But All My Arguments Could Not Prevail With Him
To Let Me Have Any Thing Out Of His Medicine-Chest For Mr Coldsea, Who
Was Still Very Ill Of His Wound.
For what we now had from the Success,
we returned some bales of coarse broad-cloth, as much pitch and tar as
he would have, and some pigs of copper:
I gave him also a large
silver-ladle for a dozen spadoen, or Spanish swords. This being
concluded, I offered my services, assuring him I had a pretty good ship,
and that our cargo was of some value: To this he answered, if my cargo
were gold, he had no business with me, and I must take care of myself.
Mr Hendric, our agent, Mr Rainer, and Mr Dodd, our lieutenant of
marines, weary of the hard work imposed upon them, desired my leave to
go on board the Success, which I consented to, and Captain Clipperton
left us to shift for ourselves, being now near the island of Cano.
I was now for returning southwards, to try our fortunes in the bay of
Panama, but the majority opposed me through fear, insisting to go to the
Tres Marias, to salt turtle at these islands, and then to stretch over
for India. We accordingly directed our coarse that way, but as the wind
near the land continued in the west, and the coast of Mexico trended
nearly N.W. by W. we crept so slowly to windward, that we began to be
very short of provisions before we got the length of Realijo, on which
our design of landing there was renewed; but this intention was soon
frustrated, as we were blown past that place by a tequante peque, for
so the Spaniards on this coast call a violent gale at N.E. As we
continued our voyage along shore, we again fell in with the Success,
then in quest of Sonsonate, expecting there to receive the ransom of
the Marquis of Villa Roche who had been some time a prisoner on board.
We ranged close under her stern, and asked how Captain Clipperton and
the rest of the gentlemen did, but received no answer, and the Success
steered one way, while we went another. After this, calms, contrary
winds, and unaccountable currents, so delayed our proceedings, that were
reduced to a very short allowance, which we were forced to diminish
daily, and had been reduced to very great distress, had we not from time
to time found turtle floating on the surface of the sea, for which we
kept a good look-out, being able to discover them even at great
distances, by the sea-birds perching on their backs. On sight of these,
we were forced often to forego taking advantage of the wind; and,
besides often losing some of our way in pursuit of them, they had still
a worse effect, as dressing them occasioned a great consumption of our
water.
Being now threatened with almost certain perdition if means were not
fallen upon to avoid a state of absolute famine, I proposed that we
should attempt to plunder some small town as we coasted along shore.
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