Chap. I. Captain Wood 
Expedition, but with the Care of all things relating to it. 
Thefe worthy Gentlemen were, as far as I have been able 
to learn ; viz, Alderman Batchelor , John Rumfey , Efq; 
Mr. James Hollidge , Captain Philip Freake , Chrifiopher 
Shuter, Efq*, Sir John Hawkins , Mr. Francis Rogers, Mr. 
Thomas Goldney , Captain Thomas Dover , Mr. /W <#, Mr. 
John Duckinfield, Mr. Corfeley , Mr. William Saunders , 
Mr. John Grant , Mr. paniel Hickman , Mr. Richard 
Ffawkfworth , Mr. Thomas Clemens , Mr. Thomas Contes , 
Captain. Stephen Courtney , Mr. Laurence Hollifier , Mer- 
chants of Briftol , and Mr. Palmer , and Mr. Adi on, with 
fome other Gentlemen of London, who were not concerned 
till the Ships were at Sea. Their firfb Care was to make 
Choice of proper Officers, in which they were very for- 
tunate : Captain Rogers, who commanded in chief, 
was a bold, adive, indefatigable Officer, one that would 
not give up his Opinion too readily to others, and who was 
not to be flattered by other Peoples giving up their Opi- 
nions to him. He had been a large Sufferer by the French, 
and was naturally no great Friend to that Nation •, but his 
moft Angular Quality, and that which indeed recommended 
him to this Command, was a peculiar Art he had of main- 
taining his Authority over his Seamen, and his Readinefs 
in finding out Expedients in the moft difficult Conjunctures. 
Captain Stephen Courtney was a Man of Birth, Fortune, and 
of very amiable Qualities : He contributed confiderably to 
the Expence of the Voyage, and took a Share in it, that 
he might fee how it was managed, and be able either to 
prevent Mifcarriages, or, at leaft, to make a faithful Re- 
port of them. Captain Thomas Dover, who was third in 
Command, was a Proprietor alfo, and went for the fame 
Reafon. He was by Profeffion a Phyfician, and, towards 
the Decline of his Life, made aNoife in the World} by re- 
commending the Ufe of crude Mercury. He was a Man 
of a rough Temper, and could not eafily agree with People 
about him : But his untoward Difpofition had one good 
EffeCt, which Was this ; that it hindered his making any 
Party to fupport him in his ill Humours; As for Captain 
Edward Cooke , who was fecond to Captain Courtney , he 
had been twice taken by the French, once by four Dunkirk 
Privateers, and again by two Men of War of fifty Guns. 
The Pilot, in the larger Ship, was Captain William Dam- 
pier, who was now to proceed for the fourth Time into 
the South Seas, where his Name was very well known, 
and, from his Exploits, terrible to the Spaniards *, and they 
were alfo extremely careful in the Choice of their inferior 
Officers, and, as far as it was poffible, even of their pri- 
vate Men. 
2. The Proprietors, in the next Place, undertook to 
lay down Rules for the Conduit of the V oyage ; which 
were digefted into the following Piece, figned by a Com- 
mittee of the Proprietors, and ftyled very properly The 
Confutation. It ran thus : 
4 For the better Government, and regulating of Affairs 
4 of the prefent Voyage, we, whofe Names are under- 
4 written, Owners, and appointed Directors for the Ships 
4 Duke and Duchefs , do hereby appoint and conftitute 
4 Captain Woodes Rogers, Captain Thomas Dover, Captain 
4 William D ampler , Mr. Carlton Vanbrugh, Mr. Green , 
4 Mr. Fry, Mr. Charles Pope , Mr. Glendall, Mr. Bullet, 
4 and Mr. Wajfe, all Officers on board the Duke, to be 
4 Council on board the faid Ship •, and Captain Stephen 
4 Courtney, Captain Cooke , Mr. William S tret ton, Mr. 
4 Bathe, John Rogers, Mr. White , and the Matter, Offi- 
4 cers on board th t Duchefs, to be Council on board the 
4 faid Ship, in cafe they fhould be feparated from each 
4 other ; but, when in Company, the Officers of both 
4 Ships above-named are, conjunCtly, at the Summons of 
4 the Captains Rogers , Dover;, and Courtney, or any tWo 
4 of them, to come on board either Ship, and be the 
* Council referred to in our general Orders, to determine 
4 all Matters and Things whatfoever that may arife, or be 
4 neceffary for the general Good, during the whole Voyage. 
4 In cafe of Death, Sicknefs, or Defection, of any of the 
4 above Officers of either Ship* the reft that are of the 
6 Council appointed as aforefaid for the Ship, ffiall con- 
t vene on board their own Ship, and ohufe another fit 
Perfon into that Office and Council. We farther require 
‘ directg that all Attempts, Attacks, and Defigns, 
es Rogers. I^I 
4 upon the Enemy, either by Sea of Land, be nrft con- 
4 fulted and debated, either in the Particular, if feparated, 
4 or in the general Council, if together and, as the Ma* 
4 jority thereof fhall conclude, how or when to aft or do, 
4 it fhall be indifpenfabjy, • and without uhneceffary Delay, 
4 put chearfully in Execution. In cafe of any Pifcontents, 
4 Differences, or Misbehaviour, amongft the Officers and 
4 Men, which may tend to the Difttirbance of the good 
4 Concord and Government on board, either the Men, or 
4 Perfons, may appeal to the Captain to have a Hearing 
4 and Decifion by a Council ; or the Captain fhall call a 
4 Council, and have it heard and decided, and may prefer 
4 or difplace any Man according to Defert. All Decifion 
4 and Judgment of this Council fhall be finally determined 
4 by the Majority of Voices } and, in cafe of an Equality, 
4 Captain Dover is to have the double Voice, as Prefident 
4 of the Council •, and do accordingly order him to be Pre- 
4 fident. All Matters tranfaded in this Council fhall be 
4 regiftered in a Book by the Clerk appointed for that Pur- 
4 pofe. Dated in Briftol, July the 14th, 1708.’ 
John Batchelor , &c. 
3. W r e have two Accounts of this Voyage, one by 
Captain Rogers, the other by Captain Cooke , and both in 
the manner of a Journal. I fhall follow Captain Rogers 
chiefly ; but, where it is neceffary, fhall take in expla- 
natory Circumftances and Defcriptions from Captain Cooke ; 
yet, as they were both Eye-witneffes, and agreed pretty 
well in their Relations, I do not think it neceffary to break 
the Thread of the Difcourfe, in order to mention their 
Names, but proceed, as near as may be, in the Wofds of 
Captain Rogers. All Things neceffary being provided, 
fays he, we were firft to fail for Cork, in order to make up 
our Complement of Men ; our Force Landing thus : The 
Duke, Burden about 300 Tons, 30 Guns, and 170 Men, 
Captain Woodes Rogers Commander, Captain Thomas Dover 
fecond Captain, with three Lieutenants, &c. and the 
Duchefs, Captain Stephen Courtney Commander, Captain 
Edward Cooke fecond Captain, with three Lieutenants, 
Burden 270 Tons, 26 Guns, and 15 1 Men: Both Ships 
had legal Commiffions from his Royal Highnefs Prince 
George of Denmark , Lord High Admiral of England, to 
cruife on the Coafts of Peru and Mexico , in the South Seas, 
againft her Majefty’s Enemies, the French and Spaniards , 
and to ad jointly, as belonging to the fame Owners, Mer- 
chants in BrifioL On the 15th of June, 1708. we towed 
down from Hong-road to King-road, in order to fit our 
Ship, and the better to keep our Seamen on board ; where 
we continued till Monday Augufi the ift ; and then, at 
eleven in the Forenoon, unmoored ; and at two weighed, 
with our Confort the Duchefs, eight Sail of other Ships, 
and two Sloops ; and having little Wind, and that Wefterly, 
towed down about five Miles below the Holmes, where We 
anchored in about nine Fathom Water : At one in the 
Morning weighed, and made Sail with a fmall Eafterly 
Breeze ; fhortened Sail, at eight, for our Confort •, and, at 
twelve, the Ifiand of Londy bore Weft by South, diftant 
about three Leagues ; in the Evening, {aw a Sail right 
a-head, which we chafed till Night, and then fhortened 
Sail for the Ships a-ftern. 
4. On the 5th of Augufi i we had Sight of the Irifh 
Shore ; and, about eight in the Evening, we weighed with 
the Flood, a fmall Gale at Eaft : It came on to blow, and 
veered to the Northward. We had a Kinfale Pilot on 
board, who endangered our Ship, it being dark and foggy. 
Before Day, he wolild have turned us into the next Bay to 
the Weftward of Cork, had not I prevented it *, which pro- 
voked me to chaftife him for undertaking to pilot a Ship, 
fince he underftood his Bufinefs no better. The reft of 
our Company^ except the Diamond and Sherefione Galley, 
got into Cork before us •, Only our Confort ftaid in the Har- 
bour’s Mouth, till we came up with her. On the 9th, in 
the Afternoon, came in the Hafiings , with the Fleet under 
her Convoy^ which we left in King-road. We fpent the 
Time, till the 27th of Augufi, in adj ufting all Things, 
and taking on board our frefh Men provided for us at Cork, 
and in difcharging feveral we had brought from Brificl, and 
whom, by Experience, we knew not to be fit for our Pur- 
pole. On the 28 th, in the Morning, we fell down to the 
Spit-end , by the Hafiings Man of W ar, as our Confort did 
the 
