^5b ULL0A*8 VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



the mind, on fo great and fudden a perturbation, being but little capable of fuch re- 

 flexions. 



Not fo Don Nicholas de Salaza, the accomptant of Piura, who happened to be then 

 at Paita, on fome affairs of his office. This gentleman, attended only by a negro flave, 

 with an equal prefence of mind and refolution, threw himfelf into the little fort, built 

 for the defence of that fmall town, and fired two or three fhot towards the place where 

 he heard the noife of the oars. Upon this the long-boat flopped ; but the fort was 

 obliged to give over firing for want of hands to allifl an officer who had fhewn fo gene- 

 rous an example of refolution. The Englifh, concluding very naturally, that the fort 

 was alfo abandoned, landed about half a league north of the town, to which they imme- 

 diately marched, and finding it forfaken, entered the fort, where, for fear of any furprife, 

 they kept themfelves all night. But the inhabitants thought of nothing but faving their 

 lives, and accordingly fled to a mountain, betwixt the Silla and the town, where they 

 concealed themfelves, except ajfew flaves, who, finding that the enemy were all retired 

 into the fort, took the advantage of the night, and boldly returned into the town, bring- 

 ing off fuch arms and effects of their mafters as the night would permit, hiding in the 

 fand what they found too heavy to carry up to the top of the mountain. 



There was unfortunately then at Paita great quantities of meal, fruits, and brandy, 

 configned to the provinces of the mountains, by the way of Piura ; befides other goods 

 depofited in the warehoufes to be fent to Panama. There was alfo no fmall quantity of 

 gold and filver. As foon as daylight returned, the Englifh left their retreat, and feeing 

 every place forfaken, they began to enter the houfes, which are fo many magazines for 

 goods. It was not long before they met with a quantity of brandy and wine, of which, 

 like men whofe appetites are not to be governed at the fight of plenty after long diflrefs, 

 they made a very licentious ufe, and became fo greatly inebriated, that the mulattoes 

 and negro flaves, feeing their condition, abandoned their fears, and became fo familiar 

 with the Englifh failors, as to drink with them, whilft others carried off hampers filled 

 with the goods of their maflers, together with confiderable quantities of gold, which 

 they buried in the fand. The long-boat, however, returned on board the fhip, but her 

 chief fpoils confifted of provifions ; and the men employed in that fervice regaled them- 

 felves with a degree of intemperance equal to thofe who guarded the fort. 



The inhabitants of Paita, who flill timoroufly continued on the mountain, though in 

 want of every thing, difpatched an exprefs to Don Juan de Vinatea y Torres, the corre- 

 gidor of Piura, and a native of the Canaries, who, agreeably to his known character of 

 prudence and intrepidity, immediately affembled all the militia of that city and its de- 

 pendencies, and haftened by forced marches through a troublefome fandy road of four- 

 teen leagues to Paita. The Englifh had been three days mafters of Paita, when difco- 

 vering thefe fuccours, and being informed by the negroes and mulattoes- that the militia 

 of Piura, headed by a famous general, were coming to diflodge them from the town ; 

 enraged at this, but wanting courage to defend what they had gained, or rather fur- 

 prifed, carried off whatever they could, and took their leave of the place by ungeneroufly 

 letting fire to the houfes ; an aftion which could refled: but little honour on the arms 

 of their nation : but was rather a malicious tranfadiion, to revenge on the poor inhabit- 

 ants the coming of the militia, whom they did not dare to face. Nobody indeed 

 imagined at that time that this proceeding was in confequence of any orders iffued by 

 the commander, and it was afterwards known that he was under great concern for fuch 

 unjuftifiable behaviour. 



The corregidor of Piura, as he had b«en very aftive in the defence of Paita, fo he lofl 

 no time in fending advice of the defcent to the corregidor of Guayaquil, that he might 



put 



