They arrive within sight of Panama. Are encountered by three small men-of-war. They fight them with only sixty-eight men, and utterly defeat them, taking two of the said vessels. Description of that bloody fight. They take several ships at the Isle of Perico before Panama.

THE next morning, which was on April 23rd, 168o, that day being dedicated to St. George, our Patron of England, we came before sunrise within view of the city of Panama, which makes a pleasant show to the vessels that are at sea from off the shore. Soon after we saw also the ships belonging to the said city which lay at anchor at an island called Perico, distant only two leagues from Panama. On the aforesaid island are to be seen several storehouses which are built there, to receive the goods delivered out of the ships. At that time there rode at anchor at Perico five great ships, and three pretty big barks, called Barcos de là. Armadilla, or little men-of-war; the word Armadilla signifying a Little Fleet. These had been suddenly manned with design to fight us, and prevent any further attempts we should make upon the city or coasts of those seas. As soon as they spied us, they instantly weighed anchor, and got under sail, coming directly to meet us whom they expected very shortly, according to the intelligence they had received of our coming. Our two periaguas being heavy could not row so fast as we that were in the canoes, and hence we were got pretty far before them. In our five canoes (for so many we were now in company) we had only thirty-six men, in a very unfit condition to fight, being tired with so much rowing, and so few in number, in comparison with the enemy that came against us. They sailed towards us directly before the wind, insomuch that we feared lest they should run us down before it. Hereupon we rowed up into the wind's eye, as the seamen term it, and got close to windward of them. While we were doing this, our lesser periaguas, in which were thirty-two or more of our company, came up with us. So that we were in all sixty-eight¹ men that were engaged in the fight of that day, the king himself, who was in the periagua aforementioned, being one of our number. In the vessel that was admiral of these three small men-of-war, were fourscore and six Biscayners, who have the repute of being the best mariners, and also the best soldiers amongst the Spaniards. These were all volunteers, who came designedly to show their valour, under the command of Don Jacinto de Barahona, who was High Admiral of those seas. In the second were seventy-seven negroes, who were commanded by an old and stout Spaniard, a native of Andalusia in Spain, named Don Francisco de Peralta. In the third and last were sixty-five Mestizos, or Mulattos, or Tawnymores, commanded by Don Diego de Carabaxal. So that in all they made the number of two hundred and twenty-eight men. The commanders had strict orders given them, and their resolution was to give quarter to none of the pirates or buccaneers. But such bloody commands as these seldom or never do happen to prosper.

The canoe of Captain Sawkins, and also that wherein I was, were much to leeward of the rest. So that the ship of Don Diego de Carabaxal came between us two, and fired presently on me to windward, and on him to leeward, wounding with these broadsides, four men in his canoe, and one in that I was in; but he paid so dear for his passage between us, that he was not very quick in coming about again and making the same way. For we killed with our first volley of shot, several of his men upon the decks. Thus we alio got to windward, as the rest were before. At this time the Admiral of the Armadilla, or Lillie Fleet, came up with us suddenly, scarce giving us time to charge, and thinking to pass by us all, with as little or less damage as the first of his ships had done. But as it happened it fell out much worse with him, for we were so fortunate as to kill the man at the helm, so that his ship ran into the wind, and her sails lay a-back, as is usually said in marinery. By this means we had time to come all up under his stern, and firing continually into his vessel, we killed as many as came to the helm, besides which slaughter we cut asunder his main sheet and brace with our shot. At this time the third vessel, in which Captain Peralta was, was coming up to the aid of their general. Hereupon Captain Sawkins, who had changed his canoe, and was gone into the periagua, left the Admiral to us four canoes (for his own was quite disabled) and met the said Peralta. lietween him and Captain Sawkins the dispute, or fight. was very hot, lying board on board together, and both giving and receiving death unto each other as fast as they could charge. While we were thus engaged, the first ship tacked about, and came up to relieve the Admiral. But we perceiving that, and foreseeing how hard it would go with us if we should be beaten from the Admiral's stern, determined to prevent his design. Hereupon two of our canoes, to wit, Captain Springer's and my own, stood off to meet him. He made no directly towards the Admiral, who stood upon the quarter-deck, waving to him with a handkerchief so to do. But we engaged him so closely, in the middle of his way, that had he not given us the helm, and made away from us, we had certainly been on board him. We killed so many of them, that the vessel had scarce men enough left alive, or unwounded, to carry her off. Yet the wind now blowing fresh, they made shift to get away from us, and hereby saved their lives.

The vessel which was to relieve the Admiral being thus put to flight, we came about again upon the Admiral, and all together gave a loud halloo, which was answered by our men in the periagua, though at a distance from us. At that time we came so close under the stern of the Admiral, that we wedged up the rudder; and withal, killed both the Admiral himself and the chief pilot of his ship, so that now they were almost quite disabled and disheartened likewise, seeing what a bloody massacre we had made among them with our shot. Hereupon, two-thirds of their men being killed, and many others wounded, they cried for quarter, which had several times been offered unto them, and as stoutly denied until then. Captain Coxon entered on board the Admiral, and took with him Captain Harris, who had been shot through both his legs, as he boldly adventured up along the side of the ship. This vessel being thus taken, we put on board her also all the rest of our wounded men, and instantly manned two of our canoes to go and aid Captain Sawkins, who now had been three times beaten from on board by Peralta, such valiant defence had he made. And indeed, to give our enemies their due, no men in the world did ever act more bravely than these Spaniards.

Thus coming up close under Peralta's side, we gave him a full volley of shot, and expected to have the like return from him again, but on a sudden we saw his men blown up, that were abaft the mast; some of them falling on the deck, and others into the sea. This disaster was no sooner perceived by their valiant Captain Peralta, than he leaped overboard, and in spite of all our shot, got several of them into the ship again, though he was much burnt in both his hands himself. But as one misfortune seldom comes alone, whilst he was recovering these men to reinforce his ship withal, and renew the fight, another jar of powder took fire forward and blew up several others upon the forecastle. Among this smoke, and under cover thereof, Captain Sawkins laid them on board and took the ship. Soon aster they were taken, I went on board Captain Peralta, to see what condition they were in, and indeed such a miserable sight I never saw in my life, for not one man there was found, but was either killed, desperately wounded, or horribly burnt with powder, insomuch, that their black skins were turned white in several places, the powder having torn it from their flesh and bones. Having compassionated their misery, I went afterwards on board the Admiral, to observe likewise the condition of his ship and men. Here I saw what did much astonish me, and will scarcely be believed by others than ourselves who saw it. There were found on board this ship but twenty-five men alive, whose number before the fight had been fourscore and six, as was said above. So that threescore and one, out of so small a number, were destroyed in the battle. But what is more, of these twenty-five men only eight were able to bear arms, all the rest being desperately wounded, and by their wounds totally disabled to make any resistance, or defend themselves. Their blood ran down the decks in whole streams, and scarce one place in the ship was found that was free from blood.

Having possessed ourselves of these two Armadilla vessels, or little men-of-war, Captain Sawkins asked the prisoners how many men there might be on board the greatest ship that we could see, lying in the harbour of the island of Perico above-mentioned, as also in the others that were something smaller. Captain Peralta hearing these questions, dissuaded him as much as he could from attempting them, saying that in the biggest alone there were three hundred and fifty men, and that he would find the rest too well provided for defence against his small number. But one of his men, who lay a-dying upon the deck, contradicted him as he was speaking, and told Captain Sawkins there was not one man on board any of those ships that were in view; for they had all been taken out of them to fight us in these three vessels called the Armadilla, or Little Fleet. To this relation we gave credit, as proceeding from a dying man; and steering our course to the island, we went on board them, and found, as he had said, not one person there. The biggest ship of these, which was called La Santissima Trinidad, or the Blessed Trinity, they had set on fire, made a hole in her, and loosened her foresail, but we quenched the fire with all speed, and stopped the leak. This being done, we put our wounded men on board her, and thus constituted her for the time being our hospital.

Having surveyed our own loss and damages, we found that eighteen of our men had been killed in the fight, and twenty-two were wounded. These three captains against whom we fought, were esteemed by the Spaniards to be the valiantest in all the South Seas. Neither was this reputation undeservedly conferred upon them, as may easily be inferred from the relation we have given of this bloody engagement. As the third ship was running away from the fight, she met with two more that were coming out to their assistance, but gave them so little encouragement that they returned back, and dared not engage us. We began the fight about half an hour after sunrise, and by noon had finished the battle, and quite overcome them. Captain Peralta, while he was our prisoner, would often break out in admiration of our valour, and say, "Surely we Englishmen were the valiantest men in the whole world, who designed always to fight open, whilst all other nations invented all the ways imaginable to barricade themselves, and fight as close as they could." And yet, notwithstanding, we killed more of our enemies than they of us.

Two days after our engagement, we buried Captain Peter Harris, a brave and stout soldier, and a valiant Englishman, born in the county of Kent, whose death we very much lamented. He died of the wounds he received in the battle, and besides him only one man more; all the rest of our wounded men recovered. Being now come before Panama, I here inquired of Don Francisco de Peralta, our prisoner, many things concerning the state and condition of this city, and the neighbouring country, and he satisfied me in manner following.

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¹ There seems to be some confusion as to the number of buccaneers who took part in this action. Ringrose no doubt states accurately the number of canoes and men engaged, but fails to account for the absence of the greater portion. On April t4th the numbers are precisely stated as three hundred and twenty-seven English and fifty Indians, yet on the 23rd only sixty-eight men are said to have joined in the engagement with the Spaniards. Another account gives the force of the pirates as a little under two hundred. It is evident that Sharp and his company were absent, for they are described as being away in the bark in search of water, rejoining on the 25th.