We Set Sail
About Three P.M. Bearing Down Upon The Spaniards Right Before The Wind,
While They Kept Close Upon A Wind To Meet Us.
Night coming on, we only
exchanged a few shots at that time.
As soon as it began to be dark, the
Spanish admiral shewed a light at his top, as a signal for his fleet to
anchor. In half an hour this was taken down; but soon after a light
appeared as before, which went to leewards, which we followed under
sail, supposing it to be still the admiral; but this was a stratagem of
the Spaniards to deceive as, being at the top-mast head of one of their
barks, and effectually succeeded, as we found in the morning they had
gained the weather-gage of us. They now bore down upon us under full
sail, so that we were forced to make a running fight all next day,
almost quite round the bay of Panama, and came at length to anchor over
against the island of Pacheque. As Captain Townley was hard pressed by
the Spaniards, he was forced to make a bold run through the
before-mentioned narrow channel, between Pacheque and the three small
islands; and Captain Harris was obliged to separate from us during the
fight. Thus our long-projected design vanished into smoke.
According to the report of some prisoners taken afterwards, the Spanish
fleet consisted of fourteen sail, besides periagoes, or large boats of
twelve or fourteen oars each, and among these there were eight ships of
good force, mounting from eight to forty-eight guns, with two
fire-ships, and computed to contain 3000 men. In the morning of the 30th
we saw the Spanish fleet at anchor, three leagues from us to leeward,
and by ten a.m. they were under sail with an easy gale from the S.
making the best of their way to Panama. In this affair we had but one
man slain, but never knew the loss sustained by the Spaniards. Captain
Gronet and his Frenchmen never joined us in this fight, laying the fault
upon his men, wherefore he was ordered in a consultation to leave us;
after which we resolved to sail for the islands of Quibo, or Cobaya, in
quest of Captain Harris.
We sailed on the 1st June, 1685, with the wind at S.S.W. passing between
Cape Carachina and Islas del Rey. The 10th we came in sight of Moro
de Puercos, a high round hill on the coast of Lavelia, in lat. 7 deg. 12'
N. round which the coast makes a turn northwards to the isles of Quibo.
On this part of the coast there are many rivers and creeks, but not near
so large as those on the east side of the bay of Panama. Near the sea
this western coast of the bay is partly hilly and partly low land, with
many thick woods, but in the interior there are extensive savannahs or
fruitful plains, well stored with cattle.
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