Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/313

Rh his wife and children detained as captives until a ransom of 14,000 pesos should be received. As the ayuntamiento refused to pay the money, the pirate made his demand in person at the town-hall; whereupon the governor, feeling that his family might come to harm, ordered the amount to be paid.

Nine years later an expedition was despatched from Mexico by way of Vera Cruz to Campeche, and being reënforced by the troops stationed there, drove the intruders from all their settlements on the bay of Términos. The attack was made on the 16th of July 1717, the feast of the virgin of Cármen, and hence the island received its name. A large amount of booty was wrested from the buccaneers, many of whom were slain, those who escaped harboring in Belize, where, being joined by others of their craft, they organized a force of three hundred and thirty-five men and returned to the bay of Términos. Landing on the Isla del Cármen they sent a message to Alonso Felipe de Andrade, the commander of the Spanish fort which had been erected during their absence, ordering him to withdraw his garrison. The reply was that the Spaniards had plenty of powder and ball with which to defend themselves.

The freebooters made their attack during the same night and captured the stronghold without difficulty, taking three of the four field pieces with which it was defended. But Andrade was a brave and capable officer, and his men were no dandy warriors. Placing himself at the head of his command he led them against the enemy, forced his way into the fort, recaptured one of the field pieces, and turned it against the foe. During: the fight a building: filled with straw was set on fire by a hand grenade. This incident favored the Spaniards, who now made a furious charge on the invaders. Their commander was shot dead while leading on his men; but exasperated by the loss of their gallant leader, they sprang at the buccaneers with so fierce a rush that the latter were driven back