Therefore, the booty from every ship was brought on board his own fine vessel, and every man was put through an examination as rigid as if he had been passing a custom house, and was obliged to prove that he had not concealed or kept back any money or jewels.

The value of the plunder was very great, and when it had been divided, according to the scale which Morgan had adopted, the pirate leader felt safe.

He now had his share of the prizes in his own possession, and that to him was more important than anything else in the world.
The question of getting away was a very serious one; the greater part of his fleet consisted of small vessels which could not defy the guns of the fort, and as the stout hearts and brawny arms of his followers could be of no use to him in this dilemma, Morgan was obliged to fall back upon his own brains; therefore, he planned a trick.
When everything had been prepared for departure, Morgan anchored his fleet at a distance from the castle, but not so far away that the Spaniards could not observe his movements.

Then he loaded some boats with armed men and had them rowed ashore on the side of the channel on which the castle stood.

The boats landed behind a little wood, and there the men, instead of getting out, crouched themselves down in the bottom of the boats so that they should not be seen.