recapture them. I determined to surprise the rascals in the midst of
their revellings. I divided my little army into three bands, giving to
Gabriel the command of the Apaches, with orders to occupy the shores of
the bay and destroy the boats, so that the pirates should not escape to
their vessels. The Arrapahoes were left in the prairie around the city
to intercept those who might endeavour to escape by land. The third
party I commanded myself. It consisted of fifty well-armed Shoshones and
fifty-four Mexicans from the coast, almost all of them sons of English
or American settlers.

Early in the morning we entered into what had been, a few days before, a
pretty little town. It was now nothing but a heap of ruins, among which
a few tents had been spread for night shelter. The sailors and pirates
were all tipsy, scattered here and there on the ground, in profound
sleep. The Sandwichers, collected in a mass, lay near the tents. Near
them stood a large pile of boxes, kegs, bags, &c.; it was the plunder.
We should have undoubtedly seized upon the brigands without any
bloodshed had not the barking of the dogs awakened the Sandwichers, who
were up in a moment. They gave the alarm, seized their arms, and closed
fiercely and desperately with my left wing, which was composed of the
white men.

These suffered a great deal, and broke their ranks, but I wheeled round
and surrounded the fellows with my Shoshones, who did not even use their
rifles, the lance and tomahawk performing their deadly work in silence,
and with such a despatch in ten minutes but few of the miserable
islanders lived to complain of their wounds. My Mexicans, having
rallied, seized upon Fonseca, and destroyed many of the pirates in their
beastly state of intoxication. Only a few attempted to fight, the
greater number staggering towards the beach to seek shelter in their