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and many other complaints of this kind, having designed in his mind to cheat them of as much as he could.

Morgan Takes French Leave.

At last Capt. Morgan finding himself obnoxious by many obloquies and detractions among his people, began to fear the consequences thereof and hereupon thinking it unsafe to remain any longer time at Chagre, he commanded the ordnance of the said castle to be carried on board his ship. Afterwards he caused the greatest part of the walls to be demolished, and the edifices to be burnt, and as many other things spoiled and ruined as could conveniently be done in a short while.

These orders being performed, he went secretly on board his own ship, without giving any notice of his departure to his companions, nor calling any council as he used to do. Thus he set sail and put out to sea, not

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Ancon, showing palm trees planted by the Trench-Panama. Isthmian-American & PRR News Agency & Advertising Bureau A Dienkowsk

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bidding anybody adieu, being only followed by three four vessels of the whole fleet. These were such (as the French Pirates believed) as went shares with Capt. Morgan towards the best and greatest part of the spoil which had been concealed from them in the dividend.

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The Frenchmen could very willingly have revenged this affront upon Capt. Morgan and those that followed him, had they found themselves with sufficient means encounter him at sea. But they were destitute of most things necessary thereto. Yea, they had much ado to find sufficient victuals and provisions for their voyage to all Jamaica, he having left them totally unprovided of things.

01010

The Fall of Old Panama.

(Written by the late Mr. James Stanley Gilbert of Colon, and published by him in "Panama Patchwork." Reprinted through the kind permission given the publisher of this book, by the author, prior to his death.)

His Catholic Majesty, Philip of Spain,

Ruled o'er the West Coast, the Indies and Main;

His ships heavy laden with pesos and plate,
Sailed o'er the South Sea with tribute of state.

From Lima and Quito his galleys pulled forth

For Panama pearls and gold of the North;

And cargoes of treasure were sent overland

While his soldiers kept guard from the gulf to the strand.
From Panama Bay to the port "Name of God"
Long freight trains of slaves thro' the dense forests trod;
Then, some through the straits and some from the main,
King Philip's good ships sought their owner again.

On England's grand throne great Elizabeth reigned,

And on sea and on land her power maintained;

O er the hearts of her subjects, o'er the conquests they made,
O'er their lives and their fortunes her sceptre she swayed,
But her title of "Queen of the Seas" to dispute
King Philip essayed from the land of the lute;
And velvet-clad Dons cast their love-songs aside
To battle the English, and wind, wave and tide.
In many and mortal affray they engaged,

And bravely and fiercely the struggle they waged,
But the men of old Devon----those stout hearts of oak----
As often successfully parried each stroke.

The Drakes and the Gilberts, the Grenvils and Leighs,
The Oxenhams, Raleighs---the props and the stays
Of England's first greatness---were the heroes of old
Who helped Britain's queen with the Spanish king's gold.
They robbed the arch-robber of ill-gotten gain,
And brought England the glory they wrested from Spain.
His galleons they captured, his treasure trains seized----
Outfought him abroad and with zeal unappeased.

At home they defeated the Armada's great fleet,
And laid a world's spoil at Elizabeth's feet.

Alas, that such deeds should grow dim with the years!
Alas, that such men should have trained buccaneers!
That from such examples----so noble, so true----

A race of marauders and ruffians grew!
That friends such as Morgan should follow the wake
Of men like John Oxman and Sir Francis Drake,
Who swore by the oak, by the ash and the thorn,
God helping them always, to sail round the Horn
To fair Panama and the placid South Sea,
Which they saw one day from the top of a tree!
For old England's glory their standard to raise,
To cruise the Pacific and its isle-dotted bays.

Four miles from where Ancon looks down on the New,
Stood Old Panama, whence Pizarro once drew

The bravest of followers Peru to obtain
And her Incas subject to the power of Spain;
There once stood cathedrals and palaces fair,
Whose altars and vessels and tapestries rare

Were the pride of the people whose opulence then
Was the envy of kings, and the longing of men;
Where once stately streets to the plains stretched away,
And warehouses skirted the vessel-lined bay;

Where plantations and gardens and flowering trees

Once perfumed the tropical evening breeze----
Stands naught but a ruin half hidden from view,
A pirate's first gift to his blood-thirsty crew!

From sacked Porto Bello redhanded they came,
All bloodstained from conquest unworthy the name,
To the mouth of the Chagres, where, high on the hill,
San Lorenzo kept guard, to plunder and kill
Its devoted defenders, who courageously fought
For homes, wives and children, accounting as naught
Their lives held so precious, so cherished before,
Could they drive the fierce pirates away from their shore.
Three days they repulsed them, but to find every night
The foe still upon them in ne'er-ending fight.
Their arms could not conquer the powers of hell!

San Lorenzo surrendered----ingloriously fell!
Burned, famished and bleeding from many a wound,
They lay while their stronghold was razed to the ground.

On, on, up to Cruces the buccaneers sped,

But to find it in ashes, its inhabitants fled.

Yet on and still on, with Morgan ahead,

They pressed down the road that to Panama led.
Nine days through the forest unbroken they tramped,
And at last on a mount near the city encamped.
Before them the ocean for leagues away rolled:
Below them the islands lay bathed in the gold
Of the sun that, just setting, looked mournfully down
On the last day of life of the ill-fated town;

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