BURNING PAITA. 



381 



venge, and continued their voyage in her, destroying their 

 original vessel. From here they crossed the Atlantic to the 

 Patagonian coast. They doubled Cape Horn during a tre- 

 mendous storm of rain, which furnished them with twenty-three 

 barrels of fresh water. The weather w T as at this time so cold 

 that the men could drink three quarts of burnt brandy in 

 twenty-four hours without being intoxicated. They joined com- 

 pany in the Pacific with the Nicholas, of twenty-six guns, 

 Captain John Eaton, and started together upon an attempt 

 against the Peruvian coast. They captured three flour-ships, 

 and learned from the prisoners that their presence was known 

 to the Peruvian authorities. Their design upon the coast was 

 therefore abandoned. They carried their prizes to the Galla- 

 pagos or Tortoise Islands, where they might store their captured 

 provisions in a secure place. They arrived and anchored there 

 on the 31st of May, 1684. 



Proceeding to the northward, they descried the coast of 

 Mexico early in July, where Cooke, who had been ill for some 

 months, died and was buried. Edward Davis, quartermaster, 

 was elected captain in his stead. The two ships separated on 

 the 2d of September, the Nicholas withdrawing from the part- 

 nership. Davis and Dampier remained in the Revenge, and 

 were soon joined by the Cygnet, a richly-loaded vessel designed 

 for trading on this coast. Her captain lightened her by throw- 

 ing his unsalable cargo overboard. They attacked Paita in 

 the month of November, but found it evacuated. They held 

 the town for six days, hoping the inhabitants would ransom it; 

 but, as this hope was disappointed, they set the town on fire. 

 On the 1st of January, 1685, they captured a package of letters 

 sent by the President of Panama to hasten the captains of the 

 silver-fleet from Lima, as the coast was believed to be cleai\ 

 Being particularly desirous that the silver-fleet should share 

 this belief, they suffered the letter-bearers to continue their 

 voyage and resolved to lie in wait for the ships. In the mean 



