Chapter IV: Part 4

August 1, they resolved to prosecute their voyage thro’ the Straits, which, with much danger and difficulty, they accomplished. Aug. 18, they arrived in the South-Seas, but so weak, that it was impossible to undertake any thing immediately; they therefore steered directly for the island of Juan Fernandez, the third and last place of rendezvous, where they arrived Sept. 7, and searched diligently in hopes of finding some token of the Speedwell, but to no manner of purpose. According to his instructions, Clipperton continued to cruise a full month, and, before he took his departure, ordered an inscription to be cut on a remarkable tree fronting the landing place; so that it was impossible for any ship’s crew to come ashore, and not see it. The inscription thus: “CAPTAIN JOHN W. MAGEE, 1719.” This William Magee was surgeon on board the Success, was well-known to Capt. Shelvock, and all the ship’s company; and therefore his name was made choice of rather than the Captain’s, for a blind in case the inscription should be read by the Spaniards. Here the sick were set ashore, and every means used for their recovery; but the very thoughts of being without any cordial to comfort them, dejected them excessively. The weather was changeable; abundance of rain fell; and they had also some hard gales of wind. They took goats in plenty, which not only served them for the present, but likewise increased their sea-store, having salted a great number with salt they found on the island ready-made. They likewise wooded and watered, and cleaned their ship, ready for action in the South-Seas, where it was now visible they were to cruise alone; for Clipperton was of opinion the Speedwell was lost; or at least he gave out so, to pacify his company, who were continually cursing Capt. Shelvock for running away with their liquors. One thing remarkable was, the beauty and fertility of this island, added to the stories they had heard of others; tempted four of Clipperton’s men, with a view of remaining there, to betake themselves to the mountains, where two of them were made prisoners by the goat-hunters, who were forced to fire at them several times before they would surrender.

October 7, they prepared to sail; and, in the mean time, Captain Mitchell went on shore, to set up a cross already cut for that purpose, at the foot of which he buried a bottle, in which was contained a letter for Captain Shelvock, directing another place of rendezvous, and some proper signal to know each other by at sea. At eight in the morning, they weighed from the island of Juan Fernandez, and left their two men in possession of it, of whom more hereafter.

After leaving this island, Captain Clipperton sailed northward, till he was in the parallel of Lima, where he intended to act, though he was now in a very indifferent condition, having lost thirty men since his passing the Equator; and the remaining crew expressing some uneasiness in relation to plunder, he caused a paper to be fixed to the main-mast, which was assented to by the whole ship’s company.

On October 25, they gave chace to a small vessel, and took her. Being their first prize, she was an ill omen of their future success. She was a snow of 40 tons, laden with sand and rubbish for manure; had seven Indians and two negroes on board; and all the captors could find worth taking, was two jars of eggs, as much treacle, and a couple of pieces of eight in ready money. The next day, they met with a ship called the St. Vincent, of 150 tons, laden with wood from Guiaquil, with two friars, sixteen Indians, and four negroes aboard. On the 30th, they took a large ship called the Trinity, of 400 tons, taken by Captain Rogers when he plundered Guiaquil, ten years before. She had a great many passengers on board, and a cargo of considerable value.

On Nov. 2, they took another prize, of 70 tons, with the Countess of Laguna and several other passengers on board, a great deal of money, and upwards of 400 jars of wine and brandy, articles very much wanted. Captain Clipperton desired the Countess to make her choice, either to stay on board the prize, or accept of the accommodations they were able to afford her on board the Success. She chose the former; and the Captain sent an officer with strict orders to suffer nobody to enter her cabbin but her own domestics: he likewise appropriated a part of the wine and brandy found on board the prizes for the use of his seamen, to whom, no doubt, it was a welcome refreshment.

He had already detached several officers, and above a third part of his company, to take care of his prizes; and yet was as eager to take more, as if, instead of a privateer weakly manned, he had commanded a squadron of ships of war. On the 12th, he discovered at some distance, a London-built pink, of 200 tons, laden with wood, named the Rosario, the Master of which being a very cunning fellow, soon saw the error that Clipperton had committed, and resolved to take advantage of it. He guessed, by the number of prizes, that many men could not be sent on board his ship; and, having about a dozen passengers, he directed them, under the command of a French boatswain, to hide themselves in the hold, with orders, on his making a certain signal, to seize as many of the English as came down; assuring them, that he, with the ship’s company, would be able to manage the rest. As soon as the ship struck, Captain Clipperton sent Lieutenant Serjeantson, with eight men, to take possession of her; who, as soon as he came on board, ordered all that appeared into the great cabin, and placed a centinel at the door of it. Thinking every thing secure, and not in the least apprehensive of danger, he with some of his men went into the hold to see what was in the ship; on which the passengers, who were concealed, sallied out, knocked most of them down, and the French boatswain, coming behind Mr. Serjeantson, knocked him down likewise, and then ordered them to be all bound. The Spaniards in the great cabin secured the centinel; and, having thus recovered their ship, made instantly for the shore, where their own company and the prisoners were all in equal danger of perishing; which the Captain no sooner perceived, than he ordered the English to be unbound; and, by good fortune, every man escaped upon the rocks, against which the Spaniard in his eagerness had run his vessel, and against which she was dashed to pieces. Lieutenant Serjeantson and his people were secured, and sent prisoners to Lima. The Viceroy of Peru was no sooner acquainted with this gallant action, than he ordered a new ship to be built at Guiaquil for the Captain, and taxed the traders towards the expence of her, intending this as a reward for the service he had rendered the public, and hoping thereby to encourage others to behave as nobly. On the arrival of the prisoners at Lima, they were closely examined and one of them gave a full account of every thing he knew, particularly of the two men left upon the island of Juan Fernandez, and of the bottle with a letter in it; upon which, the Viceroy ordered a small vessel to be fitted out, to fetch both the one and the other, which was accordingly performed.

It was not till the 20th that Captain Clipperton perceived that his last prize was retaken; when, considering what was best to be done, he prudently determined to set his Spanish prisoners at liberty, as well to save provisions, which, at that time, he could very ill spare, as that their good usage might be speedily known, and returned to such of his men as were in the enemy’s power.

Accordingly, on the 27th, they came to an anchor with all their prizes, at the island of La Plata, and, in his way, took another prize, called the Cayetan, of 200 tons, having on board 40 negroes, and 30 Spaniards, most of them passengers. Here the Captain began seriously to consider how he should make the most of this expedition for his owners, as well as himself, and his company. He knew that all the coast was alarmed; and that two men of war, one of fifty, and one of thirty guns, were fitted out on purpose to take him: he was sensible, that the goods he had on board were not likely to be ransomed in that part of the world; and that they would prove mere drugs, if brought into this; and therefore laid all these things together; and, reflecting on a proposition made by Captain Woods Rogers, to send a cargo of such prize-goods to Brazil, he resolved to try the experiment; and, accordingly, he fitted out the bark in which he took the Countess of Laguna; mounted her with eight guns; and, putting on board of her thirteen Englishmen, and ten negroes, with what provisions and other necessaries he could spare, he sent her with a cargo of European commodities, valued at 10,000 pounds, for Brazil, under the command of Captain Mitchell, his second in command. As soon as he was gone, the Captain parted with all his other prizes, presenting them to the Spanish prisoners, after taking out of them what he thought valuable, and detaining only the Captain of one of them for his pilot, and all the negroes; after which he sailed from that island, in order to cruize in his former station.

December 12, they saw a sail about five in the evening, and, at seven, took her. She was called the Rosary, and laden with provisions. The launch and pinnace were all the next day employed in bringing on board the cargo, and having got out of her as much as they could stow, they cut her main-mast by the board, lest she should overset, and so let her go. The prisoners informed them that the men taken by the Rosario were sent to Lima by land. On the 27th they looked into Guanchaco bay, and found two ships at anchor. They fired a shot at each, but they made no return. Sending then their boats aboard, they found them abandoned, and could discover nothing left, except some bread, and a few jars of water. They hung out a flag of truce, and fired two guns at half an hour’s interval, hoping they would have come aboard to ransom their ships. They were answered from shore; but no boat coming, they waited till next day, and then set them on fire.

It was now resolved to bear away for refreshment to the Gallapagos islands, where they might remain unmolested till the alarm of their being in those seas should be over; and, accordingly, put their design in execution. On January 9, 1720, they anchored on the north side of the Duke of York’s island, immediately under the Equinoctial, where they found good water, and cleaned their ship, which confirms the account given by Captain Cowley, though Captain Rogers could not find the place.

On the 21st of January they observed a sail, and about eleven at night came up with her; and, on firing of their first gun, she struck. She was called the Prince Eugene, and had on board the Marquis de Villa Roche, and all his family, who were going to Lima.

On February 26th, a Spaniard dying of a wound he had received at the taking this ship, the Marquis desired he might be buried according to their ceremonies; which was granted. When the office for the dead had been performed, and the corpse thrown over-board, with a large bag of ballast tied at his feet, the Spaniards crying thrice, as their custom is on such occasion, _Bon Voiage_, i. e. a good voyage, the body, to the admiration of every one, presently floated, and continued floating as far as they could see it; which the Marquis concluded to be an ill omen, and declared that some surprising accident would be the consequence.

On March 8, a priest, who was on board the Prince Eugene, desired leave to go on shore on the island of Velas; which was granted, on his promising to persuade the inhabitants to drive some black cattle to the shore, in order to exchange them for what goods they liked best. On the 16th, he returned with four head of black cattle, some fowls, and fruit, as a present to the Marquis; but at the same time declared, that the Governor would not suffer the inhabitants to trade. He said, Captain Mitchell had been ashore there, and had shot some of their cattle; but that 200 men appearing under arms, they had forced him to retire. The next day some letters from the Marquis were intercepted, very little to his honour, since they tended to stir up the people to surprise, and secure the boat when it came next ashore to water. Upon this, Captain Clipperton confined him for some days; yet, on the 20th, he allowed both the Marquis and his lady to go ashore, leaving their only child as an hostage.

On April 14, the Marquis, his lady, and the Governor, came aboard; and, an agreement being made for their ransom, the lady and child were sent on shore, and the Marquis only remained as an hostage. In this transaction Clipperton appears to have been outwitted by this nobleman, who basely broke his word, and provoked the crew for trusting him. On April 20th, they anchored in the gulph of Amapala; and, not being able to water there, repaired to the island of Tigers, where they did it with great ease. On June 4, they sailed to Gorgona on the same errand, and were well supplied. On the 24th, they made prize a second time of the St. Vincent, now commanded by Don Clement de Andrado, laden with timber and cocoa-nuts. On August 11, they anchored, with their prize, at the island of Lobos de la Mar, where they set up tents on the shore, scrubbed and cleaned their ship, and where the crew talked over their affairs, till they began to think them desperate. Sometimes they reflected on the Captain, for pretending to remain in these seas without their consort; at other times, they blamed him for giving in to the Spanish Marquis’s project for ransoming his ship, which, they believed, would never be performed: and, now-and-then, the ship’s corporal, one James Roch, a bold, busy, intriguing fellow, threw in some sly insinuations, that, it they must go through such hardships, it was better they should do it for their own sakes, than for other peoples; and one Joseph Maynard, the boatswain’s mate, pushing things still further, a plot was at last formed for seizing the Captain, the rest of the officers, and running away with the ship. They likewise agreed, that, when their design was brought to bear, the officers should be set on shore on the island of Lobos, and all who afterwards opposed them shot without mercy. This wicked combination, however, was happily discovered, the two ringleaders severely punished, and the rest pardoned; by which wise conduct the conspiracy was suppressed. On the 17th they took a fishing-boat, with a large quantity of salt-fish well cured; but found the St. Vincent, which they had left at an anchor under the island of Lobos, driven ashore, and sunk: here they put thirty-eight Spanish prisoners on board the fishing-boat, and sent them away.

Nov. 1, they entered the bay of Conception, where, missing a prize that outsailed them, they bore away for Coquimbo, and took a ship laden with tobacco, sugar, and cloth, in their passage. On the 6th, in the afternoon, they opened that harbour, where they saw three men-of-war lying, with their top-sails loose; and these no sooner spied them, than they cut their cables, and stood after them. The Success hauled close on a wind, and the prize did the same; upon which the Spanish man-of-war that sailed best gave chace to the latter, and took her. The other two ships crouded all the sail they could to come up with the Success, but she outsailing them, made her escape. In the Spanish prize they lost their third Lieutenant, Mr. James Milne, and twelve of their best men. The Captain who took him was the famous Don Blas de Lesso, Governor of Carthagena, when attacked by Admiral Vernon. Don Blas treated his prisoner a little roughly at first, being enraged to find he had missed the English privateer, and only retaken a Spanish prize; and, in the first transport of his passion, struck Mr. Milne on the head with the flat of his sword; but, when he came to himself, he sent for him, and, finding him stripped by his soldiers, generously asked his pardon, ordered him a new suit of cloaths, and kept him for some time on board his ship. He afterwards procured his liberty at Lima, paid for his passage to Panama, where he gave him a jar of brandy, and another of wine, for his sea-stores, put 200 pieces of eight in his pocket, and sent him to England. This unlucky accident of losing their prize revived the ill humours among Clipperton’s men, who did not indeed plot again, but became exceedingly dejected. On the 16th they saw another sail, and gave chace, which, after a few guns fired on both sides, bore away, being a clean ship, and left them; which proved a lucky escape; for this was likewise a ship of force, fitted out to take Capt. Shelvock, and commanded by one Fitzgerald, who, knowing this was not Shelvock’s ship, and doubting what strength she might be of, had no great stomach to engage her. These repeated disappointments, as they broke the spirits of his crew, so they had a very bad effect on Capt. Clipperton himself, who began now to betake himself to drinking; and, as this vice generally grows upon people under misfortunes, he drank at last to such an excess, that he was hardly ever quite cool or sober. It was chiefly owing to this unhappy practice, that he fell into many errors in his future conduct. They were now in want of provisions, and they resolved to continue cruising to the north, to seek a supply. In this cruize they had but indifferent success; and, therefore, on the 27th, they set ashore their Spanish prisoners, and then determined to go once more to the Gallapagos, in order to refresh. In their passage to these islands, they began to suspect some error in their log-line; and, upon measuring, found it three fathoms too short.

On the 4th of December, they lost their purser; and the same day found themselves very near the Gallapagos islands, but could find no anchoring-place, nor any fresh-water, though they had found a fine road on their first visit, which gave Shelvock occasion to charge Clipperton with want of skill; they therefore made the best way they could to the Isle of Cocoas, where they hoped certainly to get some fish, fowl, and cocoa-nuts, most of their people being very sick and weak. On the 17th in the morning they came in sight of it, which filled them with inexpressible joy. On the 18th, all that could be spared went on shore to build a kind of booth for the reception of their sick, who were all conveniently lodged. The Captain opened here the last cask of brandy for the use of the ship’s company, and gave every man a dram a day; and, on New-Year’s-day, he allowed a gallon of strong beer to every mess; and, by having here plenty of nourishing food and much ease, the crew began to recover, and were able to wood and water, though with much difficulty.

On the 17th of January, 1721, the Captain made the necessary dispositions for sailing; but, when they came to muster the men, there were no less than eleven missing, three Englishmen, and eight negroes, who chose rather to remain in this unfrequented island, than continue exposed to dangers and fatigues on board, and to their living constantly at short allowance.

On the 25th, they arrived on the coast of Mexico, where, discovering a sail, they sent their pinnace to give her chace; to whom she instantly struck. She proved to be Jesu Maria, commanded by Capt. Shelvock; and the account he gave was, That he had no more than forty men alive, the rest being all dead, or dispersed; that he had lost the Speedwell at Juan Fernandez, where they built a bark out of the wreck; that they had coasted along Chili and Peru, till they came to Pisco, near Lima where they took this prize; that they had no regular command among them; that they had chosen a quartermaster, carrying every thing by a majority of votes; and that they had quite broken their articles with their owners, and had shared all among themselves.

On the 27th, Captain Shelvock came aboard, being sent for by Captain Clipperton and the agent, to give an account of his transactions. The boat brought Mr. Dod, Lieutenant of marines, having been used very ill for his attachment to the owners; at least so he asserted, and was firmly believed by Captain Clipperton, and his officers. The next day Captain Shelvock sent on board them six chests of pitch and dammer, and two barrels of tar, with six slabs of copper: Captain Clipperton spared him twenty-four quarter-deck guns, some great shot, a compass, and a few other necessaries: his people purchased cloaths, shoes, hats, and other necessaries; and Mr. Hendric the purser, and Mr. Dod, continued in the Success, designing never more to sail with Shelvock.

In the beginning of March, both time and place favouring, they determined to attempt the Manilla ship, before she entered Acapulco.

On the 13th, they again met Captain Shelvock, and, at a general consultation, agreed to make the attempt jointly. But, previous to the signing this agreement, it was proposed by Captain Clipperton to form a joint stock, to bury all former miscarriages in oblivion, and again to act in concert for the good of the owners. This proposition was rejected by Captain Shelvock and his people, who did not care to part with what they possessed; upon which Captain Clipperton and his company, perceiving there was nothing to be expected from their consort, and that they were too weak of themselves to effect their purpose, determined to sail directly to the East-Indies, and instantly put their resolution in execution, without waiting for or consulting Captain Shelvock.

The run from the coast of Mexico to the island of Guam, they performed in fifty-three days; and, May the 13th, anchored in the road of Umatta,--from whence they sent their pinnace ashore, with a flag of truce, in order to obtain some provisions, which met at first with a favourable reception, being told that, if they behaved civilly, and paid honestly, they should be furnished with what the island could afford. Soon after the launch arrived, and brought on board some cattle, bread, sugar, greens, palm-wine, and brandy, from the Governor, with a large quantity of chocolate. In return for which, his health was drank by the whole ship’s crew, under a salvo of seven guns: this was the last act of civility that passed between them.

On the 18th of May, their prisoner, the Marquis de Ville Roche, went ashore, in company with the agent, the first lieutenant and doctor, having previously agreed with the Governor about his ransom. Our launch was employed six days in bringing wood, water, and provision aboard; during which time, the Governor desired he might have some arms and ammunition in exchange: accordingly Captain Clipperton sent him twelve fuzees, three jars of powder, sixty round shot, four pair of pistols, besides cutlasses, long swords, and daggers. The 25th, they received a letter, in which the Governor demanded the Marquis’s jewels, some consecrated plate, and two negroes, being Christians, and subjects to the King of Spain; as also a certificate, under the Captain and officers hands, that peace was proclaimed, detaining Mr. Godfrey and Mr. Pritty till all this was performed. The Captain returned for answer, that the Solidad, the last prize taken on the coast of Chili, declared there was peace between England and Spain; but, withal, assured the Governor, that, if he did not, in twenty-four hours, send the ransom with the two gentlemen, he would demolish the houses upon the shore, burn the ship in the harbour, and do all the mischief he could at the Philippine islands.

After this declaration, hostilities commenced on both sides. The people on shore had raised a battery from whence they fired at the pinnace. The ship ran a-ground between two fires, one from the battery over their heads, and another from the ship in the harbour. In endeavouring to get their ship off, they ran foul of the rocks. The enemy fired so warmly with stones and shot, that they suffered extremely in their hull and rigging. They had three men wounded, besides the misfortune of losing Mr. Davidson, their first Lieutenant, who was an honest man, and a good officer.

In this emergency, the Captain being overcome with liquor, the officers signed a paper indemnifying Mr. Cook for taking upon him the command. They cleared away the hold, ready to start their water, to make the ship lighter; and got their upper and lower deck guns forward, to bring her by the head, the ship hanging abaft on the rock.

During the last twenty-four hours, they had happily only one man wounded; but the ship was wretchedly torn and mangled between wind and water. The 30th, at six in the afternoon, the ship floating, they cut away the yawl, she being sunk with the shot; the other boats were much damaged; they hove to their small bower, then cut it away, and the other two hawsers, and sent their pinnace a-head, to tow the ship off. Just as they got afloat, the enemy fired so smartly from the new battery, that their shot raked them through between wind and water, killing one of their people, and wounding two others. They lost both their bow-anchors and cables, the stern and kedge anchors, four hawsers, four of their lower-deck guns, and nineteen barrels of powder, two men killed, and six wounded, having stood for no less than fifty hours a fair mark for the enemy to fire at; and, if they had not got clear, it was believed they would have been sunk before morning. At ten in the forenoon they brought to, and began to splice their rigging, not a rope of which escaped a shot. Their carpenters were employed in fixing the masts and yards, and the rest of their people in fixing the rigging. At six in the afternoon they took their departure, leaving Mr. Godfrey and Mr. Pritty in the hands of the enemy. This was certainly one of the worst errors committed by Clipperton; for he should never have quitted the Marquis, without having the ransom in his hands.

On the 24th of June, they were in sight of the Bashee Islands; and, on the last day of the month, they saw the island-shoals of Prata.

On the 1st of July, they fell in with other islands, and passed several boats that were fishing, though no such islands are laid down in any chart. They anchored under one of these islands, and dispatched their pinnace for intelligence; but not being able to learn their course to Macao, nor to get a pilot, they determined to sail for Amoy; before which port they arrived on the 5th in the evening, but were afraid to enter it in the night, and therefore plied off and on till day-light. They took notice of a great number of snakes in the sea, which were brought down by the rivers that empty themselves on that coast. In the evening of the 6th of July, they entered the port, and were well pleased to find themselves once more in a place where they might hope to obtain refreshments, and to be able to repair their ship; but they were no sooner anchored in this port, than they had 10 custom-house officers put on board them. The first thing these custom-house officers demanded was, what the ship was reputed to be, and what business she had there. Captain Clipperton answered, the ship belonged to the King of Great Britain, and that she put in there by stress of weather, in order to obtain provisions and necessaries. Next morning, the men mutinied, and insisted on being immediately paid their prize-money. Mr. Taylor, to whom we are indebted for this account, interposing, one Edward Boreman told him, he had best desist, unless he had a mind to have a brace of balls through his head. Mr. Cook, who commanded in the affair of Guam, and who succeeded Mr. Davidson as First Lieutenant, now demanded thirty shares, in right of his office; in which he was supported by the men. Captain Clipperton, and the rest of the officers, seeing the turn things were likely to take, were very desirous, that some allowance should be made to the officers that were taken prisoners, and to Mr. Hendry and Mr. Dod, who joined them from the Speedwell: but the men would hear of no such allowances. Whilst these disputes lasted, some took it into their heads to go ashore, without asking leave; and, when Captain Clipperton would have corrected them, the whole company declared on their side, and prevented it. After this, all things fell into confusion: The men refused to work till they had their prize-money; and, upon complaint, a guard of soldiers was sent on board, with a peremptory order from the Mandarin to Captain Clipperton to comply.

On September 16, the distribution was made; and no allowance being reserved for such as were taken prisoners, the representatives of those who were dead, or the two gentlemen who had served on board the Speedwell, the prize-money of a fore-mast-man was 419 dollars. According to this distribution, the owners share in ready money, wrought silver, gold, and jewels, amounted to between 6 and 7000l. sterling, which Captain Clipperton caused to be immediately put on board a Portuguese East-Indiaman, called the Queen of Angels, Don Francisco la Vero Commander, which ship was unfortunately burnt at Rio Janeiro, on the coast of Brasil, June 6, 1722. So that of these effects the owners received no more, the charges of salvage deducted, than 1800l.

On September 30, they weighed anchor from the bay of Amoy, which lies in the province of Tonkin, after having paid, under the article of port charges, the most exorbitant sum of 1700 dollars; and then proceeded to Macao, in the road of which they anchored, Oct. 4. As soon as Capt. Clipperton entered the port, he saluted the fortress; which compliment being returned, he went on shore, and found there the Captain of the Portuguese man-of-war, who had undertaken to carry what belonged to the owners to Brasil. The mutinous crew found themselves at a loss here, the Portuguese Captain declaring absolutely in favour of their Commander; and, therefore, Captain Cook, and another officer, took passage to Canton, to consult Mr. Winder, supercargo to an East-Indiaman, and son to one of the principal proprietors, as to the measures which should be taken about carrying the Success home; and, upon their return, the ship was surveyed, condemned, and sold for 4000 dollars: but Capt. Clipperton, to shew his opinion of her, agreed with the persons who bought her, for his passage in her to Batavia; a plain indication, that there was no danger of her foundering at sea. The ship being sold, every man thought himself at liberty to shift as well as he could, and to use his best endeavour to save what little was left him. They were, by this time, satisfied, that Captain Mitchell, his crew, and cargo, were all gone to the bottom, or else fallen into the hands of the Spaniards; which was to them pretty much the same thing; and, therefore, what they had now in possession was all they had to expect. Twenty of them, however, who had agreed to give six dollars a-piece for a passage in a Chinese vessel to Canton, were taken by a pirate, and most of them lost all their effects. After a short stay at Macao, Mr. Taylor, the chief mate, got safe to Canton in an armed boat, for which he, and the rest of the English seamen that staid with him, paid 20 dollars a-head: and when they arrived, they were well received, and promised all imaginable assistance towards getting home. There were, at this time, several ships there ready to sail. The Captains of these vessels being solicited by the factory to take Captain Clipperton’s men on board, they met, and agreed to carry them to Great Britain for five pounds a man; and accordingly they all paid their money. Mr. Taylor arrived safely at Batavia in the month of December, sailed from thence to the Cape of Good Hope in February, came to St. Helena in March, and, in May 1722, arrived in London. The rest of the ship’s company returned, some sooner, some later, as opportunities offered; but, as for Capt. Mitchell, who was sent to Brasil with a small crew, he was never heard of, and most probably was destroyed on the island of Velas, where he went ashore for the sake of getting fresh provisions.

Captain Clipperton sailed in the Success, after she was sold, as a passenger, from Macao to Batavia; from whence he procured a passage home in a Dutch East-India ship, and arrived, in the beginning of July, 1722, at Galway, in Ireland, where he died in less than a week of a broken heart.

Thus ended the unfortunate voyage of Captain Clipperton; that of Captain Shelvock remains to be related.

THE
VOYAGE
OF
CAPTAIN SHELVOCK
ROUND THE WORLD.

We have already given an account, in the introduction to the preceding voyage, of the motives that influenced the owners to undertake it, and of the difficulties and discouragements that attended the first setting out. It remains now only to relate the proceedings of Captain Shelvock, the second in command, who has himself been very circumstantial in laying before the public the following particulars.

On the 13th of February, 1719, we sailed from Plymouth, in company with the Success, of 36 guns, Captain John Clipperton, who, in consideration of his knowledge of the coasts and customs of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, was to act as chief of the expedition.

On the 15th, I came under his lee, complained of the crankness of my ship, and desired him to send for his wine and brandy, which he neglecting, lost his sea stock of liquors; for we never saw any thing of each other till about two years afterwards.

Thursday 19, a storm arose, and about midnight a sea drove in our quarter and one of our stern dead lights. For a considerable time we were under apprehensions of foundering; a succession of prodigious seas drove over us; and in this melancholy state, the chain pump was the only means of our deliverance.

February 20, we had no sight of the Success, and at midnight set the topsails and stood to the north-westward.

This storm so terrified my ship’s company, that no less than 70 of them were resolved upon bearing away for England, there to make complaint against the ship. But, on the 23d, perceiving their discontent, I ordered them all on deck, and used what arguments with them I was master of, to encourage them to proceed; but all I could say was but to little purpose. They continued in their resolution to clap the helm a _weather_; and grew to that height of insolence at last, that I was obliged to call upon my officers to assist in bringing the mutineers to reason. For this end most of them appeared armed; and the sight of this so startled the ringleaders, that they very submissively begged I would forgive them; as I did, upon promise for the future to behave as became them. After this, seeing them inclined to be tractable, I ordered them some brandy, and they drank to our prosperous voyage. But the very next evening, Simon Hatley, my second Captain, had like to have thrown every thing into confusion, by telling me upon deck, before most of the ship’s company, that he had private orders from one of the chief of the gentlemen adventurers, and Captain Clipperton, to take the charge of the ship upon himself. I asked him if he had a private commission too? but to this he returned nothing but expressions of contempt. This unseamanlike behaviour, immediately after my separation from my consort, laid me under a necessity of behaving with all possible circumspection, to prevent our being divided into parties, which would infallibly frustrate the ends of our expedition.

We had a very tedious passage to our first place of rendezvous, the Canary Islands; and did not arrive there till the 17th of March, where having finished our cruise without any thing remarkable, except taking an open boat with salt and wine, hearing nothing of the Success, on March the 29th, we took our departure from the island of Ferro, in hopes of meeting with Captain Clipperton among the islands of Cape de Verd, and we took our prize along with us. But in our passage, my people began again to murmur; and one Turner Stevens, my gunner, very gravely made a proposal to me, in the hearing of all the other officers, to go a cruizing in the Red Sea; for, said he, there can be no harm in robbing those Mahometans; but, as for the poor Spaniards, continued he, they are good Christians, and it would, doubtless, be a sin to injure them. Upon this, I ordered him under confinement; and the man, after that, having threatened, in a very outrageous manner, to blow up the ship, I, at his own request, discharged him as soon as we arrived, together with my chief mate, who had likewise been guilty of many and great misdemeanors.

On the 14th of April, we made the Isle of May; and, running along shore, saw a wreck, which we were told was the Vanzittern Indiaman, Captain Hide, who three weeks before had been cast away. I endeavoured to avail myself of this accident, to supply the necessaries we stood in need of; but could procure nothing but two or three sheathing-boards. At this place I sold our prize for 150 dollars to the Governor; and filled all our water-casks, and gave my ship a very good heel. Six of my people having deserted, I applied in vain to the officer on shore to deliver them up to me; but, threatening the Master of a Portuguese ship to make reprisals, he brought me off two of them, which happened to be the best. They fell on their knees, and asked pardon, assuring me the Commander on shore had seduced them, his design being to fend the bark I sold him on the Vanzittern’s wreck, where he said they might all make their fortunes; so I lost the other four.

Finding I could neither hear of the Success, nor get what might be serviceable to us in this place, and having read in Frezier’s voyage, that in the island of St. Catherine’s, on the coast of Brasil, in latitude 27 deg. 30 min. S. every thing might be had that we stood in need of, I concluded it would be best for me to put in there.

April 20, we sailed from the Isle of May, having wrenched the drum-head of our capstane in weighing anchor, which took us up the remainder of the day to repair. We were 55 days in going to St. Catherine’s, during which little remarkable happened; except that on June the 5th we saw a ship stemming with us, and spoke with her. I ordered the five-oar’d boat to be hoisted out, and sent Captain Hatley in her, to enquire after news, and gave him money to buy us tobacco. The Success, amongst other things, had got our stock of tobacco, and had made what the seamen call a west-country famine on board of us. When Hatley returned, he told me she was a Portuguese from Rio Janeiro, and bound to Fernambuco. Instead of tobacco, which he said the ship had none to dispose of, he had laid out my money in china ware, sweet-meats, and the like; and, upon my expressing my dissatisfaction at his having squandered away my money in so silly a manner, his answer was, that he had laid out his own in the same manner. My reply was, I did not like his proceedings.

On Friday, June 19, we made the island of St. Catherine’s; and at ten the next morning anchored in ten fathom water, the island of Gall bearing E. N. E. distant two leagues, and the eastermost point of St. Catherine’s E. and by S. distant four leagues. The first thing I did, was to send the carpenter on shore, with all the people that could be useful to him in felling of trees, and sawing them into plank, and to order the cooper and his crew to trim the casks, and fill them with water. Those who remained on board, I employed in different services. Mean while the inhabitants came off to us every day with the product of the place, which we purchased with salt.

On July 2, we were alarmed, at break of day, by the appearance of a large ship at anchor four or five miles below the place where we lay. I sent an officer in the launch, well manned and armed, to see what he could make of her, and put my ship into the best posture of defence I could. About noon my launch returned, and brought word that this ship was the Ruby, formerly an English man-of-war, and now one of M. Martinet’s squadron; that she came from the South Seas, and was commanded by M. la Jonquiere; that he, his officers, and seamen, to the number of 420, were all French; and tho’ in the Spanish service, they had not the least design to molest us. My Lieutenant became thus punctually informed, by a direct breach of orders in going aboard, and his temerity might have cost me very dear; for, had they been enemies, I should have lost 23 of my best hands; but their return confirmed the truth of his story: yet it was a great misfortune, that I had not, to the best of my knowledge, one man of experience or capacity sufficient to enable him to perform the common duty of an officer.

The next day, the Ruby turned up towards us, and the Captain sent one of his lieutenants and a priest, to assure me of his friendship, and to desire I would dine with him, which I did, and met with a very handsome reception, with offers of what money I would have upon my bills on London, or in general any thing else his ship afforded. He informed me that the Spaniards in the South Seas had advice of our two ships, and that they talked of fitting out some men of war to receive us.

About this time there was a report spread, that Hatley had taken a bribe of the Master of the Portuguese we met on the 5th of June, or had robbed him of 80 or 100 moidores, had given ten to his cockswain, and six to each of his boat’s crew, not to divulge it. I charged him with what had been said against him; his answer was, He had done nothing he was ashamed of, or that he could not justify. All I could do was to protest against him, and I gave the protest to Captain Clipperton in the South Seas.

July 6, M. la Jonquiere, accompanied by several of his officers and passengers, came to dine with me; but in the midst of our entertainment, my boatswain took it into his head to create a disturbance, because he had not been invited into the cabbin as a guest. He first assaulted Betagh the Captain of marines, and then Mr. Adams the surgeon. This outrage, which was supported by a party he had formed, being, by the help of my officers and the French gentlemen, pretty well quieted, M. la Jonquiere declared, that, if they persisted in their disobedience, he would see the ringleaders punished by carrying them home in irons; and as they grew a little quieter, he expostulated with them, and appealed to themselves, whether they did not think it monstrous for people to behave themselves in such a manner.

The next morning I was informed, that the authors of the disturbance were most of them sorry for what had happened the night before, attributing the whole blame to the boatswain, and the effect of too much liquor. I was glad to hear this, and therefore passed it all over with only threatening how I would manage them, if ever they were guilty of the like again. I had resolved to punish the boatswain in the severest manner; but I was prevailed on not to do it, he, in very humble plight, asking my pardon, and begging I would not use any severity towards him. He said it was drink that had made him mad, and withal desired I would give him leave to go home in the French ship. This I willingly agreed to, he being a very odd sort of a fellow, and always incensing the people against the number of officers, whom he termed Blood-suckers.

July 15, we saw a great ship plying into the harbour’s mouth; but when she discovered us, she made the best of her way out again. This possessed M. la Jonquiere with a notion of her being our consort, and put him into a hurry to be gone. Accordingly, when night came on, he weighed, and went to sea the next morning, and at his departure saluted me with five guns. Three Frenchmen, belonging to me, went away with him; but I had two Frenchmen, and one Morphew, an Irishman, in lieu of them.

During all this, our carpenter went on but slowly in the woods; and at last, when we came to case the stern all over with thick plank, we could find, to my great astonishment, no nails fit for that use. I was now told, that the first carpenter, and his crew, had sold most of the stores before the ship came to Plymouth, which was before I commanded her.

July 25, a large ship came in, called the Wise Solomon, of St. Malo’s, of 40 guns, and about 160 men, commanded by M. Dumain Girard, and bound to the coasts of Chili and Peru to trade. She was the same ship we saw coming in before, and had spoke with the Ruby at sea. This gentleman, I soon perceived, notwithstanding a little forced civility at his first arrival, was a designing mercenary man, and full of all the conceit and vanity ascribed to his nation.

Desiring him to spare me some nails, he readily answered he would; but, at the same time, gave me to understand that he could not afford them for less than 32 dollars a hundred, which sum I was fain to give him; I likewise bought of him 60 cheeses, and 300 weight of butter; so that it happened well for me, that I had some money from one of the Ruby’s people. This done, I now thought of making a quick dispatch from this place, when there came a letter from my ship’s company to me, with articles annexed to it for the immediate division of prize-money, which they said they were resolved to insist on, alledging that they knew by woeful experience how they were used on board the Duke and Dutchess, that they were never paid one tenth of their due, and that they had been well informed what a paymaster a certain gentleman would make, if ever their fortunes should fall into his hands. They were so very importunate with me to comply with their articles, that both myself, and all my chief officers, thought it would be best and most adviseable to sign their papers with them, rather than run the risque of their proceeding, when they should get out to sea, to acts of piracy. As soon as they had gained their point, they expressed great satisfaction, and promised to be always ready to hazard their lives in any undertaking I should think conducive to the ends we were fitted out for.

August 3, there came in here the St. Francisco Xavier, a Portuguese man-of-war, of 40 guns, and 300 men, from Lisbon, bound to Macao in China, commanded by Captain la Riviere, a Frenchman. I made no doubt but that Captain Hatley’s affair would be reported to this gentleman, and, therefore, I told Hatley, that I expected he would go and vindicate himself to the Portuguese Captain, to prevent any disturbances that might arise on his account. To which he readily replied he would.

Hatley, at his return, told me, the Captain seemed to be angry with him for thinking he could harbour any ill thought of a gentleman bound on a voyage, which, to his knowledge, could hardly fail of answering the largest expectations.

August 6, three of my men deserted, and the mate and his party went up to the Portuguese plantations in search of them. It being almost midnight, the inhabitants took the alarm, and planted themselves in ambuscade to destroy them as they came back. No sooner had they returned into the boat, than they heard them rushing out of the woods, crying, “Kill the dogs, kill all the English dogs.” This outcry was instantly followed by a volley of small arms, which wounded three of my men, two through the thigh, and another through the arm.

I sent a letter of complaint, by Hatley, to the Captain of the Portuguese man-of-war in the harbour: but Hatley, at his entrance into the ship, was furiously assaulted by Emanuel Mansa (the Captain of the island), crying out, This was the man who had committed so many insolencies towards them, and that this was he who had burnt one of their houses, and had made it a common practice to abuse and affront him with the opprobrious name of cuckold. Upon this exclamation, the ship’s company sided with Mansa, and fell upon Hatley, and would certainly have used both him and his boat’s crew very severely, had not the Captain and his officers, with much difficulty, prevented it; for the Portuguese seamen were exasperated to that degree, that it is more than likely they would have murdered him, had they not been timely hindered.

The Captain, in his answer to my letter, expressed his sorrow for what had happened, said the people were without law, and that it was out of his power to punish them; that they were wild and lurked in the woods; and that in seeking revenge, it would only expose my men to butchery. He asked my pardon for the ill usage my officer had met with on board his ship; but withal gave me to understand, there could be no greater provocation to the people of that nation, than that which Hatley was accused of by Mansa. That his ship’s company had got Hatley amongst them before he knew any thing of the matter, and that he was obliged to call his priest to his assistance, before he could get him out of their hands, and in a very handsome manner touched upon Hatley’s story. I made no long stay after this disaster, but took our departure from the northernmost point of St. Catherine’s on the 9th of August; and on the 19th, Mr. La Port, my third Lieutenant, broke his leg.