Both Ships Had Commission From George Prince Of
Denmark, Husband To Queen Anne, And Lord High Admiral Of England, To
Cruize On The Coasts Of Peru And Mexico In The South Sea, Against The
French And Spaniards, And To Act Jointly And Separately.
On the 15th June, 1708, we went down to King-road, to fit our ships for
sea and the better to keep our men on board, where we continued till the
1st August, when we weighed anchor and towed down about five miles below
the Holmes.
We made sail at one next morning, and got into Cork harbour
on the 5th August, where we remained till the 27th adjusting all things,
taking on board additional men provided there for us, and discharging
some we had brought from Bristol, who were found unfit for the voyage.
Our complement of men in both ships was now 333, of which above a third
were foreigners from most nations, several of her majesty's subjects we
had on board being tinkers, tailors, haymakers, pedlars, fiddlers, and
the like, with one negro and ten boys; yet we hoped to be well manned
with this motley crew, when they had got their sea-legs and had learnt
the use of arms. We had double the number of officers usual in
privateers, which was meant to prevent mutinies, so usual in long
voyages, and to secure a succession in case of deaths. Our holds were
so full of provisions, that our cables, and a great deal of our bread
and some water casks were between decks, and having 183 men in the Duke,
and 151 in the Duchess, we were obliged to send our sheet, cable, and
other new store cordage on shore at Cork, to make room for our men and
provisions, yet were so much crowded and lumbered that we could not have
engaged an enemy, without throwing much provisions and stores overboard.
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