At Six In The
Evening Of The 31st May, 1721, The Body Of The Island Of Guam Bore E.
Seven Leagues Distant, And They Then Took Their Departure; Being In 15 Deg.
20' N. Designing Now For China.
The conduct of Captain Clipperton at Guam was certainly exceedingly
erroneous.
He ought on no account to have permitted the marquis to go on
shore till he had received the money for his ransom, and all the
provisions of which he stood in need. The marquis had before behaved
very ill to him, and had no title to any favour; and if he had kept the
marquis, the governor of Guam would not have had any opportunity of
putting his schemes in execution. Clipperton committed also an egregious
error in pretending to attack the town, and the ship in the harbour.
Though drunkenness is rather an aggravation than an excuse for
misconduct, yet it is to be considered that Clipperton was a mere
sailor, who had not the benefit of a liberal education, and that he fell
into this sad vice from disappointment and despair. On all occasions he
had shewn a humane and even generous disposition, with the most
inflexible honesty, and a constant regard to the interest of his owners.
He is therefore much to be pitied, for having fled to the bottle under a
load of misfortunes too heavy for him to bear.
The voyage upon which they had now to enter was very dangerous, the run
from Manilla to China being estimated at 400 leagues; besides that the
distance they had now to sail was much greater.
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