Under These Calamitous
Circumstances, We Again Met The Success Near Port Angels, In Lat.
15 deg.
50' N. long.
96 deg. 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 shore, 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 assistance,
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 assist
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, Godfrey
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 Godfrey of the paper
expected by my officers and men, entitling 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 assured me he was certain of the time
this ship was to sail from Acapulco, being always within a day or two
after Passion-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 quantity 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 shore, 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-shore 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.
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