The author, called the «Mexican Walter Scott», based his adventure novel on real historical events—the liberation struggle in 17th-century Mexico against the colonizers. The Antillean pirates played no small role in this struggle. Their morals, customs, restless life aboard ships, and brutal battles on land and at sea make up the content of the novel. One of its main characters is the famous pirate Henry Morgan, presented by the writer under the name John Morgan.