BETAGH*S ACCOUNT OF PERU. 



fore-mentioned, was confined by himfelf, and very roughly treated. In a fliort time 

 after our arrival, conimiffioners were appointed to hear our caufe, and to determine, 

 whether we fhould be treated as criminals or as prifoners of war. The reafon of this 

 was, the charge brought againft us for piracy, not for what we had done in the South 

 Seas, or at leaft, not for that only, but upon a fuppofition, that we plundered the 

 Spaniards there^ becaufe none but Spaniards were to be met with, having ufed the like 

 violence, as their charge fet forth, againft other nations, before our arrival in thefe feas ; 

 which would have Ihewn a piratical difpofition through our whole conduft. And of 

 this they thought tbey had probable proof, fmce by the moidores found upon Hatley, 

 it appears they were taken from the fubjeds of a prince in perfed amity with the crown 

 of England : but it was happy for us that the viceroy, Don Diego Morfilio, who was 

 an archbilhop, and in the decline of life, was pleafed coolly to difcriminate the affair, 

 and finding really but one of us guilty, would not fign any order for fhedding innocent 

 blood : as for Hatley, fome were for fending him to the mines for life^ others for hang- 

 ing him ; but the feverai accounts of Captain Shelvocke's vile proceedings contributed 

 to his deliverance, the truth of which here were enough of our people at Lima to wit- 

 nefs ; for, befides Lieutenant Serjeantfon, and his men, who were brought hither, came 

 the men who Shelvocke fent with Hopkins to fliift for themfelves in a poor empty bark, 

 who, for want of fuftenance, was forced to furrender to the Indians ; fo that the court 

 believing Shelvocke more a principal in that piratical act than Hatley, and fuppofing 

 we had been plagued enough beibre we came hither, they though fit to let us all go 

 by degrees : Hatley indeed was kept in irons about a twelvemonth, and then was 

 allowed to return to England. I was much more happy in this refped:, fince my im- 

 prifonment lafled but a fortnight ; which was owing to the interpofition of Captain 

 Fitzgerald, a gentleman born in France, who had a great intereft with the viceroy, and 

 who, upon his becoming fecurity ior me, permitted me to have the liberty of the city,, 

 provided I was always forthcoming when I was called for. As I was now pretty much 

 at eafe, I began to look about me, and to inform myfelf of what was paffing in this part 

 of the world. 



Among the firft of my inquiries,was that after the condition of other Englifli prifoners in 

 the place ; and, upon alking for Mr. Serjeantfon, and his men, who were here before 

 us, I underftood that moft of them had taken up the religion of the country, had been 

 chriftened, and were difperfed among the convents in the city. The firft that I faw, 

 had got his new catechifm in one hand, and a pair of large beads dangling in the other. 

 I fmiled, and afked the fellow, how he liked it. He faid very well ; for having his re- 

 ligion to chufe, he thought theirs better than none, fince it brought him good meat and 

 drink, and a quiet life. Many of Shelvocke's men followed this example; and I may 

 venture to fay, this was as good a reafon as moft of our people could give for their oq* 

 cafional conformity. It is here reckoned very meritorious to make a convert, and many 

 arguments were ufed for that end ; yet was there no rigour fliewn to bring any of us 

 over. Thofe who thought fit to be baptized, had generally fome of the merchants of 

 Lima for their padrons or godfathers, who never failed giving their godchildren a fuit 

 of cloaths, and fome money, to drink their heahhs. About this time, four or five of 

 Clipperton*s men, and as many of Shelvocke's, got leave from their convents to meet 

 together at a public houfe kept by one John Bell, an Englifhnian, who had a negro 

 wife, that, for fome fervices or other, had got her freedom. The defign of this meeting 

 was to confirm their new baptifmwith a bowl of punch : the confequciice of which was,, 

 they all got drunk, and quarrelled ; and, forgetting they were true catholics, miitook. 

 an image of fome honeft faint, that ftood in a coraer, for one of their own company,. 



knocked^ 



