134 The V O Y 
of the Eland ; the Nofthermoft Point bearing N orth half W eft, 
the Soiithermoft, South- weft: The Watering-place goes 
in with a full Gap, over which, upon the Hill, is a plain 
Spot of red Earth, bearing North-weft half North. Tho 5 
there are alfo feverdl other good Watering-places upon this 
ffland ■, and in the North-eaft Part at Segnetta is the beft 
anchoring ; here you may wood and water very fecure 
from any Enemy - . The Eland is very woody, affording 
large Timber, which is often fent in Shipping up to the 
Coaft of Peru. Here are fome few wild Monkies, with 
abundance of Lizards ; and a large fort of Lizard called a 
Lion-lizard ; they are about the Bignefs of a Man’s Arm ; 
I meafured one, which, from the Head to the End of the 
Tail, was three Feet eleven Inches •, he has a large fort of 
a Comb upon his Head, which ftands up like an Helmet, or 
Head-piece, to defend his Head, when he is affaulted or af- 
frighted, he fets his Comb up an-end ; but otherwife it lies 
down flat, in a deep Dent in his Head juft fitted to it •, lb 
that, when it is down, it can hardly be perceived : He has 
two very large Eyes, a large Mouth, with a great many 
Email fharp Teeth. His Skin is very tough, of a dark Colour, 
full of black, yellow, and blueifh Spots : In all other Things 
he refembles the common Lizard : When they are purified, 
they will run very fwift; yet our Dog often catched them. 
io. After remaining here five Days, we concluded to 
fail from hence ; but, juft as we were going to get up 
our Anchors, we difcovered a Ship ftanding in for the 
Ifland, which, when fhe came very near, we came out and 
took. She was a fmall Veffel, of fifty Tons, com- 
manded by a Meftizo. On board this Ship we found a 
Guernfey Man, who had been taken by the Spaniards as he 
was cutting Logwood in the Bay of C amp e achy, and had 
been in their Hands above two Years, and muft have con- 
tinued a Prifoner for Life, if we had not releafed him. 
When we failed from the Ifland of Gallo , our Refolution 
was to attack immediately the Town of Santa Maria , which 
lay to the Northward, becaufe we expe&ed to find there 
great Quantities of Gold, brought thither from the adja- 
cent Mines of the fame Name ; but this Defign unluckily 
mifcarried, whether through Fear, Confufion, or the Ene- 
mies having early Intelligence, which enabled them to lay 
Ambufcades, that cut off abundance of our Men, I can- 
not pretend to determine. This, however, is certain, that, 
by May i. we were fo fick of our fruitlefs Attempts on 
ftiore, that we refolved to go immediately on board, which 
accordingly we did ; but there we met with new Difficul- 
ties *, for fuch was our Scarcity of Proviflons, that five green 
Plantains were ordered to be boiled for every fix Men. But, 
to our great Comfort, when we were almoft out of Hopes, 
as well as Patience, we defcried a Sail at twelve this Night, 
which came to an Anchor clofe by us. We foon got up our 
Anchor, and took her without any Reflftance. She proved 
a great Ship, of about 150 Tons : She was deeply laden 
with Flour, Sugar, Brandy, Wine, about thirty Tons of 
Marmalade of Quinces, a eonfiderable Quantity of Salt, 
with fome Tons of Linen and Woollen Cloth ; fo that now 
we might fupply ourfelves with Proviflons for four or five 
Years. I was put on board this Prize on Behalf of Captain 
Dampier , and our Ship’s Company •, and the Mafter of the 
Cinque-ports was put on board as Chief for Captain Strad- 
ling , and his Ship’s Company. We carried our Prize into 
the Bay of Panama ; and, on the 14th, anchored under the 
Ifland of Tobago. Here Captain Dampier and Captain 
Stradling difagreed •, and the Quarrel came at laft to fuch 
an Height, that there was no pacifying them ; fo that, at 
laft, it was concluded to part Company, all the Men being 
left at Liberty to go with which Captain they pleafed ; in 
confequence of which, five of our Men went to Captain 
Stradling , and five of his came to us. We were told by 
the Prifoners, that there were 80,000 Dollars on board our 
Prize ; that they were taken in by Stealth at Lima, and lay 
at the Bottom in the Run of the Ship. Our Captain did 
not believe this, and was unwilling to flay longer, that we 
might have romagedhertothe Bottom, becaufe he thought 
Lofs of Time would mar his greater Deflgns : Having, 
therefore, taken out a Quantity of Provifion, ffie was dif- 
miflfed 1 and we, on May 19. parted from the Cinque-ports , 
Intending to beat up again upon the Coaft of Pm, 
AGES of Book I, 
11. June 7. we faw a Sail, gave Chace, came up with 
her, and took her. She was about no Tons, came from 
Truxillo , and was bound for Panama , laden with Flour, 
Sugar, Brandy, &c. with fome Bales of wrought Silk in 
her. We took a Packet, which we opened •, thefirft Let- 
ter we happened to read, was from the Captain of the French 
Ship we fought off the Ifland of Juan Fernandez , and met 
with again off the Port of Lima. It was direfted to the 
Prefident of Panama , and gave an Account, ££ That he 
t£ fought two Englijh Privateers off the Ifland of Fernan- 
“ dez ; that the fmalleft of the two fired but eight or ten 
“ Guns at him, and then fell a-ftern, and did not come 
“ up again during the Fight, as he believed, for want of 
“ Wind ; that the great Ship (meaning us) fought him 
“ Broadfide and Broadflde for more than fix Hours •, that 
££ we killed them a great many Men ; and that, at his 
££ coming to Lima , he fent affiore thirty-two of his Men, 
££ each of which had either loft a Leg, an Arm, or 
££ an Eye and that it was a great Chance we had not 
££ taken him, for that, at our parting, they had given them- 
££ felves over as Joft, not having Men to defend themfelves. 3 * 
We alfo had Account, by other Letters, that the two 
Frenchmen which we faw off the Ifland Juan Fernandez, had 
met with a Boat at Sea, in which there were an EngliJJoman 
and a Dog (This was the Boat which belonged to Captain 
Stradling , and which broke loofe from him as we chafed 
the French Ship off Juan Fernandez ) : That the faid two 
French Ships had been in at Juan Fernandez , and had taken 
up our Anchors, Cables, Long-boat, with all Captain Strad- 
ling' s Stores, and his five Men, and our Negro, which 
were left there. We alfo had Advice, that the Spaniards 
had fitted out two Men of War againft us ; the one of 
thirty-two Brafs Guns, twenty-four Pounders each ; the 
other of thirty-fix Guns, of the fame Bignefs : That each of 
them had 350 Seamen, and 150 Soldiers, choice Men; and 
that they lay cruifing for us in the Bay of Guiaquil , between 
Point St. Helena and Cape Blanco , from the 7th to the 1 2th. 
We were forced to go away with an eafy Sail, becaufe of 
our Prize, which failed very heavy ; and, feeing it was likely 
to be a great Hindrance to us in beating to Windward, we 
concluded to go into fome Place to romage her : Accord- 
ingly, the fame Day, we went into Sardinas Bay, and an- 
chored with our Prize in ten Fathom Water, about four 
Miles off Shore : We durft not venture any nearer in, be- 
caufe of fo many Sholes and Banks of Sand, which lie off 
it, and which were very imperfectly laid down in all our 
Draughts. 
12. The Sea-coaft here is inhabited by Indians, but they 
are not very numerous. Here are feveral fmall Rivers, which 
run with frefh Water down to the Sea-fide; and from this 
Place, by the Sea-fide, all along to the Southward, till you 
come to the Bay of T' acames , are white Cliffs, and many 
Sholes, as far as to Point Gallera. From this Bay of Sar- 
dinas, fix Leagues to the Southward, is the great River of 
St. lago , the Mouth of which is about three quarters of a 
Mile over; but there is no good anchoring, until you are got 
well within the Mouth. This River is feldom made ufe of 
by Shipping, it lying out of the Way •, only in cafe of Ne- 
ceffity, or by Chance, they put in for Refreffiment *, for 
here is Plenty of all forts of Proviflons. It hath, on the 
Sea-fide, fourteen or fifteen Pieces of broken Ground, of 
a whitiffi Colour; and, at the North-end of them, is the. 
Bay of Sardinas , wherein we careened our Ship, and 
romaged our Prize, and watered at one of the frefh-water 
Rivers, the Water of which was white like Milk, and both 
fmelt and tailed very ftrong of Mufk, occafioned by many 
Alligators fmimming in it. We ffiot feveral of them, one 
of which meafured thirty Feet in Length, and was bigger 
about than a large Bullock. This Creature is very full of 
great Scales, from the Neck to the End of his Tail : He 
has a very large ffiarp Set of Teeth, with very long Claws 
on his Feet : It is an amphibious Creature, living on Land, 
as well as in Water ; when they are lying on Shore, they 
look like a great Tree fallen-down, and for fuch one would 
take them at a Diftance. They will run very fail on the 
Land, and are of fuch Strength, that they will take an Horfe 
or Cow, and carry it down to the Water, and there devour 
it. They will feize on any thing, as well on Land as in the 
Water ; 
