Chap. L . Captain Georg 
don, that now we might have Room enough to enjoy our- 
felves, home Cleanlinefs at leaft, an Article we had been 
perfect Strangers to ever finCe we had departed from the 
Eland of Juan Fernandez. We therefore made the utmoft 
E)ifpatch in getting every thing out of the Bark. The Spa- 
nijh Captain informed me, that the Margaretta Had been 
arrived fotne time at Calao, where fhe had given a full Ac- 
count of us ; that the Captain, and three Men, were killed 
in the Addon ; and that the Prieft, and feveral others, were 
wounded •, and that the was now ready to put to Sea again, 
with an Addition of ten Guns, and fifty Men, to cruife 
for us ; and that the Flying-fijh , a Frigate of twenty-eight 
Grins, was already out with the fame Intent ; and that there 
was Advice fent both Ways along-fhore, and Commifiions 
to equip what Strength they had to catch us. All the 
Night, they were upon the Watch at the Town, making a 
Shew, by the continual firing of Guns, to give us an Earned: 
of what we mult expedt, if we Ihould attempt a Defcent. 
Having cleared our Bark the next Morning, we gave her 
to the Spanijh Captain ; and, as foon as the Breeze fprung 
up, we weighed, and went to Sea, and, in going out, met 
with our Boat, that had left us. They edged towards us, 
imagining we were Spaniards ; by which means we got them 
again. The two Fellows were almoft dead, having neither 
eat nor drank any thing for three Days pall, and had juft 
been alhore on a fmall Ifland near this Harbour, to kill fome 
Seels, to drink their Blood. They had no Excufe, but that 
they fell afleep ; and that the Breezes had wafted us in the 
Bark away from them. We had not much time to obferve 
the Place, which, however, upon a tranfient View, appeared 
to us very pleafantly fituated among Orchards and Vine- 
yards. After we left it, we proceeded along the Coaft very 
cautioufly, as knowing, that we were now almoft in the 
Mouths of our Enemies, and that the leaft A<ft of Indifcre- 
tion muft throw us into their Hands. We ventured, how- 
ever, to look into the Roads of Guanchaco, Malabriga , and 
Cheripe ; but, feeing no Shipping in them, palled on be- 
tween the Eland of Hobos de Fierra and the Continent. On 
November 25. we found ourfeives near the Saddle of Payta ; 
and I immediately bethought me, that, tho’ our Force was 
much diminifhed fince we laft took it, yet we might, with- 
out any Hazard, furprife them in the Night. Accordingly, 
we endeavoured to get in with the Ship, till, it growing 
calm, it was thought better to defer it till the Morning^ 
fince our being in a Spanijh built Ship would be fufficient to 
deceive the Inhabitants, and make it impoflible for them to 
fufped us. In the Morning, the People alhore, obferving 
the Fatigue we underwent in making fo many fhort Trips to 
gain Ground to Windward, fent off a large Boat, full of 
Men, to help us to bring in our Ship, and inquire News of 
us. A s foon as we faw them making towards us, I ordered, 
that none Ihould be feen, but fuch as wore the Spanijh Com- 
plexion and Drefs, who were ready to anfwer fuch Queftions 
as they alked in hailing us, and give them a Rope to make 
fall their Boat when they clapped us aboard, while fome 
Ihould be concealed under the Gunnel, with Mufquets ready 
to point into their Boat, and command them in as foon 
as they had made themfelves faft. This Stratagem had its 
Effed. I examined the Prifoners of the Condition of the 
Town, which, they allured us., was very poor at prefent, 
there being neither Money nor Provifions in it; and lhewed 
: me a fmall Bark on Ihore, which Captain Clipper ton had fent 
s in a little while before, with fome of his Prifoners •, upon 
which every thing had been again removed into the Conn- 
try. This unwelcome News did not hinder us from keep- 
ing on our Way, with our Spanijh Colours flying, till we 
Came to the Anchorage. I fent Mr. Brooks , as foon as our 
I Anchor was down, with both the Boats, and twenty-four 
; Men, no more of them appearing than thofe that rowed, 
and two or three fitting in each, the reft, with their Arms, 
' F m ?i n the Bottoms ot the Boats '> fo that, when my People 
landed, they found the Children playing on the Beach, who 
: immediately took the Alarm, and ran away at the Sight of 
arme d Men. I n an Inftant, the whole Place was in a Con- 
: fternation, and happy was the Man who could make his 
1 Elcape, the Town being left deftitute, and the Enemy 
bang too nimble of Foot for ours to overtake them. They 
I ranlacked Payta , and, upon a ftrid Search, found, that 
our Prifoners had not deceived us in faying the Place was 
Numb. 15* 
eShelvocke. lit 
poor ; for they could find nothing but a few Bales of coarfe 
Cloth, about 500 Weight of dried Dog-fifh, two or three 
Pedlars Packs, and an incohfiderable Quantity of Bread 
and Sweat-meats : So that we had but fmall Employment 
for our Boats. But, though we had fo little Succefs in our 
Land Enterprize, we took a Booty as we lay at Anchor in. 
the Ship ; which was a Veffel with about fifty Jars of Peru- 
vian Wine, and Brandy. The Mafter of her told me, that 
he was come by Stealth from Calao, there being Orders; 
that none but Ships of fome Force Ihould ftir out. He told, 
me the fame Story that the Captain of the Jejus Maria had 
before, and gave me to underftand, that it would be next 
to impbffible for me to get off from the Coaft without being 
taken. But to return to the Town : My People were in 
no great Flurry to quit it, and, it being now dark, fomb 
of the Spaniards , who were lurking about the Out-lkirts of 
the Town, hearing fo many Small-arms fired in the Road, 
inftantly concluded, that our Ship was attacked, and were 
in hopes, that fome of their Men of War were come again, 
to deliver them from the Hands of their Enemies. Upon 
thefe falfe Surmifes, they began to affemble together ; and, 
being apprifed of the fmall Number of Englijh alhore, who 
did not exceed eighteen, came down the Hills in a great 
Fury. At firft my People, hot doubting they were in Ear- 
ned:, took Refuge in the biggeft Church, refolving to de- 
fend themfelves there ; but at length they marched out, and 
formed themfelves into a Line, kept their Drum beating, 
and, one of them firing a Mufquet at random, they fpoiled 
the Spaniards Jeft, heard no more of them, andembarqued 
very quietly. From hence we directed our Courfe for the 
Eland of Gorgona , in the Bay of Panama ; and, in our 
Paffage thither, built a Tank, or wooden Ciftern, to hold 
ten Tons of Water. In our Way, we made the Eland of 
Plate , Cape St. Francijco , and Gorgonella , or Little Gor- 
gona ; and, on December 2. arrived at the Eland of Gorgona 
ltfelf, where we had the Advantage of filling our Water- 
calk in the Boat, the Water running in fmall Streams into 
the Sea ; and cut down our Wood at High water-mark i 
So that, in lefs than forty-eight Hours, we did our Bufi- 
nefs. From this Place we hurried away, for fear of thofe 
who might be in queft of us ; and, having got out of the 
Track of the Enemy’s Ships, confulted on the propereft 
Method of proceeding : And then the Majority were for 
going diredtly for the Coafts of Afia. Upon which, we 
changed our Ship’s Name from the JeJils Maria to the 
Happy Return , and applied all our Endeavours towards 
quitting thefe Coafts ; but the Winds and Current were 
contrary ; and fome againft this Motion did fo much Da- 
mage clandeftinely to our Tank, that the greateft Part of 
the Water leaked out, fo that this, with continual contrary 
Winds, and dead Calms, which had detained us, till our 
Provifions were much exhaufted, rendered us incapable of 
undertaking lo long a Run ; Therefore, to furnilh ourfelves 
with what we wanted, I propofed a Defcent on Rio Lejo , in 
the Latitude of ii° 50' North, on the Coaft of Mexico ; 
but, in our Way thither, we accidentally fell in With Cape 
Burica , in the Latitude of 8° 20' North; and then, on 
fecond Thoughts, judged it would be fafer for us to make 
fome Attempts on the llland of Quibo, in the Latitude of 
7 0 30' North, where, by Captain Rogers' s Account, I 
gueffed there were Inhabitants, who lived plentifully on 
the Produft of that Eland. 
Captain Betagh , in his Remarks, gives us quite a differ- 
ent View of every Tranfadiont He afferts,' of his own 
Knowledge, that the Margaretta , inftead of being a forty 
Gun Ship, carried only thirteen Guns ; and further a Herts, 
that the Commander of her, who was a Frenchman , told 
him, they had not above a dozen Cartridges of Powder on 
board, and two or three Small-arms belonging to the Paffen- 
gers, with only Stones and Ballaft for Shot. He likewife 
affures us, that they fuffered no other Hurt, than a Negro 
being wounded in the Cheek ; and that a Man ftood by the 
Colours, ready to ftrike them, in cafe Captain Shelvocki 
had boarded her ; but that it was the Captain; and not the 
Men*, who thought it belt to Iheer off, without making fuch 
an Attempt. He admits, however, that Captain Sbelvocke 
did his utmoft Endeavour to take the other great Ship ; but 
that; his Bark being too flight, he failed. He likewife 
acknowledges; that the Captain was in the right not to am 
3 L cept 
