Chap. L Captain Georc 
came on board of us to vifit his old Ship-mates, and to flay 
with us all Night. I conftantly kept reminding Clipper ton 
of our want of Water, and he as often promifed to fupply 
us with a large Quantity at once. Thus we cruifed in good 
Order, and with a great deal of Hope, until March 7. the 
Time appointed for me to fuffer the mold prodigious Piece 
of Treachery that could be committed. But, in order to 
give my Reader an exaff Account of the Circumftances of 
it, I muft inform him, that we ufed to cruife off-and-on 
the Shore at fuch a convenient Diftance, as not to be dii- 
covered from the Land : At the fame time it was next to 
impoffible, for any Ship to ftir out of the Harbour of Aca- 
pulco without our feeing them •, and we, not failing fo well 
as the Succefs , it was Clipperton’ s Cuftom to Ihorten Sail 
for us, particularly in the Night, and fhew us Lights on 
all neceffary. Occafions : But, towards this Evening, he 
ftretched a-head of us about two Leagues, and I could 
not perceive, that he fo much as lowered a Top-gallant- 
fail for us to come up with him: However, I kept ftand- 
ina after him, till we were almoft on the Breakers of the 
Shore ; which of confequence obliged us to tack, and Band 
out to Sea. The next Morning we had no Sight of any Ship 
near us, which laid me under the mold terrible Appre- 
henfions, confidering the fad Condition we were in lor 
want of Water, and the vaft Diftance we were from any 
Place where we could expert to get any •, having now no 
Choice left, but either to beat up 220 Leagues to Tres 
Marias , or to bear away for the Gulph of Amapala , at a 
much more confiderable Diftance. I was afterwards in- 
formed, by fome of Captain Clipperton’ s Officers I met 
with in China , that he committed this Cruelty abfolutely 
againft the Will, and even againft the repeated Remon- 
ftrances, of his Officers, who abhorred fuch an Aft of Bar- 
barity. I was likewife informed by fome Spaniards from 
Manila , that the Acapulco Ship failed about a Week after 
we left the Cruize : This Ship was called the Santo Chrijto , 
carried upwards of forty Brafs Guns, and was exceedingly 
rich ; fo that I leave the Reader to judge, how the 
Thoughts of fuch a Difapointment muft affect me. 
Thefe feveral Interviews with Captain Clipper ton are 
the moft important Circumftances in the Hiftory of this 
Voyage, and therefore deferve to be very ferioufly examined. 
We have Bated them in the former Seffion in quite an- 
other Light, and from unexceptionable Authority, that of 
an impartial Perfon, who had no particular Prejudice to 
Captain Shelvocke , and who was far enough from being 
blind to Clipperton’ s Errors. From the Conftderation of 
this, Captain Betagh , fpeaking of Shelvocke' s Account of 
the Lofs of Captain Mitchell in the Chichly , makes the 
following very judicious Obfervations. The Journal, fays 
he, (meaning Mr. Taylor’s ) tells us how he was fitted out, 
and whither bound ; that his Cargo was io,oqq Pounds 
Value. It is impoffible then, fuppofing a real Mifunder- 
ftanding, that Clipperton would pay fo dear to get rid of 
this Gentleman : It is certain, he never embarked his Men 
in Lighters, or in empty Prizes, with any Defign to make 
away with them, as Shelvocke ferved us. Captain Mitchell 
was put aboard a clean Ship, well manned, and provided 
with Stores and Neceffaries, and a valuable Parcel of Goods, 
to difpofe of, at Brafil. , for the Owners Advantage, in 
order to fecure them fomething ; and it is true, that nei- 
ther he, nor the twenty-three Men with him, were ever 
yet heard of: But how was Clipperton chargeable with 
that ? or what Excufe can Captain Shelvocke make for thefe 
impious Reflections, but a fort of Pleafure he has in being- 
revenged on the Memory of the Dead ! Thus far Mitchell 
may be accounted for : The Journal tells us, that, being 
obliged to Wood and Water, he touched to the North- 
ward at Port Velas, where, it is very probable, he and his 
Men became a Prey to the Enemy •, lor the fame Article 
mentions, that feveral of Clipperton’ s Men faw fome Shirts, 
and other Things worn by the Natives, which, by the 
Marks in them, convinced them Mitchell had been there. 
As to all that is faid from Davifon s C'onverfation, we are 
to confider, that this Man was dead before it was pub- 
liffied, and therefore could not confirm or difavow it. It 
likewife appears from the Journal, that Captain Clipperton , 
and his Company, looked upon Shelvocke , and his, as 
perfons on a different Footing : And, indeed, how could 
Nvmb. XVL 
e Shelvocke. 22 £ 
they think otherwife ? Does not Captain Shelvocke ’ s own 
Account Leak it ? And might he not very well apprehend, 
that Captain Clipperton might fear the Corruption of his 
Crew, by their affociating too freely with Men who had 
given fuch Evidence of their bad Principles. As to their 
adjufting all Differences, and conferring together again, 
let us hear what Captain Betagh fays on it. As to the Re- 
marks, fays he, that Captain Shelvocke has made upon this 
Tranfaffion, and the Pains he has taken to reprefent Clip - 
perten as a Monfter, they do not deferve any Regard, 
The Journal fays, the Propofol to Shelvocke was this 5 
That if he and his Crew would refund all the Money 
ffiared amongft themfelves, contrary to the Owners Ar- 
ticles, and put it in a Joint- ftock, then all Faults fhould 
be forgot, both Companies unite, and proceed to cruife for 
the Acapulco Ship : The very next Article in the Journal 
is, that, not hearing from Captain Shelvocke , and the Time 
for the Acapulco Ship fettirig out for Manilla being feveral 
Days paft, refolved in Council to make our bed Difpatch 
for the Eajl Indies. Here is the plain true Account of the 
Affair, and how the Treaty broke off. But Shelvocke has 
laboured hard to pervert the Truth of this Faff, as he has 
done all the reft, thinking to gain Pity from Mankind, by 
telling what he fuffered through the Deceit of Clipperton , 
never expeffing that thefe Things would be refuted and 
cleared up. Befides, there may be other Reafons affigned 
for Clipperton s fudden Separation, though not entered in 
the Journal ; for he knew, before he left England, that 
the Spanijh Fleet were all taken and deftroyed by Admiral 
Byng , and therefore a Peace was probably concluded, be- 
ing two Years paft and might think Shelvocke , who had 
not made his Fortune while the War lafted, and had really 
ruined the Projeff, ought, of the two, to be the Sufferer ? 
It is very likely Clipperton , for thefe Reafons, did not 
care to embarafs his Ship juft upon the Point of his leaving 
the South Seas ; but, on fecond Thoughts, concluded, it 
was better to keep what he had got. Thefe, I fay, are 
very fair Conjeffures ; but the Reafon, mentioned in the 
Journal above, is fufficient of itfelf ; for Shelvocke thought 
the Conditions propofed by Clipperton were too ftriff : He 
did not care to refund what lie had unlawfully ffiared, 
which, doubtlefs, he ought to have done ; and, for the 
Negleff of which, it is evident, the whole Affair ended* 
Difeuffing this Bufinefs has taken up a great deal of Room, 
though I have been as concife as poffible 5 but it is fome 
Comfort, that we have now, in fome meafure, arrived at 
the End of thefe Difputes, and may purfye our Relation 
without any farther Interruptions, We will therefore 
refume the Captain’s Narration, and take notice of that 
Change of Fortune he met with, at a time, when, in his 
own Opinion, his Affairs were moft defperate 1 which 
ffiews, that, in thefe Seas, Men never want Refources, if 
there be any Degree of Courage ancl Conduff in their 
Commander, 
23, In the Situation we were in, all Things were to be 
hazarded, and any Experiment to be tried, which had the 
leaf! Appearance of fucceeding. We continued our 
Courfe therefore, under all the Inconveniences that perhaps 
any Ship’s Company ever endured, djftreffed for Provifions, 
weak in point of Number, and fo far from being united, 
that the Senfe of common Danger could not reftrain us 
within the Bounds of common Civility to each other, 
though all Things depended upon right Behaviour, The 
Winds and Weather, however, continued fo favourable to 
11s, that on the 30th of March we found gurfejves before 
the Port of Sanfonnate : It was about Sun-fet when we 
looked into this Harbour, where we difeevered a Ship of 
good Size, lying at Anchor ; Upon this, as it was a fine 
Moon-light Evening, I fent my firft Lieutenant, with 
fome of our beft Hands, in the Yawl, to fee what flie 
was. The Boat had not been long gone before we heard 
two Guns fired j and foon after my Lieutenant returned, 
and reported, fhe was a flout large Ship, with one Tire of 
Guns at lead, We little regarded” her Strength, or our owq 
Weaknefs, believing oyr Necefilties would make us a 
Match for her \ and therefore I continued plying in all 
Night, and prepared to engage her. At Sun-rifing, the 
Land-breeze blew fo freffi off from the Shore, that wq 
worked in but fiowly $ in the mean time, we received all 
3 M 1 fhejr 
