The First Was The Danger Of The Road, As The Stormy
Season Was Coming On, And We Were But Indifferently Provided With Ground
Tackle, Which Must Expose Us To Many Dangers.
The second was, that Quibo
was but at a small distance from Panama, and we had reason to fear
The
Spaniards might send a ship of war from thence in search of us; as we
had now no hopes that peace had taken place, and had consequently laid
aside all thoughts of surrendering. On these considerations, we plied up
to the island of Cano, where we soon did our business, having a good
boat.
[Footnote 278: Betagh charges Shelvocke on this occasion, with the
concealment of a considerable treasure, taken in the Conception, of
which some account will be given at the conclusion of the voyage. - E.]
On our passage to that island, the sweetmeats of all kinds were divided
among our messes; and one day a man complained that he had got a box of
marmalade into which his knife could not penetrate, and desired
therefore to have it changed. On opening it, I found it to contain a
cake of virgin silver, moulded on purpose to fill the box, weighing 200
dollars; and on examining the rest, we found five more of the same kind.
These cakes of silver, being very porous, were nearly of the some weight
with so much marmalade, and were evidently contrived for the purpose of
defrauding the king of Spain of his fifths, which he exacts from all
silver procured in the mines of Peru.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 822 of 825
Words from 223749 to 224011
of 224764
