The End of the Mystery Ship
And what became of the young Americans who had been persuaded to ship in the Leander?
Two English schooners, the Bacchus and the Bee, had joined the Leander at one of the West Indies. As the latter was overcrowded, some of the Americans were transferred to the schooners.
Then, while this small fleet of three small vessels was approaching Venezuela, two Spanish revenue-cutters swooped down upon them. The Leander engaged the enemy bravely, firing her guns; but the Bacchus and Bee tried to escape and became separated from the Leander. The revenue-cutters turned, and, pursuing the little ships, captured them and all on board.
Our young Americans fought bravely, but they were badly wounded with knives and swords. They were captured, and plundered by the Spaniards. They were stripped, and tied back to back. In this humiliating condition they were carried to the Fortress of Puerto Cabello, and thrown into a dungeon; where they were chained together, two and two, and loaded with irons.
The dungeon was a living sepulchre, a mere cavity in the moss-grown mouldy fortress-wall, and below ground at that. The rain soaked through the foundations and the poor fellows lay wallowing in filth and mire.
They were tried by a Spanish Court and condemned. Fourteen of them were hanged as pirates.
As for the rest, those who were flung back alive into their dungeon, how gladly now would they have fought to liberate the Spanish-American People! They no longer blamed Miranda, but wished to aid him with all their might.
Like a spluttering candle whose flame suddenly goes out, so ended the ill-fated career of the Mystery Ship.
Miranda landed on the coast of Venezuela. He and his men fought well. But the people did not rise up to join his standard as he had expected. Instead they fled from him. They were afraid. Spain was too strong in Venezuela, and the Patriot cause too weak.
So Miranda was driven from the country. His expedition failed. He was, finally, forced to disband what was left of his little “Colombian Army,” after which he took refuge again in England.
As for the poor captive American lads, those who had not been hanged as pirates, our United States Government could do little to assist them, for we were not at war with Spain, and the young men had been taken as pirates on the high seas. Some of them continued to languish in Spanish dungeons, others were put to hard labour in the mines, and few of them were ever heard of again.