After capturing and sacking the towns of Maracaibo and Gibraltar, Morgan was trapped by the Spanish Armada de Barlovento led by Don Alonso del Campo y Espinosa.

Henry Morgan, who had been in charge of the Port Royal militia and the defence of Jamaica, took over further privateering expeditions as Admiral in Chief of the Confederacy of Buccaneers.

Anchored off the Île à Vache, a party took place onboard - somehow during the drunken excitement the powder magazine was ignited by a loose spark and subsequently the ship was blown up.

Collier's crew searched their ship and found a Letter of Marque given by the Governor of Baracoa, the evidence they needed to cement their claims.

[10] With their much-reduced numbers Morgan decided to loot Trinidad, but the fleet broke up en route when other captains chose their own targets.

[11] Instead he was persuaded by a French captain Pierre Le Picard under his command to repeat the actions of the Tortuga corsair Jean-David Nau, or better known as François l'Olonnais.

[13] Since l'Olonnais and Picard had visited Maracaibo, the Spanish had built the San Carlos de la Barra Fortress, 20 miles (32 km) outside the city, on the approach.

[16] Morgan arrived off Lake Maracaibo on 9 March - Picard knew the approaches to the lagoon, and was able to guide the fleet through a narrow and shallow channel.

Morgan nevertheless was satisfied with what he had taken and set off South to the next target - the town of Gibraltar, leaving a small number of privateers in Maracaibo.

[24] The Privateers then spent the next five weeks in Gibraltar, and there was again evidence that torture was used to force residents to reveal hidden money and valuables.

The town's governor managed to escape further south into the hills - the English went after him but heavy rain swelled the rivers and forced their return.

[28] Another frigate Nuestra Senora del Carmen had been wrecked but the eighteen guns were retrieved and sent into the San Carlos de la Barra Fortress.

[32] The final offer put by the Spanish commander was for Morgan to leave all their spoils and slaves and to return to Jamaica unmolested.

As they were heavily outgunned, one privateer suggested that a fire ship attack citing Francis Drake's use against the Spanish armada eighty years earlier.

[32] To make it look more heavily armed, additional portholes were cut in the hull and logs placed to resemble cannons.

Barrels of powder were placed in the ship with fuses ready to be lit, tar was spread along with dried palm leaves.

Grappling irons were laced into the ships rigging ready to catch the ropes and sails of Magdalen and ensure the vessels would become entangled.

[28] Seeing the fire engulf his flagship Alonso abandoned the vessel and made his way to the fort, where he continued to direct events.

Finally the San Luis managed to escape and unloaded its cargo near the fort, but in panic the crew set fire to the ship burning her to the waterline in fear of the English seizing it.

[19] Flushed with victory the privateers rushed ashore and then attempted to besiege the San Carlos de la Barra Fortress.

[19] Morgan had the advantage having trapped Don Alonso in the fort, so he decided to negotiate - he threatened to sack and burn Maracaibo if he was not allowed to sail past unscathed.

[40] Morgan then added an addition to his demands - ordering the citizens to plead to Alonso to allow the Privateers to leave unmolested.

Morgan spent some time observing Alonso's positions and noticed that he had set his cannon for a landward attack from the privateers – as they had done previously.

Morgan thus planned to fool the Spanish into making a land attack - he brought a load of men in canoes to the shoreline.

Morgan made sure the Spanish saw that they were empty coming back, but were in fact full of men laying down in the bottom of the craft.

[38] The ruse was highly successful and with Spanish forces deployed to repel a landing, Morgan's fleet raised anchor without unfurling their sails.

[47] Nevertheless, during Morgan's absence from Port Royal, a pro-Spanish faction had gained the ear of King Charles II, and English foreign policy had changed accordingly.

Based on the excellence of his services, he was consulted for the captaincy general of Puerto Rico, in November 1674, and the title was issued to him, for a term of five years.

[53] In March 1670, Spanish privateers, which included Manuel Ribeiro Pardal under a letter of marque, attacked English merchant shipping.

[54] Morgan then prepared for what would be his largest and most daring expedition - the capture of the rich city of Panama which lay on the Pacific coast.