While Here, Mr Clippington, The Chief Mate, Having Quarrelled
With Captain Dampier, Drew Over Twenty-One Men To His Party,
And making
himself master of the bark, in which was all our ammunition and the best
part of our provisions,
Hoisted anchor, and went without the islands,
whence he sent us word that he would put ashore at an Indian house all
our powder, shot, and other ammunition, reserving only what was
necessary for his own use, which he did accordingly, and we sent our
canoes to fetch it on board.
These islands in the Bay of Nicoya are extremely pleasant and fruitful,
abounding in all things necessary for life, such as birds of various
kinds, several sorts of fish, and amphibious animals, particularly
turtles and guanas. Among the birds is a very beautiful one called the
Maccaw, having feathers of all the colours of the rainbow. It is in
shape like a large parrot, with a white bill, and black legs and feet.
The carrion crow is as big as a small turkey, which it perfectly
resembles in shape and colour; but its flesh smells and tastes so strong
of muck that it is not eatable. The pelican is almost as big as a
swan, being mostly white with brown tips to the wings, having a long
bill with a large cross joining the lower part of the bill, and hanging
down the throat like a bag or satchel of great size, into which it
receives oysters, cockles, conchs, and other shell-fish, which it is
unable to break, and retains them there till they open, when it throws
them out and picks out the meat.
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