The
Purpose Of Admitting The Spanish Inhabitants Was To Prevent The Indians
And Negroes From Robbing; And I Am Apt
To believe they had already
robbed as much as we had plundered, for we had taken many of them loaded
With goods, while going our rounds, which they confessed to have stolen;
and we were afterwards informed, that the inhabitants, in their hurry,
had given much plate and money to Negroes to carry out of town, which
they could never hear of afterwards.
The 29th in the morning we took a small Spanish bark, coming from
Cheripe to Guayaquil, on board of which were 330 bags of meal, and 140
arobas or hundred-weights of sugar, with some onions, quinces, and
pomegranates. This, with the six barks and two great ships ransomed with
the town of Guayaquil, made 14 prizes taken in the South Sea. The
plunder taken in Guayaquil, exclusive of the ransom, was very
considerable. We found 230 bags of flour, beans, peas, and rice; 15 jars
of oil, besides 160 jars of other liquor; some cordage, iron ware, and
nails; about four half jars of powder; about a ton of pitch and tar; 150
bales of dry goods; a few packs of indigo, cacao, and arnotto; about a
ton of loaf-sugar; a considerable parcel of clothes and other
necessaries, and to the value of about L1200 in plate, ear-rings, and
other trinkets; besides four pieces of cannon, and about 200 useless
muskets. We left abundance of goods in the town, besides liquors of all
sorts, and a variety of naval stores, and several warehouses full of
cacao. We left also several ships on the stocks, and two new ships still
unrigged, of above 400 tons each, which cost upwards of 80,000 crowns;
and we also restored four barks, leaving two others to bring down the
ransom. Thus it appears that the Spaniards had a good bargain; but the
agreed ransom, though small, was far better for us than to burn what we
could not carry away. The hostages informed us, that during our treaty
80,000 dollars belonging to the king had been sent out of the town,
besides plate, jewels, and other things of the greatest value. Hence it
is certain, if we had landed at the first, giving them no time at all,
that we had been much greater gainers, and might have made 200,000
dollars, in ready money, plate, and jewels. Yet Guayaquil had not been
so poor for forty years as now, there having been a great fire about a
year and half before we took it, in which the best part of the town was
burnt down, and had occasioned great expence for its rebuilding.
As it was, we thought ourselves well off, and great care was taken that
all concerned in the expedition should be satisfied, by which our people
were much gratified, and afterwards shewed great alacrity in executing
our other enterprizes. This is of the utmost consequence with
privateers; for, if the men have the smallest jealousy of being ill
treated in this respect, disputes arise which do infinitely more
mischief than the value of what can be got by such sinister practices.
Among all the men who landed in this enterprize, the only man who drank
a cup too much was one John Gabriel, a Dutchman, who served in the
company commanded by Captain Rogers.
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