Next Day The English Captain Went Ashore To Certain Houses,
Where He Found 3000 Pezos Of Silver, Each Being Equal To A Rial Of
Eight, Or Spanish Dollar; Getting Also Seven Indian Sheep, Some Hens,
And Other Articles, All Of Which He Brought On Board, And Resumed His
Voyage.
Two days after, going to the harbour of Arica, they found two
ships, one of which was laden with goods and Spanish wares, out of which
they only took 200 botijas, or pots of wine, and from the other
thirty-seven bars of silver, each weighing ten or twelve pounds.
They
meant also to have landed at this place; but seeing some horsemen coming
towards them, they desisted.
Next morning they burnt the ship which was laden with Spanish wares, and
took the other along with them, continuing their course, the captain
sailing along shore in the pinnace, while the ship kept about a league
farther out to sea, going in search of a ship of which they had
intelligence. After sailing in this manner about forty-five leagues,
they found the ship of which they were in search, at anchor in a haven;
but having intelligence a few hours before, of an English pirate or
sea-rover, she had landed 800 bars of silver belonging to the king of
Spain; but the English durst not go on shore to search for it, as many
Spaniards and Indians stood there as a well-armed guard. They found
nothing, therefore, in this ship except three pipes of water. Taking
this ship out to sea about a league, they hoisted all her sails and let
her drive, doing the like with the ship they took at Arica, and that
also they had taken at St Jago, continuing their course with their own
ship and pinnace.
When about seven leagues from Calao de Lima, they spied three ships, one
of which they boarded, and took three men out of her, and then continued
their course for Calao, which haven they entered about two or three
hours after night-fall, sailing in among the middle of seventeen ships
which lay there at anchor. Being among these ships, they enquired for
the ship which had the silver on board; but learning that all the silver
had been carried on shore, they cut the cables of all the ships and the
masts of the two largest, and so left them. At this time, there arrived
a ship from Panama, laden with Spanish wares and merchandise, which
anchored close by the English ship, while the English captain was
searching among the other ships for the silver. When the ship of Panama
was anchored, a boat came off from the shore to examine her, but coming
in the dark to the English ship, was told by one of the Spanish
prisoners she was the ship of Michael Angelo from Chili; on which one of
the Spaniards from the boat came up the side, but coming upon one of her
cannon, he was afraid and they made off, as the ships in these seas
carry no guns. The Panama ship hearing of this, cut her cables and put
to sea; which being perceived by the English, who were close by, they
followed in their pinnace. On getting up with her, the English called
out for them to surrender, but the Spaniards killed one of their men by
a musket-shot, on which the pinnace returned. The English ship then set
sail and overtook the Spanish ship, when the crew took to their boat and
escaped on shore, leaving their ship to the English, who took her, and
continued her course to the northwards.
Next day the English saw a boat under sail making towards them, which
they suspected to be a spy, and soon afterwards perceived two great
ships coming to meet them, which they supposed had been sent on purpose
to fight them. On this they cast loose the Panama ship, in which they
left John the Greek and two men they had taken the night before in Calao
harbour; and then made all sail, not once setting eye again upon the two
great ships, which made direct for the Panama ship. The English
continued their course to the northwards along the coast; and some days
afterwards met a frigate or small vessel bound for Lima, laden with
wares and merchandise of the country, whence the English took a lamp
and fountain of silver. They enquired of the people in this ship if
they had met a ship, which they understood was laden with silver; on
which one pilot said he had not seen any such, while another said he had
met her about three days before. This frigate was taken by the pinnace,
in which the English captain sailed close by the shore, the English ship
keeping about a league and a half from land. On receiving this
information, the English let the frigate go, and continued their course
to the northwards.
Two days afterwards, they came to the harbour of Payta, where they found
a ship laden with Spanish wares, which was boarded and taken by the
pinnace, without resistance, most of the crew escaping on shore. From
this ship, the English took the pilot, with all the bread and other
provisions. About two days after, they boarded a ship belonging to
Panama, from which they only took a negro. Next day, being the 1st
February, they met another ship of Panama, laden with fish and other
victuals, having also forty bars of silver and some gold, but I know not
how much, which they took, sending the passengers in a boat to the land,
among whom were two friars. Next day, the English captain hanged a man
of the Panama ship, for secreting two plates of gold, which were found
about him, after which that ship was turned adrift.
Towards noon of the 1st March, they descried the ship laden with silver,
being then about four leagues to seawards of them:
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