With This Great Force They Were In Hopes Of Doing Great
Things Against The Spaniards; But, Owing To Various Accidents, And
Especially To Disagreement Among The Commanders, They Had Very Little
Success.
Dampier and his companions, who had returned over land from the
South Sea, made themselves masters of a tartan,
And, electing Captain
Wright to the command, they cruised along the Spanish coast with some
success, and went to the Dutch settlement of Curacoa, where they
endeavoured to sell a good quantity of sugar they had taken in a Spanish
ship. Not being able to effect this purpose, they continued their voyage
to the Tortugas islands, and thence to the Caraccas, where they captured
three barks, one laden with hides, another with European commodities,
and the third with earthenware and brandy.
With these prizes they sailed to the island of Roca, where they shared
them, and then resolved to separate, though only consisting of sixty
men. Twenty of these, among whom was Dampier, proceeded with their share
of the goods in one of these barks to Virginia, where they arrived in
July, 1682. After continuing there some time, a considerable part of
them made a voyage to Carolina, whence they returned to Virginia. Having
spent the best part of their wealth, they were now ready to proceed upon
any plan that might offer for procuring more. Soon after Captain Cooke,
of whom some account has been already given, came to Virginia with his
prize, and published his intention of going into the South Sea to cruise
against the Spaniards. Dampier, who was his old acquaintance, and knew
him to be an able commander, readily agreed to go with him, and induced
most of his companions to do the same, which was of much consequence to
Cooke, as it furnished him with a full third of his crew.
SECTION I.
Narrative of the Voyage by Captain Cowley, till he quitted the Revenge
on the Western Coast of America.[147]
They sailed from Achamack in Virginia on the 23d August, 1683, taking
their departure from Cape Charles in the Revenge of eight guns and
fifty-two men, John Cooke commander, and bound for the South Sea; but
Captain Cowley, who had charge of the navigation of the Revenge as
master, not being then let into the secret object of the enterprise,
steered a course for Petit Goave in St Domingo, in which he was indulged
for the first day, but was then told that they were bound in the first
place for the coast of Guinea. He then steered E.S.E. for the Cape de
Verd islands, and arrived at Isola de Sal, or the Salt island, in the
month of September. They here found neither fruits nor water, but great
plenty of fish, and some goats, but the last were very small. At this
time the island, which is in the latitude of 16 deg. 50' N. and longitude
23 deg. W. from Greenwich, was very oddly inhabited, and as strangely
governed.
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