Page 219
An. 1685
City of Leon taken.
from the Town, for here is no fign of any fuch thing.
Thither our men were now marching; they went from the Canoas about 8 a clock. Captain Townly with 80 of the briskeft men marched be- fore, Captain Swan with 100 men marched next, and Captain Davis with 170 men marched next, and Captain Knight brought up the Rear. Captain Townly, who was near 2 mile a head of the reft, met about 70 Horfemen 4 mile before he came to the City, but they never ftood him. About 3 a clock Captain Townly only with his 80 men enter- ed the Town, and was briskly charged in a broad ftreet, with 170 or 200 Spanifh Horfemen, but 2 or 3 of their Leaders being knock d down, the reft fled. Their foot confifted of about 500 men, which were drawn up in the Parade; for the Spaniards in thefe parts make a large fquare in every Town, tho the Town it felf be fmall. This Square is cal- cled the Parade: commonly the Church makes one fide of it, and the Gentlemens Houfes with their Galleries about them the other. But the Foot alfo feeing their Horfe retire, left an empty City to Captain Townly; beginning to fave themfelves by flight. Captain Swan came in about 4 a clock, Captain Davis with his men about 5, and Cap- tain Knight with as many men as he could incou- rage to march, came in about 6, but he left many men tired on the road; thefe, as is ufual, came dropping in one or two at a time, as they were a- ble. The next morning the Spaniards kill d one of our tired men; he was a ftout old Grey-headed man, aged about 84, who had ferved under Oliver in the time of the Irifh Rebellion; after which he was at Jamaica, and had followed Privateering e- ver fince. He would not accept of the offer our men made him to tarry afhore, but faid he would venture as far as the beft of them: and when fur- rounded