In the afternoon of the 16th we came to _A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time.

canoes, our ships having come there to anchor. The creek leading to

Realejo extends north from the N.W. part of the harbour, being nearly

two leagues from the island at the mouth of the harbour to the town. The

first two-thirds of this distance the creek is broad, after which it

closes into a deep narrow channel, lined on both sides by many

cocoa-trees. A mile from the entrance the creek winds towards the west,

and here the Spaniards had thrown up an entrenchment, fronting the

entrance of the creek, and defended by 100 soldiers and twenty guns,

having a boom of trees thrown across the creek, so that they might

easily have beaten off 1000 men, but they wanted courage to defend their

excellent post; for on our firing two guns they all ran away, leaving us

at liberty to cut the boom. We then landed and marched to the town of

Realejo, a fine borough about a mile from thence, seated in a plain on a

small river. It had three churches and an hospital, but is seated among

fens and marshes, which send forth a noisome scent, and render it very

unhealthy. The country round has many sugar works and cattle pens, and

great quantities of pitch, tar, and cordage are made by the people. It

also abounds in melons, pine-apples, guavas, and prickly pears.

The shrub which produces the _guava_ has long small boughs, with a white

smooth bark, and leaves like our hazel. The fruit resembles a pear, with

a thin rind, and has many hard seeds. It may be safely eaten while

green, which is not the case with most other fruits in the East or West

Indies. Before being ripe it is astringent, but is afterwards loosening.

When ripe it is soft, yellow, and well tasted, and may either be baked

like pears, or coddled like apples. There are several sorts,

distinguished by their shape, taste, and colour, some being red and

others yellow in the pulp. The _prickly-pear_ grows on a shrub about

five feet high, and is common in many parts of the West Indies, thriving

best on sandy grounds near the sea. Each branch has two or three round

fleshy leaves, about the breadth of the hand, somewhat like those of the

house-leek, edged all round with spines or sharp prickles an inch long.

At the outer extremity of each leaf the fruit is produced, about the

size of a large plum, small towards the leaf and thicker at the other

end, where it opens like a medlar. The fruit, which is also covered by

small prickles, is green at first, but becomes red as it ripens, having

a red pulp of the consistence of a thick syrup, with small black seeds,

pleasant and cooling to the taste. I have often observed, on eating

twenty or more of these at a time, that the urine becomes as red as

blood, but without producing any evil consequence.

We found nothing of value in Realejo, except 500 sacks of flour, with

some pitch, tar, and cordage. We also received here the 150 oxen

promised by the gentleman who was released at Leon; which, together with

sugar, and other cattle we procured in the country, were very welcome

and useful to us. We remained in Realejo from the 17th to the 24th of

August, when we re-embarked. On the 25th Captains Davis and Swan agreed

to separate, the former being inclined to return to the coast of Peru,

and the latter to proceed farther to the north-west; and as I was

curious to become better acquainted with the north-western parts of

Mexico, I left Captain Davis and joined Captain Swan. Captain Townley

joined us with his two barks, but Captains Harris and Knight went along

with Swan. On the 27th Davis went out of the harbour with his ship, but

we staid behind for some time, to provide ourselves with wood and water.

By this time our men began to be much afflicted with fevers, which we

attributed to the remains of a contagious distemper that lately raged at

Realejo, as the men belonging to Captain Davis were similarly infected.

We sailed from Realejo on the 3d September, steering to the north-west

along the coast, having tornadoes from the N.W. accompanied with much

thunder and lightning, which obliged us to keep out to sea, so that we

saw no land till the 14th, when we were in lat. 13° 51' N. We then came

in sight of the volcano of Guatimala. This presents a double peak like

two sugar-loaves, between which fire and smoke sometimes burst forth,

especially before bad weather. The city of Guatimala stands near the

foot of this high mountain, eight leagues from the South Sea, and forty

or fifty from the gulf of Amatique, at the bottom of the bay of

Honduras.[178] This city is reputed to be rich, as the country around

abounds in several commodities peculiar to it, especially four noted

dyes, indigo, otta or anotto, cochineal, and silvestre.[179] Having in

vain endeavoured to land on this part of the coast, we proceeded to the

small isle of _Tangola_. a league from the continent, where we found

good anchorage, with plenty of wood and water.

[Footnote 178: This description agrees with the situation of St Jago de

Guatemala, in lat. 14° 25' N. long. 31° 18' W., which is about thirty

statute miles from the South Sea. The modern city of Guatemala, standing

nine miles to the S.E., is only about sixteen miles from the sea at the

head of a bay of the same name.--E]

[Footnote 179: This last is an inferior species of cochineal, gathered

from the uncultivated opuntia, while the true cochineal is carefully

attended to in regular plantations. Both are the bodies of certain

insects gathered by the Indians and dried for preservation, constituting

the most valuable scarlet dye.--E]

A league from thence is the port of _Guataico_, in lat. 15° 52' N. long.

36° 20' W. one of the best in Mexico. On the east side of the entrance,

and about a mile from it, there is a small isle near the shore, and on

the west side a great hollow rock, open at top, through which the waves

force a passage with a great noise to a great height even in the calmest

weather, which affords an excellent mark for seamen. This port runs into

the land about three miles in a N.W. direction, and is about one mile

broad. The west side affords the securest anchorage, the other being

exposed to S.W. winds, which are frequent on this coast. We landed here

to the number of 140 men, of whom I was one, on the 8th September, and

marched about fourteen miles to an Indian village, where we found

nothing but _vanillas_ drying in the sun. The _vanilla_ grows on a small

vine, or bindwood shrub, which winds about the stems of trees, producing

a yellow flower, which changes to a pod of four or five inches long,

about the the size of a tobacco-pipe stem. This is at first green, but

becomes yellow when ripe, having black seeds. When gathered they are

laid in the sun, which makes them soft and of a chesnut colour, when

they are squeezed flat by the Indians. The Spaniards buy this commodity

at a cheap rate from the Indians, and afterwards preserve it in oil.

The 10th we sent four of our canoes to wait for us at the port of

_Angelos_, about ten miles W. from Guataico, and on the 12th we sailed

from Guataico. The 23d we landed 100 men at Angelos, where they got salt

beef, maize, salt, hogs, and poultry but could bring little on board,

being at a distance from the shore. Hearing of a stout ship lately

arrived at Acapulco from Lima, and as Captain Townley was much in need

of a better ship, it was agreed to endeavour to cut that ship out of the

harbour. _Acapulco_ is a town and harbour in lat. 16° 50' N. long. 99°

44' W. on the western coast of New Spain, and belonging to the city of

Mexico, being the only place of commerce on this coast, and yet there

are only three ships that come to it annually. Two of these go every

year between this port and Manilla in Luconia, one of the Philippines,

and the third goes once a year to and from Lima in Peru. This last comes

to Acapulco about Christmas, laden with quicksilver, cacao, and dollars,

and waits the arrival of the Manilla ships, from which she takes in a

cargo of spices, calicos, muslins, and other goods of India and China,

and then returns to Lima. This is only a vessel of moderate size; but

the two Manilla ships are each of about 1000 tons burden.

These Manilla ships arrange their voyages in such a way that one or the

other is always at Manilla. One of them sails from Acapulco about the

beginning of April; and after sixty days passage across the Pacific

Ocean, touches at Guam, one of the Ladrones, to procure refreshments.

She remains here only three days, and pursues her voyage for Manilla,

where she arrives in the mouth of June. The other ship, being ready

laden at Manilla with India commodities, sets sail soon after for

Acapulco. From Manilla she steers a course to the latitude of 36° or 40°

N. before she can fall in with a wind to carry her to America, and falls

in first with the coast of California, and then is sure of a wind to

carry her down the coast to Acapulco. After making Cape Lucas, the S.

point of California, she runs over to Cape _Corientes_, in lat. 20° 26'

N. whence she proceeds along the coast to _Selagua_, where the

passengers for Mexico are landed, and then continues along the coast to

Acapulco, where she usually arrives about Christmas.

This port of Acapulco is very safe and convenient, and of sufficient

capacity to contain some hundred ships without danger. There is a low

island across the entrance, stretching from E. to W. about a mile and a

half long by a mile in breadth, having a deep channel at each end,

through either of which ships may enter or go out, providing they go in

with the sea-breeze, and out with the land-wind, which regularly blow at

stated times of the day and night. The channel at the west end of the

isle is narrow, but so deep as to have no anchorage, and through this

the Manilla ship comes in; but the Lima ship takes the other channel.

The harbour runs eight miles into the land to the north, when it closes

up and becomes narrow, after which it stretches a mile to the west. At

the entrance of this channel, and on the N.W. side, close to the shore,

stands the town of Acapulco, near which is a platform or battery with a

good number of guns; and on the east side of the channel, opposite the

town, there is a strong castle, having not less than forty pieces of

large cannon, and the ships usually ride at the bottom of the harbour,

under the guns of this castle.

Captain Townley went with 140 men in twelve canoes to endeavour to cut

out the Lima ship; but finding her at anchor within 100 yards of both

the castle and platform, found it impossible to effect his purpose, so

that he was obliged to return much dissatisfied. We accordingly sailed

on the 11th November along the coast to the N.W. between Acapulco and

Petaplan, where we found every where good anchorage two miles from

shore, but the surf beat with such violence on the coast that there was

no safe landing. Near the sea the country was low, and abounding in

trees, especially spreading palm-trees, some of which were twenty or

thirty feet high in the stem, but of no great size. This part of the

country was intermixed with many small hills, mostly barren, but the

vallies seemed fertile. The hill of Petaplan, or Petatlan, sends out a

round point into the sea, called Cape _Jequena_, in lat. 17° 27' N.

which appears from sea like an island, and a little farther west there

is a knot of round hills, having an intervening bay, in which we

anchored in eleven fathoms. We here landed 170 men, who marched fourteen

miles into the country, when they reached a wretched Indian village,

deserted by the inhabitants, so that we only found one mulatto-woman and

four young children.

Proceeding on the 18th about two leagues farther to the N.W. we came to

a pretty good harbour named _Chequetan_, having the convenience of a

good fresh-wafer river and plenty of wood. On the 19th we landed

ninety-five men, having the mulatto-woman for their guide, at

_Estapa_,[180] a league west from Chequetan. The guide now conducted

them through a pathless wood along a river, and coming to a farm-house

in a plain, they found a caravan of sixty mules, laden with flour,

chocolate, cheese, and earthenware, intended for Acapulco, and of which

this woman had given them intelligence. All this they carried off,

except the earthenware, and brought aboard in their canoes, together

with some beeves they killed in the plain. Captain Swan went afterwards

on shore, and killed other eighteen beeves, without any opposition. We

found the country woody but fertile, and watered by many rivers and

rivulets.

[Footnote 180: Istapha is to the eastward of Petatlan, but Chequetan is

not delineated in modern maps, neither are any rivers noticed for a

great way either N.W. or S.E. from Petatlan.--E.]

Sailing on the 21st to the N.W. the land appeared full of rugged hills,

with frightful intervening vallies. On the 25th we passed a high hill

having several peaks, in lat. 18° 8' N. near which there is a town named

_Cupan_,[181] but we could not find the way to it. The 26th, 200 men

were sent to find out the way to _Colima_, said to be a rich place, but

after rowing twenty leagues along shore they could not find any place

fit for landing, and saw not the least sign of any inhabitants, so that

they returned to the ships on the 28th. Soon after we got sight of the

volcano of Colima, remarkable for its height, six leagues from the sea,

in lat. 19° 5' N. It shewed two peaks or summits, both of which always

emit either fire or smoke. The valley at the foot of this mountain is

said to be fertile and delightful, abounding in cacao, corn, and

plantains, and is said to be ten or twelve leagues wide towards the sea,

and to reach far into the country. It is watered by a deep river named

Colima, but which is so obstructed by a sand-bank at its mouth, as not

even to allow admission to canoes; but there is no landing on this part

of the coast, owing to the impetuosity of the surf. The town of Colima

is the chief place of this part of the country.

[Footnote 181: Probably Texupan, in lat. 18° 17' N. is here meant.--E.]

The 29th, 200 men were sent in canoes to attempt to land, and if

possible to find a road to the town of _Selagua_, seated, as we were

told by the Spaniards, at the N.W. end of the vale of Colima, but they

were unable to land, owing to the violence of the waves. We came in

sight of the port of _Selagua_ on the 1st December. This is a bay in

lat. 19° 8' N. parted in the middle by a rocky point, so that it appears

like two havens, in either of which there is safe anchorage in ten or

twelve fathoms, though the western harbour is the best, and has besides

the advantage of a fresh-water rivulet. We saw a considerable number of

armed Spaniards on the land, to whom we made a visit next morning with

200 men, but they soon fled. In the pursuit our people found a broad

road, leading through a wooded and rocky country, which they followed

for four leagues, but found not the least appearance of any

inhabitants, and therefore turned back. On their return they took two

straggling mulattoes, who said the broad road led to the city of

_Oarrah_,[182] four long days journey into the country, and that these

men came from that city to protect the Manilla ship, which was expected

to set her passengers ashore at this place. The Spanish maps place a

town called Selagua hereabouts, but we could not find any appearance of

it.

[Footnote 182: Guadalaxara, the latter part of which is pronounced

_achara_, is probably here meant. It is 160 miles inland from the port

of Selagua.--E.]

We pursued our voyage on the 6th December towards Cape Corientes, in

hopes of meeting the Manilla ship. The land on the coast was moderately

high, sprinkled with many rugged points, and full of wood, having

several apparently good ports between Selagua and Cape Corientes, but we

did not touch at any of them. Cape Corientes, of which we came in sight

on the 11th, in lat. 20° 28' N. is pretty high, being very steep and

rocky towards the sea, but flat on the top. I found its longitude from

the Lizard in England, by our reckoning, 121° 41' W.[183] As the Manilla

ship is obliged to make this point on her voyage to Acapulco, we took up

a station here with our four ships in such a manner that we judged she

could hardly escape us; but as we were in want of provisions, fifty or

sixty men were sent in a bark beyond the cape to endeavour to get some.

They returned, however, on the 17th, not having been able to double the

cape, but left forty-six men in four canoes, who intended to attempt to

get beyond by rowing.

[Footnote 183: It is only in long. 105° 88' W. from Greenwich; that in

the text, from computation or dead reckoning, being considerably

erroneous in excess.--E.]

The 18th December we sailed to the isles of _Chametly_, eighteen leagues

to the east of Cape Corientes. These are five small low and woody

islands, surrounded with rocks, and lying in form of a half-moon a mile

from the shore, having safe anchorage in the intermediate space. These

isles are inhabited by fishers, who are servants to some of the

inhabitants of _Purification_, a considerable town or city fourteen

leagues up the country.[184] We anchored at these isles on the 20th, and

here provided ourselves with wood and water, and caught great abundance

of rock-fish. Next day sixty of our men were sent under Captain Townley

to surprise an Indian village, seven or eight leagues to the N.W.

[Footnote 184: Villa de la Purificacion is considerably to the S.E. of

Cape Corientes, but the isles of Chametly are omitted in modern maps.

Puerto de Navidad, in lat. 19° 20' N. seems the haven belonging to

Purificacion.--E.]

On the 24th the four canoes left by Captain Townley's bark returned to

the ships. They had got beyond the cape by means of rowing to the valley

of _Valderas_, or _Val d' Iris_, the valley of flags, at the bottom of a

deep bay, inclosed between Cape Corientes on the S.E. and point

_Pontique_ on the N.W. In this delightful valley they landed

thirty-seven men, who advanced three miles into the country, and were

attacked by 150 Spaniards, horse and foot. Our men retreated into an

adjoining wood, whence they kept up a heavy fire on the Spaniards,

killing their leader and fourteen troopers, besides wounding a great

many, while four of our men were slain and two wounded. Owing to this

loss the Spaniards took to flight, and our people were enabled to

re-embark. This valley is about three leagues broad, and is bounded

towards the inland country by an easy ascent, affording a delightful

prospect of extensive pastures well stored with cattle, interspersed

with pleasant groves of guavas, orange-trees, and lime-trees. The sandy

bay affords a safe landing, and has a fresh-water river, navigable by

boats, but becomes brackish in the end of the dry season, which is in

February, March, and April.

We continued cruizing off Cape Corientes till the 1st January, 1686,

when we sailed for the valley of _Valderas_, proposing to provide

ourselves with some beef, of which we were in great need. At night we

anchored in sixty fathoms, a mile from shore. On the 7th we landed 240

men, fifty of whom were kept together in a body to watch the motions of

the Spaniards, while the rest were employed in providing cattle. We

killed and salted as much beef as would serve us for two months, and

might have procured a great deal more if we had not run out of salt. By

this time our hopes of meeting the Manilla ship were entirely vanished,

as we concluded she had got past us to the S.E. while we were employed

in procuring provisions, which we afterwards learnt had been the case,

by the information of several prisoners. The loss of this rich prize was

chiefly owing to Captain Townley, who insisted on taking the Lima ship

in the harbour of Acapulco, when we ought to have provided ourselves

with beef and maize, as we might then have done, instead of being now

forced to procure provisions at the critical time of her coming on the

coast. We were likewise deceived by the hope of falling in with rich

towns and mines on this coast, not then knowing that all the wealth of

this country is in the interior. Seeing that we were now entirely

disappointed in our hopes, we parted company, Captain Townley going back

to the S.E. while we in Captain Swan's ship went to the west.

The 7th January we passed point Pontique in lat. 20° 38' N. ten leagues

from Cape Corientes, being the N.W. point of this bay of the valley of

Valderas. A league beyond this point to the W. there are two little

isles called the _Pontiques_, and beyond these to the north the shore is

rugged for eighteen leagues. The 14th we came to anchor in a channel

between the continent and a small white rocky isle, in lat. 21° 15'. The

20th we anchored a league short of the isles of _Chametly_, different

from those formerly mentioned under the same name, being six small isles

in lat 28° 11' N. three leagues from the continent.[185] One or two of

these isles have some sandy creeks, and they produce a certain fruit

called _penguins_. These are of two sorts, one red and the other yellow.

The plant producing the latter is as thick in the stem as a man's arm,

with leaves six inches long and an inch broad, edged with prickles. The

fruit grows in clusters at the top of the stem, being round and as large

as an egg, having a thick rind, inclosing a pulp full of black seeds, of

a delightful taste. The red penguin grows directly out of the ground,

without any stalk, sometimes sixty or seventy in a cluster, no bigger

than onions, but the shape of nine-pins, the cluster being surrounded

with prickly leaves eighteen inches or two feet long.

[Footnote 185: In modern maps these are called the isles of _Mazatlan_,

and are placed in lat. 28° 15' N. The name given in the text appears

taken from a town on this coast called Charmela, in lat 22° 50' N. but

improperly.--E.]

Captain Swan went with 100 men in canoes to the north, to find out the

river _Culiacan_, supposed to be in lat. 24° N.[186] and said to have a

fair and rich town of the same name on its banks; but after rowing

thirty leagues he could not find the river, neither was there any safe

landing place on the coast. Seven leagues N.N.W. from the Chametla or

Mazatlan isles, our men landed in a small lake or river, having a narrow

entrance, called _Rio de Sal_ by the Spaniards, in lat. 23° 30' N.[187]

They here procured some maize at an adjacent farm; and learnt at another

landing place of an Indian town five leagues distant, to which they

marched. Coming near the place we were encountered by a good number of

Spaniards and Indians, who were soon beat off. On entering the place we

only found two or three wounded Indians, who told us the town was named

_Mazatlan_, and that there were two rich gold-mines at the distance of

five leagues.

[Footnote 186: The mouth of the river of Cullacan is in 24° 45' N. and

the town of that name is about eighty-five or ninety statute miles up

the river, supposed to have been an ancient seat of the Mexican nation,

before their removal to the vale and lake of Mexico.--E.]

[Footnote 187: The Rio Rastla de Panuco, in 23° 45' N. is certainly here

meant.--E.]

On the 2d February 80 men were landed in the river _Rosario_.[188] We

came to a pretty little town of the same name, a considerable way up

that river, where we were assured by some prisoners that the gold-mines

were not above two leagues from thence; but as we had present occasion

for provisions, we carried about ninety bushels of maize on board from

this place, without searching for the mines. As this small supply was

insufficient for our necessities, we resolved to return to the S.E. to

the _Rio San Jago_,[189] where we anchored on the 11th. This is one of

the most considerable rivers on the west coast of New Spain. The country

having a good appearance, Captain Swan sent seventy men to look for a

town. After rowing up and down for two days, they landed in a corn

field, and, while busy in gathering maize, they seized an Indian, who

told them of a town called _Santa Pecaque_, four leagues farther.

[Footnote 188: The mouth of this river is in lat. 28° N. about fifty

miles S.E. from Cape Mazatlan, where Dampier seems to have been then at

anchor among the Mazatlan isles.--E.]

[Footnote 189: So called by Dampier from the town of St Jago on its

banks. Its proper name is the _Rio Grande_, or river of _Tololotlan_.

The mouth of this river forms a large bay, in lat 21° 30' N. in which is

the considerable island of St Blas.--E.]

Returning to the ship with this intelligence, Captain Swan went with 140

men in eight canoes, and landed five leagues up the river, which was

there about a pistol shot across with high banks. He marched from thence

through fertile plains and woods for three or four hours, and on

approaching St Pecaque the Spaniards evacuated the place, so that we

entered unopposed. This town is situated in a spacious plain on the side

of a wood, being neatly built, with a market-place in the middle, but

not large, and has two churches. There are silver-mines five or six

leagues from this town, the ore from which is carried on mules to

Compostella to be refined. _Compostella_, the capital of this part of

Mexico, is twenty-one leagues from _Pecaque_, being inhabited by seventy

families of Spaniards, and by five or six hundred mulattoes and Indians.

Finding great plenty of maize, sugar, salt, and salt fish at this place,

Captain Swan divided his men into two parts, one of which kept

possession of the place, while the other half were employed to carry

these articles to the canoes, which was done turn and turn about, with

the assistance of some horses. We continued this work for two days; but

on the 19th Captain Swan learnt from a prisoner that 1000 men had

marched from St Jago, a rich town three leagues from Pecaque on the

river, for the purpose of attacking us. On this Captain Swan wanted our

people to march altogether with what provisions we could carry; but they

refused to obey him till all the provisions should be carried on board,

and he was forced to allow half of them to go on with fifty-four loaded

horses. They had not gone a mile from Pecaque when they were attacked by

the Spaniards from an ambush, and were all slain on the spot. Captain

Swan marched to their relief, but came too late, finding the whole party

slain and stripped naked; yet the Spaniards never once attempted to

engage him, having certainly paid dear for their victory.

Returning on board with the rest of his men, and what provisions had

been carried off, Captain Swan resolved to sail for Cape Lucas in

California, in hopes of trafficking with the Indians there and in the

_lake_ or gulf of California. We accordingly sailed on the 21st with the

wind at N.W. and W.N.W. and anchored at the islands of _Santa Maria_, in

eight fathoms on clean sand. There are three islands, usually called the

_Three Marias_,[190] stretching fourteen leagues from S.E. to N.W. of

moderate height, stony, barren, and uninhabited, in lat 21° 30' N.

[long. 106° 15' W.] from which Cape St Lucas in California is forty

leagues W.N.W. and Cape Corientes twenty leagues E.S.E. We anchored off

the east end of the middle island, which we called Prince George's

island. These islands produce some cedars, and we found near the sea a

green prickly plant, with leaves like those of the _penguin_ plant, and

roots like those of the _sempervivum_, but much longer, the Indians of

California subsisting mostly on these roots. We baked and eat some of

these roots, which tasted like boiled burdock roots. I had been long

afflicted with dropsy, and was here buried in the sand for half an hour,

covered up to the neck, which brought on a profuse sweat, and I believe

with good effect, for I began to recover soon after. We careened here;

but as there is no fresh water to be had at this place in the dry

season, we had to return to the valley of Valderas, but finding the

river brackish we sailed three leagues nearer Cape Corientes, and

anchored beside a small round isle four leagues north of that cape, and

half a mile from the shore, opposite to a rivulet on the continent,

where we filled our water casks.

[Footnote 190: In reality _four_, the fourth or most northwesterly,

being named St Juanica.--E.]

Being now sufficiently convinced of our mistaken notion of the riches of

this coast, founded on an erroneous idea that the commerce of this

country was carried on by sea, whereas it is entirely conducted by land

on mules, we now resolved to try our fortune in the East Indies. With

this view we sailed from Cape Corientes on the 31st March, and next

noon, being thirty leagues from the cape, clear of the land-winds, we

had the wind at E.N.E. in which direction it continued till we were

within forty leagues of Guam. In all this long passage across the

Pacific, nearly in the lat. of 13° N. we saw neither fish nor fowl

except once, when by my reckoning we were 5975 miles west from Cape

Corientes in Mexico, and then we saw a vast number of _boobies_,

supposed to come from some rocks not far off, which are laid down in

some hydrographical charts, but we saw them not.

May 20th, at four p.m. being in lat. 12° 55' N. and steering W. we

discovered, to our great joy, the island of Guam, eight leagues off,

having now only three-days provisions left. _Guam_ is one of the

Ladrones, in lat. 13° 15' N. and long. 216° 50' W. consequently its

meridional distance from Cape Corientes on the coast of Mexico is 111°

14', or about 7730 English miles. It is twelve leagues long by four

broad, extending north and south, and is defended by a small fort

mounted by six guns, and a garrison of thirty men with a Spanish

governor, for the convenience of the Manilla ships, which touch here for

refreshments on their voyage from Acapulco to Manilla. The soil is

tolerably fertile, producing rice, pine-apples, water and musk melons,

oranges, limes, cocoa-nuts, and bread-fruit. This last grows on a tree

as big as our apple-trees, with dark green leaves. The fruit is round

and as large as a good penny-loaf,[191] growing on the boughs like

apples. When ripe it turns yellow, with a soft and sweet pulp; but the

natives pull it green, and bake it in an oven till the rind grows black.

They scrape off the rind, and the inside is soft and white, like the

crumb of new-baked bread, having neither seed nor stone; but it grows

harsh if kept twenty-four hours. As this fruit is in season for eight

months in the year, the natives use no other bread in all that time,

and they told us there was plenty of it in all the other Ladrone

islands.

[Footnote 191: This vague description may now safely be changed to the

size of a three-penny, or even four-penny loaf--E.]

On the 31st May we came to anchor near the middle of the west side of

this isle, a mile from shore, as there is no anchoring on its east side

on account of the trade-winds, which force the waves with great violence

against that side. The natives are of a copper-colour, strong-limbed,

with long black hair, small eyes, high noses, thick lips, white teeth,

and stern countenances, yet were very affable to us. They are very

ingenious in building a certain kind of boats, called _proas_, used all

over the East Indies. These are about twenty-six or twenty-eight feet

long, and five or six feet high from the keel, which is made of the

trunk of a tree like a canoe, sharp at both ends. They manage these

boats with a paddle instead of a rudder, and use a square sail, and they

sail with incredible swiftness, twenty or even twenty-four miles in an

hoar. One side of these boats is quite flat and upright like a wall from

end to end, but the other side is rounded and full-bellied like other

vessels. Along this side, parallel with the boat, at the distance of six

or seven feet, a log of light wood, a foot and a half wide, and sharp at

both ends, is fastened by means of two bamboos eight or ten feet long,

projecting from each end of the main boat, and this log prevents the

boat from oversetting. The English call this an out-lier, or out-rigger,

and the Dutch _Oytlager_. The air of this island is accounted

exceedingly healthy, except in the wet season between June and October.

The Indians inhabit small villages on the west side of this island near

the shore, and have priests among them to instruct them in the Christian

religion. By means of a civil letter from Captain Swan to the Spanish

governor, accompanied by some presents, we obtained a good supply of

hogs, cocoa-nuts, rice, biscuits, and other refreshments, together with

fifty pounds of Manilla tobacco.

Learning from one of the friars that the island of _Mindanao_, inhabited

by Mahometans, abounded in provisions, we set sail from Guam on the 2d

June with a strong E. wind, and arrived on the 21st at the Isle of St

John, one of the _Philippines_. These are a range of large islands

reaching from about the latitude of 5° to about 19° N. and from long.

120° to 126° 30' E. The principal island of the group is _Luzon_, or

Luçonia, in which Magellan was slain by a poisoned arrow, and which is

now entirely subject to the Spaniards. Their capital city of Manilla is

in this island, being a large town and sea-port, seated at the

south-west end, opposite to the island of Mindora, and is a place of

great strength and much trade, especially occasioned by the Acapulco

ships, which procure here vast quantities of India commodities, brought

hither by the Chinese and Portuguese, and sometimes also by stealth by

the English from fort St George or Madras; for the Spaniards allow of no

regular trade here to the English and Dutch, lest they should discover

their weakness, and the riches of these islands, which abound in gold.

To the south of Luzon there are twelve or fourteen large islands,

besides a great number of small isles, all inhabited by, or subject to,

the Spaniards. But the two most southerly, Mindanao and St John, are not

subjected by the Spaniards.

The Island of St John, or _San Juan_, is about the lat. of 9° N. on the

east side of Mindanao, and about four leagues from that island, being

about thirty-eight leagues in length from N.N.W. to S.S.E. and about

twenty-four leagues broad in the middle, having a very rich and fertile

soil. _Mindanao_, next to Luzon, is the largest of the Philippines,

being sixty leagues long by forty or fifty leagues broad. Its southern

end is in lat. 5° 30' N. the N.W. extremity reaching to 9° 40' N. The

soil is generally fertile, and its stony hills produce many kinds of

trees, most of which are unknown to Europeans. The vallies are supplied

with brooks and rivulets, and stored with various sorts of ever-green

trees, and with rice, water-melons, plantains, bananas, guavas, nutmegs,

cloves, betel-nuts, _durians, jacks_, or _jackas_, cocoa-nuts, oranges,

&c.; but, above all, by a species of tree called _libby_ by the natives,

which produces sago, and grows in groves several miles in length. The

poorer people feed on sago instead of bread for several months of the

year. This tree resembles the cabbage-tree, having a strong bark and

hard wood, the heart of which is full of a white pith, like that of the

elder. They cut down the tree and split it open, taking out the pith,

which they stamp or beat well in a mortar, after which, putting it into

a cloth, and pouring in water, they stir it well, till the water carries

all the farinaceous substance through the cloth into a trough. After the

farinaceous matter has settled to the bottom, the water is poured off,

and the sago is baked into cakes, which they use as bread. The sago,

which is carried from hence to other parts of the East Indies, is dried

into small grains, and is used with milk of almonds as a remedy against

fluxes, being of an astringent quality.

The other fruits of this island, being well known or described by

various authors, need not be here mentioned. The nutmegs here are very

large and good, but the natives do not care for propagating them, being

afraid lest the Dutch, who monopolize the spice islands, should be

induced to pay them a hostile visit. This island also produces abundance

of animals, both wild and tame, as horses, cows, buffaloes, goats, wild

hogs, deer, monkeys, and others; also guanas, lizards, snakes,

scorpions, and centipeds. These last are not thicker than a goose-quill,

but five inches long, and they sting fiercer even than scorpions. Of

tame fowl, they have only ducks and hens; but have plenty of wild birds,

as pigeons, parrots, parrakeets, turtle-doves, bats as large as our

kites, and an infinite number and variety of small birds. Their wild

hogs feed in the woods in prodigious herds, and have thick knobs growing

over their eyes. There are mountains in the interior of this island,

which afford considerable quantities of gold. Their chief fish are

bonitos, snooks, cavallies, breams, and mullets; and they have abundance

of sea-tortoises; and the island has many harbours, creeks, and rivers.

Considering the situation of this island, so near the Line, its climate

is by no means excessively hot, especially near the sea, where the

sea-breeze cools the air by day and the land-breeze at night. The wind

blows from the east between October and May, and then blows from the

west till October. The west wind produces the wet season, which is

heaviest in July and August, and, gradually lessening in September,

ceases in October, when the east wind brings fair weather, which lasts

till May. The inhabitants of this island, though all resembling each

other in colour and stature, and all Mahometans, differ considerably in

language and government. The mountaineers, or _Hillanoons_, who inhabit

the interior, and are masters of the gold-mines, are also rich in

bees-wax, both of which they exchange with the _Mindanayans_ on the

coast for foreign commodities. The _Sologus_ inhabit the N.W. end of the

island, and traffic with the inhabitants of Manilla and some other

adjacent islands, but not with the Mindanayans. The _Alfoores_ were

formerly under the same government with the Mindanayans, but were

separated from them by falling to the share of the younger children of

the sultan of Mindanao, who has of late laid claim to their allegiance.

The Mindanayans, properly so called, are of low stature, with small

limbs, little heads, straight bodies, small eyes short noses, wide

mouths, thin red lips, and sound black teeth, having black lank hair,

and tawny complexions, but rather brighter than other Indians. They are

ingenious and nimble, much addicted to indolence, obliging to strangers,

but implacable when once disobliged. They wear turbans on their heads,

formed of a cloth tied once round, the ends of which hang down, and are

ornamented with lace or fringe. They also wear breeches, over which

they have a kind of frocks, but have neither shoes nor stockings. The

women tie their long black hair in a knot, which hangs down behind,

being smaller featured than the men, with very small feet. Their

garments consist of a piece of cloth sewed together at both ends,

forming a kind of petticoat, with a frock reaching a little below the

waist. They covet the acquaintance of white men, and are very free with

them, as far as they have liberty. When any strangers arrive at the city

of Mindanao, the men come aboard and invite them to their houses, where

they immediately ask if any of them wish to have a _pagally_, or female

friend, which they must accept, and return the favour by some small

present, which is repeated from time to time, in return for which they

eat, drink, and sleep, in their friend's house.

The capital is named Mindanao, like the island, being on the south-west

side, two miles from the sea, on the bank of a small river, in lat. 7°

N. The houses are built on posts, fourteen to twenty feet high,

consisting only of one floor, but divided in many rooms by partitions.

The house or palace of the sultan rests on 150 great posts, being much

higher than any of the others, and had great broad stairs leading up to

it from the ground. In the hall there were twenty pieces of iron cannon

upon field carriages, and the general and other great men have also some

cannon in their houses. The floors are generally well covered with mats,

and they have no chairs, but usually sit cross-legged. Their ordinary

food is rice, sago, and some small fish; but the better people use

buffaloe beef, and fowl, with a great deal of rice, every one using

their fingers, as they have no spoons. The inhabitants of the city of

Mindanao speak both the Mindanayan and Malay languages, and their

prayers are in Arabic, in which also they retain some Turkish words.

Some of the old people of both sexes can speak Spanish, as the Spaniards

had formerly several forts in the island, and had assuredly reduced the

whole if they had not been afraid of an attack from the Chinese at

Manilla, on which account they withdrew their troops from Mindanao, when

the father of the present sultan laid hold of the opportunity to gain

possession of their forts, and to expel them from the island. At present

they are most in fear of the Dutch, for which reason they have often

invited the English to make a settlement among them, believing them not

so ready to encroach as either of the other nations.

The chief trades in this city are goldsmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters,

and shipwrights, for they build good ships both for war and trade. Their

chief commodities for export are gold, bees-wax, and tobacco; the two

first being purchased from the mountaineers, and the last grows in all

parts of the island in great plenty. They exchange these commodities for

calicoes, muslins, and China silks. The Mindanao tobacco is reckoned as

good as that of Manilla, and yet ten or twelve pounds of it may be

bought for a rial, or the eighth part of a dollar. The natives are

generally afflicted with a dry itchy scurf all over their bodies, and by

scratching, the skin peels off in small white flakes, like the scales of

small fish, leaving broad white spots all over their bodies; but they

did not seem to make any great account of this disease, which is not

infectious. They are also troubled with small-pox; but their most common

diseases are fevers, agues, fluxes, and violent griping pains in their

bowels. They have many wives, but I could not learn their marriage

ceremonies.

They are governed by a sultan, who has no great revenue, yet is so

absolute that he even commands the private purse of every one at his

pleasure. The reigning sultan was between fifty and sixty years old, and

had twenty-nine concubines besides his wife or sultana. When he goes

abroad he is carried in a couch on the shoulders of four men, and is

attended by a guard of eight or ten men. His brother, named Rajah Laut,

a shrewd person of good conversation, is both chief minister and

general, and both speaks and writes Spanish very readily. In war they

use swords and lances, and every one, from the highest to the lowest,

constantly wears a _criss_ or dagger, much like a bayonet. They never

fight any pitched battles, but construct small wooden forts defended by

guns, whence the adverse parties endeavour to surprise each other in

small parties, and never give or take quarter.

We came first to anchor on the N.E. side of the island, but learning

from the natives that the city of Mindanao was on the W. side, we again

set sail and anchored on the 4th July on the S.W. side of a very deep

bay in fifteen fathoms, the land within the bay on the E. side being

very high and woody, but watered by several rivers. On its W. side,

bordering on the sea, there were large plains covered with long grass,

on which were vast herds of deer, of which we killed as many as we

thought fit. We remained here till the 12th, when we again set sail, and

arrived on the 18th at the entrance of the river of Mindanao, in lat. 7°

N. and long. 124° 35' E. from Greenwich.[192] We here anchored in

fifteen fathoms on clean hard sand, two miles from the shore. Soon

afterwards Rajah Laut came on board, accompanied by one of the sultan's

sons, and asked in Spanish, Who we were? Being told we were English, he

asked if we came to settle among them, of which they had formerly some

promise, and were now in hopes of its being effected, to serve to

protect them against the Dutch, whom they greatly dreaded. Had we

properly considered the matter, it might have been much for our

advantage, Mindanao being conveniently situated between the Spice

islands and the Philippines, and besides the three islands of

_Meangis_,[193] only about twenty leagues from hence, abound with spice

and cloves. We were also well filled for such a settlement, having among

our company all manner of artificers, as carpenters, bricklayers,

shoemakers, tailors, and the like, as also abundance of tools, arms,

cannon, and sufficient ammunition to begin with; and, notwithstanding

the great distance from England, we might easily have had supplies from

thence, providing ships set out the latter end of August, proceeding

round Cape Horn, and so directly across the Pacific for Mindanao, or

else coasting along the western shore of America as far as was

necessary, and then stretching across to have the advantage of the

trade-wind. By this way the voyage might be accomplished in six or seven

months, which would at least require eight or nine by the Cape of Good

Hope.

[Footnote 192: In Harris, this longitude is made 23° 12' W. from the

Lizard by some strange error, being 235° 25' W. from Greenwich.--E.]

[Footnote 193: It does not appear what islands these were, unless

perhaps the Silibabo islands, about half way between Mindanao and the

northern end of Gilolo, but considerably farther distant than is stated

in the text.--E.]

Rajah Laut invited Captain Swan ashore, and promised to furnish what

provisions we wanted, and desired him in the mean time to secure our

ship within the river, for fear of the approaching westerly monsoon,

which Captain Swan agreed to after some deliberation. The river being

narrow, and having not above eleven feet water on the bar in

spring-tides, we had much ado to get our ship a quarter of a mile above

its mouth, where we moored head and stern in a hole, so that she lay

always afloat. The city of Mindanao is a mile in length, but not very

broad, stretching along the right bank of the river as you go up, though

there are some houses also on the opposite side. The inhabitants

frequently came aboard of our ship, and invited our men to their

houses, where they were kindly entertained after their manner with

tobacco and betel, and such of them as had money, or other articles of

value, did not want their _pagalies_, or female friends. Captain Swan

was entertained daily by Rajah Laut, and those of our men who had no

money had boiled rice, with scraps of fowl and buffalo beef given them.

Yet, after all these outward shews of friendship, we soon after began to

discover that Rajah Laut had sinister intentions. The sheathing on our

ship's bottom being much eaten by worms, we began in November to remove

the old sheathing, to see whether the main plank remained sound; on

seeing which, Rajah Laut shook his head, saying he had never seen a ship

with two bottoms. Besides, he did not perform his promise of providing

us with beef, pretending he could not get any; and he borrowed a

considerable sum in gold from Captain Swan, which he never repaid.

These circumstances at length induced most of our men to think of

leaving Mindanao, especially those who had not much money; and as our

ship was new sheathed and tallowed on the 10th December, they began to

urge our commander to depart in continuation of our voyage. Accordingly,

Captain Swan appointed the 13th January, 1687, for all our company to be

on board and ready to sail; but many being unwilling to depart so soon,

having dispersed about the country at the instigation of Rajah Laut, and

even Captain Swan not being very ready to come aboard, by reason of some

insubordination among the men, they deposed him from the command, and

chose Captain Teat in his room. After this we weighed in the morning of

the 13th January, and sailed out of the river, having Captain Swan and

forty-four more of the men on shore, besides sixteen others we had

buried there.

We coasted along the south side of the island to the west, and passed

next day in sight of _Chambungo_,[194] another town in this island,

thirty leagues west from the river of Mindanao, and said to have a good

harbour. On the 10th February we coasted along the west side of the

Philippine islands, and while passing Panga,[195] a large island

inhabited by the Spaniards, we saw many fires, which we supposed were

intended to give notice of our approach, it being rare to see a ship on

this coast. The 18th we anchored in ten fathoms at the N.W. end of the

island of _Mindora_. This is a large island, the middle of which is in

lat 12° 45' N. its length from N.W. to S.E. being forty leagues. While

here, a canoe with four Indians came from Manilla, who told as that the

harbour of Manilla was seldom without twenty or thirty vessels, Chinese,

Portuguese, and Spaniards, and if we had a mind to trade clandestinely,

they would deliver letters from us to certain merchants there.

[Footnote 194: Probably Sambuang, at the western extremity of Mindanao,

in lat. 6° 52' N. long. 122° 20' E. from Greenwich.--E.]

[Footnote 195: Pany, or Panai.--E.]

We sailed again on the 21st, and came on the 23d to the S.E. end of

Luçonia, where we took two Spanish barks from _Pagassanam_,[196] a small

town on the N.E. part of this island, having goods on board for the

Acapulco ship. This great island of Luçonia extends in length through

six degrees of latitude, from 12° 30' to 18° 40' both N. and is

surrounded by many small isles, especially at its north end, Mindora

being the chief of these isles, which communicates its name to the

straits which run between it and the main island of Luçonia. The surface

of this large island is partly composed of large pasture plains, and

partly of mountains, the latter of which afford some gold; and the

plains, or savannahs, are stored with buffaloes, bullocks, horses,

sheep, goats, and hogs. The inhabitants are Indians, who live in little

towns, under the Spanish jurisdiction, and are instructed in the Romish

religion by Spanish priests.

[Footnote 196: Perhaps the gulf on Pangasian is here meant, on the E.

side of Luzon, in lat. 16° N.]

_Manilla_ is the chief city, or rather the only one, in the island,

seated at the foot of a ridge of high hills, fronting the harbour, near

the S.W. point of the island, in lat. 14° 38' N: This city is defended

by a strong wall, and is composed of well-built spacious houses, covered

with pan-tiles, the streets being broad and regular, with a large

market-place in the middle, and has many fair churches and convents. The

harbour is large; and, besides the two great Acapulco ships, contains

abundance of small vessels belonging to the place, besides usually

thirty or forty stout Chinese junks; and the Portuguese also have

liberty to trade to this place. Many Chinese merchants also reside

constantly in this city. A league from the city, nearer the sea, there

is a strong fortress to defend the harbour, where the great ships lie at

anchor. Most of this account I received from Mr Coppinger, our surgeon,

who had formerly been thither, sailing from the Coromandel coast.

The time of the year being now too far spent for our purpose, we

resolved to sail for Pulo Condore, a knot of small islands on the coast

of Cambodia, and to return in May to lie in wait for the Acapulco ship.

We accordingly made sail from the island of Luçonia on the 26th of

February; and coming into the lat. of 14° N. we steered our course W.

for Pulo Condore,[197] and in our way got sight of the south end of the

_Pracel_ shoals, being three small isles, or large spots of sand, just

above water, only a mile from us. We came in sight of Pulo Condore on

the 13th March, and anchored next day on the north side of that island,

in ten fathoms, on clean hard sand, two miles from the shore.

[Footnote 197: This course ought rather to have been called W.S.W. as

Pulo Condore is lat. 8° 40' N.]

Pulo Condore is the chief of a group of isles, and the only one of them

that is inhabited, in lat. 8° 44' N. long. 106° 5' E. forty leagues S.

by E. from the mouth of the river of Cambodia, otherwise called the

_Japanese_ river. Two of these isles are tolerably high and large, and

the rest very small. The principal isle, off which we anchored, is five

leagues long from E. to W. and three leagues broad, but in some places

not a mile. The other large isle is three miles long from N. to S. and

between these, at the west end of the largest, there is a convenient

harbour, the entrance being on the north, where the two isles are a mile

asunder. On the largest isle there grows a tall tree, three or four feet

diameter, which the inhabitants cut horizontally half through, a foot

from the ground, after which they cut out the upper part in a slope,

till it meets the transverse cut, whence a liquor distils into a hollow

made in the semicircular shelf, or stump, which, after being boiled,

becomes good tar, and if boiled still more, becomes perfect pitch, both

of these answering well for marine use. Such a tree produces two quarts

of this juice daily for a month, after which it dries up, but recovers

again.

There are mango trees in this island, the fruit of which the

inhabitants pickle with salt, vinegar, and a little garlic, while green.

On straight trees of a foot diameter, grapes, both red and white, and of

a pleasant taste, much like those of Europe, grow in clusters about the

body of the tree, like the cocoas. This isle also abounds in wild

nutmeg-trees, which resemble our walnut-trees, and the fruit grows among

the boughs, in the same manner as walnuts. This fruit resembles the true

nutmeg, but smaller, and has neither smell nor taste. Besides hogs,

guanas, and lizards, these islands have various birds, as parrots,

parakeets, turtle-doves, and wild poultry. The sea affords limpits,

muscles, and tortoises. These isles have many brooks of fresh water

running into the sea for ten months of the year; and they are very

conveniently situated for trade with Japan, China, Manilla, Tonquin,

Cochin-china, and other places.

The inhabitants are originally from Cochin-china, being of a middle

stature and well shaped, but of much darker colour than the natives of

Mindanao, having lank black hair, small black eyes, and small noses, yet

tolerably high, with small mouths, thin lips, and white teeth. They are

civil, but very poor, their only employment being to collect tar, and to

prepare a little oil from tortoises, both of which they export to

Cochin-china. They offer their women to strangers for a small matter; a

custom universal in Pegu, Siam, Cochin-China, Cambadia, Tonquin, and

India, as also on the coast of Guinea. They are pagans, worshipping

chiefly the elephant and the horse, besides images of birds and fishes,

but I saw none resembling the human shape.

Having careened our ship, and laid in a supply of fresh water, we sailed

from Pulo Condore on the 21st of April, steering W. by S. for the bay of

Siam, and on the 23d came to the isle of _Ubi_, off the S.W. cape of

Cambadia, forty leagues W. of Condore. This isle is seven or eight

leagues in circuit, and is higher land than any of the Condore isles. It

has good water on the north side, where there is also good anchorage,

but the best anchorage is on the W. side, opposite a small bay. On the

24th we entered the bay of Siam, which is very deep, and went among the

islands at the bottom of the bay, in one of which we found a small

village inhabited by fishermen, but no fish, so we turned back, and did

not return to the isle of _Ubi_ till the 13th, and were detained there

by storms till the 21st, when we sailed for Condore, where we anchored

on the 24th. Here five or six of our men, going on board a Malay

vessel, were stabbed by the crew. Having provided our ship with wood and

water, we sailed from Condore on the 4th June, intending to proceed for

Manilla; but, by contrary winds, were forced to steer for _Pratas_, a

small low island inclosed with rocks, in lat. 21° N. between Canton and

Manilla; and the east winds continuing, were obliged to approach the

coast of China, where we anchored on the 25th June, at the east end of

the island of St John, on the coast of Quan-tong, or Canton, in China,

in lat. 22° 30' N.[198] They have here great plenty of rice, with hogs,

buffaloes, goats, and some oxen. The inhabitants were Chinese, and were

consequently, at this time, under the dominion of the Tartars.

[Footnote 198: This Island of St John is probably that named Sancianor,

or Tchang-te-huen, in lat. 21° 33' N. long. 112° 25' E. to the S.W. of

the bay of Canton. The latitude in the text would lead deep among the

islands of that bay, which does not appear to have been the case.--E.]

In this island we found a small town in marshy ground, the houses of

which were small, mean, and ill-furnished, but built on posts, the

inhabitants principally subsisting by the cultivation of rice. While we

lay here at anchor, a Chinese junk rode beside us, which was flat both

at the head and stern, having many little huts, three feet high, on her

deck, thatched with palmito leaves. Her cabin was large, having an

altar, on which was a lamp continually burning. The hold was divided

into several compartments, the bulkheads between which were so tight,

that if a leak should spring in any of these divisions, the goods in the

others would receive no damage. Every merchant has his own room, or

division, in the hold, in which he stows his own goods, sometimes

lodging along with them. These junks have only two masts, a main and

fore, the latter having a square-sail and yard, and the former a sail

that is narrow aloft, like a sloop's main-sail. In fine weather they

have also a top-sail, which, in foul weather, they lower to the deck,

yard and all. The main-mast of one of their largest junks is equal in

size to that of our third-rate men of war, but all of one piece, not

built.

Fearing the approach of a storm, and wanting sea-room, we weighed on the

3d June, and stood out to sea; but next day we were assailed by the most

violent tempest at N.E. I ever saw, which lasted at intervals for three

days, when the weather became quite serene. We then refitted our ship,

but our men were so terrified by the last storm, and dreading the

approach of full moon, that we resolved to steer for the _Pescadores_,

or _Fisher Isles_, in lat. 23° 40' N. off the western side of

_Tai-ouan_, or Formosa. This is a numerous group of islands in the

Straits of Formosa, having a good harbour between the two eastermost;

and on the west side of the most easterly there is a large town with a

fort, in which was a garrison of 300 Tartars. The houses in this town

were low, yet neatly built; and on the other island, on the west side of

the harbour, there was another small town near the sea, inhabited by

Chinese. Most of the islands in this group have some Chinese

inhabitants. We were very civilly treated by the Tartar governor, who

sent us some presents, and among the rest a heifer, the beef of which

was excellent; but would not allow us to trade, or even to land on the

isle.

We sailed thence on the 29th July, passing the S.W. end of Formosa, a

large island reaching from lat. 22° to 25° 18' both N. and in long. 121°

E. It was formerly well inhabited by the Chinese, and frequented by the

English; but the Tartars have since spoiled the harbour, lest the

Chinese should fortify themselves there. On the 6th August we came to

anchor on the east side of the northermost of the _Five Islands_, or

_Bashees_, in fifteen fathoms. These islands are from the latitude of

20° 26' to 21° 13' both N. and long. 121° 50' E. Contrary to our

expectations, we found three or four large towns on the island at which

we anchored. The westmost of these islands, which the Dutch among us

named _Orange_ isle, is the largest, being seven or eight leagues from

N. to S. and two from E. to W. There are two other large islands to the

S. of this; the northern of which we named _Grafton_ isle, which is four

leagues from N. to S. and a league and a half from E. to W. The other,

and most southerly, we named _Monmouth_ isle, being three leagues from

N. to S. and one from E. to W. Two other isles, lying E. and W. between

Monmouth isle and the S. end of Orange isle, we called _Bashee_ isle,

from a certain liquor we drank there, and _Goat_ isle.

_Orange_ isle is the largest, but barren, rocky, and uninhabited, and

has no anchorage on its coasts. _Monmouth_ and _Grafton_ isles are both

hilly, but well inhabited. _Goat_ isle and _Bashee_ isle are flat, the

former having a town. The hills in all these isles are rocky; but the

intermediate vallies are fertile in grass, plantains, bananas,

pine-apples, pompions, sugar-canes, potatoes, and some cotton, and are

well supplied with brooks of fresh water. They are also well stored

with goats and hogs, but have hardly any fowls, either wild or tame. The

natives are short and thick, with round faces and thick eye-brows, with

hazel-coloured eyes, rather small, yet larger than those of the Chinese.

Their noses are short and low; their mouths and lips middle-sized, with

white teeth; and their hair is thick, black, and lank, which they cut

short. Their complexion is of a dark copper colour, and they go all

bare-headed, having for the most part no clothes, except a clout about

the middle, though some have jackets of plantain leaves, as rough as a

bear-skin. The women have a short petticoat of coarse calico, reaching a

little below the knees, and both sexes wear ear-rings of a yellow metal

dug from their mountains, having the weight and colour of gold, but

somewhat paler. Whether it be in reality gold or not, I cannot say, but

it looked of a fine colour at first, which afterwards faded, which made

us suspect it, and we therefore bought very little. We observed that the

natives smeared it with a red earth, and then made it red-hot in a quick

fire, which restored its former colour.

The houses of the natives are small, and hardly five feet high,

collected into villages on the sides of rocky hills, and built in three

or four rows, one above the other. These rocky precipices are framed by

nature into different ledges, or deep steps of stairs as it were, on

each of which they build a row of houses, ascending from one row to

another by means of ladders in the middle of each row, and when these

are removed they are inaccessible. They live mostly by fishing, and are

very expert in building boats, much like our Deal yawls. They have also

larger vessels, rowed by twelve or fourteen oars, two men to each bank.

They never kill any goats themselves, but feed on the guts and skins,

which last they broil after singing off the hair.[199] They also make a

dish of locusts, which come at certain seasons to devour their potatoes;

on which occasions they catch these insects in nets, and broil or bake

them in earthen pans, when they are tolerable eating. Their ordinary

drink is water; but they make also a kind of liquor of the juice of

sugar-canes, boiled up with black-berries, allowed afterwards to ferment

four or five days in jars. It then settles and becomes clear, when it

affords a strong and pleasant liquor, which they call _bashee_,

resembling our English beer both in taste and colour. I can give no

account of their language, as it has no affinity either to Chinese or

Malay. Their weapons are lances headed with iron, and they wear a kind

of armour of buffalo-hide without sleeves, reaching below their knees,

where it is three feet wide, and as stiff as a board, but close at the

shoulders.

[Footnote 199: This is rather inexplicable, as we cannot conceive how

they got the guts and skins without killing the goats.--E.]

I could not perceive that they had any worship, neither saw I any idols

among them. They seemed to have no government or precedency, except that

the children were very respectful to their parents. They seem, however,

to be regulated by some ancient customs, instead of laws, as we saw a

young lad buried alive, which we supposed was for being guilty of theft.

The men have each only one wife, and she and her children were very

obedient to the head of the family. The boys are brought up to fishing

along with their fathers; and the girls work along with their mothers in

the plantations in the vallies, where each family plants a piece of

ground proportional to their numbers. They are a civil quiet people, not

only among themselves, but in their intercourse with strangers; for all

the time we were here, though they came frequently aboard, exchanging

their yellow metal, goats, and fruits, for iron, we never saw them

differ either among themselves or with our men, though occasions of the

latter were not wanting. They have no coins, neither any weights or

scales, but give their pieces of yellow metal by guess. During our stay

here, we provided ourselves with seventy or eighty fat hogs, and great

plenty of potatoes, for our intended voyage to Manilla.

On the 25th September, we were forced out to sea by a violent storm,

which lasted till the 29th, when we made the best of our way back to the

Bashees, which we reached on the 1st October. This last storm so

disheartened our men, that they resolved to give up the design of

cruising before Manilla; and, by the persuasions of Captain Read, who

now commanded, and Captain Teat, our master, it was determined to sail

for Cape Comorin, and thence into the Red Sea. As the eastern monsoon

was at hand, our nearest and best way had been to pass through the

Straits of Malacca; but Teat persuaded the men to go round by the east

side of the Philippines, and thence, keeping south of the Spice islands,

to pass into the Indian ocean by the south of Timor.

We sailed from the Bashees on the 3d October, by the east of the

Philippines, and on the 15th, being to the south of Luçonia, directed

our course west for Mindanao. On the 16th we anchored between two small

isles, in lat. 5° 10' N. four leagues from the island of Mindanao. While

here, we learnt from a young prince of one of the isles, that Captain

Swan and some of his men were still at Mindanao, and in great esteem for

their services against the Alfoores: but I was since informed, that he

and his surgeon, when going on board a Dutch ship in the road, were

overset by the natives and drowned, by order of rajah Laut, as we

supposed, who had seized all his gold.

We sailed on the 2d November for Celebes, and anchored at its N.E. end

on the 9th. The 30th, while steering between two shoals, in lat. 3° S.

ten leagues from Celebes, we saw three waterspouts towards evening. A

waterspout is a piece of a cloud hanging down in a sloping direction,

sometimes bending like a bow, but never perpendicular. Opposite to its

extremity the sea begins to foam, and the water is then seen gently

moving round in a circle, increasing to a rapid whirling motion, rising

upwards, an hundred paces in circumference at the bottom, but lessening

gradually upwards to the size of a spout, through which the sea-water

appears to be conveyed into the cloud, as is manifest by its blackness

and increase of bulk. After this the cloud, which was before immoveable,

drives along for half an hour, accompanied by the spout. When the

sucking is over, and breaks off, all the water which was below the

spout, or pendulous cloud, falls again into the sea with a terrible

clashing noise. These spouts are, however, more frightful than

dangerous.

We had sight of the Isle of Bouton on the 1st December, and anchored

there on the 5th, where we staid till the 11th, procuring eggs, fowls,

potatoes, and other provisions from the natives, who are Mahometans, and

speak the Malay language. Continuing our voyage, we saw the N.W. point

of Timor on the 28th, and on the 29th stood S. towards New Holland,

which we fell in with on the 4th January, 1688, in lat. 16° 50' S. _New

Holland_ is a vast tract of land, but whether island or continent is

hitherto unknown.[200] We anchored at a point of land, three leagues to

the east of which is a deep bay. The land was low and sandy, the points

only excepted, which were rocky, as were some islands in the bay. We

found here no fresh water, except by digging. There were various trees,

and among these the tree producing dragon's-blood. We saw no

fruit-trees, nor so much as the track of any animal, except one footstep

of a beast, which seemed the size of a large mastiff. There were a few

land-birds, but none bigger than a black-bird, and scarcely any

sea-fowl; neither did the sea afford any fish, except tortoises and

manatees,[201] both of which are in vast plenty.

[Footnote 200: It is now known to be a vast island, stretching from the

lat. of 11° 40' to 38° 40', both S. and from long. 109° 40' to 154° 50'

both E. being 1870 miles from N. to S. and 2400 miles from E. to W.]

[Footnote 201: The Lamentin, or Trichechus Manatus australis of

naturalists.--E.]

The inhabitants are the most miserable wretches in the universe, having

no houses or coverings but the heavens, and no garments except a piece

of the bark of a tree tied round the waist. They have no sheep, poultry,

or fruits, and subsist wretchedly on a few shell-fish, such as cockles,

muscles, and periwinkles, living without any government or order, and

cohabit promiscuously like brutes. Their bodies are straight, thin, and

strong-limbed, having great heads and eye-brows, with round foreheads.

Their eye-lids are constantly half closed, to keep out flies, which are

here very numerous and troublesome. They have large bottle noses, thick

lips, and wide mouth; and both men and women, young and old, wanted the

two front teeth of the upper jaw. They have no beards, and their hair is

short and curled like the negroes, their complexion being equally black

with them. Their weapons are a kind of wooden swords or clubs, and long

straight poles sharpened at one end. Of their language I can only say

that they speak much in the throat. We landed several times, and brought

the natives to some degree of familiarity with us, by giving them some

old clothes, but could never prevail on them to assist us in carrying

water or any other thing, as they seemed quite averse from labour.

We sailed hence on the 12th March, and on the 7th April got sight of

Sumatra, whence we directed our course for the Nicobar islands, which we

came in sight of on the 4th May, and anchored next day in a small bay at

the N. end of the island of Nicobar Proper, in lat. 7° 30' N. This

island produces plenty of cocoa-nuts, and _mallories_, a fruit as large

as the bread-fruit of Guam, which the natives boil in covered jars.

Mr Hall, Mr Ambrose, and I, being desirous to leave the unruly crew

among whom we had sailed so long, were set ashore at this island,

intending to proceed for Acheen. We accordingly left this island on the

5th May, accompanied by four Malays and a Portuguese, in a Nicobar

canoe, not much bigger than one of the London wherries used below

bridge. On the 18th we had a violent storm, when we expected every

moment to be swallowed up by the waves; but on the 19th, to our great

joy, we saw _Pulo Way_, near the N.W. end of Sumatra, as was supposed,

but it turned out to be the golden mountain of Sumatra, and at length

arrived at Acheen in June. In July I went with Captain Weldon to

Tonquin, and returned to Acheen in April, 1689. In September of that

year I went to Malacca, and came back about Christmas, 1690. Soon after

I went to Fort St George or Madras, where I remained five months, and

came back to Bencoolen, an English factory on the west coast of Sumatra.

Before relating my return to England, it may be proper to give some

account of _Jeoly_, the painted prince, who afterwards died at Oxford.

He was purchased along with his mother at Mindanao by Mr Moody; and when

Mr Moody and I went together to Bencoolen, he gave me at parting half

the property of this painted prince and his mother, leaving them to my

care. They were born in the island of _Meangis_, which abounds in gold,

cloves, and nutmegs, as he afterwards told me. He was curiously painted,

down the breast, behind, between the shoulders, and most of all on the

fore part of his thighs, in the nature of flower-work. By what I could

understand, this painting was done by pricking the skin, and rubbing in

the gum of a tree called _damurer_, used instead of pitch in some parts

of India. He told me, that the natives of his country wore gold

ear-rings, and golden bracelets about their arms and legs; their food

being potatoes, fowls, and fish. He told me also, that being one day in

a canoe with his father and mother, they were taken by some fishers

belonging to Mindanao, who sold them to the interpreter of Rajah Laut,

with whom he and his mother lived as slaves for five years, and were

then sold for fifty dollars to Mr Moody. Some time afterwards, Mr Moody

gave me the entire property of both, but the mother soon died, and I had

much ado to save the son. After my arrival in the Thames, being in want

of money, I first sold part of my property in Prince Jeoly, and by

degrees all the rest. He was afterwards carried about and shewn for

money, and at last died of the small-pox at Oxford.

During my stay at Bencoolen I served as gunner of the fort; but when my

time was expired, I embarked with my painted prince in the Defence,

Captain Heath, in order to return to England. We sailed on the 25th

January, 1691, in company with three other ships, and arrived at the

Cape of Good Hope in the beginning of April. After a stay of six weeks,

we set sail on the 13th May for St Helena, where we arrived on the 20th

June. We left this island on the 2d July, and came to anchor in the

Downs on the 16th September, 1691, after an absence of twelve years and

a half from my native country.

CHAPTER IX.

VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, BY WILLIAM FUNNELL, IN 1703-1706.[202]

INTRODUCTION.

This voyage has usually passed under the name of Captain William

Dampier; but as he proceeded only to the South Seas, and the

circumnavigation was entirely completed by Mr William Funnell, who

sailed originally as his mate, it seemed proper to place his name in the

title of the voyage, instead of that of Captain Dampier, with whom, in

this voyage, we have much less to do. It is just however to state, that

it was on the credit of Captain Dampier, and in expectation that he

would be able to do great things against the Spaniards in the South Sea,

that this expedition was undertaken. The point aimed at was plunder,

rather than discovery, yet there was something remarkable done even in

this way; and the unknown islands met with by Mr Funnell, in his passage

between the South Sea and India, strongly confirmed the reports of

former navigators, of large, populous, and well-cultivated countries in

those parts.[203] The narrative of Funnell also is well digested, and

may be read with much satisfaction, as giving a fair and agreeable

account of his adventures.

[Footnote 202: Funnel's narrative in Dampier's Voyages, vol. IV. pp.

1.--208. Harris, I. 131. Callender, III. 66. and III. 145.]

[Footnote 203: All these fancies are now shewn to be imaginary.--E.]

This expedition was undertaken at the beginning of the Succession war,

in the reign of Queen Anne; and high expectations were raised from it,

of performing great exploits against the Spaniards, who had accepted the

Duke of Anjou as their king. The merchants believed that a very

profitable expedition might be made into these parts, with a reasonable

force, where the buccaneers, with small and ill-provided vessels, had

performed such extraordinary things; and therefore, having obtained the

best information they could as to the proper manner of accomplishing the

design, they cheerfully contributed to the expences necessary for the

purpose. With this view, they at first fitted out two ships of 26 guns

and 120 men each, which were designed for the South Seas. One of these

was named the St George, commanded by Captain William Dampier, in which

Mr William Funnell sailed as chief mate. The other was the Fame,

commanded by Captain John Pulling. Both ships were amply supplied with

warlike stores, and well victualled for nine months; and had commissions

from Prince George, the queen's husband, lord-high-admiral, to proceed

against the French and Spaniards; and the officers and crews of both

were hired on the principles of sharing in the expedition, _no purchase

no pay_.

While they lay in the Downs, some difference arose between the two

captains, on which Captain Pulling went away with his ship, the Fame,

intending to cruize among the Canary Islands, and never afterwards

joined. Before sailing on the originally-proposed expedition, Dampier

was joined by a small ship, the Cinque-ports galley, Captain Charles

Pickering, of ninety tons, carrying 16 guns and 63 men, well victualled

and provided for the voyage. The original plan of the voyage was to go

first up the Rio Plata, as high as Buenos Ayres, in order to capture two

or three Spanish galleons, which Dampier alledged were usually there. If

this part of the expedition succeeded, so as to get to the value of

about 600,000_l_. it was to be proceeded in no farther; but if his first

object failed, they were then to cruize on the coast of Peru, to

intercept the ships which bring gold from Baldivia to Lima. Should this

again fail of success, they were to attempt some rich towns, as Dampier

might direct. After this, they were to go to the coast of Mexico, at

that time of the year when the great galleon usually comes from Manilla

to Acapulco, which is commonly reported to be worth fourteen millions of

dollars.

On their arrival at Madeira, learning that the galleons from Buenos

Ayres had already arrived in safety at Teneriffe, that part of the

expedition was laid aside. "How well we pursued the latter part of our

instructions, the subsequent history of our voyage will sufficiently

declare; in recording which I have used the greatest sincerity,

narrating every thing exactly in the manner in which it happened, and

setting down all that appeared worthy of notice, with all truth and

plainness: so that I flatter myself the whole will be found useful, and

that the latter part especially will be esteemed new, curious, and

interesting, as it contains many things not before published or

known."[204]

[Footnote 204: This introduction is from the pen of Harris; and the last

paragraph, marked by inverted commas, is given in the words of

Funnell.--E.]

SECTION I.

_Narrative of the Voyage, till the Separation of Funnell from Dampier._

We sailed from the Downs on the 30th April, 1703, and anchored on the

18th May at Kinsale, in Ireland. We here refitted and victualled our

ship, and were joined by the Cinque-ports, and left Kinsale on the 11th

September. We reached Madeira on the 25th, where we did not come to

anchor, but plied off and on for our boats, which were sent ashore for

necessaries. By a good observation, I made this island to be in lat 32°

20' N. and long. by my account, 18° 5' W. from London.[205] October 6th,

we saw Mayo, one of the Cape de Verd islands, in lat. 15° 12' N. long.

23° 20' W. off which we plied all night; but the surf ran so high that

we durst not send our boats ashore for salt. We accordingly bore up next

day for St Jago, and anchored at noon of the 7th in Prior bay [Port

Praya] in that island. This is one of the most fruitful of the Cape Verd

Islands, abounding in hogs, poultry, guinea fowl, monkeys, maiz,

oranges, lemons, dates, water-melons, plantains, bananas, and other

fruits, having good water, but troublesome to get at, and wood is very

dear. The inhabitants of this island were formerly Portuguese, banished

thither for murders, thefts, and other crimes; but are now mostly all

black, in consequence of these men having issue by their female slaves,

which were Guinea negroes. Yet they still retain the vices of their

progenitors, thieving being more common here than in any place I ever

visited, insomuch that they will take a man's hat from his head at noon

day and in the midst of company. In trading with them, it is necessary

not to let them have your goods before theirs are delivered, or you are

sure to lose them. We here watered and refreshed ourselves; and here a

disagreement took place between Captain Dampier and his

first-lieutenant, who was turned ashore at midnight, with his chest and

servant. At four next morning, being the 13th October, we sailed from St

Jago, not fully resolved where next to touch at.

[Footnote 205: Lat. 32° 33' N. long. 17° 5' W. from Greenwich.--E.]

On the 22d October we caught four fish; a shark, a dolphin, a

jelly-fish, and an old-wife. The shark and dolphin are well known, and

need not be described in this place. The _Jelly-fish_ was about fourteen

inches long and two inches deep, having sharp teeth, a sparkling eye,

and long extended mouth. It has a prodigiously high fin on its back, of

a slimy substance, except that its rays, which are thirty-two in number,

are firm and stiff. It has also one small fin under the throat, of the

same slimy substance with the large one on its back. The greater part of

the body is of a silver colour, with numerous small dark spots and

circular bands, all the rest of its substance being a green jelly-like

substance, whence the name. The _Old-wife_ is about two feet long and

nine inches high in the back, having a small mouth, a large eye, and a

large broad fin beginning at the hinder part of the head, and reaching

to the tail. It has also a large broad fin on each side near the gills,

and a pretty large one under the belly. The body is deep blue, and the

fins a very light blue, tipt with yellow. The head has many spots, and

the body is regularly streaked longways.

We passed the equator on the 2d November, about forty-five leagues west

from the meridian of St Jago. On the 8th, in lat. 10° 20' S. we saw

three small islands on the coast of Brazil, called the islands of St

Ann, not above a stone's throw from each other, and very full of wood,

as is the whole coast of Brazil. These islands are about four miles from

the main, and are much troubled with southerly winds, which blow in

gusts, so that ships ought here to lay their best anchor to the south,

and all little enough sometimes for their safety. They produce nothing

except wood, and are frequented by vast flocks of sea fowl, called

boobies by our sailors. The _booby_ is about the size of a duck, some

entirely white and others grey, having feet like a duck, and subsist

mostly on flying-fishes, which they catch while in the air. I have made

many a meal on these birds, but it was for want of other victuals, for

they taste very fishy, and are apt to make one sick, if not previously

well salted. They are so silly, when weary of flying, that they will

light upon your hand, if held out to them.

We anchored at the island of _Le Grand_, in lat, 23° 30' S.[206] on the

24th of November. This is a very woody island, on which are several good

springs of water. It is about nine miles in circuit, and three miles

from the main, the woods being infested with many savage animals, which

make a most hideous noise in the night. It produces sugar, rum, and

several kinds of fruits, but all very dear, on account of supplying the

town of St Paul with necessaries. _St Paul_ is 300 miles inland from Le

Grand; but by the vast high mountains which are between, it is reckoned

a distance of sixty days journey. Near St Paul there is said to be a

gold mine, which is accounted the richest hitherto known. We here

wooded, watered, and refitted our ships; and our new first-lieutenant,

falling out with the captain, went ashore, together with eight of our

men, and left us. Here also Charles Pickering, captain of the

Cinque-ports, departed this life, and was succeeded in the command by

his first-lieutenant, Mr Thomas Stradling. At this island there are good

fish of various sorts, one of which, called the _Silver-fish_, is about

twenty inches long, and eight deep, from back to belly, having five

small fins immediately behind the head, and one large fin from the last

of these to the tail; one middle-sized fin on each side near the gills,

and a large fin from the middle of the belly to the tail, which last is

half-moon shaped. The eyes are large, the nostrils wide, and the mouth

small. It is a thin fish, and full of bones, of a fine transparent

white, like silver.

[Footnote 206: Isla Grande is only in lat 30° N. and St Paul's, stated

in the text, as 300 miles distant, is hardly 200, and is at within

twenty-five miles of the coast farther south.--E.]

Leaving the isle of Le Grand on the 8th December, we passed the islands

of Sebalt de Weert[207] [_Falklands_] on the 29th. In lat. 57° 50' S. we

had a terrible storm, in which we lost company of our consort, the

Cinque-ports, on the 4th January, 1704. When in lat 60° 51' S. on the

20th, believing we had sufficiently passed Cape Horn, we tacked to the

N. and got sight of the island of _Mocha_ on the 4th February. This

island is in lat. 38° 20' S. twenty miles from the coast of Chili, and

is well inhabited by Indians, who are always at war with the Spaniards,

and indeed with all white men, because they consider them all as

Spaniards. It is a high island, four leagues long, having many shoals

on its west side, which extend a league or more out to sea. It is about

112 miles to the northward of Baldivia.

[Footnote 207: Called Sibbil de Ward Islands in the narrative of

Funnell.--E.]

We saw the island of Juan Fernandez on the 7th February, and on the

10th, while passing the great bay, we saw the Cinque-ports, which had

arrived three days before. We accordingly anchored in the great bay, in

thirty-five fathoms. At this island we wooded, watered, and refitted our

ships, giving them a heel to clean their sides as low as we could, which

took up much time, and occasioned both companies to be much on shore. In

this island there are abundance of cabbage-trees, which are excellent,

though small. The cabbage-tree, which is a species of palm, has a small

straight stem, often ninety to one hundred feet long, with many knots or

joints, about four inches asunder, like a bamboo-cane. It has no leaves

except at the top, in the midst of which the substance called cabbage is

contained, which, when boiled, is as good as any garden cabbage. The

branches of this tree we commonly twelve or thirteen feet in length, and

at about a foot and a half from the tree the leaves begin, which are

about four feet long and an inch and a half broad, the leaves growing so

regularly that the whole branch seems one entire leaf. The cabbage, when

cut out from among the roots of the branches, is usually a foot long and

six inches diameter, and as white as milk. From the bottom of the

cabbage there spring out several large bunches of berries, like grapes,

each bunch being five or six pounds weight. The berries are red, and

about the size of cherries, each having a large stone in the middle, and

the pulp tastes like that of haws.

The sea-lion is so called, as I suppose, because he roars somewhat like

a lion, and his head also has some resemblance to that animal, having

four large teeth in front, all the rest being short, thick, and stubbed.

Instead of feet and legs, he has four fins; the two foremost serving

him, when he goes ashore, to raise the fore part of the body, and he

then draws the hind part after him. The two hinder fins are of no use on

land, but only when in the water. This animal is very fat, for which

reason we killed several of them, from which we made a ton of oil for

our lamps; and, while at this island, made use of it also for frying our

fish. They have short light-coloured hair while young, becoming sandy

when old. Their food is fish, and they prey altogether in the water, but

come on land to sleep, when five, six, or more of them huddle together

like swine, and will often lie still three or four days, if not

molested. They are much afraid of men, and make off as fast as they can

into the water. If hard pressed, they will turn about, raising their

bodies on their fore fins, and face you with their mouths wide open, so

that we used to clap a pistol to their mouth, and fire down their

throat. Sometimes five or six of us would surround one of these

monsters, each having a half pike, and so prick him till he died, which

commonly was the sport of two or three hours.

While we were at this island, a difference took place between Captain

Stradling and his men, which was at last compromised by Captain Dampier.

On the 29th February we descried a sail, on which all hands hurried on

board, and we slipped our cables and stood out to sea. The Frenchman,

for so he afterwards proved, immediately tacked and stood from us, while

we followed the chase with all sail, and got up with him about eleven at

night, but did not deem it convenient to engage till day. During the

chase our pinnace towed under water, and was cut adrift. Captain

Stradling's boat also got loose, in which were a man and a dog.

At sun-rise next morning, 1st March, we began to engage the French ship,

which was of about 400 tons burden, and thirty guns, well manned. We

fought her very close, broadside to broadside, for seven hours; and then

a small gale springing up, she sheered off. In this action our consort

only fired ten or twelve guns at the commencement, when she dropt

astern, and never again came up during the whole fight, in which we had

nine men slain and several wounded. We were desirous to have had another

trial with the Frenchman, knowing it would be of bad consequences to let

him go, as he would discover our being in these seas to the Spaniards;

but our captain opposed this, saying, he knew where he could get to the

value of 500,000_l_. at any time. So we concluded to return to Juan

Fernandez, to get our anchors, long boats, and several tons of water

already casked, together with a ton of sea-lion oil, which we had left

there. Captain Stradling also had left five of his men, who were gone to

the west part of the island, and knew nothing of our going away after

the enemy. He had also left all his sails, besides those at the yards,

and a great many other stores.

We had then the wind at S. directly off Juan Fernandez, so that it was

difficult to go there; and while beating up we saw two sail, to which

the Cinque-ports was very near, and they fired several shots at her, but

she rowed away to us, and reported them to be two French ships of about

36 guns each; on which the two captains thought it convenient to bear

away for the coast of Peru, leaving Captain Stradling's five men, with

his other stores, which he could ill spare, and now we had neither of us

any boats. We accordingly stood for the coast of Peru on the 6th March,

and fell in with it on the 11th, in lat. 24° 53' S.[208] The land here

was very high, having three distinct ranges of hills behind each other,

that nearest the water the lowest, and the farthest off the highest. We

coasted along shore to the northward, and passed the port of _Capaipo_

on the 14th, said to be a very good harbour, fenced from almost all

winds. The land is here inhabited by Indians, who make good wines; and

it is said to abound in good meat, corn, and other provisions, and from

this port they export wine, money, and other goods for Coquimbo. We

would willingly have gone ashore for refreshments, but could not for

want of boats.

[Footnote 208: There must be a material error here, as they afterwards,

in sailing along the coast _to the northwards_, passed Copaipo, which is

in lat. 27° 13' S. and they consequently must have fallen in with the

coast of Chili, improperly named Peru in the text, considerably farther

south.--E.]

Continuing along the coast, which is the highest and most mountainous I

ever saw, we were surprised, on the 19th of March, to see the waves

changed to a red colour for seven or eight leagues, though on sounding

we had no ground at 170 fathoms; but on drawing up some of the water, we

found the colour owing to a vast quantity of fish-spawn, swimming on the

surface. We were now in lat. 16° 11' S. having passed the three famous

ports of Arica, Ylo, and Arequipa. The 22d March we were off the

harbour of Callao de Lima, when we saw two ships steering for that port,

to which we gave chase, and soon came up with the sternmost, which

proved to be the ship we had fought with off the island of Juan

Fernandez. We were very eager to stop her from going in, to prevent the

Spaniards from having intelligence of us, and hindering their merchant

ships from putting to sea, and did not question our taking her, being

all now in health; whereas on the former occasion, between twenty and

thirty of our men were very sick and weak. But Captain Dampier was

averse to attack her; and while the matter was disputing, both ships got

into the port of Lima, from whence twenty ships such as ours could not

have forced them out. This proceeding gave great offence to most of the

crew, and might have proved of bad consequence, had we not taken two

very considerable prizes a few days afterwards, one of 150 and the other

of 200 tons. We took out of these every thing that we thought useful,

and then dismissed them.

The 5th of April, we began to prepare for the great exploit our captain

meditated, of landing on the coast and plundering some rich city; for

which purpose our carpenters were ordered to fit up the launches or long

boats we had taken from our prizes, so as to land our men in safety, and

to fit two swivels in each launch. On the 11th we took a bark of fifty

tons, laden with plank and cordage, as if sent on purpose for our

present service. This was in sight of _Gallo_, under which island we

anchored next day with our prize, which we kept to use in the intended

enterprise. The island of _Gallo_ is in lat. 2° 45' N. long. 76° 38' W.

from London,[209] and about five leagues from the main; being two

leagues long and one league broad. When approached from the south, it

shews three hummocks which seem at a distance as three separate islands,

the land between being very low; but when to the N.W. of the S. end you

will see a small island, or rock rather, resembling a ship under sail.

From this island the main land is in sight, being very low near the sea,

but prodigiously high up the country. We anchored off the N.W. part of

this island, two cables length from the shore, in thirty-five fathoms on

hard sand, the N. point bearing N. 1/2 W. and the S. point S.W. The

watering place goes in with a full gap, over which, on the hill, is a

plain spot of red earth, bearing N.W. 1/2 N. but there are several other

good watering places in the island. The best anchorage is on the N.E.

part at _Legnetta_, where a ship may wood and water quite secure from

any enemy. The island is very woody, affording large timber, which is

often shipped hence for Peru. There are here a few wild monkeys, with

abundance of lizards; among which is one called the _lion-lizard_, about

the size of a man's arm, one that I measured being three feet eleven

inches from the head to the end of the tail. It has a kind of large comb

on its head, standing up like a helmet, as if to defend its head, and

when attacked it erects this comb, which otherwise lies in a deep groove

on the head, just fitted for its reception, so that it can hardly be

seen when down. This animal has very large eyes, and a large mouth, in

which are a great many small sharp teeth. The skin is rough and of a

dark colour, full of black, yellow, and bluish spots. It runs very

swift, yet our dog caught many of them.

[Footnote 209: Lat. 1° 56' N. long. 78° 50' W. from Greenwich.--E.]

After remaining here five days, we began to hoist our anchors to set

sail, when we discovered a ship standing in for the island, which we

took. She was a small vessel of fifty tons, commanded by a Mestizo, on

board of which we found a Guernsey man, who had been taken by the

Spaniards, while cutting logwood in the Bay of Campeachy above two years

before, and must have continued a prisoner during life if we had not

released him. On sailing from Gallo, our purpose was to attack the town

of Santa Maria, not far from this on the continent to the E. expecting

there to have found a great quantity of gold, brought thither from the

adjacent mines of the same name. 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. We learnt also, that the Spaniards had fitted out two

men of war against us, one of thirty-two, and the other thirty-six brass

guns, all twenty-four pounders, each having 350 sailors and 150

soldiers, all picked men, and had been cruizing for us in the Bay of

Guayaquil, between point St Helena and Cape Blanco, from the 7th to the

12th.

We were forced to go under an easy sail, as our prize sailed very

heavily, wherefore we went into _Sardinas_ Bay, in lat. 1° 20' N. where

we anchored with our prize in ten fathoms, about four miles from the

shore, for the purpose of rummaging her. We durst not go farther in,

because of many shoals and sand-banks, which were very imperfectly laid

down in all our charts. The sea-coast is inhabited by Indians, but not

in any great numbers, and has several small fresh-water rivers. From

hence, all the way south, till we came to the Bay of _Atacarnes_, in

lat. 0° 54' N. the sea-side is composed of white cliffs; and there are

many shoals as far as _Punta de la Galera_, in lat. 0° 48' N. Six

leagues S.W. of Sardinas Bay is the great river of St Jago, the mouth of

which is about three quarters of a mile wide, but has no good anchorage

till well within. This river is seldom used by ships, being out of the

way, yet the country here produces abundant provisions of all sorts. We

careened our ship and rummaged our prize in the Bay of Sardinas, and

watered at one of the fresh-water rivers, which was as white as milk,

and both smelt and tasted very strong of musk, occasioned by many

alligators swimming in it. We shot several of these creatures, one of

which measured thirty feet in length, and was bigger about than a

bullock.

The alligator is covered over with great scales from head to tail,

having very large sharp teeth, and very long claws. It is amphibious,

living both on land and in the water, and when lying on shore is often

mistaken at a distance for a great tree fallen down. It runs very fast

on the land, and is of such strength that one of them will take a horse

or a cow into the water, and there devour it. They will seize on any

thing, either on land or in the water, and often make great havock among

cattle near their haunts, which are usually in fresh-water rivers. The

Indians are not greatly afraid of them, either on land or in the water.

In the former case, they run in circles, and this unwieldy animal is

unable to turn his body quickly, so that they easily get away from them.

The Indians also go into the water to seek them, taking in one hand a

piece of iron pointed and baited at both ends, with two cross pieces a

little below the points. Holding this iron by the middle, when the

alligator rises to bite, which he always does with, the head above

water, the Indian holds out the iron to him which he snaps at, and it

fastens in his mouth, keeping his jaws open like a gag. The female lays

about 100 eggs at a time, as large as goose eggs; but quite spherical,

and having shells as thick almost as those of an ostrich. The flesh of

the alligator is not fit to be eaten, being very strong and musky; and

the very water of the rivers they frequent was so strong of musk that a

draught of it was like to suffocate us, yet there are no instances of

its being injurious to health.

Being off the Bay of Guayaquil on the 21st June, we saw a ship, and came

up with her next day, being one of the Spanish men of war fitted out to

take us, carrying thirty-two guns. We did all we could to gain the

weather-gage, but carrying away our fore-top-mast, were obliged to come

to action from the leeward, so that she kept a good distance from us,

and we could not use our small arms. Dividing our crew into two equal

parts, one managed the guns while the other looked on, and when those at

the guns were weary, the others took their places, alternately

refreshing those who were not employed, by which means we fired much

faster than the enemy, making about 560 discharges, while they only made

110 or 115. We thus fought from noon till half past six, though at such

distance that our shot would hardly reach him, while his flew over us.

Growing dusk, both ceased firing, none of our men being either killed or

wounded, and only two through carelessness had their hands and faces

scorched. We lay-to all night, expecting in the morning to renew the

fight; but he had made sail from us in the night.

We now returned to the Bay of Atacames in search of provisions, for

which purpose we sent our boat ashore with twenty men, who soon

returned, saying they had found an Indian village of fifty houses, but

the inhabitants were all fled and had left nothing behind. In the river

we found a fine bark of about fifty tons, with as much new plank in her

as would have built another of equal size; and we took another of about

ten tons, laden with plantains. This we resolved to retain, instead of a

long-boat. She had two masts and two square-sails, and having fitted her

for our purpose, we called her the Dragon. The country in the

neighbourhood of this bay is very pleasant, being well wooded and

watered. About seven leagues to the N.E. is the Bay of _St Mattheo_, the

land about it being very high, and there are many shoals about it,

running two leagues out to sea. For three or four leagues the water is

only from four fathoms to six, and this bay has white cliffs both to the

north and south. In the bottom of the bay there are two rivers running

into the sea, both of which are what the seamen call _alligator water_,

that is, white and musky as before described. On each side of these

rivers there are shoals of sand; and near their mouths are fine groves

of tall spreading green trees, which are the marks by which they may be

found, as their mouths are narrow, and not discernible at a distance.

These rivers are seldom frequented by the Spaniards, except for

refreshments, for which they are well adapted, as all the adjoining

country abounds with every kind of provisions that this part of the

world produces. About two leagues up these rivers there are several

Indian villages, who furnish the Spanish ships which come here with

cocoa-nuts, plantains, bananas, and other kinds of fruit.

The _cocoa-tree_ is generally from fifty to an hundred feet high, and

for the most part straight and slender. The leaves are four fathoms, or

four and a half long, at the very top of the tree, and serve excellently

for thatching houses. At the bottom of the leaves the cocoa nuts grow in

clusters of ten, fifteen, or twenty, hanging by a small string which is

full of joints. Each nut, with its outer rind, is larger than a man's

head, and within this outer rind is a hard woody shell which will hold

near a quart of liquid. The nut or kernel lines the inside of this

shell, and within this kernel is about a pint and half of pure clear

water, very cool, sweet, and pleasant. The kernel also is very good and

pleasant; but when old, we scrape it all down, and soak it in about a

quart of fresh water for three or four hours, which is then strained,

and has both the colour and taste of milk, and will even throw up a

thick head not unlike cream. This milk, when boiled with rice, is

accounted very wholesome and nourishing by the doctors, and was given to

our sick men. When the nut is very old, the kernel of itself turns to

oil, which is often used to fry with, but mostly for burning in lamps.

The outer end of the nuts may be applied to the purposes of flax, and of

it the natives make a kind of linen, and it is also manufactured into

ropes and cables, which are sold in most parts of America and the West

Indies. The shell of this nut makes very pretty drinking cups, and it

also burns well, making a fierce hot fire. Thus the cocoa-tree affords

meat, drink, oil, clothing, houses, firing, and rigging for ships.

The _plantain-tree_ is only about thirteen or fourteen feet high and

four feet round, its leaves being eight or nine feet long and two broad,

ending in a round point. The fruit grows at the bottom of the leaves, on

a great stalk, in a pod about eight inches long and the size of a black

pudding, being of a fine yellow colour, often speckled with red. The

inside of this is white, but the plantain itself is yellow like butter,

and as soft as a pear. There sometimes grow fifty or sixty of these pods

on one stalk, and five or six stalks on one tree. They are an excellent

fruit, and most parts of the East and West Indies abound with them. The

_banana_ tree is much the same with the plantain, but the fruit is only

about six inches long, fifty or sixty of them growing on one stalk, and

is extraordinarily mellow, sweet, and good.

We left the bay of Atacames on the 31st July, accompanied by our prize

the Dragon, and passing the Bay of Panama, came to the Bay of Nicoya on

the 16th August, in lat 9° 30'N. in which we anchored near certain

islands near the centre of the bay, called Middle Islands, where we

careened. 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. They are good food, but taste a little

fishy. Their feet are broad, and webbed like ducks, being water fowl,

yet they commonly roost on rocks or trees, and always sit with their

heads to the wind, varying their posture as that changes. They are heavy

birds and fly slowly, and always when sitting rest their long bills

upon their breasts. The _Guana_ is an amphibious animal, found both on

land and in the water. It is about three feet long, some more some less,

and is very ugly, having large sharp scales, black and green, from the

fore part of the head to the end of the tail. The mouth is furnished

with numerous large and sharp teeth, and it has four long claws on each

foot. They commonly breed in holes about the roots of old trees near the

water. When stewed with some spice, their flesh is very white and eats

well, making also good broth; but if not extraordinarily well boiled, it

is very dangerous meat, making men very sick and often occasioning

fevers.

There are several kinds of _turtles_, or sea tortoises, but we account

the green turtle the best meat. When they want to lay their eggs, they

go on shore in some sandy bay, where they make a hole in the sand with

their fins, two feet and a half deep, in which one turtle will deposit

from eighty to ninety eggs, which they cover over with the sand, leaving

them to hatch by the heat of the sun. They lay in this manner two or

three times every year, and go immediately off to sea, leaving their

young when hatched to shift for themselves; which, as soon as they get

out of the eggs and from the sand, retire to the sea. The eggs are round

and white, as large as those of a duck, being covered with a thin tough

skin, but no shell. I have seen of the green turtle 200, 350, and even

400 pounds weight. The lean of this animal looks like beef, but the fat

is as green as grass, yet is very wholesome food. The _pearl-oyster_ is

much about the size of our common oyster, but thick and broad, and hangs

to the rocks by a long string or beard, like that of a muscle. The pearl

is found in its thickest part, and some have six or seven pearls. The

Spaniards often make voyages to this gulf of Nicoya and to California in

quest of pearls, employing Indian divers, who go down in seven or eight

fathoms, and bring up eight, ten, or twelve oysters at a time, which are

opened by other men on board. The meat of this oyster is very green and

fat, and eats tolerably well, boiled or stewed. The _great-oyster_ grows

to the rocks, not hanging from them by a beard. When opened, one part of

the meat is of a fine red colour like a cherry, and the rest a fine

white. I have often eat of this oyster, for want of better victuals; and

they are so large, that one of them cut in pieces and stewed is a

sufficient meal for five or six men. The _muscles_ here are so large

that one will suffice for a meal to two men, and they are tolerably good

when, stewed with pepper and vinegar.

We sailed from the Gulf of Nicoya on the 23d September, and were in lat.

13° 7' N. on the 7th October, when we got sight of two high mountains,

commonly called the Volcanoes of Guatimala. That which is to the north

of the city is the highest, and affords a fine prospect from the sea;

and in the year 1534 threw out a torrent of water, which totally

overwhelmed the old city of St Jago de Guatimala, and occasioned the

building of a new city at the distance of thirty-five miles S.E. The

other mountain is really a volcano, which rages terribly in the rainy

season, from April to November, sometimes throwing out stones as big as

a house, and with such prodigious eruptions of flame, that one may see

to read a letter in a dark night at the distance of six miles. This is

to the south of Guatimala.

The 9th October we took a bark of eighty tons in ballast, but which had

a small quantity of provisions, which were very acceptable. This bark

was commanded by a Spaniard named Christian Martin, born in the

Canaries, but brought up in London, who had formerly been servant to

Captain Eaton, and came with him to the South Sea in quality of gunner;

but, falling out with the men, he ran away from them in the island of

Gorgonia, where he lay concealed for six days till the ship departed. He

then cut down two trees, which he drew to the water side, and bound

together with withes, fixed a mast, and made a sail of two shirts which

he had with him. Then filling a bag with oysters, he put off early in

the morning from Gorgonia, and got next day in the afternoon into the

river Bonaventura. He was here ill used by the Spaniards, who sent him

to Lima, where he was set at liberty. We were now sixty-four men and

boys, all in good health and spirits, and on the 23d November, captured

a small bark of sixty tons from California laden with plank, but having

also several parcels of pearls, that had been fished on that coast.

December 4th we came into the Bay of Nativity, or _Puerto Nauidad_, in

lat. 19° 22' N. where we took a new ship of about sixty tons, laden with

ammunition and military stores for the Acapulco ship, for which we were

now in search, and for the sight of which our people longed as earnestly

as if there had been no difference between seeing and taking her;

neither was it long before they had their wish in one respect, but not

in the other. We took from our prize what ammunition was left; for, on

perceiving our design, the ship's company quitted her, having first

thrown overboard the best part of her cargo, and left the rest scattered

about in the utmost confusion.

Being off the volcano of Colima on the morning of the 6th December, we

descried a sail to which we gave chace, and soon came up with her, when

she proved to be the great Acapulco ship or Manilla galleon, which we

had so long wished to fall in with. As we were well provided, we gave

her a great many broadsides before she could get any of her guns cleared

for action, as she had not suspected us of being an enemy, and was not

at all prepared for us. Martin, who was still a prisoner on board our

ship, advised us to lay her aboard immediately, while the Spaniards were

all in confusion, as we might then easily succeed by boarding; but if we

gave them time to get out their great guns, they would certainly tear us

to pieces, and we should lose the opportunity of acquiring a prize worth

sixteen millions of dollars. Thus it accordingly happened; for the time

being wasted in disputing, between those of us that were for boarding,

and those of a different opinion, she got out one tier of guns, and then

proved too hard for us, so that we could not lie along side of her to do

her any damage. Our five pound shot, which was the biggest we had,

signified little against such a ship; but when any of her eighteen and

twenty-four pound shot struck our ship, which was much decayed, it drove

in a piece of plank of three or four feet. Being thus greatly damaged,

and having received a shot between wind and water in our powder room, by

which two feet of plank were driven in on each side of our stern, orders

were given to stand off from the enemy.

Our design being thus disappointed, all our men became much

discontented, and were for going home, seeing we could do no good in

these parts, either for ourselves or owners; our ship also being ready

to fall in pieces of herself, and having provisions only for three

months at short allowance. Captain Dampier requested that we would

consent to prolong our cruize for six weeks longer; after which he

promised to permit us to sail for India to some factory, where we might

all dispose of ourselves as we thought best for our advantage. To this

we all agreed, and we accordingly cruized along shore to the S.E. in

sight of land, passing the noted ports of Acapulco,_Puerto de los

Angelos_, Guatalco, and several others; when we proposed to seek out a

proper place in which to water our ships and bark, previous to our

intended voyage to the East Indies; and, after some consideration, the

Gulf of Amapalla or Fonseca was fixed upon for that purpose.

On the 5th January, 1705, we met with such vast quantities of fish, that

in half an hour we caught near three score _albicores_, from sixty to

ninety pounds weight each, besides vast quantities of other fish. The

_albicore_ is about four or five feet long, weight from 50 to 100 and

even 150 pounds. It has eleven fins on its back, one pretty large, a

second of middle size, and nine small yellow fins near the tail; one

large fin on each side near the gills; and one near the middle of the

belly. This is a very fleshy fish, having hardly any bones besides the

back bone, and is extraordinary good eating. It has prodigious strength,

while in the water, and preys mostly on flying fish, as do dolphins and

bonetoes. On the 6th of this month, a new revolution took place in our

affairs, as thirty of our men agreed to remain along with Captain

Dampier in the South Sea; but with what view or on what terms, we

others, who were not in the secret, never knew. Our company, who were

not of Dampier's party, consisted of thirty-three men; and,

notwithstanding this new arrangement, we all sailed to the Gulf of

Amapalla, where we anchored on the 26th January.

That same day, all the remaining provisions were equally divided between

the two companies by the agent for the owners, and we had four pieces of

cannon, with a proper proportion of small arms and ammunition, assigned

for us, for our defence during the voyage to India. Our next care was to

take in water, for which purpose we landed on the island of _Conchagua_;

and after some search, we found a large bottom behind the hills, in

which was a large plantain walk, and a large reservoir of rain water,

which came from the mountains. This was very inconvenient, as we were

forced to carry all our water over a high hill, which we could hardly

climb by ourselves; but there was no alternative, and we set to work to

cut down the bushes in our way, to make a clear path. After this, as the

hill was very steep on the land side towards the bottom whence we had to

fetch water, we cut steps in the hill with axes and shovels; and our

sail-maker made a hose or canvass pipe of ninety fathoms long, which

carried the water from the top of the hill down to our water cask at its

foot towards the sea. We then fell to work, each man having a six gallon

keg, in which the water was carried to the top of the hill, where it was

emptied into the hose. We were thus employed four days, in which time

we filled twenty-six tons, which we carried on board. The 31st January,

we all went to the plantain walk, where we cut down as many plantains as

we could carry, with which we returned on board our ship, meaning to set

sail next day.

This evening, two of the men who had agreed to remain with Captain

Dampier, left him and came over to us, so that our number was now

thirty-five, viz. thirty-four English, and a little negro boy we had

taken from the Spaniards. While we were employed in watering our bark,

the men on board the St George were busied in refitting that ship as

well as they could; the carpenter stopping up the shot-holes in the

powder-room with tallow and charcoal, not daring, as he said, to drive a

nail, for fear of making it worse. The four great guns, which usually

stood between decks, were put down into the hold, there being sixteen

besides, which was more than they now had men to manage, as there only

remained twenty-eight men and boys with Captain Dampier, who were mostly

landsmen, a very insignificant force indeed with which to make war on a

whole nation.

SECTION II.

_Sequel of the Voyage of William Funnell, after his Separation from

Captain Dampier_.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time. · 第 11 / 15 章

In the afternoon of the 16th we came to the harbour of Realejo in our