tS betaoh's account op perv. 



He accordingly had the Zelerin of fifty guns : he came firfl: to Calais, where the fhip 

 was getting ready ; but was furprifed to find a cold reception from the French mer* 

 chants, and other gentlemen of his acquaintance refiding there ; for, as there were 

 merchants of feveral nations interefted in the fhips taken and confifcated as aforefaid, 

 they unanimoufly looked upon him, and all the French aboard that fquadron, as falfe 

 brethren, for ferving a foreign power to the prejudice of their own countrymen ; and^ 

 while he expected a valuable cargo configned to him, being what he aimed at, he found 

 himfelf quite difappointed ; for no man would fhip the value of a dollar with him^ 

 Captain Fitzgerald, who was then at Cales, feeing this, made him a confiderable pro- 

 posal, for the privilege of going his next officer, and to take aboard what goods he 

 could procure in his own name. De Grange, being a little embarralfed, accepted the 

 offer, and obtained at Court a Commiffion for him as fecond captain. Accordingly^ 

 they manned the Zelerin chiefly with French and fome Englifh feamcn ; .and got very 

 well round the Cape, when our two privateers, Succefs and Speedwell, were known 

 to be in the South Sea, this fame fliip Zelerin was one of thofe fhips commiflioned by 

 the Viceroy of Peru to cruife for us. Fitzgerald fold his goods at Lima to great ad- 

 vantage, where he continued, while De Grange ferved as captain under the admiral 

 Don Pedro Miranda, who took myfelf, and the refl of us, prifoners. The St. Mala 

 merchants, though great fufferers by fo many confifcations, were not much difcouragedj 

 for, in the year 1720, we found the Solomon of St. Malo, carrying forty guns, and 130 

 men, at Hilo, on the coafl of Chili, with feveral fmall Spanifh barks at her ftern. She 

 fold her cargo in fix weeks time, got a frefli fupply of provifion, and left the coafl 

 without interruption ; for by this time Martinet's fquadron was all come away. 



The Solomon's good fuccefs gave fuch encouragement, that they immediately fitted 

 out fourteen fail together ; all which arrived in the South Sea in the beginning of the 

 year 1721, three of whofe commanders, having the befl acquaintance among the 

 Creolians, quickly fold their cargoes, and returned home. About this time the people 

 of Lima judged the Englifh privateers were gone off the coafl, at leafl that no more 

 hoftiliiies would be committed, becaufe of the truce made between the two crowns; 

 whereupon the three Spanifh men of war, fitted out to cruife on us, were ordered againfl 

 thofe frefli interlopers. I was on board the advice-boat, called the Flying-fifh, in com- 

 pany of the faid three men of war, when they came up with the eleven fail of St. Malo 

 all together, on the coafl of Chili j and, inflead of firing upon them, the Spaniards 

 joined them like friends. The French, expe£ting to be attacked, kept altogether in a 

 line, and dared the men of war to begin. This to me feemed new, that three fuch 

 fhips, purpofely fitted for this cruife, fhould, on their own coafl, decline doing their 

 duty J for, had they proved too weak, they had ports of their own under their lee. 

 In fhort, the men of war contented themfelves to watch the others motion, keeping 

 them always in fight ; and, when any of the French fliips fleered to the fhore, the 

 Spaniards fent their pinnace, or long boat, with the Spanifh flag hoifled, the fight of 

 which effeftually deterred the Creoles from treating or trading with the French. Thus 

 they made fhift to hinder all thefe fhips difpofing of their goods, except they were m^et 

 by chance at fea, and fold fome clandeflinely. At length, being tired out, the French- 

 men got leave to take in provifion, and went home wich at leafl half their goods un- 

 fold. Notwithflanding all this, and the fevere edicts againfl it in France, I knov^r 

 they flill continue the trade, though privately 5 nor is it probable they will ever leave 

 off fo lucrative a commerce, except fome other power prevents it. 



I fhall now return to my own affairs, and the manner of my return from that part 

 of the world 5 a plain relation of which wijl be a fufficient refutation of what Captain 



Shelvocke 



