About Eleven In The Forenoon The Sea-Breeze Set In, And, To
Make Our Small Force As Available As Might Be, I Ordered All Our Three
Guns To Be Placed On That Side From Which We Were Likely To Engage.
As
the sea-breeze freshened we ran fast towards them, during which our
small arms were effectually employed to break their powder-jars before
we should board them, which we did without delay, and they submitted
after exchanging a few shots.
[Footnote 273: The port of Aeazualte, at the mouth of the river
Samsonate, in the province of that name. - E.]
This ship was named the Sacra Familia, of 300 tons, six guns, and
seventy men, having a great many small arms, shot, and hand-granades.
She had arrived some time before from Calao, with wine and brandy; but
had now nothing on board except fifty jars of gunpowder, a small
quantity of rusk, and some jerked beef; so that she was hardly worth the
risk and trouble of capture. But as she had the character of sailing
better, and was much better fitted than our ship, I resolved to exchange
ships, and we all went aboard the prize, which had been fitted out in
warlike manner, and commissioned, for the express purpose of taking us,
if we chanced to fall in her way. To do justice to my people, our small
arms were handled with much dexterity on this occasion; but, having been
chiefly directed at the powder-jars, the only person killed on board the
prize was the boatswain, and one person slightly wounded; while on our
side no damage was sustained. A merchant, made prisoner at this time,
seemed inclined to purchase the Jesu Maria, which we had quitted; and
hearing her cargo consisted of pitch, tar, and copper, he consented to
my demands, and went ashore to raise the sum agreed upon. We had so few
provisions, that we could not afford to keep any prisoners, and
therefore dismissed all the whites, Indians, and others, except some
negroes, whom we detained to assist in working the ship: and, that we
might lose as little time as possible, we set immediately to work,
overhauling our sails and rigging, that we might get our new ship ready
for sea.
While thus employed, I received a letter from the governor of the place,
which none of us could understand; but learnt by the messenger, that it
intimated some account of a truce concluded between the crowns of
Britain and Spain, and that the governor requested me to stay five days,
that he might satisfy me by shewing me the articles of accommodation. I
thought this odd, telling the Spanish gentleman I had not met with a
friendly or peaceable reception; asking him why they had thus armed
themselves in so desperate a manner, and why the governor had not rather
sent me a flag of truce in the morning before we engaged, giving me this
intimation? Saying also, if this story were true, we ought to have found
the alleged intelligence on board the prize, as she came from Lima,
whence they pretended the news came.
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