Ipz The V O Y 
People under -Misfortunes, he grew at laft to fuck a Pitch, 
that he was hardly ever quite cool or fober. It was chiefly 
owing to this unhappy Praftice, that he fell into fo many 
Errors in his future Conduct. And, though it is true, 
that Drunkennefs is rather an Aggravation than an Excufe, 
yet, if we conficler, that this poor Man was a mere Sailor, 
and had not had the Benefit of a liberal Education, that 
he fell into it purely through Defpair, and that he ftill 
fhewed, upon all Occafions, great Marks of an humane and 
generous Difpofition, together with an inflexible Honefty, 
in regard to his Owners Concerns, we cannot help pitying 
him ; becaufe it is impoflible to fay, how far human Nature 
is able to bear, without the Help of certain Supports, fuch 
an heavy Load of Misfortunes as this poor Gentleman met 
with. 
1 6. In this fad Plight they refolved to continue cruifing 
to the North, not only in Search of Plunder, but alfo of a 
Supply of Provifions, and efpecially of Flour, having ex- 
pended all they had, and being reduced to three Pounds 
of Indian Corn for a Mefs of fix Men, and that but once 
a Day. In this Crtiife they had but indifferent Fortune ; 
and, therefore, on the 27th, being in Sight of Point He- 
lena^ they refolved to fet afhore the Spaniflo Prifoners taken 
in the laft Prize, in which they afterwards loft Lieutenant 
Milne ; and then determined to go once more to the Gal- 
lapagos Ifiands, in order to refrefh quietly, and reftore 
their People to Health and Spirits ; which Scheme they 
immediately put in Execution. In their Paffage to thefe 
Elands, they began to fu (petit fome Error in their Log-line ; 
and, upon meafuring, found it three Fathoms too fhort* 
which occafioned an Error in this Run of fifty-two Miles, 
or thereabouts. On the 4th of December, they loft Mr. 
Thomas Fairman their Purfer •, and the fame Day found 
themfelves very near the Gallapagos Elands, and in the 
Latitude of 36' North, with a very ftrong Current to the 
South-weft ; againft which they were obliged to ply. On 
the 6th, they fent the Pinnace to dilcover an Anchoring- 
place at one of the Ifiands, which returned without finding 
any, but faw abundance of Tortoife afhore. Upon this, 
they fent the Pinnace and Yawl to get fome •, and they 
returned with Fifh enough to ferve the Company a Day ; 
but, there running a prodigious Surf, they could not land 
or look for Turtle. They kept plying off and on, and 
founded in foul Ground from eighty to fifty Fathom. The 
Lat. of the Eland 9' North. It was a mere Rock *, fo they 
left it, and fleered away for another South-weft, being the 
fame which the Spaniards make to lie under the Equator ; 
they run along fhore, but could find no Anchoring ; fo 
that, being unwilling to lofe more Time, they made the 
beft Way they could to the lile of Cocos, where they hoped 
certainly to get fome Filli, Fowl, and Cocoa-nuts, moft 
of their People being very fick and weak. On the 7th 
and 8th, they faw feveral Elands to the North-eaft, but 
paffed through them very happily, and got quite clear of 
them by the 9th but, as their People daily fell fick, they 
grew very apprehenfive of the Dangers that muft enfue in 
cafe of their miffing the Eland. On the 17th in the Morn- 
ing, they had the Satisfaction of beholding the long- 
looked tor Eland of Cocos, at the Diftance of about nine 
Leagues to the North- weft, which filled them with inex- 
preffible Joy. On the 18th, they went all afhore, that 
could be fpared from on board the Veflel with Safety, in 
order to build a kind of Booth for the Reception of their 
Sick ; which, as foon as it was finifhed, were carried afhore, 
and conveniently lodged. The Marquis de Villa Roche 
went alfo afhore, where they got great Plenty of Fifh, 
Fowl, and Eggs, together with Cocoa-nuts, and other 
Refrefhments. The Captain opened here the laft Hogfhed 
of Brandy for the Ufe of the Ship’s Company, and gave 
every Man a Dram a Day ; and, on New Tear' s- day, he 
allowed a Gallon of ftrong Beer to every Mefs ; and, by 
having this Plenty of nourifhing Food, and much Eafe, 
the Crew began to recover, and were able to wood and 
water, though with much Difficulty ; for there was a 
great Swell coming in from the Northward conftantly at 
Full-moon and Change ; therefore they were forced to 
wait till the Spring- tides were abated, before they could 
get any thing off. On the 17th of January 1721. the 
Captain made the neceffary Difpofitions for failing , but it 
1 
AGE S of Book I. 
was three Days before he could get his People on board, 
and then there were no lefs then eleven of them miffing, 
viz. three Englijhmen, and eight Negroes. It is not eafy 
to conceive, what could induce the former to hazard them- 
felves in fuch a Place as this, at fo great a Diftance from 
the Continent, fo little frequented by Ships, and where 
they had but a fmall, indeed fcarce any, Chance of ever 
getting off ; but it muft be attributed to their Dread of 
the Dangers and Fatigues to which they were continually 
expofed on board, and to their living conftantly at Short- 
allowance ; whereas here they were fare of Plenty of Pro- 
vifions, without any other Labour than that of procuring 
and dreffing them. It is alfo more than probable, that 
they might receive fome Affurances from the Marquis, of 
their having a Ship fent for them, when he obtained his 
Liberty which, at bdft, was an hazardous Contingency, 
and, there is great Reafon to doubt, was never performed, 
as the Reader will fee in the Sequel of this V oyage. 
17. On the 25th, they arrived on the Coaft of Mexico 
where they met with an extraordinary Adventure ; for, 
difeovering a Sail about feven in the Evening, they fent 
their Pinnace to give Chace to whom {he (truck about 
eleven : And, on the Return of the Pinnace, they had the 
furprifing Account, that this was a Spanijh Ship, called the 
Jefu Maria, but now in the Hands of Captain Shehocke , 
who commanded her ; and the Account he gave of the 
Matter to their People was this, that he had no more than 
forty of his Men aboard, the reft being all dead, or di- 
fperfed : That he loft the Speedwel at Fernandez, where 
they ftaid five Months, and built a Bark out of the Speed- 
weT s Wreck ^ with which they put to Sea, and coafted 
along Chili and Peru, meeting feveral Ships ; but could do 
nothing with them, till they came to Fifco , near Lima, 
where they took this Prize, being the Ship he went in there 
to look for. They differed much in their Account, but 
had no regular Command among them, being all alike : 
As the Method is in the Weft India Privateers, they had 
chofen a Quarter-mafter, carrying every thing by a Ma- 
jority of Votes ; fo that they found they had quite broken 
their Articles with their Owners, and had fhared all among 
themfelves. On the 27th, Captain Shehocke hoifted Si. 
George's Colours, and fired three Guns, as a Signal to 
fpeak with them ; on which the Succefs lay-to for his 
Boat, which came aboard with a Letter for Captain Clip- 
perton ; who immediately fent back the Boat for their 
Purfer, to be examined concerning their Atitions on the 
Coaft of Erajil, and elfe where : They fent away the Boat j 
but the Purfer, Mr. Hendric , ftaid, who gave but a dark 
Account of their Proceedings, that he was not allowed to 
take any Account of the Treafure for the Owners : At 
eight Captain Shehocke came aboard, being fent for by 
Captain Clipperton , and the Agent, to give an Account of 
his Tranfatitions. The Boat brought Mr. Do d, their Lieu- 
tenant of Marines, to continue in the Succefs, having been 
ufed very ill for his Attachment to the Owners Intereft, at 
leaft as he afferted, and was firmly believed by Captain 
Clipperton , and his Officers. The next Day Captain Shel- 
vocke fent on board them fix Chefts of Pitch and Dammer, 
and two Barrels of Tar, with fix Slabs of Copper : Captain 
Clipperton fpared him twenty-four Quarter-deck Guns, fome 
great Shot, and Compafs, and a few other Neceftaries : 
His People laid out a great deal of Money with .the Crew 
of the Succefs , for Cloaths, Shoes, Hats, and other Ne- 
ceffaries : There remained with them alfo two of the Speed- 
wel’ s Officers ; Mr. Hendric, the Purfer, and Mr. Dod, the 
Lieutenant of the Marines, defigning to go with them for 
China. The Succefs, ftill keeping to. the Northward, on 
the Coaft of Mexico , faw Captain Shehocke feveral times, 
as they were fenfible, by his making Signals ; but, con- 
fidering, in the Beginning of the Month of March, that 
both Time and Place afforded them a fair Opportunity of 
coming up with the Manilla Ship, before fhe entered Am » 
pulco, the Officers determined, the next time they faw 
Captain Shehocke , to propofe to him the making fuch an 
Attempt. On the 13th, they made a Sail, which, by the 
Signals, proving to be Captain Shehocke, they brought- 
to ; and the Captain, with his Lieutenants, came on 
board them. At this general Confultation it was agreed, 
by the Officers of both Ships, that the Attempt fhould be 
