Also, That They Had Left Signior Morel At
Payta, In A Ship Laden With Dry Goods, Who Was Expected To Sail Shortly
For Lima; And That A Stout French-Built Ship Richly Laden, And Having A
Bishop On Board, Was Shortly Expected At Payta.
This is the common place
for refreshments, and is frequented by most ships from Lima or other
parts to windward, on their way to Panama or other ports on the western
coast of Mexico.
On this information, we determined to spend as much
time as possible cruising off Payta, so as not to discover that we were
in these seas lest we should thereby hinder our other designs.
In pursuance of this plan, we took a galleon on the 1st April, of 500
tons burden, commanded by two brothers, Joseph and Juan Morel, laden
with dry goods and negroes; and next day we took another prize. We now
determined to make an attack on the town of Guayaquil; and on the 11th
April, in a grand consultation, this enterprize was fully resolved upon,
and a paper of instructions was drawn up for the guidance of the
officers who were to command, so that each might be taught and kept to
his duty. This enterprize was to be conducted by the three captains,
Rogers, Courtney, and Dover. Captain Dover was to command the van
division, consisting of seventy marines; Rogers the centre company, of
seventy-one men, mostly officers and sailors; and Courtney the
rear-guard, of seventy-three men; while Captain Dampier, with a reserve
of twenty-two men, was to bring up some pieces of cannon, to be employed
if necessary. Our force therefore on this occasion consisted of 238
men.[221] Captain Cooke was to remain in the Duchess with forty-two men,
and Captain Fry in the Duke with forty, our entire force being 320 men,
while we had about 266 prisoners in both ships, including Indians and
Negroes.
[Footnote 221: The enumeration in the text gives only 236 men. - E.]
Every thing being arranged, we bore in for Cape Blanco on the 13th, of
which we had sight about noon, bearing E.S.E. ten leagues off. On the
15th in the morning we saw a ship near the shore, and having little
wind, the Duke's boat, commanded by Captain Fry, and that of the Duchess
by Captain Cooke, rowed directly for her, going off in such haste that
neither of them had the swivel guns commonly used in the boats, neither
had they their full complement of men, and only ten muskets and four
pistols, with not much powder and shot, and no water. They rowed very
hard for six leagues to get up with the ship, and on Mr Fry getting
near, she hoisted Spanish colours. We could plainly see that she was
French-built, and therefore concluded that it must be the ship we had
long looked for, which was to carry the bishop. Our ships being almost
out of sight, and the chase near the coast, making the best of her way
to run ashore in a sandy bay, we resolved to lay her on board, one of
our boats on each bow, I[222] being then on her weather quarter, and
Captain Fry on her lee.
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