A Cross Was Set Up On
Shore, At The Foot Of Which A Bottle Was Buried, Containing A Letter For
Captain Shelvocke, Appointing Another Place Of Rendezvous, With Certain
Signals By Which To Know Each Other If They Happened To Meet At Sea.
SECTION II.
Proceedings of the Success in the South Seas.
Clipperton left Juan Fernandez on the 7th October, leaving two men
behind, as successors to Governor Selkirk, but of whose adventures we
have no mention. He now steered his course to the northwards, till in
the parallel of Lima, where he proposed to commence operations, though
in a very indifferent condition, having lost thirty men since passing
the equator. On the 25th, being in the latitude of Lima, they captured a
snow of forty tons, laden with sand and rubbish for manure, on board of
which were seven Indians and two negroes, their master having been left
sick on shore. The only thing she contained worth taking were two jars
full of eggs, two jars of treacle, and two dollars. Next day they
captured a ship of 150 tons, laden with timber from Guayaquil, in which
were two friars, sixteen Indians, and four Negroes. On the 30th they
took a ship of 400 tons, bound from Panama to Lima, which had been taken
by Captain Rogers at Guayaquil ten years before. She had many passengers
on board, and a loading of considerable value. Another prize was taken
on the 2d of November, being a vessel of seventy tons, on board of which
was the Countess of Laguna and several other passengers, with a great
sum of money, and 400 jars of wine and brandy, which was very
acceptable. Captain Clipperton desired the countess to inform him,
whether she thought proper to remain in the prize, or to accept of such
accommodations as he was able to give her in the Success. She chose to
continue in the prize, on which he sent an officer of marines with a
guard, to prevent her from being molested, and with strict orders not to
allow any person to enter her cabin, except her own domestics. He also
sent part of the wine and brandy on board the other prizes, for the use
of his seamen who had charge of them.
Although Captain Clipperton had now so many prizes, that above a third
of his company was detached to take charge of them, he was still as
eager to take more as if he had commanded a squadron of men of war,
instead of a single privateer weakly manned. On the 12th November, a
London-built pink of about 200 tons was discovered at some distance,
bound from Panama to Lima with a cargo of woad, of very little value to
Clipperton, yet he added this to the number of his prizes. The master of
this vessel, being a shrewd fellow, soon saw the error Clipperton had
fallen into, and resolved to turn it to his advantage. Guessing by the
number of prizes already attending the English ship, that he could not
spare many men to take possession of his ship, and having above a dozen
passengers, he directed them to hide themselves in the hold, along with
a Frenchman who served as boatswain, with orders to seize as many of the
English as went down below, assuring them that he with the ship's
company would be able to manage the rest.
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