Being Off The Volcano Of Colima On The Morning Of The 6th December, We
Descried A Sail To Which We Gave Chace, And Soon Came Up With Her, When
She Proved To Be The Great Acapulco Ship Or Manilla Galleon, Which We
Had So Long Wished To Fall In With.
As we were well provided, we gave
her a great many broadsides before she could get any of her guns cleared
for action, as she had not suspected us of being an enemy, and was not
at all prepared for us.
Martin, who was still a prisoner on board our
ship, advised us to lay her aboard immediately, while the Spaniards were
all in confusion, as we might then easily succeed by boarding; but if we
gave them time to get out their great guns, they would certainly tear us
to pieces, and we should lose the opportunity of acquiring a prize worth
sixteen millions of dollars. Thus it accordingly happened; for the time
being wasted in disputing, between those of us that were for boarding,
and those of a different opinion, she got out one tier of guns, and then
proved too hard for us, so that we could not lie along side of her to do
her any damage. Our five pound shot, which was the biggest we had,
signified little against such a ship; but when any of her eighteen and
twenty-four pound shot struck our ship, which was much decayed, it drove
in a piece of plank of three or four feet. Being thus greatly damaged,
and having received a shot between wind and water in our powder room, by
which two feet of plank were driven in on each side of our stern, orders
were given to stand off from the enemy.
Our design being thus disappointed, all our men became much
discontented, and were for going home, seeing we could do no good in
these parts, either for ourselves or owners; our ship also being ready
to fall in pieces of herself, and having provisions only for three
months at short allowance. Captain Dampier requested that we would
consent to prolong our cruize for six weeks longer; after which he
promised to permit us to sail for India to some factory, where we might
all dispose of ourselves as we thought best for our advantage. To this
we all agreed, and we accordingly cruized along shore to the S.E. in
sight of land, passing the noted ports of Acapulco,Puerto de los
Angelos, Guatalco, and several others; when we proposed to seek out a
proper place in which to water our ships and bark, previous to our
intended voyage to the East Indies; and, after some consideration, the
Gulf of Amapalla or Fonseca was fixed upon for that purpose.
On the 5th January, 1705, we met with such vast quantities of fish, that
in half an hour we caught near three score albicores, from sixty to
ninety pounds weight each, besides vast quantities of other fish. The
albicore is about four or five feet long, weight from 50 to 100 and
even 150 pounds. It has eleven fins on its back, one pretty large, a
second of middle size, and nine small yellow fins near the tail; one
large fin on each side near the gills; and one near the middle of the
belly. This is a very fleshy fish, having hardly any bones besides the
back bone, and is extraordinary good eating. It has prodigious strength,
while in the water, and preys mostly on flying fish, as do dolphins and
bonetoes. On the 6th of this month, a new revolution took place in our
affairs, as thirty of our men agreed to remain along with Captain
Dampier in the South Sea; but with what view or on what terms, we
others, who were not in the secret, never knew. Our company, who were
not of Dampier's party, consisted of thirty-three men; and,
notwithstanding this new arrangement, we all sailed to the Gulf of
Amapalla, where we anchored on the 26th January.
That same day, all the remaining provisions were equally divided between
the two companies by the agent for the owners, and we had four pieces of
cannon, with a proper proportion of small arms and ammunition, assigned
for us, for our defence during the voyage to India. Our next care was to
take in water, for which purpose we landed on the island of Conchagua;
and after some search, we found a large bottom behind the hills, in
which was a large plantain walk, and a large reservoir of rain water,
which came from the mountains. This was very inconvenient, as we were
forced to carry all our water over a high hill, which we could hardly
climb by ourselves; but there was no alternative, and we set to work to
cut down the bushes in our way, to make a clear path. After this, as the
hill was very steep on the land side towards the bottom whence we had to
fetch water, we cut steps in the hill with axes and shovels; and our
sail-maker made a hose or canvass pipe of ninety fathoms long, which
carried the water from the top of the hill down to our water cask at its
foot towards the sea. We then fell to work, each man having a six gallon
keg, in which the water was carried to the top of the hill, where it was
emptied into the hose. We were thus employed four days, in which time
we filled twenty-six tons, which we carried on board. The 31st January,
we all went to the plantain walk, where we cut down as many plantains as
we could carry, with which we returned on board our ship, meaning to set
sail next day.
This evening, two of the men who had agreed to remain with Captain
Dampier, left him and came over to us, so that our number was now
thirty-five, viz.
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