23 d V O Y A G E S of Book !. 
taken out of her twelve Months Provifidn of Bread, Flour, 
Sugar, and Sweetmeats, and a like Proportion for the Suc- 
'Cefc\ which I expedted to find at the Pres Marias. I like- 
wife took away their Launch, and their Negroes, to affift 
us in the Management of our Ship, knowing, that we could 
not well hold out much longer, if the Work was not made 
eafier % and, fince we had a large Ship, and a Run of 175 0 
to fail, I thought we could do no other, than reinforce our- 
felves by the Affiftance of thefe Blacks, who are commonly 
good Sailors in thofe Parts •, and indeed, as it afterwards 
happened, we fhould never have reached the Coafts of Afia, 
or any other Land, without them. 
The moft important and remarkable Part of Captain 
Betagh ’ s Book is that which has Relation to the Circum- 
ftances mentioned in the foregoing Paragraphs, every one 
of which he either controverts or denies. He thinks* that 
the Sailing to Panama is a full Proof, that the Men fet on 
fhore with Lieutenant Brooks at Sanfonnate were facrificed ; 
becaufe, fays he, had the Captain intended them fairly, he 
would have gone to Panama at once, where he was fure 
of a better Reception than in any other Port of the South 
Seas. He next remarks, that the Captain got rid of four 
of his Men more, by putting them on board of the Bark, 
out of pure Civility, as the Captain calls it ; upon which 
Mr. Betagh is extremely fevere : But then the Reader is 
to confider, that the Juftice of his Obfervation depends 
on the Truth or Fallhoodof Captain Shelvocke ’ s Relation ; 
for if we take the Thing upon his Stating, that he actually 
informed the Captain of the Bark of his Intention to fur- 
render, and put his Men on board purely to affift in work- 
ing the VefTel, then there is nothing abfurd or ridiculous 
in Captain Shelvocke’ s ftiling this a Piece of Civility, which 
aggravated the Cruelty of the Spaniards , in killing the 
Men that were put on board : But if thefe Men had Pof- 
feffion of the Bark, as a Prize, that will alter the Cafe, 
and juftify Mr. Betagh * s .Reflections. I muft confefs, it 
feems very probable, that the Spaniards considered the 
Thing in this Light ; for otherwife, why did the Mafter 
of the Bark, and thofe who were with him, run themfelves 
on fhore, when he fent them, into the Bay of Panama in a 
Canoe ? Or, why does Captain Shelvocke blame his Men 
for not taking Sufficient Precautions ? If they were put on 
board out of Civility, they were to truft the Spaniards ; 
if they did not, it is plain they were in Pofleffion, and the 
Bark was their Prize. For my own Part, I take the Truth 
of the Matter to be this : The Captain of the Bark under- 
stood her to be a Prize j and, after he got afhore, procured 
Sufficient Affiftance to retake her ; but, doubting whether 
he Should be able to get into Port before Shelvocke ’ s Return, 
he carried off his own Crew, and murdered the Englijh. 
This, I fay, is my Notion of the Matter •, and I leave it 
intirely to the Reader’s Confideration, whether ’tis pro- 
bable or not. But we are now come to a Matter of far 
greater Confequence, indeed a. Matter which gives us the 
greateft Light into the true Scheme of, at leaft, the latter 
Part of the Voyage ; and therefore I Shall give it in Mr. Be- 
tagh* s own Words, from whom we have this Information. 
It is, indeed, a very extraordinary Piece of Secret Hiftory, 
and worthy the Reader’s Attention ; the rather as it feems to 
be Supported by Evidence, and explains abundance of dark 
Things in the preceding and in the fubfequent Part of this 
Expedition, and is intirely different from any thing that is 
to be met with in the Conduct of Captain Clipperton , who is 
loaded with fo many heavy Charges by Captain Shelvocke . 
Thus Speaks Captain Betagh: 44 This being the great Crifis 
44 of Captain Shelvocke ’s Voyage, I Shall be more parti- 
&i cular in relating the Affair of this laft Prize, which will 
54 open the moft notorious Scene of Deceit that has ap- 
84 peared yet. This Ship was called the Conception , Don 
84 Stephen de Recova Commander, bound from Calao to 
fit - Panama , having on board feveral Perfons of Diftin&ion, 
84 particularly the Conde de la Rofa , a Spanifh Nobleman, 
tc who had been fome time Governor of Pifco , and was 
« now going to Spain , laden with Flour, Sugar, Marrrie- 
“ lade. Peaches, Grapes, Limes, et cetera. Now, be 
44 it known to all Men, that that et cetera was an hundred 
44 and eight thoufand fix hundred and thirty-fix Pieces 
of Eight ; and Shelvocke little thought, when he took 
44 this Prize, or compiled his Book, that I, of all Merf, 
44 fhould have this exa& State of this Affair: He often 
“ kiid, he would never give the Gentlemen Owners a fair 
fiC Account ; and I have often promifed, in this Treatife; 
44 to prove that he did fay fo j and now we have both 
44 made our Words good, I have not only an authentic 
44 Account, but I will declare alfo how I got it. When I 
44 was carried Prifoner to Lima , I had Leifure enough to 
reflect on my Misfortunes, how likely I was to be ruinedy 
44 and the Owners to be cheated •/ fo that, to prepare them 
in Defence or their Rights, I wrote Cver to one of then! 
44 the Subftance of what had occurred to me *, how SheU 
44 vocke had mifmanaged, how arbitrarily he had adted in 
Defiance of their Articles, and what his private Inten- 
44 tions were in the future Part of the Voyage. As foon 
44 as I came to London, which was in OBober 1721. I 
confiimed the Purport of my Letter, With feveral new 
44 Circumftances ; for ail which Performance of my Duty, 
44 I do fuppofe my Name has met with fo much Reproach 
44 in Captain Shelvocke * s Book ; but, hefides my Advices 
44 the Gentlemen had many Proofs from other Prifoners* 
44 and other People. Eleven Months after, being Auguft, 
44 Captain Shelvocke himfelf arrived, and waits Immedi- 
44 ately on the faid Gentlemen, to compound in the Lump 
44 for all his Tranfacftions, not owning any thing of this 
44 Prize, which he had unlawfully fhared, and every thing 
44 elfe, among three-and-thirty of them. Infteadofcom- 
44 promifing the Matter, the Gentlemen read him a Let- 
44 ter, fecured him, and the fame Day had him confined 
44 in Wood-fireet Compter. A few Days after, his Pupil- 
44 Stewart, arrived at Dover , and was feized by the honeft 
44 Warden of the Caftle, according to Dire&ions, who 
44 faithfully fecured his Book of Accounts, and brought 
44 it, with the Prifoner, to the Owners, from whom I 
44 had the Book, and copied the Dividend, which is as 
44 follows.: 
Names 
Quality 
Number 
of Shares 
George Shelvocke 
Commander 
6 
Samuel Randal 
Lieutenant 
2j 
John Rayner, 
Capt. Marines 
2 ! 
Blowfeld Goldfea 
Mailer 
2j 
Nicholas Adams 
Surgeon 
2J 
Matthew Stewart 
Firli Mate 
2 
Monfieur Laporte 
Second Mate 
2 
George Henjhal 
Boativvain 
2 
Robert Davenport 
Carpenter 
2 
William Clark 
Gunner 
2 
fames Daniel, 
Midihipman 
ij 
David Griffith 
ditto 
if 
Chrifopher Hawkins 
ditto 
if 
Oliver Lefevee 
Sail-maker 
1 
17 
John Doydge 
Surgeon’s Mate 
i 
17 
William Morgan 
ditto 
1 
17 
John Popplejions 
Armourer 
if 
fames Moyett 
Cooper 
if 
John Pearfon 
Carpenter’s M. 
G 
Geo. Shelvocke, jun. 
William Clement 
Able Seaman 
G 
1 
John Norris 
ditto 
1 
fames Moulville 
ditto 
1 
George Gill 
ditto 
1 
Peter Pero 
ditto 
r 
John Smith 
ditto 
1 
Edward At cocks 
ditto 
1 
John Theobald 
Barber 
1 
William Burrows 
Old Seaamn 
X 
Daniel M 4 Donald 
ditto 
X 
Richard Croft 
ditto 
X 
A- 
John Robins 
Grommet 
Bene dill Harry 
Cook 
X 
'2. 
33 
521 1 
Dollars Engl. Money 
2642 10 o 
1100 17 4 
each. 
880 16 8 
1887A 
660 o o 
each. 
440 7 2 
each. 
330 6 10 
each. 
220 4 2 
each. 
!q86o4x i 23007 
44 Here the Reader perceives the Sum Total of this DF 
44 vidend to be fhort of what I faid the Capture amounted 
44 to 3 but, in order to fet that Matter right, there is a ie- 
44 cret Article of 627 Quadruples of Gold, which Shel- 
44 vocke gracioufly fhared among private Friends each of 
44 which Quadruple, or double Doubloon, is worth fixteen - 
44 Dollars, or Pieces of Eight j 
1 
