Book 1. 
2 41 
The V O WAGES of 
upon the point of taking Leave, our Surgeon was miffing, 
which retarded us a Day longer. They had concealed him 
in the Town, and defigned to keep him there, as he was 
a very ufeful Man *, and if he could have had a fmall Cheft 
of Medicines, he might foon have made a handfome For- 
tune. However, the next Day we mounted our Mules, 
and parted with great Reluctance, efpecially with our kind 
Holt Don Jeronimo , and his Family. We went aboard 
the Brilliant at Payta , which, having done nothing at 
Sea, made a fort ©f cruifing Voyage to Calao, the Port 
of Dima. The Civility I received from the Admiral or 
General of the South Seas, as he is there called, is what I 
have already mentioned. I fhall here only add oneCir- 
cumltance to the Honour ofMonfieur de Grange , a Cap- 
tain under the General. As foon as we were taken by the 
Brilliant , as aforefaid, this Gentleman, feeing the Soldiers 
had (tripped us, being the Conquerors ufeful Perquifites in 
all thefe Cafes, he generoufly gave me an handfome Suit of 
Cloaths, two Pair of filk Stockings, a Hat, Wig, Shirts, 
and every thing according •, fo that inftead of fuffering, I 
was, in reality, a Gainer by this Accident. 
5. Our Voyage to Lima took up about five Weeks ; 
and, as foon as we arrived there, we were immediately fent 
to the fame Prifon in which the Ship’s Company were 
confined, who were fent hither before us, Mr. Hatley only 
excepted ; who, for the Reafons before-mentioned, was 
confined by himfelf, and very roughly treated. In a fhort 
time after our Arrival, Commiffioners were appointed to 
hear our Caufe, and to determine, whether we fhould be 
treated as Criminals, or as Prifoners of War : TheReafon 
of this was, the Charge brought againft us for Piracy, not 
for what we had done in the South Seas, or, at leaft, not 
for that only, but upon a Suppofition, that we plundered 
the Spaniards there, becaufe none but Spaniards were to be 
met with, having ufed the like Violence, as their Charge fet 
forth, againft other Nations, before our Arrival in thefe 
Seas : Which would have lhewn a piratical Difpofition 
through our whole Conduit. And of this they thought they 
had probable Proof, fince, by the Moidores found upon 
Hatley , it appeared they were taken from the Subjects of 
a Prince in perfeCt Amity with the Crown of England : 
But, it was happy for us, that the Viceroy, Don Diego 
Morjilio , who was an Archbifhop, and in the Decline of 
Life, was pleafed coolly to difcriminate the Affair, and, 
finding really but one of us guilty, would not fign any 
Order for fnedding innocent Blood : As for Hatley , fome 
were for fending him to the Mines for Life, others for 
hanging him ; but the feveral Accounts of Captain Shel- 
vocke’s vile Proceedings contributed to his Deliverance, 
the Truth of which here were enough of our People at 
Lima to witnefs; for, befides Lieutenant Serjeai^fon, and his 
Men, who were brought hither, came the Men who 
Shelvocke fent with Hopkins to fhift for themfelves in a 
poor empty Bark, who, for want of Suftenance, was forced 
to furrender to the Indians fo that the Court believing 
Shelvocke more a Principal in that piratical ACt than Hatley , 
and fuppofing we had been plagued enough before we came 
hither, they thought fit to let us all go by degrees : Hatley 
indeed was kept in Irons about a Twelvemonth, and then 
was allowed to return to England. I was much more happy 
in this refpeCt, fince my Imprifonment lafted but a Fort- 
night * which was owing to the Interpofition of Captain 
Fitzgerald , a Gentleman born in France , who had a great 
Intereft with the Viceroy, and who, upon his becoming 
Security for me, permitted me to have the Liberty of the 
City, provided I was always forthcoming when I was 
called for. As I was now pretty much at Eafe, I began 
to look about me, and to inform myfelf of what was 
palling in this Part of the World. 
6. Among the firft of my Inquiries, was that after the 
Condition of other Englifh Prifoners, in the Place ; and, 
upon afking for Mr. Serjeantfon , and his Men, who were 
here before us, I underftood, that moft of them had taken 
up the Religion of the Country, had been chriftened, and 
were difperfed among the Convents in the City. The firft 
that I faw, had got his new Catechifm in one Hand, and a 
Pair of large Beads dangling in the other. I fmiled, and afk’d 
the Fellow, How he liked it. He faid, very well ; for, having 
his Religion to chute,, he thought theirs better than none. 
fince it brought him good Meat and Drink, and a quiet 
Life. Many of Shelvocke* s Men followed this Example -5 
and I may venture to fay, this was as good a Reafbn as 
moft of our People could give for their occafional 
Conformity. It is here reckoned very meritorious to make 
a Convert, and many Arguments were ufed for that End % 
yet was there no Rigour fhewn to bring any of us over. 
Thofe who thought fit to be baptized, had generally fome 
of the Merchants of Lima for their Padrons or Godfathers, 
who never failed giving their Godchildren a Suit of Cloaths, 
and fome Money, to drink their Healths. About this 
time, four or five of Clipperton s Men, and as many of 
Shelvocke' s, got Leave from their Convents to meet to- 
gether at a Publick-houfe kept by one John Bell, an 
Englijhman, who had a Negro Wife, that, for fome Ser- 
vices or other, had got her Freedom. The Defign of 
this Meeting, was to confirm their new Baptifm with a 
Bowl of Punch : The Confequence of which was, they all 
got drunk, and quarrelled ; and, forgetting they were true 
Catholics, miftook an Image of fome honeft Saint, that 
flood in a Corner, for one of their own Company, knocked 
him down, and demolifhed him. I, miffing the Fellows 
for a few Days, inquired at John 1 s Houfe what was become 
of them : He told me the Story, and faid, they were all 
put in the Inquifition •, for, the thing having taken Air, he 
was obliged to complain of it, or go thtiher himfelf ; but 
promifed, that, underhand, he would endeavour to get 
them releafed ; which, I found afterwards, was done in five 
Days, fo that they had time to repent, and be fober. Bell 
faid, if the Men had ftill remained Heretics, this Drunken- 
bout had not come within the V erge of the Ecclefiaftica! 
Power ; but, being Novices, and juft admitted into the 
Church, they were the ealier pardoned, as their Out- 
rage upon the Saint was no Proof of their Relapfe into 
Error, or an Affront to the Catholic Faith, fince done 
when they were all difbrdered in Liquor. At length, 
about a dozen Men in both our Ships, being well in- 
ftru&ed, were difcharged from the Cloyfters, and fent to 
Calao , to help to careen and fit out the Flying-jj/h , then 
defigned for Europe : Here they entered into a Project to 
run away with the Margarita , a pretty failing Ship, that 
lay in the Harbour, and go upon the Account for them- 
felves, which differs nothing from Piracy ; but, not know- 
ing what to do for Ammunition, and a Compafs, they 
applied to Mr. Serjeantfon , telling him, they had a Defign 
to fteal away by Land to Panama, where, being an Englifh 
Factory, they might have a Chance to get home ; that 
they had got half a dozen Firelocks, with which they 
might kill wild Hogs, or get fome Game, as they went 
along, if he would be fo kind as to help them to a little 
Powder and Shot, and a Compafs to fteer their Way through 
the Woods. The Fellows, by begging, and making Ca- 
tholic Signs to the good People at Lima , that they were 
poor Englifh newly baptized, had got together fome Dol- 
lars, which they defired Serjeantfon to lay out, who, not 
miftrufting the Plot, took their Money, and bought them 
what they wanted. Thus lurnifhed, one of them came to 
me at Lima , and faid, there was an Opportunity offered 
to make my Fortune, by running away with the Mar- 
garita at Calao , if I would embrace it : Whereupon he 
told me the Story, and that Sprake was to have the Com- 
mand, as being the only Artift among them. I anfwered, 
that it was a bold Defign ; but, as Captain Fitzgerald had 
engaged for my Honour, I was obliged not to meddle 
with it. In a few Days the Plot was difcovered, their 
Lodgings were fearched, their Arms taken away, and they 
put in Prifon. The Government was greatly provoked, 
and had near determined their Execution, when an Order 
came to releafe all but Sprake , who, being the Projector, 
was kept in Irons two or three Months, and then fet at 
Liberty. If this ffiews the reftlefs enterprifing Temper of 
our Seamen, it proves, at the fame time, that the Spaniards 
in Peru are by no means fo cruel, either in Religious or 
State Profecutions, as in Europe though I am inclined to 
think, that the Converfion of thefe People, Rich as it was, 
operated greatly in their Favour : It may be alfo, that they 
were fome way influenced by Fear, fince th t Englifh Pri- 
vateers were ftill upon the Coaft ; and, in cafe they had 
received Intelligence of thefe People being feverely dealt 
with. 
