We Found Only
A Small Ship There, Of Which Mr Brooks Took Possession In The Launch.
About Seven P.M. We Came To Anchor Within Three Quarters Of A Mile Of
The Town.
The town seemed to be moderately large and populous, and there
might probably be some land-forces for its
Defence, being the rendezvous
of the ships which trade between Panama and Caloa; yet, as the taking of
this place was treated in our instructions as a matter of importance, I
consulted with my officers as to the best manner of making the attempt.
Leaving the charge of the ship with the master, Mr Coldsea, and a few
hands, to look after the negroes we had on board, and with orders to
bring the ship nearer to the town, for the more expeditiously embarking
any plunder we might make; I landed with forty-six men, well armed,
about two in the morning of the 22d, and marched directly up to the
great church without the slightest opposition, for we found the town
entirely deserted by the inhabitants.
At day-light, we observed large bodies of men on the hills, on both
sides of the town, which we expected would have come down to attack us;
but, on marching up towards them, they retired before us. Hitherto we
had taken no prisoners, except an old Indian and a boy, who told us that
Captain Clipperton had been here some time before, and had set some
prisoners ashore, who assured them he meant not to do them any injury;
but that the inhabitants, not thinking fit to trust him, had removed all
their valuable effects into the mountains, among which were 400,000
dollars belonging to the king, which had been a fine prize for
Clipperton, who certainly would have found no greater difficulty in
taking this town than I did.
I was constrained suddenly to halt, in consequence of hearing a gun
fired from the ship, soon after which word was brought me that she was
ashore. I hurried off as fast as I could, carrying with us the
union-flag, which I had planted in the church-yard; and, as we were
re-embarking, the enemy came running down the hill, hallooing after us.
When I got on board, I found the ship entirely afloat, but within her
own breadth of the rocks; and, as the water was quite smooth, we soon
warped her off again. We then returned to the town, whence the Spaniards
retired as peaceably as before. The remainder of the day was employed in
shipping off what plunder we could find, which consisted of hogs, brown
and white calavances, beans, Indian corn, wheat, flour, sugar, and as
many cocoa nuts[268] as we were able to stow away, together with pans
and other conveniences for preparing it, so that we were now amply
provided with excellent breakfast meat for the rest of our voyage, and
were, besides, full of other provisions.
[Footnote 268: Cacao, chocolate-nuts, are almost certainly here
meant.
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