160 The V O Y 
open Boats* though he had killed one of the Commanders 
Brothers, and wounded and killed others ; and, therefore, 
advifed him to agree for the Ranfom of the Town, for, 
though he had 3000 Men, he would not be able to with- 
ftand them : To which the Corregidor replied, My Horfe 
is ready. On the 23d, having towed the Barks clofe up 
before the Town, and brought them to the Pinnace, went 
up the River after fome Yelfels, and brought fix of them 
to an Anchor by our Barks ; we alfo took Poffeffion of 
two new, of about 400 Ton each ; then went afhore with 
a Flag of Truce, and the Governor came on board one of 
the Prizes, to agree about the Ranfom of the Town and 
Ships ; but could not be then concluded, but promifed to 
meet the Captains again at feven in the Evening ; yet he 
was not fo good as his Word. The Boats went up the 
River again to fee for more Ships, and returned without 
finding any ; However* we took feveral Canoes, with 
fome Plate on board. On the 24th in the Morning, the 
Governor came off again to treat : Our Captains thought 
to have feized him, becaufe he had forfeited his Word in 
not returning over Night, and fending Word that Morn- 
ing, that he had more People come into the Town; but 
he, alleging that it was contrary to a Flag of Truce, was fet 
on Shore again, and an Hour’s Time given him to get 
his Men ready. However, the Boat went and came two 
•or three times with the Flag of Truce ; but the Governor 
and Captains not agreeing, all Things were made ready, 
and towed nearer the Shore, wearing our Union Jack at 
our Main-top-maft-heads. At four in the Afternoon the 
Men landed, with fo much Bravery, that the Spaniards 
fired only their firft Volley, and fled, our People prefling 
them, and purfuing them to their Cannon, which they 
foon gained, only the Gunner, who was an Iri/hman, 
Handing by them till he was wounded in four Places, 
whereof he died foon after, as we were informed by fome 
Prifoners we took. Our Men marched in a Body through 
both Towns, driving out the Enemy, placed three Guards 
in the three Churches, and fet Fire to five or fix Houfes in 
the old Town, that flood adjoining to the Wood, left 
the Spa?iiards fhould have any Cover from them to annoy 
our Guard, which was within Piftol-fhot. All this Night 
they kept firing out of the Woods at our Centinels, or 
any other, that ftirred out of the Guard, yet did no harm ; 
feveral Parties of Florfe and Foot came down, without 
making any Attempt : In the mean while the Ducbefs’s 
Pinnace, which was commanded by Lieutenant Comely , 
with twenty- two Men, went up the River, landed at every 
Houfe, took their Plate, and what elfe of Value they found, 
and had fome Skirmifhes with the Enemy, in which one of 
our Men was wounded. On the 25th, the Enemy ap- 
peared thick in the Woods, fometimes coming out ; and 
Our Guards had fome Skirmifhes with them, in which one 
Man was wounded, fo that they expected to be attacked. 
In the Night, one of our Centinels fliot another of ours, 
who was going a little Way from his Poft, and did not 
anfwer when challenged three times. Our firft Lieutenant’s 
, Piftol went off by his Side, and wounded him in the Leg ; 
and another of our Men was fhot through the Foot by one 
of our People. Our Surgeon cut off a Man’s Arm, who had 
been hurt with one of our Grenade- (hells, which broke in 
the Bark when fired out of a Cohorne. The Afternoon was 
fpent in fhipping off Provifions from the Town, and 
difpofingall Things, in cafe we fhould be attacked in the 
Night, the Enemy appearing about the Outhoufes •, for 
which Reafon, the Captains thought fit to join all the 
Forces at the main Guard, where they had their Cannon 
mounted. On the 26th in the Morning, Captain Courtney 
marched to his Guard again, to cover the Men who were 
getting down Provifions, Lhr. Several Prifoners were taken, 
and brought to the main Guard. Meffengers, with a 
Flag of Truce, came about ranfoming the Town, but could 
not agree : In the Afternoon brought one Boat of Provifions 
aboard the Barks f and at three returned, to ranfom the 
Town, which was at laft agreed on for 30,000 Dollars ; we 
, to have three Hoftages, and to flay at Puna till they could 
,raife the faid Sum, the People having carried their 
Money out of Town, and being fo difperfed, that there was 
no railing it whilft we were there, the Inhabitants of the 
adjacent Country having withdrawn all their Effe&s. On 
. ‘ 6 
AGES of Book I. 
the 27th in the Morning, the Hoftages for Ranfom were 
put on board, as was a Boat’s Lading of Brandy : We took 
oown our Union Flag, and hoifted a Flag of Truce s 
firing a Gun for a Signal, that the Spaniards might come 
into the Town, and that no Hoftilities fhould be com- 
mitted on either Side during the Time we had agreed to 
flay for the Money, having before concerted with the Spa- 
niards to make the laid Signal for them to come in to 
fecure what we had left, that the Indians and Blacks might 
not rob : And, I am apt to believe, they had plundered as 
much as we had taken ; for we took feveral, as we went 
the Rounds, laden with Goods, which they owned they 
had ftolen ; and were afterwards informed, that, in the 
Hurry; the Inhabitants had given Plate and Money to 
Blacks to carry out of the Town, and could never hear of 
it after. In the Evening, Mr. Hajley , and Mr. Duck , were 
fent from the Ships in the laft Prize, and the Beginning 
Galley, to the Ifland Puna, for Water, of which there 
began to be Want on board ; and with Inftrudlions to go 
up the River, to get Intelligence of the Forces on Shore, 
we at Sea having heard nothing from them fince their De- 
parture , and the Prifoners faying, they were certainly all 
cut off ; which was but little regarded, any farther ,han to 
keep a ftricft Watch over them. In the Afternoon, the 
Men afhore went aboard the Barks, which carried them, 
and fome others we had taken, up the River : At fix 
weighed, and rowed off the Shore. Gn the 28th in the 
Morning, our Barks weighed with the firft of the Ebb, 
the Duke’s Pinnace making the beft of her Way down to 
the Ships, and the Float going afhore to fetch off the great 
Guns, then weighed, and fell down the River. Two of 
the Barks ran a-ground on the middle Shole, that lies right 
againft the Ifland. In the Evening they were afloat again ; 
then we towed them over on the Starboard Side, where 
the Chanel was, firing a Gun for the reft to weigh ; and, 
at the laft of the Ebb, came to an Anchor about a Mile 
from the Ifland, and faw the Beginnings and another Veffel, 
under the Shore, whether they were come for Water, took 
Water out of the Barks, and put into the Beginnings an d 
difpatched her to the Ships. On the 29th in the Morn- 
ing, the Barks weighed, and got down to Punas where 
they anchored off the Town. Captain Rogers , in the 
Duke’s Pinnace, came on board, and gave an Account, 
that they had taken, plundered, and ranfomed the Town 
of Guiaquil ; that three of our Men had been killed ; two 
by our own People, and one by the Spaniards ; and four 
wounded : That the Inhabitants, whilftdreating, had car- 
ried off their Money and Plate, retiring to the Woods, 
and leaving their Guns ; four whereof were taken, with 
a confiderable Quantity of Meal, Peafe, Sugar, Brandy, 
and Wine, which was coming down in the Barks. What 
we killed and wounded of the Enemy could not be 
known, becaufe they carried them off. The fame Day 
Hugh Tidcomb, who was fhot by his fellow Centinel, died. 
Having from the Ship-fide difcovered a Sail Handing up the 
River, with the Tide of Flood *, we fent both Ships Boats 
after her, and, at four in the Afternoon, fhe ftruck to the 
Boats. They brought her in at Night. She was a fmall 
Spanijh Bark from Cheripe , and bound up to Guiaquil y 
having on board 330 Bags of Meal, and 140 Arrobas, 
that is, 35 hundred Weight of Sugar, fome Onions, 
Quince, and Pomegranates : This, with the fix Barks, and 
two great Ships ranfomed with the Town of Guiaquil, 
makes fourteen Prizes taken in thofe Seas. Captain 
JVoodes Rogers, in his Relation, blames Captain Courtney 
for being in a Hurry to quit the Place, though he acknow- 
ledges, that his Lieutenant Mr. Streton , was fhot by Ac- 
cident in his Leg, his own Piftol going off unluckily, 
which rendered it neceffary to fend him inftantly on board 
the Small-craft ; and that moft of their Men were grown 
carelefs, weak, and heartily weary of their new Trade of 
being Soldiers. One Circumftance he mentioned, which 
deferves Notice for its Singularity. As he was marching 
out of the Town, he happened to mifs one John Gabriel , a 
Dutchman , who ferved in his own Company ; and took it 
for granted, that he was either taken or killed. But the 
poor Fellow had a better Time of it : He happened to take 
up his Quarters in a certain Houfe, where there was fome 
excellent Brandy ; which the Dutchman attacked fo often, 
that. 
