We Learnt Also, That The Spaniards Had Fitted Out Two
Men Of War Against Us, One Of Thirty-Two, And
The other thirty-six brass
guns, all twenty-four pounders, each having 350 sailors and 150
soldiers, all picked men,
And had been cruizing for us in the Bay of
Guayaquil, between point St Helena and Cape Blanco, from the 7th to the
12th.
We were forced to go under an easy sail, as our prize sailed very
heavily, wherefore we went into Sardinas Bay, in lat. 1 deg. 20' N. where
we anchored with our prize in ten fathoms, about four miles from the
shore, for the purpose of rummaging her. We durst not go farther in,
because of many shoals and sand-banks, which were very imperfectly laid
down in all our charts. The sea-coast is inhabited by Indians, but not
in any great numbers, and has several small fresh-water rivers. From
hence, all the way south, till we came to the Bay of Atacarnes, in
lat. 0 deg. 54' N. the sea-side is composed of white cliffs; and there are
many shoals as far as Punta de la Galera, in lat. 0 deg. 48' N. Six
leagues S.W. of Sardinas Bay is the great river of St Jago, the mouth of
which is about three quarters of a mile wide, but has no good anchorage
till well within. This river is seldom used by ships, being out of the
way, yet the country here produces abundant provisions of all sorts. We
careened our ship and rummaged our prize in the Bay of Sardinas, and
watered at one of the fresh-water rivers, which was as white as milk,
and both smelt and tasted very strong of musk, occasioned by many
alligators swimming in it. We shot several of these creatures, one of
which measured thirty feet in length, and was bigger about than a
bullock.
The alligator is covered over with great scales from head to tail,
having very large sharp teeth, and very long claws. It is amphibious,
living both on land and in the water, and when lying on shore is often
mistaken at a distance for a great tree fallen down. It runs very fast
on the land, and is of such strength that one of them will take a horse
or a cow into the water, and there devour it. They will seize on any
thing, either on land or in the water, and often make great havock among
cattle near their haunts, which are usually in fresh-water rivers. The
Indians are not greatly afraid of them, either on land or in the water.
In the former case, they run in circles, and this unwieldy animal is
unable to turn his body quickly, so that they easily get away from them.
The Indians also go into the water to seek them, taking in one hand a
piece of iron pointed and baited at both ends, with two cross pieces a
little below the points. Holding this iron by the middle, when the
alligator rises to bite, which he always does with, the head above
water, the Indian holds out the iron to him which he snaps at, and it
fastens in his mouth, keeping his jaws open like a gag. The female lays
about 100 eggs at a time, as large as goose eggs; but quite spherical,
and having shells as thick almost as those of an ostrich. The flesh of
the alligator is not fit to be eaten, being very strong and musky; and
the very water of the rivers they frequent was so strong of musk that a
draught of it was like to suffocate us, yet there are no instances of
its being injurious to health.
Being off the Bay of Guayaquil on the 21st June, we saw a ship, and came
up with her next day, being one of the Spanish men of war fitted out to
take us, carrying thirty-two guns. We did all we could to gain the
weather-gage, but carrying away our fore-top-mast, were obliged to come
to action from the leeward, so that she kept a good distance from us,
and we could not use our small arms. Dividing our crew into two equal
parts, one managed the guns while the other looked on, and when those at
the guns were weary, the others took their places, alternately
refreshing those who were not employed, by which means we fired much
faster than the enemy, making about 560 discharges, while they only made
110 or 115. We thus fought from noon till half past six, though at such
distance that our shot would hardly reach him, while his flew over us.
Growing dusk, both ceased firing, none of our men being either killed or
wounded, and only two through carelessness had their hands and faces
scorched. We lay-to all night, expecting in the morning to renew the
fight; but he had made sail from us in the night.
We now returned to the Bay of Atacames in search of provisions, for
which purpose we sent our boat ashore with twenty men, who soon
returned, saying they had found an Indian village of fifty houses, but
the inhabitants were all fled and had left nothing behind. In the river
we found a fine bark of about fifty tons, with as much new plank in her
as would have built another of equal size; and we took another of about
ten tons, laden with plantains. This we resolved to retain, instead of a
long-boat. She had two masts and two square-sails, and having fitted her
for our purpose, we called her the Dragon. The country in the
neighbourhood of this bay is very pleasant, being well wooded and
watered. About seven leagues to the N.E. is the Bay of St Mattheo, the
land about it being very high, and there are many shoals about it,
running two leagues out to sea.
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