Chap. I. Captain John Clipper ton, I of 
Voyage •, the one called the Speedwel, and the other the 
Succefs. But the War not breaking out fo foon as was ex- 
pefted between the two Crowns, it was judged requifite to 
have his Imperial Majefty’s Compiiflion^ When the 
Scheme was fettled and adjufted on this Foot, it was thought 
very necelfary to find out fome Gentleman who had ferved 
on board the Royal Navy, that might take upon him the 
Command of the Expedition, and be able to carry a pro- 
per Authority over the Flemijh Soldiers, as well as Englijh 
Seamen, who were on board. This Situation of Things 
induced the Gentlemen Proprietors, on the warm Recom- 
mendation of one of their own Number, to make Choice 
of Captain George Shelvocke , who had ferved as a Lieute- 
nant in the Royal Navy, had the Charter of being a good 
Officer, and was certainly as accompliffied a Seaman as 
ever bore Command. He was, befides, a Man of quick 
Parts, ready Speech, and very winning Addrefs •, which 
made him a very proper Perfqn for carrying into Execution 
this Scheme, as it was then modelled. The firft Inftruc- 
tions he received, were to proceed with the Speedwell then 
commanded by Captain Robert Mitchell , to OJlend , there 
to wait for the Emperor’s Commiffions, and to receive his 
Flemijh Officers and Seamen on board the Ship, together with 
as much Wine and Brandy, as was thought proper for 
the Supply of both Ships, during fo long a Voyage, in fo 
cold a Climate, as that of Cape Horn ; and for their Pro- 
vifion in the South Seas, which was bought in that Coun- 
try for the fake of Cheapnefs. 
2. It was in the Month of November 1718, that Cap- 
tain Shehocke failed to OJlend, in order to execute this Part 
of his Commiffion. To ffiew the greater Refpeft to the 
Imperial Court, and, at the fame time, to give this more 
the Air of a German Expedition, it was refolved to change 
the Names of the Ships ; and therefore the biggeft, of thir- 
ty-fix Guns, and 180 Men, was called the Prince Eugene \ 
and the lefifer, of twenty-four Guns, and 106 Men, was 
named the Starenberg. , after Count Starenberg, his Impe- 
rial Majefty’s Prime Minifter. The Complement of Men 
Captain Shelvocke was to take in, was fixty Flemings , under 
3 Officers ; and when he had got them on board, together 
with his Wine and Brandy, he was to proceed direftly for 
the Downs, where he was to meet his Confort the Prince 
Eugene , that had been fitted and manned in the River : He 
was likewife inftrufted to make no fort of Shew or Parade 
there, by hoifting of Colours, giving Entertainments, in- 
viting Strangers aboard, or, in fhort, doing any thing 
that might give inquifitive People an Opportunity of pry- 
ing into the Defign of the Voyage, or the Strengh of the 
Ship. But Captain Shelvocke , apprehending that he had a 
difcretionary Power, and, perhaps, finding it impoffible to 
manage Things in that Country without a little Shew, fome 
Firing of Guns, and now-and-then a Dinner, gave into it 
by degrees •„ and, at laft, failed for the Downs with ninety 
Flemings , and fix Officers on boarcfi where he found his 
Confort the Prince Eugene , which had waited for him there 
fome time. The Accident of his flaying fo long, created 
the firft Uneafinefs, his Owners having fome of them waited 
at Deal for feveral Days,, in Expectation of him •, but De- 
putes quickly grew high, when it was found, that the 
Flemijh Seamen, confiding in their Numbers, and proud 
of being commanded by their own Officers, behaved ip 
fuch a manner, that the Englijh knew not how to aft with 
them •, and, as there was conftantly a mixed Command, 
thefe Difputes were fo often repeated, that at laft the whole 
Ship’s Crew was in a Flame, and the Owners faw, what 
they might eafily have guefled before, that to fend out a 
mixt Company, of Englijhmen and Flemings , to cruife upon 
the Spaniards, was, in ltfelf, a very ill-judged, and, in the 
Event, a very impracticable thing ; fo that, after all the 
Care and Expence it had coft them, they found themfelves 
obliged to lay afide all Thoughts qf proceeding under the 
Emperor’s Commiffion ; to which they were the mpre eafily 
induced, fince they were no longer under a Neceffity of 
making ufe of it, the War being, by this time, begun 
between Great Britain and Spain. It was, therefore, fe- 
folved to procure King George’s Commiffion, and to fend 
back all the Men and Officers to Flanders , paying their 
'Charges,' and allowing two Months Wages to ‘the Men, 
'This Kefolutlon was no fooner taken, than it was put in 
*3, • ' ' ' ' ' " " T 
Execution : But, before we part with his Imperial Majefty’s 
Commiffion, it may not be amifs to take a’ Copy of it. f 
have always had a great Dffiike to filling up Books with 
public Inftruments and Records •, but this Commiffion of 
the Emperor’s is really a Curiofity, in point both of Stile 
and Subftance •, and, as I believe it is the only one of its 
kind that ever was procured by Britijh Subjefts, I hope my 
Readers will be very well fatisfied with my inferring it, efpe 7 
cially when I obferve, that this Commiffion was obtained 
before the Eajt India Company was erefted at OJlend ; which 
ihews fiow dangerous a thing it is, for the Subjefts of the 
maritime Ppwers to apply to foreign Princes for Commifi 
lions, fince it opens the Secrets of their Trade, and puts 
fuch Courts upon Schemes they would not otherwife have 
thought of. But to the Commiffion : Thus it ran. 
A Tr (inflation of the Imperial Commiflion. 
44 Harles VI. by the Grace of God, Emperor of the 
44 V Romans , always Auguft *, King of Germany , Cajlile , 
44 Leon , Arragon , Naples, 'Sicily , JeruJalem , Hungary , 
44 Bohemia , Dalmatia , Croatia , Navarre , Granada , To- 
44 ledo, Valentia , Galicia , the Balearic IJlands , Seville , 
44 Sardinia , Corduba , Corfca , Murcia , Juan Algarve , AU 
44 gier, Gibraltar , the Canary IJlands, alfo of the Eajl In- 
44 dies , the Ifiands and foreign Lands of the Weftern, 
44 Sea, &c. Archduke of Aujtria •, Duke of Burgundy * 
“ Brabant , Milan , Stiria , Carinthia , Carniola, Luxem- 
44 berg, Wirtemburgh , the tipper and Lower Silefia , Athens * 
44 and Neapatita \ Prince of Suabia •, Marquis of the facred 
44 Roman Empire, Burgau, and Moravia -, Earl of Habfl 
44 burgh , Flanders, Tyrol, Barcelona , &c. We make 
44 known and teftify to all the World, by the Tenor of 
44 thefe Prefents, that of our own Motion, and from the 
44 Fulnefs of our Power, we have allowed and granted our 
44 Imperial Per million, and free Liberty, to the faithful* 
44 and (of us) moll deferving Man George Shelvocke , upon 
44 a certain and experienced 1 Opinion of his Honefty, con- 
44 firmed by a long Series of good Aftions, to preparq 
“ and fit out for War the Ship called the Prince Eugene * 
“ able to carry thirty-two Guns, or thereabouts, and to 
“ fail with her well fitted and furnilhed with Arms, thro* 
<c any Seas far and wide, tq follow and purfiie any fuch as 
“ are the Enemies of our moll Auguft Houle, but chiefly 
u the Enemies of the Chriftian Name, and to take ana 
“ feize their Ships, to the end that our Subjefts, and 
“ pur Shores, may be freed from the Incurfions of the 
“ Turks, and be rendered fafe from all Enemies •, or that 
“ our Enemies may be puniffied for their Infolence, ffioula 
<c they offer any Injury to our Dominions or Subjefts. 
“ But we have not otherwife granted and allowed this 
<c Power and C<efarean Permiffion to the aforefaid George 
“ Shelvocke , than upon Condition that he fuffer the afore- 
t£ named Ship, with ail the Effefts wherewith ffie is laden, 
tc to be eftimated and valued by our General Archithalaffic 
“ College, commonly called The Office of Admiralty of 
£S the Spanijh Flanders •, and that he fit out and furniffi the 
“ faid Ship for War, by Order and Appointment of the 
<c faid Office of Admiralty ; and alfo give the proper Secu 7 
“ rity, and take the ufual Oath required by the faid Office, 
“ or to whomfoever the Admiralty ftiall authorize apd iqq- 
tc power, by Order of our Governor, or our Plenipofen- 
“ tiary in Flanders, viz. that he is the true Commander of 
44 the Ship ; and that he will exaftly obferve oqr Orders 
“ and Rules relating to Naval Affairs and Hoftilities; and 
44 take care, they be inviolably obferyed by the Seamen, 
44 and fuch as fail with him : Likewife, that a Lift or Ca» 
44 talogue be made, in which the Names and Surnames qf 
44 the Perfons who ferve in the faid Ship, with their Birth, 
“ Country ? and Habitation, be clearly expreffed, that the 
44 Commerce of our Subjefts own Confederates ffiall not 
<4 be difturbed, of any ways hindered •, that Ships taken 
‘ 4 from the Enemy ffiall not be funk in the Sea, nor thq 
44 Prifoners fet on ffiorg, or difperfed on Elands, qr diftant 
44 and remote Countries, to hide and cpnqeaj the nature of 
44 their Booty : That no Chefts, Boxes, or Trunks, which 
“ ffiall be found in the Ship when taken, ftiall be opened, 
44 or any Part of the Prize-goods taken away, moved, or 
44 dandeftinely fold : Laftly 5 that he ufe his belt Endea- 
2 1’ ^ ' ? 4 youfi 
