By The Time He Came,
The Dispute Was Over; But This Englishman Afterwards Joined Us, And Gave
Us This Account.
We held a council in the stern sheets of one of our
boats, to consider whether we should land
Immediately or wait till
day-light; and, as the barks were not come up, in which were the
artillery and half of our men, and as we did not know the ground
sufficiently to act in the dark, it was agreed to wait till day, by
which time it was hoped the barks would join. We accordingly fell down
the river a short way, to meet our barks, hearing several musket shots
by the way. On the 23d April at day-break, we saw one of our barks at
anchor within a mile of the town, close under the shore, and the other
coming up the river with the tide of flood. We then rowed up to our
bark, which had fired the shots we heard in the night at some fishermen
passing by, whom they took.
All our force being now joined, we proceeded up the river, and sent a
flag of truce on shore, accompanied by Don Joseph Arizabella, the
governor of Puna, and another prisoner; and then towed up our barks over
against the town, where we came to an anchor. When Captain Arizabella
came with our flag of truce before the corregidor or mayor of
Guayaquill, he enquired our numbers, which the captain magnified, on
which the corregidore said we were boys, not men. To this the captain
answered, he would find them men, and brave ones too, for they had
fought him gallantly in their open boats, although he had slain the
brother of their commander and others; and therefore advised him to
agree for the ransom of the town, as even if he had 3000 men he would be
unable to withstand the English. To this the corregidore replied, My
horse is ready.
After bringing our barks to anchor, we went up the river after some
vessels, six of which we secured and brought to anchor beside our barks.
We also took possession of two new ships of about 400 tons burden each.
Soon after this, the governor came on board one of the prizes, to treat
for the ransom of the town and ships, but could not then agree, but
promised to meet the captains again at seven in the evening, but did not
keep his sword. This evening our boats took some canoes having silver on
board. On the 24th in the morning, the governor came off again to treat,
but no agreement could be made; and at four in the afternoon we landed
all our men in good order, when the Spaniards only fired one volley and
then fled. Our men pursued them to where their cannon were placed, which
they soon gained possession of, only one gunner, an Irishman, remaining
by them till he was wounded in four places, of which he soon afterwards
died. We marched through both towns in a compact body, driving the enemy
before us, and then placed three guards in the three churches, setting
fire to five or six houses which stood near to a wood into which the
Spaniards had fled, that they might not have the cover of these houses
to annoy our guard, which stood within pistol shot. All night they kept
firing at our sentinels from the woods, yet without doing us any harm.
Several parties also of horse and foot came out of the wood, as if to
attack us, but made no attempt. In the mean time, the pinnace belonging
to the Duchess, in which was Lieutenant Connely and twenty-two men, went
up the river, landed at every house near its banks, and brought away all
the plate and other articles of value they could find. In this service,
they had some skirmishing with the enemy, in which one of our men was
wounded.
On the 25th the enemy appeared numerous in the woods, whence they
sometimes came out and skirmished with our guards, in which one of our
men was wounded. We spent the afternoon in sending off provisions from
the town to our ships, and in disposing all things in readiness in case
of being attacked in the night, as the enemy appeared numerous about
the outskirts. For this reason, all the captains concentrated our whole
force at the main guard, where we had our cannon in readiness.
Messengers arrived with a flag of truce in the morning of the 26th, to
treat for ransoming the town, but could not agree; but in the afternoon
it was at length agreed to pay 30,000 dollars for its ransom, giving
three hostages, and we were to remain at Puna till they had time to
raise the sum, as the inhabitants had carried away their money, and
being so dispersed that it was impossible to collect the money while we
were there, even the inhabitants of the adjacent country having carried
off their valuable effects into the interior.
In the morning of the 27th, the hostages for the ransom were sent on
board one of our barks, together with a boatload of brandy; and, as
agreed upon with the Spaniards, we took down our union jack, hoisted a
flag of truce, and fired a signal gun, that the Spaniards might come
freely into the town, and that no hostilities should take place on
either side during the time we had agreed to wait for the money. The
purpose of admitting the Spanish inhabitants was to prevent the Indians
and Negroes from robbing; and I am apt to believe they had already
robbed as much as we had plundered, for we had taken many of them loaded
with goods, while going our rounds, which they confessed to have stolen;
and we were afterwards informed, that the inhabitants, in their hurry,
had given much plate and money to Negroes to carry out of town, which
they could never hear of afterwards.
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