From Thence They
Proceeded To The Latitude Of 7 Deg.
S. but found the country every where
alarmed.
They went next to Payta, in lat. 4 deg. 55' S. where they took two
ships at anchor, which they set on fire, because the Spaniards refused
to ransom them. Leaving the coast, they went to the island of Gorgona,
in lat. 2 deg. 50' N. about four leagues from the main, which the privateers
usually called Sharp's Island. This is about two leagues long by one
league broad, having a good harbour on its west side, and affording
plenty of wood and water. It is a common saying in Spanish South
America, that it rains often in Chili, seldom in Peru, and always at
Gorgona, where they allege there never was a day fair to an end. Though
this be not strictly true, it is certain that this island has rain more
or less at all seasons, on which account, perhaps, it has always
remained uninhabited. They sailed from Gorgona W.N.W. till in lat. 30 deg.
N. when they steered W. by N. to lat. 15 deg. N. till they considered
themselves beyond danger from the rocks of St Bartholomew; after which
they returned into the lat. of 13 deg. N. in which parallel they continued
their voyage for the East Indies.
They had a regular trade-wind, and a reasonably quick passage across the
Pacific Ocean, except that their men were mostly ill of the scurvy; and
on the 14th of March, 1685, being in lat. 13 deg. 2' N. they came in sight
of the island of Guam. By Captain Cowley's calculation, this run across
the Pacific Ocean extended to 7646 miles, from the island of Gorgona to
Guam.[157] They came next day to anchor in a bay on the west side of the
island, and sent their boat on shore with a flag of truce. The
inhabitants of a village at that place set fire to their houses, and ran
away into the interior, on which the boat's crew cut down some cocoa
trees to gather the fruit, and on going again on board were threatened
by a party of the natives, who sallied out from some bushes on purpose
to attack them. A friendly intercourse was however established between
the English and the natives, and trade took place with them till the
17th, when the natives attacked the English suddenly, but were beat off
with heavy loss, while none of the English were hurt.
[Footnote 157: Gorgona is in long. 78 deg. 33' Guam in 216 deg. 40', both W.
from Greenwich. The difference of longitude is 138 deg. 07', which gives
9530 statute miles, or 2762 marine leagues, so that the computation in
the text is considerably too short. - E.]
On the 19th the Spanish governor of the island came to a point of land
not far from the ship, whence he sent his boat on board with three
copies of the same letter, in Spanish, French, and Dutch, desiring to
know who they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound.
Captain Eaton answered in French, saying that they had been fitted out
by some gentlemen in France to make discoveries, and were come in quest
of provisions.
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