c 
Captain John Clipperto 
Ships on Fire. After the taking of thefe Ships, it was re- 
folved to bear away for Refre&ment to the Gallop ago s 
Elands, there being a greater Probability of their doing it 
there unmolefted, than in any other Part of the South Seas *, 
and accordingly, towards the latter End of the Year, they 
put this Defign in Execution. On January 9. 1720, they 
anchored in York Road, on the North Side of the Duke of 
York’s IJland , immediately under the Equinodtial, where 
they found good Water, fcrubbed and cleaned their Ship, 
and after ten Days quitted thofe Elands, and failed to the 
Northward. I cannot help remarking upon this Occafion, 
that this intirely juftifies Captain Cowley from the Afperfions 
thrown upon him by later Writers, as if he had given a fan- 
cifuIAccount of thofe Elands ; and I mull; intreat my Readers 
to obferve, that, among other Advantages refulting in this 
Hiftory of Circum-navigators, it is no fmall one, that, by 
comparing their Accounts, we correbl abundance of their 
Miftakes, • committed chiefly from their Prejudices againft 
each other, and from the Paffion that almoft every one of 
them entertained, of palling for an abler Seaman than the 
reft. 
14. On the 2 ift, they made a Sail, and continued chafe- 
ing till eleven at Night, when they came up with her •, and, 
on their firing of their firft Gun, fhe ftruck. This Ship 
proved to be the Prince Eugene , bound from Panama , and 
having on board the Marquis de Villa Roche , who had been 
Prefident there, and all his Family, who were going to 
Lima. This was the very Ship, in which Captain Clipper- 
ion was circumvented, and taken in his laft Voyage in thefe 
Seas, when he was very indifferently ufed by this Marquis, 
who now lay at his Mercy, and whom he ufed, notwith- 
flanding, with all the Civility poflible. On February 26. 
a Spaniard dying of a Wound he had received at the taking 
this Ship, the Marquis defired he might be buried accord- 
ing to their Ceremonies •, which was granted. When the 
Office for the Dead had been performed, and the Corpfe, 
which lay ready on a Grating, was thrown over-board, with 
a large Bag of Ballaft tied at his Feet, the Spaniards crying 
thrice, as their Cuftom is on fuch Ocoafions, Bon Viage , i. e. 
a good Voyage, the Body, to the Admiration of every one, 
prefehtly floated, and continued floating as far as they could 
lee it ; which the Marquis de Villa Roche concluded to be a 
very ill Omen, and declared, that he expeded lome furprife- 
ing Accident to be the Confequence. On March 8. a 
Prieft, who was on board the Prince Eugene , and the Boat- 
swain of that Ship, defired Leave to go on ffiore on the 
Illand of V das ; which was granted them, on condition 
they would perfuade the Inhabitants to drive feme Black- 
cattle to the Shore, in order to exchange them for what 
Goods they liked beft ; which they faithfully promifed. 
On the 1 6th, they returned with four Head of Black-cattle, 
fome Fowls and Fruit, as a Prefen t to the Marquis ; but at 
the fame time declared, that their Alcalde or Governor 
would not fuffer them to trade. They likewife faid, that 
Captain Mitchell had been affiore there, and had ffiot fome 
of their Cattle ; but that 200 Men appearing under Arms, 
they had been forced to retire : Which Account of theirs 
appeared the more probable, from their having Linen and 
Cloaths belonging to Captain Mitchell’s Men in their Cu- 
ftody. The next Day, fome Letters from the Marquis de 
V ilia Roche were intercepted, very little fuitable to that 
Honour, to which the Spanijh Nobility ufually pretend, 
fince he endeavoured to ftir up the People to furprife their 
Men, and fecure the Boat, when they came alhore to wa- 
ter. Upon this. Captain Clipperton confined him for fome 
Days •, yet, on the 20th, he allowed the Marquis and his 
Lady to go affiore, leaving their only Child as an Hofta^e. 
On April 14. the Marquis, his Lady, and the Governor, 
came aboard; and, an Agreement being made for their 
Kaniom, the Lady and Child were fent on fliore, and the 
Marquis only remained as an Hoftage. The Prize was foon 
aner delivered up to the Captain. In this whole Tranf- 
j 0n > Eaptain Clipperton appears to have been deceived 
and outwitted by this Nobleman, who bafely broke his 
ore,, and thereby provoked the Crew to murmur againft 
the Captam for trufting him. On April 20. they anchored 
in t re upi of Amapala ; and, not being able to water 
there, repaired to the Eland of Eiger s, where they did it 
with great Eafe. On June 4. they failed to Gorgona on the 
fame Errand, and were well fupplied. On the 24th, they 
made another Prize, which proved the St. Vincent , which 
they had taken once before. She was nOw commanded by 
Don Clement de Andrado, laden with Timber and Coco-nuts. 
O11 Augufi 11. they anchored, with their Prize, at the 
Hand oi Lobos de la Mar , where they fet up Tents on 
ffiore, fcrubbed and cleaned their Ship, and took whatever 
they thought valuable out of their Prize. 
15. 1 he Ship’s Company, while they lay here, talked 
over their Affairs, till they began to think, them defperate. 
Sometimes they reflected on the Captain, for pretending to 
remain in thefe Seas without their Confort : At other 
times, they blamed him for giving into the Spanijh Mar- 
quis’s Project for ranfoming his Ship, which, they believed, 
would never be performed : And now-and'then the Ship’s 
Corporal, one James Roch , a bold, bufy, intriguing Fel- 
low, threw in fome fly Infmuations, that, if they mtift go 
through fuch Hardfhips, it was better they ffiould do it lor 
their own fakes, than for other Peoples. And one Jcfeph 
Maynard , the Boatfwain’s Mate, puffiing Things ftiil fur- 
ther, a Plot was at laft formed forfeizing the Captain, the 
reft of the Officers, and running away with the Ship. They 
likewife agreed, that, when their Defign was brought to 
bear, the Officers ffiould be fet on ffiore on the Hand of 
Lobos , and all, who afterwards oppofed them, ffiot with- 
out Mercy. This wicked Contrivance, however, was hap- 
pily eifeovered on September 6. the two Ringleaders feverely 
puniffied, and the reft pardoned by which wife Conduct 
the Confpiracy was fuppreffed. On the 1 7th, they took a 
f iffiing-boat, with a good Quantity of Salt-fifli, well cured ; 
but found the St. Vincent , which they had left at Anchor 
under the Hand of Lobos, driven alhore, and funk ; and, 
upon this, they put thirty-eight Spanijh Prifoners on board 
the Filhing-boat, and fent them away. On November 1. 
they entered the Bay of Conception , where miffing a Prize 
that outfailed them, they bore away for Coquinbo , where 
they took a Ship laden with Tobacco, Sugar, and Cloth, in 
their ± ullage. On the 6th in the Afternoon, they opened 
that Harbour, where they faw three Men of War lying, 
with their I op-lails Ioole ; and thefe no fooner ’fpied them, 
than they cut their Cables, and flood after them. The Sue - 
cefs haled clofe on a Wind, and their Prize did the fame ; 
upon which the Spanijh Man of War, that failed beft, gave 
Chace to the latter, and, at three in the Afternoon, came 
up with, and took her. The other two Ships crouded all 
the Sail they could, till about four in the Afternoon, when 
the biggeft, having her Mizen-top-maft carried away, fired 
a Gun, tacked, and flood in for the Shore ; which favour- 
able Opportunity the Succefs embraced to make her Efcape. 
In the Spanijh Prize, they loft their third Lieutenant Mr. 
James Milne , and twelve of their Men. The Captain of 
the Spanijh Man of War, who took him, was the famous 
Don Bias de Lejfo , who was Governor of Carthagena , when 
attacked by Admiral Vernon. Don Bias treated his Prifoner 
a little roughly at firft, being enraged to find he had miffed 
the Englijh Privateer, and only retaken a Spanijh Prize, and, 
in the firft Tranfport of his Paffion, ftruck Mr. Milne over 
the Head with the Flat of his Sword ; but, when he came 
to himfelf, he fent for him up ; and, finding him flopped 
by his Soldiers, he generoully afked his Pardon, ordered 
him a new Suit of Cloaths, and kept him for fome time on 
board his Ship. _ He afterwards procured his Liberty at 
Lima , paid for his Paffage to Panama , where he gave him 
a Jar of Brandy, and another of Wine, for his Sea-ftorts, 
put 200 Pieces of Eight in his Pocket, and fent him to Eng- 
land. Phis unlucky Accident of lofing their Prize revived 
the ill Humours among Clipperton’ s Men, who did not 
indeed plot again, but became exceedingly dejebted. On 
the 1 6th, they faw another Sail, and gave Chace, which, 
after a few Guns fired on both Sides, bore away, being a 
clean Ship, and left them •, which was another lucky Efcape : 
f or ffie was likewife a Ship of Force, fitted out to take 
Captain Shelvocke , and commanded by one Fitzgerald , 
who, knowing this was not Shelvocke’ s Ship, and doubting 
what Strength fhe might be of, had no great Stomach to 
engage her. Thefe repeated Difappointments, as they 
broke the Spirits of his Crew, fo they h'ad a very bad Effcbt 
on Captain Clipperton himfelf, who began now to betake 
himfelf to drinking and, as this Vice generally grows upon 
People 
