224 The V O Y 
As we continued our Voyage along- fhore, we a few 
Bays after met the Succefs in queft of Sonfonate , where 
they expefted to receive the Marquis of Villa Roche’s Ran- 
fom, who had been for fome time Prifcner on board of 
therm We ranged clofe under their Stern, and asked how 
Captain Clipperton , and the reft of the Gentlemen, did j 
but it was not thought proper to return us any Anfwer : 
So, without any Concern, he fteered one Way, and we 
another. After this, calm and contrary Winds, and un- 
accountable Currents, reduced us to a fmall Allowance, 
which we were obliged to diminiffi daily *, and fhould have 
been in worfo Diftrefs than ever, had it not been for the 
1 urtie which we from time to time took on the Surface of 
the Water. We had continual Look-outs for them, and 
they were eafily known, at a great Diftance, by the Sea- 
birds which perched on their Backs ; fo that, upon Sight of 
theft, we laid aiide the Advantages we might have made 
of the Wind, to embrace any Offer of prolonging our 
Provifions. Upon the Whole, though we loft fome of 
our Way in Purfuit of them, yet they had a worfe Con- 
sequence, for the Dreffing them made a great Confumption 
of Water •, and this Relapfe into a State of Famine, 
threatening us with certain Perdition, if Means were not 
timely ufed to avoid it, made me propofe the Plundering 
fome fmall Town as we coafted aiong-fliore. Guaiulco 
was the neareft to us of any ; but, the very Morning that 
tve were (landing in for it, we faw a Sail a confiderable 
Way to Leeward of us: We thought it more proper to 
take this Ship, than to venture aftiore, and therefore bore 
down to her, which, in the End, proved to be the Succefs ; 
- 1 forgot to mention the Signal that was agreed on between us 
at firft, in cafe of our meeting at Sea, which was, to clew 
up the Main-top-gallant-fail, and fire a Gun to Leeward. 
1 his Signal I made, as foon as I thought we were near 
enough for him to perceive it ; whereupon he haled on a 
Wind, and did not fo much as lay-by a Moment for us to 
come up with him ; fo that we were now fo far to the 
Leeward of our Port, by bearing down to him, that it was 
needlefs to have beat up againft the Wind for an Uncer- 
tainty. This brought us down to a fmall earthen Plate of 
Calavances for twenty-four Hours, which not being fuffi- 
cftnt -to keep us alive, we had recourfe to the Remainder of 
our fmoked Congers, which had for fome Months been 
neglebted, and had been foaking and rotting in the bulge 
Water, and was certainly as difagreeable Food as could be 
tailed. 
Under theft calamitous Circumftances did we meet the 
Succefs a foufth time, near the Port of Angels , in i6° 50' 
North Latitude ; and, after having made the appointed 
Signal, flood fo near to one another, that a Bifcuit might 
have been toffed from Ship to Ship, but did not exchange 
a Word ; for Captain Clipperton had ordered all his Offi- 
cers, and Ship’s Company, to take no Notice of us •, which, 
I prefume, was the greateft Indication of an inhuman Dif- 
pofition, who could unconcernedly fee us wandering up- 
and-down an inhofpitable Coaft, in want of every thing 
neceffary to keep the Sea ; nor was the Faultinefs of our 
Ship all, "but we had alfo our Provifions to feek ; and, 
where to find any, none of us could tell ; for all of the Coaft 
that we had feen, was fo wild and open to the Sea, that 
it would have been impoffible for us to have landed, which, 
indeed, nothing could have urged us to, but the Extremity 
of Want we were in at this Time. And fo truly fenfible 
was Clipperton of the Difficulties and Hazards we had to 
cope with, if my Defign was for going to India, that he 
faid, that the Child that was born the Day before, would 
be grey-headed with Age before we ffiould arrive there ; 
intimating, by that Expreffion, that it was impoffible for 
us to do it : Notwithftanding which, he could fee us on the 
Brink of undergoing the greateft Severities our ill ConduCl 
could load us with, and not lend us a helping Hand to de- 
liver us from impending Ruin, although he could forefee 
no means by which we might avoid a lingering Death by 
Sea, or throwing ourfelves upon the barbarous Indians , 
or Creolian Spaniards ; who, if we had efcaped the Fury 
of the Surf on the Strand, might have put an ignominious 
End to our Lives, they having been rarely known to give 
any Quarter, 
AGE S of Book I, 
On March 1 2 . being off the Port of Acapulco, towards the 
Evening, we faw a Ship between us and the Shore : I bore 
down to her ; till, perceiving her to be a large Europe built 
Ship, with Spanijh Colours flying, I concluded that flie 
was the Peregrine ; who, as I have been informed, was to 
have carried the Prince of St. Bueno to this Port, in his 
Way to Spain. . With thefe Sufpicions, I haled again on 
u h e feeing, pulled down his Spanifh, and 
homed an Englifh Enfign, and made the Signal agreed on 
between Clipperton and me for knowing one another ; as 
alfo his old Signal to Ipeak with me, as fixed amongft 
Other Signals between us before we came out of England . 
Notwithftanding which, I ffiould hardly have trufted him, 
had we not been ho max Acapulco ; whither, I thought. Clip - 
per ton might have come with a Refolutlon of cruifingfor the 
Manilla Ship, and wait for her coming out of that Flar- 
bour ; and, thinking herfelf too weak, was now willing to 
reinforce himfelf with what Strength I could affift him : 
So that, making np doubt but it was he, I bore down upon 
him ; and, being come along his Side, he fent Captain 
Cooke , his fecond Lieutenant, in his . Yawl, with an ob- 
liging Letter to me ; wherein he informed me, that he was 
cruifing for the homeward-bound Manilla Ship, and de- 
filed I would affift him in the Enterprize, and come on 
board him tne next Morning, to confult on the propereft 
Methods of attacking her ; and propofed an Union of our 
two Ships Companies. I was very well pleafed at this 
Offer ; and, without Hefitation, returned him Word, 
that I would be with him early. In the mean time, I 
read over his Letter to my People publicly, and exhorted 
them ferioufly to confider the great Benefits t,hat would ac- 
crue to us, on all Sides, from it. Upon which, they all 
exprefted tne utmoft Willingnefs to join in ffich an Under- 
taking : But, as Clipperton had ufed us fo unhandfomely, 
they defired I would get fome Security for their Shares, 
figned by Captain Clipperton , Mr. Godfrey, the Agent, and 
the reft of their Officers. So I went on board, according to 
Appointment, with Mr. Brooks and Randall, my Lieute- 
nants, and was received with a feeming unreftrved Civility * 
and, all Ammofities being, as it were, loft in Oblivion, no- 
thing now appeared among us but a perfect Harmony. I 
firft tOid Captain Clipperton, and Mr. Godfrey , that my Of- 
ficers, &c. expected fuch a Paper from under their Hands, 
as ffiould intitle them to fuch Shares, as were allowed them 
by the Owners Articles: To which they anfwered, that 
it was but reafonable that they ffiould be fatisfied in that ; 
and immediately drew up an Inftrument fully worded, 
and figned it ; which was all my People defired to make 
them eafy. We then proceeded upon our main Bufinefs 
and, after a mature Deliberation, it was thought moft ad- 
vifeable, that I ffiould fend the greateft Part of my Men 
on boaid the Succefs, as foon as we law the Manilla Ship 
come out of Acapulco, and leave only a Boat’s Crew with 
me to bring me away, in cafo I ffiould have Occafion to 
make ufe ot mine as a Fireffiip, or a Smoker, as we pro- 
poled, if we found them too hard for us ; and it was de- 
termined to board her at once, becaufe otherwife we ffiould 
have had much the worft of it, on account of their fupe- 
rior Weight of Metal, and the better Capacity of their 
Ships to bear a Cannonading. Clipperton affured me, he 
was certain of the Time (he would fail from this Port, 
which the Spaniards hay is always within a Day or two after 
Paffion-week, of which we had a Fortnight yet to come. 
Before I returned to my own Ship, I acquainted Captain 
Clipperton with our Shortnefs of Water : Upon which he 
told me, that he had eighty T ons, and that he would Ipare 
me as much as I would have, or any thing elfe his Ship af- 
forded. I had now the Pleafure of enjoying my Command 
in as regular a manner as ever, every one, from the higheft 
to the loweft, expreffing the Satisfaction they had in the 
ProfpeCt before us. But Morphew, the Ringleader of all 
our Diforders, fearing my Refentment would fall heavily 
upon him, after all, thought it was his belt way to infinuate 
himfelf into the Favour of the Captain and Officers of the 
Succefs ; which he did effectually, by an humble fubmiffive 
outward Deportment, and prevailing Prefents. In ffiort, 
he had his End, and left me to go on board there on 
March 14. in the Evening; and, the next Day, Mr .Rainer 
1 came 
