404 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



cure two or three goats a day for the sick. They boiled up and 

 refined eighty gallons of seal-oil, in order to save their candles. 

 On the 13th of February, it was determined that two men from 

 the Duke should sail on board the Duchess, and two from the 

 Duchess on board the Duke, to see that justice was reciprocally 

 done by each ship's company to the other in the division of 

 prizes ; and on the 14th the anchors were weighed, Alexander 

 Selkirk shipping on board the Duke as second mate. 



When off the Lobos Islands, they took a prize, which they 

 named The Beginning. They learned from their prisoners that 

 the widow of the late Viceroy of Peru was soon to embark at 

 Callao for Acapulco, with her family and riches; and they 

 determined to lie in wait for her. In the mean time they landed 

 and took the town of Guayaquil, but consented to its ransom 

 for thirty thousand dollars. They also seized thirteen small 

 vessels, from which they took meal, onions, quinces, pomegra- 

 nates, oil, indigo, pitch, sugar, gunpowder, and rice. 



At the Gallapagos Islands they laid in a large stock of sea- 

 turtles and land-tortoises, some of the former weighing four 

 hundred pounds, while the latter laid eggs in profusion upon the 

 decks. Some of the men affirmed that they had seen one four 

 feet high, that two of their party had mounted on its back, and 

 that it easily carried them at its usual slow pace, not appearing 

 to regard their weight. The natives break and devour great 

 quantities of the eggs, of which they are intensely fond. 



Having made the coast of Mexico, and having determined to 

 wait only eight days either for the Manilla galleon or the ship 

 of the viceroy's widow, they were rejoiced to descry, on the 

 morning of the 22d of December, the Spanish treasure-ship 

 on the weather bow. Preparations were made for action, and 

 a large kettle of chocolate was boiled for the crew in lieu 

 of spirituous liquor. Prayers were then said, but were inter- 

 rupted, before they were concluded, by a shot from the enemy. 

 She had barrels hung at her yard-arm, which seemed to warn 



