A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume X Part 32

[Footnote 269: This expression is not explained, but seems to have been, according to the model of the Buccaneers, all prizes to be divided among the captors.--E.]

Some persons present, who had a regard for me, represented, "That they had never seen or known me treat any one unjustly or severely; and that however strict I might be, they had no one else to depend upon, and that they ought all to consider how many difficulties I had already brought them through. That, although they were not now in the hands of our enemies, no one could tell how soon others might come upon them: and, if they ever looked to get back to England, there was no other way but by going round the world, for which there was no one capable of undertaking the charge except Captain Shelvocke. They ought also to consider his commission, and the respect due to him on that account; besides the protection that would afford them, should they happen to fall into the hands of the Spaniards."

This remonstrance had some effect on the common men, but they were diverted from the thoughts of returning to obedience by no less a person than my first lieutenant, Mr Brooks, who had made Morphew his confidant even on board ship: for having served before the mast before he was made my lieutenant, he had contracted a liking for forecastle conversation. They were also supported and encouraged by Mr Randal, my second lieutenant, who was brother-in-law to Brooks, and by others. The first remarkable outrage committed by this gang of levellers was to Mr La Porte, my third lieutenant, whom Morphew knocked down on the beach, while Brooks stood by and witnessed this brutality. This affair came soon after to be fully explained; for the men framed a new set of articles, putting themselves upon the Jamaica discipline, and declaring, as I had been their captain, I might be so still; and that they were willing to allow me six shares, as a mark of their regard, though I ought only to have four, according to the Jamaica articles. Most of the officers were reduced, according to the same plan: for instance, Mr La Porte, Mr Dodu, and Mr Hendrie were declared midshipmen; and as the superior officers consented to this scheme, it could not be prevented from being carried into execution. Mr Coldsea the master was the only person who preserved a kind of neutrality, neither promoting nor opposing their designs. In this distressed emergency, I thought it lawful, and even necessary, to submit to their demands, and therefore signed their articles, in conjunction with the rest of my officers.

I now thought to have got them to work on our bark; but, instead of listening to me, they demanded what little money I had saved belonging to the owners, with which I was obliged to comply, being 750 dollars in virgin silver, a silver dish weighing 75 ounces, and 250 dollars in coin. Even after this I was treated worse than ever, having only the refuse of the fish allowed me, after they had chosen the best, being glad, after a hard day's work, to dine upon seal; while Morphew and his a.s.sociates feasted on the best fish the sea afforded. They next took the arms out of my custody, of which hitherto I had taken great care; because, having only one flint to each musket, and very little ammunition, I foresaw that we would be undone if this were wasted. I represented all this to them, yet they squandered away the small remainder of powder and bullets in killing cats, or any thing else they could get to fire at.--This is a concise history of our transactions in the island of Juan Fernandez, from the 24th May to the 15th August, during which no person could suffer more than I did, or have a more uncomfortable prospect.

On the 15th of August we were put into great confusion by the sight of a large ship, on which, before she crossed the bay, I ordered all the fires to be put out, and the negroes and Indians to be confined, lest the ship might be becalmed under the land, and any of them should attempt to swim off to her, as I conceived she might possibly be a man-of-war come to seek us, having received advice of our shipwreck; yet I knew, if she discovered what we were about, we should soon have the whole force of the kingdom of Chili upon us. Our apprehensions were soon over, as the ship bore away large, and kept at too great a distance to see any thing of us. On this occasion I got most of our people under arms, and was glad to see them in some measure obedient to command; telling them that I was pleased to see their arms in such good order, I was impertinently answered, that this was for their own sakes. Before they dispersed, I represented to them the necessity of using their best endeavour to get our bark afloat, instead of caballing against their captain, which, in the end, might be very prejudicial to them all; as, if discovered by the Spaniards, we might expect to be all made slaves in the mines. I told them we still had a great deal of work to do, and had never above ten of the most considerate to labour, and seldom above six or seven; while they knew I was always one of the number, to shew a good example. But the more I tried to reclaim them, the more obstinately they ran into confusion, interrupting every thing that tended to do them service.

Next day they divided among themselves on a new scheme, being no less than to burn our bark, and to build two large shallops, or pinnaces, in lieu of her. Morphew and his friend Brooks were the favourers of this new design, aiming doubtless at a separation by this means: but as this must be determined by a majority, they a.s.sembled to debate this matter in front of my tent, carrying on their deliberations with much clamour on both sides. In order to put them off this ruinous plan, I represented to them the impracticability of building the boats, as our tools and other materials were already worn out and expended. The workmen, and a considerable majority of the rest, sided with me: but at night the carpenter sent me word, if I did not pay him the money agreed upon at first, I should never see his face again; wherefore, although his terms had not been implemented, I was obliged to raise the money for him. The most provoking part of this proposal about the boats was, that the fellows who chiefly promoted it were those who had never done an hour's work since we were cast away. Not gaining this point, they openly declared I should not be their captain, and that none but Brooks should command them, which was probably what that young man aspired to from the commencement of the mutiny; and had undoubtedly succeeded, had it not been for the people in the boatswain's tent, who still refused their consent to my being left on the island, though fond of thinking themselves their own masters, and of refusing to submit to regular command.

To complete our confusion, there arose a third party, who resolved to have nothing to do with the rest, proposing to remain on the island.

There were twelve of these, who separated from the rest, and never made their appearance except at night, when they used to come about the tents to steal powder, lead, and axes, and any thing else they could lay their hands, on. But in a little time I found means to manage them, and took from them all their arms, ammunition, axes, and other plunder, and threatened to have them treated as enemies, if they came within musket-shot of our tents. These divisions so weakened the whole body, that they began to listen to me, so that I got most of them into a working humour. Even Brooks came to me with a feigned submission, desiring to eat with me again, yet in the main did not lessen his esteem for Morphew. His dissimulation, however, proved of infinite service in contributing to the finishing of our bark, which required the united efforts of all our heads and hands. For, when we came to plank the bottom, we had very vexatious difficulties to encounter, as our only plank consisted in pieces from the deck of our wreck, which was so dry and stubborn that fire and water had hardly any effect in making it pliable, as it rent, split, and flew in pieces like gla.s.s; so that I now began to fear that all our labour was in vain, and we must quietly wait to be taken off by some Spanish ship, and be led quietly to prison after all our troubles.

By constant labour, and using a variety of contrivances, we at length finished our bark, but in such a manner that I may safely a.s.sert, a similar bottom never before swam on the sea. Our boat also was launched on the 9th September; and our bark being now in a fair way of being completed, it remained to consider what provisions we could get to support us during our voyage, all our stock being one cask of beef, five or six bushels of _farina de poa_, or ca.s.sada flour, and four or five live hogs. I made several experiments to preserve both fish and seal, but found that this could not be done without salt. At length we fell upon a contrivance for curing conger eels, by splitting them, taking out their backbones, dipping them in sea-water, and then drying them in a great smoke; but as no other fish could be cured in a similar manner, our fishers were directed to catch as many congers as they could. At this time several of our people who had not hitherto done any work, began to repent of their folly, as they grew weary of living on this island, and now offered their services to go a-fishing, making some idle excuses for being so long idle, asking my pardon, and promising not to lose a moment in future. The new boat was sent to try her fortune, and returned at night with a great parcel of various kinds of fish, among which were about 200 congers, which was a good beginning, and which were divided among the tents to be cured. Our boat was carefully hauled on sh.o.r.e every night, and strictly guarded, to prevent any of our people from stealing her, and making their escape. By her means also, Mr Brooks, our only diver, tried what could be recovered from that part of the wreck which had not been drifted on sh.o.r.e; but could only weigh one small gun, and two pieces of a large church candlestick, belonging to our owners.

Our boat was daily employed in fishing, for which purpose the armourer supplied hooks; and our men made abundance of lines of twisted ribbons, a great quant.i.ty of which had been driven on sh.o.r.e. Others of the men were employed in making twine stuff for rigging, patching up old canva.s.s for sails, and a variety of other necessary contrivances to enable us to put to sea; and our cooper put our casks in order; and at length we set up our masts, which were tolerably well rigged, and our bark made a decent figure. My spirits were however much damped, by the extreme difficulty of caulking her tight, as her seams were bad, our tools wretched, and our artists very indifferent. When this was done, so as we could, our bark was put into the water to try her fitness, on which there was an outcry of, A sieve! a sieve! Every one now seemed melancholy and dispirited, insomuch that I was afraid they would use no farther means; but in a little time, by incessant labour, we brought her into a tolerable condition. Having repaired the ship's pumps, and fitted them to the bark, the people exclaimed that this was only a poor dependence; but I exhorted them to have patience, and continue their a.s.sistance in doing every thing that could be thought of for her security. The cooper also made a set of buckets, one for every man, to serve to bale her, in case of necessity. Next spring-tide, which was on the 5th October, 1720, we put her again into the water, naming her the _Recovery_, when she answered tolerably well, when we resolved to run the hazard of going to sea in her, and made all possible dispatch in getting our things on board. Yet, after all, a dozen of our people chose to remain on sh.o.r.e, together with as many negroes and Indians.

Our sea-stock, besides the small quant.i.ty of beef and ca.s.sada flour formerly mentioned, consisted of 2300 eels cured in smoke, weighing one with another about a pound each, together with about sixty gallons of seal-oil, in which to fry them. On our first landing, as the weather was then too coa.r.s.e for fishing, we had to live on seals, the entrails of which are tolerable food; but the constant and prodigious slaughter we made among them, frightened them from our side of the island. Some of the people eat cats, which I could not bring myself to, and declared they were sweet nourishing food. When the weather allowed us to fish, we were delivered from these hardships; but some of our mischievous crew set the boat a-drift, so that she was lost: after which we contrived wicker boats, covered with sea-lions skins, which did well enough near sh.o.r.e, but we durst not venture in them out into the bay, and consequently were worse provided with fish than we might otherwise have been. We fried our fish in seal-oil, and eat it without bread or salt, or any other relish, except some wild sorrel. Our habitations were very wretched, being only covered by boughs of trees, with the skins of seals and sea-lions, which were often torn off in the night, by sudden flaws of wind from the mountains.

The island of Juan Fernandez is in lat 33 40' S. and long. 79 W. being at the distance of about 150 marine leagues, or 7 30' from the coast of Chili. It is about fifteen English miles long from E. to W. and five miles at the broadest, from N to S. entirely composed of mountains and valleys, so that there is no walking a quarter of a mile on a flat. The anchoring place is on the north side of the island, and is distinguished by a little mountain, with a high peak on each side. It is not safe to anchor in less than forty fathoms, and even there, ships are very much exposed to sharp gales from the north, which blow frequently. There cannot well be a more unpleasant place to anchor in, as the bay is surrounded by high mountains, and is subject to alternate dead calms and sudden stormy gusts of wind. This island enjoys a fine wholesome air, insomuch that out of seventy of us, who remained here five months and eleven days, not one among us had an hour's sickness, though we fed upon such foul diet, without bread or salt; so that we had no complaints among us, except an incessant craving appet.i.te, and the want of our former strength and vigour. As for myself, from being corpulent, and almost crippled by the gout, I lost much of my flesh, but became one of the strongest and most active men on the island, walking much about, working hard, and never in the least afflicted with that distemper. The soil is fertile, and abounds with many large and beautiful trees, most of them aromatic. The names of such as we knew were the _Pimento_, which bears a leaf like a myrtle, but somewhat larger, with a blue blossom, the trunks being short and thick, and the heads bushy and round, as if trained by art. There is another tree, much larger, which I think resembles that which produces the jesuit bark. There are plains on the tops of some of the mountains, on which are groves of the _Indian laurel_, mentioned by Frezier in his description of Chili. These have a straight slender body, from which sprout small irregular branches all the way from the root to the top, bearing leaves like the laurel, but smaller. _Palm-trees_ are found in most parts of the island, growing in smooth joints, like canes, some thirty and some forty feet high. Their heads resemble the cocoa-nut tree, except that their leaves are of a paler green, and bear large bunches of red berries, bigger than sloes, which taste like haws, and have stones as large as those of heart-cherries. That which we call the _palm-cabbage_ is the very substance of the head of the tree; which being cut off and divested of its great spreading leaves, and all that is hard and tough, consists of a white and tender young shoot or head, having its leaves and berries perfectly formed, and ready to replace the old one. When in search of these, we were forced to cut down a lofty tree for each individual cabbage.

One good property of the woods which cover this island is, that they are every where of easy access, as there is no undergrowth, except in some of the deepest valleys, where the fern grows exceedingly high, and of which there are very large trees, with trunks of considerable solidity.[270] Some of the English who had been formerly here, had sowed turnips, which have spread much, as have also two or three plantations of small pompions; but my men never had patience to let any of these come to maturity. We found also plenty of water-cresses and wild sorrel.

Some of the hills are remarkable for a fine red earth, which I take to be the same with that of which the inhabitants of Chili make their earthenware, which is almost as beautiful as the red porcelain of China.

The northern part of the island is well watered by a great many streams which flow down the narrow valleys; and we found the water to keep well at sea, and to be as good as any in the world. Down the western peak, contiguous to the Table Mountain, there fall two cascades from a perpendicular height of not less than 500 feet. These are close together, and about 12 feet broad. What with the rapid descent of these streams, and the numerous palm-trees growing close beside them, adorned with vast cl.u.s.ters of red berries, the prospect is really beautiful. We should have had no want of goats, could we have conveniently followed them in the mountains. The Spaniards, before they settled in Chili, left a breed of goats here, and have since endeavoured to destroy them, by leaving a breed of dogs, but without effect. Cats are also very numerous, exactly resembling our household cats in size and colour; and those of our men who eat of them, a.s.sured me they found more substantial relief from one meal of their flesh, than from four or five of seal or fish; and, to their great satisfaction, we had a small b.i.t.c.h, which, could catch almost any number they wanted in an hour. There are not many sorts of birds; but the sea on the coast abounds with a greater variety of fish than almost any place I was ever in.

[Footnote 270: These must have been some species of palm, having palmatad leaves resembling ferns.--E.]

Seals and sea-lions also abound; called _lobos de la mar_ by the Spaniards, from their resemblance to wolves. They have a fine iron-grey fur, and when full grown are as big as a large mastiff. They are naturally surly, and snarl at the approach of any one. Instead of tails, they have two fins behind, with which they make shift to get on much faster than the sea-lions, which are large unwieldy creatures, and prodigiously full of oil.

SECTION IV.

_Farther Proceedings in the South Sea, after leaving Juan Fernandez._

We departed from Juan Fernandez on the evening of the 6th October, having nothing to subsist upon except the smoked congers, one of which was allowed to each man for twenty-four hours; together with one cask of beef, four live hogs, which had fed all the time we were ash.o.r.e on the putrid carcases of seals, and three or four bushels of ca.s.sada meal. We were upwards of forty men, crowded together, and lying on the bundles of eels, with no means of keeping ourselves clean, so that all our senses were offended as greatly as possible. The only way we had of procuring water, was by sucking it from the cask with a gun-barrel, used promiscuously by every one. The little unsavoury morsels we daily eat, created incessant quarrels, every one contending for the frying-pan; and our only convenience for a fire, was a tub half filled with earth, which made cooking so tedious, that we had the continual noise of frying from morning to night. I proposed that we should stand for the Bay of Conception, as being the nearest to us; and we were hard put to it every day, while the sea-breeze continued; for, not having above sixteen inches free board, and our bark tumbling prodigiously, the water ran over us perpetually; and having only a grating deck, and no tarpaulin to cover it but the top-sail of our bark, our pomps were barely sufficient to keep us free.

At four in the morning of the 10th, we fell in with a large ship, and I could see by moon-light that she was Europe-built. Our case being desperate, we stood towards her, and being rigged after the fashion of the South Seas, they did not regard us till day-light. Not being then quite up with her, they suspected us by the brownness of our canvas, wore ship, hauled close upon the wind, fired a gun, and crowded sail away from us, leaving us at a great rate. It fell calm two hours after, when we had recourse to our oars, and neared her with tolerable speed.

In the mean time, we overhauled our arms, which we found in bad condition, a third of them wanting flints, and we had only three cutla.s.ses, so that we were by no means prepared for boarding, which yet was the only means we had of taking the ship. We had only one small cannon, which we could not mount, and were therefore obliged to fire it as it lay along the deck; and we had only two round shot, a few chain-bolts, the clapper of the Speedwell's bell, and some bags of stones. We came up with her in four hours; but I now saw that she had guns and pattereroes, with a considerable number of men, whose arms glittered in the sun. The enemy defied us to board them, and at the same time gave us a volley of great and small shot, which killed our gunner, and almost brought our foremast by the board. This unexpected reception staggered many of my people, who before seemed most forward, so that they lay on their oars for some time, though I urged them to keep their way. Recovering again, we rowed quite up to them, and continued to engage till all our small shot was expended, which obliged us to fall astern to make some slugs, and in this manner we made three attacks without success. All night we were busied in making slugs, and provided a large quant.i.ty before morning, when we came to the determined resolution either to carry her by boarding, or to submit to her. At day-break, I accordingly ordered twenty men in our yawl to lay her athwart hawse, while I proposed to board her from the bark; but, just as we were on the point of making the attempt, a gale sprung up, and she went away from us. We learnt afterwards that she was the _Margaretta_, having formerly been a privateer from St Malo, mounting forty guns. In the several skirmishes, we had none killed, except Gilbert Henderson our gunner. Three were wounded, Mr Brooks being shot through the thigh, Mr Coldsea in the groin, and one of the crew in the small of the back. Mr Coldsea lingered in a miserable condition for nine or ten months, but at length recovered.

We were now in a worse condition than ever, and the sea being too rough for our uncomfortable vessel, I proposed to stand to the north to get into fairer weather, but to take Coquimbo in our way, to try what might be done there. This was agreed to; but the very morning in which we expected to have got into Coquimbo, a hard gale of wind sprung up, which lasted four days, during which we every hour expected to founder, being obliged to scud under bare poles, with our yawl in tow, and having only a very short rope for her. This storm so frightened many of our people, that they resolved to go ash.o.r.e at the first place they could find. At length, calling to mind the account given by Frezier of the island of _Iquique_, I mentioned the surprisal of that place, being but a small lieutenancy, where we might probably get some wholesome provisions, and a better vessel. This was approved, and the sun again shining, so that we lay dry, we acquired fresh vigour, and directed our course for that island. Next evening we saw the island, which seemed merely a high white rock, at the foot of the high land of _Carapucho_. Our boat set off for the island about sun-set, and had like to have been lost among the breakers. At length they heard the barking of dogs, and saw the light of some candles; but, aware of the danger of landing in the dark, they made fast their boat to a float of weeds for want of a grapnel, and waited till day-light. They then rowed in between the rocks, and were ignorantly welcomed on sh.o.r.e by some Indians. Going to the house of the lieutenant, they broke open the door, and rummaged it and the village, finding a booty more valuable to us in our present situation than gold or silver. This consisted of 60 bushels of wheat flour, 120 of calavanses and corn, some jerked beef, mutton, and pork, a thousand weight of well-cured fish, four or five days eating of soft bread, and five or six jars of Peruvian wine and brandy, besides a good number of fowls and some rusk. They had also the good fortune to find a boat to bring off their plunder, which otherwise had been of little use to us, as our own boat was fully laden with men.

In the mean time, we in the bark were carried away by the current to the northward, out of sight of the island; and as they had not loaded their boats till the height of the day, they had a laborious task to row off, being very heavily laden. We were under melancholy apprehensions, fearing that our people might have remained on sh.o.r.e and deserted us; but towards evening we perceived two boats coming fast towards us, as heavily laden as they could be with safety. Words cannot express our joy when they came aboard. The scene was now changed from famine to plenty.

The loaves of soft bread were distributed, and the jars of wine broached: But I took care they should drink of it moderately, allowing each man no more than half a pint a-day. After living a day or two on wholesome food, we wondered how our stomachs could receive and digest the rank nauseous congers fried in train-oil, and could hardly believe we had lived on nothing else for a month past. I was a.s.sured by my second lieutenant, who commanded the boat on this occasion, that the Indians seemed rather pleased at our plundering the Spaniards; so natural is it for bad masters to find enemies in their servants.

The _island of Iquique_ is in the lat. of 19 50' S.[271] about a mile from the main land, and only about a mile and a half in circuit, the channel between it and the coast of Peru being full of rocks. It is of moderate height, and the surface consists mostly of cormorant's dung, which is so very white that places covered with it appear at a distance like chalk cliffs. Its smell is very offensive, yet it produces considerable gain, as several ships load here with it every year for Arica, where it is used as manure for growing capsic.u.ms. The only inhabitants of this island are negro slaves, who gather this dung into large heaps near the sh.o.r.e, ready for boats to take it off. The village where the lieutenant resides, and which our people plundered, is on the main land close by the sea, and consists of about sixty scattered ill-built houses, or huts rather, and a small church. There is not the smallest verdure to be seen about it, neither does its neighbourhood afford even the smallest necessary of life, not even water, which the inhabitants have to bring in boats from the _Quebrada_, or breach of _Pisagua_, ten leagues to the northward; wherefore, being so miserable a place, the advantage derived from the _guana_ or cormorant's dung seems the only inducement for its being inhabited. To be at some distance from the excessively offensive stench of the dung, they have built their wretched habitations on the main, in a most hideous situation, and still even too near the guana, the vapours from which are even there very bad, yet not quite so suffocating as on the island. The sea here affords abundance of excellent fish, some kinds of which I had never before seen; one of them resembling a large silver eel, but much thicker in proportion. The inhabitants of this desolate and forbidding place cure these fish in a very cleanly manner, and export large quant.i.ties of them by the vessels which come for the guana.

[Footnote 271: There is no island on the coast of Peru in that lat.i.tude.

Iquique is a town on the main land, about thirty miles from the sea. The islands called _los Patillos_, or the Claws, are near the coast, in lat.

20 45' S. and probably one of these may have got the name of _Iquique_, as being under the jurisdiction of that town. The mountain Carapacha of the text, is probably the hills of Tarapaca of our maps.--E.]

We were informed by two Indian prisoners, that the lieutenant of Iquique had a boat at Pisagua for water, of which we began to be in need, for which reason I sent Mr Randal in search of her. He failed in this object, but brought off a few bladders full of water, and three or four _balsas_, very artificially sewed and filled with wind, which are used for landing on this dangerous coast. On these the rower sits across, using a double paddle; and as the wind escapes from the skin bags, he has a contrivance for supplying the deficiency. These are the chief embarkations used by the fishermen, and are found very serviceable for landing on this coast, which has hardly a smooth beach from one end of it to the other. We intended to have looked into the port of Arica, but heard there was a ship there of force, on which we continued our course to the northwards to La Nasca. Off that port we met a large ship about two hours before day, and though we rowed very hard, it was ten o'clock before we got up with her. After a brisk dispute of six or seven hours, we were obliged to leave her, in consequence of the sea-breeze coming in very strong. She was called the Francisco Palacio, of 700 tons, 8 guns, and 10 patereroes, with a great number of men, and well provided with small arms; but was so deeply laden that, in rolling, the water ran over her deck and out at her scuppers; indeed she had more the appearance of an ill-contrived floating castle, than of a ship, according to the present fashion of Europe. Thus we had the misfortune, on this forlorn voyage, to meet with the two best equipped and armed private ships at that time in the South Sea. In this action we had not above twenty fire-arms that were of any use, owing to the improvidence of our people at Juan Fernandez; yet were they so impatient of this disappointment, that some of them were for immediately surrendering to the enemy. To prevent this, I ordered four men whom I thought I could trust to take the charge of our two boats; but two of these went away with the best boat, and my first lieutenant and Morphew plotted to have gone away with the other, but were hindered by blowing weather, and so weak was my authority that I was forced to dissemble.

Next day we stood into the road of Pisco, where we saw a very fine ship, and resolved immediately to board her; and to our great satisfaction, the captain and his people met us with their hats off, beseeching us to give them quarter. This was a good ship, of about 200 tons, called the Jesu Maria, almost laden with pitch, tar, copper, and plank, but nothing else. The captain offered 16,000 dollars for her ransom, but I could not comply, as the Recovery was disabled in her masts in boarding, and also we had now a vessel in which we could at least enjoy cleanliness, which we had been entire strangers to ever since our departure from Juan Fernandez; wherefore we made all dispatch in getting every thing out of the bark. The Spanish captain of the Jesu Maria informed me, that the Margaretta had arrived some time before at Calao, where she had given a full account of her rencounter with us; her captain and three men having been killed in the action, and a priest with several others wounded. She was now ready to put to sea again to cruize for us, with the addition of ten guns and fifty men. A frigate of twenty-eight guns, called the Flying-fish, was already out with the same intention; and advice had been sent respecting us along the coast, both to the north and south, with orders to equip what strength there was to catch us. All night, the people of Pisco were on the alert, continually firing guns, to give us an earnest of what we were to expect if we attempted to land, but we had no such intention.

Having cleared our bark next morning, we gave her to the Spanish captain of the Jesu Maria; and as soon as the breeze sprung up, we weighed and stood to sea. While going out, we met our own boat with the two men who had deserted us, and who now edged down upon us, imagining we had been Spaniards. The two fellows were almost dead, having neither eat nor drank for three days, and had just been ash.o.r.e on a small island near the harbour of Pisco, to kill some seals that they might drink their blood. Their only excuse for leaving us was, that they had fallen asleep, during which the breeze had wafted our bark away from them. We had only a transient view of Pisco, which seemed pleasantly situated among orchards and vineyards. We proceeded along the coast very cautiously, knowing that we were almost in the mouths of our enemies, and that the least act of indiscretion might throw us into their hands.

We ventured, however, to look into the roads of Guanchaco, Malabriga, and Cheripe, where we saw no shipping, after which we pa.s.sed through between the island of _Lobos de Tierra_ and the continent.

Being near the _Saddle_ of Payta on the 25th November, I thought of surprising that place in the night, though our force was much diminished since our last attack; but as it grew calm while we were endeavouring to get into the harbour, we thought it better to delay till morning, as our vessel being Spanish would deceive the inhabitants, and prevent them from suspecting us. In the morning, being observed from the sh.o.r.e making many short trips to gain ground to windward, the Spaniards sent off a large boat full of men to a.s.sist in bringing in our ship, and to enquire the news. Seeing them making towards us, I ordered none of our men to appear but such as had dark complexions and wore Spanish dresses, standing ready to answer such questions as they might ask in hailing, and to give them a rope when they clapped us on board. Some of our men also were concealed under our gunwales, with their muskets ready to point into the boat, to command them to make her fast, and this stratagem succeeded. I examined the prisoners as to the condition of the town, which they a.s.sured me was then extremely poor, having neither money nor provisions, and shewed me a small bark on sh.o.r.e, lately sent in by Captain Clipperton with some of his prisoners, on the arrival of which every thing of value had been removed into the country. Yet we held on our way with Spanish colours flying, and came to the anchorage.

As soon as we were anch.o.r.ed, I sent Mr Brooks to attack the town with twenty-four men, only those who rowed appearing, and the rest with their arms lying in the bottom of the boats; so that when they landed, they even found the children playing on the beach. These took the alarm immediately, and ran away on seeing our armed men. In an instant the whole place was in confusion, and happy were they who could escape, the town being left dest.i.tute, and they were too nimble to be overtaken. Our party ransacked Payta, but found it as poor as our prisoners reported; so that they only found a few bales of coa.r.s.e cloth, about five hundred-weight of dried dog-fish, two or three pedlars packs, and an inconsiderable quant.i.ty of bread and sweetmeats. We had better fortune while at anchor, as we took a vessel in which were about fifty jars of Peruvian wine and brandy; her master having come by stealth from Calao, where orders had been given, that none but ships of force should venture to sea. My people in the town were in no haste to re-embark, and when it grew dark, some of the Spaniards began to a.s.semble, and learning that there were only eighteen English in the town, came down the hills with great boldness. At first our people took refuge in the largest church, meaning to have defended themselves there; but at length they marched out, formed in a line, and kept beating their drum; and one of them having fired a musket, the Spaniards hastily retreated, and our men embarked without any more alarm.

From Payta we directed our course for the island of Gorgona, in the bay of Panama, and in our pa.s.sage to that place built a tank or wooden cistern in our vessel, sufficient to contain ten tons of water. In our way we made the island of Plata, Cape St Francisco, Gorgonella, or Little Gorgona, and on the 2d of December arrived at the island of Gorgona. We had here the advantage of being able to fill our watercasks in the boat, the water running in small streams from the rocks into the sea, and we cut our wood for fuel close to high-water mark; so that in less than forty-eight hours we completed our business, and hurried away for fear of those vessels which we understood had been sent in search of us. Having got out of the track of the enemy's ships, we consulted as to the properest manner of proceeding, when the majority were for going directly for India. Upon this we changed the name of our vessel, from the Jesu Maria to the Happy-Return, and used our best endeavours to get off from the coast of America. The winds and currents were however contrary, and some of our people who were adverse to this plan did some secret damage to our tank, so that the greatest part of our water leaked out. Owing to this, and our provisions being much exhausted by long delays from contrary winds or dead calms, we were incapable of attempting so long a run: Wherefore, on purpose to procure what we wanted, I proposed making a descent on Realejo, on the coast of Mexico, in 11 50' [12 28' N.] In our way thither, we fell in with Cape Burica, in 8 20' [_exactly_ 8 N.] and then, on second thoughts, I judged it might be safer to make an attempt on the island of Quibo, in lat. 7 30' N. where, according to the account given by Captain Rogers. I guessed there were inhabitants, who lived plentifully on the produce of their island.

On the 31st January, 1721, we entered the channel between the islands of _Quibo_ and _Quivetta_, in lat. 7 18' N. in twenty fathoms water, and anch.o.r.ed opposite a sandy bay, which promised to afford convenience for wooding and watering. Sending our boat to view the bay, my people reported that there was a good close harbour a little to the south, but no signs of inhabitants, except three or four huts by the sh.o.r.e, which they supposed had formerly been used by pearl-fishers, as there were great quant.i.ties of mother-of-pearl-sh.e.l.ls scattered about these huts.

On attentive consideration, I resolved not to shut up our vessel in a close harbour, for fear of bad consequences, and remained therefore at anchor in the open channel. At day-break next morning, we saw two large boats under Spanish colours, rowing in for Quivetta, which gave me some apprehensions they had some intelligence of us, and intended an attack.

The mulattoes on the coast of Mexico are remarkable for their courage, and have sometimes done very bold actions, even in such paltry vessels as these we now saw: These, however, steered into a small cove on the island of Quivetta, which satisfied us they had no intentions to attack us. I now sent Mr Brooks in our yawl to attack them, when he found them all ash.o.r.e, and brought away their piraguas with two prisoners, a negro and a mulatto, the rest taking refuge in the woods. We took all their provisions, consisting of a small quant.i.ty of pork, with plantains, some green, some ripe, and some dried. Of this last there was a considerable quant.i.ty, which, on being pounded, made a pleasant-tasted flour, indifferently white, and supplied us with bread for a month. The mulatto mortified us greatly by telling us that a vessel laden with provisions had pa.s.sed near us in the night, but promised to bring us to a place where we might supply ourselves without hazard, provided we were not above two or three days about it, wherefore we made all possible dispatch in getting in our wood and water.

We weighed from this place on the 16th January, steering for _Mariato_, being the westernmost point of the gulf of St Martin. In going out from the channel of Quibo, we were in imminent danger of being forced by the current upon two rocks at a small distance from each other, off the northern point of Quivetta; but having cleared them, we steered through _Ca.n.a.l bueno_, or the good channel, so called from its safety, being free from rocks or shoals. Over against the south entrance of these straits, at the distance of a league from point Mariato, is the island of Cebaco, in my opinion about ten leagues in circ.u.mference. I ran along the south end of that island, and in the evening of the 19th got safe in between it and point Mariato, and anch.o.r.ed in six fathoms, over against a green field, being the only clear spot thereabout. Our pilot advised us to land about three hours before day, when we should be in good time for the plantations. Accordingly, I went at two in the morning in our own boat, the two lieutenants being in the two piraguas, and left my son with a few hands to take care of the ship. Our pilot carried us a little way up the river of St Martin, and out of that through several branches or narrow creeks, among groves of trees, so close that we had not room to row. Not approving of this navigation, I kept a watchful eye on our guide, suspecting he had no good design in his head. We landed just at day-break, in a fine plain, or savannah; and, after a march of three miles, came to two farm-houses, whence the inhabitants made their escape, except the wife and children belonging to one of them. We had the satisfaction of seeing that this place answered the description given by our guide, being surrounded by numerous flocks of black cattle, with plenty of hogs, and fowls of several sorts, together with some dried beef; plantains, and maize; and, in the mean time, we had a breakfast of hot cakes and milk.

When it was broad day, I saw our ship close by us, on which I asked our guide, why he had brought us so far about? when he said there was a river between us and the sh.o.r.e, and he was not sure if it were fordable.

I therefore sent some to try, who found it only knee deep, on which, to avoid carrying our plunder so far by land, I ordered our boats to leave the river of St Martin, and to row to the beach over against the ship.

We had not been long at the farmhouse till the master of the family came to us, bringing several horses with him, and offering to serve us as far as he could. This offer we kindly accepted, and we employed him to carry every thing we thought fit to our boats. He then went among his black cattle, and brought us as many as we thought we could cure, as we had but little salt, and could not afford water to keep them alive at sea, so that we killed them as soon as they came on board. We preserved them by cutting their flesh into long slips, about the thickness of one's finger, and then sprinkled them with a small quant.i.ty of salt, not using more than four or five pounds to the hundred-weight. After lying two or three hours in the salt, we hung it up to dry in the sun for two or three days, which perfectly cured it, much better than could have been done by any quant.i.ty of the best salt.

Having thus procured all we proposed at this place, we departed from thence nest morning, having our decks full of fowls and hogs, among the latter of which was one having its navel on its back.[272] The Spaniards say that this animal, although but small even at its full growth, is a terrible creature to meet wild in the woods. Returning through the _Ca.n.a.l bueno_, we stopt at Quibo to complete our water; and on leaving that island, gave the largest piragua to our two prisoners, to enable those who were on the island of Quivetta to return home. The wine and brandy we had lately taken had the effect of dividing my ship's company into two parties, those who were formerly so firmly united being now inveterate enemies; insomuch, that in one night the ringleaders of both have solicited me to espouse their cause, a.s.suring me that the other party had a design on my life, and urging me to murder those who were of the opposite faction. It is wonderful how this evil was diverted, as I could use no other means than calm advice on both sides, and it was utterly out of my power to hinder them from getting drunk as often as they pleased; in which condition they often fell all to skirmishing with each other, and I had more than once my clothes almost torn off my back in endeavouring to part them. It was happy this trade of drinking did not last long, as, while the liquor lasted, I found it was unsafe to lay my head on my pillow, which almost wearied me out of my life. Their free access to the liquor shortened the term of this miserable folly, by soon expending the baneful cause. The necessities of hunger obliged them to act jointly and vigorously at Mariato; but they soon relapsed again, and were as distracted as ever so long as the liquor lasted. My land as well as sea-officers were now obliged to learn to steer, and to take their turns at the helm with the seamen, such being the pa.s.s to which they had brought themselves by sinking my authority, that they had lost their own, and were even in a worse condition than I; as the crew had, for their own sakes, to have recourse to me on all emergencies, obeying me punctually while these lasted, and abusing me plentifully when these were over.

[Footnote 272: The Pecary, Tajacu, or Mexican hog, the Sus Taj.a.pin of naturalists, is here meant, which is an indigenous animal of the warmer parts of America, and is found in one of the West India islands. It has no tail, and is particularly distinguished by an open glandular orifice on the hinder part of the back, which discharges a fetid unctuous liquid; and which orifice has been vulgarly mistaken for the navel.--E.]

On the 25th January, we discovered a sail in the morning, about two leagues to leeward, to which we gave chase for some time; but seeing she was Europe-built, and fearing she might be a man of war belonging to the enemy, I hauled on a wind, and in half an hour it fell dead calm. We soon after saw a boat rowing towards us, which proved the pinnace of our consort the Success, commanded by her first lieutenant, Mr Davison. This was a most unexpected meeting to us both, Mr Davison being surprised to find me in such a condition, and I no less so to find the Success in these seas. I gave him an account of our misfortunes, and of all that had befallen us during the long interval of our separation, and he related all the remarkable incidents that had befallen them. A breeze of wind springing up, I bore down upon the Success, and went aboard of her; when I gave Captain Clipperton, and Mr G.o.dfrey, our agent-general, the whole history of my voyage, expecting to have been treated by them as belonging to the same interest, but found them unwilling to have any thing to do with me, now that my ship was lost. I trusted, however, that Captain Clipperton would let me have such necessaries as he could spare, on which he said, I should know more of his mind next day. Among other discourses, he told me that he was just come from the island of _Cocos_, his people very sickly, and on short allowance. I then offered my service to pilot him to Mariato, which was not above thirty leagues distant, where he might have refreshed his company, and supplied his wants; but he was resolved to make the best of his way for the _Tres Marias_, where he said there was plenty of turtle to be had, and so I left him for the night.

Next morning, as I was going again on board the Success with some of my officers, Captain Clipperton spread all his canva.s.s, and crowded away from us. On this I returned to my ship, fired several guns, and made signals of distress, which were not regarded by him, till his officers exclaimed against his barbarity, and at last he brought to. When I had again got up with him, I sent Mr Brooks to know the reason of his abrupt departure, and to request the supply of several necessaries, which I was willing to pay for. On these terms, he spared me two of his quarter-deck guns, sixty round shot, some musket-b.a.l.l.s and flints, a Spanish chart of the coast of Mexico, with part of China and India, a half-hour gla.s.s and half-minute gla.s.s, a compa.s.s, and about three hundred-weight of salt: But all my arguments could not prevail with him to let me have any thing out of his medicine-chest for Mr Coldsea, who was still very ill of his wound. For what we now had from the Success, we returned some bales of coa.r.s.e broad-cloth, as much pitch and tar as he would have, and some pigs of copper: I gave him also a large silver-ladle for a dozen _spadoen_, or Spanish swords. This being concluded, I offered my services, a.s.suring him I had a pretty good ship, and that our cargo was of some value: To this he answered, if my cargo were gold, he had no business with me, and I must take care of myself.

Mr Hendric, our agent, Mr Rainer, and Mr Dodd, our lieutenant of marines, weary of the hard work imposed upon them, desired my leave to go on board the Success, which I consented to, and Captain Clipperton left us to shift for ourselves, being now near the island of Cano.

I was now for returning southwards, to try our fortunes in the bay of Panama, but the majority opposed me through fear, insisting to go to the Tres Marias, to salt turtle at these islands, and then to stretch over for India. We accordingly directed our coa.r.s.e that way, but as the wind near the land continued in the west, and the coast of Mexico trended nearly N.W. by W. we crept so slowly to windward, that we began to be very short of provisions before we got the length of Realijo, on which our design of landing there was renewed; but this intention was soon frustrated, as we were blown past that place by a _tequante peque_, for so the Spaniards on this coast call a violent gale at N.E. As we continued our voyage along sh.o.r.e, we again fell in with the Success, then in quest of _Sonsonate_, expecting there to receive the ransom of the Marquis of _Villa Roche_ who had been some time a prisoner on board.

We ranged close under her stern, and asked how Captain Clipperton and the rest of the gentlemen did, but received no answer, and the Success steered one way, while we went another. After this, calms, contrary winds, and unaccountable currents, so delayed our proceedings, that were reduced to a very short allowance, which we were forced to diminish daily, and had been reduced to very great distress, had we not from time to time found turtle floating on the surface of the sea, for which we kept a good look-out, being able to discover them even at great distances, by the sea-birds perching on their backs. On sight of these, we were forced often to forego taking advantage of the wind; and, besides often losing some of our way in pursuit of them, they had still a worse effect, as dressing them occasioned a great consumption of our water.

Being now threatened with almost certain perdition if means were not fallen upon to avoid a state of absolute famine, I proposed that we should attempt to plunder some small town as we coasted along sh.o.r.e. At this time _Guotalco_ was the nearest port; but, as we were standing in for it, we saw a sail a considerable way to leeward, which we considered more proper for us to endeavour to capture than to venture on sh.o.r.e, for which purpose we bore down upon her, which proved to be the Success.

When sufficiently near, I made the private signal formerly concerted between us, but Captain Clipperton hauled his wind, and did not lie by a moment for us to get up with him. We were now so for to leeward of Guatalco, that it was in vain to beat up for that port, especially on an uncertainty. We were now reduced to a small daily allowance of calavances, which not being sufficient to keep us alive, we had recourse to the remainder of our smoked congers which had been neglected for some months, and had been soaking and rotting in the bilge-water, so that they were now as disgusting food as could be. Under these calamitous circ.u.mstances, we again met the Success near port _Angels_, in lat. 15 50' N. long. 96 25' W. Having exchanged signals, we stood so near each other that a biscuit might have been chucked aboard, yet did not exchange a word, as Clipperton had ordered his officers and ship's company to take no notice of us: Yet was Captain Clipperton so sensible of the difficulties and hazards we had to encounter in our design of going for India, that he said the child just born would be grey-haired before we should arrive there. We were now in a most miserable situation, wandering upon an inhospitable coast in want of every thing, and all the land we had seen was so wild and open to the sea, that it would have been impossible for us to have landed any where, and nothing could have urged us to make the attempt but the extreme want we were now in.

On the 12th March, being off the port of Acapulco towards evening, we saw a ship between us and the sh.o.r.e, which turned out to be the Success, when Clipperton not only answered my private signal, but also that for speaking with me. After his late inhumane behaviour, I would hardly have trusted him, had we not been so near Acapulco, where I thought he meant to cruize for the Manilla ships, and now wished to have our a.s.sistance, wherefore I bore down alongside. He now sent his second lieutenant, Captain Cooke, with a very obliging letter to me, stating that he was cruizing for the homeward-bound Manilla ships, and desired me to a.s.sist him in the enterprise, with which view he desired me to come on board next morning, to consult on the best plan of attacking her, and proposed an union of the two companies. I was well pleased at this offer, and returned an answer that I should be with him early. I then read his letter to my people, who all expressed their readiness to join in the enterprise; but, as Clipperton had used us so unhandsomely, they desired me to have some security for their shares, signed by Clipperton, G.o.dfrey the agent, and the rest of the officers in the Success.

I went aboard the Success next morning, accompanied by Brooks and Randal, my lieutenants, and was received with much apparent civility, all animosities being forgotten, and we seemed now in the most perfect harmony. I first told Captain Clipperton and Mr G.o.dfrey of the paper expected by my officers and men, ent.i.tling them to such shares as were allowed by the original articles, to which they readily consented, and drew up an instrument fully answerable to what my people desired. We then proceeded to our consultation, when it was agreed that I should send most of my people on board the Success as soon as the Manilla ship appeared, leaving only a boat's crew with me to bring me away in case I should have an opportunity to use my vessel as a fire-ship, or smoker, in case she should prove too hard for the Success. We also determined to board her at once, as otherwise we should have much the worst of the contest, owing to her superior weight of metal, and her better ability to bear a cannonade. Clipperton a.s.sured me he was certain of the time this ship was to sail from Acapulco, being always within a day or two after Pa.s.sion-week, of which time a fortnight was yet to come. Before returning to my own ship, I informed Captain Clipperton of our scarcity of water, when he told me he had eighty tons, and would spare me as much as I wanted, or any thing else his ship afforded. I had now the pleasure of enjoying my command as fully as ever, and my whole remaining crew, from the highest to the lowest, expressed their satisfaction at our present prospects. Morphew, the ringleader of all our disorders, fearing my resentment might fall heavily on him, contrived to insinuate himself into the favour of the captain and officers of the Success, by a submissive deportment, and presents, and, in the end, left me on the 14th March, being received on board that ship. On the 15th, Mr Rainer came on board my ship, to visit his old ship-mates, and staid all night.

I constantly reminded Clipperton of our want of water, and he as often promised to supply us with a large quant.i.ty at once.

We thus continued to cruize in good order, and with great hopes, till the 27th March, when I had to suffer the most prodigious piece of treachery that could be imagined. We used to cruize off and on, at a convenient distance from the sh.o.r.e, so as not to be discovered from the land, yet so that it was impossible for any ship to leave the port of Acapulco without being seen by us. As my ship did not sail so well as the Success, Clipperton used to shorten sail, particularly at night, and shewed us lights on all necessary occasions. Towards evening of that day, he stretched about two leagues a-head of us, and I could not see that he lowered even a topgallant-sail for us to come up with him. I kept standing after him however, till almost a-sh.o.r.e on the breakers, when I had to tack and stand out to sea. Next morning no ship was to be seen, which reduced us to the most terrible apprehensions, considering our sad situation for want of water, and our vast distance from any place where we could expect to procure any, as we had now no other choice but either to beat up 220 leagues to the _Tres Marias_, or to bear away for the gulf of Amapala, at a much greater distance. I was afterwards informed, by some of Clipperton's officers, whom I met with in China, that he had done this cruel action absolutely against the repeated remonstrances of his officers, who abhorred such an act of barbarity. I also learnt afterwards, by some Spaniards from Manilla, that the Acapulco ship sailed about a week after we desisted from cruizing for her. This ship was the _Santo Christo_, carrying upwards of forty bra.s.s guns, and was exceedingly rich.