AMONG THE GALLAPAGOS ISLANDS AND AT GORGONA ROAD IN PERU.
[Sidenote: 1709]
[Sidenote: _Mr. Hatley and our bark missing._]
[Sidenote: _Abundance of Pope's bulls found in the "Marquiss."_]
While engaged cruising among the Gallapagos, two more small prizes were
however added to the fleet, but, at the same time, great anxiety was
felt as to the safety of one of the recent prizes, a small bark under
the command of a Mr. Hatley, which was lost sight of here, with only
two days' water on board. And after several days of unsuccessful search
she was "bewail'd as lost," it being supposed that Hatley and his prize
crew of three men had been surprised and overpowered while asleep by
the two Spaniards and three negro prisoners on board her.[17] Besides
careening the frigates and landing their sick men while in Gorgona
Road, arrangements were made with certain Spaniards of note among the
prisoners for the purchase, or rather what Rogers called the ransom,
of the large gallion-built ship, with the other small prizes and their
cargoes; but the stout French-built ship, the "Havre de Grace," in
attempting the capture of which Rogers' brother was killed, was not
sold, but after being re-christened the "Marquiss," was re-fitted, and
armed with nine guns, as an additional cruiser. It was in discharging
cargo, before careening her, that "500 bales of Pope's bulls were
found, which, taking up abundance of room in the ship, we throw'd
overboard," says Rogers, "to make room for better goods, except what we
us'd to burn the pitch off our ship's bottoms when we careen'd 'em."
These bulls or indulgences, he says, "tho they cannot be read, the
print looking worse than any of our old ballads, are sold here by the
clergy for 3 Ryals to 50 pieces of eight each."
[Sidenote: _The blind superstition of the Spaniards towards an image of
the Virgin cast overboard._]
[Sidenote: _A fancied miracle._]
[Sidenote: _A mutiny design'd but prevented._]
[Sidenote: _The civil behaviour of our men to Spanish ladies we had
taken prisoners._]
Though Rogers rarely lets a chance pass of having a shot at the Pope,
he was far from having bigoted or puritanical ideas about the Catholic
religion, for in speaking of his treatment of some of his prisoners of
the better class, he says, "We allow'd liberty of conscience on board
our floating commonwealth, and there being a priest in each ship,
they had the great cabin for their Mass, whilst we us'd the Church of
England service over them on the quarter deck; so that the papists
here were the Low Church men." Other reasons, not connected with his
prisoners' liberty of conscience, may have had something to do with
this arrangement. It happened, however, curiously enough, that about
this time Rogers and his crew, quite unintentionally, assisted in the
making of what afterwards became, no doubt, a very valuable relique
to the Romanists here. For while discharging the cargo of the Spanish
gallion-built ship, he says, "A large wooden effigy of the Virgin Mary
was either dropt or thrown overboard, which drove ashoar near the
north point of the island, from whence some Indians there a fishing,
brought her in their canoe to the shoar over against our ship, where
we gave our prisoners liberty to walk that day. Who, as soon as they
saw her, cross'd and bless'd themselves, and fancied this must be the
Virgin come by water from Lima to help them, and set the image up on
shoar and wiped it dry with cotton, and when they come aboard told us,
that tho' they had wiped her again and again, she continued to sweat
very much; while all those around were devoutly amazed, praying and
telling their beads. They shew'd this cotton to the ransomers and the
interpreter wet by the excessive sweat of the Holy Virgin, which they
kept as a choice relick." "Before this," says Rogers, "when I heard the
like stories, I took 'em to have been invented meerly to ridicule the
Romanists; but when I found such silly stories believed by eight grave
men of a handsome appearance and good reputation amongst the Spaniards,
I was convinced of the ignorance and credulity of the Papists." Just
after the valuation and sale of the plunder of Guiaquil and the prizes
was settled, a mutiny was discovered among the crew of the "Duke,"
sixty of whom signed a paper, expressing discontent at the large share
of plunder assigned to "the gentlemen that were officers, tho not
sailors amongst us." But a little firmness, combined with a judicious
use of the bilboes on Rogers' part, with an abatement on three of
these gentlemen's shares, soon brought his men to reason; "while
though," says Rogers, "sailors usually exceed all measures when left to
themselves on these occasions, I must own ours have been more obedient
than any ship's crew engaged in a like undertaking I ever heard of;"
adding, "but if any sea officer thinks himself endowed with patience
and industry, let him command a privateer and discharge his office well
in a distant voyage, and I'll engage he shall not want opportunities to
improve, if not to exhaust all his stock." It must be remembered that
Captain Rogers wrote this little growl, and found his stock of patience
running short, on the equator, in a small ship, half full of sick men,
and soon after what he calls "those general misunderstandings, and
several unhappy differences among us, arrising out of, and before our
attack on Guiaquil." That Rogers had at this time even more difficult
questions and people to deal with, is shown by an entry in his log,
that, "amongst the prisoners taken on board the last prize from
Panama, was a gentlewoman and her family, her eldest daughter, a pretty
young woman of about 18 newly married, and her husband with her, to
whom we assigned the great cabin of the prize, none being suffer'd to
intrude amongst them. Yet I was told the husband shew'd evident marks
of jealousy, the Spaniard's epidemick, but I hope he had not the least
reason for it amongst us, my third lieutenant, Glendall, alone having
charge of the ship, who being above 50 years of age appeared to us
the most secure guardian to females that had the least charm;" which
is followed by the description of "an ugly creature call'd by the
Spaniards a sloth, caught in Gorgona, and which," says Rogers, "being
let go at the lower part of the mizen shrouds was two hours getting
to the masthead, keeping all the time an equal and slow pace as if he
walk'd by art and all his movements had been directed by clockwork
within him." "Many monkeys were shot in Gorgona Island, fricassees and
broth being made of them for the sick men." But though "Capt. Dampier,
who had been accustomed to such food, said he never eat any thing in
London that seemed so delicious as a monkey or baboon of these parts,
none of the Duke's officers would touch them, provisions being not yet
scarce enough." Rogers also describes the "land turtles alias tortoises
caught in the Gallapagos islands as the ugliest creatures in nature,
with a shell black as jet not unlike the top of an old hackney coach;
the neck long about the bigness of a mans wrist, with club feet as big
as ones fist shaped like those of an elephant, the head little and
visage small like a snake looking very old and black." He adds: "they
lay eggs on our deck about the size of gooses, white with a large thick
shell exactly round."
[Sidenote: _Negroes muster'd and encourag'd to fight if there should be
occasion._]
[Sidenote: _The men exercised by a sham fight with the "Dutchess."_]
After leaving Gorgona, the "Duke," "Dutchess," and "Marquiss," on the
25th of August, bore away for Tecames Road, in order to trade with
the natives and Spaniards there for fresh provisions, &c. The Indians
here, however, were at first disposed to fight rather than trade, so
that while careening the ships half the men had to be kept under arms;
until Rogers happily thought of conciliating them with "a present of
three large wooden Spanish saints he had on board, and which, with
a feather'd cap for the chief's wife," were sent on shore. Besides
these "wooden saints," a portion of the prize goods on board the
"Duke" consisted of about thirty-five negroes, and these not being
readily turned into money at this time, were, "being lusty fellows,"
mustered by Rogers, and, "after taking the names of those that had
any, and giving names to those that wanted them, were placed with
arms and powder in charge of Michael Kendall, a free negro of Jamaica
who deserted from the Spaniards at Gorgona, with orders to drill them
continually to act as marines in case we meet an enemy." While, in
order to encourage, and make this black contingent as presentable as
possible, "they were given bays" (baize) "for clothing, and with a
dram all round to confirm the contract, were told that now they must
look upon themselves as Englishmen, and no more as negro slaves to the
Spaniards." With which rough and ready form of emancipation and British
baptism, "they," says Rogers, "express'd themselves highly pleas'd;
while I promise myself good assistance from them, bearing in mind the
proverb, that those who know nothing of danger, fear none;" while in
order to further perfect these negroes and the men in the use of the
great guns and small arms, the "Dutchess," at ten one morning, hoisted
Spanish colours, and a sham fight was arranged, "during which everyone
acted the part he ought have done if in earnest, firing with ball
excepted. Our prisoners were secur'd in the hold with the surgeons, and
to imitate the business for them, I order'd," says Rogers, "red lead
mixed with water to be thrown upon two of our fellows and sent 'em down
to the surgeons, who were much surpris'd, and thinking they had been
really wounded, went about to dress them, but finding their mistake, it
was a very agreable diversion."
On the afternoon of Nov. 4th, "the 'Dutchess' being near," Rogers
sent his yawl aboard with Lieut. Glendall "to agree exactly on some
remarkable land, that each of us knowing the same landmark, might the
better keep our stations. We agreed also that the 'Marquiss' should now
be in the middle with the 'Dutchess' next the shore." Two days later
it was arranged between the captains of the "Duke" and "Dutchess" that
the outer berth should be exchanged for the inner one every two days,
in order, says Rogers, "that we may have equal chances for seeing the
Manila ship, because I now think the inner birth the likeliest; Sir
Thomas Cavendish in Queen Elizabeth's time having took the Spanish
Galleon in this place on the 4th of November."
An old salt, in the days when yachting was almost unknown, used to say,
"that a man who went to sea for pleasure, would be likely to go to hell
for pastime." Englishmen and Americans, however, do now go to sea not
only for amusement, but spend large sums in doing so, many of these
being men who, in Rogers' time, would no doubt have gone to sea for
gain, and the pleasure and excitement of Spanish gallion-hunting. But
three weary months, like those now spent in the "Duke" and "Dutchess,"
cruising under a tropical sun off Cape St. Lucas, waiting and watching
for the "Manila ship," were enough to try the patience of the most
ardent of gallion-hunters.
It is not surprising, therefore, that a sea parliament had at this time
to assemble on board the "Duke" to pass measures for the prevention
and punishment of gambling, which had so increased of late among the
officers and crews of the ships, that some of the men had lost the
greater part of their share in the plunder recently divided among them.
It was probably one of these reckless gamblers that was ordered into
irons about this time "for wishing himself a pirate, or that an enemy
was alongside who could overpower us"--a wish which must have appeared
even more atrocious to Captain Rogers than did that of Mr. Squeers'
pupil, "the juniorest Palmer," who after first "wishing he was in
heaven," went on to "wish he was a donkey, because then he wouldn't
have a father as didn't love him!" Among the measures passed "against
wagering and gaming" on board the frigates, the most useful was one
repudiating "all debts contracted from man to man, unless attested
by the commanders and entered on the ship's books;" which strange
old-motherly resolution was "agreed to and signed by the officers and
men in each ship in sight of California, Nov. 11th, 1709."
[Sidenote: _A negro woman brought to bed on board the "Duke."_]
The tedium of this long cruise was broken once by touching at the
islands of Tres Marias for wood and water, and again by a second visit
to the Galapagos in hopes of falling in with "poor Hatley and his
bark;" but nothing was found there beyond some traces of the buccaneers
in the shape of wreckage and broken wine jars. Rogers also mentions
at this time, as an event of some importance, the birth on board the
"Duke" of "a tawny coloured negro girl," the mother being a negress
from Guiaquil, kept among other prize goods of the same class to act
as laundresses[18] and seamtresses on board the ships. Both mother
and child were well cared for, a close cabin being provided for her,
together with a "bottle of thick strong Peru wine." This interesting
event was evidently not looked upon by Captain Rogers as an unmixed
blessing, for he says that "he gave our other she-negro nymph (called
Daphné) strict orders to be careful not to transgress in this way."
[Sidenote: _'Tis agreed to sail to Guam or some other place to
recruit._]
[Sidenote: _Discover the Manila ship._]
Provisions of all sorts, especially bread, were, "after a strict
rummage of the ships," now found to be running short, while their new
consort, the "Marquiss," was discovered to be defective and leaking,
and had to be taken to the "port of Segura," for repairs. "So that,"
Rogers says, "we all looked very melancholy, necessity compelling us
to no longer continue cruising for the Manila ship, but sail at once
across the Pacific for the island of Guam in order to revictual before
starting for China and the Indies, and thence round the Cape of Good
Hope, for England." This was, however, scarcely decided upon, when, on
December 21st, at nine a.m., a man "at the mast head cry'd out he saw
another sail as well as the 'Dutchess,'" which, though at first thought
to be the "Marquiss" rejoining them, proved "after several wagers" to
be the long expected "Acapulco ship." The weather continued calm that
day, which "kept them all in a very uncertain languishing condition,"
and the chase had to be tended during the night by "two pinnaces
showing false fires, that we might know whereabouts they and the chase
was."
[Illustration: _The "Duke" takes the Manila Ship._]
[Sidenote: _Pursue her._]
[Sidenote: _Engage her._]
[Sidenote: _Take her._]
[Sidenote: _Capt. Rogers wounded._]
But a little after daybreak on the 23rd, still having no wind, Rogers
says, "we _got_ out _eight_ of our _ship's oars_, and rowed above an
hour, when there sprung up a small breeze, upon which I order'd a large
kettle of chocolate to be made for our ship's company, (having no
spiritous liquor to give them) and then went to prayers, but before
we had concluded, were disturb'd by the enemy firing at us. She had
barrels hanging at each yard arm, which looked like powder barrels to
deter us from boarding. The 'Dutchess' being to leeward, with little
wind, did not come up. And the enemy firing her stern chase several
times, we returned it with our forechase, till getting close aboard,
we gave her several broadsides plying our small arms briskly, which
they return'd as thick for awhile, but did not ply their guns so fast
as we. After a little while shooting ahead of them we lay athawt their
hawse close aboard, and ply'd them so warmly, that she soon struck
her colours two-thirds down; and the 'Dutchess' coming up, fired five
guns and a volley of small shot, to which she made no reply, having
submitted. This Galleon was," says Rogers, "called by the long name
of 'Nostra Seniora de la Incarnacion Desengàno,' Sir John Pichberty,
Commander, she had twenty guns, with twenty patereroes and 193 men,
whereof nine were killed, ten wounded, and several blown up and burnt
with powder. We engaged them about three glasses" (an hour and a half),
"in which time we had only myself and another wounded. I being shot
through the left cheek, the bullet striking away great part of my upper
jaw, and several teeth which dropt down on the deck where I fell. The
other was an Irish land-man slightly wounded. A shot disabled our
mizenmast, and I was forced to write what I would say to prevent the
loss of blood, and because of the pain I suffered by speaking."
On examining the officers on board the prize, they learnt that "she
left Manila in company with a much larger vessel; but having lost
sight of her about three months ago, they thought she must be got to
Acapulco before now." The latter part of this information was evidently
not relied on, for measures were at once taken to secure and leave the
present prize and prisoners at Port Segura, and start the "Dutchess"
with the "Marquiss," which they found in "sailing posture there," on
an eight days' cruise for the other gallion, the "Nostra Seniora del
Incarnation Desengàno," now re-christened the "Batchelor," to remain in
port with as many men as could be spared to guard and refit her. Her
sails being removed, and the prisoners, of whom there were 170, secured
for the time on board a small bark, anchored a mile distant from her
without rudder, sails, or boat, with a few men to give them victuals
and drink. Rogers' wound must have been serious, for on the 24th he
says, "In the night I felt something clog my throat, which I swallow'd
with much pain, and suppose it was a part of my jaw bone or the shot,
which we can't yet give account of;" adding, "but I soon recover'd
myself, only my throat and head being greatly swell'd, I have much ado
to swallow any sorts of liquid for sustenance," which made him very
weak; and, what was worse, "that he spoke in great pain, and not loud
enough to be heard at any distance."
[Sidenote: _They see the other Manila ship and pursue her._]
[Sidenote: _Captain Rogers again badly wounded._]
But though the surgeons and chief officers wished him to stay in port
on board the prize, he was unable to resist the temptation, when, on
the afternoon of the 26th, "two sentries who had been placed upon a
hill above the port signalled by three waffs that a third sail was
in sight, as well as the 'Dutchess' and 'Marquiss,'" of joining his
consorts as soon as possible, in command of his own ship, Captain Dover
remaining on board the prize. It was 7 p.m., and soon quite dark,
before the "Duke" was under weigh; but at daybreak next morning all
three vessels were sighted to windward, distant about four leagues;
the wind remained scant, however, all day, so that Rogers and his
crew had the mortification of seeing first the "Marquiss" and then
the "Dutchess" briskly engage the gallion without being able to join
them; in fact it was midnight before they did so, and then only to
find that the "Marquiss" had fired away nearly all her powder and
shot with little or no effect, her guns being too small, and that the
"Dutchess" had been forced to stretch away, with several men wounded,
from the Spaniard, to repair her foremast and other defects, among
which was a shot in her powder-room. "Curiously enough," Rogers says,
"the Spaniard had been making signals to the 'Duke,' and edging toward
her all day, mistaking her for her lost consort, until just before
dusk, otherwise, having little wind, and that against us, we should
not have been up with her at all." The following day, however, the
"Duke" was near enough to join in the fight, but only to find, as the
"Dutchess" and "Marquiss" had done before her, that their largest
round shot (six-pounders) did very little hurt to the gallion, a
brave new ship, the "Bignonia," of 900 tons and 60 guns, and well
provided with close-quarters,[19] and her waist protected by strong
boarding-netting.[20] The "Dutchess" had now twenty men killed and
wounded, while a fire-ball from the enemy's roundtop, lighting on
the "Duke's" quarter-deck, blew up an ammunition chest, by which Mr.
Vanbrugh and a Dutchman were much burnt; while Rogers says, "Just
before we blew up on the quarter deck I was unfortunately wounded by a
splinter in the left foot, part of my heel bone being struck out and
ankle cut above half through, which bled very much before it could be
dressed, and weaken'd me so that I could not stand, but lay on my back
in great misery." From first to last they had been engaged six or seven
hours, and placed not less than 500 shot in the gallion; yet there she
lay "driving," the Spanish flag obstinately flying from her maintopmast
head, "all our battering signing little beyond killing two men in her
tops, and shattering her rigging."
[Sidenote: _After a long engagement are forced to let the large Manila
ship go._]
As all this fighting was simply of a commercial character, a council
was now assembled on board the "Duke," and though the Spaniard still
"lay with his mainyard aback, expecting another brush," it was at once
decided, "that after keeping the galleon company till night, they
should then lose her, and return to the harbour to look after the
prize already taken." This measure was the more urgent as ammunition
of all sorts was running short, and the "Duke's" mainmast shot through
miserably in two places, so that it settled to it, threatening every
moment to fall by the board, and bring other spars down with it;
which, as they had a long voyage before them, and masts not easily got
there without great delay, might even endanger the safety of the whole
expedition. It was indeed lucky for them that they did not attempt to
board this great ship, for they learnt afterwards that her complement
of men amounted to 450, besides passengers; while in all three ships
they had now less than 120 men left fit for boarding. Soon after this
the "Spaniard filled her sails and made away W.N.W.," glad enough, no
doubt, to lose sight of them, though in size and force she was quite
equal to the great gallion that, to Lord Anson's surprise, bore down
upon the "Centurion," of 60 guns, instead of trying to avoid her.
Weight of metal, however, enabled him to make as short work of that
gallion as Rogers did of the smaller one.
Rogers himself was of opinion that had the "Duke" and "Dutchess"
attacked this ship together in the first instance, they would have
taken her, and was most anxious for that reason that the "Dutchess"
and "Marquiss" should not go out of port until his ship was ready to
sail. The majority, however, decided then that he should remain in port
until the arrangements for the security of the smaller gallion and her
prisoners were completed. Upon arriving at Port Segura the prisoners,
with Captain Pichberty, his officers, and a padre, were supplied with
water and provisions, and after acknowledging in writing "that they
had been very civilly treated," were despatched in the small bark to
Acapulco.
FOOTNOTES:
[17] On returning to England, Rogers learnt that Mr. Hatley's bark was
not lost; but that, after pluckily keeping the sea for a fortnight
without water, he was forced to make for the mainland; where he and his
companions fell into the hands of some Spanish Indians, and were by
them tied up to a tree, whipped, and otherwise illtreated, their lives
being only saved by a padre, who interfered and cut them down; after
which Hatley remained a prisoner at Lima for some time.
[18] Even in Nelson's time, and later, it was not unusual to find
women, the wives of petty officers, on board a man-of-war in
commission, who acted as washerwomen, and helped the surgeons and their
mates in the sick-bay, or on the orlop deck among the wounded in time
of action; and the author can remember one of these old ladies, about
forty years ago, living in the island of Jersey with her husband, a
retired gunner, who had been in the actions of the Nile and Trafalgar.
[19] "Close-quarters." Strong barriers of wood across a ship in certain
places, used as a retreat when boarded, fitted with loop-holes for
small arms, and often with powder-chests on the deck over them, which
can be fired from the close-quarters upon a boarding party.
[20] Boarding-nettings extended fore and aft above the gunwale to a
proper height up the rigging, to prevent an enemy jumping aboard.
Anson says that, in addition to these, the gallion taken by him "was
provided against boarding both by 'close quarters,' and a strong net of
two inch rope laced over her waist, defended by half pikes."
[Illustration]