Two Days After, Going To The Harbour Of Arica, They Found Two Ships, One Of Which Was Laden With Goods And Spanish Wares, Out Of Which They Only Took 200 Botijas, Or Pots Of Wine, And From The Other Thirty-Seven Bars Of Silver, Each Weighing Ten Or Twelve Pounds.

They meant also to have landed at this place; but seeing some horsemen coming towards them, they desisted.

Next morning they burnt the ship which was laden with Spanish wares, and took the other along with them, continuing their course, the captain sailing along shore in the pinnace, while the ship kept about a league farther out to sea, going in search of a ship of which they had intelligence. After sailing in this manner about forty-five leagues, they found the ship of which they were in search, at anchor in a haven; but having intelligence a few hours before, of an English pirate or sea-rover, she had landed 800 bars of silver belonging to the king of Spain; but the English durst not go on shore to search for it, as many Spaniards and Indians stood there as a well-armed guard. They found nothing, therefore, in this ship except three pipes of water. Taking this ship out to sea about a league, they hoisted all her sails and let her drive, doing the like with the ship they took at Arica, and that also they had taken at St Jago, continuing their course with their own ship and pinnace.

When about seven leagues from Calao de Lima, they spied three ships, one of which they boarded, and took three men out of her, and then continued their course for Calao, which haven they entered about two or three hours after night-fall, sailing in among the middle of seventeen ships which lay there at anchor. Being among these ships, they enquired for the ship which had the silver on board; but learning that all the silver had been carried on shore, they cut the cables of all the ships and the masts of the two largest, and so left them. At this time, there arrived a ship from Panama, laden with Spanish wares and merchandise, which anchored close by the English ship, while the English captain was searching among the other ships for the silver. When the ship of Panama was anchored, a boat came off from the shore to examine her, but coming in the dark to the English ship, was told by one of the Spanish prisoners she was the ship of Michael Angelo from Chili; on which one of the Spaniards from the boat came up the side, but coming upon one of her cannon, he was afraid and they made off, as the ships in these seas carry no guns. The Panama ship hearing of this, cut her cables and put to sea; which being perceived by the English, who were close by, they followed in their pinnace. On getting up with her, the English called out for them to surrender, but the Spaniards killed one of their men by a musket-shot, on which the pinnace returned.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 48 of 431
Words from 24524 to 25049 of 224764