmed men. In their wanderings they came to a high tree, and climbing it viewed with transports of joy the great Pacific, an Ocean as yet entirely closed to English enterprise.

Among those who accompanied Drake was one John Oxman, or Oxenham, who appears to have been a favorite with the captain, and who shortly afterward returned to try his fortune in a hazardous scheme of privateering. In 1575, he arrived on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus, in a vessel of 140 tons, aud with only 70 men. Hearing that, since the attempt of Drake, the treasure of the Spaniards was strongly guarded, he devised a scheme of action equally bold and original. Drawing the ship on shore, he covered her with boughs of trees, buried the guns, except two small pieces, and leaving one man as a watch, .he marched with the rest into the interior. He soon arrived at a river flowing towards the south. Here he built a pinnace 45 feet in length ; and in her went down stream into the South Sea. Directing his course to the Pearl Islands, he captured a bark containing 60,000 pesos of gold, and another from Lima with 100,000 pesos of silver. Not satisfied yet he proceeded to the' lslands' where pearls are mostly found. Having collected a small quantity, he set off wjth his pinnace and his prizes to the mouth of the river which he had descended, and having dismissed the two captured vessels, began to ascend it. The delay of fifteen days on the Pearl Islands was fatal to him. The very night that he left those islands the negroes set offfor Panama to give information of what had happened. Four barks, each with 25 armed men, besides negroes to row them, under the command of Juan de Ortega, were immediately sent in search of Oxenham. They fell in with the prizes which Oxenham had. dismissed, and learnt fromJhem the course which the pirates had takenß^L^er rowing several days against the stream, "they arrived at the place where the treasure had been provisionally buried. This they hastened to carry off, well satisfied with their success. The English returning to the spot, aud finding the treasure gone, followed with impetuosity, and regardless of the inequality of numbers. The consequence was that they fell into an ambush and were totally defeated. A party of Spaniards soon after discovered Oxenham's ship, with the stores and ordnance, which he had taken such pains to conceal. The English who survived this train of misfortunes lived for some time among the Darien Indians, employed in building.canoes, in which they hoped to effect their escape. But at length they were taken by the Spaniards aud carried to Panama, where Oxenbam and his companions, Avith the exception of five boys, were put to death. Thus ended the first Englishman who navigated the Pacific.

Drake after his famous voyage round the ■world, was employed by Queen Elizabeth against Philip 11. In 1595, the Queen fitted out an expedition destined to strike a. blow at the power of Spain, by attacking the West Indies. The armament, consisting of six ships, was unfortunate. Sir John Hawkins, . one of the commanders, died ; Drake's smallest ship was taken by the Spaniards, who, by putting her crew to the torture, extracted information respecting the plans of the expedition, and when Drake attacked Porto Kico he found the place fully warned. Sailing away he took and burnt Riohacha, Ranchera, Santa Marta and ISTombre de Dios, getting no greater spoil than twenty tons of silver and two bars of gold. Whilst Drake remained in the harbor of Nombre de Dios, Sir Thomas Baskerville, with a part of the land forces, made an attempt to cross the Isthmus and destroy the City of Panama. But a fatal disease broke out among the soldiers and sailors, and deprived them of the services of their chief surgeon. When many of his men and three of his captains had died, the hardy Drake himself fell sick, and after struggling some twenty, days with his malady and the grief occasioned by his failures, ho expired on the 28th of December, 1595. On the same day the fleet anchored oft Portobello, and in sight of the place which lie had formerly taken and plundered, his body received a sailor's funeral;

The bold attempts of Oxenhain and Drake filled the Isthmenians with apprehension, and prompted them to adopt a more regular system of defence than their fancied security hitherto seemed to demand. Little did they anticipate that these events were only the prelude of a fearful tragedy of which their country -was to become the theatre. The principal actors of this tragedy, Whose names for nearly a century were the

terror of the coast and the scourge of the s"ea, were the Buccaneers, an association equally singular and formidable, and called into existence by the despotic administration of the Spanish colonies. The Spaniards themselves felt oppressed by the restrictions placed on trade, aud gave stealthy encourage* mentto foreign interlopers, who supplied them at an easier rate" with articles which could not belegally procured without paying enormous exactions. English traders soon made their appearance ; and, as the authorities oh the one hand treated them as enemies, or even as pirates, while on the other they were invited by the profits of a contraband trade, they soon learned to adopt the precaution of going well armed.

The cruelties of the Spaniards to the aborigines of Cuba terminated in the depopulation of that fine Island. The cattle at the same time multiplied in great numbers, and roved over the deserted tracts of the western districts.- This, in consequence, became the victualling place of all foreign vessels that cruised upon the Spanish Main or disturbed its trade. The preparation of the meat became a regular business. Spanish hunters killed the cattle ; the flesh was then dried and prepared according to the Carib method, on hurdles raised a few feet above the fire. This mode of dressing food was called by the Indians " boocan," a name also applied to the apparatus used in the process, and to the meat itself. Hence the persons who were employed in procuring provisions for the. cruisers, adopting the language with the habits of the natives, called themselves Buccaneers.

A large majority of these adventurers were English ; and their smuggling trade quickly degenerating into actual piracy, they took the honourable designation of freebooters. There was a natural alliance between the freebooters and Buccaneers ; they mutually depended on one another, the avocations of one party being at sea, those of the other on land. It is probable that in some instances the pirafce cured his own provisions, and united both professions in his own person. But in general the hunters were distinct from the seamen, and in process of time, a majority of the hunters were French, while the rovers were chiefly English. Yet the adventurers of these two nations, whimsically thought fit to borrow the name of their profession from the language of the other, as if the respectability of their calling could be enhanced, or its criminality palliated by a foreign name. The English called themselves Buccaneers, while the French preferred the title of Freebooters, or corruptedly, Filibusters.

All the adventurers, of whatever nation, made the Spaniards the sole object of attack. A sense of common interest bound them together, and formed them into a society styling itself: The Brethren of the Coast. The Buccaneers had peculiar customs, which either from necessity or tradition obtained the authority of law. Their code of morality was such as might be expected among men who, while they renounced a friendly intercourse with the rest of mankind, depended upon each other's fidelity. Every ■ Buccaneer had a mate, who was the heir to all his money. In some instances, a community of property existed. Negligence of dress, and even dirtiness, was prescribed by their fashions, as best befitting a desparado. But when, in case of war between their nations and the Spaniards, they could obtain commissions, they were always ready to take the name of privateers. '

The increase of the Buccaneers was regarded with satisfaction by other European States. They reasoned with the laxity of political morality then prevailing, that they might profit by illegal proceedings, which at the same time they were not called upon to avow. Various settlements were made by adventurers throughout the West India Islands, those of the same nation generally associating together; and as they grew into importance, they were claimed by that crown of which a majority of the colonists were subjects. The pirates were pleased to find themselves countenanced or connived at by legal governments, and colonies ottered a prospect of an increased market for their trade. Becoming more confident in their strength, they seized on the little island, of Tortuga. This was the first step of the Buccaneers towards forming themselves into an independent society. The severity of the Spaniards soon after forced them to take one of still greater importance. A party of Spanish troops surprised Tortuga, while most of the Buccaneers were hunting on the main land, or cruising in their vessels, and those surprised were hanged as pirates without mercy or distinction. But national animosity and the love of gain have more influence than terror, and the ranks of the Buccaneers, after their loss of Tortuga, were speedily recruited. From this blow they learnt the necessity of observing more regularity in their proceedings ; and for the first time, they elected a commander. As they acknowledged no claims to rank but conduct and courage, all their leaders were remarkable for personal prowess rind daring exploits, but they never felt the compunctions of humanity, and cruelties stained the glory of their successes.

Among the most notorious and fortunate of these leaders ranks Henry Morgan, under whose government the affairs of the Buccaneers obtained their most flourishing condition. Morgan was born in Wales of res-' pectable parents. His father was a farmer, but young Morgan showed little inclination to follow his peaceful calling. At an early age he left home to seek employment more suited to his active mind, and arriving at one of the seaports, joined a vessel bound for Barbadoes. No sooner, however, had the destination been reached than according to the practice of those times, Morgan was sold as a slave, and bad to serve a series of years in that capacity. Having at last regained his freedom, he proceeded to Jamaica to try his fortune once more. There he found two piratical vessels ready for sen, and being without employment, he did not hesitate to join them. A new career was now opened to him. He soon acquired their manners and customs, and having during several successful voyages, saved a little money, he agreed with some of his associates to join stock and buy a ship. This was quickly executed and Morgan chosen commander. He directed his course towards the coast of Campeche, and returned to Jamaica with several captured vessels. Mansvelt, an old pirate, seeing Morgan in possession of such- valuable prizes, formed a high idea of his piratical talents, and offered him the command of Vice-Admiral of a fleet, consisting of 15 sail and 500 men, which he was fitting out, and which was

destined to invade the American continent* Morgan accepted the offer and made himself prominent in the new situation. He took several places, and after the death of Mansvelt, the office of Commander-in-chief was unanimously conferred upon him.

His exploits after this installation were of the boldest character. With a body of 500 men, he took the town of Puerto del Principe in Cuba. His next undertaking was directed against Portobello. He had only 460 men ; but his advance was so rapid, that he came on the town by surprise, and found it quite unprepared. In storming the castle, he compelled his prisoners, chiefly religious of both sexes, to apply the scaling-ladders to the walls. When the garrison surrendered, he shut them up in the castle, and setting fire to the magazine, destroyed the fort and its defenders together. He afterwards sacked Maracaibo, aud the neighboring town of Gibraltar; and, emboldened by, success, he consulted with his officers which of the three places, Carthagena, Veracruz, or Panama, he should next nttack. Panama was believed to be the richest, and on that city the lot fell.

The opinion of the Buccaneers was that •it would be most expeditious to invade the Isthmus by ascending the river Chagres, as far as Cruces, and thence proceed by land to Panama. Yet even this plan, the most feasible that could be devised, was attended with difficulties. The mouth of the river was guarded, by the Castle of San Lorenzo, which stood on a high rock, the top of which had been divided by a ditch into two parts. Palisades filled with earth, encircled the building; a drawbridge form-

Ed its only entrance. Towards the land it had four bastions, towards the sea, two ; the southern side was rendered inaccessible by the steepness of the rock, the northern, by the bed of the river ; while the foot, protected by a battery, commanded the mouth of the Chagres, which possessed besides the defence of a hidden rock. The garrison consisting of 314 men, was well armed and prepared for an attack by previous notice.

Morgan would have proceeded in person to commence operations, but he was engaged in the Island of Santa Catalina. To lose no time he sent four ships, a boat and 400 men, under the command of Captain Brodely, to clear the way for the main forces. No sooner did the flotilla arrive in sight of the Castle than the Spaniards opened fire so well directed and kept up with so > much spirit, that the pirates were obliged to take refuge in a small bay, about a league distant. Men less accustomed to hazardous undertakings would, probably, hay deferred assaulting a place so well defended ; but the Buccaneers, however discouraged, were ready to make a formal attack. Landing early on the next morning, they forced a passage through the forest, and reached the Castle about two o'clock in the afternoon. Notwithstanding that they had been covered by trees, their movements had been watched, and they had hardly approached within a cannon shot, when a fire was opened upon them, killing several of their number before the assault could be made. However they continued io advance, holding the sword in one hand, the fireball in the other. But the garrison defended itself so well, that the design to climb the walls and set fire to the palisades failed, and retreat became inevitable.

C To be Continued. )