History of the Buccaneers of America Part 6

Ringrose says, 'here were oysters so large that we were forced to cut them into four pieces, each quarter being a good mouthful.' Here were also oysters of a smaller kind, from which the Spaniards collected pearls. They killed alligators at _Quibo_, some above 20 feet in length; 'they were very fearful, and tried to escape from those who hunted them.' Ringrose relates, that he stood under a manchineal tree to shelter himself from the rain, but some drops fell on his skin from the tree, which caused him to break out all over in red spots, and he was not well for a week afterwards.

[Sidenote: June.] June the 6th, Sharp and his followers, in two ships, sailed from _Quibo_ Southward for the coast of _Peru_, intending to stop by the way at the _Galapagos Islands_; but the winds prevented them.

[Sidenote: Island Gorgona.] On the 17th, they anch.o.r.ed on the South side of the _Island Gorgona_, near the mouth of a river. '_Gorgona_ is a high mountainous Island, about four leagues in circuit, and is distant about four leagues from the Continent. The anchorage is within a pistol-shot of the sh.o.r.e, in depth from 15 to 20 fathoms. At the SW of _Gorgona_ is a smaller Island, and without the same stands a small rock[25].' There were at this time streams of fresh water on every side of the Island.

_Gorgona_ being uninhabited, was thought to be a good place of concealment. The Island supplied rabbits, monkeys, turtle, oysters, and birds; which provision was inducement to the Buccaneers, notwithstanding the rains, to remain there, indulging in idleness, till near the end of July, when the weather began to be dry. They killed a snake at _Gorgona_, eleven feet long, and fourteen inches in circ.u.mference.

[Sidenote: July.] July the 25th, they put to sea. Sharp had expressed an intention to attack _Guayaquil_; but he was now of opinion that their long stay at _Gorgona_ must have occasioned their being discovered by the Spaniards, 'notwithstanding that he himself had persuaded them to stay;'

their plan was therefore changed for the attack of places more Southward, where they would be less expected. [Sidenote: Island Plata.] The winds were from the Southward, and it was not till August the 13th, that they got as far as the _Island Plata_.

[Sidenote: August.] The only landing at _Plata_ at this time, was on the NE side, near a deep valley, where the ships anch.o.r.ed in 12 fathoms. Goats were on this Island in such numbers, that they killed above a hundred in a day with little labour, and salted what they did not want for present use.

Turtle and fish were in plenty. They found only one small spring of fresh water, which was near the landing place, and did not yield them more than 20 gallons in the 24 hours. There were no trees on any part of the Island.

[Sidenote: On the Coast of Peru.] From _Plata_ they proceeded Southward.

The 25th, near _Cape St. Elena_, they met a Spanish ship from _Guayaquil_ bound to _Panama_, which they took after a short action in which one Buccaneer was killed, and two others were wounded. In this prize they found 3000 dollars. They learnt from their prisoners, that one of the small buccaneer tenders, which had been separated from Sawkins in sailing from the _Bay of Panama_, had been taken by the Spaniards, after losing six men out of seven which composed her crew. [Sidenote: Adventure of a small Crew of Buccaneers.] Their adventure was as follows. Not being able to join their Commander Sawkins at _Quibo_, they sailed to the Island _Gallo_ near the Continent (in about 2 N.) where they found a party of Spaniards, from whom they took three white women. A few days afterwards, they put in at another small Island, four leagues distant from _Gallo_, where they proposed to remain on the lookout, in hopes of seeing some of their friends come that way, as Sawkins had declared it his intention to go to the coast of _Peru_. Whilst they were waiting in this expectation, a Spaniard whom they had kept prisoner, made his escape from them, and got over to the main land. This small buccaneer crew had the imprudence nevertheless to remain in the same quarters long enough to give time for a party of Spaniards to pa.s.s over from the main land, which they did without being perceived, and placed themselves in ambuscade with so much advantage, that at one volley they killed six Buccaneers out of the seven: the one remaining became their prisoner.

Sharp and his men divided the small sum of money taken in their last prize, and sunk her. Ringrose relates, 'we also punished a Friar and shot him upon the deck, casting him overboard while he was yet alive. I abhorred such cruelties, yet was forced to hold my tongue.' It is not said in what manner the Friar had offended, and Sharp does not mention the circ.u.mstance in his Journal.

One of the two vessels in which the Buccaneers cruised, sailed badly, on which account she was abandoned, and they all embarked in the ship named the Trinidad.

[Sidenote: September.] On the 4th of September they took a vessel from _Guayaquil_ bound for _Lima_, with a lading of timber, chocolate, raw silk, Indian cloth, and thread stockings. It appears here to have been a custom among the Buccaneers, for the first who boarded an enemy, or captured vessel, to be allowed some extra privilege of plunder. Ringrose says, 'we cast dice for the first entrance, and the lot fell to the larboard watch, so twenty men belonging to that watch, entered her.' They took out of this vessel as much of the cargo as they chose, and put some of their prisoners in her; after which they dismissed her with only one mast standing and one sail, that she should not be able to prosecute her voyage Southward. [Sidenote: October.] Sharp pa.s.sed _Callao_ at a distance from land, being apprehensive there might be ships of war in the road.

October the 26th, he was near the town of _Arica_, when the boats manned with a large party of Buccaneers departed from the ship with intention to attack the town; but, on coming near the sh.o.r.e, they found the surf high, and the whole country appeared to be in arms. [Sidenote: 28th. Ilo.] They returned to the ship, and it was agreed to bear away for _Ilo_, a small town on the coast, in lat.i.tude about 17 40' S. Their stock of fresh water was by this time so reduced, that they had come to an allowance of only half a pint for a man for the day; and it is related that a pint of water was sold in the ship for 30 dollars. They succeeded however in landing at _Ilo_, and obtained there fresh water, wine, fruits, flour, oil, chocolate, sugar, and other provisions. The Spaniards would give neither money nor cattle to have their buildings and plantations spared, and the Buccaneers committed all the mischief they could.

[Sidenote: December. Shoals of Anchovies.] From _Ilo_ they proceeded Southward. December the 1st, in the night, being in lat.i.tude about 31, they found themselves in white water, like banks or breakers, which extended a mile or more in length; but they were relieved from their alarm by discovering that what they had apprehended to be rocks and breakers was a large shoal of anchovies.

[Sidenote: On the Coast of Peru. La Serena plundered and burnt.] December the 3d, they landed at the town of _La Serena_, which they entered without opposition. Some Spaniards came to negociate with them to ransom the town from being burnt, for which they agreed to pay 95,000 pieces of eight; but the money came not at the time appointed, and the Buccaneers had reason to suspect the Spaniards intended to deceive them. [Sidenote: Attempt of the Spaniards to burn the Ship.] Ringrose relates, that a man ventured to come in the night from the sh.o.r.e, on a float made of a horse's hide blown up like a bladder. 'He being arrived at the ship, went under the stern and crammed oak.u.m and brimstone and other combustible matter between the rudder and the stern-post. Having done this, he fired it with a match, so that in a small time our rudder was on fire, and all the ship in a smoke.

Our men, both alarmed and amazed with this smoke, ran up and down the ship, suspecting the prisoners to have fired the vessel, thereby to get their liberty and seek our destruction. At last they found out where the fire was, and had the good fortune to quench it before its going too far.

After which we sent the boat ash.o.r.e, and found both the hide afore-mentioned, and the match burning at both ends, whereby we became acquainted with the whole matter.'

By the _La Serena_ expedition they obtained five hundred pounds weight of silver. One of the crew died in consequence of hard drinking whilst on sh.o.r.e. They released all their prisoners here, except a pilot; after which, they stood from the Continent for _Juan Fernandez_. In their approach to that Island, it is remarked by Ringrose, that they saw neither bird, nor fish; and this being noticed to the pilot, he made answer, that he had many times sailed by _Juan Fernandez_, and had never seen either fish or fowl whilst at sea in sight of the Island.

[Sidenote: Island Juan Fernandez.] On Christmas day, they anch.o.r.ed in a Bay at the South part of _Juan Fernandez_; but finding the winds SE and Southerly, they quitted that anchorage, and went to a Bay on the North side of the Island, where they cast anchor in 14 fathoms, so near to the sh.o.r.e that they fastened the end of another cable from the ship to the trees; being sheltered by the land from ESE round by the South and West, and as far as NbW[26]. Their fastenings, however, did not hold the ship against the strong flurries that blew from the land, and she was twice forced to sea; but each time recovered the anchorage without much difficulty.

[Sidenote: 1681. January.] The sh.o.r.e of this bay was covered with seals and sea lions, whose noise and company were very troublesome to the men employed in filling fresh water. The seals coveted to lie where streams of fresh water ran into the sea, which made it necessary to keep people constantly employed to beat them off. Fish were in the greatest plenty; and innumerable sea birds had their nests near the sh.o.r.e, which makes the remark of Ringrose on approaching the Island the more extraordinary.

Craw-fish and lobsters were in abundance; and on the Island itself goats were in such plenty, that, besides what they eat during their stay, they killed about a hundred for salting, and took away as many alive.

[Sidenote: Sharp deposed from the Command. Watling elected Commander.]

Here new disagreements broke out among the Buccaneers. Some wished to sail immediately homeward by the _Strait of Magalhanes_; others desired to try their fortune longer in the _South Sea_. Sharp was of the party for returning home; but in the end the majority deposed him from the command, and elected for his successor John Watling, 'an old privateer, and esteemed a stout seaman.' Articles were drawn up in writing between Watling and the crew, and subscribed.

One Narrative says, 'the true occasion of the grudge against Sharp was, that he had got by these adventures almost a thousand pounds, whereas many of our men were scarce worth a groat; and good reason there was for their poverty, for at the _Isle of Plate_ and other places, they had lost all their money to their fellow Buccaneers at dice; so that some had a great deal, and others, just nothing. Those who were thrifty sided with Captain Sharp, but the others, being the greatest number, turned Sharp out of his command; and Sharp's party were persuaded to have patience, seeing they were the fewest, and had money to lose, which the other party had not.'

Dampier says Sharp was displaced by general consent, the company not being satisfied either with his courage or his conduct.

Watling began his command by ordering the observance of the Sabbath. 'This day, January the 9th,' says Ringrose, 'was the first Sunday that ever we kept by command since the loss and death of our valiant Commander Captain Sawkins, who once threw the dice overboard, finding them in use on the said day.'

[Sidenote: 11th. 12th. They sail from Juan Fernandez.] The 11th, two boats were sent from the ship to a distant part of the Island to catch goats. On the following morning, the boats were seen returning in great haste, and firing muskets to give alarm. When arrived on board, they gave information that three sail, which they believed to be Spanish ships of war, were in sight of the Island, and were making for the anchorage. In half an hour after this notice, the strange ships were seen from the Bay; upon which, all the men employed on sh.o.r.e in watering, hunting, and other occupations, were called on board with the utmost speed; and not to lose time, the cable was slipped, and the ship put to sea. [Sidenote: William, a Mosquito Indian, left on the island.] It happened in this hurry of quitting the Island, that one of the Mosquito Indians who had come with the Buccaneers, and was by them called William, was absent in the woods hunting goats, and heard nothing of the alarm. No time could be spared for search, and the ship sailed without him. This it seems was not the first instance of a solitary individual being left to inhabit _Juan Fernandez_. Their Spanish pilot affirmed to them, that 'many years before, a ship had been cast away there, and only one man saved, who lived alone upon the Island five years, when another ship coming that way, took him off.'

The three vessels whose appearance caused them in such haste to quit their anchorage, were armed Spanish ships. They remained in sight of the Buccaneer ship two days, but no inclination appeared on either side to try the event of a battle. The Buccaneers had not a single great gun in their ship, and must have trusted to their musketry and to boarding.

[Sidenote: 13th.] On the evening of the 13th after dark, they resigned the honour of the field to the Spaniards, and made sail Eastward for the American coast, with design to attack _Arica_, which place they had been informed contained great riches.

[Sidenote: January 26th. Island Yqueque. River de Camarones.] The 26th, they were close to the small Island named _Yqueque_, about 25 leagues to the South of _Arica_, where they plundered a small Indian village of provisions, and took two old Spaniards and two Indians prisoners. This Island was dest.i.tute of fresh water, and the inhabitants were obliged to supply themselves from the Continent, at a river named _De Camarones_, 11 Spanish leagues to the North of _Yqueque_. The people on _Yqueque_ were the servants and slaves of the Governor of _Arica_, and were employed by him to catch and dry fish, which were disposed of to great profit among the inland towns of the Continent. The Indians here eat much and often of certain leaves 'which were in taste much like to the bay leaves in England, by the continual use of which their teeth were dyed of a green colour.'

[Sidenote: 27th.] The 27th, Watling examined one of the old Spaniards concerning the force at _Arica_; and being offended at his answers, ordered him to be shot, which was done. The same morning they took a small bark from the River _Camarones_, laden with fresh water.

[Sidenote: On the Coast of Peru.] In the night of the 28th, Watling with one hundred men departed from the ship in the small prize bark and boats for _Arica_. They put ash.o.r.e on the mainland about five leagues to the South of _Arica_, before it was light, and remained concealed among rocks all day. [Sidenote: 30th. They attack Arica.] At night, they again proceeded, and at daylight (on the 30th) Watling landed with 92 men, four miles from the town, to which they marched, and gained entrance, with the loss of three men killed, and two wounded. There was a castle or fort, which for their own security they ought immediately to have attacked; but Watling was only intent on making prisoners, until he was incommoded, with more than could be well guarded. This gave the inhabitants who had fled, time to recover from their alarm, and they collected in the Fort. To complete the mistake, Watling at length advanced to attack the fort, where he found resistance more than he expected. [Sidenote: Are Repulsed.]

Watling put in practice the expedient of placing his prisoners in front of his own men; but the defenders of the fort were not a whit deterred thereby from firing on the Buccaneers, who were twice repulsed. The Spaniards without, in the mean time, began to make head from all parts; and in a little time the Buccaneers, from being the a.s.sailants, found themselves obliged to look to their defence. [Sidenote: Watling killed.]

Watling their chief was killed, as were two quarter-masters, the boatswain, and some others of their best men; and the rest thought it necessary to retreat to their boats, which, though hara.s.sed the whole way by a distant firing from the Spaniards, they effected in tolerable order, and embarked.

In this attack, the Buccaneers lost in killed, and taken prisoners by the Spaniards, 28 men; and of those who got back to the ship, eighteen were wounded. Among the men taken by the Spaniards were two surgeons, to whose care the wounded had been committed. 'We could have brought off our doctors,' says Ringrose, 'but they got to drinking whilst we were a.s.saulting the fort, and when we called to them, they would not come with us.' The Spaniards gave quarter to the surgeons, 'they being able to do them good service in that country: but as to the wounded men taken prisoners, they were all knocked on the head.'

The whole party that landed at _Arica_ narrowly escaped destruction; for the Spaniards learnt from the prisoners they took, the signals which had been agreed upon with the men left in charge of the boats; of which information they made such use, that the boats had quitted their station, and set sail to run down to the town; but some Buccaneers who had been most speedy in the retreat, arrived at the sea side just in time to call them back.

[Sidenote: Sharp again chosen Commander.] This miscarriage so much disheartened the whole Buccaneer crew, that they made no attempt to take three ships which were at anchor in the road before _Arica_. Sharp was reinstated in the command, because he was esteemed a leader of safer conduct than any other; and every one was willing to quit the _South Sea_, but which it was now proposed they should do by re-crossing the _Isthmus_.

[Sidenote: March. Huasco.] They did not, however, immediately steer Northward; but continued to beat up against the wind to the Southward, till the 10th of March, when they landed at _Guasco_ or _Huasco_ (in lat.

about 28-1/2) from which place they carried off 120 sheep, 80 goats, 200 bushels of corn, and filled their jars with fresh water.

From _Huasco_ they stood to the North. On the 27th, they pa.s.sed _Arica_.

The Narrative remarks, 'our former entertainment had been so very bad, that we were no ways encouraged to stop there again.' [Sidenote: Ylo.]

They landed at _Ylo_, of which Wafer says, 'the _River Ylo_ is situated in a valley which is the finest I have seen in all the coast of _Peru_, and furnished with a mult.i.tude of vegetables. A great dew falls here every night.'

[Sidenote: April.] April the 16th, they were near the Island _Plata_. By this time new opinions and new projects had been formed. Many of the crew were again willing to try their fortune longer in the _South Sea_; but one party would not continue under the command of Sharp, and others would not consent to choosing a new commander. As neither party would yield, it was determined to separate, and agreed upon by all hands, 'that which party soever upon polling should be found to have the majority, should keep the ship.' The other party was to have the long-boat and the canoes. On coming to a division, Sharp's party proved the most numerous. The minority consisted of forty-four Europeans, two Mosquito Indians, and a Spanish Indian. [Sidenote: Another Party of the Buccaneers return across the Isthmus.] On the forenoon of the 17th, the party in the boats separated from the ship, and proceeded for the _Gulf de San Miguel_, where they landed, and returned over the _Isthmus_ back to the _West Indies_. In this party were William Dampier, and Lionel Wafer the surgeon. Dampier afterwards published a brief sketch of the expedition, and an account of his return across the _Isthmus_, both of which are in the 1st volume of his Voyages. Wafer met with an accidental hurt whilst on the _Isthmus_, which disabled him from travelling with his countrymen, and he remained some months living with the Darien Indians, of whom he afterwards published an entertaining description, with a Narrative of his own adventures among them.

[Sidenote: Further Proceedings of Sharp and his Followers.] Sharp and his diminished crew sailed in their ship from the Island _Plata_ Northward to the _Gulf of Nicoya_, where they met with no booty, nor with any adventure worth mentioning.

[Sidenote: July.] They returned Southward to the Island _Plata_, and in the way took three prizes: the first, a ship named the San Pedro, from _Guayaquil_ bound for _Panama_, with a lading of cocoa-nuts, and 21,000 pieces of eight in chests, and 16,000 in bags, besides plate. The money in bags and all the loose plunder was divided, each man receiving for his share 234 pieces of eight; whence it may be inferred that their number was reduced to about 70 men. The rest of the money was reserved for a future division. Their second prize was a packet from _Panama_ bound for _Callao_, by which they learnt that in _Panama_ it was believed all the Buccaneers had returned overland to the _West Indies_. The third was a ship named the _San Rosario_, which did not submit to them without resistance, nor till her Captain was killed. She was from _Callao_, laden with wine, brandy, oil, and fruit, and had in her as much money as yielded to each Buccaneer 94 dollars. One Narrative says a much greater booty was missed through ignorance. 'Besides the lading already mentioned, we found in the San Rosario 700 pigs of plate, which we supposed to be tin, and under this mistake, they were slighted by us all, especially by the Captain, who would not by persuasions used by some few be induced to take them into our ship, as we did most of the other things. Thus we left them in the _Rosario_, which we turned away loose into the sea. This, it should seem, was plate, not thoroughly refined and fitted for coin, which occasioned our being deceived. We took only one pig of the seven hundred into our ship, thinking to make bullets of it; and to this effect, or what else our seamen pleased, the greatest part of it was melted and squandered away. Afterwards, when we arrived at _Antigua_, we gave the remaining part (which was about one-third thereof) to a _Bristol_ man, who knew presently what it was; who brought it to _England_, and sold it there for 75_l._ sterling. Thus we parted with the richest booty we got in the whole voyage, through our own ignorance and laziness[27].'

The same Narrative relates, that they took out of the Rosario 'a great book full of sea charts and maps, containing an accurate and exact description of all the ports, soundings, rivers, capes, and coasts, of the _South Sea_, and all the navigation usually performed by the Spaniards in that ocean. This book was for its novelty and curiosity presented unto His Majesty on the return of some of the Buccaneers to _England_, and was translated into English by His Majesty's order[28].'

[Sidenote: August.] August the 12th, they anch.o.r.ed at the Island _Plata_, whence they departed on the 16th, bound Southward, intending to return by the _Strait of Magalhanes_ or _Strait le Maire_, to the _West Indies_.

The 28th, they looked in at _Paita_; but finding the place prepared for defence, they stood off from the coast, and pursued their course Southward, without again coming in sight of land, and without the occurrence of any thing remarkable, till they pa.s.sed the 50th degree of lat.i.tude.

[Sidenote: October 12th. By the Western Coast of America, in 50 50' S.]

October the 11th, they were in lat.i.tude 49 54' S, and estimated their distance from the American coast to be 120 leagues. The wind blew strong from the SW, and they stood to the South East. On the morning of the 12th, two hours before day, being in lat.i.tude by account 50 50' S, they suddenly found themselves close to land. The ship was ill prepared for such an event, the fore yard having been lowered to ease her, on account of the strength of the wind. 'The land was high and towering; and here appeared many Islands scattered up and down.' They were so near, and so entangled, that there was no possibility of standing off to sea, and, with such light as they had, they steered, as cautiously as they could, in between some Islands, and along an extensive coast, which, whether it was a larger Island, or part of the Continent, they could not know. [Sidenote: They enter a Gulf.] As the day advanced, the land was seen to be mountainous and craggy, and the tops covered with snow. Sharp says, 'we bore up for a harbour, and steered in Northward about five leagues. On the North side there are plenty of harbours[29].' [Sidenote: Shergall's Harbour.] At 11 in the forenoon they came to an anchor 'in a harbour, in 45 fathoms, within a stone's cast of the sh.o.r.e, where the ship was landlocked, and in smooth water. As the ship went in, one of the crew, named Henry Shergall, fell overboard as he was going into the spritsail top, and was drowned; on which account this was named _Shergall's Harbour_.'

The bottom was rocky where the ship had anch.o.r.ed; a boat was therefore sent to look for better anchorage. They did not however shift their birth that day; and during the night, strong flurries of wind from the hills, joined with the sharpness of the rocks at the bottom, cut their cable in two, and they were obliged to set sail. [Sidenote: Another Harbour.] They ran about a mile to another bay, where they let go another anchor, and moored the ship with a fastening to a tree on sh.o.r.e.

They shot geese, and other wild-fowl. On the sh.o.r.es they found large muscles, c.o.c.kles like those in _England_, and limpets: here were also penguins, which were shy and not taken without pursuit; 'they padded on the water with their wings very fast, but their bodies were too heavy to be carried by the said wings.'

[Sidenote: 15th.] The first part of the time they lay in this harbour, they had almost continual rain. On the night of the 15th, in a high North wind, the tree to which their cable was fastened gave way, and came up by the root, in consequence of which, the stern of the ship took the ground and damaged the rudder. They secured the ship afresh by fastening the cable to other trees; but were obliged to unhang the rudder to repair.

[Sidenote: 18th.] The 18th was a day of clear weather. The lat.i.tude was observed 50 40' S. The difference of the rise and fall of the tide was seven feet perpendicular: the time of high water is not noted. [Sidenote: The Gulf is named the English Gulf. Duke of York's Islands.] The arm of the sea, or gulf, in which they were, they named the _English Gulf_; and the land forming the harbour, the _Duke of York's Island_; 'more by guess than any thing else; for whether it were an Island or Continent was not discovered,' Ringrose says, 'I am persuaded that the place where we now are, is not so great an Island as some Hydrographers do lay it down, but rather an archipelago of smaller Islands. Our Captain gave to them the name of the _Duke of York's Islands_. Our boat which went Eastward, found several good bays and harbours, with deep water close to the sh.o.r.e; but there lay in them several sunken rocks, as there did also in the harbour where the ship lay. These rocks are less dangerous to shipping, by reason they have weeds lying about them.'

[Sidenote: Sharp's English Gulf, the Brazo de la Concepcion of Sarmiento.]

From all the preceding description, it appears, that they were at the South part of the Island named _Madre de Dios_ in the Spanish Atlas, which Island is South of the Channel, or Arm of the Sea, named the _Gulf de la S^{ma} Trinidada_; and that Sharp's _English Gulf_ is the _Brazo de la Concepcion_ of Sarmiento.

Ringrose has drawn a sketch of the _Duke of York's Islands_, and one of the _English Gulf_; but which are not worth copying, as they have neither compa.s.s, meridian line, scale, nor soundings. He has given other plan's in the same defective manner, on which account they can be of little use. It is necessary however to remark a difference in the plan which has been printed of the _English Gulf_, from the plan in the ma.n.u.script. In the printed copy, the sh.o.r.e of the _Gulf_ is drawn as one continued line, admitting no thoroughfare; whereas, in the ma.n.u.script plan, there are clear openings leaving a prospect of channels through.

[Sidenote: Natives.] Towards the end of October, the weather settled fair.

Hitherto they had seen no inhabitants; but on the 27th, a party went from the ship in a boat, on an excursion in search of provisions, and unhappily caught sight of a small boat belonging to the natives of the land.