Chap. I. Captain George Shelvocke* Zip 
inhumanly they inlulted us, I conceived it full time to begin 
with them i and therefore met them with our Helm, and 
foon convinced them of their Error, and, in a Word, gave 
them fo warm a Reception, that they fheered round off from 
us. We juft miffed getting hold of them ; but, it falling 
>almoft calm, we continued our Engagement for the Space 
of two or three Hours, at the Diftance of Mufquet-lhot : 
But at length a Breeze wafting us nearer to them, we found, 
as faft as we approached, their Courage cooled. But their 
Captain, ftill bravely perfifting, and encouraging them, and 
exoofing himfelf in the moft open Manner, was at length 
ihot through the Body, and dropped down dead. Upon 
this, they immediately, with one Voice, cried out for 
Quarter, and put an End to our Difpute. We commanded 
them to hoift out their Launch ; but they anfwered. That 
their Tackle, and all their Rigging in general, were fo fhat- 
tered, that they could not poffibly do it in any time. 
Therefore we hoifted out our Canoe, which we had taken 
out of the Holy Sacrament the Day before ; and Mr. Ran- 
dalk and two or three more, went in her on board the 
Prize. They found all the Prifoners in the moft fubmif- 
five Pofture, afking Mercy ; which they could have no 
great Caufe to expert, after their diredt Breach of the Laws 
of Arms and Nations. Mr. Randall fent away the moft 
confiderable of the Prifoners, who informed me, that their 
Ship was called the le Conception de Recova, belonging to 
Qalaoy but came laft from Guanchaco , of the Burden of 
200 Ton, laden with Flour, Loaves of Sugar, Boxes of 
Marmelade, Jars of preferved Peaches, Grapes, Limes, &c. 
mounted fix Guns, and had feventy odd Men, well pro- 
vided with Small-arms, &c. and was, in particular, one of 
thofe Ships, which were fitted out in an extraordinary Man- 
ner, and commiffioned to take us ; fo that fhe was the fecond 
©f thofe warlike Merchant-fhips that we had taken. In this 
Engagement, the Spanijh Captain and a Negro were killed, 
and one or two {Tightly wounded; but their Rigging, 
Mails, and Sails, were much difabled, particularly their 
Fore-maft, which, by a Shot that paffed through the Body 
of it, was much fhattered. On our Part, there was little 
or no Hurt done, except to our Gunner, who was flightly 
wounded in the Forehead by a Piftol-ball, and our Main- 
jmaft, which had a fmall Piece carried out of the Side of it. 
We had now about eighty Prifoners of all Colours, and not 
above twenty-fix of ourfelves. When the Spanifh Gentle- 
men came on board, they would not give me Time to afk 
them, how it came to pafs, that they would not hearken to 
our peaceable Offers ; but fell to excufing themfelves, and 
laying all the Fault upon their dead Captain Don Jofeph De- 
forio , who vowed in a Paffion, that we Ihould have no 
Terms, but his own ; and that he would take us by Force. 
And indeed it is my Opinion, that this was the Inclination 
of all of them, till they found our Strength ; and then, fee- 
ing their own Cafe defperate, would have been for a Parly. 
Amongft our Prifoners, we had feveral of Note, particularly 
Don Baltazzar de Jbarca Conde de la Rofa , an European 
Nobleman, who had been for fome time Governor of Pifco , 
on the Coaft of Perrin and was now upon his Return to 
Spain ; and Captain Morell , who had formerly been taken 
by Captain Rogers , &c. All of them were treated with the 
utmoft Civilities, which they wondered at ; becaufe, from 
a Prejudice they had again ft our Cruifers, and from a Self- 
conviftion of their own Behaviour towards their Prifoners, 
they could not exped but to have been dealt with very 
roughly. 
In this Situation, we were in the very Track of all the 
Shipping bound to Panama , not above thirty Miles from 
that Place, few in Number, and Part of us fick ; all which 
Confiderations moved us to be as expeditious as poffible in 
examining the Contents of our new Prize the Cone eption-, and, 
tk/ the belt Part of the Work was done by our Prifoners, 
yet it took us up full two Days. We were, by this means, 
as^ well as by faint Winds, and ftark Calms, hindered from 
rejoining our Bark, till the 2 2d. As we bore down towards 
her, and came pretty near, we were extremely furprifed to 
fee, that fhe only came to, and fell off, altho’ all her Sails 
were fet ; . and what amazed us moft was, that we law no- 
body ftirring in her. As foon as we came up with her, I 
fent the Boat on board ; and the Officer, that went in her, 
immediately called out to me, that there was no Soul in her ; 
Numb. i6 4 
but that her Decks and Quarters were covered with Blood. 
This was a melancholy hearing, fince it plainly appeared j 
by many Circumftances, that the Spanijh Crew had mur- 
dered thofe of my People, who were fent to affift them : 
A cruel Return for our Civilities and Services to them ! It 
feemed ftrange to me, that our Men ihould run the leaft 
Hazard of expofing themfelves to be thus butchered ; for 
they were four in Number, completely armed, and there 
were but five of the Spanijh Crew, two of whom were Boys* 
Thefe vile Wretches doubtlefs took the Opportunity of the 
Englijh being loft in Sleep, and then murdered them, not 
doubting but they ihould meet with Thanks and Encou- 
ragement for fo foul a Barbarity. The Names of thofe thus 
deftroyed were John Giles , John Embin , John Williams , 
and George Chappel. But it is very probable, that thefe 
Murderers paid with their Lives for thofe they had taken 
away ; for, being above four Leagues from the Land, and 
having no Boat, they probably jumped into the Sea on the 
Appearance of our Ship, thinking they ihould meet imme- 
diate Death, if they had fallen into our Power, as a juft 
Reward of fo horrid a Crime ; which they themfelves were 
fo fenfible of, that they endeavoured to hide the Deck, 
which was dyed with Gore all over, by throwing the Flocks 
out of Beds over it ; fo that, till they were removed, the 
Blood was not to be feen. This tragical Accident was the 
Caufe of a general Melancholy amongft us, and fpoiled the 
Satisfaction we had enjoyed a Day or two paft, on account 
of our late Prize. Gur Prifoners, feeing fuch an univerfal 
fudden Change in us, began to be alarmed, and looked at 
each other, as if they all expected to undergo the fame Fate 
our unhappy Companions had met with. This made me 
fearful, on the other Side, left their dreadful Apprehenfions 
of our Revenge upon them, Ihould ftir them up to offer at 
fome defperate Attempt upon us, they being eighty in 
Number, and we not above feventeen on board at that time, 
and, when we were all together, not above twenty-five, 
that could Hand on their Legs : Therefore I was dire&ly 
forced to Ihew fome Heat, in ordering all our Prifoners to 
go into the Stern-gallery, (which was very large) except the 
Nobleman, and fome of the chief of them, whilft we kept 
Guard in the great Cabin. The Spanijh Gentlemen, who 
were not confined, in a very moving Manner, lamented to 
me the unhappy Deaths of my Men, and their own hard 
Fate, in having been, in Ibme meafure, Eye-witneffes of 
this bloody Murder ; and let fall lome Expreflions, where- 
by I perceived, that they were afraid, that I intended to Ihew 
fome Severities towards their People on this Occafion. 
Having a good Interpreter between us, I affured them, 
that, if I had fo revengeful an Inclination, the Laws of my 
Country would reftrain mo from putting it in Execution ; 
that I a&ed by virtue of my King’s Commiffion, who, in 
his Orders, forbad, in the ftriefteft Manner, all A efts of 
Inhumanity or Oppreffion towards our Prifoners; which 
Affurance, I defired, might make them perfectly eafy : 
And they folemnly promifed, that, if it was poffible any of 
thofe Murderers could be found living, the two Kingdoms 
of Peru and Mexico Ihould be alarmed to bring them to Ju- 
ftice ; and begged of me to think myfejf fecure as to them- 
felves, and the reft of their Countrymen my Prifoners, who 
would fooner fuffer any thing, than harbour any Thought, 
that might be prejudicial to our Lives and Liberties, even 
though they Ihould have the moft encouraging Opportu- 
nity of putting it in Execution ; and affured me, on their 
Honour, that they thought they Ihould never be able to 
make a juft Return for the generous Entertainment they 
had met with from me. Notwithftanding this, I took 
fome Meafures to fecure our Prifoners of the meaner Sort ; 
and then haled the Holy Sacrament along-fide of us. She was 
half- Hill of Water, and the greateft Part of her dried Beef 
was wet, and fpoiled ; but all that was not damaged we 
took out, together with fome live Hogs, and then gave her 
to Don Baltazzar de Efpina , who, by the Death of Cap- 
tain Jofeph Deforio , became Commander of the Conception % 
and, that Night, kept a ftriefter Watch than we had before, 
tho’ none of us had had.fcarce any Sleep fince we had taken 
this Ship. The next Day, being as willing to get rid of 
them, as they were to have their own Ship reftored to them, 
and purfue their Voyage, I delivered the Conception into the 
Poffeffion of Don Baltazzar de Efpina , &c, after having 
3 N taken 
