Chap. I. Jacques le 
the Yacht, and difappointed that Defign. On the 14th, 
they difcharged their Prizes, and diftributed Plenty of Re- 
frefhments through the Fleet : About Midnight, the Cap- 
tains Tol. Slobbe , and Egbertjon , with Twelve Shallops 
well armed, began to row directly for the Fort of Lima, 
having on board each Shallop a fmall Canhon, and a con- 
fiderable Quantity of Fire-works. A falfe Attack was at 
die fame time made to the N orth of Calao, which drew 
the Spaniards thither, while the Shallops entered the Port, 
and diftributed their Fire-works plentifully amongft about 
fifty Sail of Merchant-lhips, which lay there at Anchor 
under the Protection of the Spanijh Admiral, and the three 
Batteries. As foon as the Spaniards perceived, by their 
Effects, what the Butch Veffels had been doing, they be- 
gan to make a dreadful Fire upon them from the Place 
which had, however, but very little Effect, becaufe the 
Butch Shallops flickered themfelves behind the Spanijh Vef- 
fels that were burning, and fired from thence very fticcefs-. 
fully upon their Enemies. In this Action, there were thirty 
or forty Ships confumed, home of which were very large ; 
but, after the Butch were retired, the Spaniards , with their 
Indians and Negroes, faved the Effects out of fome 'of them. 
In this hardy Enterprize, the Dutch had feven killed, and 
fifteen wounded, the moft Part of them belonging to the 
Vice-admiral’s Shallop, which had endeavoured to board 
one of the Pataches, and thereby expofed themfelves more 
than the reft. This Adion was excefiively bold and daring, 
and they would have had all the Reafon in the World to 
have been fatisfied with the Manner of its Execution, if, 
after it was over, they had not difcovered, that -if, inftead 
of Fire-works, they had carried Hatchets, they might have 
cut the Spanijh Merchant-men out of the Road, and have 
taken the beft Part of them, with all their Cargoes. About 
the Grey of the Morning, nine of thefe flaming Ships came 
down upon them, and obliged the Butch Fleet to weigh 
Anchor, and fnelter themfelves behind the Hand of Lima. 
On the 1 3th, Captain Engelbert Schutte landed with a Com- 
pany under his Command, and took Poffeffion of the Hand, 
throwing up a ftrong Retrenchment, that they might be 
able to hale their Shallops on fhore, and careen them ; 
which they much wanted. 
25. The fame Day, a Council was held on the Mifcar- 
riage of their Enterprize at Calao ; and, as their Inftructions 
directed them, in cafe of any Accident of that fort, to em- 
ploy all their Force in taking Prizes, and diftrefiing the 
Spaniards in their Trade, to the utmoft of their Power, 
they began to think of putting this in Execution. The 
Reafon expreffed in their Inftructions for their carrying on 
theExpeditioninthis manner, was, that, by thus blocking up 
the Port of Lima , and putting art intire Stop to the Com- 
merce of the Country, a Trial might be made of the Incli- 
nations of the People, and poffibly a total Revolution be 
brought about. The Grounds upon which thefe Notions 
were built, were Informations that Prince Maurice had 
received, as to the general Diffaffection of the Indians and 
Negroes towards the Spaniards ; in which tho’ there might 
be fome Degree of Truth, yet this Butch Fleet had no Op- 
portunity of proving it : For the Viceroy of Peru immedi- 
ately formed two independent Companies of Spaniards at 
Lima, difarmed the Indians, and railed a Company of free 
Negroes, who, proud of their Liberty, and afraid of be- 
coming Slaves again, diftinguifhed themfelves by their Se- 
verity to their Countrymen, and their Attachment to their 
Matters. As there was no Need of the whole Fleet to block 
up Calao, it was refolved, that Cornelius Jacobfon, with four 
Ships, fhould cruife to the South, and make as many Prizes 
as he could : Yet, had the Letter of their Inftructions been 
puifued, they fhould have failed with their whole Force to 
Amca \ and, after taking and plundering it, which would 
have been done of courfe, if it had been as naked and de- 
fenceleis as they fuppofed it in Holland, they might have 
extended their Conqueft thence to the rich Mines of Potoft, 
and there have acquired, at once, more than would have been 
fufficient to have indemnified the States, and Prince Mau- 
rice, for the Expence of this Fleet. It fo fell out, how- 
evei, that they found this Scheme abfolutely impracticable, 
Anca : having in it a good Garifon, the Place being regu- 
ar y fortified, and well fiipplied with every thing neceflary. 
And, as for Potoft, they had certain Information, that there 
N U MB. VI. 
Hermite. 
were 2000 Spaniards there capable of bearing Arms, ex~ 
clufive of Indians and Negroes : So that all the fine Projects 
of Indian Conquefts formed in Holland, appeared to them 
fo many romantic Dreams, that neither they, nor any elfe* 
could execute. 
26. On May 14. Cornelius Jacobfon failed with his De- 
tachment, compofed of the Concord , the Bavid, the Griffin , 
and the Greyhound , in order to fail to la Nafca , Pifco, or 
any other Town to the South of Lima. On the 20th, they 
converted two of the Spanijh Prizes into excellent Fireftiips j 
and, having filled them with Powder, Fireworks, Shells, 
and other Combuftibles, refolved with thefe to make an 
Attempt on the Spanijh Galleon. In the Night of the 2 2d, 
two Greeks, whom they had delivered from Slavery, ftole 
a fmall Veffel, and made their Efcape to the Spaniards. 
The next Day, a rich Ship fell into their Hands, in her 
Paffage from Guiaquil, on board of which were thirty 
Spaniards and Negroes. On the 23d, the Rear-admiral 
was detached with the Maurice and the Hope , with two 
Companies aboard, in order to make themfelves Matters of 
the Town of Guiaquil, which all the Prifoners agreed was 
a Place of no great Strength, but which they found in quite 
another Condition when they came to attack it. On the 
27th, they attempted to carry in their Firefhip, in which 
they had 2000 Weight of Powder, befides Fireworks and 
Shells, confined by an Arch of Brick-work fix Foot thick. 
Five Men, of whom one was the Supercargo of the Eagle, 
navigated her into the Fort of Calao de Lima, and came 
clofe to the Side of the Spanijh Admiral, before they dif- 
covered their Defign was impracticable ; and that there 
was a Bank between them and the Ship, which it v/as im- 
poffible for them to pafs •, and therefore, after running 
thro’ fo much Labour and Danger, they were glad to retire 
to their own Fleet ; and it is, indeed , very wonderful they 
were able to do this without being deftroyed. 
_ 2 7 \ On June 2. their Admiral Jaques le Hermite ex- 
pired in the Port of Calao de Lima , having been in a de- 
clining State of Health from the Time they left Sierra 
de Leona , and for four or five Months had quite loft his 
Strength. The Vice-admiral fuffered his Flag to remain 
flying in the Amfierdam , that the Enemy might have no 
Notice of his Death. On the 3d, they buried him on the 
Hand of Lima, with great Decency, having caufed all the 
Prizes to be adorned with Streamers and Flags, that the 
Spaniards might apprehend, the Guns fired at his Funeral 
were difcharged by way of Rejoicing for the Succefs they 
had met with in the South Seas. On the 6th, in the Af- 
ternoon, the Orange anchored as near as poffible to the 
Point of Calao, in order to cover the Firefhip, which it 
was determined fhould make another Attempt by Day- 
light : Accordingly the Supercargo of the Eagle carried 
her boldly into the Port, but to as little Purpofe as before ; 
for they then difcovered, that the Spanijh Galleon rode in 
a Bafin, fo that it was impoflible for them to approach her : 
But the Spaniards , gueffing at their Defign, fired upon 
them fo brifkly, that they were obliged to fet Fire to the 
Train, and their Firefhip blew up, without doing any 
Hurt to the Enemy, or Good to themfelves : Such was the 
End of this Attempt, which had coft them fo much Ela- 
zard and Pains. 
28. On the 8th of the fame Month, they felt an Earth- 
quake in the Hand of Lima. On the 1 3th, che Spanijh 
Prisoners having reprefented, that the Viceroy would' be 
willing to treat for their Ranfom, it was refolved, that a 
Propofal of that fort fhould be made : And accordingly an 
Officer was fent in a fmall Veffel into the Harbour, with 
a Flag of Truce. As foon as the Viceroy had notice of 
it, he fent Directions, that the Seamen fhould have their 
Hands tied, and their Eyes covered, while they remained 
in the Shallop ; and that the Officer, who had the Letter, 
fhould be brought on fhore. In the Evening, however* 
the Seamen were fet at Liberty, and the Spaniards took all 
imaginable Pains to perfuade them to remain where they 
were, and to enter into the Service of the King of Spain : 
But this being found ineffectual, and not fo much as a Angle 
Man having liftened to their Propofals, an Anfwer was 
given to the Letter, in thefe - Fords : That the Viceroy 
had nothing but Powder and Bail at the Service of the 
Butch i that he would not enter into any Negotiation or 
U - Treaty 
