La
Porte Also Told Me, That To His Knowledge The French Ships Often
Accepted Spanish Commissions, When There Were English
Cruizers on this
coast, having great privileges in trade allowed them for this service;
and he could plainly see that
The French ship was double manned, by
means of inhabitants from the town, who were partly French; and, as he
supposed, would come to attack me as soon as the wind was off shore.
While thus talking, the French ship fired several guns at us, as if to
shew that they were ready, and meant shortly to be with us. At first,
this bravado heated me not a little, and I had some design of turning
the Mercury into a fire-ship, by the help of which I might have roasted
this insolent Frenchman: But, having reflected on the situation of
affairs at home, and fearing my attacking him might be deemed
unjustifiable, notwithstanding his unwarranted conduct, I thought it
best to stand out of the harbour.
On the 12th February, the moiety of the money taken at Arica was divided
among the company according to their shares. On the 22d we found
ourselves in the heights of Calao, the port of Lima; on which I furled
all my sails, resolving to get away in the night; knowing, if we were
discovered from thence, that we should certainly be pursued by some
Spanish men of war, as there are always some in that port. On the 26th,
the officers in the Mercury desired to be relieved, and I spoke to
Captain Hately, whose turn it was to take the command of that bark. This
gentleman had been long a prisoner among the Spaniards in this country,
which he was well acquainted with, having travelled between Payta and
Lima by land, on which occasion he had observed several rich towns,
which made him conceive we might do something to purpose, by cruizing
along the coast, as far as the island of Lobos, in lat. 7 deg. S. I approved
of this, as it was probable we might meet some of the Panama ships,
which always keep well in with the land, in order to have the benefit of
the land-breezes. As the company of the Mercury seemed delighted with
this project, I augmented their complement, giving them a month's
provisions on board. I also lent Captain Hately my pinnace, mounted his
bark with two of our quarter-deck guns, and gave him a copy of my
commission, although it was very likely we should have frequent sight of
the Mercury, between our present intended separation, and our intended
rendezvous at the island of Lobos, not above sixty leagues from where we
then were.
When every thing was ready for their departure, Captain Betagh, whose
turn it was to relieve the marine officer in the Mercury, being
unwilling to go, went among our people with a terrified countenance,
saying, that he and those with him in the Mercury were going to be
sacrificed. Hearing this, I addressed my ship's company, telling them I
could not conceive what this pestilent fellow meant by making such an
uproar. I appealed to them all, if it had not been customary to relieve
the officers in this manner, ever since we had this vessel in company,
and asked them if ever they knew me select any man for going upon an
enterprise, and had not, on the contrary, left it always to their own
choice to go on any particular service out of the ship. I then desired
to know who among them were of Betagh's opinion? Upon this, they all
declared with one voice, that they had never entertained any such
opinion; but, on the contrary, that I should always find them obedient
to my commands. In the next place, I ordered the Mercury along side, and
acquainted her crew with the speech Betagh had made in the Speedwell,
and desired to know if any of them were apprehensive of being sold or
sacrificed. At this they all set up a loud huzza, and requested they
might go on the intended cruize in the Mercury. Accordingly Hately and
Betagh went on board that bark, and put off from us, giving us three
cheers, and stood right in for the land.
It may be proper to take some notice of the proceedings of the Mercury
after she left me, as I have been informed from some of themselves and
some prisoners. The very next day they took a small bark laden with
rice, chocolate, wheat, flour, and the like; and the day following,
another. On the 4th day, they took a ship of near 200 tons, in which
were 150,000 dollars. Flushed with this success, Betagh prevailed upon
Hately, and most of the people in the Mercury, not to rejoin me, saying,
they had now enough to appear like gentlemen as long as they lived, but
it would be a mere nothing when the owner's part was taken out, and the
rest divided into 500 shares. He therefore thought, since fortune had
been so kind to them, they ought to make the best of their way to India,
as they had sufficient provisions and all other requisites for the
voyage, and Captain. Hately was well able to conduct them to some port
in the East Indies. This plan was accordingly resolved on, and they fell
to leeward of the place of rendezvous. But, weighing with himself the
prodigious extent of the run, and its many hazards, and well knowing the
treatment he might expect in India, if his treachery were discovered,
Captain Hately became irresolute, and could not determine what was best
to be done, so that he kept hovering on the coast. In the mean time,
some of his crew went away in his boat to surrender themselves to the
enemy, rather than be concerned in such a piratical undertaking. Betagh
and his accomplices still kept Hately warm with liquor, and at length
brought him to the resolution of leaving the South Sea.
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