At First Our People Took Refuge In The Largest Church,
Meaning To Have Defended Themselves There; But At Length They Marched
Out, Formed In A Line, And Kept Beating Their Drum; And One Of Them
Having Fired A Musket, The Spaniards Hastily Retreated, And Our Men
Embarked Without Any More Alarm.
From Payta we directed our course for the island of Gorgona, in the bay
of Panama, and in our passage to that place built a tank or wooden
cistern in our vessel, sufficient to contain ten tons of water.
In our
way we made the island of Plata, Cape St Francisco, Gorgonella, or
Little Gorgona, and on the 2d of December arrived at the island of
Gorgona. We had here the advantage of being able to fill our watercasks
in the boat, the water running in small streams from the rocks into the
sea, and we cut our wood for fuel close to high-water mark; so that in
less than forty-eight hours we completed our business, and hurried away
for fear of those vessels which we understood had been sent in search of
us. Having got out of the track of the enemy's ships, we consulted as to
the properest manner of proceeding, when the majority were for going
directly for India. Upon this we changed the name of our vessel, from
the Jesu Maria to the Happy-Return, and used our best endeavours to get
off from the coast of America. The winds and currents were however
contrary, and some of our people who were adverse to this plan did some
secret damage to our tank, so that the greatest part of our water leaked
out. Owing to this, and our provisions being much exhausted by long
delays from contrary winds or dead calms, we were incapable of
attempting so long a run: Wherefore, on purpose to procure what we
wanted, I proposed making a descent on Realejo, on the coast of Mexico,
in 11 deg. 50' [12 deg. 28' N.] In our way thither, we fell in with Cape Burica,
in 8 deg. 20' [exactly 8 deg. N.] and then, on second thoughts, I judged it
might be safer to make an attempt on the island of Quibo, in lat. 7 deg.
30' N. where, according to the account given by Captain Rogers. I
guessed there were inhabitants, who lived plentifully on the produce of
their island.
On the 31st January, 1721, we entered the channel between the islands of
Quibo and Quivetta, in lat. 7 deg. 18' N. in twenty fathoms water, and
anchored opposite a sandy bay, which promised to afford convenience for
wooding and watering. Sending our boat to view the bay, my people
reported that there was a good close harbour a little to the south, but
no signs of inhabitants, except three or four huts by the shore, which
they supposed had formerly been used by pearl-fishers, as there were
great quantities of mother-of-pearl-shells scattered about these huts.
On attentive consideration, I resolved not to shut up our vessel in a
close harbour, for fear of bad consequences, and remained therefore at
anchor in the open channel. At day-break next morning, we saw two large
boats under Spanish colours, rowing in for Quivetta, which gave me some
apprehensions they had some intelligence of us, and intended an attack.
The mulattoes on the coast of Mexico are remarkable for their courage,
and have sometimes done very bold actions, even in such paltry vessels
as these we now saw: These, however, steered into a small cove on the
island of Quivetta, which satisfied us they had no intentions to attack
us. I now sent Mr Brooks in our yawl to attack them, when he found them
all ashore, and brought away their piraguas with two prisoners, a negro
and a mulatto, the rest taking refuge in the woods. We took all their
provisions, consisting of a small quantity of pork, with plantains, some
green, some ripe, and some dried. Of this last there was a considerable
quantity, which, on being pounded, made a pleasant-tasted flour,
indifferently white, and supplied us with bread for a month. The mulatto
mortified us greatly by telling us that a vessel laden with provisions
had passed near us in the night, but promised to bring us to a place
where we might supply ourselves without hazard, provided we were not
above two or three days about it, wherefore we made all possible
dispatch in getting in our wood and water.
We weighed from this place on the 16th January, steering for Mariato,
being the westernmost point of the gulf of St Martin. In going out from
the channel of Quibo, we were in imminent danger of being forced by the
current upon two rocks at a small distance from each other, off the
northern point of Quivetta; but having cleared them, we steered through
Canal bueno, or the good channel, so called from its safety, being
free from rocks or shoals. Over against the south entrance of these
straits, at the distance of a league from point Mariato, is the island
of Cebaco, in my opinion about ten leagues in circumference. I ran along
the south end of that island, and in the evening of the 19th got safe in
between it and point Mariato, and anchored in six fathoms, over against
a green field, being the only clear spot thereabout. Our pilot advised
us to land about three hours before day, when we should be in good time
for the plantations. Accordingly, I went at two in the morning in our
own boat, the two lieutenants being in the two piraguas, and left my son
with a few hands to take care of the ship. Our pilot carried us a little
way up the river of St Martin, and out of that through several branches
or narrow creeks, among groves of trees, so close that we had not room
to row.
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