When my article on Francois L'Ollonais appeared in issue #1 of Mutiny Magazine some lines and paragraphs were missing due to technical oversights during our rush to publish on time. Here it is, restored to its intended form and length...
L'Ollonais
by Bullet Valmont
Being
a true Account of Adventure, Avarice, Inquisition, Evisceration and
Peril on the Spanish Main. Of desperate Men on Blood-dimmed Shores, the
Lure of Gold and the Spoils of Whores. Savage Cannibals, epic Crossings,
Brutality, Honor and heroic Resolve. The first of the great Caribbean
Pirates, whose Life was a dread Portent of the wild Age to come...
1. A Buccaneer's Ascension
The first Caribbean pirate to achieve widespread infamy came from a port town on the Atlantic coast of France called Les Sables d'Ollone, and the name history bestowed on him was inspired by that place; Francois L'Ollonais.
He arrived in the Caribbean as a youth and was indentured for several years, probably on the island of Martinique. Once freed, he made his way to Hispaniola where
he hunted the wild beasts of that island among the buccaneers. The
Spanish sought to purge the buccaneers through constant raids and
harassment and it's likely they routed L'Ollonais from there, for he
soon afterward began his robberies of their vessels and demonstrated a
singular hatred for them.
The isle of Tortuga is to the north of western Hispaniola. Its only port is on the south side at a town called Cayona,
a haven for the buccaneers which was rampant with taverns and
strumpets. Hunters and pirates congregated there to sell or trade what
goods they'd earned or stolen and to squander what wealth they had on
debaucherous pursuits. A French Governor, Monsieur de la Place, oversaw the island, welcoming and profiting by its godless and criminal activity.
After only a few voyages L'Ollonais' courage and ferocity had so
distinguished him that Governor de la Place gave him a ship of his own,
thus beginning the most sanguinary career in all the history of piracy.
It may appear odd for a pirate to be given a ship rather than to steal
one, but L'Ollonais seems to have made a binding pact with the Governor.
L'Ollonais trusted him to receive and unlade captured vessels, and
let him make first bid on plunder. L'Ollonais maintained Tortuga as a
base to
plan, prepare and recruit for his voyages, always returning to
it as a home port.
L'Ollonais was a successful investment for the Governor, returning
often and with great plunder. But it was his extreme cruelties against
the Spaniards which grew his legend and made him feared. Before long,
any Spanish he attacked would choose to sink with their vessel or die
fighting
rather than surrender, for they had heard of the grievous tortures he
would inflict on them. It is known that most pirates would prefer a
victim surrender than risk bloody conflict but L'Ollonais seemed to
live for the fight and for the slaughter, as though some dismal hunger
in
his soul could be slaked only by the blood of Spain.
Yet his cruelty was equaled by his fearless resolve, and even the
harshest of misfortunes only urged him to greater triumphs.
2. Resurrection and Vengeance
In the year of 1666 a storm wrecked his ship upon the coast of Campeche.
The men all survived this tragedy but as they came upon dry land they
were immediately ambushed and pursued by Spaniards and most of them
killed. L'Ollonais, although injured, was able to escape capture by
smearing sand over himself, which stuck to the blood of his wounds, and
laying himself among the dead causing the Spaniards to mistake him for a
corpse. They took their leave, making prisoners of the few remaining
pirates.
Binding his wounds as best he could, L'Ollonais made his way on foot
through the jungle to the city of Campeche. The Spaniards had meantime
cast his surviving crew into a dungeon and upon asking them what had
become of their Captain were told repeatedly that: "He is dead." This news caused much celebration in the town and as word passed through the Spanish Main the populace rejoiced that the "debtor of so much innocent blood" was at last killed.
But by this time L'Ollonais was in the town itself, moving among them
disguised in Spanish habit. He allied himself with several slaves whom
he promised their liberty if they would only trust and follow him. These
slaves helped him steal a canoe from one of their masters which they
rowed out to sea. Eventually, after stealing a second vessel, L'Ollonais
sailed toward the fishing village of De Los Cayos, on the south of Cuba, where he hoped to find prey.
A fishing boat, escaping him, brought word to the governor in Havana that
L'Ollonais had come to destroy them in two canoes. The governor had
already heard of L'Ollonais death yet nonetheless sent a ship of ten
cannon and 90 men, as well; one negro to serve as executioner, with the
instructions to capture and immediately hang every one of the pirates
except their captain, L'Ollonais, who should be brought back to Havana
alive. Further; they were not to return at all until the pirates were
totally destroyed.
This ship arrived at Cayos but L'Ollonais had been forewarned of it's coming and hid out in the River Estera where
he captured some fishermen and forced them to show him to the harbor
where the ship rode at anchor. Arriving by night very near to the ship,
the watch mistook the buccaneers for fishermen and hailed them to ask if
they'd seen any pirates, to which they answered they had seen no
pirates nor anything else. This succeeded to persuade the ship that the
pirates had fled at hearing of their coming.
But through the night L'Ollonais maneuvered his canoes to either side
of the ship and just before daybreak began his assault from both sides.
The Spaniards fought back well with sword and pistol but the pirates,
though outnumbered, attacked relentlessly and succeeded in beating them
down under the hatches until, at sword's point, they surrendered.
L'Ollonais had the Spaniards each brought up in turn, their heads cut
off then cast into the river until its current flowed red in apt
portent of his future. When the negro hangman was brought up he pleaded
quarter passionately, promising to tell L'Ollonais anything he wished to
know about the Spaniards' activities against pirates in return for his
own life being spared.
L'Ollonais questioned him for all he could learn then ordered his
head cut off as with the rest. The entire ship's company were murdered
excepting one man who was let live and sent back to Havana with L'Ollonais' written message for the Governor; "I
shall never, henceforward, give quarter to any Spaniard whatsoever, and
I have great hopes I shall execute on your own person the very same
punishment I have done on those you sent against me..."
Having thus acquired a new ship equal to the one he'd lost at Campeche,
L'Ollonais cruised for a while finding no prey and soon suffered a
dearth of provisions. He made the desperate gambit of entering the port
of Maracaibo wherein he was able to steal a vessel heavy laden with plate and other goods. He sailed thence directly to Tortuga, arriving to much exaltation among the pirates and celebrated for evading the Spanish and then returning "from the dead" with
a new ship and vast plunder. He was now the most famous and feared
pirate captain in the new world yet his exploits of legend were still
before him.
3. Clarion of Gold
At Tortuga,
L'Ollonais began assembling a fleet and announced his intention to raid
towns and fishing villages in the Spanish dominions and return to Maracaibo to
pillage the entire city. His reputation at this time was enough to lure
many to his cause; sailors and fighters, destitute and desperate men,
rogues of petty greed who looked no further than their next vice's
slaking, dreamers of majestic avarice who saw glory and fortunes to
be made. Whatever miscreant aspiration compelled them, they saw in
L'Ollonais the vessel of it's deliverance and, on faith, they followed
him.
Among the few whose names are known was a retired pirate called Micheal deBasco,
who had achieved great wealth already. He had no more need of returning
to sea but L'Ollonais scheme and the promise of it's success roused him
to offer his service, assuring L'Ollonais that he possessed invaluable
knowledge of the area of their targets. L'Ollonais accepted his offer
and they had in a very short time more than 400 men enlisted for the
voyage.
4. The Voyage of Avarice
Late in April, 1667, they embarked from Tortuga in eight vessels, stopping first at Bayala on the north side of Hispaniola,
where they armed and victualed for the voyage, and recruited many of
the hunters to join them. Resuming on the last day of July, they
encountered a Spanish ship of 16 guns which L'Ollonais decided to take
himself, sending the rest of the fleet to the isle of Savona where
he intended to rendezvous with them afterward. To his surprise, the
Spaniards (apparently aware of who stalked them) chose to fight. This
battle lasted three hours after which the pirates boarded. We can only
speculate what miserable agonies those Spaniards died by. The ship was
found laden with 40,000 pieces of eight, 10,000 more worth of jewels,
and a cargo of coconuts and cacao. L'Ollonais sent it back to Tortuga
that the spoils could be unloaded and gave orders that it should return
posthaste to join the fleet at Savona.
The others, on arriving at Savona, captured yet another Spanish vessel, this one bound for Hispaniola carrying
payroll for the garrisons and military provisions of powder and
muskets. L'Ollonais took one of the prize ships for himself, giving
command of his original vessel to a buccaneer named Antony du Puis. The fleet then set off toward the Gulf of Venezuela,
almost directly south of them. The pirates were greatly emboldened by
their early successes yet many would perish by land and sea, by cutlass
or cannon before they attained their objective.
5. The Fortress on the Strait of Blood
The Lake of Maracaibo is a mix of fresh and salt waters, being fed by 25 rivers as well as the Gulf sea.
The entrance from the Gulf is protected by a long, narrow island which
stretches most of it's distance, leaving only thin passages on either
side. Too shallow on the east to admit large vessels, incoming ships
have to navigate a strait on the other side just over two fathoms deep,
perilous with sandbars, and guarded on the west by a castle fortress
called De la Barra, standing on the high ground of the mainland, requiring ships to steer within range of it's guns in order to enter the lake.
The flotilla dropped anchor a league from De la Barra and
went ashore, intending to advance over land and take the fortress by
surprise. But their landing had been discovered and a detachment was
sent to ambush them from behind and drive them toward a battery of
cannon which would fire on them from the front. This trap was detected
by the pirates and they slaughtered most of those Spaniards, routing the
rest, who fled inland. Rushing thence to engage the defenders, the
pirates armed only with pistols and cutlass faced 16 cannon as well as
riflemen protected by ramparts. Yet, following a valiant, frenzied
offensive which lasted several hours, the walls, at length, were
breached and the fortress taken. This accomplished, they signaled the
fleet that it was safe to pass.
Thru the day the fort was looted, its guns nailed, its flammable
contents burned. The dead were buried and the wounded carried aboard
ships. Entering the lake at sunrise, the fleet was thwarted by a dearth
of wind hence didn't reach Maracaibo until the following morning.
The city of Maracaibo, comprised of about 4000 inhabitants, is on the west side of the lake, about six leagues south of de la Barra.
It's exports being mostly tobacco and the flesh and hides of cattle.
Boats are built in it's port from local timber and plantations surround
it deep into the country. Across the lake and further south is the much
smaller town of Gibraltar which produces sugar, oranges, lemons and cacao nuts that it trades with Maracaibo in exchange for flesh.
Those few soldiers who had survived their attempted ambush on the
pirates, being unable to return to the fort, had retreated to Maracaibo and raised the alarm that de la Barra had been overcome and "Pyrates will presently be here with two-thousand men..." greatly
inflating the number and inciting a panic. The citizens began
immediately to vacate the town, withdrawing inland or fleeing in boats
and canoes, taking all they could carry of their money and possessions.
Anticipating an ambush, the pirates went ashore via canoes with the
ships cannon firing on the town to give them cover. But there was nobody
firing back at them and they found the city deserted of people. Food
and liquors were abundant, however, and discovering most of the homes
well stocked they moved in and commenced to indulgence, a welcome
respite after four weeks at sea.
6. Execution Marks the Spot
Despite what you've read from revisionist historians, (those pedantic
killjoys who live only to piss on every last element of
history's romantic awesomeness), the burying of treasure is not a myth
invented by R.L. Stevenson but was indeed a common practice in
the pirating days of old. Citizens of a town, in expectation of their
homes being looted, would often attempt to conceal any valuable thing
they couldn't carry off with them upon fleeing. Yes, even to the point
of burying said valuable things in the ground. Pirates would thus have
to search for and dig up these treasures. Maps to such burial sites were
probably rare, so their locations would have to be extracted by either
threat or torture.
In the case of L'Ollonais at Maricaibo,
160 pirates were sent into the woods to bring back the fleeing
townsfolk and captured 20 prisoners of men, women, and children. Several
of these were stretched on a rack to make them divulge the hiding
places of their possessions. L'Ollonais, not satisfied with the
forthcoming information, drew his cutlass and hacked to pieces one of
his prisoners in full view of the rest, declaring to them: "If you do not confess where you have hidden the rest of your goods, I will do alike to all your companions." Tongues
were cut out and eyes removed and many an innocent suffered agonizing
death, all over buried treasure. Try telling those poor souls that it
was only a myth.
7. "Have a Good Courage..."
The pirates stayed fifteen days in Maracaibo -long enough to drink the town dry of it's liquor- before crossing the lake to Gibraltar. But the Governor there was an experienced military man who had resolved to fight back and "to exterminate" the
pirates. On being warned of their coming he brought 400 armed men into
Gibraltar from the surrounding area and ordered the inhabitants of the
town to arm themselves, thus achieving a force of 800 men. He mounted a
battery of 20 cannon toward the lake, as well another eight at a
different location then barricaded the road in case the pirates should
try to enter by land.
L'Ollonais sailed for the town and only upon sighting their flag
realized he would have to fight for it. It would be a hard battle, for
only about 380 pirates had reached Gibraltar so they were facing
more than twice their own number and the Spaniards had spent two weeks
in preparing for them. L'Ollonais called his officers to council and
acknowledged the direness of their situation then, redolent of
Shakespeare's Saint Crispin's Day speech, he asserted: "Notwithstanding,
we must either defend ourselves like good soldiers, or lose our lives
with all the riches we have gotten. Do as I shall do, who am your
Captain. At other times we have fought with fewer men than we have in
our company at present, and yet we have overcome greater numbers than
there possibly can be in this town. The more they are, the more glory we
shall attribute unto our fortune, and the greater riches we shall
increase unto it."
The pirates, believing any wealth the Maracaibans escaped with had been brought into Gibraltar, promised to follow L'Ollonais without question. To this, he answered: "'Tis
well; but know ye withal that the first man who shall show any fear, or
the least apprehension thereof, I will pistol him with my own hands."
Dropping anchor nigh the town, the pirates shook hands among themselves and
swore resolve to one another and L'Ollonais commanded: "Come, my brothers, follow me, and have a good courage."
8. Taking Gibraltar
At sunrise the pirates marched on the town until their guide led them
into the barricade which they could not pass. Taking another path they
were ambushed by Spaniards, who fired so furiously that neither side
could hear nor see through the smoke. Following this, they cut their way
through dense jungle and into the clearing of the town where they came
upon a battery of six cannon which immediately fired. Bullets, glass
fragments and small jagged pieces of metal grievously maimed and killed
many of them causing the rest to fall back into the woods. Protected by
their barricades, the Spaniards continued firing. The pirates held
their ground but were unable to advance any further.
L'Ollonais at this point made a great show of retreating still
further with all his men, thus encouraging the Spaniards to come over
their barricades and pursue him into the woods. After having drawn them
some distance from the town, the pirates turned suddenly and engaged,
killing more than 200 Spaniards, fighting their way back into the town
and taking control of the guns. The other battery, of eight cannon,
surrendered on promise of quarter for their lives. L'Ollonais took
prisoners of all that remained in the town -about 150 Spanish and
hundreds of slaves- holding them in the church. The next day,
discovering more than 500 Spaniards had been killed, the prisoners were
made to load the dead onto two boats which were floated out into the
lake and sank. Within a couple weeks most of the prisoners, who were
allowed only the flesh of a few mules for sustenance, would also be
dead; from hunger. Of the pirates only 40 were killed, though scores
died afterward of injuries and fever.
9. "..or Your City Shall be Burnt into Ash."
L'Ollonais' men took all that was left in the town, including pigs,
cows, sheep and chickens, some plate and household goods. Yet finding
not the riches they had hoped for they began to torture the prisoners to
reveal where their valuables were hid. Many suffered brutal deaths for
denying what they knew or for not knowing enough. Four of the prisoners
were sent into the woods to find where the townsfolk were hiding and
demand from them a ransom, the pirates threatening to burn the town
unless 10,000 pieces of eight were collected within two days. This not
being delivered in time, several buildings were set alight convincing
the scattered citizenry to cough up the requested amount.
L'Ollonais returned thence to Maracaibo and
informed the governor that for 30,000 pieces of eight he would refrain
from burning his entire city to the ground. This was negotiated to
20,000 pieces of eight and 500 cows, as well a competent pilot to steer
one of the ships back through the precarious banks at the entrance to
the lake.
After two months of terror and privation the town rejoiced at last upon watching the pirates depart.
10. The Tavern's Toll and the Spoils of Whores
Returning to Hispaniola,
the take was counted at 260,000 pieces of eight in cash, as well as
other valuables. After payments to the maimed or otherwise wounded, the
division amounted to more than 100 pieces of eight to each pirate, paid
out in cash and other commodities. The value of jewels and uncoined
plate could only be guessed at, and shares due the dead were entrusted
to their friends for delivery to heirs or relatives.
Their spoils divided, they made quick crossing to Tortuga where
the town received them anxiously and L'Ollonais was applauded as a
hero. The Governor purchased their entire cargo of cacao for a twentieth
of it's actual value. Upon beholding the pirates' largess, the taverns
greatly increased their prices on every form of liquor while merchants
and strumpets plied their offerings to the drunken and profligate
buccaneers, relieving them of their hard-gained fortune in much less
time than it had taken them to steal it. Thus it was a very few weeks
before squalor compelled their return to the sea.
11. The Final Voyage
By the time word spread that L'Ollonais intended another expedition wherein he devised to make for Nicaragua to
despoil the costal towns, his reputation was so great he had no trouble
assembling a crew. His flotilla included 300 men on his own ship and
400 on five others. The ports they meant to prey upon having not the
depth to accommodate large vessels, they sailed first to the south side
of Cuba where they robbed as many of the local fisherman as they
met of as many canoes as could be taken, much to the despair and ruin of
the fishermen. From there they made for a cape called Gracias a' Dios at the northern part of Nicaragua.
Whether fickle fortune simply turned her back on him or Nemesis took notice of his deeds at last, matters not. Only that Destiny can be yet as cruel as men themselves. Indeed, nigh as cruel as even L'Ollonais.
Finding themselves on a stagnant sea, the fleet were pushed by waves and current into the Gulf of Honduras wherein
the lacking of winds opposed all struggles to regain their course. By
the time they were delivered from these doldrums they were in such need
of victuals they resolved to put to the first port for provisions.
Entering the river Xagua in canoes, they robbed the local Indians
of pigs, hens, and millet grain. Remaining until the weather turned,
they then commenced to plunder several coastal villages yet found only
enough to sustain themselves on. Eventually they came to a Spanish port
called Cavallo, where was docked a vessel of 24 cannon and 16 swivel-guns which they were able to capture.
Burning every structure in the port, they tortured and murdered all
but two whom they kept to show them a path to the town of St. Pedro, 12 leagues inland, which they designed to plunder. Leaving Moses van Vin in
command of several men at the port, L'Ollonais marched toward this town
with 300 pirates. Shortly along the way they were ambushed by Spaniards
who killed many of them in a fierce fight before the pirates chased
them off, taking prisoners of those who had been wounded and left
behind. L'Ollonais killed these until a few remained whom he asked if
there were any more Spaniards waiting along the road to ambush them.
Being informed that there were, he asked if there was another route into
the town and on being told there was none he became enraged. He drew
his cutlass and opened the breast of one of them and thrusting his hands
into the wound, pulled forth the man's heart and bit into it, rending,
with his heretical teeth, like a voracious beast then, holding it aloft
that the others could see, pushed it into the mouth of another prisoner
and, blood spraying from his lips, declared: "I will serve you all alike if you show me not another way!"
At once, each of the prisoners confessed that they could show him
another way. Yet, for their efforts to find one, there was no other
route that suited the pirates and they returned to the road, resolved to
face the ambuscades they knew awaited them. L'Ollonias, in his outrage
proclaimed: "Mort Dieu, les Espagnols me le payeront!" ("By God's death, the Spaniards shall pay me for this!")
Twice more they were ambushed and each attack stronger than the
previous, yet the pirates, spurred by the hateful fury of L'Ollonais,
repelled their adversaries by sword, pistol and grenade until most of
the town's defenders had been killed or injured before the pirates had
even arrived there.
Finding their path barricaded and the town surrounded by a thick and
very thorny shrub called raqueltes, which was nigh impassable, and
several cannon behind that which began at once to fire on them, the
pirates were discouraged for a moment. Taking cover from the
fusillade they waited patiently for moments at which they could advance
and, by degrees, moved forward hurling grenades that killed many inside
the town, finally coming close enough to shoot at them with precision
before, at last, charging in and engaging by sword.
Both sides fighting valiantly, the conflict lasted until night when
the Spaniards surrendered on condition that the citizens be given
quarter for two hours. L'Ollonais agreed to this and the pirates entered
yet caused no hostility though aware the inhabitants would use that
time to vacate the town with as much wealth and possessions as they
could carry away with them. As soon as the hours had passed, L'Ollonais
ordered that all of them should be followed and brought back along with
what they had taken away. But though making prisoners of most the
pirates found but very few of their possessions and this situation
incited L'Ollonais, resulting in several days of torturing and murders
and the entire town being burnt to ashes before the pirates moved out.
Arriving back at the port they resolved to sail for the islands on
the far side of the gulf to careen the vessels, as well to victual
themselves with the tortoises which were plentiful in that area. Leaving
behind two canoes to bring them word of an incoming ship which was
expected from Spain. Returning thence, they attacked the vessel
as it lay at anchor but having discerned pirates approaching, the
Spaniards were prepared to fight and managed to repulse them until,
through the smoke and disorder of battle, L'Ollonais sent four small
canoes to board the ship from either side and compel the Spaniards to
surrender.
12. Dissent and Separation
Besides the ship itself which was armed by 42 cannon, the pirates
found only a negligible prize as it had already been unladen. Vexed by
their situation, L'Ollonais called a council. He informed the others of
his intention to sail for Guatemala but there was no consensus
among the company this time, many of whom were by now disillusioned of
their faith in him to bring about success. Moses Vanclein, who now captained the ship taken at Puerto Cavallo, was the first to secede, joined soon by Pierre le Picard and
anon by most of the others, all intending to return whence they came
and take what they could along the way rather than face further perils
such as those already experienced. Yet L'Ollonais had his loyalists;
those who preferred starvation or shipwreck over returning in penurious
failure. So it was that the fleet split up, with L'Ollonais keeping the
largest of the vessels while most of the others departed for Coasta Rica which they pillaged.
13. Probity/Mercy < Nemesis/Fate
His fleet having left him to scatter their separate ways, L'Ollonais remained in the Gulf of Honduras as
the shallow draft prevented his heavier ship from sailing out. Their
provisions soon became so depleted the pirates had to go ashore daily
and hunt animals, including monkeys, to sustain themselves.
At last they came to a group of small islands called De las Pertas where
the ship stuck upon a sandbank and, despite unlading it of all their
cannon and heavy objects, could not be floated free. In their
desperation they broke apart the vessel and from it's planks and parts
intended to construct themselves a new boat. As this proceeded, two of
the pirates, foraging in the woods, encountered and were pursued by
cannibals, one of them being captured. Twelve pirates searched for the
man, finding only the remains of a fire where his bones had been
roasted, some pieces of his skin, and a hand with two fingers still
attached.
After a pursuit, several of the cannibals were captured and brought
back to the pirates' camp. In drastic contrast to his treatment of
Spanish captives, L'Ollonais did not murder or torture these savages but
rather sought to communicate with them, perhaps to learn something from
them of the area wherein they were marooned. But the natives were
unresponsive to inquiry and after a few days were released, at which
occasion they bolted into the jungle and the pirates saw no more of
them.
The longboat took six months to complete and was too small to carry
all of them. They drew lots to determine who would stay, the rest
setting out toward the river of Nicaragua intending to capture
some canoes and return with them to rescue the remaining men. Upon
arriving at the river, however, the pirates were attacked by both
Spaniards and Indians who killed most of them, the survivors escaping
with much injury. L'Ollonais, in evidence of his probity, resolved not to return to De las Pertas until he had stolen the boats he needed. Cruising further south along the coast of Cartagena, he landed in Darien,
which was populated by a wild and savage tribe, and captured.
L'Ollonais and his crew were slain, their limbs being torn from their
bodies and cast into a fire. The flames consuming his flesh an apt
portent of the fate to which his immortal soul was destined.
At least one, perhaps only one, of L'Ollonais crew escaped this fate
and through much adversity was delivered to give account of the horrors
he had witnessed.
14. The Blood Tide's Ebb
Many books on piracy assert that L'Ollonais real name was Jean David Nau. So far, I've yet to locate one that provides a source for that claim.
A few years after L'Ollonais departure, Maracaibo and Gibraltar were raided by Henry Morgan.
This time Gibraltar was laid so to waste and devastation that it
disappeared from maps of the region for the next century afterward.
The fortress which guards the Lake of Maricaibo (called "de la Barra" by Esquemeling), is Fort San Carlos de la Barra.
Though the site of many battles over three centuries, including a
bombardment by two vessels of the German navy in 1903, much of it still
stands today.
Those of L'Ollonais crew who remained stranded at De las Pertas were rescued after several months by a passing pirate ship and joined it's crew in a failed raid on the city of Cartagena.
Fleeing through the jungle, starving, and compelled to eat their own
shoes and scabbards, the greater part of them perished in piteous
misery.
Les Sables d'Olonne, a fishing port with a population of around 14,000 in the 17th century, is only slightly larger today. L'Ollonais remains it's most famous offspring.
Godspeed.
Much thanks to Lycan for all his graphics work on the original version of this article.
