While We Were There, A Certain
Scotsman Killed Four Lions, Three Tigers, And Three Wild Elephants, For
All Of Which He Got The Rewards.
The Dutch make here a great quantity of
an excellent wine, called Cape wine, which is sold by retail at
eight-pence a quart.
We sailed from the Cape the 24th of March, excellently provided with
every thing requisite for the voyage. We were now twenty-four sail,
having nine English and fifteen Dutch ships. On the 17th April we made
the island of Ascension, but did not touch there even for turtle,
although their season of laying, having been so well provided with fresh
provisions at the Cape that we had no occasion for more. On the 19th
there happened a great earthquake, when the ship seemed for some time as
if she run along the ground, on which we heaved the lead on both sides,
but had no ground at 200 fathoms. The whole fleet felt the shock at the
same time; so that for about ten minutes every ship was making signals
and firing guns. On the 14th June we saw four sail of French privateers,
which were waiting for us; but after looking at us for some time, and
observing the regular order in which we sailed, they did not think it
adviseable to make any attempt against us, and bore away. This shewed
the great advantage of the regular order observed by the Dutch in
sailing, in which on this occasion they were imitated by the English
ships in company.
On the 30th June we were in lat. 62 deg. 40' N. the highest north I was ever
in, and I could not help noticing the great difference in point of cold
here and in 60 deg. S. There we had continual showers of snow or hail, with
bitter cold weather; while here the weather was fair, and the cold
moderate. In the evening of the 3d July we saw the Faro Islands. On the
5th we met with eight Dutch men of war, which were cruizing on purpose
to convoy us safe home, accompanied by four victuallers and three of the
Company's privateers. On the 15th July we all arrived safely in the
Texel, and got on the 17th to Amsterdam. After this, I and the rest of
our company went to see several parts of Holland, and we arrived on the
26th August, 1706, in England, after many dangers by sea and land, being
only 18 of us out of 183. The news of our misfortunes reached home
before us, and every body was solicitous to have an account of our
adventures, especially while under the power of the Dutch at Amboina.
These importunities led me to believe that a faithful relation of our
voyage would be acceptable to the public, and I hope some of the
descriptions, observations, and discoveries contained in this small
performance may be found useful, and not altogether destitute of
entertainment.
SECTION III.
Brief Account of Stradling, Clipperton, and Dampier, after their
respective Separations, till their Returns to England.
The reader may remember that Captain Dampier, in the St George, left
Captain Stradling in the Cinque-ports on the 19th of May, 1704, at
King's Island, in the Bay of Panama. The force under Captain Stradling
was too insignificant to maintain him long in the South Sea, for which
reason he went to the island of Juan Fernandez in search of shelter and
refreshments. They were in so forlorn a condition at this time, that
Alexander Selkirk[214] chose rather to remain by himself in that island,
than to run the hazard of returning to the South Sea in the
Cinque-ports. In this he shewed great judgment, as the Cinque-ports
actually foundered on the coast of Barbacora (Barbacoas), and only
Captain Stradling, with six or seven of his men, were saved, and sent
prisoners to Lima. Captain Stradling was alive there at the time when
Woods Rogers came into the South Sea, but what became of him afterwards
is unknown.
[Footnote 214: This person, on whose simple adventures the romance of
Robinson Crusoe was soon afterwards founded, will be more particularly
mentioned in a subsequent chapter of this book. - E.]
The next person who left Captain Dampier was his mate, Mr Clipperton
of whom we shall have occasion to say much in a succeeding voyage round
the world. Clipperton was certainly a man of parts and resolution, and
probably would not have deserted from Captain Dampier, if he had not
thought that his commander was resolved to remain in his old crazy ship
in the South Sea till she foundered. Finding many of the crew of the
same opinion, he thought proper to leave him at the middle islands, as
already related, where it was plain to every one that the St George was
no longer fit for going to sea. Mr Clipperton set sail on the 2d
September, 1704, having twenty-one men, in a small bark of ten tons,
with two masts and two square sails, two swivels, two or three barrels
of powder, and some shot. With this inconsiderable force, he ventured
into Rio Leon, on the coast of Mexico, where he took two Spanish ships
riding at anchor. One of these was very old and worm-eaten, which he
immediately sunk. The other was new, and had goods on board to a
considerable value, and for her Captain Clipperton demanded a ransom of
10,000 dollars, by two of his prisoners whom he set on shore. The
prisoners spoke so handsomely of Clipperton that the governor resolved
to treat with him, and sent him word that he did not think his offer
unreasonable, but the owners were entirely ruined, and the town so poor
that it was impossible to comply with his terms; but if 4000 dollars
would content him, which was all they could raise, that sum should be
sent aboard, and the governor would rely on the honour of Captain
Clipperton for the release of the ship.
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