Chap. I Captain John ( 
made jointly ; and that, to prevent their meeting with the 
fame Fate which befel Captain Rogers and Captain Courtney , 
when they attempted the biggeft Manilla Ship, they fhould 
run her aboard at once, having- indeed no other Chance 
for taking her. Accordingly they cruifed for her •, and, 
on the 1 5th, Captain Clipperton held another Confultation, 
wherein Propofals being agreed on, were figned, and fent 
to Captain Shelvocke •, that if he and his Crew would refund 
all the Money fiiared among themfelves contrary to the 
Articles with the Owners, and agree to put it in a joint 
Stock, then all Faults fhould be forgot, both Companies 
would unite, and proceed to cruife for the Acapulco Ship. 
This Proposition was but indifferently received by Captain 
Shelvocke , and his People, who did not care to part, in 
any Shape, with what they poffeffed, and therefore declined 
giving any Anfwer to this Propofal. We fhall, in the next 
Section, mention the Reafons affigned by Captain Shel- 
vocke for this manner of proceeding : Our Bufinefs at pre- 
fent lies -with Captain Clipperton , and his People, who, 
perceiving that there was nothing to be expedted from 
their Confort, determined to manage their own Affairs 
the belt way they could. In the firft Place, they con- 
fidered, that the Time of meeting with the Manilla Ship 
was by feme Days elapfed •, that moft of their People were 
weak and fickly ; that, even at their prefent fhort Allow- 
ance, they were vidlualled but for five Months •, and that, 
confequently, it was their Bufinefs to think of going di- 
rectly to the Eajl Indies , without Lofs of Time, in order 
to preferve what they had got for their Owners and them- 
felves.. .This Refolution appeared, in every refpedt, fo 
pealonable and well-founded, that it was inftantly put in 
Execution •, and, without waiting for, or confulting Cap- 
tain Shelvocke any more, they concluded to leave the 
South Seas, being then to the South South-eaft of Port 
Marquis , and in the Latitude of 1 6° 50'' North. In order 
to underhand the latter Part of this Account, it is necef- 
fary to fay fomewhat of the Times when thefe Acapulco 
Ships fail. They ufually leave the Philippine Ifiands about 
the Beginning of July , and they arrive at the Ladrones 
about the Beginning of September : From thence they pro- 
ceed to Acapulco ; in which Port they are commonly ex- 
pected about the Middle of January •, and then the Ship 
ufually remains in Port till towards the latter End of the 
Month of April , and then fine fails again from Acapulco for 
Manilla. Yet this is not to be confidered as a conftant 
Rule ; for, according as the Winds fet in earlier or later, 
It alters. In the prefent Cafe, it is plain, the Ship they 
waited for, was not the Veffel expected from, but the 
Galleon that was to return to, the Philippine Ifiands ; on 
board which, there is always a prodigious Quantity of 
Silver : Yet it muff be owned, that either the Ship failed 
earlier than ufual, or elfe they left her behind them when 
they failed for the Eajl Indies , whither we now are to 
attend them. 
18. The Run from the Coaft of Mexico to the Ifland of 
Guam, t hey performed in fifty-three Days ; and, on the 
10th of May , arrived in Sight of the Ifiand Serpana , in 
the Latitude of 13 0 North-, though, in the Spanijh 
Charts, thisTfiand is generally laid down in 14 0 . In this 
Paffage they loft fix of their People, and the reft of them were 
fo weak and low, that nothing could be a more joyful Sight 
to them than this Ifiand. They determined, however, to 
proceed to that of Guam , as belt known to Europeans , and 
where they were moft likely to meet with Provifions ; in 
which, perhaps, they judged the Matter wrong j for, in 
their prefent weak Condition, it would have been more 
advifeable to have gone to Serpana , where the Spaniards 
have not fo great a Force. May the 13th, they anchored 
in the Road, and fent their Pinnace afhore, with a Flag of 
Truce, in order to obtain fome Provifions but the People 
fent them for Anfwer, That, without the Governor’s 
Leave, they could not trade with them for Fifh, Fowl, or 
Greens : And, therefore. Applications v/ere immediately 
made to him for that Purpofe ; which had, at prefent, a 
favourable Reception. Mr. Godfrey , the Owners Agent, 
who had been fent up to Umatta , where the Governor lives, 
returned on the 16th on board one of their Proes, with a 
Mefiage, importing, That if they behaved civilly, and 
paid honeftly, they fhould be furnifhed with Provifions. 
Numb. XIY. 
«L IP PERT ON. 
Soon after their own Launch arrived, and brought on 
board fome Cattle, Bread, Sugar, Brandy, Fruit, and 
Greens. On the 1 7th, the Governor fent them an hand- 
fome Prefent of Palm-wine, Sugar, and Brandy, with a 
large Quantity of Chocolate. In Return for which, his 
Health was drank by the whole Ship’s Crew, under a 
Salvo of Seven Guns : This was the laft A£t of Civility 
that patTed between them : But, before we come to thefe 
Difputes, it will be neceffary to fay fomething of the State 
of the Ifiand at that Time. This Ifiand lies diredtly 
North and South ; and, according to the beft Account 
that could be obtained of it, from a Negro belonging to 
the Marquis de Villa Roche , who travelled quite round it, 
it is near ten Leagues in Length, and five in Breadth: There 
are feveral Villages upon it but the moft remarkable are 
thefe that follow viz. Amalia, Atry , Agana , Anigua , Afa, 
Hugatee , and Rigues. The native Inhabitants were for- 
merly very numerous, not fewer, it is laid, than 15,000*, 
but, at this time, there were fcarce a tenth Part fo many, 
at leaft under the Dominion of the Spaniards ; for there are 
ftill fome hundreds that have eftablifhed themfelves in the 
Mountains, .and preferve their Freedom, notwithftanding 
all the Efforts made by the SpaniJJo Governor to reduce 
them. Thefe Indians are a ftrong, abtive, vigorous, and 
warlike People *, but, withal, reputed equally cruel and 
treacherous : Perhaps, the Spaniards exaggerate their ill 
Qualities to extenuate their own *, for it is certain, they 
have ufed thefe People hardly. The Spanijh Garifon con- 
fifts of 300 Men, which are relieved from time to time 
from the Manillas and his Catholic Majefty allows 30,000 
Pieces of Eight per Annum for their Maintenance ; though 
it is of no other Ufe, than to afford Succour to the annual 
Ship in her Paffage to and from the Eajl Indies , in which 
refpedt it is of great Service. 
19. On the 1 8th of May , their Prifoner, the Marquis 
de Villa Roche , went afhore, in Company with the Agent, 
the firft Lieutenant and Dodtor having agreed with the 
Governor about his Random *, they gave him five Guns at 
landing. Our Launch was employed fix Days in bringing 
Wood, Water, and Provifion aboard *, during which time, 
the Governor defired he might have fome Arms and Am- 
munition in Exchange : Accordingly Captain Clipperton 
fent him twelve Fuzees, three Jars of Powder, fixty round 
Shot, four Pair of Piftols, befides Cutlaffes, long Swords, 
and Daggers. The 25th, they received a Letter, wherein 
the Governor demands the Marquis’s Jewels, fome con- 
fecrated Plate, and two Negroes, being Chriftians, and 
Subjedts to the King of Spain j as alfo a Certificate, under 
the Captain and Officers Hands, that Peace was proclaimed, 
detaining Mr. Godfrey and Mr. Pritty till all this was per- 
formed. Hereupon the Captain fent a Letter, with a Cer- 
tificate, that the Soli dad, the laft Prize we took on the 
Coaft of Chili, told us, there was a Peace between England 
and Spain *, but, withal, affured the Governor, that if he 
did not, in twenty-four Hours, fend the Ranfom with the 
two Gentlemen, he would demoliffi the Houfes upon the 
Shore, burn the Ship in the Harbour, and do all the Mifi- 
chief he could at the Philippine Ifiands. Soon after they 
received a Letter, that the Governor would pay for the 
confecrated Plate, and defired more Powder and Shot : 
To which the Captain anfwered, That he would not fpare 
any more, or Negroes. On the 28th, their Yawl went 
afhore for more Provifion ; but the Officer, who had the 
Government of the Village, told them, we fhould have no 
more, unlefs they fent more Powder and Shot : Upon 
which they immediately weighed, flaying for no Anfwer 
by Mr. Godfrey or Mr. Pritty , and fent the Pinnace a-head 
to found, making the beft of their way to the Ship in the 
Harbour. The People affiore had railed a Battery during 
this ffiam Treaty, from whence they began to fire at their 
Pinnace ; which, being returned, gave Account, that what 
Chanel they found, was within Piftol-fhot of the Shore. 
At fix in the Afternoon, making up to the Ship, they ran 
a-ground, the Spaniards having carried her in fhole Water j 
fo that now they fuftained two Fires, one from the Battery 
over their Heads, and another from the Ship. At nine 
they got foul of the Rocks, where they cut away two of 
their Anchors, endeavouring to get the Ship off *, during 
which time, the Enemy fired fo warmly with Stones and 
3 D Shot, 
