a volley from the merchants who owned the CHAP. treasure then in the town, and with a few others, II. had ranged themfelves in a gallery that rann round the governor's houfe; yet that poft was 741 immediately abandoned upon the first fire from

the English, who were thereby left in quiet poffeffion of the parade.

On this fuccefs Lieutenant Brett divided his men into two parties, ordering one of them to furround the governor's houfe, and if poffible to fecure the governor, whilft he, at the head of the other, marched to the fort, with an intent to force it; but, on his approach, the Spaniards abandoned the fort, making their efcape over the walls, and the lieutenant, contrary to his expectations, entered it without oppofition. By this time the other party had furrounded the governor's houfe, who had escaped half naked, with the utmost precipitation, leaving his wife, a young lady of feventeen, to whom he had been married but three or four days, behind him; though fhe too was afterwards carried off in her fhift by a couple of centinels, just as the detachment, ordered to inveft the house, arrived before it: while the principal part of the inhabitants, furprized in their beds, fled without putting on their cloaths in the wildeft hurry and confternation; fo that the few remaining in the town, were no ways formidable enough to attempt the leaft refiftance. Thus was the whole town and fort of Paita, mastered in lefs than a quarter of an hour from the firft landing, with no other lofs than one man killed and two wounded; though the Honourable Mr Van Kepple, fon to the Earl of Albemarle, had a very narrow efcape from a ball that shaved his jockey cap off

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PART close to his temples, which however did him no II. other injury.

LIEUTENANT BRETT, when he had thus 1741. far happily fucceeded, placed a guard at the fort, and another at the governor's houfe, appointing centinels at all the avenues of the town, both to prevent any furprize from the Spaniards, and to fecure the effects in the place from being embezzled: his next care was to feize on the cuf tom house, where the treasure lay, and to confine the small remains of the inhabitants in one of the churches under a guard, except fome ftout negroes, who were employed the remaining part of the night, to affift in carrying the treasure from the custom house and other places to the fort. But the failors could not be prevented from entering the houses in fearch of private pilLage, and covering their dirty trowfers and jackets with the embroidered or laced habits of the Spaniards; and those who came laft into the fashion, not finding mens cloaths fufficient, equipped themselves in womens gowns and petticoats, fo that their lieutenant was extremely furprized when he first faw them thus ridiculously metamorphofed.

DURING the attack on the town, the commodore lay by with the fhips till one o'clock in the morning, and then fuppofing the detachment to be landed, he made an easy fail, and opened the bay about feven, where he had a view of the town, and, through his perspectives, difcerned the English colours hoifted on the flagftaff of the fort: he then plied into the bay, and at eleven the Tryal's boat came on board the Centurion laden with dollars and church plate, when the commanding officer acquainted him of the preceeding night's tranfactions with

which the commodore was thoroughly pleased, CHAP. only he regretted the efcape of the governor, as II. he had particularly recommended it to Lieutenant Brett to secure his perfon if poffible, in hopes 1741. he fhould then be able to treat for the ransom of the place. About two in the afternoon the commodore anchored in ten fathom and a half water, at a mile and half distance from the town; and having a more immediate intercourfe with those on fhore, he found they had hitherto proceeded in collecting and removing the treasure without interruption; but the Spaniards rendezvousing from all parts of the country, having amongst them 200 horfe, well armed and mounted, with these they made their appearance on a hill at the back of the town, where they paraded about with much oftentation, founding their military mufic, and practifing every art to intimidate the English to abandon the place, before the pillage was completed: but they were difappointed in their menaces, for the failors went on calmly as long as the day-light lafted, in fending off the treasure, with refreshments of live provifions, with which they were abundantly supplied; however, at night the commodore fent a reinforcement on fhore, and the Spaniards continuing quiet all night, at day-break the failors renewed their labour in loading and fending off the boats. They were now convinced of what confequence it would have been if they had fecured the governor, for they found many ftore houfes full of valuable effects, which could be of no ufẹ to the captors; and for which, if the governor had been in their power, in all probability they might have procured an advantageous ranfom; but he was now too much elated with his military command, and though the commodore fent VOL. I. Rr

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PART him repeated meffages, offering to enter into a II. treaty for ranfoming the town and goods, threat

ening too, that if the Spaniards did not conde1741. fcend to treat, he would fet fire to the town and all the ware-houses; yet the governor arrogantly despised all these reiterated overtures, and never defigned to return the least answer to the commodore. This day feveral negroes deferted from the Spaniards on the hill, and affured the commodore that the Spaniards were increased to a formidable number, and refolved to form the town and fort the fucceeding night; however the English profecuted their work with uncon cern till evening, when another reinforcement was fent on fhore, and Lieutenant Brett, doubling his guards, by his marks of vigilance, deterred the Spaniards from their refolution, though they were at that time treble the number of English on thore, and fenfible of their great fuperiority.

HAVING finifhed fending the treasure on board the Centurion, the third morning, being the 15th of November, the boats were employed in carrying off the most valuable part of the effects remaining in the town; and the commodore intending to fail in the afternoon, about ten o'clock, pursuant to his promife, fent all his prifoners, being eighty-eight, on fhore; giving orders to Lieutenant Brett, "To fecure them under a ftrict guard in one of the churches, till the men were ready to embark; and alfo to burn the whole town, except the two churches, which fortunately ftood at fome difstance from the houfes." Thefe orders were punctually complied with; for Lieutenant Brett, finding great quantities of pitch, tar, and other combuftibles, fet his men immediately to dif

tribute

tribute the fame into houses, fituated in different CHA P. ftreets of the town, fo that the place being at II. once fired in many quarters, the deftruction might be the more violent and fudden, and the 1741. Spaniards, after their departure, be the lefs able to extinguish it. After making these preparations, he nailed up the cannon in the fort; and then fetting fire to the moft windward of the houses, collected his men and marched towards the beach, where the boats waited to carry them off, which being an open place, he might have been eafily furrounded by the Spaniards; who perceiving his retreat, detached fixty horfe to precipitate his departure; they marched down the hill with much feeming refolution, but no fooner had Lieutenant Brett ordered his men to halt and face about, than the Spaniards ftopped their career, and never dared to advance a step further, permitting the English to reach the fquadron without any moleftation.

In the mean time the fpreading flames had taken poffeffion of every part of the town, and by the proper fituation of the combuftibles, with the flightness of the materials of which the houfes were compofed, and their aptitude to take fire, the whole town, and all its effects, were loft in one general conflagration.

THE booty made by the English, though inconfiderable of what they deftroyed, amounted to above 30,000l. fterling, in wrought plate, dollars, and other coin only; befides rings, bracelets, and jewels of great value; which was equally divided between the whole fquadron, as well those on board, as thofe who had been concerned in the action, over and above the common plunder, which was very great: though the Spaniards fuftained a much more infinite lofs Rr 2

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