am 
O H N 
C 
LIPPERT 
Voyage depends upon them, and, as it would be impof- 
fible to underftand what follows, without fuch a previous 
Account, we mull go through it as well as we can. It 
had, indeed, been happy for the Proprietors, the Reader, 
and myfelf, if, on mature Consideration on the Confequences 
that muft attend perpetual Heart-burns and Difputes be- 
tween the Commanders, they had wifely removed one, or 
both •, in which cafe, they might, very probably, have 
made as profperous a Voyage as the Duke and Duchefs. 
But it fo fell out, that the Concern every Gentleman had 
for his Friend in Poll, got the better of that Concern 
which he ought 1 to have had for himfelf, his Fellow- 
Owners, and the common Good of the Voyage ; fo that 
in this, as well as in many other Cafes, private Views 
proved the Caufe of public Ruin. 
5, On the 13th of February 1719, the Succefs, Captain 
Clipperton, and the Speedwell Captain Shelvocke , failed 
with a fair Wind, but, with as odd a Circumftance, as per- 
haps ever happened ; which was this : That the Speedwel 
had ftill on board the whole Stock of Wines, Brandies, and 
other Liquors, defigned for the Supply of both Ships ; 
and, how fatal a Millake it was not to divide them before 
this time, will very foon appear. On the 15 th, they had 
frelh Gales, Equally, with Rain. In the Evening, they 
unbent their belt and fmalleft Bowers in the Succefs , (lowed 
their Anchors, and found themfelves often obliged to 
fhorten Sail for the Speedwel. Captain Shelvocke tells us, 
that he came this Day under the Lee of the Succefs , and 
complained to Captain Clipperton of the Crankneis of his 
Ship, which proceeded from their having too much Weight 
'aloft ; and therefore defired him to fend for his Wine and 
Brandy, which would give him ( Captain Shelvocke ) an 
Opportunity of ftriking down fome of his Guns into the 
Hold, which would have enabled him to have failed much 
better than he did : But this, it feems, was negledled ; and 
was, undoubtedly, a very great Omiffion in Captain Clip- 
perton ; though, at the fame time, we muft acknowledge, 
it argued very little Diftruft in him of Captain Shelvocke 1 s 
leaving him ; and is the fulled Proof polfible, that Clip- 
perton had not any Intention to defert the Speedwel , in 
Order to have the foie Conduct and Management of the 
Voyage. On the 19th, there arofe a violent Storm be- 
tween nine and ten at Night, which obliged both Ships to 
take in their Top-fails. The Gale increafing, the Succefs 
made a Signal for the Speedwel to bring to; which Captain 
Shelvocke readily obeyed ; and, by eleven o’clock, both 
Ships were under bare Poles, not able to fuffer one Knot of 
Canvas ail the Night through. On the 20th, about two 
in the Afternoon, the Storm abated, and Captain Clip- 
perton, in the Succefs , made Sail, (leering South and by 
Eaft, whereas Captain Shelvocke , according to his own 
Journal, ftood away to the North- weft ; fo that from this 
Day they never faw each other, till they met in the South 
Seas by mere Accident. Here then properly begins the 
Hiftory we propofe to include in this Sedtion, viz. that of 
Captain Clipperton , in the Succefs , round the Globe, of 
which hitherto the W odd has had no diftindl Relation, 
though there are two Hiftories of this Voyage already 
extant ; viz. one written by Captain Shelvocke , and the 
other by Captain Betagh. The former is, ftridlly (peaking, 
the Captain’s Apology for his own Conduct ; though it 
contains abundance of curious Things, is written in a very 
entertaining Style, and has a Spirit in it, which enlivens the 
Account very agreeably. The other, though publifhed 
fome Years after, contains the Charge againft Captain Shel- 
vocke , and is written with uncommon Acrimony. The 
Author profeffes an Intention to do his Adverfary all the 
Prejudice in his Power, and appears to have perfifted very 
fteadily in his Refolution to the very laft Page in his Book; 
in which, however, there are many curious Things, and 
fome Extracts from a Journal of Captain Clipper tori’s 
Voyage. But this whole Book is fo blended with Re- 
fiedions and Invectives, that it is no eafy Matter to purfue 
the Thread of the R.elation, fo as to judge of the Effects 
of either Voyage: And, therefore, I found it neceffary to 
divide them ; and, having dated, as fairly as was in my 
Power, the Rife and SubjeCt of this Difpute, I have now 
done with it, and (hall content myfelf with profecuting 
Captain Clipperton’ s Voyage round the World ; in which 
lie (net with a great Variety of Accidents that deferve to be 
known ; performed fome Things worthy of Notice ; and, 
certainly (hewed as great an Inclination to do Juftice to 
his Proprietors, and to maintain the Honour of his Coun- 
try, as, from a Man under his Circumftances, could be 
expefted : And therefore I have always thought it hard, 
that private Prejudices fhould hinder his Merit from being 
brought into public View. 
6 . As Captain Clipperton , who was now at Sea, was very 
indifferently provided, and without his Confort, he was 
obliged to take upon him a difcretionary Power of dif- 
penfmg, in fome refpeCls, with his Inftrubtions ; but this 
he exercifed very rarely, and with the utterrhoft Caution. 
In regard to effential Points, he never digreffed from them, 
but conlulted his Officers conftantly, and did his utmoft to 
profecute his Voyage with EffeCt. The firft Place of 
Rendefvous appointed by them was the Canary [(lands ; 
and, therefore, he failed thither with fuch Expedition, 
that he arrived there on the fifth of March ; and, having 
taken in fome Refrefihments, for which, as all his Liquors 
were on board the Speedwel , he had great Occafion, he 
continued cruifing, as directed by his InftruCtions, in that 
Station, for ten Days, in hopes of feeing his Confort ; 
but, being difappointed, he refolved to continue his 
Voyage, for fear he fhould mifs her at the next Place of 
Rendefvous, which was at the Cape de Verd Iflands ; and, 
accordingly, he left Gomera on the 15th, in order to be 
early in his next Station. Thefe Iflands, which the An- 
tients called the Fortunate Iflands , by reafon of their Fer- 
tility and Temperature of Air, having been difcovereci by 
the Spaniards in the Year 1402, they named them the Ca- 
naries , or the Iflands of Dogs, becaufe they found great N um- 
bers of thefe Creatures here. They are feven in all ; viz. 
Lancer ota, Fuerte or Forte Ventura , the Great Canary , 
Feneriff . ’ Gomera , Hiero or Fero, and Palma. The Great 
Canary is far diftant from the others, and contains 9000 
Inhabitants. It is the Seat of the Bifhop, the Inquijfition, 
and of the Council Royal, which governs all the feven 
Iiiands. There is a Mountain on the Feneriff , called the 
Pic of Feneriff or Ferr air a, which, according to the com- 
mon Opinion, is the higheft in the World. It may be 
diftinCtfy feen at fixty Leagues Diftance. There is no tra- 
velling to the Top of it but in July and Auguft, becaufe 
all the Year befides it is covered with Snow ; though there 
is none to be feen at other Places of that Ifland, nor in the 
other fix, at any Time of the Year. It is three Days 
Journey to the Top of it ; whence you may eafily fee ail 
the Canary Iflands, though fome of them are fixty Leagues 
diftant. Hiero , or Fero , is alio one of the biggeft, but 
very barren, and fo dry, that there is not one Drop of 
frelh W ater to be found in it, except in fome Places on 
the Sea-fide, where it is alfo very troublefome and dan- 
gerous to fetch it ; but this Place the Providence of God 
fupplies with Rain, to remedy that Inconvenience ; for 
there grows, almoft in every Place, a fort of Tree, which 
is pretty big, and incomparably thick of Branches and 
Leaves ; and its Leaves are long and narrow, always green 
and lively : This Tree is always covered with a little Cloud, 
that hangs over it, and wets the Leaves by its Dew, fo 
that a fine clearWater diftils from them into little Pails, 
which the Inhabitants fet to catch it. This W ater (alls in 
fuch large Quantities, that it not only abundantly fupplies 
the Neceffity of the People, but is fufficient alfo to water 
the Cattle. The Canaries in general are very fertile, and 
abound with all Sorts of Provifions : They afford great 
Store of Cattle, Store of Corn, Honey, Wax, Sugar, 
Clieefe, and Skins. The Wine of that Country is pleafant 
and ftrong, and tranfported into all Parts of the World. 
I he Spamfh Ships, that fail into America , commonly day at 
thole Elands to take in Provifions. On the Right-hand 
of thole Elands, about 100 Leagues off, the Mariners 
very often perceived an Ifland named 5. Baranora ; they 
fay it is all over green, very pleafant, and full of Trees, 
and has Plenty of all manner of Provifions : They like wife 
fay it is inhabited by Chriftians, but no Man can tell of 
what Denomination they are, nor what Language tr.$y 
fpeak. The Spaniards in the Canaries often have attempted 
to go thither, but never could find the Way into it ; 
which raifed an Opinion in the People, that it was an 
Illuffon , 
