164 7 he VOYAGES of Book I. 
come off again, for fear of meeting with two French Ships, 
one of fixty, and the other of forty-fix Guns, and the Spa- 
nijh Man of War, who, we were advifed, would be fud- 
denly in Search of us ; but, if we could find no Water in 
any, of thofe Elands going in, we defigned to fit our Ships 
there, and not go near the Main, our Ships being out of 
Order, and our Men fickly and weak, and feveral alfo hav- 
ing been buried. We failed on the 2.7th ; and, on the 50th, 
we held another Cduncil on board the Duchefs , where it was 
agreed to go firft to Gorgona, to fee if there were any Eng- 
lish Ships there, and afterwards to Mangla , Malaga , or 
Madulinar , where are fome Indians , Enemies to the Spa- 
niards, who, as the Pilots informed us, feldom came thither, 
nor could thence get Intelligence of us •, and, if we could 
trade with the Indians , might have Swine and Fowls, good 
Bananas, Plantains, and other Refrefhments. In this 
Courfe, the Duchefs took a Prize, which proved to be a 
Veffel of the Burden of ninety Ton, bound from Panama 
to Guiaquil , called the St. Thomas de Villa Nova , Juan 
Navarro Navaret Commander. There were about forty 
People aboard, including eleven Negro Slaves •, but little 
of European Goods, except fome Iron and Cloth. The 
next wc made the Eland of Gorgona ; and, on the 8th, our 
Boats brought in another Prize, which was a fmall Bark, of 
about fifteen Tons, called the Golden Sun. She belonged 
to a Creek on the Main, and was bound for Guiaquil, An- 
dros Enriquis Matter, with ten Spaniards and Indians , and 
fome Negroes ; no Cargo, but a very little Gold-duft, and 
a large Gold Chain *, together about 500 l. Value, which 
were fecured aboard the Duchefs. On June 19. in the 
Evening, there was a Confultation on board the Ship above- 
mentioned, at which fome of my Officers and Captain Do- 
ver affifted. Being difcompofed, I was not with them ; but 
refolved to aft in Confortfhip, according to their Agree- 
ment. After they had examined the Prifoners, they refolved 
to go to Malaga , an Eland which had a Road, where we 
defigned to leave our Ships, and, with our Boats, row up 
the River for the rich Gold Mine of Barbacore , called alfo 
by the Spaniards the Mines of St. Juan , from a Village 
about two Tides up the River, of that Name. There we 
defio-ned to furprife Canoes, as fitter than our Boats to go 
againft the Stream •, for this Time of the Year being fub- 
jedt to great Rains, which make a ftrong Frefh down the 
River, our Pilot, an old Spaniard , did not propofe to get 
up to the Mines in lefs than twelve Days. I had often be- 
fore fufpeded his Knowledge but, according to their Re- 
volutions on board the Duchefs, we made Sail about twelve 
o’Clock that Night, and fleered North-eaft for the Place. 
In the Morning, I difcourfed Captain Morel, as I had done 
feveral times before, and all the reft of the Prifoners, who 
agreed, that this Bland called Malaga was an unfrequented 
Place, and not fit for Ships, that ever they heard of. I 
had alfo two Prifoners on board, that were taken in the laft 
Prize, who had been .at the faid Ifiand very lately. I ex- 
amined them feparately, and they agreed, that a Ship could 
not be fafe there ; and that, the Place being fo narrow, it 
was impoffible to get in, but with the Tide, which ran very 
ftrong ; that the Entrance was full of Sholes, and had not 
Water enough, but at Spring-tides, for our Ships to get 
out or in : Befides that, if a Ship gets loofe, (as we muft 
moor Head and Stern) fhe would turn all a-drift, and very 
much endanger the Whole. They added, that the River 
was fo narrow, before we could get to the Mines, that the 
Indians and Spaniards might fell Trees acrofs, and cut off 
our Retreat, there being thick Woods on the Banks of the 
River, from whence the Indians would gall us with their 
poifoned Arrows ; for thofe about the Mines were at Amity 
with the Spaniards, and a bold and very numerous People. 
Upon this Information, I was furprifed, that the Council 
had not informed themfelves better, before they refolved 
on going to this Place, and immediately fent Mr. White 
our Linguift, with the two Prifoners, on board the Linguifi, 
to undeceive Captain Courtney, and his Officers, and to de- 
fire his Company, with fome of the reft, without Lofs of 
Time, that we might agree how to ad for our Safety and 
Intereft, and not to proceed farther on this hazardous En- 
terprize. On a folemn Confultation, this was accordingly 
refolved; and, in Compliance of that Refolution, we came 
back to Gorgona, our Condition being fo bad at this Jun- 
3 
dure, that, if we had been attacked, we fhould fcarce have 
been in a Condition to have defended ourfelves. 
23. On the 1 3th of June , about four in the Morning, 
we anchored in forty Fathom Water, and refolved to 
careen the Duchefs firft, and then the Duke ; our Sick we 
removed aboard the Galleon, and the fick Officers on 
board the Havre de Grace, where they had all the Con- 
veniences we co.uld afford them. We likewife fet up a 
Tent afhore for the Ufe of the Armourer, and Cooper’s 
Crew, and direded a Place to be cleared for our fick Mens 
Tents ; all which was performed with fuch Diligence, that, 
by the 28th, we got our Provifions on board, mounted 
all our Guns, having in fourteen Days caulked our Ships 
all round, careened, rigged, and flowed them again both 
fit for the Sea ; which was great Difpatch, confidering 
what we had to do was in an open Place, with few Car- 
penters, and void of the ufual Conveniencies for careening. 
The Spaniards , our Prifoners, being very dilatory Sailors, 
were amazed at our Expedition ; and told us, they ufually 
take fix Weeks, or two Months, to careen one of the 
King’s Ships at Lima, where they are provided with all 
Neceffaries, and account it good Difpatch. On the 29th, 
we fet up a Tent on fhore for the Sick, who were, even by 
this time, much better than when we came to the Eland, not- 
withftanding the Spaniards reprefented it as extremely fick 
and unwholfome ; but the bare lying afhore, having their 
DoCtgrs with them, and an Opportunity of walking about 
when they grew a little better, had fo good an EffeCt, that, 
while our found Men were employed in fitting our Ships 
for Sea, our fick Men gathered Strength enough to return 
to their Duty. Our Spanijh Prifoners went into the Woods 
with us, fhewed us Timber that was proper to be cut, and 
gave us every other kind of Affiftance in their Power. We 
not only fet up Coopers and Armourers Tents, but now 
fet out Ground for a Rope-yard, ereCted a Tent for a 
Smith, another for a Block, the third for a Sail-maker; 
and each had his Crew to aCt under him, for the better 
Difpatch of Bufinefs. It is not to be fuppofed, that thefe 
People were all excellent in their Profeffions ; but, how- 
ever, they made a fhift to carry on Things very well for 
our Work, Neceffity and Practice having taught them 
many Refources, which the ableft Man, in their Branches 
of Bufinefs, would never have thought of, or, perhaps* 
could have been brought to believe practicable, if they had 
been told of them by others. By this Method of aCting, 
we had fettled not only a Plantation, but a Manufacture* 
on the little Ifiand of Gorgona ; and, as every Officer had 
his Charge, and furveyed a particular Sort of Artizans, we 
had Bufinefs enough upon our Hands, and were all 
throughly and pleafantly employed. Our Spanijh Prifoners 
looked on with Amazement at our working from Break of 
Day till Night in that Climate, and in that manner ; and, 
what moll of all furprifed them, was our finding out fome 
new Expedient, when preffed by new Difficulties, and 
when, in the Judgment of our Spaniards, it was impof- 
fible for us to proceed any further ; fo that our Diligence 
and Succefs raifed our Credit with them prodigiouffy. 
The Natives of Old Spain are accounted but ordinary 
Mariners ; but here they are much worfe, all the Prizes 
we took being rather cobbled, than fitted out for the Sea; 
fo that, had they fuch Weather as we often met with in the 
European Seas in Winter, they could foarce ever reach a Port 
again, as they are fitted ; but they foil here Hundreds of 
Leagues. The French ufed her as a ViClualer, and fold her 
at Lima, as they had done feveral others, for four times the 
Money they coft in Europe. ’Tis certainly a good Method 
they took, at firft .trading hither, to bring a Victualling 
Ship, with no other Goods but Provifions and Stores, 
along with them. Generally one of thefe fmall Ships 
comes out with two Traders *, and fmee in fix, nine, or 
twelve, Months time which they ftay in thofe Seas, they 
expend their Provifions, and leffen their Men by Mortality 
or Defertion, they fell their Victualling Ship ; and, being 
recruited with Men and Provifions out of her, they return* 
well victualled and manned, to France : But now they put 
into Chili , where they fell the remaining Part of the Cargo* 
and fait up a new Stock of Provifions for their homeward- 
bound Paffage ; fo that they need bring no more Victu- 
allers. 
24. While 
