But This Design Miscarried, Whether
From Fear, Confusion, Or The Enemy Having Early Intelligence Of Our
Motions, Which Enabled Them To Cut Off Many Of Our Men.
This, however,
is certain, that we were quite sick of our fruitless attempts on shore
by the 1st May, and immediately re-embarked.
We were now so short of
provisions, that five boiled green plantains were allotted for six men;
but, when almost out both of hope and patience, a vessel came and
anchored close beside us at midnight, which we took without resistance.
This proved a most valuable prize, being a ship of 150 tons, laden with
flour, sugar, brandy, wine, about thirty tons marmalade of quinces, a
considerable quantity of salt, and several tons of linen and woollen
cloth; so that we had now a sufficient supply of provisions even for
four or five years. I was put aboard of this prize on behalf of Captain
Dampier and his company, and the master of the Cinque-ports, in behalf
of Captain Stradling and his crew.
We carried our prize into the Bay of Panama, and anchored under the
island of Tobago on the 14th of May. Here Captains Dampier and Stradling
disagreed, and the quarrel proceeded to such length, that they could not
be reconciled, so that at last it was determined to part company, all
the men being at liberty to go with which captain they pleased, in
consequence of which five of our men went over to Captain Stradling, and
five of his men came to us. We were now informed by the prisoners, that
there were 80,000 dollars on board our prize, which had been taken on
board at Lima clandestinely, and were concealed at the bottom of the
hold in the run of the ship. But Captain Dampier would not credit this,
neither would he wait till we should rummage her to the bottom, lest
delay might mar his great designs. Having, therefore, taken on board a
quantity of provisions from the prize, she was dismissed; and we set
sail in the St George on the 19th May, leaving the Cinque-ports behind,
intending again to proceed for the coast of Peru.
We took a vessel of 120 tons on the 7th June, bound from Truxillo for
Panama, and laden with flour, sugar, brandy, and other articles, with
some bales of flowered silk. In her we found a packet of letters, and
the first of these we happened to read was from the captain of the ship
we had fought off Juan Fernandez, and fell in with again going into
Callao. It was directed to the president of Panama, and stated, "That he
had fought with two English privateers off Juan Fernandez, the smaller
having only fired eight or ten guns at him, and then fell astern and did
not come up again during the fight, as he believed for want of wind;
while the large ship fought him yard-arm and yard-arm for more than six
hours, killed a great many of his men, and wounded such numbers, that he
had landed thirty-two at Lima, each of whom had lost a leg, an arm, or
an eye, and he had been nearly taken, as at parting they had given
themselves over for lost, not having a sufficient number of men left to
defend themselves." By other letters, we learnt that the two French
ships we afterwards saw near Juan Fernandez had picked up a boat at sea,
in which were an Englishman and a dog; had been in at the island of Juan
Fernandez, and had taken up our anchors, cables, and long-boats, with
all Captain Stradling's stores, as also his five men and our negro who
were left there.
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