Sometimes Five Or Six Of Us Would Surround One Of These
Monsters, Each Having A Half Pike, And So Prick Him Till He Died, Which
Commonly Was The Sport Of Two Or Three Hours.
While we were at this island, a difference took place between Captain
Stradling and his men, which was at last compromised by Captain Dampier.
On the 29th February we descried a sail, on which all hands hurried on
board, and we slipped our cables and stood out to sea.
The Frenchman,
for so he afterwards proved, immediately tacked and stood from us, while
we followed the chase with all sail, and got up with him about eleven at
night, but did not deem it convenient to engage till day. During the
chase our pinnace towed under water, and was cut adrift. Captain
Stradling's boat also got loose, in which were a man and a dog.
At sun-rise next morning, 1st March, we began to engage the French ship,
which was of about 400 tons burden, and thirty guns, well manned. We
fought her very close, broadside to broadside, for seven hours; and then
a small gale springing up, she sheered off. In this action our consort
only fired ten or twelve guns at the commencement, when she dropt
astern, and never again came up during the whole fight, in which we had
nine men slain and several wounded. We were desirous to have had another
trial with the Frenchman, knowing it would be of bad consequences to let
him go, as he would discover our being in these seas to the Spaniards;
but our captain opposed this, saying, he knew where he could get to the
value of 500,000l. at any time. So we concluded to return to Juan
Fernandez, to get our anchors, long boats, and several tons of water
already casked, together with a ton of sea-lion oil, which we had left
there. Captain Stradling also had left five of his men, who were gone to
the west part of the island, and knew nothing of our going away after
the enemy. He had also left all his sails, besides those at the yards,
and a great many other stores.
We had then the wind at S. directly off Juan Fernandez, so that it was
difficult to go there; and while beating up we saw two sail, to which
the Cinque-ports was very near, and they fired several shots at her, but
she rowed away to us, and reported them to be two French ships of about
36 guns each; on which the two captains thought it convenient to bear
away for the coast of Peru, leaving Captain Stradling's five men, with
his other stores, which he could ill spare, and now we had neither of us
any boats. We accordingly stood for the coast of Peru on the 6th March,
and fell in with it on the 11th, in lat. 24 deg. 53' S.[208] The land here
was very high, having three distinct ranges of hills behind each other,
that nearest the water the lowest, and the farthest off the highest.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 247 of 431
Words from 128507 to 129029
of 224764
