On The 6th Of This Month, A New Revolution Took Place In Our
Affairs, As Thirty Of Our Men Agreed To Remain Along With Captain
Dampier In The South Sea; But With What View Or On What Terms, We
Others, Who Were Not In The Secret, Never Knew.
Our company, who were
not of Dampier's party, consisted of thirty-three men; and,
notwithstanding this new arrangement, we all sailed to the Gulf of
Amapalla, where we anchored on the 26th January.
That same day, all the remaining provisions were equally divided between
the two companies by the agent for the owners, and we had four pieces of
cannon, with a proper proportion of small arms and ammunition, assigned
for us, for our defence during the voyage to India. Our next care was to
take in water, for which purpose we landed on the island of Conchagua;
and after some search, we found a large bottom behind the hills, in
which was a large plantain walk, and a large reservoir of rain water,
which came from the mountains. This was very inconvenient, as we were
forced to carry all our water over a high hill, which we could hardly
climb by ourselves; but there was no alternative, and we set to work to
cut down the bushes in our way, to make a clear path. After this, as the
hill was very steep on the land side towards the bottom whence we had to
fetch water, we cut steps in the hill with axes and shovels; and our
sail-maker made a hose or canvass pipe of ninety fathoms long, which
carried the water from the top of the hill down to our water cask at its
foot towards the sea.
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