To
Prevent This, I Ordered Four Men Whom I Thought I Could Trust To Take
The Charge Of Our Two
Boats; but two of these went away with the best
boat, and my first lieutenant and Morphew plotted to have
Gone away with
the other, but were hindered by blowing weather, and so weak was my
authority that I was forced to dissemble.
Next day we stood into the road of Pisco, where we saw a very fine ship,
and resolved immediately to board her; and to our great satisfaction,
the captain and his people met us with their hats off, beseeching us to
give them quarter. This was a good ship, of about 200 tons, called the
Jesu Maria, almost laden with pitch, tar, copper, and plank, but nothing
else. The captain offered 16,000 dollars for her ransom, but I could not
comply, as the Recovery was disabled in her masts in boarding, and also
we had now a vessel in which we could at least enjoy cleanliness, which
we had been entire strangers to ever since our departure from Juan
Fernandez; wherefore we made all dispatch in getting every thing out of
the bark. The Spanish captain of the Jesu Maria informed me, that the
Margaretta had arrived some time before at Calao, where she had given a
full account of her rencounter with us; her captain and three men having
been killed in the action, and a priest with several others wounded. She
was now ready to put to sea again to cruize for us, with the addition of
ten guns and fifty men. A frigate of twenty-eight guns, called the
Flying-fish, was already out with the same intention; and advice had
been sent respecting us along the coast, both to the north and south,
with orders to equip what strength there was to catch us. All night, the
people of Pisco were on the alert, continually firing guns, to give us
an earnest of what we were to expect if we attempted to land, but we had
no such intention.
Having cleared our bark next morning, we gave her to the Spanish captain
of the Jesu Maria; and as soon as the breeze sprung up, we weighed and
stood to sea. While going out, we met our own boat with the two men who
had deserted us, and who now edged down upon us, imagining we had been
Spaniards. The two fellows were almost dead, having neither eat nor
drank for three days, and had just been ashore on a small island near
the harbour of Pisco, to kill some seals that they might drink their
blood. Their only excuse for leaving us was, that they had fallen
asleep, during which the breeze had wafted our bark away from them. We
had only a transient view of Pisco, which seemed pleasantly situated
among orchards and vineyards. We proceeded along the coast very
cautiously, knowing that we were almost in the mouths of our enemies,
and that the least act of indiscretion might throw us into their hands.
We ventured, however, to look into the roads of Guanchaco, Malabriga,
and Cheripe, where we saw no shipping, after which we passed through
between the island of Lobos de Tierra and the continent.
Being near the Saddle of Payta on the 25th November, I thought of
surprising that place in the night, though our force was much diminished
since our last attack; but as it grew calm while we were endeavouring to
get into the harbour, we thought it better to delay till morning, as our
vessel being Spanish would deceive the inhabitants, and prevent them
from suspecting us. In the morning, being observed from the shore making
many short trips to gain ground to windward, the Spaniards sent off a
large boat full of men to assist in bringing in our ship, and to enquire
the news. Seeing them making towards us, I ordered none of our men to
appear but such as had dark complexions and wore Spanish dresses,
standing ready to answer such questions as they might ask in hailing,
and to give them a rope when they clapped us on board. Some of our men
also were concealed under our gunwales, with their muskets ready to
point into the boat, to command them to make her fast, and this
stratagem succeeded. I examined the prisoners as to the condition of the
town, which they assured me was then extremely poor, having neither
money nor provisions, and shewed me a small bark on shore, lately sent
in by Captain Clipperton with some of his prisoners, on the arrival of
which every thing of value had been removed into the country. Yet we
held on our way with Spanish colours flying, and came to the anchorage.
As soon as we were anchored, I sent Mr Brooks to attack the town with
twenty-four men, only those who rowed appearing, and the rest with their
arms lying in the bottom of the boats; so that when they landed, they
even found the children playing on the beach. These took the alarm
immediately, and ran away on seeing our armed men. In an instant the
whole place was in confusion, and happy were they who could escape, the
town being left destitute, and they were too nimble to be overtaken. Our
party ransacked Payta, but found it as poor as our prisoners reported;
so that they only found a few bales of coarse cloth, about five
hundred-weight of dried dog-fish, two or three pedlars packs, and an
inconsiderable quantity of bread and sweetmeats. We had better fortune
while at anchor, as we took a vessel in which were about fifty jars of
Peruvian wine and brandy; her master having come by stealth from Calao,
where orders had been given, that none but ships of force should venture
to sea. My people in the town were in no haste to re-embark, and when it
grew dark, some of the Spaniards began to assemble, and learning that
there were only eighteen English in the town, came down the hills with
great boldness.
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