The News Of Our Misfortunes Reached Home
Before Us, And Every Body Was Solicitous To Have An Account Of Our
Adventures, especially while under the power of the Dutch at Amboina.
These importunities led me to believe that a faithful
Relation of our
voyage would be acceptable to the public, and I hope some of the
descriptions, observations, and discoveries contained in this small
performance may be found useful, and not altogether destitute of
entertainment.
SECTION III.
Brief Account of Stradling, Clipperton, and Dampier, after their
respective Separations, till their Returns to England.
The reader may remember that Captain Dampier, in the St George, left
Captain Stradling in the Cinque-ports on the 19th of May, 1704, at
King's Island, in the Bay of Panama. The force under Captain Stradling
was too insignificant to maintain him long in the South Sea, for which
reason he went to the island of Juan Fernandez in search of shelter and
refreshments. They were in so forlorn a condition at this time, that
Alexander Selkirk[214] chose rather to remain by himself in that island,
than to run the hazard of returning to the South Sea in the
Cinque-ports. In this he shewed great judgment, as the Cinque-ports
actually foundered on the coast of Barbacora (Barbacoas), and only
Captain Stradling, with six or seven of his men, were saved, and sent
prisoners to Lima. Captain Stradling was alive there at the time when
Woods Rogers came into the South Sea, but what became of him afterwards
is unknown.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 536 of 825
Words from 145422 to 145677
of 224764
