We Now Commanded Them To Hoist Out Their Launch; But They Answered, That Their Tackle And Rigging Were So Shattered That They Could Not Possibly Comply; Wherefore I Sent Mr Randall And Two Or Three More In Our Canoe, Who Found All Her People Most Submissively Asking Mercy.

Mr Randall sent the most considerable of the prisoners on board my ship, who informed me their vessel was

La Conception de Receva, belonging to Calao, but last from Guanchaco, of 200 tons burden, laden with flour, loaves of sugar, boxes of marmalade, and jars of preserved peaches, grapes, limes, and such like. She mounted six guns, and carried above seventy men, being one of the ships that had been fitted out and commissioned purposely to take us; so that she was the second of these armed merchantmen we had taken. In this engagement, the Spanish captain and one negro were killed, and one or two slightly wounded; but their masts, sails, and rigging were much shattered. On our part, the gunner only was slightly wounded, and a small piece was carried out of the side of our main-mast. We had now above eighty prisoners of all sorts, and not exceeding twenty-six of ourselves. When the Spanish gentlemen came off board, they would not give me time to ask the reason of not hearkening to our peaceable offers; but immediately laid the whole blame on their dead captain, Don Joseph Desorio, who vowed he would listen to no terms but his own, and was resolved to take us by force. There were several persons of note among our prisoners, particularly Don Baltazzar de Abarca, Conde de la Rosa, an European nobleman, who had been governor of Pisco on the coast of Peru, and was now on his return for Spain; also a Captain Morell, who had been formerly taken by Captain Rogers; and several others. We treated them all with the utmost civility, at which they wondered; because, from prejudice against our cruizers, and conviction of their own harsh behaviour towards their prisoners, they expected to have been dealt with very roughly.

In the situation where we now lay, we were in the track of all the ships bound for Panama, not above thirty miles from that place, our numbers being very few, and even part of our crew sick. For these reasons we were as expeditious as possible in examining the contents of our new prize, and removing them into our own ship; and, though the far greater part of the work was done by our prisoners, it took us full two days. Owing to this, and to faint winds and calms, we did not rejoin our bark till the 22d. As we bore down towards her, and came pretty near, we were astonished to see her broach to and fall off again, though all her sails were set; and, what amazed us still more, we could not see any person on her deck. I sent the boat on board, and the officer immediately called out to me, that there was not a man on board, but that all her decks and quarters were covered with blood.

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