■■■••■■ SP* 5&X2 asw W *-\ I - 2£ a ^^H tefe>.- I^^H •-v . - - Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Research Library, The Getty Research Institute http://www.archive.org/details/newuniversalcollOOdrak ^4^^- tfr-y^^* — h& *5f Commodore Anson ,////va/>a/King George/// , /***>//*/. p £ ANEW UNIVERSAL COLLECTION P F Authentic and Entertaining VOYAGES and TRAVELS, F R'O M THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS to the PRESENT TIME. Judicioufly feledted from the beft Writers in the ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, ITALIAN, DUTCH, GERMAN, DANISH, and other Languages. Comprehending an Account of whatever is Curious in the Government, Commerce, Natural Hiftory, Cuftoms, Marriages, Funerals, And other Ceremonies of moft Nations in the Known World. Including an Account of the moft remarkable Discoveries, Conquefts, Settlements, Battles, Sea Fights, Hurricanes, Shipwrecks, Sieges, Tortures, Wonderful Efcapes, MafTacres, and Strange Deliverances, Both by SEA and LAND. ALSO A Defcription of the Buildings, Mountains, Rivers, Harbours, Lakes, Iflands, Peninfulas, Creeks, Sec. of various Countries. The Whole forming a Hiflory of whatever is moft worthy of Notice in EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, and AMERICA. Illuftrated with Maps from the lateft Improvements, and beautiful Plates, by Grignion, and other celebrated Mailers. By EDWARD CAVENDISH DRAKE, Efq. By the KIN G's Royal LICENCE and AUTHORITY. LONDON: Printed for J. Cooke, at Shakefpear's Head, in Pater-Nofter-Row. MDCCLXil, • I TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS FOR EXECUTING THE OFFICE OF LORDHIGH ADMIRAL O F GREAT BRITAIN: This AUTHENTIC COLLECTION of VOYAGES and TRAVELS IS MOST HUMBLY INSCRIBED, BY THEIR LORDSHIPS MOST OBEDIENT, AND DEVOTED SERVANT, E. C. DRAKE. M D C C L X X.i. GEORGE R. EORGE the Third by the Gi ace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Sec. To all to whom thefe Prefents (hall come Greeting. Whereas our Trufty and Well- beloved John Cooke, of Pater-Nofler- Row, in Our City of London, Bookfeller, has, by his Petition, humbly reprefented unto Us, that he hath been at very great Labour and Expence in collecYing Books and Manu- icripts, and in fearching for authentic Records, and hath difburied large Sums of Money in paying for the Writing and Compiling a valuable Work, intituled, " A New and "Universal COLLECTION of Authentic and Entertaining VOYAGES "and TRAVELS, from the earlicft Accounts to the Prefent Time; judicioufly " felected from the bed: Writers, in the Engli/h, French, Spani/Jj, Italian, Dutch, Ger- " man, Dani/I:, and other Languages. Comprehending an Account of whatever is curious " in the Government, Commerce, Natural Hiftory, Ciutoms, &c. of mod Nations in the tc known World. Including an Account of the mod remarkable Difcoveries, Conquefts, *• Settlements, Battles, Sea Fights, Hurricanes, Shipwrecks, Sieges, Tortures, Wonderful " Efeapes, MafTacres, and ftrange Deliverances, both by Sea and Land. Alfo a Defcrip- ct tion of the Buildings, Mountains, Rivers, Harbours, Lakes, Iflands, Peninfula?," ,c Creeks, &c. of various Countries. The whole forming a Hiftory of whatever is moft <' worthy of Notice in Europe, Afia, Africa, and America ; and illuftrated with Maps, . . Mr. Thunder — Samuel Tubbal, Staines — Thompfon ; .- ■ . — Robert. Taylor, Jun. — John Titdomb, Bctbnel-Greea — William Tiptaft, Ivlitchem — Francis Tyler, Sen.Briftpl — Samuel Tutton, Uphill — Thomas, Briages-ftreet His Excellency the Venetian AmbaiTador, Soho-Square Michael Va:: Millington, Efq; James-ftreet Mr. Vanr-Santen, A. P. Fenchurch-ftrea M. John Yanderzee, Furnival's-lnn w The Right Hon. Lord Wilmot, Great Or- mond-ftreet The Rev. Mr. Cornelius Winter, Savanah, Georgia Air. Charles Wilfon, Salop ' Mrs. Walker, Gloucefter-itreet Mr. Welbury, Bedford-row — Watfon, Round-court — John Whitehead, Great SmLth-ftreeV- — Thomas White, Henly ' — Jr.mes Whalley — Charles WilKhere, Park-Street — Ward, Guildford — Samuel Wharton, Junior — Thomas Wilfon Y Major John Young, Efq; Newingron-butts Mr. Zuhorfr, Arundel Street ^Thepubliflierofthis work hopes that no Subfcriber will take it amifs, ifhe finds his nameomitred in this lift, as he has not been able to procure near one half of them, notwithftanding he delayed the j nb- lication feveral weeks entirely on that account. It i= alio hoped no Gentleman will be angry if he Jii ds his name fpelt wrong, as they are all printed exaftly as they were delivered by the hawkers and othei Li > A V o A G E AND RAVE CHAPTER I. Preliminary remarks. Difcovery of the Magnetic Needle. Hi/lory of the Portuguefe Na- vigators. An account of the firft voyage of Chriftopher Columbus, with the Difcoveries made in that voyage : his return to Spain, and reception from their Catholic Majejlies. TH E defire of riches, and of fame, is the great incentive to all our actions. The wifli to indulge the ardours of ambition with the reward of con- queft, and to gratify the demands of avarice with the pofleflion of wealth, has, in all ages, given birth to exploits, always dangerous in their nature, and not feldom fatal in their confequences. The pride of dominion has fti- mulated to daring actions ; and the end has been too often purfued, unregardful of the means. Of all the arts which the induftry of modern times have brought to perfection, that of Navi- gation feems to claim the preference, whether we confider the difficulties with which it has been attended, or the wonderful effects which it has produced. There is fomething nobly aflo- nifhing in the thought of a little bark, eroding the mighty ocean, and bringing the produce of either India to its deftined port. The following pages will fufficiently fhew the hazard of the firft attempts to unite the intereft of far diftant nations ; and we muft own that, whatever were their motives, much is due to the memory of thofe men, by whom the mighty work was firft accomplifhed. We have no certain accounts of the ancient voyages ; and it is needlefs to trouble the reader with the conjectures of the learned about them ; fince it is hardly to be fuppofed, that Navigation could make any coniiderable advances, till the difcovery of the powers of the magnetic needle, which it is generally allowed was made by John Gola, of the town of Amalphi in Italy, in the year 1299. It may reafonably be imagined, that from this time, the art was more afliduoufly cultiva- ted, though we do not find the advances made N' B were very considerable, till near two hundred years afterwards ; the timidity of navigators be- ing fuch, that they were unwilling to leave the fight of land, and continued to creep along the coaft without courage to.truft themfelves to the boundlefs ocean. The honour of the earlier difcoveries is with juftice given to the Portuguefe, fome of whom, at the expence, and under the protection of Don Henry, fifth fon of John the firft, King of Portugal, made feveral voyages on the coaft of Africa •, but none of them, for the fpacc of ten years, had courage to venture beyond cape Ba- jador, which, advancing far into the ocean, oc- cafioned the waves to beat with fuch violence againft it, that as they were too unfkillful to ftand out to fea, to avoid their force, fo they were afraid of the violence of the current nearer the fhore. In the year 141 8, John Gonzales Zarco, and Triftan Vaz, being fent to pafs Bajador, were driven into the wide ocean by a tempeft, and when they thought they fhould have been loft, they unexpectedly found a fmall ifland, to which they gave the name of Puerto Sancto, or the Holy Haven, from the protection it afford- ed them. In a fubfequent voyage to Puerto San- to, in company with a third captain, named Pe- rello, in the year 1419, while they flood on the ifland, looking round for difcoveries, they faw, what they took to be a cloud, till obferving it did not move, they fleered immediately to it, and found it to be an ifland, to which they gave the name of Madera, from the gre.it quantity of wood with which it abounded. At length, in the year 1433, Gilianes paffed the cape of Bajador, which had been an infu- perable obftack to. the proceedings of for- mer navigators ; and his countrymen were not THE FIRST VOYAGE OF a little aftonilhed at his fafe arrival in Por- From this time gradual difcoveries were made on the coaft of Africa, and the fame of the Por- tuguefe adventurers began to reach the diftant parts .of Europe, fo that many peripns repaired to Portugal with a view to fettle^n^he countries : already found, or go in fearch of farther difco- veries. Perfons of wealth began to form themfelves into companies for the building and equipment of veffels, which they fitted out at their own ex- pence, agreeing to pay the Prince a fifth part, and fometimes a greater fhare of the profits arif- ing from their expedition. Prince Henry dying in 1463, in the third year of the reign of John the fecond, that mo- narch profecuted the defigns which Henry had begun, and was equally diligent to fecure the polTelTton of places already found, and to make new difcoveries. Henry's people had built a fort, and fettled a factory in the ifle of Arguin, and King John found it neceffary to "built"' ano- ther at St. Georgio de la Mina, which is fttuat- ~ed a few degrees north of the line, for the fecu- rity of the trade of gold-duft ; for which pur- pole a Beet of thirteen fhips was fitted out, la- den with timber, {tones, bricks, and all mate- rials for building, which let fail on the eleventh of December 148 1, under the command of Don Diego d' Azambue. After fome difputes with the natives, the fort was erected, and a church was built, in which mafs was to be celebrated once a day for ever for the repofe of the foul of Prince Henry. The Portuguefe now continued their trade and their difcoveries on the coaft of Africa, till the year 1492, when Columbus made his firft voyage in fearch of the new world. The honour of many difcoveries for the ad- vantage of navigation is claimed by the Portu- guefe, and their title to them feems to be un- doubted -, but as their whole courfe of tailing ap- pears to have been little elfe than coafting, we fhall fpend no time in reciting farther particu- lars, but proceed to the account of Columbus, and his voyages, with which moll works of this nature with propriety begin. THE territory of Genoa had the honour of giving birth to Chriftopher Columbus, or as he is called by the Spaniards, Colon ; but the exact time and place of his birth is not afcer- tained. He appears to have had an early at- tachment to fea affairs ; he fludied navigation with the utmoft induftry, and fupported him- felf by making charts for the fea-fervice. He had the universal character of a fober, tempe- rate, and devout man ; he was a good mathe- matician, and had, in other refpects, a tolera- ble fhare of learning. The fame of the Portuguefe in naval affairs having drawn him to Lisbon, he there fettled, curried on a trade to the coaft of Guinea, and at length married a woman of considerable for- tune. The reafons which, probably, determined Columbus to attempt the difcovery of America were the following : he had obferved, when at the Cape de Verd lflands, that ar a particuiaj' feafon, the wind always "blew from' the Weft, which he thought was occafioned by a large tract of land lying that way ; and he thought that the fpherical figure of the earth demanded, that the lantjron the fide mould be ballanc^i by an equal quantity on the other. He flattered himfelf that by failing Weft, he fhould find a nearer pafiage to the Indies, than that which the Portuguefe hoped to difcover* by failing round the coaft of Africa, of a great part of which they had already made themfelves* matters. "When he was fully convinced of the pofiibility of .carrying his fcheme into execution, he propofed it to the ftate of Genoa as early as the year 1484 ; but they having rejected it, he applied in the year 1485 to John the fecond, King of Portugal, in whofe -dominions he had now refided fome years, and commiffioners were appointed to treat with him ; who having artfully drawn his fecret from him ; advifed the King to fit out 3 ihip to try the practicability of the plan, and to rob Columbus of the honour and advan- tage of it ; but the defign failed •, and when the King would have treated with Columbus a fe- cond time, his indignation at the treatment he had received, determined him to apply elfe- where : and that very year he fent his brother Bartholomew with propofals to Henry VII, King of England, while he himfelf proceeded to Spain, to offer his fervices to Ferdinand and Ifabella. Bartholomew had the misfortune to fall into the hands of pirates, who ftripping him of all he had, he arrived in England in a very miferable condition, where he was taken ill of a fever, and reduced to great diftrefs. On his recovery, he applied himfelf with great induftry to the mak- ing and felling of maps and charts, by which he at length in the year 1488, put himfelf into a proper equipage to appear before the King (Henry VII) with whom he entered into an a- greement, in the name and on the behalf of his brother. When Chriftopher Columbus arrived in Spain, he communicated his plan to Martin Alonfo Pinzon, a celebrated pilot, who law the force of his arguments, and readily agreed to go with him, if his application at court fhould be luccefs- ful ■, but fo much difficulty attended the profe- cution of his fuit, and he met with fo many de- lays and infults, that he was actually an the point of leaving Spain for England, to fee what fuccefs his brother had met with, and in cafe his application's had been equally fruitlefs, to offer his. propofals to the court of France. At this interval Queen Ifabella was prevailed upon to encourage his plan ; and articles of 3- greement were figned at Santa Fe, in the King- dom of Grenada, on the feventeenth of April 1492. By this agreement, Columbus was to be ad- miral of the feas, and vice-roy of all the coun- tries he fhould difcover : he was to have a tenth part of the profits redounding to their Majefties from his labours ; and an eighth of what he fhould bring home in his fhips j himfelf furnifh* ing one eighth of the expence of the equipment. When CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. When t' ,: : agreement was concluded, he was allowed three veifels"; the Galega, which he named the Santa Maria, a c.ir.ac, or fhip with a deck, commanded by himfelf ; the Pinra, of which Martin Alonzo Pinzon was captain •, and the Nina, under the command of Vincent Yanez Pinzon, brother to Martin Alonzo* who fur- mflied half of Columbus's fhare of the expence. Thefe twoveflels were called Caravels, that is, fhips without decks •, and the whole fleet, which carried but one hundred and twenty men, put to fea from Palos, on Friday the third day of Auguft 149Z. On the next morning the rudder of the Pinta breaking loofe, they made it faft in the bell manner they were able with cords, till they had an opportunity effectually to repair it. Several of the feamen began to confider this as an ill omen •, but the Admiral told therri, that, " no omen could be evil to thofe whofe defigns were good." He alfo took pains to inftruft them in the principles of navigation, to divert their attention from objects of fuperftition to thofe which im- mediately concerned the prefent defign. They arrived at the Canaries on the eleventh of Auguft, where they remained, refrefhing themfelves, till the fixth of September •, when they weighed anchor, and proceeded on their voyage, for fear of the Portuguefe, who had fitted out three caravels to attack them. On the feventh they loft fight of land, and With it all their courage, bitterly bemoaning their fate, as that of wretches deftined to cer- tain deftrucYion. Columbus comforted thefe cowards in the beft manner he was able ; fetting before them the certain profpe<5t of wealth and happinefs, as the reward of their labours ; and that they might not think themfelves fo far from home, as they really were, he refolved, during the whole voyage, to deceive them in the reck- oning ; and having this day failed eighteen leagues, he pretended they had made no more than fifteen. On the fourteenth of September, they took notice of the variation of the compafs, and the people on board the Nina faw a heron, and fome tropic birds, and the hext day the fea was co- vered with yellow and green weeds, among which they faw a live lobfter •, and as they ad- vanced they found the fea water lefs fait, from which circumftances they imagined they were near land. Alonzo Pinzon, who had been a head, lay by for the captain on the eighteenth, acquain- ting him that he had feen a large number of birds flying weftward, and imagined he faw land fifteen leagues to the north ; but Colum- bus, having no doubt but he was miftaken, would not alter his courfe, tho' moft earneftly lolicited fo to do by the failors. On the nineteenth, the fight of a great num- ber of fea gulls, which it was imagined could not fly far, began to give the Admiral himfelf fome hopes of feeing land fpeedily -, but on founding with a line of two hundred fathom, no bottom could be found. They now faw abun- dance of weeds, and three days afterwards took a bird like a heron, web-footed, of a dark co- lour, with a white tuft oh the head ; and in the evening, faw three fmall finging-birds, which flew away at break of day. They now encountered fuch a quantity of weeds, that they were apprehenfive the fhips would not long be able to make their way. Till this time the wind had been always right aftern j but now fhifting to the fouth-weft, gave the Admiral an opportunity of expofing the ground- lefs fears of the failors, who had imagined they fhould never have a fair wind to carry them back j but notwithftanding all he could fay to them, they loudly complained of the danger they were in of perifhing at fea, and a mutiny would, in all probability, have been the confe- quence of their clamours ; but for a ftrong gale, which fprung up at "Weft-north-weft, and con^ vinced them that there was no danger of their having an opportunity to return. Several flights of fmall birds, which they ob- ferved coming from the Weft, and a pigeon, which flew over the fhip, gave them frefh hopes of making land •, but when they found them- felves difappointed, their mortification was the greater, and their complaints increafed. They cenfured the Admiral as a perfon, Who from an idle ambition of aggrandifing himfelf, and his own family, had led them into dangers and difficulties, in fearch of a country, which no where exifted : they faid they had given fufficient proofs of their courage, by venturing fo far from home, and began to entertain ferious thoughts of CompellingColumbus to return. Irt a word, fo great were their fears, that fome of them were for throwing the Admiral overboard, and afferting, on their return to Spain, that he fell into the fea, as he was gazing at the ftars. Columbus was not infenfible of the fpirit of mutiny, by which they were actuated, and ex- erted himfelf, partly by reprefenting their duty to the King, partly by threats of punifhments in cafe of difobedienee, and partly by promifes of the reward of their perfeverance •, fo that the enterprize received no detriment from their ill- grounded fears and apprehenfions. The men were however extremely anxious and difconfolate, till on the twenty-fifth of Sep- tember, about fun-fetting, while Columbus was talking to Vincent Yanez Pinzon* he cried, " Land ! Land ! Let me not lofe the reward for this good news !" And immediately pointed towards the South Weft, where there was fome- thing which looked like an illand, at the diftance of twenty-five leagues> This, which was afterwards looked on as a contrivance between Columbus and Pinzon, fo animated the men, that they returned thanks tta God with the utmoft fervency, and the Admi- ral, at the earned intreaty of the crew, fteered towards the fuppofed ifland, molt part of the night ; but in the morning no ifland was to be feen, and the men were as loud in their com- plaints as ever. Columbus continued on his courfe with the utmoft refohuion i and on the twent>sninth they faw many flying fifties, fome of which fell into the fhip. They alfo faw a gull, feveral wag- tails, and other birds, and were encompaffed with fo great a quantity of weeds, that the men though; 3 THE FIRST VOYAGE OF thought they were near land, and in danger of running a-ground. On the thirtieth they alio law many Wagtails, and obferved that the weeds lay in a line from weft-north-weft, to eaft fouth eaft. At break of day, on the firft of October, a wagtail came on board the Admiral, and that day the pilot told the Admiral, that they were five hundred and feventy- eight leagues weft of the ifland of Ferro ; but by Columbus's account they were feven hundred and feven •, but he took no notice of the error, becaufe he would not difcourage the failors. On the fecond they killed a tunny fifh, and fome birds ; but feeing no birds on the third day, they feared they had milled fome ifland s, and the men begged the Admiral to fteer either to the right or the left-, but regardlefs of their en- treaties, he refolved to keep right on his ccurfe, that the credit of his undertaking might not fufter by an idle compliance with their de- mands. Hereupon the men began to mutiny, and would probably have taken fome deiperate mea- fures, had not the flight of upwards of forty fparrows, and other birds, from the weft, a- gain given them hopes that they were near land. Some figns of land appeared to the weftward on the feventh of October, but the weather being hazy, no one would venture to cry land. An annuity of ten thoufand marvadies, or thirty crowns, for life, had been offered by their Catholic Majefties to the perfon who fliould firft difcover land ; but if any one cried out land, and it did not prove to be (o, he was to be ex- cluded from the reward, even though he fhould afterwards difcover it. But the people of the Nina, which was generally a-head, fired a gun, and hoifted colours, concluding it was certainly land ; but as they failed farther they were foon undeceived. Next day they faw many birds, both large and fmall, among which were fome land-fowl, fly- ing from the weft to the fouth weft, and Colum- bus thinking they could not fly far, imitated the Portuguefe, who by following fuch flights of birds, had difcovered feveral iflands : he there- fore changed his courfe, and flood for the weft ; and having already failed feven hundred and twenty leagues to the weftward of the Canaries, imagined he fhculd foon find land ; and he had often told the failors to expect it at that di- ftance. They faw twelve finging- birds, and many ducks, gulls and jays on the eighth of October •, and on the eleventh, when all the Admiral's fkill and addrefs would have been infuflicient to withftand, much longer, the mutinous difpofiti- on of the crew, he was comforted with indubi- table proofs of their being near land ; for on this day they faw a green rufti, and a large rock fifh fwim near the Admiral's fhip ; and thofe on board the Pinta took up a ftaff moft curioufly wrought, and faw a cane floating, and a num- ber of weeds freih torn from the fhore. On the evening of this day the Admiral re- prefented to his men, how merciful God had been to them, in conducting them fafe to long a voyage ; and faid, that fince the tokens he now faw were proofs they were near land, he would have them watch all night, and they would moft likely difcover it before the morn- ing : and he promifed to give a velvet doublet, as an addition to their Majefties reward, to the perfon who fliould make the difcovery. Two hours before midnight, Columbus {land- ing on the poop, faw a light on fhore, and cal- led Guitierres, groom of the privy chamber to the King, who alfo law it. It appeared like a candle, or other light, carryed in a perfon's hand, ftom one houfe to another. About two o'clock in the morning land was difcovered, at the diftance of two leagues, by Roderic de Trians, on board the Pinta, which was confiderably a-head ; but the reward was afterwards paid to Columbus, by order of their Catholic Majefties, for haying firft difco- vered the light. The fhips now lay too, and the people waited with the utmoft anxiety for a fight of that land of which they had been fo long in fearch ; and at break of day they had the pleafure to be- hold an ifland about fifteen leagues in length ; of a flat furface, well covered with wood and watered, with a large lake in the middle of it. It appeared to be full of inhabitants, who waited on the fhore ; aftonifhed at the fight of the {hips, which they took for prodigious lea monfters. The failors were extremely eager to be on fhore ; and as foon as the veffels were brought to an anchor, the Admiral went afhore, with the royal colours flying, as did the captains, carry- ing the colours oftheir enterprize, being a green crofs with crowns, 2nd the names of their Ca- tholic Majefties. They were no fooner on fhore, than they fell on their knees, and killing the ground, with tears of joy, gave thanks to God for his good- nefs, when the Admiral flood up, and gave the ifland the name of St. Salvador ; which the na- tives called Guanihani ; but it is now known by the name of Catt-ifland. Columbus having taken poffeflion of the ifland, for the King and Queen of Spain, the failors acknowledged his authority, begged par- don for their former behaviour, and promif- ed the utmoft obedience for the future. The Indians appearing to be an inoffenfive people, the Admiral gave them red caps, glafs beads, and other trifles, which they feemed highly to efteem : and when he went on board fome of them (warn after him, and others fol- lowed in their canoes, which were made of one piece of wood, in the form of a butcher's tray. They carried with them cotton, parrots, jave- lins armed with fifh bones, to exchange for glafs toys, hawks bells, and other tt ifles ; and gladly carried off bits of broken earthen plates which they found in the fhip. Both the men and women were quite naked, of a middle ftature, well flnped, with black hair cut fhort above their ears, though fome of them fufftred it to grow, and tied it with a firing be- hind. They were of an olive colour, had high foreheads, and regular features. Some of them painted their bodies black, fome white, and ibme red ; while others only coloured their faces, eyes or nofe. They handled the naked edges CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 9 ecWs of the fwords, without fear of hurt. No creatures were teen among them but parrots. On the next day (October thirteen) they came on board the mips in their canoes, which w«re of various fizes, fome (o fmall as to hold onlv one perfon, and others large enough to con- tain five and forty; they were made of the trunk of a tree, hollowed out ; their oars were fome- what like the peel of an oven, and if the boats overfet, they could eafily place them right a gain ; and they uled to lave out the water with a kind of bowls, made of dried gourds. They had no jewels, except little plates of gold hanging at their noftrils, which they figmfied came from the fouthward, where a king go- verned, who had much of it. They were extremely fond of any memorial of the Spaniards, and would exchange twenty- five pounds of fpun cotton, for three pieces of brafs coin, not worth a farthing, The Admiral, on the morning of the fourth of October, began to coaft along the ifland in J lis boat, towards the north weft ; the aftonifh- ed inhabitants followed both by fea and land, exprefilng their wonder and efteem by every me- thod in their power, and afking by figns, whe- ther the ftrangers came from heaven. The Ad- miral now returned to his fhip, taking feven Indians as interpreters, and failed for other iflands which were within fight. On the fifteenth he came to an ifland, feven leagues from the firft, which he called St. Ma- ry of the Conception ; where the natives flock- ed to him in great numbers •, but finding very little difference between them and thofe of St. Salvador, he proceeded weftward, and anchored near an ifland of twenty-eight leagues in length from north weft to fouth eaft, which he called Ternanda. In his way to this ifland, he took up an Indian in a fmall canoe, who had with him a calabafh of water, a piece of their bread, and fome red- difh earth, fuch as they paint their bodies with. He had alfo two fmall pieces of Portugal mo- ney, and a firing of glafs beads in a little bafket, by which they found he was going to Ternanda, with the news of the arrival of the ftrangers. Columbus took him on board, gave him wine to drink, and bread and honey to eat, and when he put him on fhore, gave him toys, to induce him to prepoffefs the inhabitants in favour of the Spaniards. In this circumftance the Admiral judged rightly, for on the favourable account received from the Indian, the inhabitants came on board to barter with the fame kind of commodities as the other inhabitants had done ; but thefe dealt with more caution, and appeared to be a more intelligent people than the other. This ifland abounded in water, meadows and groves, and was diversified with agreeable little hills : here were alfo an infinite variety of fing- ing birds. The women wore cotten cloths a- bout their middle. Here were trees which ap- peared to be ingrafted, bearing leaves of four or five different forts. Their houfes were a kind of tents, covered with leaves of trees, and their beds were nets, which hung from two pofts. Here were dogs that could not bark, and tame N2 i. C fnakes, alligators, plenty of fifh, and a kind of fmall rabbits. On the nineteenth they failed to another ifland, which Columbus called Ifabella, a place more large and beautiful than either of the former : here the failors killed an alligator, feven feet long. Having bartered with fome of the In- dians •, but finding nothing new on this ifland, they let fail to the fouth, in queft of a large country, which the Indians called Cuba ; and ar- riving on the twenty eighth, anchored in a great river, the banks of which were adorned with bloffoms, and fruit of variaus kinds, unknown in Europe. The Admiral fent on fhore to two houfes for information ; but the inhabitants fled, leaving their fifhing-tackle behind them, and the failors reimbarked, without touching any thing, and failed to another river, which they entered, and proceeded a confidcrable way up it; but the in- habitants ftili, as Columbus approached, fled to the mountains ; whereupon he fent two Spa- niards, with an Indian of Cuba, who had come aboard in his canoe, and another of St. Salva- dor, directing them to go up into the country, and by their kind behaviour, diffipate tne fears of the people. The Admiral in the mean time careened his fhips, during which he found that the only fuel they had was maftic wood : and on the fifth of November the Spaniards returned, bringing with them the Indian King, his Ion, and a fer- vant. They reported, that they had been twen- ty-two leagues up the country, where they found a village of fifty houfes, which contain- ed about a thouiand perfons : they were met by the principal people, who led them to their houfes, and caufed them to fit down upon wood- en benches, made in the fhape of ftrange ani- mals, with ears and eyes of gold, and tail;-- Jifted up for them to lean upon. The Indians 'then fat round them, and killed their hands and feet, imagining they came from heaven. They were treated with boiled roots, that tafted like chefnuts. When they were thus refrefhed, the men retired, and the women came round them, and kifled their hands and feet. When they returned to their fhip, the na- tives in great numbers would have accompanied them, but they would fuffer none but the Caci- que or King, his fon, and one fervant. They met with the fame hofpitable entertain- ment at feveral petty villages ; the inhabitants meeting them with firebrands to light the wood to drefs their roots. Among a great variety of birds, they faw nightingales and partridges ; buc bo beafts, except the dogs, which could not bark. The ground produced Indian corn, cal- led Maize, of which the inhabitants made good flour. Their cotton, of which they had large quantities, grew wild, without being planted, and which they exchanged for leathern thongs, bits of looking glafs, or other trifles. In anfwerto the enquiry of the Spaniards af- ter gold and pearls, the Indians pointed to the eaft, where was a country, called Bohio, a- bounding therein. Hereupon the Admiral de- termined to fail thither ; but firft feized twelve of the natives, men, women, and children, whom -' to THE FIRST VOYAGE OF whom lie propofed to carry to Spain, As they were ready to fail, the hufband of one of the women came on board, and deiired to be taken with them, which the Admiral or- dered accordingly, and directed that they fhould be all well ufed. The Admiral being detained two or three days by contrary winds, was oblig- ed to ply for that time between Cuba and Ifabella •, and on the twenty-firft of the month Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who had learnt from the Indians, that Bohio abounded in gold, left Columbus in the night, and fteered thither, with a view to engrofs that valuable commodity. The wind being ftill contrary, and the weather rough, Columbus returned to Cuba, and an- chored in a commodious harbour, which he called St. Catharine's, where he discovered fome gold on feveral ftones in the river, and obferved the country covered with fir-trees, fit to make mads of fhips. He alio law a canoe drawn on fhore, capable of holding fifty men ; but there were no inhabitants in that part of the country. On the fifth of December, the Admiral fet fail for Bohio, which though but at fixteen leagues diftance, he could not reach till the next day, on account of the ftrength of the current. When he entered the port, he called it St. Ni- cholas, as it happened on the feftivalof that faint. This harbour he found fpacious, deep and fafe, and furrounded with thick woods •, but the trees were much lef3 than thofe of Cuba. Finding no people, they proceeded northward, to a port, which the Admiral named the Con- ception ; and obfervingthat the produce of the country, greatly refembled that of Spain, he named it La Eipanola, and it is now called Hifpaniola. They here faw many of the inhabitants, who all fled from them ; but they had the good for- tune to take a young woman, who had a plate of gold hanging at her nofe, who was kindly entertained by the Admiral, prefented with bells and glafs toys, and civilly dilmifled to her ha- bitation, under the care of three Indians and three Spaniards. Nine men going on fhore the next day, with a St. Salvador Indian, travelled up the country, and found a town of one thoufand houies ; but the inhabitants fled before them, till the Indian ran after them, and perfuaded them to eome back, from the favourable account which he gave of the Spaniards. The Indians, in the greateft aftonifbment, furveyed the Spaniards, laid their hands on their heads, by way of re- fpeft, and brought them food, requeiting that they would flay all night ; which however they declined, and returned with an account, that the people were whiter and handfomer than any they had yet feen ; that the country abounded in provifions, and that they had learned that farther, to the eaftward, was the land which produced gold •, whereupon the Admiral fet fail, and near an ifland, afterwards called Tortuga, took up an Indian in his canoe, who was likely to be loft in a very rough fea ; and giving him fome prefents, put him afhore on the coaft of Hifpaniola ; and on the information this man gave his countrymen, many of them came on board, and informed the Admiral, that highetf up the country were great quantities of gold. On the next day while the Spaniards were; on fhore, trafficking with the Cacique, or lord of the place, for a plate of gold, forty of the inhabitants of Tortuga approached them in a canoe, whieh the Cacique obferving, he and his people fat down on the ground, as a fignal that they fhould not commit hoftilities : but ne- verthelefs they landed ■, but the Cacique imme- diately arofe, and obliged them to reimbark j at the fame time owing- a ftone to one of the Spaniards, made him throw it at them, to fig- nify that he would take their parts againft the Tortugans, who thereupon departed. This Cacique, whofe name was Guacanagari r vifited Columbus on the eighteenth of Decem- ber, being carried in ftateon apalankin, attended by two hundred men, who, as well as himfelf, were entirely naked. He went on board the fhip, and, with two old men, who appeared to be his counfellors, fat down in the cabin at the feet of the Admiral, who was at dinner. After tailing fome wine and provifions, which, the Admiral gave him, he fent it to his men, v/ho were on the deck. After dinner, he gave Columbus a wrought girdle, and two thin pieces of gold, and received in return, a counterpane, a pair of red fhoes, a bottle of orange flower wa- ter, and a ftring of amber beads. He was much aftoniihed at the fight of the effigies of the King and Queen of Spain, which the Admiral fhewed him, impreffed on gold. In the evening, he was fent on fhore in the flap's boat, and being faluted by the guns, was extremely furprifed and terrified ; but upon the whole, much pleafed with the entertainment he had met with •, and ordering his people to re- frefh the Spaniards, had the Admiral's prefents carried before him in great pomp to his abode. The admiral on the twenty-fourth of Decem- ber, went to vifit Guacanagari, who lived at the diftance of four or five leagues •, and, on his re- turn, the weather being calm, he retired to reft, which he had not enjoyed for two days and nights. The crew alfo retired to their ham- mocks, leaving only a boy at the helm, con- trary to the Admiral's repeated orders. At midnight the vefiel ftruck on a ridge of rocks, when the Admiral hearing the boy ciy our, ran upon deck, and ordered the mafter and three failors to leap into the boat, and carry out an anchor aftern •, inftead of which they rowed off to the other fhips ; whereupon Columbus cut away the mails, and lightened the vefiel i but the water ftill ebbing, the feams of the fhip opened. The other fhip having refufed to take on board the people, who had fled from their duty, they returned juft at this diftrefsful pe- riod, when Columbus going with his men on board the other vefiel, it being impoffible to lave his own, lent mefiengers to acquaint Gua-< caii3gari with his misfortune, and to beg his alTift.ince to unlade the fhip. The Cacique wept at their misfortune, and forthwith fent people with canoes, to obey the directions of the Admiral, whereby the moft valuable effe<5ts were preferred, and fafely lodged on ihore. On CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. li On the twenty-fix th of December, the wor- thy Guacanagari went on board the Nina, and made the Admiral many prefents, endeavour- ing to confole him for the lofs of his fhip j pro- mised to fend for ibme gold for his ui'efrom Cibao ; and invited him on fhore to eat axis and cazabi, which was their chief diet. An Indian alfo came on fhore with a piece of gold, weigh- in" four ounces, which he held in his left hand, ftretching out the right, into which one of the Spaniards putting a hawk's bell, he directly let go the gold and ran away, imagining he had out-witted the other. Many of the men offering to remain on this ifland, Columbus determined to fettle a colony upon it •, and, with the cohfent of Guacanagari, who confidered him as a valuable ally, ordered the timber of the wreck to be drawn on fhore to build a fort, which having finifhed, he left in it a garrifon of fix and thirty men, under the command of Roderick d'Efcovedo, Peter Gu- tieres and James d'Arana, whom he earheftly recommended to the friendfhip of the inhabi- tants. He alfo built fome houfes* and called the place the town of the Nativity, and deter- mined to return immediately to Spain, to ac- quaint their Majefties with what he had done, left any accident fhould happen in the only fhip he now commanded. As foon as matters were prepared for Colum- bus's departure, he called together thofe who were to remain oh the ifland* and exhorted them to offer up their thanks to God, for hav- ing conducted them to fuch a country* to plant his holy faith ; he directed them to obey their commander, and to love and refpect Guacana- gari, and his people * defired them to offer no violence to the natives* but to deal with them honeftly in all things •, that their opinion of their coming from heaven might be confirmed , and to endeavour to learn their language, and fe- cure their friendfhip : and as they had opened the way to the new world, he promifed to re- queft their Majefties to reward them. The people having engaged to do all that Columbus defired them, he dined on the fecond of January with Guacanagari, recommending the Chriftians to his friendfhip •, and on the fourth he failed from port Nativity, taking his courfe eaftward, by a high mountain in the fhape of a tent, which he called Monte Chrifto •, and two days afterwards difcovered the Pinta, under the command of Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who, coming on board, began to excufe his leaving the Admiral, whom he pretended to have loft in the night : but though Columbus faw the weaknefs of hisexcufes, he chofe to take no notice of it, left, by any difagreement, they might weaken the common cauie * but he learnt from Pinzon, that having failed to a river fif- teen leagues eaftward from port Nativity, he had bartered with the natives for a large quan- tity of gold, half of which he had taken to him- felf, and divided the reft among his feamen. Pinzon alfo informed the Admiral, that ha- ving anchored near Monte Chrifto, he went in his boat up a river to the fouth weft of the mount, which he called Rio de Oro, or the Golden P.i/er, from the quantity of gold which was mixed among the fahd. Columbus being near cape Enamorado, on the thirteenth of Ja- nuary, feeing fome Indians* in whofe faces were mixed figns of fear and fiercenefs, fent his boat on fhore , when the natives* who were armed with bows, arrows, and other weapons, began to ftand on their defence * but a St. Salvador Indian, fpeaking to them* one of them was pre- vailed upon to go on board the Admiral's fhip. His face was fmutted with charcoal, and he had a very favage look and behaviour * but having anfwered feveral queftions, by means of the In- dian interpreter, they gave him glafs beads, and bits of red and green cloth* in hopes he would prevail on others to bring gold on board to ex- change : and then feafting him, they fet him on fhore. Thofe who went to put him on fhore found fifty-five naked Indians, with long hair, having plumes of feathers on their heads, and bows and arrows in their hands * thefe having bartered two of their bows and arrows with the Spaniards, refufed to fell any more* and began to ftrike, and endeavour to feize therh * but the Spaniards, who were only feven in number, fhot one with an arrow, and wounded another* on which the Indians fled. As this fpecimen of the Spanifh bravery might prevent their attacking the fort Nativity, Columbus was not difpleafed with the engagement; The Admiral fet- fail for Spain ort the fif- teenth of January, and enjoyed a fair gale till the fourteenth of February, when being at the diftance of two hundred and fixty-three leagues weftward of Ferro* they encountered a violent tempeft, being toffed about at the mercy of the waves, which ran mountains high. Columbus, and his people, thinking themfelves near deaths betook themfelves to their devotions * the Ad- miral vowed to go a pilgrimage to our Lady of Guadalupe, and the whole crew joined in a vow, that in the fir ft chriftian country they found, they would walk barefoot to fome church, dedi- cated to the bleffed Virgin. Provifions were very fcarce, and the fhip was in danger of overfetting, from the want of bal- laft, which Columbus prevented* by filling cafks with fea water. The Admiral had now recourfe to a method of attempting to preferve the memory of his difcovery, which is a re- markable proof both of his fortitude and pru- dence. He wrote two brief accounts of his voyage on two fkins of parchment, which wrap- ping in oil cloaths, he covered them with wax, and putting them into twowooden veffels, threw them into the fea. On the fifteenth of February, he difcovered land a-head, bearing from them eaft north eaft ; fome of them thought it was Madera, others imagined it to be the rock Cintra, near Lifbon •, but Columbus laid, it was one of the Azores : and on the eighteenth, they came to an anchor on the north fide of the ifland, which they found to be St. Mary's. The fatigue wk:ch the Admiral had under- gone, having rendered him lame, the inhabi- tants brought on board provifions from the Go- vernor, expreffing their furprize that they had weathered the ftorm. On the nineteenth, Columbus directed half the 54 THE FIRST VOYAGE OF the men to go on fhore, to perform their vow, by walking in proceffion to a pilgrimage, which Was near, propofing to go himlelf, with the o- ther half, on their return ; but they had no fooner undreft theitifelves, than the whole town fell upon them, and made them prifoners* Co- lumbus fufpecting what had happened from his people's not returnirig, failed round a point of land, where he had a full view of the hermitage ; and law abundance of people come into the boat, and make towards him. The Governor of the ifland (landing Up, de- manded hoftages •, but although they were offer- ed him, he would not venture on board, but keeping at adiftance, Columbus demanded why he fent refrefhments, and perfons on board to invite them on more •, and then, notwithstand- ing the nations of Caftile and Portugal were at peace, fo bafely to detain his men. The Por- tuguefe Governor replying, thac what he had done was by command of the King ; Columbus imagined the two nations were at war, and Cal- ling his people to witnefs what was faid, he fwore, that if they did not reftore his men and boat, he would carry an hundred Portuguefe, prifoners into Spain. Having made this declaration, and the wind blowing frefh, he returned and anchored at his former port. He ordered the cafks to be filled with fea water, by way of ballaft, and ftood to fea, toward the ifland of St. Michael ; but a ftorm preventing his reaching it, he returned to that of St. Mary, when a boat came off with two clergymen, a notary, and five feamen : and in the Governor's name, required the Admiral to fhew them the King of Spain's commiffion ; with which being fatisfied, they returned and releafed the Spaniards •, the King of Portugal having fent orders to all his Governors to feize Columbus, which fcheme not fucceeding, by his flaying on board, they difmiffed his men. Columbus having recovered his men, and the weather being fine, they left the ifland on the twenty-fourth of February, and fleered to the eaflward •, but on the fecond of March, they met with fo dreadful a ftorm, that the Admiral gave directions for calling lots for a pilgrim to go to St. Mary de Cinta en Guelva, and the lot fell on Columbus himfelf. They now drove with their fails furled, in the utmofl danger, and at length happily difcovered the rock of Lifbon, which they weathered with great difficulty •, and next day came to an an- chor in the Tagus. Columbus now fent an exprefs to the King of Portugal, defiring leave to caft anchor be- fore the city, as a place of more fafety than his prefent fituation •, and another to their Catholic Majefties, with the news of his ar- rival. Bartholomew Diaz de Lifboa, in an armed boat, filled with men, came to Columbus the filth of March, and ordered him to give an ac- count of himfelf ro the King's Officers. Colum- bus anfwered, that he was Admiral to their Catholic Majefties, and would neither leave the fhip, nor fend any of his people on fuch bufi- nefs. The Portuguefe then defired to fee his commiffion from die King of Spain, with which Columbus having complied, they departed. As foon as it was known at Lifbon, that the Admiral Was arrived, an incredible number of people flocked to fee him, and the Indians : the fiver was covered with boats, and many of the Portuguefe lamented that the avarice or incre- dulity of their Sovereign, had deprived their nation of the honour and advantage of Colum- bus's difcoveries. The Admiral now received a letter from the King of Portugal, who congratulated him on his return, and defired to fee him. After fome deliberation, Columbus determined to vifit his Majefly, who was then at Val Paraifo, about nine miles from Lifoon, for which place he fet out on Saturday the ninth of March, and the King ordered the whole houfhold to go out to meet him, and received him with great honour, ordered him to be covered, and to fit in his pre- fence ; and having heard with pleafure the par- ticulars of the voyage •, he' obferved that as Co- lumbus had been in his fervice before, the con- q-uefl rather belonged to him than the King of Spain ; but Columbus declaring himfelf of a different opinion, his Majefly faid, " he did not doubt but that juilice would be done him." The King having in vain tried, by large offers, to engage Columbus again in his fervice, he took his leave, attended by many perfons of rank, on the eleventh of March, when pairing through Villa Franca, where the Queen was in a mo- naftry, her Majefly defiring to fee him, he waited on her, and gave her an account of his voyage. A fervant of the King's overtook him, and offered him, in his Majefty's name, a fafe con- duel and proper accommodations, if he chofe to go to Caftile by land ; but this offer he declin- ed, and fetting fail on Wednesday the thir- teenth of March, he arrived on Friday follow- ed at Saltes, and came to an anchor in the port of Palos, from whence he failed on the third of Auguft preceeding. On his. landing, he w.ts received amid ft the acclamations of the people, who gave thanks to God for his fuccefs. Having learnt, that their Majefties were at Barcelona, he fent advice of his arrival, and a fummary account of his voyage. Pinzon, who had already arrived in Galicia,- determined himfelf to carry the news to court ; but receiving orders not to come, without the Admiral, he was fo affected with the difappoint- ment, that he died of grief in a few days after- wards, at the place of his birth. When Columbus was at Seville, in his way to Barcelona, he received a letter from their Majefties, directed " To Don Chriftopher Co- lumbus, our Admiral of the occean •, Viceroy and Governor of the iflands that have been difcovered in the Indies." The roads were amazingly crowded to fee him, and the Indians in his train ; the curiofi- ties he brought were carried uncovered ; and to honour the Admiral, their Majefties ordered the royal throne to be placed in public, under which they fat, together with Prince John. The Admiral came in, attended by many gentle- men ; and when he approached them, the King ftood CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. '3 flood up, gave him his hand to kifs, and Co- lumbus kneeling, he bid him rife, and at the fame time ordering a chair to be brought, direct- ed him to fit by his fide. Columbus gave their Majefties an account of his voyages, and difcoveries, fhewed the In- dians as they appeared in their own country, and exhibited all the curiofities he had brought. When he had concluded his account, their Majefties knelt down, and with tears in their eyes, returned thanks to God, and immedi- ately the chorifters of the chapel fung Te De- um. The articles heretofore concluded with the Admiral were only in form of a contract •, but as he had performed what he engaged to do, their Majefties now paffed grants, making good what they had before promifed him. When his Majefty rode through Barcelona, he would make the Admiral ride by his fide, an honour, till then, peculiar to the princes of the blood. The importance of his difcoveries in* duced their Majefties to difpatch an Ambafiado r to Pope Alexander VI. requefting his autho- rity for an exclufive title to the countries which had been, or might be difcovered : this the Pope readily complied with, drawing a line from pole to pole, one hundred leagues weft- ward from the Cape de Verd illands, granting to their Majefties all the dominions beyond that part of the globe. As this voyage of Columbus appeared to be of the higheft confequence, we have given it almoft literally from the beft Spanifh hiftori- ans ; and as he was the firft navigator, who ventured in a fearlefs manner, far from fhore, we lhall purfue the fame fcrupulous exactnefs through his other voyages, and then proceed to that of Magellan, who was the firft cir- cum-navigator, or rather the firft who attempt- ed a voyage round the world, for he did not live to return to Europe. CHAP. II. Columbus 's fecond voyage. He difcovers the ijlands of Dominica, Marigalante and Guada- lupe ; lands, and attempts to trade with the inhabitants, but in vain : difcovers Mont" ferat, Antigua, and other ijlands ; arrives at Hijpaniola, finds the colony defiroyed, and the Spaniards killed. EfiabliJ/oes a new fettlement ; fails along the coaft of Cuba ; lands at, and leaves Jamaica ; finds a great number of f nail ijlands, which he calls the Queen's Garden ; fails to Ifabella in Hijpaniola, where he meets his brother Bartholomew ; account of irregularities committed in his abfence ; extraordinary battle between the Spaniards and Indians ; Columbus returns to Spain, to give the King and Queen an account of his conduct. AS foon as their Catholic Majefties had received the Pope's grant, they were defirous that Columbus fhould fail on his fecond voyage, for which reafon they took fuch effectual meafures to advance the ex- pedition, that in a little time, feventeen fail of (hips of various fizes were ready to put "to fea, and no lefs than fifteen hundred men, many of them perfons of good families, offered their fer- vices; taking an oath of obedience to their Ma- jefties, and to the Admiral. Columbus having taking on board the feeds of plants, and trees of various kinds, wheat, barley, oats, and other grain, lime, bricks and other materials for building ; horfes, affes, cows, and other animals for breeding, in the new plantations ; and having put all his men on board, failed on the twenty-fifth of September 1493, before fun rifing, from the bay of Ca- diz, and fleering fouth weft, made the Grand Canaria on the fecond of October ; and on the fifth anchored at Gomera, where he ftaid two days, taking in wood, water, and cattle, and particularly he purchafed eight fows, from which all that have fince been in the Weft Indies were produced. He alio took in poultry, and' all forts of feeds for fallading, and garden ftuff •, and having delivered inftruflions to every fhip, fealed up, which were not to be opened, un- N? II. D lefs they fhould be feparated by bad weather, they continued the voyage from the feventh of October till the twenty-fourth, when being four hundred leagues weft of the Canaries, they were aftonifhed at not feeing any of thofe weeds, which in their former voyage they had met with, at the diftance of two hundred and fifty leagues. On the twenty-fourth and twenty- fifth of Oc- tober, a fwallow flew conftanrly about the fleet ', and on the fecond of November the Admiral imagined he was near land, from the falling of a violent fhower, and his obferving a great al- teration in the winds •, wherefore he ordered the fails to be furled, and the men to be upon the watch all night, which proved a neceffary pre- caution ; for, at day break, they difcovered a high mountainous ifland, feven leagues to the weft, which Columbus named Dominica, from its being difcovered on a Sunday morning. Soon afterwards they difcovered three more iflands, to the north and north eaft of Domini- ca, and having now failed near eight hundred leagues in twenty days, the people affembled on the poop, and gave thanks to God for their ex- traordinary fuccefs. Finding no good anchoring place on the eaft fide of Dominica, the Admiral flood over to Marigalante, an ifland which he fo named after his H THE SECOND VOYAGE OF his own fhip, and landing, took folemn pofief- fion of it, in the name, and for the ufe of their Catholic Majefties. Sailing onwards, on the fourth of November, they pafied another great ifland, which he cal- led Si. Mary of Guadalupe, at the requeft of the friars of the houieof that name, to whom he had promifed fuch a compliment. At the diftanceof two leagues from Guadalupe, they difcovered a high rock, ending in a point, whence ifl'ued a violent ftream of water, the fal- ling of which was plainly heard on board the fhips. A party going on fhore to a little town they difcovered, found it deferted by the inha- bitants, who had left fome children behind them, to whofe arms the failors tied fome baubles. They here found a great number of very large parrots, and fome geefe ; alfo pompions, pine- apples, and other fruits, of which they knew not the name. They alio found bows and ar- rows, and beds of cotton ; but to ingratiate themfelyes with the inhabitants, they brought nothing away with them. Columbus, on the next morning, fent two boats on Ihore, to endeavour to feize fome of the natives, of whom he wanted to know the diftance to Hiipaniola, and which way it lay. Each of them brought orf a young fellow, who faid they were of another ifland, and were taken prifoners by thofe of Guadalupe, whom they called Caribbees. Soon after, the boats returning to bring oft' fome of their people, whom they had left be- hind, found fix women, who had fled from the Caribbees, and defi-ed, by figns, to be taken on board the fhip. The Admiral with a view to invite the others, would not detain them on board, but giving them bells and glafs beads, put them on fliore, where the Caribbees robbed them, in fight of the Spaniards, of all the Admiral had given them. The boat going again back to the ifland, thefe poor women leaped into it, and by the moft expreffive motions, begged the afliftance of the failors againft the Caribbees, who had eaten their hufbands, and children : upon this, the men carried them back to the fhips, where they acquainted the Admiral, that towards the fouth, there were many iflands, and a large con- tinent. Columbus now intended to leave the ifland, but was prevented by the captain of one of the vefiels having landed, before day break, with eight men, and not being yet returned, where- upon he fent people on fhore, with trumpets and mufkets, who not finding them, he lent forty men more, under the command of a cap- tain, directing them to travel through the coun- try, to make obiervations ; and in the mean time, the others returned, when the captain was put in irons, and the men ordered to Ihort al- lowance, by way of punifhment. Thofe who went in fearch of them being returned, reported that they law kites, falcons, herons, geele, par- tridges, daws and nightingales. They found a great plenty of cotton, fome trees which tailed and fmelt like cinnamon ; alfo frankincenfe, maftic, aloes and ginger. The Admiral himfelf going on fhore, faw a great number of human fkulls and bones hung up in balkets, and remarked, that the natives were better provided with food and lodgings, than thole in the other iflands he had difcovered. He alfo found great quantities of cotton. Having made what obfervations they thought proper, the whole fleet weighed anchor on the tenth of November ; and coafting, in fearch of Hifpaniola, to the north weft, they faw an ifland, to which, from its great height, the Ad- miral gave the name of Montferat. Thence he proceeded to St. Mary Redonda, lb called from its being round ana upright ; and failing on- wards, they came to St. Maria la Antiqua, now called Antigua, which is twenty miles long, and nearly as many broad. Still continuing their couiie north weft, they faw feveral iflands ftretching from the north weft to the fouth eaft, near one of which the Admiral anchored, and called it St. Martin, where a boat was fent on fliore to take fome Indians, of whom they might make fome necellary enquiries. The failors having taken four men and three children, were met on their return to the fleet by a canoe, in which were four men and a wo- man, who feeing that they could not poflibly efcape, flood upon their guard, when the wo- man let fly an arrow with fuch ftrength and dex- terity, that it fhot a target quite through •, but the Spaniards furioufly boarding the canoe, overfet it, when one of the Indians, while they were making their elcape by fwimming, ufed his bow and arrow as dexteroufly as if he had been on fhore. Departing hence, they continued their voyage weft north weft, leaving above fifty iflands to the northward, the largeft of which the Admi- ral called St. Urfula, and to the reft gave the general name of the eleven thoufand Virgins. The next ifland they made, they called St. John Baptift, and the fleet anchoring in a bay on the weft fide of it, they took feveral forts of fifh, as foles, pilchards, fkate and Iliads •, and to the eaft, they faw falcons, and bullies like wild vines. Some of the failors went on fliore to fome well built houfes, with a fquare before them, and a broad road down to the lea, adorned on each fide with towers made of cane, which at the top were curioufly interwoven with greens ; and a balcony, large enough to hold ten or twelve perlbns, was erected at the end of the road next to the fea. The Admiral arrived at the north fide of Hif- paniola on the twenty-firft, and having an In- dian on board, who being a native of thofe parts, and having been converted to Chriftiani- ty, and promifing that his countrymen fhould lubmit to the Spaniards, he was put on fliore at the bay of Samana. The voyage being continued towards the town of Nativity., feveral Indians came on board at cape Angel, to barter with the Chriftians. The Admiral coming to an anchor in the port of Monte Chrifto, fent fome of his people on fliore, who near a river found two dead men, who had a rope made of a kind of broom about their necks •, their arms were extended, and their CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. *S their hands tied to a piece of wood in the fhape of a crofs, but they could not difcover whether they were Indians or Chriftians. The Admiral fent many others on fhore at feperate places the next day, being the twenty- fixth, when feveral of the Indians came to the Spaniards without fear, and in a friendly man- ner, and pronounced the name of their fhirts, and other words in Spanifh, which they had learnt of thofe who had fettled oh the coaft, which relieved the Admiral from his apprehen- fions, on account of the dead bodies that had been found. The next day Columbus anchored near the town of the Nativity, when a canoe came to the fleet, with fome Indians, who afked for the Ad- miral, and being delired to come on board, they refilled, till they faw and knew him ; lb that he was obliged to go to the fhip's fide, where they prefented him with two mafks from the cacique Guacanagari. The Admiral enquir- ing concerning the Chriftians left there, was in- formed, that fome of them were dead, and the reft leparated, and gone to otheV countries. Though Columbus was not without his fufpi- cions, yet he took no notice, but giving them fome fmall prefents, made of tin, he difmifled them ; and the next morning, going on fhore, he was much concerned to find the fort and houfes burnt, and nothing left belonging to the Spaniards, but a few ragged cloaths, and other trifles. He now ordered the well to be cleanfed, thinking to find gold in it, having, at his de- parture, ordered them to throw all their gold into the well, in cafe of accidents. But they foon found the bodies of eleven of the Chrifti- ans, eight of them on the fea fhore, who ap- peared to have been dead about a month. While they were continuing the fearch, a bro- ther of Guacanagari came to vifit the Admiral, attended by fome Indians, who had learnt a little Spanifh, from whom he underftood, that foon after he fet fail, the people at the fort had quarrelled among themfelves, every one graft- ing after riches, and taking as many women as they pleafed from among the natives. That Peter Gutierres and Efcovedo, having killed one James, they and nine others went away with their women to a cacique, named Caunabo, who was lord of the mines, and had deftroyed them all. That, after fome time, Caunabo returned, with a great number of men to the fort, where only remained James de Arana, and ten men to guard it, the reft being difperfed about the ifland. Caunabo, arriving by night, fet fire to the houfes, whereupon the Chriftians, with their women, fled towards the fea, where eight of them were drowned, and the other three flain on fhore : that Guacanagari could not wait on the Admiral, being wounded in attempting to revenge the death of the Spaniards on Caunabo and his followers. Some Spaniards having been fent up the country, had vifited Guacanagari, and found him ill of his wounds, which confirming this account, Columbus determined to vifit him the next day, when with manifeft token? of forrow, he repeated all that had happened, fhewing his wounds, which did not appear to be made with European arms, but with wooden fwords and arrows, pointed with fifh bones. The Admiral having condoled with Guaca- nagari, received of him, by way of prefent, eight firings of fmall beads, compofed of white green and red ftones, a firing of gold beads, a crown of the fame metal, and about thirty-two ounces of gold dull. The Admiral in return gave him abundance of baubles, worth about twenty pence, Englifh money. The poor cacique, though very ill, would go with the Admiral to fee the fleet, where he was genteely entertained, and appeared highly delighted with the fight of the Spanifh holies, of which he had before heard an account. Guacanagari afterwards embraced the Chrif- tian religion, Columbus himfelf having inftrudl- ed him in the moft eflential arcicles. On the feventh of December, the Admiral failed with his whole fleet to the eaftward, and foon after anchored before an Indian town, where relblving to plant a colony, he landed the peo- ple he intended for fettlers, together with pro- vifions and utenfils, in a plain near a rock, where he built a town, and called it Ifabella, in honour of the queen. This place was judged convenient, the har- bour being large, and an excellent river running within a bow ihot of it, from which canals of water might be cut, to run through the middle of the town, beyond which was a plain, from which the Indians faid it was not far to the mines of Cebao. The building this new fettlement employed the Admiral from the eleventh of December, till the twelfth of March, in the year 1494 ; but having at length compleated it, he lent Alonzo de Hojeda, with fifteen men, to feek out the mines of Cebao. On die fecond of February, the affairs of the town being then tolerably well fettled, Colum- bus fent twelve of his fhips, under the command of Anthony de Torres, to Caftiie, with an ac- count of all his tranfadlions in this fecond voyage, in a letter to their Catholic Majefties. Hojeda returned in a fhort time with an account that on the fecond day, after he left the town of Ifabella, he lay at the pais of a mountain, which was very difficult of accefs ; that after- wards he found caciques, who were very kind to him, almoft at every league's diftance, that on the fixth day of his journey, he came to the mines of Cebao, where he faw the Indians take up gold out of a fmall river, as they did from feveral others in the fame province. The Admiral, whowasjuft recovered from a fit of illnefs, was highly delighted with this news, and refolving to view the coun- try, having ordered all the ammunition on board his own fliip, and left a ftrong guard with the veflels, he took v/ith him all the reft of the people, fome on horfeback, fome on foot, and fet out for Cebao. The reafon why the Admiral took this pre- caution refpecling the fhips was, that one Ber- nardo de Pifa, who had undertaken the voyage a- as 16 THE SECOND VOYAGE OF as comptroller to the King of Spain, had taken the opportunity of Columbus's illnefs, to fpirit up the men to mutiny, who being difappointed in their extravagant expectation of finding great quantities of gold, without trouble, had readily joined him in a defign of feizing the fhips, and rerurning to Spain ; but the mutiny being dif- covered, Columbus feized and fecured de Pifa, in order to fend him to Spain, to take his trial for the offence. The Admiral leaving his brother James to lake care of the fleet, and taking with him all neceffanes for building a fort at Cebao, made his men march in regular order, with trumpets founding, and colours hying. In this order they marched by the fide of the river, which lay near Ilabella, and at a league's diftance crofled another river, and encamped three leagues be- yond it, in a delightful plain, which extended to the foot of a rock, which he called the Gen- tleman's Pais, becaufe fome gentlemen went forward to direct the making of a road there. Beyond this pafs he entered a large plain, on which they travelled fiv^ '^agues that day ; and at night encamped near a great river, which the men paffed upon floats and canoes. This he called the x.iver of Canes, which falls into the lea at Monte Chnfto. In this march they paffed many Indian towns, formed of round thatched houfes, with doors lb low that no one could enter without Hooping. As foo.i as the Indians from Ilabella entered thefe towns they went into the houfes, and took what they pleafed, to which the owners feem- ed to have no objection, and feemed difp leafed that the Spaniards would not permit them to make equally free with their effects. Procetding from the River of Canes, on the fourteenth of March, Columbus at a diftance of a league and a half, found a great river, which he called the River of Gold, from fome grains of that metal which they found there. Pafllng this river, he proceeded to a large town, many of the inhabitants of which were fled to the mountains, and the reft barred the doors againft him with canes, which they fup- pofed a fufTicient defence ; for, according to their cuftoms, no man dared to break a door fo barred. Hence he went to another river, which he called the Green River, the banks of which was covered with bright round ftones, where he refted for that night. In this manner he continued his journey through feveral towns, the doors of which were barred againft him by canes placed acrofs each other, till, on the fixteenth, he entered the province of Cebao, which is rough and ftony, yet well fupplied with grais, and watered by feveral rivers, in which plenty of gold was found. Here the Admiral ordered a fort to be built in a ftrong and pleafant fituation, and cal- led it the caftle of St. Thomas, the ufe of which was to protect tlic Spanifh adventurers, who fhould come to work the mines. Having placed a garrifon of fixty men in this fort, among whom were many workmen, to compleat the building, he fat out on his return for Ifabella, which was at eighteen leagues dif- tance •, and in his journey was met by many of the natives, who came to fell their provifions, which were chiefly bread and garlick. On the twenty-ninth of March, they arrived fafely at Ifabella, and found melons fit to eat, the feed of which was put into the ground but two months before ; their cucumbers came to perfection in twenty days, and a vine of the country being pruned, produced large grapes. "Wheat fowed at the end of January was already ripe •, fugar canes, and the ftones of fruit, fprotit- ed in ieven days ; vine branches produced grapes fit to gather in twenty-five days, and vetches produced a ripe crop in the fame fpace of time ; the water was clear and cool, and of an agree- able tafte, and the air of the climate was extreme- ly temperate. A meffenger arrived at Ifabella, on the firft of April, with an account that the cacique Caunabo was preparing to attack the fort of St. Thomas. Columbus knowing that the people of the countiy were afraid, even of the fight of his horfes,was under no great apprehenfions from their attacks ; yet as he propofed to go to fea with three of his vefiels, he thought it prudent to leave all quiet behind him ; and therefore fent feventy men to the fort, with ammunition and provifions, twenty-five of whom were to guard the fort, and the reft to be employed in fearch- ing for the fords of rivers, and making the roads more paflable. In the mean time, as bifcuit began to grow fcarce, and they had none but wheaten flour, the Admiral caufed mills to be erected to grind the Indian corn, and fent out parties of his peo- ple to traverfe the ifland, that they might be accuftomed to the Indian diet •, thefe people Hojeda was to conduct to St. Thomas, where, delivering them to Peter Margarite, he was to proceed round the ifland with them, and Ho- jeda to take the command of St. Thomas. This party of upwards of four hundred men left Ifabella on the twenty-ninth of April, and having crofled the River of Gold, they appre- hended a cacique, and his brother, whom Ho- jeda fent in chains to Columbus. This cacique had fupplied three Spaniards, with five Indians, to carry their cloaths over a river •, but being in the middle, they turned back, and ran awav with the. clo.iths, which the cacique feized for his own ufe. Another cacique, who lived beyond the ri- ver, having done fome fervices to the Spaniards, refolved to go to Ifabella, to plead in their behalf. Columbus received him kindly, but ordered the prifoners to be put to death in the market-place, which the honeft cacique fee- ing, burft into tears, and prevailed with the Admiral to give them their lives. As foon as they were pardoned, a man on horfeback arrived from St. Thomas, with an account, that in a town belonging to that very cacique, who had been prifoner, he found five Spaniards taken by his fubjects as they were coming from Ilabella, and that he, frightning the Indians with his horfe, had releafed them, driv- ing four hundred men before him, two of whom he CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. *7 he wounded in the purfuit. Columbus hav- ing now determined to make a difcovery of the continent, appointed a council, confiding of his brother James, and five other peribns, to go- vern the ifland in his abfence ; and then fail with three fliips for Cuba, and coafting along the fouth fide of that ifland, he entered a bay, which, from its largenefs and depth of water, he called Puerto Grande, or the Grand Port. A oreat number of Indians now came on board, bringing fifh, bread and water, for which they demanded nothing ; but the Admiral prefented them with beads, bells, and other baubles. On the third of May, he flood over for Ja- maica, where he had been told there was plenty of gold, and he reached that ifland on the fifth, when a great number of the natives came in their canoes to exchange provifions for toys. He coafted along the ifland the next day, fending his boats to found the mouths of the harbours, when there came fo many perfons armed in canoes, that the Spaniards thought pro- per to retire to their fhips to prevent coming to hoftilitieswith them-, but afterwards confidering, that if they fhewed any figns of fear, it would but encourage the Indians, they refolved to en- ter the harbour of Puerto Bueno •, and, as the Indians had attempted to drive them off, they faluted them with a flight of arrows, which wounding fixteen, they all immediately fled ; after which, many of them came on board and dealt in a peaceable manner. The Admiral having repaired his fhip, re- folved to re-vifit Cuba, to difcover whether it was an ifland or a continent. The day they left Jamaica, a young Indian came on board, defiring to go with them, and his fifters, and other relations following him, entreated him with tears in their eyes not to go, whereupon, being determined, he fecreted him- felf in the fhip, that he might not fee his fifters weep. The Admiral being pleafed with his re- folution, gave orders that he fhould be ufed with the utmoft kindnefs. Columbus reached the point of Cuba on the fifteenth of May, and gave it the name of Ca- bo de Santa Cruz, or cape Holy Crofs ; when running along the coaft, there happened a dreadful ftorm of thunder and lightening, and being among the currents and flats, they were in great danger •, for they could not take in their fails, which fhould be always done in cafe of thunder. Continuing their courfe north and north eaft, they found an immenfe number of little low fandy iflands, juft appearing above the furface of the water. The Admiral gave all thefe iflands the general name of the Queen's Garden. On the next day, they counted no lefs than one hundred and fixty of the iflands, on fome of which they faw abundance of turtle, and their eggs •, and on others, a number of large red cranes, and fmall finging-birds. The air was remarkably fweet, and fmelled as if it had been perfumed, In a channel, between two of the iflands, they faw a canoe, with Indian fifhermen, who fhewed no figns of fear, but beckoned to them not to approach till they had done fifhing, with which N? 2. E the Spaniards complied, and obferved their man- ner of fifhing to be as follows ; they tied fome fmall fifh, called Reves, by the tail, which faftened themlelves by means of a kind of fucker at its head to another fifh, and the fifh- ermen drew up both together. The Admiral on the twenty-fecond of May landed on an ifland, fomewhat larger than the reft, which he called St. Mary's ; and going in- to a town, the inhabitants fled, when the Spa- niards entering their houfes, found nothing but fifh, which was all their food, and fome dogs, which alio fed upon the fame. They now failed north eaft ; but were ftill in danger from the incredible number of fmall iflands, and notwithftanding the Admiral con- ftantly kept men on the round top to look out, the fhip often touched ground, and he was o- bliged to give up his intention of failing eaft about. The Admiral now touched at Cuba to water, where a failor going on fhor^, and getting up in a tree, with his crofs-bow, to kill fome bird or beaft, faw about thirty Indians, armed with fpears and ftaves •, and among them was one, drefled in a white veft, that hung down to his knees, who was carried by two others, who had vefts down to their feet, all three of them as white as the Spaniards : whereupon being frightened at their numbers, he called out, up- on which they all ran away, without once look- ing back. This account being thought extra- ordinary, the Admiral lent others on fhore the next day, to know the truth of it : but the ground was fo marihy, and the woods fo thick, that they were obliged to return, after travel- ling about half a league. Sailing hence weftward, about ten leagues, they faw houfes on fhore, from which the inha- bitants brought them food and water in canoes, for which the Spaniards paid liberally ; but the Admiral detained one of the people, telling him and his companions, by the interpreter, that he would difmifs him as foon as he had given him an account of the country, and directions for their voyage ; at which the Indian being pleafed, informed the Admiral, that Cuba was an ifland •, that the coaft was low, and furround- ed by fmall iflands ; and that the cacique, or king of it, never ipoke to his fubjects, but by figns. On the next day the Admiral was obliged to have the fhip towed over a flat, where there was not more than a foot of water, to pafs from one channel to aaother. Bearing up towards Cuba, they faw fuch a number of large turtles, that the fea was covered with them ; and early in the morning of the day following, the day- light was perfectly obfcured, by a prodigious number of fea crows, which flew in a kind of cloud, and lighted upon the ifland. On the next day they faw an incredible num- ber of butterflies, which alfo darkened the air, but a fhower of rain carried them away. The Admiral obferving, on the thirteenth, that the ifland of Cuba, extended a great way to the weftward, determined to return to the town he had began to build at Hifpaniola ; and in his way anchored at the ifland of Evangeliua, t» i8 THE SECOND VOYAGE OF to take in wood and water : having failed a few leagues to the fouth, he found himfelf in a chan- nel, through which he could not pafs ■, and as he began to be in want of provifions, was great- ly alarmed ; but not to difcourage his men, he appeared chearful, and returned again to Evan- gelilta, and on the twenty-fifth, failed thence north- weft, towards fome iflands which appeared at the diif ance of five leagues. On their way to Cape Cruz, in the ifland of Cuba, on the fixteenth of July, they encoun- tered fo violent a ftorm, that the fhip's fide was born under water, and the men were unable to keep the fhip dry by pumping, being greatly reduc d for want of provifions, being confined to nali a pine of wine, and a pound of rotten bif.uii: a day for each man, unlefs they had the good fortune to catch fifli, which however would not keep from one day to another. On their arrival at Cape Cruz, they were kindly entertained by the Indians, who gave them pienty of fruit, fifh, and a kind of bread made of Cazibi, which is a root grated. The wind being contrary, they now ftood over to Jamaica, which ifland they found full of in- habitants, and abounding in excellent har- bours. At length, the Admiral having loft fight of the two other fhips under his command, made the fouth fide of Hifpaniola, and anchored at a fmall ifland, where the men killed eight feals that were afleep on the fhore, and took a great num- ber of pigeons, and other birds, which ftood ftill till the men came near enough to knock them down. The two fhips that had been miffing, arrived at the end of fix days j and coafting near Hif- paniola, fome of the natives came on board in their canoes, and acquainted the Admiral, that they had been at Ifabella, where all was well •, which news gave him great pleafure, and he immediately fent nine men a-crofs the country with news of his fafe return •, and, continuing to coaft to the eaftward, he difcovered a great town, and fent boats thither for water, when the Indians came out armed, with poifoned ar- rows, and threatened to bind the Spaniards with cords •, but as foon as the men were landed, they laid down their arms, enquired for the Admiral, and carried him provifions. Columbus held on his courfe, and faw a large fifh not unlike a whale, having on its neck a large fhell, like that of a tortoife •, it had two vaft fins on its fide, a tail fomewhat refembling that of a tunny fifh, and carried its head, which was prodigioufly large, above the water ; from which, and other circumftances, the Admiral expected a change of weather •, and, by way of fecurity, anchored under a little ifland, which the Spaniards called Saona ; where they faw an eclipfe of the moon, which was fucceeded by a tempeft that held eight days, at the end of which, the other fhips, which could not get into the harbour, arriving, they continued the voyage •, but the Admiral being feized with a lethargy, that deprived him of his fenfes, they thought he could not live, and therefore failed directly to Ifabella, where they arrived the twenty-ninth of September, without any other certainty, that Cuba was an ifland, than what they had learnt from the Indians. Columbus's health began to mend foon after his landing •, but it was feveral months before he was perfectly recovered. He now found that the Natives had taken arms againft the Spaniards ; but if this news gave him uneafinefs, he was amply recom- penfed, by finding his brother Bartholomew at Ifabella, the fight of whom afforded him the higheft pleafure. Bartholomew, after many difficulties, having got all his demands granted by the King of En- gland, returned to Spain, by the way of Paris, Charles, King of France, giving him an hundred crowns towards the expences of his journey ; and informing him, that Columbus had made his firft voyage with fuccefs ; but before he ar- rived at Seville, his brother being failed on (his fecond voyage, he waited on their Catholic Majefties, who received him favourably, and ordered him to fail with three fhips, to carry provifions to the Admiral, who was failed for the difcovery of Cuba, before his arrival. Columbus now beftowed on his brother Bar- tholomew, the tide of Lord Lieutenant of the Indies, which was highly refented by the King of Spain, who laid, he had no power to grant fo high an office •, but fome years afterwards the title was confirmed. At this time Columbus was involved in great trouble, by the conduct of Peter Margarite, un- der whofe command he had left about four hun- dred men, to travel about the ifland, inftead of which, Margarite encamped on a plain about ten leagues diftance from Ifabella, from whence he wrote to the council in terms of the higheft infolence, aiming at the chief command, which not being able to obtain, and dreading the pu- nifhment which might be inflicted on him at the Admiral's return, he embarked with father Boyle, and others of their party in one of the three fhips, and returned to Spain •, whereupon his men feparating themfelves, ran through the country, robbing the natives, feizing the wo- men, and otherwife behaving in fo outrageous a manner as to induce the natives to think of revenge. Some fmall parties of the Spaniards were at- tacked, and ten of them killed by one of the caciques, who governed a large town, and whofe people let fire to a houfe in which eleven Spaniards were fick. The Indians, in the other parts of the ifland, killed fix more •, and if the Admiral had not returned, many more muft have perifhed •, four of the principal caciques beginning to entertain thoughts of driving the Spaniards out of the country, becaufe they had rendered themfelves odious by their infolense and barbarity. Guacanagari alone, continued firm in the in- terefts of the Spaniards, one hundred of whom he had protected and maintained, and had thereby made the other caciques his enemies, two of whom having killed one of his women, and carried off another, he begged Columbus's affiftance to revenge the death of the one, and recover CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 19 recover the other ; which the Admiral readily promifed, and having fent into Spain, fome of the Natives who had killed die Spaniards, and punifhed others with death, he fet out from Ifa- bella, in company with Guacanagari and his Indians : with two hundred foot, twenty horfe, -.and twenty wolf dogs, againft the united forces •of the Indians, who, by this time, were affem- bled to the number of one hundred thoufand. On the fecond day of their march, they came within fight of the enemy, whereupon Columbus divided his forces into two bodies, whereof his brother Bartholomew commanded one, that by attacking the Indians in two places at once, they might the more eafily overcome them. The Spaniards difcharging their mufkets and crofs-bows, rufhed upon them with their horfes and c'ogs, whereby they were foon routed, ma- ny of them being (lain, and taken prisoners, a- mong whom was the cacique Caunabo, with his children and wives. Caunabo acknowledged that he had killed twenty Spaniards at the town of the Nativity, and in- tended the fame favour to thole at Ifabella, whereupon the Admiral determined to fend him to Spam, that their Majefties might difpofe of him as they thought proper. The confequence of this victory was fuch, that without coming to any other engagement, Columbus in lels than a year, reduced the whole ifiand to obedience, and obliged them to pay a tax to the King of Spain, to be collected quarterly, each inhabitant to fupply twenty- five pounds of cotton, except thole of Cebao, who were to pay a certain quantity of gold. Matters were now fo well adjufted, that a fin- gle Spaniard might travel in fafety through the ifiand, and be certain of meeting with hofpita- ble entertainment. By this time the colony of Ifabella was redu- ced to lefs than a third of its original number, by change of diet, and the difeales of the cli- mate ; but the Spaniards, by converfing with the natives, had learnt their manners and cuf- toms, and found that the ifiand produced cop- per, ebony, cedar, frankincenle, ginger, long pep- per, and a prodigious quantity of mulberry trees. But let us return to father Boyle and Peter Margarite, who being arrived in Spain, united to abufe Columbus, and to milreprefent every thing that was done in the Indies, becaufe they did not find gold growing on the trees to fatisfy their avarice ; and letters written by fome of the malecontents, having reached Spain, their Ma- jefties difpatched John Aguado, groom of the bedchamber, with four (hips laden with provi- fions, to obierve what was going forward in Hif- paniola. Aguado arriving at Ifabella, during Colum- bus's abfence, began to interpole in matters of government, pretending to be veiled with ex- traordinary powers. He feized fome perfons, cenfured the officers, which the Admiral had appointed, and afterwards followed him, at- tended by a body of horfe and foot. Columbus being informed that Aguado was in fearch of him, returned to Ifabella, where he treated the Admiral with grear infolence. His conduct had an ill effect on the people, who be- ing difcontented at their daily allowance, which was only a porringer of wheat, a fiice of rotten cheefe, or rufty bacon, with a few beans, or Spanifh peas : and Columbus compelling them, as they received the King's pay, to work at the fortifications, or other buildings : they com- plained to Aguado, who determined to acquaint their Majefties with their complaints. The (hips which brought Aguado being loft in the harbour by a hurricane, Columbus, fear- ful that his prefumption might lead him to feize his two vefiels to carry him back, and havino- learnt how his own conduct had been mifrepre- fented in Spain, determined in perfon to vindi- cate himfelf to their Majefties, and to acquaint them with his difcoveries in his fecond voyao-e ; but being determined to leave every thino- in as good a lituation as pofiible, he directed new forts to be built -, and having learnt that on the fouth fide of the ifiand there were feveral o-old mines, he fent ltveral perfons with Indian guides in fearch of them, and in the moft ftmtherh province, they found gold in all the brooks, and met with fuch plenty of it by digging, that one perfon might collect above three Pefos in a day. The Admiral caufed a fort to be erect- ed, which he called St. Chriftopher, from whence the mines were alfo denominated. When the caravels were ready to fail, Co- lumbus, having deputed his brother Bartholo- mew to govern in his abfence, went on board one of the veffels, and Aguado in the other, to- gether with two hundred and twenty-five Spa- niards, who were defirous of returning, and thirty Indians. He failed from Ifabella on the tenth of March 1469, and held on his courfe till the fixth of April, when meeting with only contrary winds, provifions growing fcarce, and the men begin- ning to complain, he (leered for the Caribbee ifiands, and anchored at Guadalupe on the tenth of April, when a number of women, armed with bows aad arrows, came to oppofe their landing : but the fea running high fo that the boats could not land, two Indians were ordered to fwin on fhore, to acquaint the female war- riors, that they only wanted to purchafe provi- fions j whereupon they were directed to the o- ther fide of the ifiand, where they faid their hufbands would fupply them. Having failed round to the oppofite fhore, great numbers of men came to the fea fide, fhooting flights of arrows at the boats •, but as the Spaniards advanced the Indians retired into the woods, and feveral fmall guns beino- fired from the boats, they all fled to the mountains, whereupon the failors feized their effects, and underftanding the method of making bread, foon made as much as was wanted. Amono- other things in the houfes, they found iron, wax, honey and parrots. While the people were making bread, Co- lumbus fent forty men up the country, who re- turned the next day with ten women, and three boys. One of thele women was the wife of a cacique, whom a very nimble fellow, who was born in the Canaries, had great difficulty to over- 20 THE THIRD VOYAGE OF overtake, and fhe would certainly have got from him, but feeing him alone, fhe turned about, and doling with him, would have ftifled him, if others had not come to his affiftance. The legs of thefe women were fwathed with cotton, from the ancle to the knee, and girded very tight, but they were otherwife quite naked. The cacique's wife faid, that the ifland was in- habited only by women, that thofe men who had oppofed the Sp. .nards landing, were only there by accident ; „nd that at a fixed time of the year, they came to perform the rights of love. When they had provided bread for twenty days, befides what was on board, Columbus made his prifoners fome prefents, and fet them all on fhore, except the chief and her daughter, who chofe to accompany Caunabo to Spain ; and then they fet fail on the twentieth of April. By the twentieth of May, provifions began to run inert •, and as they were then one hun- dred leagues weft of the Azores, each man was allowed only iix ounces of bread, and rather lefs than a pint of water a day. On the eighth of June, when none of the pilots, except the Admiral's, knew where they were, they came in fight of Odemira, between Lifbon and cape St. Vincent. The fcarcity was now fa great, that fome propofed to throw the Indians over-board, to fave provifions, while others were for eating them, to make the little food they. had laft the longer. The Admiral was obliged to exert all his authority to protect the Indians ; and the next morning the fight of land was the reward of his humanity. As foon as Columbus fet his foot on Spanifh ground, he prepared to fet out for Burgos, where the King and Queen were then celebrating the nuptials of prince John, with Margaret, daugh- ter to the Emperor Maximillian. The Admiral prefented their Majefties with a large quantity of gold-duft, and fome gold plates, and grains of that metal, together with birds, rich woods and fpices ; and gave them his opinion relative to the culture of the new difcovered colonies, and the improvement of the Indies. After which he earneftly intreated to be fent back as foon as pofiible, becaufe he had left the people in great want of neceflaries. Their Majefties were perfectly fatisfied with Columbus's conduct •, but, notwithftanding his moft preffing remonftances, it was upwards of ten months before he could obtain the ne- ceflary fupplies for the colony, which, however, were at length fent in two fhips, under the com- mand of Peter Fernandez Coronel. CHAPTER III. The third voyage of Columbus to the Wejl Indies ; his Jirjl difcovery of the Continent of America ; trades with the Indians ; arrives at Hifpaniola ; account of the troubles in that ijland ; the Admiral fent in irons to Spain. AFTER the departure of Coronel, Co- lumbus remained at court, folliciting the equipment of a proper fleet for the Weft Indies •, and it was not till after many difficulties and delays, that he was at length a- ble to put to fea, from the bay of St. Lucarde Barameda, on the thirteenth of May 1498. He commanded fix fnips, laden with provifions and necefTaries for Hifpaniola •, and embarked with a determined rcfolution to difcover the con- tinent. He touched at Puerto Santo on the feventh of June, and found the inhabitants in great con- fternation, imagining his fhips had been French. Having taken in wood and water, he proceeded to Gomera, where he was joyfully received. At this place a French fhip, having taken two Spanifh vefiels, put to fea with them, in fight of the Admiral, who ordered three of his vefiels to give chafe •, but the French outlailed them ; neverthelefs fix Spaniards on board one cf the prizes, drove the French that guarded them un- der the hatches, and failed back to the port of Gomera. The Admiral, convinced that' the people at Hifpaniola muft be in want of provi- fions, fent three fhips thither, under the com- mand of Alonfo de Carjaval, Peter de Arana, and John Anthony Columbus, his relation, ap- pointing that each fhould command a week in his turn, while he failed with the other veflels to the Cape de Verd Iflands, and from thence to the continent. Columbus having furnifhed himfelf with what he wanted, failed on the twelfth of June for the ifland of Hiero, one of the Canaries, and en the twenty-feventh, difcovered De la Sal, the firft of the Cape de Verd Iflands, and pafling it, an- chored clofe to a fmall Ifland, where the Por- tuguefe lepers are fent to be cured, by eating tortoifes, and wafhing with their blood, a great number of which animals come from the conti- nent to that ifland in the months of June, July and Auguft, to lav their eggs in the fand, which being covered over, the fun hatches them, and the young tortoifes run into the fea. Thefe ani- mals are caught, by turning them on their backs while they fleep. The healthy people living on that illand were only fix or feven, whofe whole employment was to kill wild goats, and fend their skins, well cured, into Portugal. The Admiral failed from hence on the thir- tieth, for the ifland of St. Jago, where he thought to have taken bulls and cows on board to ftock the plantation in Hifpaniola, but was obliged to abandon that defign, becaufe the air of the ifland being very unhealthy, the men be- gan to ficken ; whereupon he flood to the fouth weft, which courfe he propofed to follow, till he CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 2l he fhould be under the line, and then fleer weft- ward, in learch of the new countries. Having failed one hundred and twenty leagues, he found fome of thofe weeds he had met with in the way to Hifpaniola •, and on the night of the thirteenth of July, the heat was lb violent, that he feared the fhips would take fire ■, and at length the heat increaied to fuch a degree, that no one would venture between decks, to take care of the water and wine cafks, which were falling in pieces, from the hoops flying off". The wheat was parched, and the bacon and fait meat fried. On the nineteenth, the air was lb burning hot, that they thought they nuift have been deftroy- ed, but a fair gale fpringing up, they were much relieved, and failed for feveral days to the weftward. On the twenty-fecond, a, multitude of birds were feen flying towards the north eaft, which gave them hopes of feeing land •, jut rio fign thereof appearing by the thirty- firit, they ileer- ed to the north eaft, when, about noon, a failor going up to the round top, fpied land at the diftance of fifteen leagues, which appeared like three mountains ; whereupon, having named the ifland the Trinity, they failed due weft, and came to an anchor fives league beyond a point, which the Admiral called Punta de la Galera, from a rock which looked like a Galley under fail ; but not having depth of water fufficicnt to enter the port, they anchored again at ano- ther point, farther weft, but faw no people, tho' they had paflfed by feveral towns. On the firft of Auguil, they difcovered the continent, at the diftance of twenty-five leagues, but imagining k to be an ifland, the Admiral called it Ilia Santa, or the Holy Ifland. Seeking for the harbour on the twenty-fecond of Auguft, he arrived at the moft wefterly point of the ifland of Trinity, which he called Punta del Arenal, or Sandy Point, where, landing to refrefh themfelves, a cacique came to them, and obferving that the Admiral wore a cap of crim- fon velvet, he took oft' a circle of gold he had on his head, and placed it on the Admiral's, putting the velvet cap on his own head in return, with which he feemed extremely pleaf- cd. The fame day, after they had gone on board, there came a canoe with twenty-five men from the eaftward ; and being about the diftance of a mufket fhot from the fhips, the Indians called out aloud ; but not being underftood, the Ad- miral fhewed them fome little brafs bafons, and other glittering things, to entice them to come nearer •, but as they feemed afraid to advance, Columbus ordered one of his men to play on a tabor and pipe, while others danced ; but die Indians taking this for a fignal of war, quit- cd their oars, laid hold of their targets and bows, and let fly their arrows. The^Admiral then ordered the mufic to ceale, and fome crofs bows to be brought, but only two of them to be fhot, upon which the Indians laid down their arms, and ran dole under the ftem of one of the veffels, the pilot of which went down into the canoe, and gave a red cap to one, which he N" 2. F were two leagues afun- took to be the principal perfon. They made figns for him to go on fhore with them, but took the opportunity of rowing away, while he was gone to afk the Admiral's permiflion. Thefe Indians were handlbmer and fairer thari any they had feen ; they wore a piece of cotton cloth of feveral colours about the waift, and another about the head ; their hair was long and ftrait. As it was now the dog days, and they were lb near the line, the Admiral was amazed to find it cold every morning : heobferved, that the rivers ran rapidly to the weft •, that the wa- ter ebbed and flowed above fixty-five paces more than at St. Lucar ; and that the current ran like a rapid river, between the iflands of Tri- nity and Santa, which der. . , The trees, foil, climate, and fruit, appeared the fame as at Hifpaniola. They law parrots of various colours, as large as pullets, and catched great quantities of fifh, particularly oyfters. The Admiral now faw to the north weft, at the diftance of fifteen leagues, the point of that land, which til! then he called Ilia Santa, which proved to be a part of the continent, and what he afterwards called Paria. He now failed to a channel, which, from its danger, he called Boca de la Sierpe, or the Ser- pent's Mouth, which name it retains to this day. Here the narrownefs of the place, and the vio- lence of two contending ftreams, cauled fuch a hideous noife, and fuch a fwell of the fea, that the aftonifhed Spaniards expected to be over- whelmed. From this place they failed weftward, a long the coaft of Paria, where they faw many monkies, found plantanes, and other fruits, and difcovered many excellent rivers and harbours. They failed five leagues on the fixth of Au- guft, between the coaft and the ifle of Trinidadj where three men came in a canoe, whom the Admiral treated with great kindnefs, gave them toys, and put tnem oh fhofe, where there were many other Indians, who finding the kindnefs of the Spaniards, came in their canoes to barter with them. The women go quite naked, but the men covered their heads and waifts with cotton of different colours : they drank two kinds of li- quor, one white, and the other green, made of fruit and maize : they were very civil, and feemed remarkably fond of bells and brafs trin- kets. The Admiral detained fix of them, and hold- ing on his courfe, anchored at a place, which, from its beauty, he called the Gardens, where abundance of people came on board, who wore about their necks pieces of gold in the fhape of a horlhoe. Sailing onwards, they faw an Indian, who had a fingle grain of gold, as big as an apple. Many Indians ftill came to the fh'ip, who wore gold collars, adorned with beads abouc their necks, with cloths round their heads, and their hair was cut fhort. Some women, who wore firings of beads about their arms, inform- ed the Admiral, that they found them in oyfters, to the weftward of Paria. Some of thefe firings, having ii THE THIRD VOYAGE -OF having fine pearls among them, the Admiral pur- chafed for their Catholic Majefties, and fent boats to make farther enquiry about them. The failors had no orders to land, but two Indians chiefs civilly conftrairting them, took them to a lioufe, and gave them bread, fruit of different kinds, the white liquor before men- tioned, and another fort, very good, of a red Colour. While they were thus treated, the men remained at one end of the houfe, and the wo- men at the other. The eldeft having treated them, they were taken to the houfe of the youngeft, and entertained in the fame way. The iailors returned on board highly delighted with the kind ufage they had met with among thefe Indians, who were ofgoodftature and whiter then the others. This country, though near the equinoctial, was delightfully cool and plea- fant. Holding on their courfe, they found the wa- ter grew lhallower ; wherefore, coming to an anchor, the Admiral, fent the fmalleft fhip to difcover whether there was any paflage to the weftward, among what appeared to be iflands ; but on the next day they returned with advice, that the whole was a continued continent : on which they flood back and repaired the ftreights, called the Serpent's or Dragon's Mouth ; but the force of the currents rendered this paflage both difficult and dangerous. Steering weftward along the coaft of Paria, they found feveral iflands, and on the thirtieth of Auguft, entered the harhour of St. Domingo in Hifpaniola. - Columbus, who was almoft blind with watch- ing, and had fuffered the moft extreme fatigvie, began now to flatter himfelf, that he fhould be able to fepofc in tranquility •, but, on the con- trary, he found the whole ifland in diforder -, thofe he had left behind him were moftly dead, upwards of one hundred and fixty were dread- fully infected with the venereal difeafe, and Francis Roldan, who had been appointed chief juftice, had put himfelf at the head of a number who had rebelled. In the interval that Columbus loft, while in Spain, before he could obtain a fupply for the people of Hifpaniola, provifions running fhort with the people of that ifland, they had begun to murmur, and even defpaired of the Admiral's return. Roldan taking advantage of their mu- tinous difpofition, encouraged the feditious kn- timents which were fpreading, and attributed their fuffering to the mifconduct of Bartholo- mew Columbus, and his brother Diego. In this fcheme which he undertook with a view to get the government into his own hands, he was fo fuccefsful, that feveral attempts were made on the lives of Columbus's brothers. At length, fixty-five men, under the command of Roldan, attempted to feize the town and fort of the Conception, but Ballefter, the com- mander, receiving intelligence of their defign, rendered the attempt ineffectual. Bartholomew Columbus ordered Roldan to refigned his poft, and fubmit to a trial -, but he re- fufed to obey him, and repairing to Ifabella, with his mutineers, tried in vain to launch a fhip, which was upon the flocks, plundered t he ma- gazines and warehoufes, obliged Diego Colum- bus to retire to the fort, attacked the cattle, ma- ny of which he killed for provifions, and feized the beafts of burden for the ufe of the people in their way to the province of Xaragua, where the number of beautiful women, and the plenty and pleafantnefs of the place, induced him to think of taking up his refidence ; but before he fet out for this place, he determined to endea- vour to furprize the town of the Conception, propofing to murder the lieutenant, after which he thought it would be eaiy to fubdue the men, to whom he thought an idle life would be agree- able •, but Bartholomew managed fo well, that none of his people were inclined to forfake him, but marched out againft Roldan, who declined coming to an engagement. Roldan's next ftep was, by fcandalous infi- nuaticns, to the prejudice of Chriftopher Co- lumbus, and his brothers, to engage a cacique, amed Guarinoex, and feveral other Indian chiefs in his intereft. Thefe people, in the hope of having their taxes taken oft", entered in- to an agreement to murder the Spaniardsj who lived in fmall parties among them, at the next full moon •, but the ignorance of the Indians, fome of whom fell on the Spaniards before the appointed time, rendered this fcheme alfo a- bortive. Mortified by thefe mifcarriages, Roldan re* tired to Xaragua, and proclaimed himfelf pro- tector of the Indians, againft the two brothers of Columbus ; and fome of the natives refufed to pay the tribute, in confequence of his artful mifreprefentations, and many of thofe Spaniards who continued under the government of the lieutenant, being difcontented at receiving no fupplies from Spain, and inclined by the warmth of the climate to a life of idlenefs, began to give evident figns of diflatisfacYion, which, for fear of a general revolt, the lieutenant did not dare to punifh. But the arrival of the two firft fhips, with a fupply of men and provifions, and an account that the Admiral would foon follow, kept the men to their duty. The arrival of thefe two fhips' at St. Domin- go, drew Roldan that way, with a view to pro- cure neceflaries, and feduce the new coiners ; but the lieutenant reaching the place before him, prevented his fuccefs ; but earneftly wifhing that his brother might find the ifland in tran- quillity at his arrival, he offered to accomodate matters with Roldan : but his offer was refufed with contempt. At this time, the three fhips which Columbus had fent from the Canary Iflands, arrived at Hifpaniola ; but inftead of making the port of St. Domingo, were driven by the currents as far as Xaragua, where Roldan prevailed with many of the people to join him. The captain of thefe vefTeb finding that Rol- dan was at variance with Bartholomew Colum- bus, agreed that Arana fhould fail round with the fhips to St. Domingo, that John Antonio Columbus fhould conduct the workmen over land, and that Carvajal fhould remain at Xara- gua, to endeavour to bring about an accommo- dation, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 23 dauon. Accordingly, John Antonio Columbus landed with forty men, all of whom, except fix or feven, joined Roldan on the fecond day of his march; he was therefore obliged to re- turn on board, with the few that had not de- ferted. They arrived at St. Domingo, after a troU- blefome voyage, in which Carvajal's fhip was damaged, and their provifions fpoiled; and found Columbus juft arrived before them, who hav- ing learnt the particulars of Roldan's revolt from his brother, had fent him word, that he was very defirous of healing the breach which had happened between him and the lieutenant, and would grant him fafe conduct, if he would come to him. Having alfo heard, that the re- bels complained of being detained upon the ifiand, he caufed a proclamation to be publifh- ed, offering provifions, and a free paiiage to thofe who mould chufe to return to Spain. Roldan treated the Admiral's advances with contempt, and faid, he could at any time fupprefs his authority ; but as lie was allured ol Carva- jal's honour, he would not treat without his mediation. Columbus was fomewhat doubtful of Carva- jal's fidelity, as he had fupplied the rebels with arms from the fhips, while they lay at Xaragua : but as he thought him a man of fome prudence, he contented that he fhould negociate the affair between them. Still Roldan refilled to treat-, but was at length perfuaded to accept a fafe conduct and vifited the Admiral ; when his demands were fo extraordinary, that Columbus could not accept them ; but publifhed a free pardon to all who would return to their duty within thirty days. Carvajal carried a copy of the overtures of peace to the rebels, and Columbus drew up a ftate of the whole affair, which he addrefied to their Majefties, and fent, with five fhips to Spain. The Admiral, at length, after many difputes, confented to allow Roldan two fhips to carry him and his party to Spain, to pay them their wages to the day of their departure, and to re- ftore fuch of their effetfs as had been feized by the order of him, or his brother. The weather proving bad, it was fome time before the veflels could be got ready, and car- ried round to Xaragua, during which, Roldan changed his mind, and refufed to embark -, but appearing defirous to accomodate all differ- ences, granted a fafe conduct to Columbus, who was fo anxious to fettle the matter, that he went round to Xaragua with two fhips, where, in a conference with Roldan, it was finally deter- mined, that fifteen of his followers fhould go home in the firft fhips bound for Spain, that thofe who remained, fhould have land? and houfes inftead of pay, that an acl: of general oblivion fhould be publifhed, and Roldan in- verted with his former office for life. Columbus, having fettled this difagreeablc affair, fent a party of men, under the command of a captain, to march round the ifiand to re- duce the rebellious Indians : and to prevent fu- ture animofities in Hifpaniola, propofed to take the lieutenant with him to Spain ; but while he was preparing for his voyage, Alonzo de Ho- jeda, with four fhips, arrived in the ifiand, from a cruize •, and putting into the port of Yaqui- mo, offered violence to fome of the Indians, and began to tempt the Spaniards from their duty, before they were well fixed in it. He allured them, that Queen Ifabella was in a bad ftate of health, that Columbus's intereft would die with her, and that the bilhop of Burgos, his (Hojeda's) relation, would take care to work the Admiral's ruin. News of thefe proceedings being brought to Columbus, he fent Roldan, with twenty-one men againft Hojeda, which order he obeyed fo expeditioufly, that Hojeda, feeing no way to efcape, met him with an appearance of friend- fhip •, faid, that he had been obliged to land for want of provifions ; that he had no inten- tion of making any difturbances, but would fpeedily fail for Domingo, and acquaint the Admiral with the fuccefs of his voyage : inftead of which, he failed to Xatagua, where he told dispeople, that he and Carvajal were appointed by the King to infpect the Admiral's conduit ; thus feducing many under a pretence of doing themfelves right by force. But fome of the Spaniards, aftonifhed at his prefumption, op- pofed him, and a tumult enfued, in which fe- veral were killed and wounded •, whereupon Roldan went againft him a fecond time, and he retired to his fhip. Roldan not being able to come at him, in- vited him on fhore, to accommodate the dif- pute ; but Hojeda refufing him, the other offered to go on board ; on which a boat well manned, being fent out, Roldan, and fix or feven of his people entered it on a iudden, and making themfelves mafters of it, returned to land, fo that Hojeda was obliged to fubmit, and gave fecurity for his leaving the ifiand, at an ap- pointed time, which Roldan took care to fee fulfilled. A few days after Hojeda's departure, Ferdi- nand Guevara, whofe feditious practices had brought him into difgrace with the Admiral, being exafperated againit Roldan, who would not permit him to marry the daughter of Ana- caona, Queen of Xaragua, having attached fe- veral perfons to his intereft, entered into a con- fpiracy to furprize and murder Roldan, who having intelligence of the defign, feized the con- fpirators : and, having the Admiral's permif- fion to punifh them according to law, they were brought to a trial, when fome of them were imprifoned, others banifhed, and Moxica was hanged. The confequence of this proceeding was, that the whole ifiand was reftored to a ftate of tranquillity. Such rich, gold mines were now found, that every man left the King's pay, and went to dig on his own account, allowing his Majefty a third of their gettings ; and in this employ- ment, one man would gather forty ounces a day. The Indians were become fo fbbmiffive, that many of them turned Chriftians to oblige the Admiral, who feeing matters fo well fettled, refolved 2 4 THE THIRD VOYAGE OF refolved co make a progrefs through the ifland and accordingly he and his brother fetting out on the twentieth of February, came to Ifabella on the nineteenth of March-, from whence they went on the fifth of Auguft for the Conception, from which place the Admiral intended to go to St. Domingo on the third of February, in order to return to Spain, to give their Majefties an ac- count of the (late of the colonies. . While things were in this fituation in Hifpa- niola, many of the rebels, and fome others that were returned to Spain, did not ceafe to give in falfe information's to the King and council, a- gainft Columbus, whom they rep relented as ig- norant of the Spanifh cuitoms, proud of his new dignity, avaritious, cruel, and unjuft. They afierted, that he withheld the pay due to the fervants of the government, and concealed or embezzled the riches of the ifland. They al- io inveighed bitterly againft his two brothers : and the relations and friends of thofe who had re- belled in Hifpaniola, together with many perlbns at court encouraging thele reports, fuch clamours were at length railed among the people, that the King and Queen were daily furrounded by p.rfons demanding juftice againft the tyranni- cal foreigner, who had found- out falfe and de- ceitful countries, to be the ruin and burial- place of the Spanifh gentry; Their complaints ran lb high, that it was at length refolved to fend a peribn to Hifpaniola, to enquire into thefe affairs ; and if the Admiral vas found guilty of the matters laid to his charge, to fend him home, and remain governor in his room. The perfon their Majefties made choice of for this purpofe, was Francis de Bovadilla, a knight of the order of Calatrava, but in low circum- ftances, who arrived at Domingo towards the end of Auguft 1 500, while Columbus, and his brother, and moft of the people of confequence were at the Conception on buiineis of import- ance. As there were no people of Domingo, who could check his proceedings, Bovadilla took poffeffion of the Admiral's palace, laid hands on his effects, and afi'embling thofe who were his known enemies, declared himfelf governor. He forthwith lent for Columbus to come to him without delay, and to back his fummons, lent to him a letter figned both by the King and Queen, though that letter contained nothing more than that they had fent the bearer to ac- quaint the Admiral with their pleafure, which lie was directed to obey. On fight of theirMajefty's letter, Columbus im- mediately repaired to St. Domingo, where without any regal procels, he and his brother Diego were fent on board a fhip, put into irons, and by command of Bovadilla, no peribn was admitted to fee or converfe with them. A kind of trail was then begun againft them, in which the evidence of their enemies being ad- mitted, was -fo falfe, incoherent, and ablurd, that they would have met with no credit, ex- cept with a ptfrfon predetermined on their ruin : but Bovadilla encouraged their prejudiced ac- cufers, and even the rabble, to inlult them, by J reading the moft fcandalous libels in the mar- ket place, and blowing horns at the port where the fhips lay at anchor. As foon as Bovadilla had delivered Columbus to Andrew Martin* captain of the veffel that was to carry him to Spain, he began to opprefs and plunder the poor Indians, to fquander his Majefty's revenue among his own adherents, to oeftroy all the Admiral's prudent regulations, -nd to countenance univerfal riot and diforder. Bovadilla directed the captain to deliver Co- lumbus in irons to the bifhop of Fonfeea, un- der whofe direction he acted ; but Martin was -.0 fooner at fea, than afhamed of feeing Colum- bus in fuch a fkuatiop, would have knocked off his irons; which the Admiral would not permit, faying, that iince their Majefties directed him to fubmit to Bovadilla, he was determined to wear them during the voyage, and that he would keep the irons as precious relicks and memo- rials of the reward of his fervices : and in this he was as good as his word, preferring the irons in his own chamber to the day of his death ; and giving directions for them to be buried with his body, which was accordingly performed. Columbus wrote to their Majefties on the twentieth of November, informing them of his arrival at Cadiz ; whereupon they gave orders for his being immediately releafcd, declaring themfelves very lorry for the treatment he had met with, inviting him to court, and promifing that he fhould foon be lent back with a full refti-* tution of honour. Upon this* the Admiral fet out for Granada, where he was favourably received by their Ma- jefties, who allured him, that they had not or- dered him to be imprifoned, and that full fa- tisfaction fhould be made for the injuries he had received. In the mean time, enquiry being- made into the affair, and the charge againft him appearing to be malicious, he was acquit- ted with honour •, and it was agreed, that a new governor fhould be fent in Hifpaniola, who fhould do Columbus and his brothers juitice, and compel Bovadilla to reftore their effects which he had unjuftly feized. Nicholas de Obando was the perfon pitched upon lor this office ; a man of abilities, but as it afterwards appeared, partial, cruel, and re- vengeful. Their Majefties having refolved to fend O- bando to Hifpaniola, thought it wrong to keep Columbus idle ; and therefore propofed to fend him on fome voyage, by which he might reap fome advantages, while Obando was fettling affairs in the Weft Indies ; as they had no in- tention of depriving the Admiral of his office ; but many delays intervening, and Columbus apprehending fome new difgrace from the ene- mies at court, applied to their Majefties, and befought their prote lion •, which was taken fo well, that they made him fuch favourable grants and conceffions, as in fome meafure obliterated the memory of his former ill-treatment, and determined him to make another voyage to the Weil Indies, with a view of perfecting thofe difcoveries he had fo happily begun. The honour of difcovering the continent of America CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 'J America indifpurably belongs to Columbus, who was at the itland of Margarita on the firft of Auguft 1498. "Whereas Alonzo Hojeda, who has been fo often mentioned in the courfe of this voyage, and Americus Vefpucius, did not fail from Cadiz, till the twentieth of May 1498. But if Columbus had not made this dilcovery, they could not, with any propriety, have been deemed the difcoverers, fince what they performed arofe from the ufe of the Admi- ral's draughts and projects, which he had put into tire hands of the bifliop of Burgos, by their Majefties command \ and which the bifhop, out of mere hatred to the Admiral, had com- municated to them 5 for which reafon, without taking farther notice of thefe people, we fhall proceed to the hiitory of Columbus's fourth and laft Voyage. CHAPTER IV. Columbus s fourth voyage; he fails from Cadiz ; arrives at Hifpaniola j is ill-treated by the new governor ; Jails to the Ijihmus of Darien, and from thence to Porto Bello ; fend? pcrfons to examine the mines of Vcragua, ivho are dirccled to 'other mines ; forms ajettle- ment at the mouth of the river Be/em ; a cacique, named ^uibio, aud his family arej'eized; fever al Spaniards killed; they fail to "Jamaica, and Hifpaniola, and from thence to Spain •» the death of Columbus, with an account of his perfon and characler. COLUMBUS had fo many enemies at court, that h« found all his patience and addrefs neceifary to maintain his ground. Their Majefties entertained fome pre- judices againft him, becaufe he had acquired .his authority by way of a contract, rather than by leaving the reward of his actions to their judgment. 1 he Admiral obferving they were dilatory in the preparations for his voyage, demanded an audience of the Queen, in which he infinuatedj that what he had yet done was nothing to what he hoped to do-, that his difcoveries on the continent were made with a view to find a paf- fage to the Eaft Indies, which in another voyage he did not doubt of effecting, and thereby make both the Indies fubject to their Majefties au- thority. This had its defired effect ; a fleet was immediately ordered for this new fervice, and the Admiral was much careffed, both by the King and Queen. Columbus failed from Cadiz on the ninth of May 1 5c 2, with four fmall mips under his com- mand, having on board an hundred and forty perfon s, including boys, and proceeded to St. Catharine's, from whence he failed on the ele- venth, for Arzilla on the coaft of Morocco, to relieve the Portuguefe, who were fuppofed to be much diftrefled •, but, before his arrival, the Moors having railed the liege, he proceeded to the Grand Canaria, at which place he call an- chor on the twentieth, and having taken in wood and water, failed with a fair wind, and arrived at Martinico on the fifteenth of June ; from whence, ftanding to the weftward, he proceed- ed to St. Domingo, where he propofed to ex- change one of his (hips, which was a bad failer : his defign being to fail along the coaft of Paria, and ktep the fhore, till he came to the ftreight which he imagined to be near the places fince denominated Veragua and Nobre de Bio?. K? III. - G But that his unexpected arrival might not fur- prize the judge, who had been lent to call Bo- vadilla to an account for his conduct, the Ad- miral, being near the port, fent Peter de Ter^ reros, one of his captains, to fignify the necef- fity he was under of changing a Hup-, to re- prefent that he fhould fnelter himfelf in that port againft a ftorm, which he forefaw was com- ing : and to defire that the homeward bound fleet might not fail for eight days ; fince, if it did, it would be in the utmoft danger. But this new Governor would not even allow the Admiral to enter the port, and permitted the fleet, which confifted of eighteen fail, and in which were Roldan, Bovadilla, and the major part of their adherents, to put to fea. Scarce had they weathered the eaft point of Hifpaniola, when fo dreadful a ftorm arofe, that the Admiral of the fleet, in which was Bo- vadilla, with moft of the rebels, funk, and the hurricane made fuch havock among the reft, that, of eighteen fhips, only four were faved. As Columbus had forefeen the ftorm, but was refufed admittance into the harbour, he fheltered himfelf under the land ; but the ftorm increafing the next day, forced three of his veflels to fea, when the Bermuda, the fhip which Columbus wanted to have changed muft have been loft, but for the extraordinary fkill of his brother Bartholomew, whole naval abi- lities were fuperior to thofe of any man of his time. All the fhips having fuffered very much, each concluded the other loft, till they happily met a few days afterwards, in the port ofAzua, to the great joy of the Admiral, who was heverthe- lefs not a little chagrined fo think he had been refufed admittance into the very port he had difcovered. Columbus, having forefeen the ftorm, his enemies afierted, that he had raifed it by magic, in order to deftroy the homeward bound fleet, *6 THE THIRD VOYAGE OF and their fuperftitious notions were not a little ftrengthened when it was known, that the only fhip which reached Spain in fafety, was the Agnja, having on board four thoufand pefos of gold, belonging to the Admiral •, the other three veflels that weathered the ftorm, having put back to St. Domingo in a mattered con- dition. While the Admiral lay at Azua, the men di- verted themfelves with fifhing, and in that bay catched the Manita, or Sea Cow, the flefh of which has the tafte of veal, but is efteemed better ; and the Saavina, a fifh half as big as a common church bell, which lying on the top of the water, one of the crew ftruck it with an harping iron, which was tied to a rope, the o- ther end of which was faftened to a boat, which the hm drew after it as fwift as an arrow, to the great aitonifhment of thofe on board the fhips, who knew not the occafion, till at length the Hfh finking, was drawn to the fhip's fide, and hawled on board. The Admiral having refrefhed his men, and repaired his fhips, left Azua, and failed to the ifiands of Guanaia, near the province now cal- led Honduras, where his brother Bartholomew went on fhore with two boats, and found a great number of pine trees, and pieces of Lapis Ca- laminaris, which being mixed with copper, the feamen miftaking for gold, kept fome of it a long while. The people refembled thofe of the orher ifiands, only their foreheads were not fo high. _ While Bartholomew Columbus was on fhore, a canoe put in there, which was eight feet wide, as long as a galley, and had an awning covered with palm leaves in the middle, refembling the Venetian Gondolas; and it was made all of one tree. Under the awning, the women, children and goods were defended from the weather. There were twenty-five men on board this vefiel, but the boats purfuing them, they made no de- fence, and were eafily taken. Columbus was extremely pleafed to have an opportunity of knowing the commodities of the country, without expoiing his men to danger ; and, in examining the cargo, they found quilts, and fhirts of cotton, without fieeves, curioufly wrought, and dyed of feveral colours ; alio large fheets, in which the women wrapt them- felves, and fmaller cloths of the fame fort : long wooden {words, with a channel on e:.ch fide, in which were fixed flints, faftened with fmall cord, and a kind of bituminous matter : likewife copper hatchets, for cleaving of wood, and bells of the fame metal, with plates and crucibles for melting the copper. Their provifion confifted of fuch grain and loots as are eaten in Hifpaniola ; and a liqucr made ofmaiz, like Englifh beer. They had abundance of cocoa nuts, which pafied as mo- ney, on which they fet a high value ; for not- withstanding their fituation as prifoners, if one of the nuts happen to fall upon the deck, they ftooped to match it up with the utmoft eager- nel's. They behaved with the greateft decency, which induced the Admirnl to reftore their ca- noe, to give them things in exchange for thofe which had been taken from them, and to per- mit them to depart. He however detained one old man, who appeared to be their chief, with a view to learn what he could of the country, along which he failed, by engaging others to converfe with the Spaniards, in "which the old man chearfully affifted, as long as his language was understood ; and when he could ferve them no longer, he was difmified with a hand fome prefent. This old Indian had informed Columbus, that the people weilward, towards Mexico, were rich, polite, and affable •, but confidering that as that country lay to the leeward, he could fail thither whenever he pleafed from Cuba, he now determined to perfift in his defign of discovering a ftreight in the continent, to find a paflage to the South Sea, in order to come at the countries which produced fpices •, and therefore failed eaftwards towards Veragua, and Nombre deDios, where he was informed the ftreight would be found; but the Indians meant the Ifthmus of Darien, which the Admiral mif- took for a paflage from fea to fea •, and there- fore in purfuit of the fuppofed paflage, failed towards a point on the continent, which he named Cafinas, from a fruit which grew there which the natives of Hifpaniola calied by that name. The people near Cape Cafinas wear thofe painted fhirts before mentioned, made of cot- ton, ftrong enough to defend them againft thefe weapons, and even to bear off' the ftrokes of ours. Farther eaftward the inhabitants were almcfl black, and of very 'fierce countenances ; they go naked, and eat botli flefh and fifh quite raw. They have their ears bored fo large, that a hen's egg might be put into the orifice ; from which the Admiral called the place De las Orejas, or Of the Ears. Bartholomew Columbus, at this place went afhore, attended by the captains, and many of the men, with colours flying, to hear mafs, on the fourteenth of Auguii in the morning; and afterwards, when the boats were going on fhore to rake pofTeffton of the country for their Catho- lic Majefties, above one hundred men ran down to the coait, loaded with provisions, and as foon as the boats reached the fhore, they retired back without fpeaking a word. The lieutenant en- deavoured to entice them with beads, bells, and other things, which pleafed them fo well, that the next day greater numbers came down with gcefe, broiled hfh, red and white beans, and a kinds of hen, which tailed better than thofe of Europe. The fituation of the country was low, but it was very beautiful, and produced oaks, palm trees, pines, and mirabolans ; alfo leopards, deer, and other animals, and a great quantity of fifh. The inhabitants appeared to have no religion, and were of feveral nations which (poke differ- ent languages ; the common people were naked, except a cloth round the middle ; but thofe of better condition, wore red and white cotton cloths CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. tf cloths round their heads, and a few of them wore fhort jackets without fleeves. Their bo- dies were marked with different figures, by pricking the fkin ; and, on days of feftival, they painted their faces of divers colours, which gave them a terrible appearance. The Admiral failed along the coaft from Cape Cafinas, to a cape he called Gracias a Dios, or Thanks to God •, becaufe, having been feventy d.iys in this palfage, which is but fixty leagues, the land now bending to thelbuth, enabled him to continue his voyage with the affiftance of a trade wind. A little be>ond this head-land, he palled fome dangerous lands, which extended into the lea, as far as the eye could reach. Being in want of wood and water, on the fix- teenth of September, the Admiral fent fome boats into a river, the entrance of which ap- peared to be good and deep ; but on their at- tempting to return, the winds blowing from the fea againft the current of the river, railed fuch waves, that one of the boats with all her men were loft, on which it was called Rio de la Dif- gracia, or the River of Difafter. In this river, and near it, there were canes as thick as a man's leg. On the twenty-fifth, ftill failing fouthward, they came to an anchor near a little ifland, cal- led Quiriviri, and a town on the continent, cal- led Cariaii ; the inhabitants of which town and ifland, were the civileft, and the country itfelf the fined: they had yet feen. Cariaii is fituatednear a great river, whither a great number of people relbrted, fome bring- ing bows and arrows, and other ftaves of a palm tree, as black as jet, and as hard as horn, with bones of fifh at the end. The men had their hair braided, while the women wore theirs cut lliort. They feemed to have affembled by way of defending themfelves ; but finding the Spaniards peaceable, they were inclined to bar- ter their commodities, which confided cf pale gold, which they wore about their necks, and cotton jerkins. As the Spaniards did not go on fhore that day nor the next, they fwam to the boats with thefe things, when the Admiral would not per- mit his people to take their goods ; but gave them feveral baubles. They appeared the more eager, as the Spaniards feemed lefs willing to exchange with them : and having in vain beck- oned them to come on (bore, they left ail the things they had received in a heap, where the Spaniards afterwards, on their landing, found them. The Indians at length imagining the Spa- niards would not confide in them, fent an an- tient man, of a venerable afpect, who carried a rlag upon a ftaff, and was attended by two young girls, adorned with pieces of gold about their necks. The old man having put the girls into a boat, making (igns that they fhould be taken to the Admiral, as a kind of fecurity, that the Spaniards might fafely land ; Columbus or- dered the girls to be fed and cloathed, and then lent them on fhore, where the old man, and a- bout fifty of the natives received them with the higheft iatisfaclion. The next day, the Admiral's brother going on fhore, to learn fomething of the people, and. the country -, two of the chief men came to his boat, and taking him by the arms between them made him fit down on the grafs ; when asking them feveral queftions, he ordered his fecretary to write down what they fuppofed to be their aniwers ; but feeing the pen, ink and paper, they were greatly frightened, and moft of them run away, as dreading the effecls of witch-craft ; and it had been oblerved before they came to them, that they had fcattered a powder in the air, and burning fome of the fame endeavoured to drive the fmoke towards the Spaniards. On the fecond of October, Columbus fent his brother on fhore to view the Indian town and learn what particulars he could, concern- ing the country ; when he faw feveral tombs in one of which was a dead body embalmed, in a large wooden building, covered with canes ; in another tomb, he found two bodies wrapt in cotton flieets, but they had no offenlive fmell -, over each tomb was a board with figures of beads, carved on it ; and on others were the effigies of theperfons buried, adorned with beads, bits of gold, and other things, moft efteemed among them. As thefe Indians were more civilized than any they had met with, Columbus ordered fome of them to be taken, out of which he felected two, and endeavouring to make the others fenfible that they were detained only as guides on the coaft, and fhould be 1'oon fet a liberty, he made them prefents and difmilTcd them; but the na- tives, imagining they were detained through co- vetoufnefs, four of them came on board the next day, and brought two fmall wild hogs for their ranfom ; one of which was hunted on the deck by a wild cat, which one of the lailors had caught in the woods ; but he firft cut off one of the cat's fore legs. The hogs feeing the cat, ran terrified about the deck, on which the Admiral directed one of them to be brought near the cat, which immediately twilling its tail about the hog's fnout, faftened its remain- ing fore leg upon the head, and if the men had not prevented, it would foon have dilpatched him. Sailing from hence, they came into the bay of Caravaro, on the fifth of October, where the fhips failed between fome little illands, forming a kind of lanes the leaves of trees brufhing the fhrouds. Anchoring in this bay, the boats were fent to one of thefe iflands, where the people quite naked, except gold about their necks, were lying by their canoes on the fhore. They fhewed no figns of fear, and the two Indians from Cariari, giving them three hav/k's bells, they gave in exchange, a plate of gold, weigh- ing ten ducats, and laid there was great plenty of that metal on the oppofite continent, not far from thence, whither two boats were fent the next day ; who meeting with two canoes full of people, who would not exchange their gold plates, the Spaniards took two of them, that, by the help of the interpreters from Cariaii, the Admiral might get what intelligence he wanted. the w THE FOURTH VOYAGE O F The quantity of gold to be found in this conn- try, appeared from the weight of the plates which thefe people wore, one of which was fourteen, and the other twenty-two ducats. In the bay vaft quantities of fifh were taken, and plenty of roots, grain and fruit, was found on fhore. Thefe men painted themfelves black, white and red, and wore no covering, but a narrow cotton cloth about the middle of their bodies. The Admiral failed from this bay to another very near it •, and on the feventeenth continued the voyage for twelve leagties to the river Guai- ga, where, the boats being ordered on fhore, above one hundred Indians affaulted them, run- ning up to their middles in the fea, brandifhing their fpears, blowing horns, beating a drum, throwing lea water at them, and fpurting in their faces the juice of a herb they were chewing. The Spaniards, without ftirring, endeavour- ed to appeafe them, which in the end they effec- ted •, for at la ft they drew near to exchange the gold plates they had about their neeks, for two or three hawke's bells, by which means they got fixteen gold plates, worth one hundred and fixty ducats, for a few trifles. On the nineteenth, the boats went again to- wards land ; but before the Spaniards went a fhore, they called to fome Indians, who lay un- der huts they had built the preceeding night ; but none of them would come ; and finding the Spaniards did not land, they ruihed into the water as before, till they came almoft to the boats, and even offered to throw their javelins, whereupon the Spaniards wounded one with an arrow in the arm, and the Admiral firing a can- non, they all ran away ; bat four of the Chrif- tians landing, beckoned them back, when they came peaceably, and exchanged fuch plates as they had, which, however, were very few, as they came rather to fight than to trade. Columbus having obtained fpecimens of what thefe parts afforded, proceeded on his voyage, and anchored at the mouth of a great river, where the people affembled, and fent two men in a canoe to the fhips, who having converfed with the Cariari Indianr, came readily on board, without fear, and preftnted their gold plates to the Admiral, who gave them fome baubles in return. Thefe going back, others came and traded in the fame manner ; after which the Spaniards went afhore, where they met with a number of Indians, with their king, who ex- changed his plate as an example to his fubjeets to barter theirs ; and the Spaniards obtained in all, nineteen plates of pure gold. The Admiral fleering eaftwards, came to Cabravo ; but as none of the people came down, he held on his courfe, and came to Ve- ragua, where the Indians laid the <:old was ga- O 7 CD G the red. Columbus now proceeded to a place which he called Porco Bello, or the Beamiful Port, from the elegance of the country around it. The Admiral paffing by tWo iflands, within which the fhips may lie clofe to the fhore, en- tered the harbour of Porto Bello on the fecond #i' November -, and on the ninth failed eight leagues to the eaftward ; but being driven bac*; by ftrefs of weather, put in among the iflands where the town of Nombre de Dios was after- wards built j and thefe fmall' iflands abounding in grain, he called the place Puerto de Bafti- mentos, or the- Port of Provifions. At this place a boat well manned purfuing a canoe, the Indians, when they faw it within a ftone's throw of them, caft themfelves into the Sea, and fwani away to faft, that the boat eould not overtake them in rowing half a league. Here they continued till the twenty-third of November, refitting the fhips, and then laikd eaftward to Guaiga, where the boats going a- fhore, found about three hundred perfons, with whom they traded for provifions, and for little ornaments of gold, which hung at their ears and nofes . On the 74th the Admiral entered a fmall ports which he named the Retreat, b.caufe it was not cap-able of containing mere than fiveor fix fhips,. the mouth of it not being moiethan twenty paces over ; on both fides of it rocks appearing above water, fo that if the veifeb laid on one fide, the men might leap on fhore, yet the channels were fo deep that no bottom could be found. The covetous - nnd Info-lent behavioar of the com- mon failors Induced trie Indians to break the peace with them, and frequent skirmifh-es hap- pened between them, till at length, their coa- rage increafing with their numbers, they feemed; determined to board the fhips ; whereupon the Admiral, to terrify them, ordered a cannon to be fired, but as no danger attended the noiie, they anfwered with fhouts, thrafhing the trees with ftaves, and by threatening figns feemed to- intimate that they did not regard the noife ; therefore, effecr.uaJly to humble them, the Ad- miral eaufed a fhot to be fired at a company of them upon a little hill, and the ball falling a- mong them, they began to fear the thunder-bolt though they had defpikd the thunder ; and from that time forward, none of them appeared, ever* on the hills. The people of this country were the handfomeft they had feen, being tall and ilender and having good countenances. This country produced but few trees and lit- tle grafs ; and in the harbour there were large alligators, which diffufed a prodigious rtrong fcent from the fhore on which they fiept. Thefe creatures, though fearful and cowardly when at- tacked, yet if they find a man afleep, they drag him to the water to devour him : fome affirm that thefe alligators are of the fame fpecits with the crocodile of Egypt. The Admiral perceiving that the violent eaft and north eaft winds did not ceafe, and feeing no probability of trading any more with thefe people, determined to go back to get what far- ther intelligence he could about the mines of Veragua, and accordingly,on the fifth of Decem- ber failed back to Porto Bello, ten leagues to the weftward, and continuing his courfe the next day was retarded by a weft wind, which he ima- gined would not laft long, and therefore bore up againrt it for fome days during which they had inceffant rains, and frequent tiamder and li-htning ; and when the weaSker feemed to fa- vour CHRISTOPHER COLU M BUS. £$ Vcur their going to Veragua, a frefh wind drove them toward Porto Bcllo, and when they were in hopes of making that port, they were beat off again and all the while the weather was fo un- settled and unruly that the Tailors could lcarcely keep the deck. In this dreadful fituation they had like to have been overwhelmed with a water fpout, and had the additional mortification to loole light of one of their fhips, which they concluded was loit : but at the end of three dark and difmal days, during which fhe had call an- chor, and been driven to fea with lofs of her anchor and boat, they happily got fight of her again. By this time the fhips were almoft mat- tered to pieces, and the men quite fpent with cold, hunger and fatigue, when a calm which killed two days afforded them fome relief. Columbus had the happinefs to enter a large harbouron the feventeenthofDecember, which the Indians called Huiva, where, going afhore, they found the inhabitants dwelt in houles built on the tops of trees, by laying timbers acrols from bough to bough ; a cullom which their fears of wild beafls, or land-floods, mull have rendered neceffary. Having repofed fome time in this place, they failed again, and in the beginning of January 1503, call anchor near a river which the Admiral called Belem or Bethlem from his arriving there on the feaft of the Epiphany. Near this river to the weft was that or Vera- gua, up which the boats went to the town where they were informed the gold mines were. At iirll the Indians endeavoured with their weapons to oppofe their landing, but an Indian, who underllood a little of their language, going a- fhore with the Spaniards the next day, and tell- ing them that they wanted nothing but what fhouki be paid for, they were willing to deal, and exchanged twenty gold plates, alfo fome hollow pieces like the joints of reeds, and fome grains that had never been melted •, but to en- hance the value of the laft, they faid they were gathered a great way off among the mountains. The Admiral's fhip, with one of the others, failed up the river Belem on the ninth, and the Indians immediately came down to deal for fuch things as they had, particularly fifh, which at fome feafons of the year, go from the fea up thefe rhers in prodigious numbers. Here they got gold in exchange for pins, beads, hawks- bells, and other trifles, and the next day they were joined by the two other lhips which had waited for the flood to bring them into the river. Bartholomew Columbus failed up the river on the fame day, to the town of an Indian King, named Quibio ; who hearing of his intention, came to meet him in a friendly manner, and they converfed by means of an interpreter, and made prefenrs to each other. The next day Quibio vi'ited the Admiral on board his lliip, and having converfed with him for an hour, and his people exchanged fome gold for bells with the failors, Columbus made him fome prefents, and he departed. On the twenty- fourth of the month, when they had converfed in this friendly manner for feveral days, the river fuddenly fwelled fo high, and the tiny of the waves became fo impetuous, that N? 3- H L he Admiral's fhip broke one of her anchors, and drove v/ith fuch force againft the Gallega, that the foreman: was brought by the board, and both veflels were in danger of finking. A pro- digious fhower of rain which had fallen on the mountains of Veragua, was fuppofed to have produced this fudden fwell of the river. On the fix'th of February, the weather being calmer, and the mips repaired, the Admiral lent his brother with fixty-eight men to the mouth of the River Veragua, a league diftantfrom Belem weft ward : and proceeding a league and a half up the river, to the cacique's town, they thereenquir- ed their way to the mines, and the next day tra- velled four leagues and a half, when the winding-, ©fa river obliged them to crofs it forty four times; a league and a half beyond this river they found the place to which they were directed, and in two hours time each man gathered fome gold which they found about the roots of trees. This famplc was much efteemed, as the men dug without tools, and were quite unufed to the bufinefs ; but it was afterwards discovered that thefe were not the mines of Veragua, but thole of Urira, a to.'n whole inhabitants being at war with Quibio, he had artfully fent the Spa- niards to gather his enemies gold. The Admiral's brother with forty men, followed by a boat in which were fourteen, went into the country on the fourteenth of February, and the next day coming to the river of Urira, the cacique came to meet him, and prefented him with food, and a number of gold plates. It was obferved that the Indian and his men con- ftantly chewed a dry leaf, and fometimes eat a kind of powder with jit. Abundance of people now came to them and conducted them to their town, where they fupplied them with provifions and lodging, Soon after came the cacique of Dururi a neighbouring town, and with him agreat many Indians, who brought gold plates to barter, and faid that farther up the country were a number of caciques, who kept armed Men like the Spaniards, and had great quantities of gold. Having ordered all the men, except thirty, to return to the lhips, Don Bartholomew, the next day, marched towards Zobabra, finding all the fields for fix leagues covered with maize and well cultivated. From hence he went to Cate- bra, and having bought fome gold plates, and been well entertained at both places, but finding no harbour or river more proper for erctdno- a colony than that of Belem, he returned on the twenty fourth of February. As foon as he came back, they began to build houfes of timber which they covered with palm trees ; a large building was erected as a flore-houfe, in which were placed cannon, powder and other things ; but the chief part of their provifions, as grain 4 cheefe, oil, vinegar and wine, with all forts of fifhing tackle for tire ufe of the colony, was put on board the Gallega, which was to be left with the lieutenant. The Admiral now propofed to return to Spain, but a dreadful furf beating on the fhore, rendered it dangerous to attempt getting out of the river: befides which, the rains which ufed to fwell the river were paft, and they had inform matioa 3° THE FOURTH VOYAGE OF mation that Quibo intended to fet fire to the new lettlement ; upon which Columbus and his brother agreed to feize the cacique and fome of his principal people, and carry tl.em to Spain, as a fecurity for the good behaviour of the reft. On the thirtieth ofiMarch, Bartholomew Co- lumbus, attended by feventy Men, fet out for Veraeua, at a little diftance from which a mef- fenger from Quibiodefired him not to approach his houfe, but the lieutenant determined to advance with five men, directing the reft to follow by two and two, and to befet the houfes when they heard a mufket fired, and let no one efcape. On his advancing nearer, another meffen- ger defired him not to go into the houfe, for that Quibio himfelf, though wounded by an arrow would come out ; which he did accord- ingly, and Bartholomew Columbus feizing him, the mufket was fired, and the houfe immedi- ately furrounded by the Spaniards, who made about thirty perfons prisoners, including the wives, children, and principal perfons belong- ing to the cacique, who offered to redeem them- felves with a large quantity of gold ; but the lieutenant ordered them to be bound and taken on board, before the country was alarmed ; pro- pofing to remain with moft of his men to take others of Quibio's fubjeets and relations : the prifoners were therefore delivered to a pilot, who immediately embarked with them in a boat, when Quibio complaining that his hands were bound too hard, the pilot loofed them, when waiting an opportunity, he plunged into the river, and as it grew dark they could not fee how he got on fhore. Bartholomew Columbus, being unable to take any more Indians, for they had fled the country, returned to the fhips the next day, and delivered Quibio's effects to the Admiral, which were worth about three hundred ducats in gold plates, four fifths of which was divided among the men who had been with the lieutenant, and the re- mainder kept for the ufe of their Catholic Ma- jellies. The rains falling, and the floods com- ing down, opened the mouth of the river, where- upon the Admiral leaving one fhip for his bro- ther's v.ie, failed out of the harbour with three, but anchored at a league's diftance to wait for fair weather, employing the boat to go back for water in the mean time. The cacique Quibio being much concerned for the lofs of his wives and children, and ob- ferving the fhips were gone, concealed himfelf with his Indians, in the woods near the Spanifh colony, from whence they rufhed on the Spa- niards, with horrid fhouts, and wounded four or five of them in a dangerous manner before they were prepared to defend themfelves ; but Don Bartholomew, fallying out with feven or fight of his men drove them back into the wood. The Indians rallied feveral times, and though they would not come to clofe quarters after they had been bit by a dog, which belong- ed to the Spaniards, and felt the edge of their iwords, yet they continued to throv/ javelins at a diftance, and at length compelled the Spa- niards to fly, after they had killed one, and wounded the lieutenant, and feven others. The Admiral having fent a boat with ten perfons to take in water, they arrived at the ipot at the beginning of the engagement, but inftead of landing to affift the lieutenant, they looked on with the greateft unconcern, and when the fkirmifh was over, proceeded a full league up the river, where the Indians attacked them in their canoes, and befetting the boat on all fides, let fly a fhower of javelins, which killed every perfon but one, who falling into the wa- ter, dived to a diftance, unperceived by the Indians, and carried the news of the misfortune to the people of the colony, who were fo alarm- ed that they determined to abandon the fettle- ment •, but the fea beat with fuch violence at the mouth of the harbour, that their boat could not reach the admiral, and there was not water fufficient to float their fhip. In the mean time the Admiral rode in a dan- gerous open road, having loft his long boar, and being ignorant of the fate of his men, till he had the misfortune to lee their bodies floating down the river, covered with wounds, and preyed upon by crows ; from whence the peo- ple on board concluded that the whole colony had perifhed. To add to thefe misfortunes, the Indians that were confined on board, burft open the hatches in the night, when many of them, leaping into the fea, fwam on fhore, and thofe that were prevented from efcaping, hanged themfelves in the hold. At this time fome perfons on board the An- miral offered to fwim on fhore to learn the fate of their companions, provided the only boat they had now left might carry them beyond the place where the waves broke. This offer be- ing accepted by the Admiral, when the boat arrived at the proper place, one of them leapt into the fea, and making his way to the fhore, learnt the particulars ofwhat had happened, and that the people of the colony, defpifing Don Bartholomew's authority, were determined to leave the place, and if the Admiral refufed to take them on board, would rather truft them- felves to the fea in their own rotten vefTcl than abide the fury of the lavages. Columbus having agreed to take them on board ; as foon as the weather became more calm, they fattened two large canoes together, and taking their own boat and all their effects with them, left nothing behind but the rotten hulk of the fhip, and happily arrived fafe on board, when the admiral immediately fleered eaftward for Porto- bello, where they left one of the fhips, which was fo leaky as to be unfit for fervice. They held on their courle till the tenth of May, when they found two fmall Iflands which they called Tortugas, from the number of turtles with which they abounded. Thirty leagues north- ward of the Tortugis they reached the iflands called the Queen's Garden, when their provisi- ons were nearly exhaufted, the men obliged to labour day and night to pump the fhips dry. In this reduced condition they were overtaken by a violent ftwrm, in which one of the fhips runing foul of the Admiral, tore off part of his poop, the cables gave way, and both veflels had like to have been foundered. When the ftorm was abated they failed to Macaca a port in the iiland CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. V Ifland of Cuba, where, having been fupplied with provifions by the Indians, they flood for Jamaica, where they arrived on Midfummer Eve, having been obliged to pump all the way, and being, with much difficulty, able to keep out the water, which role almott up to the deck. They entered the harbour of Puerto Bueno, but finding neither inhabitants nor frefh water there, they failed the next day to another called Santa Gloria, and being no longer able to keep the fliips above water, they ran them aground, clofe together, 2s near the fhore as poffible >, propped them, to keepthemupright, and erected cabins at the head and item to ihelter the men. "When the fliips were thus fecured, the Indians came on board, exchanging two cakes of their bread for two little green or yellow beads, two fmall rabbits for a bit of tin, and things of greater value for a hawk's bell. The Admiral, to prevent difputes, appointed two perfons to deal with the Indians, and to divide what was purchafed, among the failors, every afternoon. Columbus having confulted with his officers about the bell method of leaving Jamaica, they agreed to fend advice to Nicholas de Obando, governor of Hifpaniola, and to Alonzo Sanchez de Carvajal, who was the Admiral's factor at that place, of their fituation ; defiring a vefiel might he fent to fetch them away, at the Ad- miral's expence. This being a matter of difficulty and danger, as it was to be performed in canoes, the diftance being full thirty leagues, James Mendez de Segura, chief fecretary to the Admiral, and Bartholomew Fiefco, a Genoefe, were each of them appointed to the command of a canoe, with fix Spaniards and ten Indians to row ; Frefco being ordered to return immediately with the news of their arrival. Between thefe two iflands, there is no land, except a fmall ifland or rock, called Navafa, eight leagues from the coaft of Hifpaniola. The Admiral's brother failing with them to the moft eafterly point of Jamaica, they waited for a calm, and being fupplied with provifions, they proceeded on their Voyage. Having recommended themfelves to the care of heaven, they let fail at night, the Indians who rowed frequently leaping into the water to cool themfelves, and then returning to their work. On the fecond day they were extremely fa- tigued, and by noon, the Indians having drank up all their water, had no ftrength left : but the commanders giving them fomething to drink out of their rundlets, fupported them till the cool of the evening, when they began to fear they had miffed the ifland of Navafa, where they hoped to have refrefhed themfelves. In the afternoon, anlndian dying of thirft,they threw him overboard, while others lay fbretched' out, quite difabled, and all of them held fait water in their mouths, which they in vain hoped would relieve them. After the moon arofe on the fecond night, they happily difcovered the ifland, when they encouraged the Indians, by fhewing them the land, and giving them fmall fips or water ; whereupon, taking to their oars, they arrived at the ifland by break of day. They found this ifland was all a folid rock, having no tree or fpring of water on it, but fearching about, they at length found water in the hollows, of which the Indians, burnt up with thirfr, drank, with fuch eagernefs, that fome of them fell fick, and others died on the fpot. They remained here till the afternoon, gathering fhell fifli on the fhore, which they broil- ed and eat, one of them having brought imple- ments to make a fire. They went on board in the evening, being in fight of Hifpaniola, which they reached the next morning; where, having refrefhed themfelves two days, Fiefco propofed to return to the Ad^ miral, agreeable to his promife •, but neither the Indians nor Spaniards would accompany him, Mendez immediately proceeded to Xa- ragua, where he found the governor of Hif- paniola; who, after much intreaty, permitted him to return to St. Domingo, to purchafe a fhip. But let us look back to Jamaica, where one would apprehend all would have remained quiet, as the fending for a fhip from Hifpaniola, had been done by general con fen t ; but the men, having fuffered much in the voyage, began to grow fickly, and privately murmured and ca- balled againft the Admiral, to whom they at* tributed all their misfortunes. Two brothers, of the name of Porras, one of whom was a captain* were the principal pro* rrtoters of thefe complaints ; and having sot forty of the moft difcontented to join them, re- folved to declare their intentions : accordingly, on the fecond of January 1504, captain Francis de Porras, going on the quarter deck to the Ad- miral, faid, " We are of opinion, my lord, that you will not return into Spain, but keep us here to perilh." This fpeech immediately informed the Ad- miral, that a mutiny was formed ; but he ?.n- fwered with great coolnefs, That he knew not how they could return, till a vefiel arrived from Hifpaniola, for which he had fent by their una- nimous advice ; but if they could project any better method, he fhould be glad to hear of it, Francis de Porras replied, That there was no need of much advifing, and that the Admiral might go or remain as he pleafed : and turning about, faid, " I will go to Spain with all thofe that will follow me." Whereupon the confpi- rators cried out, " One and all ; one and all •," and having caufed much confufion on board, they feized ten canoes, which the Admiral had purchafed, and many of thofe who were fick joining them, they failed to the eaftern ^oint of Jamaica, where Mendes and Fiefco had embark- ed for Hifpaniola. Being come to the point of the ifland, they attempted to pafs to Hifpaniola, compelling fome of the natives to row the canoes -, but the fea growing rough, they threw all they had over- board, except water, arms and provifions ; and laftly the poor Indians, who fwimmingtiU tht-y were weary, laid hold of the canoes ; where- upon thefe barbarians cut off their hands, and they all perifhed, except a few, whom they kept to row them back to Jamaica. When they rp.me on fhore, fome were for re- turning 6« THE FOURTH V G Y A G E O F 'turning, and making their peace with the Ad- miral, or depriving him by force of all he pol- feffed ; while others were for making another attempt to pafs over to Hifpaniola, which par- ty prevailing, they waited fix weeks for calm weather, during which time they twice ventured to fea, hut v/ere forced back ; whereupon, quitting their canoes, they rambled from town to town, fometimes Healing provifions, and ibmetimes purchafing them of the inhabitants. During this interval, the Admiral took par- ticular care of the fick, all of whom recover- ed ; but his conftant demand for provifions, produced a fcarcity among the Indians, who lowed but little more than enough to fuppiy their ov/n wants, and therefore grew remifs in their attendance ; whereupon many of his men deferted him, and the Indians began to look upon him as a perfon of much Iels confequence than they had formerly done. Trie Admiral being reduced to great ftreights, had recourfe to a very extraordinary expedient to recover his affairs ■, knowing that there would be an eclipfe of the moon, within three days, he lent an Indian, who fpoke Spanifh, to affembie the cacique and principle people, on an affair of the utmoft importance to their welfare : being met on the day preceeding the eclipfe, the Indian told them that the chriltians believed in God who made heaven and earth, who rewards the good, and punifhes the wicked, and who being angry at the mutineers, would not permit them to pals over to Hifpaniola-, that God was an- gry with them for not fuppiy ing his diftrefTed iervants with provifions, and would therefore chaftife them with famine and other calamities, and, as a proof that what he told them, was true, they ihould, that very night, obferve the moon riling with a bloody afpeel, as a warn- ing of the punifhment God would inflict upon them. When the Indian had ended his fpeech, fome of them were terrified, while others fcoffed at the prediction ; but the eclipfe beginning as foon as the moon was up, and the darkneis continu- ing to increafe, it put them in fuch a confter- nation, that they haftened to the mips loaded with piovifions, entreating the Admiral that he would pray to God to be no longer angry with them, and they would bring as much provifi- ons as he Ihould have occafion for. In anfwer hereto, Columbus faid he would offer up his prayers for them ; and retiring to his cabin, he (hut himfelf up till the eclipfe was at the heighth, when he came out and told them that he had prayed for them, promifing they would be good and fuppiy the Chritlians with what thev mould have occafion for; whereupon God had forgiven them, and they Ihould fee the moon, bv degrees, recover her ulual appear- ance. The Indians perceiving the eclipfe was at "an end, returned thanks to the Admiral, prailed the God of the Chriflians, and were thenceforward careful to fuppiy the ihips with provifions ; and thofe among them who had ffen ecliples before, imagined they had been tokens of the anger of the Deity. MondeznndFiefco having nowbeengoneeight months, and no news being received from them, I' the Admiral began to - fear that they had eithe!* been loft at fea or killed by the Indians of Hif- paniola on their journey to St. Domingo. At length one Bernard headed a fecond fet of muti- neers, who propofed to leave the Admiral, bur the arrival of a veffel from Hifpaniola, prevent-' ed their carrying their intentions into execution. The captain -of this vefiel, James de Efcbb'ar. having come to an anchor, delivered the Ad- miral a letter of compliment, with two nifches of bacon, and a calk of wine from the governor of Hifpaniola, and weighing anchor, failed back again the fame night. The fudden departure of Efcobar was a difagreeable circumftance to the Admiral, but he from thence took an op- portunity of quelling the fecond mutiny, by informing the men, that as the litde caravel was not fufficient to carry them all, and as he was refolved not to leave them behind, Fkobar had failed fo fuddenly, that no time might be loft in affording them relief. This afiurancc, with the fight of the vefiel, and the knowledge that Mendez and Fiefco were arrived in Hifpa- niola, gave the failors a pleafing hope that the/ Ihould yet be able to leave the ifiand. Columbus, willing, if poflible, to reduce the mutineers by fair means, lent two perfon s to ac- quaint them with the intelligence he had receiv- ed ; but Francis de Porras fearing the confe- quences of his people fubmitting themfelves, met the meffengers at a difiance, and faid that they would not truft the admiral, but would be- have peaceably if he would promife to find a fhip to carry them off, and fhare what he had with them, as they had loft all their own effects. The mefiengers refufed to make any fuch pro- pofal to the Admiral ; whereupon Porras re- plied, that if they would not confent to his propofal, he and his people would come and take all they had by force. As to the Ihip from Hifpaniola, they all faid it was only a de- lufion, which the Admiral had railed by the art or magic. Porras having confirmed his people in their rebellion, they determined to do as he had threatened, and accordingly marched to an Indian town within a quarter of a league of the fhips. Columbus, being apprized of their in- tention, fent his brother with fifty men, toper- fuade Porras to return to his duty, and ordered them not to proceed to extremities, unlefs they were firft attacked. The lieutenant coming within fight of them,- fent two mefiengers to offer peace ; but they would not hear them, and advancing in fighting order, tried out, " Kill him, kill him ■" fix of ' them having taken an oath to deftroy the lieute- nant, who encouraged his men to follow his ex- ample, and fear nothing fo much as being van- quished b) rebels. Five of the fix piu'tuieers were killed at the firft onfet, when Francis de Porras fingled out the lieutenant, and at one blow, cut through his target down to his hand, which he wounded •, but not being able to reco- ver his f/.Oid, he received feveral wounds and was then made prifoner. The lieutenant then fell in among the enemy, many of whom being wounded, the reft fled with great precipitation, and the conquerors returning with feveral prifqn- etj CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 33 crs, were joyfully received by the Admiral. The day after the battle, thole that efcaped fent a petition to the Admiral, confeffing their fault, begging pardon, and promifing to ferve him faithfully for the future •, their fubmifiion was accepted, and a pardon was .grafted, but the Admiral to prevent future animo- fities, kept de Porras a clofe prilbner, and lent a peribn to conduct them about the ifland, till a vefiel ihould arrive. After they had been a full year at Jamaica, a fhip arrived, freighted by James Mendez, and with it a' caravel commanded by James de Salcedo the Admiral's iervant, and the whole company, in- cluding the rebels, embarked on the twenty eighth of June 1504, and arrived at St. Domingo on the thirteenth of Auguft. When they came to St. Domingo, the gover- nor, and all the city went out to meet the Ad- miral, who was treated with the utmoit refpect, and lodged in the governor's houfe; but this was meer affectation, for he fet de Porras at liberty, and threatened to punifh thofe, who in the time of greatefl danger, had adhered to the Admiral. Columbus had too much penetration not to difcern how deceitfully he was treated ; he knew that Obando hated him, and at the fame time feared his great credit and reputation ; and therefore he prepared for his departure as fall: as poflible, and on the twelfth of September embarked on board a fhip provided by his agents, taking alfo with him the vefiel in which they came from Jamaica, but juft as they were out of port the main maft of the lefTer vefiel came by the board, whereupon he fent her back to St. Domingo, and continued his voyage in the other. Before they had been long at fea they encoun- tered a violent ftorm, in which they loll their main mall, which being fupplied by a jury mail, they continued their voyage, and foon after loft their mizen maft in a fecond ftorm, notwith- ftanding which they fafely arrived at the port of St. Lucar, having failed feven hundred leagues after they loll their main maft. All the Admiral's misfortunes at fea did not affect him fo much, as the news of his friend and patronefs Queen Ifabella's death ; of which he was informed at his firft landing, He now knew he had but little to depend on ; for tho' the king had treated him with apparent refpect, yet he never had entertained any real kindnefs for him, and was even backward in doing him common juftice. Ferdinand, thinking that the advantages which Columbus had ftipulated for himfelf, were too large, offered him, in lieu of what was due to him from the Weft Indies, a confiderable eftate in Spain. Columbus hid been for fome time paft very ill, and chiefly imployed in fettling the affairs of his family ; but the behaviour of his Majefty gave him great uneafinefs, and he complained of it to the archbilhop of Seville-, but the King's taking a journey from Valladolid to Loredo, prevented his immediate application for redrefs, and, in the mean time, his iilnels increafing, he died on the twentieth of May 1509, aged fixty- four. His body was conveyed to the monafferyof the Carthufians, and from thence, according to fome authors, to the city of St. Domingo in Hilpaniola. A monument is erected to his memory in the cathedral of Seville, with this infenption : A Castilia, ya Leon, Nuevo Mundo dio Colon. In Englifh thus. To Castile and Leon, Columbus gave a new World. Such was the end of this great man, to whom the Spaniards are indebted for all their Ame- rican pofiefflons, and who from the boldnefs of his undertakings* and the greatnefs of his at- chievements, may, in a great degree, be confider- as the Father of Navigation. Columbus was in ftature tall, his face long, his afpecr. majeftic, his nofe aquiline, his eyes grey, his complexion ruddy and clear : his beard and hair was fair in his youth, but the many hardihips he fuffered, foon turned them grey. He was a man of wit and pleafantry, yet modeftly grave, and eloquent in difcourfe. He was affable to ftrangers, and kind to his own family. Pie had an air of authority and gran- deur, that commanded refpect. ; he was tempe- rate in eating and drinking, and modeft in his - drefs. He was ftricl in religion, according to the mode of his country, and obliged thofe un- der him to pay, at leall, a decent regard to it. He much defired the converfion of the Indians, and did what he could to allure them, by obli- ging the Spaniards to lead a life, in fome mea- fure agreeable to the faith they profeifed. He was a man of undaunted courage, and fond of great enterprizes ; he remained unmoved amidll the many troubles and adverfities that at- tended him, ever relying on the Divine Provi- dence. This is the account given of the famous Co- lumbus, by a Spanifh writer of knowledge and fidelity, who adds, that " His name will be renowed as long as the world endures." N? •>'. THE • THE V o A G E O F - Ferdinand Maglianes, otherwife Magellan, — — . Account of Magellan *, he arrives on the coaft of Brazil ; account of the Bat agonians ; the flnps proceed on their voyage ; death of 'Magellan ; defer iptions of the if es of Borneo, Tir- ridore, and many other places, and their inhabitants ; they fail to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to Europe. FERDINAND MAGLIANES, common- ly called Magellan, was of a good family in Portugal, and,, having from his youth, paid great attention to maritime affairs, he ac- quired great fkill, both in the theory and prac- tice of Navigation. He feemed formed by nature for great ex- ploits, for with the moll invincible courage, he pollened a calmnefs of temper, and a fvveetnefs of difpofition, which commanded the love and efteem of all who knew him. Magellan had ferved under the famous Al- buquerque m the Well; Indies, and thought he merited fome recompence for his fervices •, but the people in power were of a different opinion, and treated him, not with coldnefs only, but with contempt. He therefore affociated him- fclf with one Ruy Falcro, an aftronomer, with whom he retired to the court of Spain,, and made propofals for new difcoveries, to cardinal Ximenes. The Portuguefe embaffador did all in his power to render their defigns ineffectual ; he follicited the court to give them up as fugitives, and got perfons to reprefent Magellan as a tal- kative man, who wanted both capacity and courage to carry any plan of confequence into execution ; but at the fame time he privately applied to Magellan, offering him pardon and rewards, if he would return, and ferve his own Prince. AH this, however, availed littfe, the Spaniih miniftry, who were become tolerable judges of naval affairs, hftened to the Adven- turers, got them created Knights of the Order of St. James,: and granted them advantageous terms. Magellan and his compan ion were of opinion, that what had been afferted by Columbus, of the poflibility of finding the Eaft Indies, by failing Weft, was undoubtedly true ; and that a paffage might be found to the South Seas through the Rio de la plata, or fome other o- pening upon that coaft •, and, if this could be done, the profits of both Indies would accrue to Spain, as the difcovery being made from the weft,, it would fall within the exprefs terms of the Pope's grant; The crown agreed that the undertakers fhould have a twentieth part of the clear profits, with the government of fuch: places as they fhould difcovcr, to them and their heirs for ever, with the title of Lieute- nant. They were furnifhtd with five fhips, the' Trinidada, under she commend of Magellan, having on board Stephen Gomez, a Portuguefe pilot ; the Sanna Vittona, under Lewis de Men- doza-, the Saint Antonio, commanded l"y Juan de Carthagena ; the Saint Jago, of which Juan Serrano was captain, and the Conception, un- der Gaiparde Quixida. Some writers fay they had two hundred and thirty feven men, but moft agree that the mumber was two hundred and fifty, among whom were thirty Portuguefe, on whom the Admiral- placed his chief depen- dence. From the acknowledged skill and experience ' of the commanders, great hopes were conceived of this voyage, but- their deftination was a fecret which remained with the Admiral, who only told his people, iii general terms, that he was I going in fearch of new countries ; which, as they confidertd it in the light of going to load themfelves with gold, induced them to embark with the utmoftchearfulnefs. On the tenth of Auguft 1519-, they failed ! from Seville, and beating along the coaft of Guinea met with fuch eonftant calms, that it was feventy days before they paffed the line, whicli having done, they held on their courfe, and came to that part of Brazil, which lies in twenty two degrees fouth latitude. Here they found fruit, fup-ar canes and van. - ous forts of animals in great plenty •, and in two degrees and a half more of foath latitude, they came to a country inhabited by wild peo- ple of a prodigious ftature, and ofgreit fierce- nefs, who made a roaring not unlike the noife of bulls. Here they found a large river, v, hich had feven iflands at the mouth of it, in the' largeft of which they found a quantity of jewels, and gave it the name of St. Mary. Coafting onwards towards the fouth pole, they I F E R D I N A N D M A G E L L A N. 25 they found two iflands, fo full cf feals and pen- guins, that in an hour they could have catched enough to load all their ihips. The penguin, are a large black fowl} with a b:ii like ravens, extremely fat, covered with down inltead of feathers, and live entirely upon fifh. Having advanced as far as forty-nine de- grees and a half of fouth latitude, the feverity i>t~ the weather obliged them to winter at a port they called St. Julian, in a country, winch for a confiderable time, they fuppofed to be uninha- bited, but at length they law a lavage come finging and dancing towards them ; and being arrived upon the coaft, he threw dull upon his head, whereupon lbme of the failors going on fhore, and performing the fame ceremony, he went on board with them without lcruple. His height was fuch, that the head of a middle fized man reached but to his waifb, and he was proportionably large. His hair was white, his body painted yellow, and he had a ftag ; s horn drawn on each cheek, and great red circles round his eyes ; his covering was the fkin of a beaft, which appeared to have the fhape of a camel, the ears of a mule, and the tail of a horfe ■, he was armed with a bow, the firing of which was made of the gut of the above bead:, and the heads of his arrows were tipped with fharp ftones. The Admiral entertained him well, and he leemed to enjoy himlelf very much, till hap- pening to ci.ft his eyes on a looking glafs, he was (o frightened, that, itarting backwards, he beat to the ground two men who Hood behind him. The civil treatment this man received, in- duced others to come on board, whofe behavi- our afforded great entertainment to the Admiral •, and one of whom in particular eat a bafket full of fliip bilcuit, and drank a large bowl of water at a meal. Magellan ordering his people to take one of the giants, nine men with difficul- ty got him down and bound his hands, notwith- flanding which he got loofe from them arid made his elcape. Thefe people, whom they called Patagons, * have no fixed place of abode, but wandering about, ereel themfelves a kind of tents, made of the fame fkins, which cover their bodies. Their chief food is raw flefh, and a kind of fweet root called Capar: If they are ill, they either take vomits, or bleed themfelves by chopping the part affected with a fharp inftru- ment. They are faid to be extremely jealous of their women, but it does not appear that our ad- venturers faw any of them. While they were at the port of St. Julian, a confpiracy againft the life of Magellan was headed by Captain Lewis de Mendoza, who be- ing brought to a trial, was hanged, and captain Juan de Carthagenaand others, were left among the Patagonians. Having taken folemn pofief- fion of the country, by the ereftion of a crofs, and the weather being fine, the admiral continu- ed his courfe till they arrived in fifty one degrees, torty minutes fouth latitude, where he found a * The exiftence of the Patagonians was much doubted, and confequently the credit of Magellan's hiftorian was brought inte difpute, before commodwe convenient port, and plenty of wood, water and fiih. in fifty two degrees fouth latitude they found the entrance into the ftreights, which are about one hundred and ten leagues in length, in fomc places very wide, and in others not more than half a league over. The land on both fides high and irregular, and the mountains covered with lnow. When they came to the end of the ftreights, they found the Pacific Ocean, or great South lea, the fight of which gave Magellan the ut- molt joy. The point of land, from whence he firft law this defirable profpect, he called Cape Defiderato, from which place one of the fhipS ftcle away fom the reft, and failed home alone. They entered the pacific fea on the twenty eighth of November 1520, in which they failed three months and twenty days without fight of land -, during which they underwent the greateft hardlhips ; their water ftunk, and their bread being all gone, they were reduced to feed on fkins and bits of leather, which they foaked In fait water till they were fo foft that they could bite them-, but numbers of the people died for want of better provifions, and the gums of others growing over their teeth with the fcurvy, they were unable to bite the pieces of leather, and thereby ftarved to death. Their only comfort in this lituation was, that they had a fmoothfea and a fair gale during the whole time. On the lixth of March, they fell in with a number of fmall iflands in twelve degrees north latitude, where they went on fhore to refrefh themfelves after their long fatigue, but the people of thefe iilands were all thieves, conti- nually ftealing things out of the fhips, while the failors were repofing themfelves on fhore ; wherefore Magellan called them Ifias de los Ladrones, or the Iflands of Thieves. A party of the Spaniards went up into one of the Iflands^ burnt their houfes, and killed fome of the inha- bitant's ; but this had no effect, the thievifh dif- pofition continuing in its full force. The people cf thefe ifands are of an olive complexion, trie men go naked except a few of them who wear a kind of bonnet, made of the leaves of the palm tree, upon their heads. Their hair is black and very long, reaching down to their waifts. They anoint themfelves with the oil of the cocoa nut; and paint their teeth black or red. The women wearcoverings made of the inner bark of the palm tree ; they are hand- fomer than the men, and have long, thick, black hair, whicii reaches almoft to the ground ; they employ themfelves at home in making nets; and mats of the palm tree, while the men are thieving abroad. Their beds are palm mats, laid one upon another ; their weapons are clubs on which they fix heads of horn. Their food con- fills of fowls, flying-fifh, fig^ bananas, and cocoa nuts. The fails of their canoes are made of broad date leaves fewed together, and they fail with either end of the boat foremoft. Thefe people are painted all over, black, white, red Byron's late voyage to the South Seas, put the truth of he exigence bevond ;i doubt, and THE VOYAGE OF and other colours. Their euriofity is fuch, that when the failors had wounded fome of them with their arrows, they would pull them out of their bodies, and Hare at the novelty of the fight till they dropped down dead. Thev failed from the Ladrones on the tenth of March, and next day went afhore at an unin- habited ifland called Humuna, which the Admi- ral named the ifland of Good Signs, where they found gold, white coral, excellent water, and abundance of fruit trees. Here they were vifited by the people of the ifland of Zulvan, who brought them prefents of fifh, and wine made of the Cocoa tree. They invited the Admiral into their barks, and being in return invited on board the Admiral's {hip, a cannon was fired in compliment to them, at which they were fo frightened, as to be ready to leap overboard, and with great difficulty were perfuaded to flay on board. The ifland of Zulvan produces cinnamon, cloves, nutmegs, and other fpices. The peo- ple were fhort and thick, of an olive colour, and adorned themfelves with gold and jewels in their ears, and pieces of gold rattened to their arms ; they had alio daggers, knives and lances richly ornamented with the fame metal. Their chief covering was a kind of cloth round the middle, made out of the rind of a tree •, but the principle people were diftinguifhed by a piece of filk needle work, wrapped about their heads. They left this place on the twenty-fifth of March, and failing weft fouth weft, arrived on the twenty-eighth at the ifle of Buthuan, the King of which coming on board prefented Ma- gellan with confiderable quantities of gold and fpices ; and the Admiral gave him in return, two garments of cloth, made in the Turkifh fafhion, one red, and the other yellow •, and among the principal people he diftributed knives, glaffes and chryftal beads. The Admiral fent two perfons on fhore with the King, whole palace refembled a hay loft, and was built fo high, on pofts of timber, that they ufed ladders to get in. They fit oofs-legged at their meals, and inftead of candles, burn the gum of a tree, wrapped up in palm leaves. The King having entertained them in leveral of his palaces, difmified them with valuable prefents, being much aftonifhed at feveral things he law them do, but particularly writing, and then leading what they had written, which was a myftery he could by no means comprehend. The perlon of his Majefty was comely, his hair black and long, and his complexion olive ; he had rings of gold in his ears, and three on every finger ; his head was covered with a filken veil, and a piece of cotton, wrought with filk and gold, hung down to the knees : he wore a dag- ger, with a handle of gold, and a fcabbard of fine carved wood. The men go naked, except a covering of paint •, but the women are covering from the waift downward, and they all wear golden ear- rings. They conftantly eat a fruit like a pear, cut- in flices, and rolled up in leaves like a bay leaf; and they fay, they cannot live without it. Leaving this place, the King's pilots conduct- ed them to the ifles of Zeilon, Zubut Mefiana, and Caleghan. In MefTana they found dogs, cats, hogs, poultry, goats, rice, oranges, wax, and gold in great plenty. From Meifana they failed to Zubut which is about leventy leagues, thd King of the place bearing them company, and entered the port on the feventh of April, when they fired their great guns, which very much terrified the inha- bitants ; but they fent an ambafTador on fhore, to allure the King that it was their cuftom to pay this compliment to the governor on enter- ing a port, and to acquaint him how great a Prince they were fervants to ; that their defign was to find the Molucca iflands, that they only came to vifit him by the way, having heard of his fame from the King of Meffana ; and that they defired to be furniihed with provifions in exchange for their commodities. The King told them, he expected they would pay tribute, as was cuftomary for all vefiels that came thither, to do.' — This the ambafTador refufed, faying, that his Admiral, was fervant to a great Mo- narch, who never had, nor ever would pay that acknowledgment at any place whatever; that they came with peaceable intentions ; but that if he was difpofed for war, they were ready to engage with him. The King of Mefiana, went on fhore, and reprelented matters in fuch a light, that the King of Zubut offered terms of friendfhip to Magellan, which he was ready to feal with his blood. Then he and his nephew went on board the Admiral, with the King of Mefiana, and carried him prefents ; after which Magellan vi- fited him on lhore, and found him in his palace fitting upon a fine mat, made of date leaves, with a roll of cotton about his waift. On his head he had a veil of needle work, jewels in his ears, and a chain of gold about his neck. Be- fore him were feveral procelaine veiTels, fome filled with eggs, fome with date wine. For their diverlion, the King made his daughters fing and dance naked before them. The people of this countr r ufe weights and meafures, and are extremely juft in all their dealings. Their houfes are of timber, raifed high above the ground, to which they afcend by itairs. It is afTerted but we give it not as a fad) that in this country there is a water fowl, as big as a crow which being fwallowed by a whale, ears up the heart, and thereby kills the fifh, which being afterwards taken, the bird is found a- live. The Admiral perfuaded the King of Zubur, and his principal fubjecTs to embrace the Chrif- tian Religion, and their baptifm was performed . with great folemnity ; the King was named Charles, and the Prince, Ferdinando ; the Queen and forty ladies were alfo baptized at the fame • time, among whom was the Prince's wife, who was young and beautiful ; her body was cover- ed with a white cloth, and her head adorned witli a triple crown of date leaves : after the ceremony, and hearing of mafs, the King and court dined on board the Admiral's fhip, in ho- nour FERDINAND MAGELLAN. 37 nour of whom all the great ordinance was dif- charged. Above five hundred perfons of in- ferior rank were likewife baptized, and in eight days time, all the ifland, except the people of one village, became Chriftians ; whereupon the Spaniards burnt the vilhge, and erected a crols upon the ruins of it. The idols were deftroyed throughout the ifland, and erodes fet up in many places. The Spaniards had great advantages in their dealings with thefe people, who exchanged ten pefos of gold, for fourteen pounds weight of iron, and iupplied them with plenty of provifions for any kind of toys. From Zubut, they failed to the ifland of Ma- than, the inhabitants of which go naked, ex- cept a flight covering round the middle; they nv.rry as many wives as they pleafe, only one of whom is miftrefs of the family. They offer facrifices to the fun, in the following manner: they ring a number of bells, and then fpread a cloth upon the ground, upon which they place difhes, filled with honey, rice, and roafted fifh. The facrifice is a hog : two old women acting as priefteffes, who ling and dance about the animal, and found a kind of trumpets made of reeds. Then, having faid feveral prayers to the fun, and made many antic geftures, one of the women (hikes the hog dead with a lance, and puts a lighted lamp into its mouth, which con- tinues burning during the ceremony. The o- ther woman dips the trumpet into the blood, and with her finger befmears her hufband's fore- head, and the other men who attend the facri- fice. This being done, they change their gar- ments, and began eating the honey, rice and fifh, which only the women partake of, and then the prie defies having faid grace over the hog, they all eat of it. Their funeral ceremonies are likewife very extraordinary: when a man of confequence dies, all the principal women repair to his houfe, carrying boughs with pieces of cotton tied to them, which they faften about the corps •, and then fit round it, doathed in white cotton, fanning themfrlves with the branches of palm ; the room be^g perfumed with myrrh and fto- rax : the wife then advances, and ftretches her- felf at length, face to face, on the dead body of the hufband, crying and lamenting, while a per- fon cuts his hair off; but when that is done, fhe fings a merry fong. This ceremony conti- nues five days, after which the body is inclofed in a ftrong vault, built of wood. The ifland of Mathan being governed by two Kings, and one of them refufing to pay tribute to the King of Spain, Magellan prepared to re- duce him, and with a company of fixty Spa- niards, armed with coats of male and helmets, attacked upwards of fix thoufand Indians, who had bows, arrows, darts, and javelins ; the battle was doubtful for a considerable time, till the Admiral's impetuofity carrying him too far a- mong the enemy, he was wounded with a poi- foned arrow, and then a lance was thruft into his head, which put an end to his life. Eight or nine of the Spaniards, and fifteen of the In- dians were flain. The Spaniards would have re- No IV. K deemed the body of the Admiral, but the In- dians would not part from it. The King, who was willing to have paid tribute, and who had embraced the Chriftian reli- gion, abandoned it, on this change in the cir- cumftances of the Spaniards, and laid a plan for their deftrudion, which he executed in the fol- lowing manner : he invited thofe Spaniards, which were on fhore, to a grand entertainment, and while they were feafting, gave private or- ders to murder them all, except Don Juan Ser- rano, whom he kept in hopes of getting a ran- fom for him ; which thofe on board would rea- dily have given him, but they difcovered fo much prevarication in his behaviour, that find- ing their whole force amounted only to eighty men, and dreading the fate of their companions they determined to put to fea. When Serrano faw them about to weigh an- chor, he begged on his knees, in the moil mov- ing manner, that they would not 1. . i a- mong the favages; but their fears made them deaf to his intreaties, and what became of him afterwards is not known. They now- found that their fhips were in a very bad condition, and that it would be necef- fary to make ufe of one to repair the other two; and having, a little before the Admiral's death, heard of the Moluccas, they failed from Mathan to the ifland of Bohol, where they r epairedtwo fhips and furnifhed them with the materials of the Conception, burning fuch as they did not ufe. Sailing hence to the fouth weft, they came to Chippet, which is a large ifland about fifty leagues from Zubut, in eight degrees north lati- tude and one hundred and feventy weft longi- tude, from their firft fetting out. This ifland abounds in rice, ginger, goats, bogs, &c. and they were received in a friendly manner by the king of it, who -drawing blood from his left arm, marked his body, face, and the tip of his tongue with it in token of peace •, in which ce- remony he was followed by the Spaniards. Sailing weft and fouth weft forty leagues from hence, they came to Caghaian a large ifland, but thinly inhabited by Moors, who are exiles from Borneo, who poflefs great quantities of gold and make ufe of poifoned arrows. From hence they failed to Puloan, an ifland in nine degrees twenty minutes north latitude, abound- ing in figs, battatos, cocoas and fugar canes. The people go naked, ufe poifoned arrows, and are great lovers of the cruel fport of cock fight- ing. Their chief drink is a kind of wine, (arrack) made of rice which is very intoxicating. From Puloan they came to the rich ifland of Borneo, the chief city of which contained twenty five thoufand houfes. It was govemed by a Moorifh King, who kept a magnificent court •, he fent valuable prefents to the captains, and ordered two elephants adorned with filk to carry the Spanifti meffengers with their prefents to his palace. His houfhold is governed by women, who are daughters to the chief courtiers. When his fubjects approach him, they lift their hands clofed together, three times over their heads ; then lift up each foot, and laftly kifs their hands. He is faid to employ ten fecretaries who write on 3* THE VOYAGE OF on the barks of trees. This ifland abounds in cattle, fowls, melons, cucumbers, fugar, lemons, oranges, mirabolans, ginger, camphire, and rice ; of which lafl. they make great quantities of arrack. From Borneo they failed to Cimbubon, where they were detained forty days in repairing their fhips,and taking in wood and water. Oftriches, hogs and crocodiles are found in great plenty here ; and they took a fifh whole head refem- bled that of a hog, but had horns on it ; the body appeared to be an entire bone, and the back of it was fhaped like a faddle : they alio found a tree, the leaves of which falling to the ground, moved about as if they were alive ; they refembled mulberry leaves with fibres like little eggs upon them. If touched, they fud- denly fpring away, and if cut or broken pro- duce a kind of blood ; the Spanifh author who wrote this account, kept one of thefe leaf ani- mals eigu days.* Eending their courfe hence, to the fouth eaft for the Moluccas, they came to the iflands of Solo Taghima, whence the king of Borneo had received two pearls nearly as big as hens eggs : from hence they went to the illand of Sarangani, where they prefied two pilots for the Molucca voyage, and proceededtoabeautifulifiand, called Sanger, which was governed by four kings; and on the fixth of September, in the twenty-ieventh month after their departure from Spain, they dis- covered five iflands, which the pilots faid were the Moluccas ; which the Portuguefe, who had difcovered them before, had reprcfented as fituated among rocks and fhelves, furround- ed with continual darknefs, and the feas about them fo (hallow, that there was no failing in fafety near them. They founded the depth of the water, and found it full a hundred yards ; and on the eighth of November before fun-rifing, entered the port of Tirridore, one of the chief of the Molucca iflands. The king of the ifland was a Moor, but extremely kind to the Spaniards, giving them leave to come on fhore, and calling them his brethren and children ; and fome authors aflert that he changed the name of the ifland from Tirridore to Caftile, in compliment to them. In this ifland is a fort of tree, the bark of which being fteeped, is drawn out in fine threads like filks, of which the women make aprons, which is the only garment they wear. From Tirridore they went to the great idand of Gilolo, which is inhabited by Moors and Pagans. The Moors are governed by two kings, one of which, it is faid, had, by different concubines, fix hundred children, and the other fix hundred and fifty. The Pagans here,worfhip the firfl thing they fee in a morning. In this ifle grows a reed about the fize of a man's leg, which contains a large quantity of pure water of a very good tafle. On the twelfth of November, a public ware- houfe being opened, for the exchange of their effects, they dealt at the following rates; for * This account however improbable, is confirmed by ten yards of red cloth they received one bahar of cloves, being near feventeen hundred weight; for fifteen yards of a more ordinary cloth, one bahar ; for thirty-five drinking glaffes, one ba- har, and the fame quantity for ieventeen cathyls of quickfilver. The inhabitants brought provi- fions to the fliips daily, and water from Iprino-s on the mountains where the cloves grow, which is hot when taken up, but afterwards grows cold. A prefent was made them for the king of Spain, of two dead birds, about the fize of turtles, with long bills, fmall heads and legs, and for wings two or three feathers only, of different colours, the reft of the body being a light brown : thefe birds never fly but when the wind blows to affift them, and the Moors thinking they come down from heaven, call them Birds of Paradife. The Moluccas produce a fruit which they call camu- lical, which has a very cold tafte ; alfo fugar- canes, melons, gourds, cloves, ginger, rice, white and red figs, almonds, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, goats, fheep, poultry, and a kind of honey which is made by flies lefs than ants. When they left thefe iflands they were at- tended by the feveral kings in their canoes, who conduced them to the Ifle of Mare, and then took leave of them. Their numbers were now fo reduced by fick- nefs, that the whole company confifted only of forty -fix Spaniards, and thirteen Indians ; when failing by a great number of iflands, they (laid fifteen days at Mallua, which lies in eight de- grees fouth latitude, to repair their fliips. The people of this ifland are cannibals, make ufe of bows an "I arrows, and wear their hair and beards twifted up in canes. Sailing hence well: and north-weft a long courfe, they came to the ifland of Eude, which produces great plenty of cinnamon. February the eleventh, they fleered away be- tween the weft and fouth-weft, leaving the north coaft on their right hand, and ftanding far out to fea to avoid the Portuguefe who were fettled at Malacca ; and, to double the Cape of Good Hope with the greater fafety, failed as low as forty two degrees fouth latitude, where they were obliged to wait feven weeks for a wind. When they had paffed the Cape, they were fo did re fled by hunger and ficknefs, that many of them propofed to put in at Mozambique for re- frefhment; but as the Portuguefe were there, the majority were of opinion that it would be more prudent to fail homewards ; whereupon they held their courfe towards the fouth weft for two months, without touching at any port, during which they loft twenty-one perfons, and the reft were upon the point of ftarving. In this fituation they arrived at St. James, one of the Cape de Verd iflands, where, on their going afhore, and reprefenting their deplorable fituation, the Portuguefe relieved their necefii- ties, but on their landing a fecond time for pro- vifions, they were made prifoners. Thirteen of the company, being on board the fhip, and find- ing the fate of their companions, thought pro- per to depart with the utmoft expedition, and hiftoiuns, and cited in various treaties of natural hiflory. the SIR FRANCIS DRAKE. 39 the wind being fair, they weighed anchor, and arrived in fafety in the harbour of St. Lucar, near Seville, on the feventh of September, 1522, having been abfent ever fince the tenth of Auguft 1 5 19. The perfon who commanded the Victoria, the only verTel which had the good fortune to return, was John Sebaftian Cano, whom the emperor, Charles Vch. nobly rewarded, giving him for his arms, the terreftrial globe, with this motto, "Primus me circumded;fti ;"" Thou firft furroundedft rne." The new difcover'd ftreights were at firft called the Sr.reights of Victoria, but were loon after known by the name of of Magellan, which they ftill the retain Strei°;hts Sir FRANCIS D R A K E's V O Y A G ROUND THE WORLD. E Some account of Drake and hisjortntr Voyages; arrives at the ijland of Magador ; fails to the Cape de Verd iflands ; takes a Portugueje vejjel; defcription of the Str eights of Magellan 1 ijlands ; the Admiral doubles the Cape of Good Hope, and arrives Jafe in England. MR. Drake was apprenticed to the mafter of a fmall veflel trading to France and Zealand •, at the age of eighteen he went purfer of a ihip, to the bay of Bifcay, and at twenty made a voyage to the coaft of Guinea. In 1565, he went to the Weft Indies, and in 1567, ierved under his kinfman Sir John Haw- kins in the bay of Mexico •, being a confider- able loofer by the two laft voyages, he made a third in 1570, with two (hips, the Dragon and the Swan ; and in the following year failed again to the fame parts with the Swan only, with a view to gain fuch experience and information, as might qualify him to undertake fome voyage of more importance. On the twenty-fourth of May, 1572, he failed from Plymouth in the Pafca, burden feventy tons, in company with the Swan, burden two hundred and fifty tons, commanded by his bro- ther John Drake, with feventy three men and boys, and provifions for a year. In this voyage he facked the town of Nombre de Dios, and afterwards from a high tree faw the fouth feas, which infpired him with an ar- dent defire of carrying an Englilh fhip thither. Drake was a great gainer by this expedition, but his generofity and love of juftice were very ex- traordinary, an inftance of which is worth re- cording. Having prefented a cutlafs to a prince of the free Indians inhabiting the Ifthmus of Darien ; the prince gave him in return four large wedges of gold which he threw into the com- mon ftock, faying, " My owners gave me that cutlafs, and it is but juft they fhould have their {hares of its produce." In his return to England, captain Drake fail- ed from the canes of Florida to the ifles of Scilly in twenty three Days ; and arrived at Ply- mouth on Sunday the ninth of August, 1573, having been abfent one year two munths and fome days. The riches which Drake had acquired, he fpent with great generofity in the fervice of his country: he fitted out three frgates, at his own expence, which he commanded in perfon, under W alter Eari of E Hex, again ft the rebels in Ireland. After the death of the earl of EfTex, Drake applied himfelf to Sir Chriftopher Hatton, vice chamberlain to the Queen, by whofe intsreft, he at length obtained the Queen's permifiion for an expedition againft the Spaniards. Captain Drake's friends contributed largely towards this expedition, for which five fhips were fitted out. The Pelican, which Drake named the Hind, burden one hundred tons, commanded by himfelf ; the Elizabeth of eighty tons, John Winter, captain; theMarygold, a bark of thirty tons burden, John Tho:nas, com- mander; the Swan, a fly-boat of fifty tons, com- manded by John Chefter; and a Pinnace of fif- teen tons, of which Thcmas Moon was the com- mander. The fhips had one hundred and fixty four able men on board, and a large quantity of provifions together with four pinnaces ftowed in pieces, to be put together, whenever they might be wanted. It is faid that all the vefiels for the captains table, and many belonging to the cook- room were of filver ; and other furniture on board proportionably grand. This fleet failed out of Plymouth Sound, the fifth of November 1577 ; but meeting with a violent ftorm, in which feveral of die fhips were damaged 4 o SIR FRANCIS D R A K E's VOYAGE. damaged, they were obliged to put back, and relic : and on the thirteenth of December they failed again, with a favourable wind, and law no land till the twenty-fifth, when they palled cape Cantin, on the coaft of Barbary ; and on the twenty-feventh, came to the ifland of Ma- gador, lying one mile out at lea, between which and the continent they found a fafe har- bour, where the Admiral gave directions for putting together one of the pinnaces, which they brought from England. While the men were engaged in this bufinefs, fome of the inhabitants came to the fhore, and making figns of peace, the admiral fent one of his men on fliore, whereupon two of them ven- tured on board, and told them by figns, that the next day they would fnpply the (hips with provifions; for which kind offer the Admiral gave them linen cloth, fhoes and a javelin. The next day they came to the fea-fide, agree- able to their promife, when one of the men, whole name was Fry, leaped haftily among them, imagining they had been friends, when they feized him, and threatening to ltab him, if he made any refinance, they carried him up into the country. The failors were about to attempt to refcue Fry, but feeing others of the natives appear from places where they had hid themfelves, they were glad to recover their boat, and make off to thefhip. The Admiral fent a body of men into the country to recover Fry, and punifh the trea- cherous Moors ; but they conftantly avoided his people-, fo that after fearching in vain, they returned to the (hip, and failed from the coaft of Morocco on the thirtieth of December. In the mean time, Fry, being examined, de- clared that the fleet confifted of Englifh fhips, under the command of Admiral Drake, bound to the Sjreights •, a report which Drake had caufed to be circulated to conceal his real de- fign ; whereupon Fry was fent back with pre- fents for the Admiral, and an aflurance of friendfhip, but he being failed, Fry was after- wards fent to England in a merchant-fhip. The Admiral arriving at Cape Blanco on the feventeenth of January, found a fhip at anchor with only two failors left to guard her, which he immediately feized, and took her into the haibour, where they remained four days, dur- ing which, the Admiral exercifed his men on fhore, to prepare them for land as well as fea- fervice. In this place they bartered with the fifhermen, for fuch provifions as they had, and exchanged with them a little bark of their own, for one of about forty tons. They left this harbour on the twenty-fecond, the mafter of the bark having informed the Ad- miral, that in one of the Cape de Verd Iflands, called Mayo, there was plenty of dried cabitos or goats, which were prepared every year, for fuch of the King's fhips as called there. They arrived at this ifland on the twenty- feventh of January, but the inhabitants could not trade with them, being forbidden by the King's order, and had left their villages. The next day the Admiral landed a body of men, with orders to march into the country, which they found extremely fertile, producing great quantities of cocoas, figs, and a very delicate fort of grapes. This ifland abounded with fait, dried by the heat of the fun; and they found many goats and kids, dead and dried, which the inhabitants had laid in their way, but they did not think proper to accept of them. Leaving this place on the thirty-firft, they failed by the ifland of Jago, and feeing two Po; tuguefe veffels under fail, they took one of them which was laden with wine; but the Ad- miral detained only the pilot, difcharging the mailer and his crew, and giving them fome pro- vifions, a butt of wine, their wearing apparel, and one of his own pinnaces. Three pieces of cannon were fired at them from the ifland, but did them no damage. They arrived the fame evening at Del Fuego, or the Burning ifland, fo called from a Volcano on its north fide, from which conftantly iffues fmoke and flame. To the fouth of Del Fuego they discovered the beautiful Ifland of Brava, covered with ever- greens, and watered with cooling ftreams, which pour themfelves into the fea, which is fo deep round it, that there is no poflibility of coming to an anchor ; but fome of the failors going on fhore found a poor hermit, whofe cell was fur- nilhed with an ilUcontrived altar, fome images badly carved, and a crucifix ; and this man ap- peared to be the only inhabitant of the place. Leaving the Capede Verd iflands, they failed towards the line, being fometimes tofled by tempefts, and at others quite becalmed. They now faw numbers of dolphins, bonitos, and fly- ing fifb.es, which being purfued by the fharks, frequently flew out of the water, and their fins drying, they dropped on the fhips and were un- able to rife again. Having paffed the line, they at length difco- vered the coaft of Brazil on the fifth of April, being fifty four days fince they faw land. As foon as the people on fhore faw the fhips, they made large fires in different parts, and performed various ceremonies to prevail on the gods to fink the veffels, or at leaft to prevent their landing. On the feventh in a ftorm of lightning, rain and thunder, they loft the Chriftopher, but hap- pily met with her again on the eleventh, at a place, which the Admiral called Cape Joy, where thty found a harbour between a large rock and the main, in which the fhips rode in fafety. Ac this place they found no other inhabitants, but herds of wild deer, but the failors difcovered the print of human feet in the fand. The air was mild, and the foil rich and fertile. They killed feveral feals on the rock, which they found to be wholfome food, though not ex- tremely pleafant. Having taken in water, they failed for the great river of Plate ; where, finding no good harbour, they put to fea again, and failing on came to a good bay, in which were feveral iflands, flocked with feals and fowls, and a- bounding in frefh water. The Admiral going on fhore, the natives came leaping and dancing about, ROUND THE WORLD. 41 about him, and feemed extremely willing to trade, but would touch nothing but what was firft thrown down on the ground. The Marygold and the Chriftopher, having been fent to difcover a convenient harbour, re- turned with the agreeable news that they had found one, whereupon all the fleet failed thither ; when the admiral, having no farther ufe for the Swan, ordered her to be burnr, having firft di- vided her provifions and iron work among the reft of the fleet. The feals here abounded to fuch a degree that they killed upwards of two hundred in the fpace of an hour. While they were em- ployed on fliore, the natives came to them with- out fear : they had a covering of a bead's fkin about the middle, wore fomething wrapped round their heads, and had their faces and bo- dies painted. They had bows of an ell long, and two arrows each. Two of them being pleafed with the Admiral's hat, matched it off his head, and ran away with it, dividing the pr'ze between them, one taking the hat, and the other the lace. Sailing from hence they anchored in port St. Julian, which name was given it by Magellan, where the Admiral going on fhore with fix of his men, fome of the natives flew his gunner, whole death was revenged by the Admiral, who killed the murderer with his own hand. At this place Magellan having executed one of his company who confpired againft his life, Drake caused one Doughty to be tried for the fame offence againft himfclf, and executed on the fame gibbet. On the feventeenth of Auguft, they left the port of St. Julian, and on the twentieth fell in with the ftreights of Magellan, which they en- tered on the twenty-firfi, and found fo full of intricate turnings and windings, that the fame wind which was fomctimes in their favour, was at others againft them. This paffage is dan- gerous, for though there is fevera! good har- bours and plenty of frefh water, yet the depth of the fea is fo great, that there is no anchoring except in fome very narrow river, or between the rocks. On both fides are vaft mountains covered with fnow to a prodigious hright above the clouds, notwithftanding which the trees and plants near the fhore maintain a conftant ver- dure. The breadth of the ftreights is from one league to four, and the tides rife high from one end to the other. On the twenty-fourth of Auguft they came to an ifland in the ftreights, where they found fuch numbers of penguins (a kind of bird as big as a goofe) that they killed three thoufand in one day. They entered the fouth fea on the fixth of September, and on the next day a violent ftorm drove them two hundred leagues fouth of the ftreights, where thty anchored among fome ifiands, abounding in water and excellent herbs. Not far from hence, they entered another bay, where they found naked people failing in canoes from one ifland to another, in fearch of provifions; with whom they traded for what they had. On the third of October, they found three N' 4. L ifiands, in one of which was a mod incredible number of birds, and on the eighth in a ftorm, they loft the Elizabeth, captain Winter, who being driven back into the ftreights, took pof- feffion of the country in the name of queen Eli- zabeth, and afterwards arrived fafe in Eng- land. Being now arrived at the other mouth of the ftreights, they fleered for the coaft of Chili, and on the twenty-ninth of November caft anchor at the ifland of Mocha, where the Admiral, with ten men, went on fhore. The inhabitants were fuch as the extreme cruelty of the Spaniards had obliged to feek a refuge here •, and they behaved very civilly, giving the Admiral two fat fheep and fome potatoes, in exchange for fome trifling prefents •, they alfo promiied them water, and the next day two men going on fnore with barrels to fetch it, they were feized and knocked on the head. The reafon of this outrage was, that they were miitaken for Spaniards, whom thefe people never fpare. Continuing their courfe for Chili, they met an Indian in a canoe, who mirtaking them for Spaniards, informed them, that at St. JagOj there was a large fhip laden for Peru. The Admiral rewarded him for his intelligence, whereupon he conducted them to the place where the fhip lay at anchor. There were only eight Spaniards and three negroes on board, who miftaking them for friends, welcomed them by beat of drum, and invited them to drink Chili wine. The Englifh accepted the invitation, and, going on board, clapped them all under the hatches, except one, who leaping overboard, fwam on fhore to give notice of the coming of? the Englifh ; upon which, the inhabitants quit- ting the town, the Admiral fecured his prize, and then going on fliore, rifled the town and chapel, from which he took a filver chalice, t wo cruets, and an altar cloth, which he gave to his chaplain. They alfo found in the town, a large quantity of Chili wine, which the Admi- ral fent en board, and then fteered for Lima the capital of Peru, having firft difcharged all his pnibr.ers except one, w horn he kept for a pilot. Being out at fea the Admiral examined the value of the booty which he had taken, which exceeded thirty-feven thoufand Spanifh du- cats, of pure gold of Baldivia. Continuing their courfe they put into the harbour of* Coquimbo, where the Admiral fending four- teen men on fhore to fetch water, the Spa- niards fent three hundred horfe and two hun- dred foot to attack them ; but the Englifh mak- ing a good retreat, reached their veffels with the lofs of only one man, who svas fhot, and the next day, the Admiral ordering fome of his peo- ple on fhore to bury him, the Spaniards difplay- ed a flag of truce ; but the fadois doubting their fincerity, returned to the (hips as ibon as they had buried their companion. From hence they failed to the port of Tara- paxa, where fome of them going afhore, found a Spaniard afleep with eighteen bars of filver, worth four thoufand Spanifh ducats, lying by him > 42 SIR FRANCIS D R A II E's VOYAGE him? which they took away without waking him ; and not far from the fame place, g« afhore i water, they met a Spaniard and an Indian driving eight Peruvian (heep, each fheep having on his back two leather bags, each con- taining fifty-two pounds weight of very fine fih er. They took away the load, and permitted the Indian and Spaniard to drive on the fheep. They failed from hence to the port of Arica, where they found three fmall barks, out of which they took fifty-feven wedges of filver, each of which weighed about twenty pounds, but they took no prifoners ; for the men, not ex- pecting an enemy, were all on more. However, not having ftrength to attack the town, they put to fea again, and taking a little bark laden with linen (-loth, they took a part of it, and difmified her. They entered the port of Lima, on the thir- teenth of February, where thev found twelve fail of (hips at anchor, unguarded ; the crews beinsr, all on (hore. Examining thefe veffels they found a chert filled with rials of plate, which together with fome fiiks and linnen, they made prize of; but having intelligence that a rich fbip called the Cacafuego was lately failed from that harbour for Paita, the Admiral determined to follow her, but on his arrival at Paita, found fhe was failed for Panama-, but they met with another prize, in which, befides ropes and other ufeful tackling for fhips, they found eighty pounds weight of gold, and a crucifix of the fame metal, adorned with emeralds : but refold- ing ftill to proceed in fearch of the Cacafuego, the Admiral promifed a golden chain, which he ufually wore about his neck, to the firft perfon who fiiould difcoverher ; which fell to the fbare of Mr. John Drake, who firft faw her about three o'clock in the afternoon. Having come up with her about fix o'clock, they gave her three fir.ts, which brought away her mizen mall, whereupon they boarded her, and found thirteen chefts full of rials of plate, eighty pounds weight of gold, a quantity of jewels, and t enty fix tons of filver in bars The Admiral rinding, among other rich pieces of plate, two large filv'er bowls gilt, which be- longed to the pilot, told him he mult have one of them, which the pilot readily complied with, delivering the other to the Admiral's fteward at the fame time. Having ranfacked the Cacafuego, they dif- mified her, and continuing their courfe to the weft, they met with a fhip laden with linen cloth, china difnes, and filks •, from the owner of which, a Spaniard, who was then on board, the Admiral took a falcon of mafly gold, with a large emerald in the bread: of it ; after which, they feized fuch of the effects as they chofe, and difmified the vefiel, keeping the pilot of her for their own fervice. This pilot conducted them to the harbour of Guarulco, in which town he faid there were only feventeen Spaniards. The Admiral and le of Iv.s people going on fhore, entered the town, and proceeding directly to the hall of juftice, founu a court fitting, and the judge rea- ; j pafs fentence on feveral poor negroes, who v,ere accufed of a'plot to fire the town. But the Admiral feized every perfon prefent, and fent them on board his fhip ; from whence he compelled the judge to write to the people of the town, to keep at a distance, and not attempt to make any refiftance. This being done, they ranfacke j die place, but found nothing of value, excep: a bufhel of rials of plate, and a chain of gold let with jewels, which an Engli;h failor took from a rich Spaniard who was flying out of the town. At this place the Admiral put on fhore his Spaniih prifoners, and an old Portuguefe pilot, whom he hid brought from the Cape de Verd iflands, and then departed for the ifland of Canno, where a Spanifh fhip bound for the Phi- lipine Iflmds, putting ;n, they took part of. her merchandize, and difmified her. Mr. Drake having now revenged both him- felf and his country on the Spaniards, began to think of the b^ft way of returning to England. To return by the {freights of Magellan, (and as yet no other paflage had been difcovered) would, he thought, be to throw himfelf into the hands of the Spaniards : he therefore determined to fail weft ward, to the Eaft Indies, and fo follow- ing the Portuguese courfe, to return home by the Cape of Good Hope; but wanting wind, he was obliged to fail toward the north, in which courfe, having continued at leaft fix hundred leagues, and being got into forty-three degrees north latitude, they found it intolerably cold ; upon which they fleered fouthwards, till they got into thirty-eight degrees north latitude, where they difcovered a country, which from its white cliffs, they called Nova Albion, though it is now known by the name of Cali- fornia. They here difcovered a bay, which entering with a favourable gale, they found feveral huts, by the water fide, well defended from the fe ve- rity of the weather. Going on fhore, they found a fire in the middle of each houfe, and the peo- ple lying round it upon rufhes. The men go quite naked, but the women have a deer fkin over their fhoulders, and round their waifts a covering of bull-ruihes, drcflcd after the man- ner of hemp. Thefe people bringing the Admiral a prefent of feathers, and cauls of net work, he enter- tained them fo kindly and generoulily, that they were extremely pleafed : and foon afterwards they fent him a prefent of feathers and bags of tobacco ; a number of them corning to deliver it, gathered themfelves together at the top of a frail hill, from the higheft point of which one of them harangued the Admiral, vvhofe tent was placed at the bottom •, when the fpeech was ended, they laid down their arms, and came down, offering their prefents ; at the fame time returning what the Admiral had given them. The women remaining on the hill, tearing their hair, and making dreadful howlings, the Ad- ..1 fuppofed them engaged in offering facri- fices, and thereupon ordered divine fervice to be performed in his tent, at which thefe people attended with aftonifhmenr. The arrival of the Englifh at California, be- ing foon known through the country, two per- fons, in the character of ambaf ad rs, came i i the. ROUND THE WORLD. 43 the Admiral, and informed him in the bed man- ner they were able, that their King would yifit him, if he might be allured of coming in fafety. Being fatisfied in this point, a numerous com- pany loon appeared, in the front of which was a very comely perlbn, bearing a kind of fceptre, on which hung two crowns, and three chains of a oreat length. The chains were made of bones, and the crowns of net work, curioufly wrought with feathers of many colours. Next to the fceptre bearer came the King, a handfome, majeftic perfon, furrounded by a number of tall men, drefled in fkins, who were followed by the common people, who to make the orander appearance, had painted their faces of various colours, and all of them, even the children, being loaded with prefents. The men being drawn up in line of battle, the Admiral flood ready to receive the King within the fences of his tent. The company having halted at a diftance, the fceptre-bearer made afpeech, half an hour long, at the end of which he -began finging and dancing, in which he was followed by the king, and ail the people ; who, continuing to fing and dance, came quite up to the tent •, when lilting dov/n, the King took off his crown of feathers, placed it on the Admiral's head, and put on him the other enfigns of royalty •, and, it is faid, that he made him a iblemn tender of his whole king- dom ; all which the Admiral accepted, in the name of the Queen, his fovert ign, in hopes that thefe proceedings might, one time or other, contribute to the advantage of England. The common people difperfing themfelves a- mong the Admiral's tents, profeffed the utmofl admiration of, andefteem for the Englifh, whom they confidered as more than mortal ; and ac- cordingly prepared to offer facrifices to them, which the Englifh rejected with abhorrence, di- recting them, by figns, that their religious wor- fhip was alone due to the Supreme Maker and Prelerver of all things. The Admiral and fome of his people travel- ling to a diftance up the country, law fuch a number of rabbits, that it appeared an entire warren : they aifo faw deer in fuch plenty as to run a thoufand in a herd. The earth of the country feemed to promife rich veins of gold and filver, fome of the oar being cor.ftantly found upon digging. The Admiral, at his departure, fet up a pil- lar with a large plate on it, on which was en- graved, her majefty's name, picture, arms and title to the country •, together with the Ad- miral's name, and the time of his arrival there. Sailing from hence, they loft fight of land till the thirteenth of October, when they faw the La- drones, from whence came off a great number of fmall veftels, laden with cocoas, and other fruit. Thefe veffels on the outfide were fmooth and fhining, like burnifhed horn, on each fide of them lay two pieces of wood, and the infide * The laitcr part of this compliment is fo far overftrained, that there is the higheil reafon to be- lieve the writer of the voyage introduced it to pleafe was adorned with white fhells. The people that came in thefe boats had the lower part of their ears cut round, and drawn down by the weiaht of pendants. Their nails v. vn to a full inch in length. Their teeth were black as jet, by the conftant chewing of a herb which they carry with them. Thefe people at firft dealt fairly, but foon be- gan to ileal whatever they could get at, ftill refufing to give up whatever they had feized ; whereupon the Englifh determined they fhould come no more on board •, which fo enraged them that the y began to fling flones ; but a gun being fired, they leaped into the water, ant?" flickered themfelves under their vefllls, till the fhip was at a diftance, and then putting their boats right, they made the beft of their way to the (here. They came to other iflands, which appear- ed to be very populous, on the eighteenth, and pafied by the illands of Tagulada, Zewarraand Zelon, whofe inhabitants were friends to the Portuguefe, The firft of thefe illands produces great quantities of cinnamon. The Admiral held on his rourfe without de- lay, and on the fourth of Noven.ber fell in with the Moluccas, and propofing to fail for Tirridore, coafted along the ifland of M.utyr, which belongs to the King of Ternate ; but in their way they met his viceroy, who, feeing the Admiral's fhip, went on board without fear, and ad.ifed him not to go to Tirridore, but fail directly for Ternate, becaufe his matter, who Was an enemy to the Portuguefe, would not deal with him, if he had any concerns with the people of Tirridore, or the Portuguefe who were fettled there. The Admiral, upon this, refolved for Ter- nate, and coming to an anchor before the town early the next morning, his firft Hep was to fend a meffenger to the King, with a velvet cloak, as a prefent, and to affure him, that his only defign in coming thither, was, to exchange his merchandize for fuch provifions as the ifland afforded. The King returned a kind anfwer to the Ad- miral, alluring him that a friendly correfpon- dence with the Englifli, would be highly agree- able to him, that they were welcome to the pro- duce of his kingdom, which together with him- felf hefhould be proud to lay at the feet of his royal miftrefs, and acknowledge her for his fo- vereign.* The king having determined to vifit the Ad- miral on board his fhip, lent a number of his molt confidcrable peopie in four large pleafure barges, who fat under a "large canopy of perfum- ed mats, which reached from one end of the vcllels to the other ; and was fupported by a frame made of reeds. They were all drefled in white, and attended by a number of fervants cloathtd in the fame colour, behind whom ftood feveral ranks of foldiers, and on each fide of the veffel were the rowers, in three galleries one Queen Elizabeth, who, with all her great qualities, was one of the vainJt women in the world. above 44- SIR FRANCIS DRAKE'S VOYAGE above another. The foldiers were furnifhed with warlike inftruments of various kinds, and well accoutered. Coming along fide the Admiral, they payed their refpects in great order, and informed him that the ki: g had lent them to conduct him into a fafec road, than that he was in at prefent. The king himfelf, attended by fix grave eld men, came foon afterwards, and appeared to be much delighted with the Engiifh raufic. The Admiral having made the king and his principal people lome valuable prefents, his ma- jefly took his leave, promifmgtocome on board again the next day ; and that evening fent him a quantity of rice, fowls, fruit, fugar, and other provifions. The king did not go aboard the next morning, but fent his brother and the vice- roy to invite the Admiral on fhore, while they were to remain on board as hoftages for his fafe return. The Admiral did not think proper to accept the invitation, but fent fomeof his officers on fhore, detaining only the viceroy till they came back. They were received, on their landing, by another of the king's brothers, and feveral per- fons of quality, and conducted to the caftle in great Hate, where they found a court of at leaft a thouland perfons, the chief of whom were fixty elderly men, who formed the council, and four envoys from Turkey in fcarlet robes and tur- bans, who were there to negociate matters of trade between Conftantinople and Ternate. The king came in guarded by twelve perfons bearing lances, while a large canopy of gold cloth was borne over his head. He was co . ered with a gold tifiue ; in his hair were fattened a number of gold rings by way of ornament, and a large chain of the fame metal hung round his neck ; his legs were uncovered, but he wore fhoes of a kind of red leather, and feveral rings fet with jewels on his fingers. A page flood at the right hand of his chair of (late, to cool him with a fan two feet long, and one broad, curi- oufiy adorned with faphires, and fattened to a flaff three feet in length. He received the Engiifh gentlemen with great kindnefs, and fent one of his council to conduct them back to the fhip. He is a powerful prince, having the government of feventy iflands, befides Ternate, which is the chief of the Moluccas. The religion of the country is Mahometanifm. Mr. Drake having difpatched all his bufinefs at Ternate, weighed anchor, and failed to a little ifland fouth of the Celebes, where they ftaid twenty fix days, in order to repair the iron work of the fhip. In this ifland are bats as big as hens, and a fort of land crayfifh, which dig holes in the earth hke rabbits, and are fo large, that one of them is fufficient to dine four perfons. Here they obferved a fort of fhining flies in great multitudes, which flying up and down between the trees and bufhes in the night, make them appear as if they were on fire. The whole ifland is covered with trees that are very high and ftrait, without boughs, except at the top, the leaves of which are like Engiifh broom. Setting fail from hence, they ran among a number of fmall iflands, and the wind putting about fuddenly, they ran upon a rock, at eight in the evening, of the ninth of January 1579, and fluck faft till four in the afternoon of the next day. In this extremity they lightened the veffel, by taking out eight pieces of ordnance, fome provifions, and three tons of cloves •, and the wind fuddenly changing, they hoifted fail, and happily got off. On the eighth of February, they fell in with the fruitful ifland of Baretene, the people of which have very comely perfons, and their punctuality in all their dealing, and civil and courteous behaviour to ftrangers is very extra, ordinary. The men have a covering for their heads and another round their waift, and the women are clothed from the middle to the feet, befides which they load their arms with eight bracelets, made of bone, brafs or horn, the leaft of which weighs two ounces. The ifland abounds in gold, filver, copper, fulphur, nutmeg, ginger, long-pepper, lemons, oranges, cucumbers, &c. and a fort of fruit re- fembling a bayberry, hard, but of a pleafant tafte -, and when boiled, fofr, and eafy of di- geftion. Leaving Baretene, they failed for Java Major, where they met with courteous and honourable entertainment. The ifland is governed by five kings, who live in perfect friendfhip with each other, They had once four of their Majefties on fhip-board at a time, and the company of tv/o or three of them very ofren. The people of Java are flout and warlike, and go well armed with daggers, fwords, and targets, of their own manufacture, which is very curious. They are fo little delicate with regard to their women, that they offer their wives as bedfellows to ftrangers. Their focia- blencfs is fuch, that in each village they have a public houfe, to which each perfon carries fuch provifion as he has, and they daily join to make a ftaft, for the promotion of good fel- low fhip. They have a method of boiling rice peculiar tothemlelvts 5 they put it into an earthen pot, in the figure of a fugar-loaf, open at the greater end, and perforated all over ; and fixing this in a large earthen pot full of boiling- water, the rice fwells and fills the holes of the pot, fo that only a fmall quantity of water can enter ; by this method the rice is brought to a firm confiftence, and at length caked into a fort of bread ; of which, with butter, oil, fugar and fpices, they make a very pleafant food. When our Adventurers came on the ifland, the venereal difeafe prevailed very much, which they cured by expofing the body feveral hours to the fcorching heat of the fun, thus giving vent to the diibrder by natural peripiration. The inhabitants of this ifland wear turbans on their heads, the upper part of the body is naked, but from the waift downwards they are co- vered with a piece of filk which trads on the ground. They failed from hence on the twenty fixth of March •, on the eighteenth of June, they doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and on the twenty-fe- cond ROUND THE WORLD. 45 cond of July arrived at Sierra Leona on the coaft of Guinea, where they found a great num- ber of elephants, and faw trees on the fhore with oyfters hanging to them, on which they lived and multiplied ; they alio found lemons in plen- ty, with which, and the oyfters, they were greatly refrefhed after their fatigue ; having put in at no place fince they left Java. They flayed here two days taking in wood, water and refrefhments, when failing homewards, they were off" the Canaries on the twenty-fixth ; but being in no want of provifions, they held on their courfe for Plymouth, where they arrived on Monday the twenty fixthof September, 1580. but, according to their own reckoning, on Sun- day the twenty fifth, having gone round the world, in two years ten months, and a few . days. On the fourth of April 15S r, Queen Eliza- beth dined on board Admiral Drake's {hip at Deptford ; and after dinner conferred on- him the honour of Knighthood, telling him, at the fame time, that his actions did him more honour than his title. The fhip was preferved many years, and when it was decayed, a chair was made from fome fmall remains of it, which is ftiii lhewn as a curiofuy at Oxford. By this voyage England acquired the honour of having the firft com- mander in chief, who had Jailed round the world ; Magellan having been killed on his voyage, as before related. Sir THOMAS CAVENDISH's V O Y A G ROUND THE WORLD. E Borne account of Mr. Cavendifh ; fails to Virginia, and returns; fails from Harwich; pro* ceeds to the coaft of Guinea, and jrom tbe?ice to the Cape de Verd IJlands; account of the Patagonians; diftrefes of fome Spaniards; they Jack the town of Putt a; defer iption of the ifland of Puna; the Englijl) plunder it; they barn the town of Nativity ; make the coajl of California; take an Acapulco Jhip ; the people of the ifle of Guam defcribed; arrive among thePhillippine ifiands ; defer iption of feve*al iflands; they fail to the if and of St. Helena, which is defcribed, and from thence to England. THOMAS CAVENDISH of Tremley in the county of Suffolk, Efquire, was a gentleman of a confid«-rable family, and pofTeffed a large eftate near Ipfwich. He had an early inclination to the fea, which he in- dulged on his coming of age, by converting part of his eftate into money, with which he fitted out a ftout vefiel, of one hundred and twenty tons burden, which he called the Tyger, and in which he accompanied Sir Richard Greenville in his voyage to Virginia in 1585 ; and having encountered many dangers and difficulties, with- out making any advantage, they returned fafeto Falmouth on the fixth of October in the fame year. Having in this voyage feen a great part of the Spanifh Weft Indies, and had an opportunity of converfing with feveral perfons who had failed through the South Seas with Sir Francis Drake, who was by this time railed to the head of his profeffion; he became emulous of attempting a like voyage, and therefore as foon as he re- turned home, fold or mortgaged a part of his N o4 - M eftate to raife money for the equipping two fhips proper for the expedition ; and fo intent was he on the bufinefs, that in lefs than a month, his carpenters began to work on the large vef- fel, and his little fquadron was entirely com- pleated, and properly furniihed in lefs than half a year. Having provided himfelf with fea charts, maps, draughts, and fuch accounts of former voyages as he could procure, and having, by means of his patron, Lord Hunfdon, then Lord Chamberlain, obtained acommiffion from Queen Elizabeth, he embarked at Harwich, on the tenth of July 1586, on board his largeft fhip, called the Defire, burden one hundred and forty tons, having with him the Content, burden fix- ty tons, and a bark, called the Hugh Gallant, of forty tons, well fupplied, at his own expence with provifions for two years, and manned with one hundred and twenty-fix officers andfailors. From Harwich he fteered to Plymouth, from whence he failed on the twenty-fitch, and on the next day fell in with eight fhips from Bifcay, one 46 SIR THOMAS CAVINDlSH's VOYAGE one of which attacked the Admiral* but meeting with a warm reception, fhe fheered off. On the fifth of Auguft, they fell in with the ifhnd of Forteventura, from which they con- tinued their voyage to cape Blanco, on the coaft Of Guienne ; by which time the officers and men beginning to complain much of the fcurvy, it was determined to put them on lhore, as foon as opportunity offered. On the twenty-fifth, they fell in with thefouth fide of Sierra Leona, v\ here, going on fhore, they deftroyed a negro town, and a negro killed one of their men with a poifoned arrow On the third of September, their boat went four miles up the harbour, where they got a great many lemons, and catched a large quan- tity of fifli, and, on their return, faw a great number of buffaloes. They left the harbour of Sierra Leona on the fixth of September, and the next day anchored at two miles diftance from one of the Cape de Verd iflands, where, going afhore, they found an Indian town, delertcd by its inhabitants, who had left a confiderable quantity of their prov.fi- ons behind them. This ifland was an entire wood, except in fome few places where the houfes ftood, which were lurrounded with plan- tane trees. They departed from this ifiand on the tenth, and on the laft day of October, failing weft fouth weft, on the coaft of Brazil, they difco- vered a mountain, with a high round top, which, at a diftance, refembled a town. On the fii ft of November, they failed in be- tween the town of Sebaftian and the main land •, and, going on fhore, employed themfelves till the twenty third of the month, in erecting a forge, building a pinnace, and repairing the da- mages of their fhips. They arrived at a harbour on the coaft of America on the twenty ieventh of November, which the Admiral entering firft, called Port Defire, from the name of his ftiip : near this harbour, which is very convenient, they found a great quantity of feals, and grey gulls. Going on fhore, the lavages wounded two of the failors with their arrows, which were made of canes, and headed with flints. Thefe people are of prodigious ftature, the length of one of their feet being eighteen inches, and their height feven feet and a half. When one of them dies, he is buried in a tomb formed of ftones by the fea fide, and a number of (hells laid under his head. When the Admiral left the place he called them Pategonians, and the account of them agrees tolerably well with that of Magellan. They left Port Defire on the twenty eighth of December, and continuing a courfe fouth weft and by fouth, they fell in with a great cape on the third of January, which reaches to the opening of the (freights of Magellan. An- choring under this cape, a violent ltorm arofe, which lading three days, they parted from their cable, and on the fixth they entered the (freights, which were in fome places very narrow, and in others five or fix leagues wide. On the next day they met with a Spaniard, who in- formed them, that there were twenty-two more of the fame nation, which were all that remain- ed of four hundred, which had been left there three years before. Thefe Spaniards (hewed them the hulk of a fmall bark, fuppofed to be one that Admiral Drake had left. On the eighth they anchored at Penguin ifiand, fo called from that bird, great numbers of which they killed and faked •, and next failed fouth and fouth weft to a place built by the Spaniards, called Cividad del Rey Felippe, or King Philip's City, which had four forts or baltions, each fort having one piece of cannon, which had been buried, and the carriages lefc (landing ; but on digging for thefe pieces, they round them all. There were feveral churches in this city, which was admirably fituated as to the conveniences of wood and water. In this place, which the Spaniards had built as a fortification to prevent other nations from palling into the South Sea, this milerable rem- nant of that nation had fubfifted for a long time paft, on nothing but a few (hell fifh ; ex- cept fometimes, by accident, they had the good fortune to kill a deer, which came from the mountains to drink -, the inclemency of the weather, and badnefs of the climate, together with the inroads of the Indians, having deftroyed great numbers of them, and all their provifions being gone, without a profped of a fupply from Spain, they came to the refolution of abandon- ing the town, and living upon fuch fea herbs and roots as they might find upon the coaft, together with what animals they might catch by chance. They had determined to proceed as far as the River of Plate, when the Englifh met them in their miferable progrefs. This place, from the fcarcity of all kinds of provifion, the Admiral named Port Famine, from whence failing five leagues they came to Cape Froward, which is the lbuthermoft part of the (treights, and lies in fifty-four degrees fouth latitude, from whence they departed, and proceeding five leagues farther, reached a bay, which from the great quantity of muicles with which it abounds, they called Mufcle Cove: and going thence two leagues farther, the Ad- miral ordcied the boat to be rowed three miles up a river, on the borders of which was a plea- fant open country, inhabited by wild ferocious lavages, who had eaten many of the Spaniards, and laid a plot for fome of the Englifh, which the Admiral difcovering, ordered his men to fire at them; by which feveral of them were killed. They failed hence through feveral channels, and frequently fteering different courfes, to the mouth of the (freights opening to the South Sea j which, owing to contrary winds, and the bad- nefs of the weather, they did not reach till the twenty third of February. They entered the South Sea on the twenty- fourth of February, and on the firft of March in a great ftorm at night, they loft the Hugh Gallant at about forty-five leagues from land, and in forty-nine degrees fouth latitude. The ftorm continued about three days, during which the Hugh Gallant fprung a leak, and it was with ROUND THE WORLD 47 with the utmoft difficulty that the men could keep her from finking; but on the fifteenth in the morning, (he met the other fhips between the ifland of St. Mary and the main land. The Admiral and the Content had fecured them- felves two days during the violence of the ftorm at the ifle of Mocha, in thirty-eight degrees fouth latitude, where fome of the company going on fhore, well armed, were attacked by the Indians armed with bows and arrows. Thefe Indians were of the diftrict of Aranco, which being a country abounding in gold, had frequently tempted the Spaniards to invade it, but they were as conftantly r-pelled by the Indians, who, miftaking the Engliih for Spa- niards, had attacked them as above mentioned. The failors coming on board after the fkirmifh, the Admiral failed to the welt fide of St. Mary Ifland, where they rode at fafety in fix fathom water. This ifland abounds in divers forts of fruit, hogs and poultry •, but the Indian inhabitants, who have been converted to chriftianity, are abfolute flaves to the* Spaniards, who will not permit them to kill a fowl or a hog for their own ufe. The Admiral went a(horeon the fixteenth, at- tended by eighty men well armed, and were met by two Indians, who treated them with great refpect, and conducted them to a chapel built by the Spaniards, near which were many ftorehoufes, filled with wheat and barley, equal in goodnefs to that of England. The Admiral invited thetwo Indians on board, who after fome time perceiving they were not among Spaniards, began to talk much about the gold mines, intimating by figns, that if they would go acrofs the country to Aranco, they might furnifh themfelves with as much of that metal as they pleafed ; but the Admiral did not think fit to go in fearch of it, but having fup- plied himfelf with a good ftock of corn, hogs, fowls, potatoes and dried dog-fi(h, determined to continue his voyage. They left this place on the eighteenth, and the next day anchored at an ifland called the Conception, failing from whence, they came to the bay of Quintero on the thirtieth, and on the laft of the month, fifty men well armed, marched feveral miles up the country, which they found well flocked with wild cattle, horfes, dogs, hares, rabbits, and partridges : they alfo faw feveral rivers, near which were great quantities of wild fowl. Having travelled as far as the mountains, they refrefhed themfelves on the banks of a pleafant river, and returned to their fhips at night. A party of two hundred Spanifli horfe were after them that day, but having feen, would not venture to attack them ; but on the firft of A- pril while the Englifh were on fhore filling water, the Spaniards poured down two hundred horfe from the hills, upon them, who killed feveral of them, and took a few prifoners ; but a reinforce- ment of fifteen Englifh coming up, refcued their See particulars concerning the burning companions, killed twenty -four of the Spaniards, and drove the reft to the mountains; after which they continued taking in water unmolefted for four days, and then put off to an ifland at the dillance of a league, which abounded with pen- guins and other fowl, with which having plenti- fully (locked themfelves, they continued their voyage north and north weft. On the fifteenth, they arrived at an excellent harbour called Moro Moreno, which is lb formed by the fituation of an ifland, as to admit a (hip at either end of it. At this place, the Admiral went on fhore with thirty of his men, and was plentifully fupplied with wood and water, by the Indians, who brought it on their backs. Thefe harmlefs people lived in a very wild manner, but were greatly in fubjedtion to the Spaniards. They conducted the Admiral and his company to their houfes, which were about two miles from the harbour, and compofed of two or three forked (ticks, ituck in the ground, a few rafters being laid acrofs from one to the other; and the whole covered with boughs. They fed on ftinking filh, and their beds were the fkins of wild bealts, fpreadon the floor. When any of thefe Indians die, all their ef- fects, including their bows, arrows, and even their canoes, are buried with them. Thefe ca- noes are made with fkins like bladders, which being blowed up with quills, at one end, two of them are fattened together with the finews of a wild bead, and then put into the water : and in thefe veflels they venture to fea, loading them with fifh, a part of which they keep till it ftinks for their own eating, and the reft is paid as tribute to the Spaniards. Leaving Moro Moreno, they failed till the third of May, and then anchored in a bay, near three fmall towns, in about thirteen degrees fouth latitude, called Pifca, Chincha, and Pa- racca, where, going on fhore, they found fome houfes deferred by the inhabitants, where they fupplied themfelves with wine, bread, figs and poultry ; but the fea ran fo high that they could not get on fhore at Paracca, which was the prin- cipal place. They here found two fhips ladeio with fugar, melafles, maize, cordovan (kins, and other effects ; out of which they took what they chofe, put the people on fhore, and burnt the veffels. It was judged that the cargo of one of thefe fhips would have yielded them twenty thoufand pounds, had they had a proper market for it. Sailing hence they came on the twenty-fixth to the road of Paita,* the town of which name is a neat well built place, containing about two hundred houfes. The Admiral landing, with feventy men, drove the inhabitants to the hills, from whence they played their fmall (hot upon them, but would not come to clofe quarters ; whereupon the Engliih, having poffefied them- felves of the town, marched after them up the hills, completely routed them, and brought back many of their effects, which they had hid among the mountains. Havingfeized twenty-five pounds this town by Admiral Anfon. weight 4 8 SIR THOMAS CAVENDISH'S VOYAGE weight of filverin pieces of eight, they fet fire to the town, and to a veflel, which lay in the harbour, and embarked while the place was in flames. From hence they failed to Puna, an ifland in one degree fouth latitude, where finding a fhip of two hundred and fifty tons burthen, in the harbour, they funk her and went afhore. Puna was governed by a cacique, who was born an Indian, but having married a Spanifh woman, changed his religion, and obliged his people to follow his example. The Indians of tiiis ifland are conftantly employed in making cables •, and veflels ufing the fouth fea are chiefly fupplied from hence. The cacique had an elegant pa'ace near the (bore, commanding an ejctenfive profpedl both by fea and land. He had alfo curious gardtns and orchards, abound- ing in oranges, lemons, figs, pomegranates, me- lons, cucumbers, radifl)cs,rofemary, thyme, &c. One of the gardens was planted with cotton- trees, the tops of which are full of pods out of which the cotton grows. In the cotton lies a feed about the fize of a pea, and in every pod there are feven or eight of thefe feeds, which, if the cotton be not gathered when ripe, take root and produce a new plant. In this ifland, wrichis near as large as the Ifle of Wight, there is plenty of good paflure land, and the place abounds in horfes, oxen, fheep, and tame goats, which yeild abundance of mik •, befides fowls, ducks, turkies and pi- geons of a very large fize. The cacique having removed the valuable furniture of his palace, and other effects, to a neighbouring ifland ; the Admiral went thereon the twenty-ninth, and feizing what he thought proper, had it conveyed on board the fhips. They alfo burnt the church, and took away five bells, which were in it. The Englifh were at- tacked on the fecond of June by a hundred Spa- niards, who, with the lols of forty-fix of their own men, killed and took priloners about twelve of them ; but feventy failors going on lhore the fame day, attacked and routed one hundred Spaniards armed with mufkets, and two hundred Indians with bows and arrows ; and _then, de- ftroying their orchards, they burnt four large fbips upon the (locks, together with the town, which confifted of three hundred houfes, which they reduced to a heap of rubbifh. They left, the road of Puna, on the fifth of June, and pafl'ed the line on the twelfth. Sail- ing a northerly courfe during the reft of the month. On the firft of July, they had a fight of New Spain, at the diftance of four leagues from land ; and on the ninth took a new fhip of one hundred and twenty tons, which having rifled and taken her pilot, one Sancius, and the crew on board, they let on fire ; and the next day they took a bark, which was deftined to give intelligence of their arrival along the coali : but her men had abandoned her. On the twenty-fixth, they anchored in the ri- ver Copalita, and in the evening, thirty men, in the pinnace, went to Agatulco, a town at two leagues diftance, on which they made a defcent, and burnt it, together with the cuftom houfe, in which was contained fix hundred bags of anife, an ingredient ufed for the dying of cloth, worth twenty-four thoufand crowns ; and four hundred bags of cacaos, valued at four thoufand pounds. Thefe cacaos were fomething like al- monds, and afforded both meat and drink to the inhabitants, and were alfo paid as money, one hundred and fifty of them being valued a: a rial of plate. On the twenty eighth, the fea running fo high that they could not take in water at Copalita, the fhip filled to Agatulco, which fhe reached the fame evening ; and the next day the Admiral going on lhore, with thirty men, proceeded two- miles into the woods, where they found aperfon belonging to the cuftom houfe, who had a con- fiderable quantity of goeds with him, which, to- gether with the man, they fent on board the fhips. On the twenty fourth of Auguft the Admiral and thirty men went in the pinnace to Port Nati- vity, in nineteen degrees north latitude, where Sanciu , the pilot of the former fhip they had taken, had informed him that a rich prize would be found ; but before their arrival, fhe was failed twelve leagues farther, to fifn for pearls •, but they took a mulatto, that had been fent to give notice of their arrival along the coaftof Neuva Gallicia, and having burnt the town of Nativity, with two veflels of two hundred tons burden that were on the flocks, they returned to their fhips. On the twenty-fixth they failed into the bay of St. Jago, where having watered, catched a confiderable quantity of filh, and taken fome pearls, they left it on the fecond of September, and next day failed a league to the weftward of Port Nativity, into the bay of Malacca, where the Admiral and about thirty of his men went afhore to a little Indian town, called Acatlan, confifting of .upwards of twenty houfes and a church, to which they fet fire, and went aboard again in the night. They left the bay of Malacca on the fourth, and failing along the coaft with a fair wind, ar- rived in the road of Chacalla, four days after- wards. On the day after their arrival the Admiral fent forty men, with the pilot (Sancius) as a guide, through the woods into the country, where they found a few Indian and Spanifh families, and one of Portuguefe •, all of whom they make prifoners and carried on board the fhips. The Admiral employed the women to fetch plan- tanes, lemons, oranges, and other fruit on board, and as a reward of their induflry, dis- charged all their hufbands, except Diego, a Portuguefe, and Sembrano a Spanifli carpen- ter. On the twenty-fourth, they came into the road of Maflatlan, which lies under the tropic of can- cer, where they found plenty of fine fifh, and the adjacent country abounded with fruit. They left Maflatlan on the twenty- feventh, and put in at an ifland a league to the north- ward, where they cleaned their fhips, and new- built their pinnace : being now in much want of water, one Flores, a Spanifh prifoner, ad- vifed them to dig in the fand, and, at the depth of ROUND THE WORLD. 40 of three feet, they found a fufficient quantity for their ufe. They failed from this idand on the ninth of October, and on the fourteenth fell in with cape St. Lucar, on the weft point of California, a place, which, as Sir Francis Drake's people had obferved before, exactly relemblcs the Needles at thelfle of Wight. A fine bay, cal- led by the Spaniards, Aguada Segura, the banks of which are inhabited by a great number of Indians, during the fummer feafon, is fituated within this cape. At this place they watered, and waited for the Acapulco fhip, till the fourth of November, on which day, in the morning, one of the Admiral's crew, going up the top- mad, fpied a veiTel bearing in from the fea with the cape, on which he cried out, " A fail ! a fail!" Every thing being immediately prepared, the Admiral chafed her near four hours, when com- ing up with her, he faluted her with a broad- fide, and a volley of fmall fhot ; Ihe appeared to be the St. Anne, a Spanifh veiTel, of feven hundred tons burthen ; and fome of the Ad- miral's people immediately boarding her, found the crew provided with javelens, targets and great ltones, with which the Spaniards attacked them, and forced them to retire, with the lofs of two men killed, and feveral wounded ; but the Admiral gave them a fecond falute, with his great and fmall arms, by which a great num- ber were killed, but they ftill continued fight- ing, till a third broadfide obliged them to yield or fink ; whereupon they hung out a flag of truce, (truck their fails, and the captain, pilot, and a principal merchant, came on board the Admiral. This prize contained one hundred and twenty- two thoufand pezoes of gold, befides great quantities of rich filks, fattins, damafkand mufk, and a good ftock of provifions. Having obtained this rich prize, they put in- to the harbour of Puerto Seguro, on the fixth of November, where the Admiral fet all the prifoners on fhore, to the number of one hun- dred and fifty, giving them wine, provifions, and the fails of their fhip, with planks to build them houfes. The prifoners being thus difpofed of, they began to divide the booty, when the avarice of fome of the failors caufed a confiderable dif- turbance, which threatened a mutiny ; but the candid and generous behaviour of the Admiral at length compromifed all differences. The Admiral referved of the prifoners of the St. Anne, two Japanefe boys, three that were born on the ifland of Manilla, a Portuguefe who had vifited China and Japan, and a Spanifh pi- lot, who was well acquainted with the feas be- tween Acapulco and New Spain, and the La- drone Iflands. On the nineteenth of November, the Admi- ral having made a prefent to the captain of the St. Anne, put him on fhore with arms to de- fend himfelf againft the Indians; and then burnt the fhip, with five hundred tons of goods in her ; waiting till he faw her dcftroyed quite down to the edge of the water. This being done, they N'V N propofed to fail for England ; and at this time had the misfortune to lofe the Content, which remaining behind them fome little time in the road, they failed on, expecting die would over- take them ; but they never faw her again. They now directed their courfe to the La- drones, which held them till the third of Ja- nuary, when, early in the morning, they had fight of one of them, called Guam, and failing on with a gentle gale, came within two leagues of the idand, when fixty or feventy canoes, fil- led with favages, came off to the fhips, bringing fredi fifh, cocoas, plantanes and potatoes, to exchange with the failors, who gave them pieces of old iron in return. Thefe bits of iron they fattened to cords and fidiing lines, which they threw over the fliip's fide to the canoes, and received back the provifions by the fame conveyance. Thefe favages crowded about the diip in fuch a manner, that twu of their canoes were broke to pieces, but the people diving efcaped un- hurt; and they would not leave the fhip at laft, till fome fmall arms were fired at them. They were very lufty men, of a tawny colour, re- markably fat ; mod of them wore their hair very long, but fome of them tied it up in knots on the crown of the head. Their canoes were made of rafts of canes, were feven or eight yards in length, and half a yard in breadth, furnifhed with fquare or tri- angular fails, made of fedges, both head and ftern of the veffel being alike, and failing e- qually with or againft the wind. Sailing hence, they fell in with the headland of the Philippine idands, called Cabadrl Spirito Santo, at day-break, on the fourteenth of January. The idand is large, high in the middle, run- ning a great way in;o the fea weftward. It is one hundred leagues from Guam, and fixty from Manilla, which is the chief of the Philip- pines, and inhabited by fix or feven hundred Spaniards. The place has no great ftrength, but is immenfely rich in gold and other valua- able commodities. It has a conftant annual cor- refpondence with Acapulco, and employs twen- ty or thirty diips to trade to China with the San- gueloes, who are Chinefe merchants, extreme good mechanics, and the beft embroiderers in iilk and fattin in the world. The people of Manilla are great gainers by their trade with the Sang-ueloes, who fend oreat quantities of gold thither, and exchange it for an equal weight of filver. On the next day, they fell in with the idand of Capul, paffing a very narrow ftreight be- tween that idand and another. Coming to an anchor in four fathom water, within a cable's length of the fhore, a canoe came up to them, in which was one of feven caciques, who are joint governors of the idand. They pafled for Spa- niards with thefe people, who brought them provifions, exchanging a quantity of potatoes, or four cocoas, for a yard of fine cloth. The cacique coming on board, they detained him, and defired by figns that he would fend for his fix brother caciques; whereupon the fervants, who managed the canoe, went for them, and they quickly 50 SIR THOMAS CAVENDISH'S VOYAGE quickly carre with a great number of the peo- ple of the ifland, bringing with them hogs, poultry, cocoas and potatoes ; fo that the fail- ors were fully employed in exchanging, which thev did at the Spanilh rate, giving eight rials of plate for a hog, and one for a fowl. The pilot, whom they took on board the St. Anne, having laid a plot to betray them to the Spa- niards, was hanged at this place. The people of this ifland are of a tawny com- plexion, go almoft naked, worfhip the devil, and pra&ile the rite of circumcifion. . The people of this, and feveral other neigh- bouring iflands, having paid tribute to the En- lifh, on a iuppofition that they were Spaniards, the Admiral iummoned all the caciques on the twenty third, and acquainting them that they were EngHfh, and the mortal foes of the Spa- niards, at the fame time paying them in money for the hogs, and other provifions, which he had received as tribute. The caciques admired the Admiral's genero- fity, and promifed to afiift him with all their forces, if he would make war upon the Spa- niards. At their departure, the Admiral fired a gun, in compliment to them, after they had feveral times rowed round his Ihip, to afford him diverfion. On the next morning, June the twenty-fourth, they let fail, fleering north weft by feveral iflands, where the Spaniards having been alarm- ed, kept fires and a ftrift watch all night, conti- nually difcharging their pieces. They pafled the ifland of Panama, which is a plain level coun- try, abounding in tall trees, proper for making mails of fhips, and having feveral mines of fine gold, which are in pofieffion of the Indians. To the fouthward of this, in nine degrees north latitude lies the large ifland of negroes, a low and fruitful country, where the natives maintain their independency. At fix in the morning on the twenty ninth of June, they pafled through the ft rait between Panama and the negro ifland. They met with nothing remarkable from this time, till the firft of March following, when having pafled the flreights of Java Major, and Minor, they came to an anchor on the fouth weft of Java Major, where they favv people fi.hing in a bay under the ifland, to whom the Admiral fent out a boat with a Negro, who could fpeak the Morefco tongue, which is much ufed at Java ; but the people being frightened ran away into the woods, but one of them af- terwards venturing to the fea-fide, the Negro told him that it was expected they would find frefh water for the ufe of the Ihip ; and defired to be conducted to the King ; whom, having found, he acquainted him that the admiral was'come thither to traffic for provifions, or any valuable commodities the ifland afforded. On the twelfth day of the month, ten of the King's canoes came off* to the Admiral laden with oxen, hogs, poultry, geefe, eggs, fugar, cocoas, plantanes, oranges, lemons, wine and aqua vitas. Two Porcuguefe who were on the ifland, came on board, and gave them a full account of the manners and cuftoms of the. inhabitants. They faid that the king was an abfolute monarch, having power over the lives and all the actions of his fubjefts. That he had an hundred wives and his fons fifty. That on the death of the King his body is burnt, and his allies depofited in an urn-, and five days after- wards, his wives go to an appointed place, where the favourite wife throws a ball out of her hand, and where it refts is to be the place of their death •, to which they all repair, and turning their faces to the eaft, they ftab them- felves to the heart with daggers, and dip- ping their hands in their own blood, befmear their bodies with it, and in that condition ex- pire. The men of this ifland are excellent foldiers, hardy and valiant in the higheft degree, and fo devoted to their fovereign, that mould he command them to leap off - a precipice, or plunge a dagger into their breafts, he would be in- ftantly obeyed •, and indeed this is the lefs to be wondered at, as an immediate death would be the confequence > of their difobedience. The people of Java are of a tawny completion and go naked. The Admiral having paid them for the pro- vifions they brought him, failed on the fixteenth of March for the Cape of Good Hope, and on the eleventh of May, one of the company fpied land, bearing north and north weft, at the dif- tance of above forty leagues; but being be- calmed on the two following days, they could not get near enough to be certain what land it was; bur on the fourteenth they found it to be Cape Fallb, from which the Cape of Good Hope bears weft and by fouth at near fifty leagues diftance. On the fixteenth they faw the Cape of good Hope, which by their reckoning appeared to be one thoufand eight hundred and fifty leagues from Java. On the eighth of June they came within fight of the ifland of St. Helena, at the diftance of eight leagues, but having little wind, could not reach it till the next day, when they came to an anchor near the fliore, in twelve fathom water. Going on fhore they entered the church, which was. hung with painted cloths; having an altar with a picture of the Virgin Mary, and the ftory of the crucifixion. This church ftands in a valley, fo filled with fruit trees, and ex- cellent plants, that it appears like a well culti— tivated garden, adorned with long-lemon, orange, citron, pomgranate, date, and fig-trees ; prefenting the eye with bloflbms and green and ripe fruit, all at the fame time. The trees are kept cut in a curious manner, and every where fhading the walks, afford an agreeable retreat from the heat of the fun. A fine fpring rifing at a diftance, divides itfeif into a great number of beautiful rivulets, which, wandering through d ffcrent parts of the valley, waters the trees and plants. The ifland affords great plenty of partridges and pheafants, larger than thofe of England, and black and white turkies, whofe eggs are quite white: there are alio plenty of cabritos wild goats, which are near as lar^e as an or afs, have a main like that of a horfe, and a beard that ROUND THE WORLD. 5* that reaches down to the ground. Thefe goats lives chiefly upon the mountains which alfo a- bound in large herds of wild fwine. Having taken on board what neceflaries they wanted, they failed for England on the twen- tieth of June, and on the third of September they met with a Flemifh veflel, from Lifbon, by which they learnt the agreeable news of the total defeat of the Spanifh Armada. On the ninth of September, after a violent ftorm, which carried away the greater part of their fails, they arrived at, Plymouth, from which they had been abfent two years, and fomething lefs than two months •, andfoon afterwards Mr. Cavendilh received the honour of knighthood from Queen Elizabeth. OLIVER VAN NOOPvT's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD; (Being the Firft attempted by the Dutch.) The flsips fail from Goeree ; arrive at Prince's IJland, where feme of the men are dejiroyed by the perfidy of the Portuguefe; account of the J'avages inhabiting the freights of Magellan; they cruize on the coaf of Chili; account of the Indians in thofe parts ; they fail to the Philippines, engage the Spaniards off Manilla, and fink their Admiral; arrive at Borneo, and trade with the inhabitants ; defer iption of the ijland of Borneo ; defer iption of Bantam; their Jafe arrival at Rotterdam. SEVERAL eminent Dutch merchants about the beginning of the year 1598, formed a defign of fending fome flout vefiels through the ftreights of Magellan, to cruize on the Spaniards in the fouthfeas, to which they were chiefly induced by the reports of many Englifh feamen, who had ferved under Drake, Cavendilh and others. As the fuccefs of the enterprize depended in a great meafure on the capacity of the Admiral •, Oliver Van Noort, a native of Utrecht, a man in the flower of his age, was pitched upon to take charge of the expedition. Two ftout veflels, the Maurice, and the Henry Frederic, and two yatchs, the Concord, and the Hope, manned by two hun- dred and forty eight perfons, were appointed for this fervice. The Maurice was commanded by Oliver Van Noort, Admiral, the Henry Fre- deric by James Claafz, vice Admiral, the Con- cord by Peter Van Lint, and the hope by John Huidecoope. When all things were in readinefs, and the crews complete, the proprietors preftnted a petition to the board of Admiralty at Rotter- dam ; upon which all theparties concerned were fummoned thither, and proper rules and re- gulations for their government in this expedi- tion, having been approved by the ftadt-holder prince Maurice ; they were publicly read to them on the twenty-eighth of June 159 8, and every man fworn to the due obfervance of them. The Dutch call thefe kind of failing orders Artykelbriefs, and never permit them to take place till they have received the fancYion of the ftate, on which they become the laws of the voyage, and whoever breaks them, is liable to fuffer the penalties mentioned in them. The Maurice and the Concord • failed out of the port of Goeree on the thirteenth of Septem- ber 1598, and being joined by the Henry Fre- deric and the Hope from Amfterdam, they continued their voyage together for Flymouth, in order to take on board the cloaths and other neceflaries of their pilot, Mr. Mellifh, an Eng- lifh gentleman who had been abroad before, with Sir Thomas Cavendilh. On the twenty-firfr. they left Plymouth with a frefh gale at north eaft, and next morning miffed the vice Admiral's fhallop with fix men on board her, in fearch of whom they began to entertain thoughts of returning to Plymouth, but meeting with an Englilh privateer, they learnt that the fellows had defignedly run away with the boat ; whereupon they gave them- felves no farther concern about them; but the efcape of thefe fellows occafioned fome mur- murings among the failors, which were increafed the next day by the vice Admiral's loofing his other fhallop, which he had in tow, with a man in her ; lb that the feamen began to reflect on 52 OLIVER VAN NOORTs VOYAGE on the vice Admiral's conduct and capacity •, and thtir reflections on him were increased by the infolence of his behaviour. On the fourth of October they met with a fleet of Englifh, French and Dutch, by whom they were informed of a dreadful peftilence which had lately deftroyed two hundred and fifty thoufand perfons on the coaft of Barbary. On the fourth of December they were off cape Palma, and on the tenth they came within fight of Prince's ifland pofiefTed by the Portu- guefe in one degree of north latitude, and fend- ing their boats on more, they carried a flag of truce, and a negro with fome Portuguefe met them with the like token of peace. The Dutch afked for a fupply of provifions, which the others teemed willing to grant; but while they were talking on this lubject, a number of per- fons, who had lain in ambufcade, attacked them fuddenly, and killed feveral of them, among whom was the Admiral's brother, and Mr. Mellifh, the Englifh pilot. It was determined in a council of war, to revenge this outrage by attacking the caftle, but upon trial, finding themfelves unequal to this bufineis, they burnt the fugar houfts, and having taken in a fupply of frefh water, they fct fail on the feventeenth and on the twenty- fifth reached cape Gonlalvo, where the wind blows from the fea in the day time, and from the land, at nigh<\. On the firft of January 1589, they paffed the ifland of Annobon, and on the fifth of Febru- ary reached cape St. Thomas, on the coaft of Brazil, in twenty-two degrees fouth latitude. On the ninth, they came to Rio Janeiro, where the Portuguefe killed feveral of their company., From Rio Janeiro they went to St. Sebaftian, where they harboured in fafety, and met with plenty of wood and water. On the fourteenth of March, they encoun- tered a violent ftorm in which they were parted from the Vice Admital and th° Hope, but they had the happinefs to meet them again three days afterwards. By this time winter beginning to approach, and the fcurvy making fome havock among them, they propofed to put in at St. He- lena, but miffing that place, were driven on a defoLue and barren ifland, where they found no provifions but a few fowls, which they knocked down with (licks - ; they therefore put to fea agiin, and on ti* firft of June, when they thought to have reached the Afcenfion, they found themfelves on the continent of Brazil ; but the Portuguefe not permitting them to land, they failed to the little ifland of St. Clara, about a mile from the continent, where they met with fome herbs, and a kind of four plumbs, which cured all thofe that were afflicted with the fcurvy in fifteen days. On the fixteenth of June, they failed for Port Defire, which is between forty-feven and forty- eight degrees fouth latitude, but having very bad weather, they did not arrive there till the twen- tieth of September. On an ifland three miles to the fouth of this place, they catched great quan- tities of fifh, and took fifty thoufand penguins, and a vaft number of their eggs, which proved very refrefhing food to thofe who were fick. • On the fifth of October, fome of the company went afhore and found beafts like flags and buffaloes, and a great number of ofirkhes, in each of whofe nefts were nineteen eggs. The Admiral going afhore, to take a view of the country, left ftrict orders for thofe who attended the boats not to leave them : but difobeying his injunctions, fome of them rambled into the coun- try, where they fell into an ambufsade of lavages who killed three of them and wounded a fourth. Thefe favages were very tall, they went naked, painted their fkins and were armed with bows and arrows. Sailing from hence on the twenty-ninth of October, they reached cape Virgin Mary, on the twenty-fourth of November, and attempted to enter the Streights of Magellan, but were pre- vented by contrary winds, rain, hail and fnowj and the weather was fo bad that they loft their anchors, and broke their cables ; and to add to their misfortunes, ficknefs raged much among them, and the men grew uneafy and begin to complain ; all which accidents uniting together, made it near fifteen months trom the beginning of their voyage, before they were able to enter the ftreights. On the twenty-fifth of November, they faw two iflands near cape Naffau, on which were fome favages, who fhook their weapons at them, as in token of defiance ; but the Hol- landers landing, purfued them to a cave, which they obftinately defended, every man of them dying on the fpot •, on which the Dutchmen en- tered the cave, where they found their wives and children, and the poor women expecting im- mediate death, covered their infants with their bodies, refolving to meet their fate in that pof- ture ; but the Dutchmen only took from them four boys and two girls, whom they carried on board the (hips. Ont of thefe boys being after- wards taught to fpeak Dutch, informed them that the largeft ifland was called Caftemme, and the other Talcke ; that they abounded in pen- guins, theflelhof which ferved the inhabitants for food, and the fkins for clothing : that they catched oftriches on the neighbouring continent, which they alio eat ; and that they had no ha- bitations, but thole caves underground. That the inhabitants were divided into four tribes, three of which were people of moderate flature, broad over the breaft, which they always painted, and went naked except a cloak of penguin- fkins which reached to the.r waift : that the fourth tribe, were people of a gigantic ftature, being full ten feet high, and conftantly at war with the other tribes. Leaving this place, they failed toward the continent on the twenty-eighth, feeing fome whales at a diftance, and obierved a beautiful river, (haded with trees, covered with a num- ber of parrots ; to which place they gave the name of the Summer Bay. On the twenty-ninth, they failed to port Fa- mine, where they cut down wood to make a boat ; but finding no good anchoring, they doubled Cape Froward on the lecond of De- cember, and at the diftance of four miles, they found ROUND THE WORLD 53 found a large bay, in which they anchored in fafety, and found a plant like fneezeworr, which was an excellent remedy for the fcurvy ; and ano- ther plant, which being tailed, caufed the per- fons who eat it to run diftrafted for a time, but they afterwards recovered. On the fecond of January 1600, they failed for Maurice bay, which they found extended far to the eallward, and received into it feveral rivers, the mouths of which were rilled with ice, which they imagined did. not melt all the year round ; for though it was now near the middle of dim- mer, they found it ten fathom thick. In this place they were greatly diftrefied by continual rains, and the want of provifions •, and two of their company going on Ihore to pick mufcles, were murdered by the favages. Setting fail on the feventeenth, they were driven by a ftorm into a bay at three miles diftance, which from the numbers of penguins which they found there, they called Goofeor Penguin Bay ; at wh'kh place the vice admiral was tried by a council of war, for divers crimes, and fcntenced to be fet on fhore to fliift for himfelf in that in- hofpitable country. On t'le lad day of February, th«y paflcd Cape Defire, into the South Sea, their company be- ing new reduced to one hundred and forty- feven •, and foon afterwards they loft the Henry Frederic, of which the vice admiral had been commander. Having waited fome time in fruit- lefs expectation of this veflcl, they failed on the twelfth of March, to the ifland of La Mccha, which lies in thirty-eight degrees fouth latitude, and about two leagues from the con- tinent. This ifland is remarkable for a high mountain in the middle of it, through which is a large cleft, from whence runs a ftream to the valiies below. Going afhore at this place, they exchanged hatchets and knives for fheep, fowls, maize, and different forts of fruit. They alio \ifued the town, which confifted of about fifty houfes, built chiefly of Itraw ; where the inhabitants entertained them with a four liquor, called Cici, which is chiefly ufed at their grand entertainments, and is made by foaking maize in water. The people of this ifland purchafe their wives, and every one may buy as many as he can keep; lo that it fometimes happens, that a man who has a number of handfome daughters, makes a fortune by the fale of them. They have no laws or magiftrates among them, but if a man kills another, the relations of the murdered perfon are both his judges and exe- cutioners, but will frequently remit his fentence for a treat of Cici. The cloaths of the inha- bitants are made of the wool of large fheep, which they alfo employ to carry burdens. Off St. Mary's ifland, at the diftance of fix leagues from hence, they chafed and took a Spanifh fhip, which was carrying lard and meal to Aranco and Conception •, the pilot of which informed them, that there were two men of war waiting for their coming at Arica ; on which they determined to fail to Valparaifo, where they took two ftiips, and killed feveral Indians ; but the Spaniards had all left the place. Eighteen miles from Valparaifo, up the N° 5. O country, lies St. Jago, which abounds in red wine, and fheep, which they kill only for the fat, with which alone they lade many vefiels every year. At St. Jago they intercepted fome letters, by which they learnt that the Indians of Chili had rifen againft the Spaniards, lacked the town of Baldivia, took many prifoners, and dellroyed great numbers. That they had burnt the houfes and churches, and (Truck off* the heads of the popilh images, crying, "Down go the Gods of the Spaniards." About five thoufand Indians, were concerned in this ac- tion, who bore fo perfect an enmity to the Spaniards, that they ripped open the breads of all they conquered, meerly to have the pleafure of tearing out their hearts with their teeth. Thefe Indians had a peculiar method of elec- ting their general: the man who carried a heavy log of timber on his fhoulders, for the longeft time, was to command in chief. Several car- ried it for four, five or fix hours, but at length one was found who bore its weight twenty four hours without refting ; and he was their pre- fent general. That part of Chili between Baldivia and St. Jago is one of the fineft fpots in the world ; having a fine and wholefom air, being remarkably fertile, abounding in cattle, and fruits of various kinds ; and having abun- dance of gold mines. On the fixteenth of September they arrived at Guana, one of the Ladrones, which is twen- ty miles in extent, and produces fifh, cocoas, bananas, and fugar canes, which the Indians brought in their canoes in great quantities to the fides of the flvps. Two hundred of thefe vefiels at a time, having each of them four or five men on board, would come bawling to the fides of the fhips, calling out Hiero, Hiero, that is iron ; of which they were (o eager, that they would frequently run fowl of the ftiips, and overfet the canoes. Both the men and wo- men were great cheats, and would fell a bafket of cocoa ftiells covered with rice at the top, as a bafket of rice : or would ihatch a fword out of the fcabbard, or take any thing elfe they could lay their hands on, and diving into the fea, make their efcape. On the feventeenth of this month they failed for the Philippines, and three days afterwards they met with ice, tho' they were then but in three degrees of north latitude. They anchored in Bayla bay on the fixteenth of October, and pre- tending to be Spaniards got well fupplied with what provifions they wanted. The poor In- dians of this place, pay a tax of ten rials a head, to the Spaniards, for every one who is above the age of twenty. Thefe people go naked, and mark their fkins with figures fo deep that they never wear out. The Dutch having got their fupplies, were difcovered, whereupon they failed for the ftreight of Manilla, and in their way met with a fudden guft of wind, which carried away their mafts and fails. On the evening of the twenty-third they went afhore, and eat palmitos, and drank plentifully Of 54 OLIVER VAN NOORT's VOYAGE of water, foon after which feveral of them were feized with the bloody-flux. On the twenty-fourth they entered the ftreight, and in the evening patted the ifland Capul feven miles within the ftreight, and crouded all their fails for Manilla, which is eighty miles from Capul, but the wind was againft them, and they wanted both the affillance of maps and a good pilot. On the feventh of November, they took a junk of China, laden with provifion for Manilla, the mafter of which informed them that there were at that time at Manilla two large veffels, which came annually from New Spain thither; and alfo a Dutch fhip from Malacca ; that there was a wall round the town, and that the har- bour was defended by two forts •, that a prodi- gious trade was carried on in fiiks and other valuable commodities, between Manilla and China, in which not lefs than four hundred (hips were annually employed ; and that two Ihips were daily expected from Japan laden with provifions. On the fifteenth they took two barks laden with fwine and poultry ; which were intended as tribute to the Spaniards ; after which they lay at anchor in fifteen degrees north latitude, waiting for the Japan Chips, one of which of about fifty tons burden, they took on the firft of December •, this veffel was of a very uncouth fhape ; her fails were made of reeds, her anchors of wood, and her ropes of twilled ftraw •, the people on board her were bald, except a fmall tuft of hair on the back part of the head. On the ninth they took two barks, one of which was laden with rice and poultry, and the other with cocoa-wine, and Aqua Vita; ; and on the fourteenth they fell in with the two Spanifh fhipsfrom Manilla ; on which a warm engage- ment enfued, and the Dutch Admiral was at- tacked, and at length boarded by the Spaniards ; whereupon the Admiral declared aloud that he would immediately blow up the fhip if his men did not clear her of the Spaniards, and re- cover the fortune of the day •, on which the Dutch, animated at once by hope and defpair, fought 1 ke tygers, and not only drove the enemy from their fhip, but in return, board- ing theirs, they foon funk her. In this aftion the Spaniards loft feveral hundreds, many of whom were drowned, while the lofs of the Dutch amounted only to five killed, and twen- ty-fix wounded ; but by this time their whole number of hands able to do duty was no more than thirty-five. Continuing their voyage till the twenty-fixth, they came to anchor at Borneo in a commodious bay three miles in compafs ; and exchanged linen cloth for fifh with the neighbouring fifh- ermen. The Admiral fent a mefienger to the King, defiring leave to trade, which was granted, after the proper officers had been on board and found they were not Spaniards. On the firft of January 1601, the Borneans having laid a plot to feize the Dutch fhip, a great number of them advanced towards the veffels in a hundred little boats called proas, and pretending to have prelents f'^r* *■'-"? King, defircd to be taken on board ; but the Thitch» ' fufpecting their intention, threatened to fire on them if they did not keep their diflance ; upon which they defifted from the attempt. The ifland of Borneo is the largeft in the Eaft Indies : and the capital city which bears the fame name, confifls of three thoufand houfes, but is built in fuch a low, wet fitu- ation, that the inhabitants are commonly ob- liged to go from one houfe to aiother in their proas. Every man goes armed ; and even the women are of fo warlike a difpofition, that if they are affronted, they feek their revenge by the dagger orjavelin. One of the Dutchmen having offended one of thefe ladles, fhe attacked him with a javelin, and would foon have difpatched him, had fhe not been withheld by force. The inhabitants profefs the Mahometan religion, in the rites of which they are extremely fupcrftitious. The people of falhion wear a cotton turban on the head, and a covering of linen, from the waift downward; but the common people go naked, and are conftantly chewing the herbs called bee- tle and aracca. In the night of the fourth of January ; four Borneans came to the fhip, defigning to have cut the cables, that fhe might drive on fhore, but the Dutch difcovering them, fired at them, whereupon they made their efcape, leaving their proa behind them, which the other feized, and being weary of Borneo and its inhabitants, failed for Bantam ; and on the fixteenth took a junk from Jor, on board of which was a fkilful pilot, who conducted them through thofe dangerous leas, where otherwife they would probably have been loft ; for now they had but one anchor left, the cable of which was almoft worn out, and they were furrounded with a great number of fmall iflands and fhoals. On the twenty-eighth, they arrived at Jortan on the ifland of Java, where they had news of Dutch fhips being at Bantam, a city confifting of about a thoufand houfes, built of timber. The king of this place commands a considerable part of that end of the ifland. The people are iaid to be Mahometans, but from the Pagods ftill in uie among the common people, it ap- pears, that the fuperititious practices of the Muf- lelmen, are intermixed with thofe of the Indian worfhip, Their chief prieft was one hundred and twenty years of age, and had many wives, the milk of whofe breads was all his food. Sailing hence, they faw aportuguefc veffcl of fix hundred tons burden, run a ground on the fhoals, the crew of which faid that they were going to Amboyna to engrofs the trade of that* place ; but the Admiral fufpecting that fhe put to fea to cruize againft them, left the crewr to perifh in that dreadful fituation. They pafled the ftreights between Balamboa and Baty, on the fifth of February, and leaving Java on the north eaft, fleered for the Cape or" Good Hope. On the eighteenth they had the fun vertical at noon ; afier which they were be- calmed for eleven days. On the twenty-fourth of April at night, they faw a light like lire about four miles to the north weft, ROUND THE WORLD. S$ weft, being near land, which they had no idea of, as they were full two hundred miles from the Cape. On the twenty-fifth at night, they faw another fire, and the next morning difcovered land bear- ins to the north eaft, but they continued their courfe, and arrived off St. Helena, on the twen- ty-fixth, where they refreftied themfelves with good frefh meat, fifh and water ; and leaving the ifland on the thirtieth, failed homewards ; but by the twenty fecond of July, were ex- tremely diftrcfied, being at (hort allowance of bread, and what they had was worm eaten. This diftrefs increafed daily till the eighteenth of Auguft, when they met three (hips from Emb- den, who gave them bread and frefh meat, for rice and pepper ; and on the twenty-fixth of the fame month, at noon, they arrived fafely before the city of Rotterdam, having been very near three years on their voyage. Captain WILLIAM DAMPIER's V O Y A G ROUND THE WORLD. To which is prefixed an Account of his other VOYAGES. J i CHAPTER I. Some account of Mr. D ampler s birth and education', his firfi voyages; he engages in the logwood trade; returns to England, from whence he goes to "Jamaica; joins captain Coxoni travels over the Ifthmus of Darien with the Buccaneers; enters on board a French priva- teer; joins captain Cooke at Virginia; fails to the Salt J/lands, and from thence to the mouth of the River S her borough, on the coajl of Guinea; are hofpitably treated there ; en- counter a form ; arrive at Juan Fernandez ; remarkable hi/lory of an Indian, who had been left there three years before* WILLIAM DAMPIER, defcended of a reputable family in Somerfetfnire, was born in the year 1652; but hav- ing the misfortune to lofe both his parents while very young, his relations neglected his education; and his difpofition ftro'ngly incli- ning him to the fea, he was, at the age of fe- venteen, put apprentice to the mafter of a (hip at Weymouth in Dorfetlhire, with whom he made a voyage to France in the year 1699, and another to ISew England in the year following ; but in the fecond voyage he fuffered lb much ■ from the extreme cold, that he loft much of that ardor for a maritime life, with which he had before been infpired ; fo that on his return, he retired to his friends in the country, propofing not to goto fea any more •, but on hearing of an outward bound Eaft India fhip, which was foon to fail, he came to London, entered him- felf as a foremaft man, and made a vovase to Bantam, by which he acquired confiderable ex- perience ; and returning to England in Janua- ry 1672* remained during the following fummer at the houfe of his brother in Somerfetibire. In 1673, he ferved under Sir Edward Spragge, in two engagements againft the Dutch; after which he went again into S;'merfetfhire, where he met with one colonel Hellier, who having a large eftate in Jamaica, perfuaded Mr. Dampier to go over, and take the management of it ; but being foon weary of the life of a planter, he en- gaged with captain Hodfell, to go and cut log- wood in the bay of Campeachy ; which bufi- nefs being attended with profit, he continued it a confiderable time; and during this part of his life, became acquainted with the buccaneers, with whom he was afterwards engaged ; but of which connections he was at length much a- fhamed. In the bay of Campeachy he formed fome projects for advancing his fortune; which, how- ever, made it neceffary for him to return to En- gland, where having raifed what money he was able, he embarked for Jamaica, in the begin- ning of the year 1679, where he arrived about the end of April following, with a full inten- tion to have furniflied himielf with all materials for carrying on the logwood trade ; but he af- terwards 56 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE terwards altered his refolurion, and laid out the greater part of his fortune in the purchafe of a fmall eftate in Dorfetfhire, of a perfon whofe title he knew was indifputable. Soon after this purchafe, he made an agree- ment with one Mr. Hobby, to make a voyage to the Mofkito fhore, before he went to Eng- land. Soon after their fetting out, they an- chored off Nigral bay ; at the weft end of Ja- maica, where, finding, the captains Coxon, Sawkins, Sharp, and others, going on a priva- teering expedition, Hubby's men all engaged with them, and Dampicr finding no one left with Hobby but himfelf, confented to go alfo. Their firft expedition was againft Pcrr.0 bcllo, which having accomplimcd they came to a retolution of eroding the Ifthmus of Darien, to purfue their defign to the South Seas. On the fifth of Apr.l 1680, they landed near Golden lfland, being in number upwards of three hundred, and carrying with them ail kinds of provifions, and plenty of toys to gratify the Indians. Marching hence, in nine days they came to Santa M'.r.a, which they plundered ; but find- ing very little booty, after remaining three days, thry embarked on board canoes and other fmall veflcls for the South Seas. On the twenty third of April they were in fight of Panama, and made an unfuccefsful at- tempt upon Pucbha Nova, in which captain Sawkins, who was commander in chief was killed. On the fixth of June they fleered for the coaft of Peru, and touching at the iflands Gorgonia and Plata came to Ylo, which they took in the month of October. They arrived at Juan FernanJez about Chriftmas, where they dis- placed captain Sharp, who had commanded in chef fim.e the death of Sawkins, and made choice of captain Watling in his room ; foon after which they made a Iruitlcfs attempt upon .Arica, a ftrong town on the coaft of Peru, where Watling and twenty eight of his men being killed, the crew divided themfclves into two factions, fome of whom were for reftoring cap- tain Sharp, and others for excluding him ; but the former party prevailing, Dampier with the latter, bring forty feven in number, determined upon err (Ting the Ifthmus : which bold and dan- gerous undertaking, notwithstanding they had no regular commander, they accompliftied in twenty-three days. They fet out on this expe- dition at three o'clock in the afternoon on the firft of May, carrying with them a kettle to drefs their provifions, twenty or thirty pounds of chocolate, fome fugar, and a quantity of flour. On the fecond day they travelled only about five miles, ftopping atan Indian plantation, where they found only women whofe language they did not underftand, one of whom gave them a kind of beer brewed from corn. In the evening the hufbands of thefe women came home, and treated our adventurers with fowls, yams, plan- tanes, &c. and one of them, whofpoke a little Spanifh, agreed to guHe them to an Indian, who being matter of that language could give them full directions ; and for this fervice he was to be rewarded with a harchet. On the next day, about noon, he introduced them to the Indian who fpoke Spanifh, but he gave them only ill-natured anfwers, and appear- ed to be their enemy ; but fome of them giving his wife a fine petticoat, (he brought him into a better humour, and he procured them a guide for two days, being unable to attend them him- felf, for a wound in his foot; but he informed them of a Spanifh guardfhip that was fent out to deftroy them, and as it rained very hard, would have had them flay in his hut all night ; but they chofe rather to abide the inclemency of the weather, than remain io near their enemies. They at length arrived at Sound's key, after a variety of accidents, and embarked on board captain Triftian, commander of a French Priva- teer, with whom they failed to Springer's key, where they joined eight privateers more, the .. whole fleet having on board near fix hundred men; with which force they flattered themfelves with the hope of doing great things againft the Spaniards ; but the commanders difagreeing, Dampier and his companions put themfelves under the command of captain Wright, with whom they continued cruizing along the Spanifh coaft, as far as the Dutch fettlcrnent of Curacoa ; from whence they failed to Tortugas, and from thence to the Caracca coaft, where they took three prizes, which they fliared ; and refolving to feparate, Dampier, and about twenty others took one of the barks and proceeded for Vir- ginia, where they arrived in July 1682. At Virginia, Dampier affociated himfelf with captain Cooke, with whom he had formerly been acquainted, and who now intended to fail into the South Seas, to cruife againft the Spaniards. They fet fail from Achamack, on the twenty- third of Atiguft 1683, fleering for the Cape de Verd Iflands. They had not been many days at fea before they were overtaken by a violent ftorm, which continuing for a week, they had fcarcely any hope of outliving it •, but at length, they made the lfland of Salt, fo called from the quantities of congealed fait, which is found there, and the number of fait ponds with which it abounds. The foil of this ifland, which is filiated in fixteen degrees north latitude, is extremely bar- ren, producing only a few mean fhrubs near the fea-fiae, which ferve to feed a fmall number of poor goats. There are fome wild fowl on the ifland, the chief of which is the Flamingo, a reddifh bird, fomewhat like a heron, which fre- quents the marfbes, where it is not eafy to come near enough to fhoot them. They build their nefts of mud, which they fcrape together into little hillocks, tapering to the top, which rifes near two feet above the furtace of the water. At the top of the hillock they leave they eggs, of which they lay no more than two, and cover them with their rumps, their legs being at the fame time in the water-, a pofitioa which na- ture has rendered eafy to them, has otherwile the weight of their bodies would break the eggs or . fmother the young, which cannot flv till they are full grown, but run with fuch fwiftne s, thac it ROUND THE WORLD. 57 it is very difficult to take them. Their tongues are efteemed greac d amies •, but the reft of the body is lean and black, though not of an ill tafte. Thefe birds generally (land clofe to- gether at the,/ide of a pond, and, Mr. Dampier obferves, their feathers being of the colour of a brick wall, they very much refemble it at a dii- tance. All the inhabitants of this ifland amounted to no more than fix*, the chief of whom, making a molt ragged and deplorable figure, prefented them wuh three or four lean goats v in return for which, captain Cooke gave him a coat •, and bought a quantity of fait for fdme other o!d cloaths. The traffic being over, he beggrd a little powder and ihot, and departed well fatis- fied, but one of the others unknown to the chief, pretended to fell a piece of ambergrcaie to a Tailor, which proved to be nothing but a preparation of goats dung. Sailing from hence, they fleered to St. Ni- cholas, another of the Cape de Verd Iflands, at the dtftance of twenty-two leagues to the fouth welt ; and anchored on the fouth eaft fide of it. The form of this ifland is triangular, it is rocky and barren near the ihore, but farther in the country are fome vallies, which are inha- bited by Portuguefe, who had planted fome vineyards, which were in a flouriihing condition. They are of a dark fwarthy complexion, and from their drefs appeared to be rather poor, but the governor and thirty -four gentlemen with him, who vifited captain Cooke, made a decent ap- pearance; being armed with (words and p'htois. They prefented the captain wi:h feveral gallons of pale wine, rather thick, and in tafte like Madeira. The principal village was fituated about four- teen miles from the fea fide, and contained one hundred families, befides whom there were others fcattered up and down in the vallies. This place produced a few poor goats, and fome afies. They remained here about five or fix days, digging wells for frefh water, and fcrubbing the fhip's bottom, and then ftood over to the ifland of Mayo, another of the Cape de Verds, where they propoled to have purchafed fome goats and cows ; but one captain Bond having, fome time before, feized the governor and fome other gen- tlemen, and refufing a ranfome which was of- fered them, carried them off; the inhabitants on this account would not permit any of captain Cooke's men to land. The ifland of Mayo a- bounds in goats and other horned cattle, and fmall turtle are to be found here in May, June, July and Auguft. Captain Cooke fteered from the Cape de Verd iflands, directly for the ftreights of Magellan ; but the wind blowing hard at fouth, when they were in ten degrees north latitude, they ftood over for the coaft of Guinea, and in a few days anchored at the mouth of the river Sherborough, fouthward of Sierra Leona. Not far from the fhore they fa// a pretty large village, inhabited • The reader will find a beautiful defcription of this N« 5 . P by negroes, the houfes of which Were all low, except one in the middle, where they were en- tertained with palm wine : near this place was art Englifh factory, which carried on a confiderable trade in a red wood uled by the dyers, called camwood. Thefe people behaved with great civility, and fupplkd them with rice, fowls, honey and fugar canes. They continued their voyage tor the ftreights of Magellan, about the middle of November, but were no fooner out at fea, than they met with violent gulls of wind, in- terchanged with calms, fo that they proceed- ed very flowly ; and having touched at the three iflands of Sebald de Weert, where they found nothing but a few busies, and fome fmall red loblters about the fize of a man's finger, they came within fight of the ftreights of Le Maite on the firft of February, which they found mountainous on each fide, and very narrow. They encountered a violent ftorm at weft fouth welt, on the fourteenth, which held tili the third of March, on the ninteenth of which month they difcovered a fail, which they fuppofed to be a Spanifh merchantman bound from Baldivia for Lima •, but it proved to be an Englifh fhip commanded by captain Eaton, bound from London for the South Sea, with whom they kept company quite through the ftreights, and were lupplied by them with water, which they ftood in need of, in return for bread and beef which captain Eaton wanted. On the twenty-fourth they came to. an anchor, in a bay on the fouth fide of the ifland of Juan Fernandez,* within two cables length of the fhore. As foon as they had anchored, they fent a boat with a Mofkito and two or three failors, to the fhore, in fearch of a Mofkito Indian, whom Captain Watling had left there three years before ; having, at that time, concealed himfelf in the woods from the fearch of the Spaniards. He was foon found, for having the day before difcovered an Englifh fail, he had killed three goats to entertain the crew, running to the fhore to meet them. As foon as he faw the other Indian, he ran towards him, and having thrown himfelf with his face to the ground, embraced him with all the marks of tendernefs, and then faluted his old friends the failors, -who he thought were come on purpofe to bring him off the ifland. Some Spaniards who had heard of his being there, had often fearched fcr him in vain, as he always took care to hide himfelf from them. This man was called Will and the other Ro- bert, for though the Mofkito Indians had no names by which they diftinguifh themfelves, they take it as a favour if the Europeans will beftow one on them. Will had built himfelf a hut about half a mile from the lea fide, which he had lined with goats fkin, a piece of which he wore round him inftead of his cloaths, which had been worn out for fome time ; he alfo made his bed of the fame materials. When he was left on ifland when we come to Anfon's Voyage. fhore ;8 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE fhore, he had with him a knife, a gun and a little powder and (hot. "When his ammunition was expended, he made a faw of his knife by notching it, with which he fawed the barrel of the gun into fmall pieces •, then kindling a fire with his flint, he worked the iron into a lance, filhing-hooks, and harpoons. Thefe contrivances were the refult of neceffity, founded upon what he re- membered of the workmanlhip of the Englifh fmiths ; and indeed all the Mofkito Indians make their inftruments without forge or an- vil. With the help of thefe inftruments this poor fellow had fubfifted upwards of three years, upon goats, and fuch fifh as he could catch. CHAP. II. they leave the ifland of Juan Fernandez ; take a prize bound to Lima ; bear away Jor the. Gallapagos, which they leave and arrive at cape Blanco ; captain Cooke dies ; the failors during the interment J eize two [pies ; fail to the gulph of Amapella ; a well concert edfc heme there, dejlroyed by folly and rajhnefs ; defcriptton of the ijland of Plata ; they Jleer to point St. Helena, and from thence to Manta ; burn the town of Fait a ; determine to attack Guiaquil ; but tnifcarry ; take t wo barks with a thoufand Negroes ; enter the bay of Pana- ma ; defcription of the cabbage and cotton trees ; Mr. Dampier and others fail up the river St. Jago ; they take Don Diego De Pinas, a Spanijlo knight, pr'foner. THEY fet fail from the ifland of Juan Fernandez, after a flay of fourteen days, on the eighth of April 1684, in company with Captain Eaton, for the South Seas ; fleering towards the line off the high land of Peru and Chili, at the dillance of fifteen or fixteen leagues from the fhore, leaft the Spa- niards fhould difcover them. Captain Eaton took a prize on the third of May, bound from Guiaquil to Lima, laden with timber ; after which fleering within five leagues of the continent, on the nineteenth they arrived at the iflands of Lobos de la Mar, which abounds in penguins, boobies and other fowls. Thefe iflands are each about a mile round, and to the weft of one of them is a fafe harbour, where Captain Cooke having fcrubbed the (hips, and examined the men who were on board the prize, learnt that the Spaniards hav- ing intelligence of their being in thofe feas, would not trufl their veflels to fea without a fufficient guard, and therefore propofed to his men, to make a defcent upon Truxillo, a po- pulous town fix miles from the port of Guane- hagno ; to which the crew unanimoufly agreed: but they changed their refolution, on being ac- quainted that the people of Truxillo, were erec- ting a fort near the harbour of Guanehagno. This information they received from the crews of three Spanifh veflels, which they had taken, and which were bound to Panama with flour ; on board one of which was a letter from the viceroy of Lima to the prefident of Panama, in- forming him that thefe fupplies were fent on ac- count of there being fome enemies in thofe feas. They now refolved to bear away for the Gal- lapagos, a number of uninhabited iflands, lying under and near the line, on both fides of it; and on the evening of the thirty-firft, they anchored * A farther Account of the Gallapago iflands, will be in fixteen fathom water, on the eaft fide of one of the eaftermofl of them. Some of thefe iflands are feven or eight leagues long, and three or four broad ; they are moftly rocky and barren, having no grafs except juft on the fea fhore ; but they have tolerably good water in the cavities of the rocks.* When they had remained twelve days among thefe iflands, one of the Indian prifoners who was born at Rio Leja, giving them an advan- tageous account of the riches of that place, and promifing to condudt them thither, they fet fail on the twelfth of June, but by the beginning of July the fmall winds and fair weather brought them within view of Cape Blanco, in the Mexi- can fea. Two or three leagues off Cape Blanco, Captain Cooke, who had been ill ever fince he left Juan Fernandez, died •, and they unani- moufly chofe Mr. Edward Davis, the company's quarter mafler, captain in his room. As they came to an anchor in about four hours afcer captain Cooke's death, near the mouth of a rivulet, the body was ordered on fhore to be buried under a guard of twelve men ; but while they were employed in digging his grave, three Spanifh Indians came to them ; whom the fail- ors converfed with for a time, and then fudden- ly feized them all ; but one of them found means to make his efcape. The two others be- ing carried on board, and examined, by captain Eaton, were found to be fpies from Nicoya, a fmall Mulatto town, about fourteen leagues to the eaftward of the cape, the inhabitants of which lived by tilling their ground, and feeding their cattle on the plains, of which they had great numbers. As the men had tafted no flefh meat fince they left the Gallapagos •, twenty four perfons, among whom was Dampier, with a Spanifh Indian for a pilot, were difpatched in two boats to bring off found in Woodcs Rogers's voyage round the world fome ROUND THE WORLD. 59 fome cows and bulls, from a farm at about a league's diftance from the fhip. Haling up the boat on dry land, the guide conducted them to the pen, which was fuuated in a large favannah, where there were a great number of horned cat- tle which appeared very fat. Being weary, and night coming on, fome of them were for refting till morning, and then killing what they wanted •, while others were for proceeding to bufinefs immediately •, here- upon twelve of them, among whom was Dam- pier, returned on board the fhip, while the o- thers chofe to remain till next morning •, but they had realbn to repent of their rafhnefs, for at break of day, when they prepared to drive away as many cattle as they wanted, they were befct by forty or fifty Spaniards, who had con- cealed themfelves among the bufhes, and dis- charged feveral fhot at them : on this accident they retired in as regular a manner as they were able to their boat, which, to their great con- fufion, they found in flames •, the Spaniards keeping at a diftance, and mocking at their diftrefs. They now waded to a rock, a little way with- in the water, where the Spaniards could not far- round them, and remained feveral hours in this diftrefs, in danger of being fwallowed by the fea, which flowed in very faft upon them. In the mean time, thofe on board the fhip, feeing nothing of them by four o'clock in the afternoon, fent a canoe with ten men in fearch of them, by whom they were found up to the middle in water, and in fuch a fituation, as the fea conti- nued to flow in that they muft have been drown- ed, if the canoe had come an hour later. At this place they feized three good canoes, and having provided themfelves with a quan- tity of lance-wood, which is ftrait and heavy, to make looms for oars, and fcouring rods for guns, and taken in what water they wanted, they failed on the twentieth of July for Rio Leja, which may be difcerned at fea, at the diftance of twenty leagues, on account of a remarkable burning mountain, by which it is diftinguifhed. They intended to have landed here, but having rowed in their canoes, and taken a diftant view of the town, they found, by fome commotions on fhore, that they were difcovered, and there- fore returned on board the Ihips. It was now determined in a conference between the captains, Davis and Eaton, to fteer for the gulph of Amapalla ; which being entered by captain Davis, with two canoes, in order to get a prifoner and obtain intelligence, he came the firft night to Mangera; and in the morning obferved feveral canoes, hailed up in a bay, he landed there, and (truck into a path which led him to the town •, but all the inhabitants fled to the woods, except an old priefl, and two Indian boys, who attended him ; who being made prifoners by captain Davis, he brought them to the fea-fide, and compelled them to conduct him to the ifland of Amapalla ; where, being landed, he proceeded to a town on the top of a hill, the inhabitants of which would have fled into the woods, but were prevented by the fecretary to the chief magiftrate, who, though an Indian, could read and write the Spanifh language, but was an enemy to the Spa- niards. This man having perfuaded his countrymen, that captain Davis and his people were friends, who dcfired their affiftance againft their common enemy, they bid them welcome ; whereupon captain Davis advanced at the head of his men towards the Indians, who came forward, led by the prieft, and received them in a very friendly manner •, after which they proceeded towards the church to confer together. Throughout the Indian towns in general, all tranfa£tions of a public nature are carried on in the church ; there their plays and paftimes are performed, and their antique habics, malks, ftrumftrums, hautboys, &c. are carefully laid up. The ftrumftrum is an inftrument formed out of the half of a gourd, the hollow of which is covered with a thin board, over which the firings are laid, and its found refembles that of a cittern. In the church the Indians meet to make merry on the night preceding a holiday or feftival ; and it is obfrrved that the mufic of thole who are in fubjection to the Spaniards, has a melancholy air : thofe who are not fo conftrained, exercife themfelves in dancing, leaping, and playing tricks, and ufe a number of torches, except it happen to be moon light. Captain Davis intended, as foon as he had got into the church, to prevail on the Indians to lend him their affiftance againft the Spa- niards : and all things feemed in a fair way to fucceed, when juft as they were entering the church, one of his men, who thought an Indian before him went on too flow, pufhed him for- ward ; upon which, the poor fellow being frigh- tened, ran haftily away, and all the others fol- lowing him, captain Davis and the prieft were left in the church by themfelves. The captain, not knowing what caufed the confufion, ordered the men to fire upon the fugi- tives ; and his frienJ, the fecretary, being kil- led at one of the firft fhots, his correfpondence with thefe people was entirely at an end. Thefhips coming to an anchor near the ifle of Amapalla the fame afternoon, captain Davis and his men went on board, taking the friar with them ; who told them, that as the fecretary was dead, the only thing they could do, would be to fend for the cacique •, which being done, he came on board, attended by fix of his prin- cipal people, and being received in a very friendly manner, they remained on board as long as the fhips lay in the gulph, directing them where to go for wood, and water, and cattle, and readily affording them all the affiftance in their power ; for which the captain rewarded them with fome trifling prefents, with which they departed highly Satisfied. Having put the friar on fhore, captain Davis failed out of the gulph of Amapalla on the third of September 1684, leaving the cacique and his attendants in pofleffion of one of the prizes, which was half full of flour. Captain Eaton had parted company the pre- ceding day •, but though in lefs than three weeks 6o CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE weeks he offered to join captain Davis again off the ifland of Flata, yet Davis's men refuted to fhare with Eaton's people, in fuch prizes as might fall into their hands. The ifland of Plata is pretty high, and fur- rounded with rocky clifts, except in one place, where a torrent of frcih water pours down from the rocks. Itproducesgra!s,andthreeorfourfmall kinds of trees, which Dampier did not know the name of. It abounds with the birds called boo- bies, and the man of war bird ; and near the fhore are plenty of fmad turtle. It is faid to have been named La Plata, becaufe here the rich prize ot plate, called the Cac;fuego, was divided by Sir Francis Drake among his men. They flayed here only one day, and then fleered for point St. Helena, which is a high flat land, beating fouth from La Plata in twenty-three degrees fifteen minutes fouth lati- tude. On the north fide is a large bay, on the fhore of which ftands a poor village, which is alfo called St. Helena, inhabited by Indians, who have neither grain, plant, or fruit, but water melons, which are very large and fweet : they have neither fpring nor river of any kind near them ; and are obliged to fetch their frefh wa- ter from a river at four leagues diftance. They live chiefly upon fi(h, but what maize they get, is in exchange for a bituminous fubftance, which the Spaniards call Algatrane, which iffues out of the earth above high water mark, and which, when boiled, anfwers all the purpofes of piich. The Captain landed fome men here, who fcized a fmall bark which they p;e- ferved from being burnt, the Indians having f-t it on fire, as they affirmed, by command of the viceroy j they alfo took fome of them pri- foners, from whom they learnt that the viceroy had commanded all feamen to burn their veficis and take to their boats, if they fhoiild hap- pen to fall in the way of the Englifh Buc- caneers. The men coming back the fame evening, they failed again for the ifland of Plata, where they anchored on the twenty- fixth of September, and immediately fent fome of the men to Manra, an In.iian village three leagues weft of Cape Lorenzo ; but the inhabitants, perceiv- ing their approach, fled from the town, ex- cept two decripid old women, who declared that the viceroy having heard that a number of men were marched over-land, through Darien, to the South Seas, had ordered the fhips to be burnt, the goats on the ifland of Plata to be deftroyed, and no provifions kept there, but what was wanted for immediate ufc. Manta is fituated on an eafy afcent, and though it con fills only of a few ftraggling houfes, it affords an agreeable profpecl from the fea. The foil is dry and fandy, producing only a few fhrubs , fo that the inhabitants are fupplied with corn and roots from Panama and Lima. The town was formerly inhabited by the Spaniards, and has a pretty church adorned with carved work : and between it and the fea, is a fpring of excellent water. Behind the town, at fome diftance up the country, is a high hill in the form of a fugar loaf, called Monte Chrifto. About a mile and half from the fhore, oppofite the village, is a dangerous rock which never appears above water. As the alarm which had been fpread through the country prevented their finding any booty, they returned on board, and the next day failed back to the ifland of Plata, where having waited till the fecond of October, and being undeter- mined what courfe to take, they were then join- ed by captain Swan, in the Cygnet, a fhip from London, who came on a trading voyage, but having met with many difappointments, his men had forced him to take on board a party of Buccaneers, who had travelled over the Ifthmus of Darien, under the command of captain Peter Harris, who having a fmall bark, and being now three of them in company, they earneftly wifhed to meet with captain Eaton, as they hop- ed, with fuch a force, to be abie to undertake an expedition cf fome confequence ; the bark was therefore immediately fent in fearch of him, with a letter inviting him fhare their fortune ; but (he had not the good fortune to meet him, he having lately quitted thofe feas, and, as it was imagined, gone for the Eaft Indies ; a fcheme which he had for a long time propofed to execute. The bark which had been three days cruizing, took a prize of four hundred tons, laden with timber, bound from Guiaquil to Lima ; the matter of which told them, that the viceroy of Peru, was fitting out ten frigates, to drive them out of thofe feas. This news, though difagree- able, did not difcourage them from making a defcent upon Payta, where on the fecond of No- vember they landed one hundred and ten men, and having feized upon the town, kept poffef- lion of it for feveral days, in hopes that the inhabitants would have redeemed it; but that not being done, they fet the town on fire, and retired to the fhips. The captains had offered to fpare the town for three hundred facks of flour, three thoufand pounds of fugar, twenty-five jars of wine, and one thoufand jars of water ; but thefe moderate conditions were flighted. The Buccaneers left the bay of Payta, on the tenth of November at night, fteering by the be- nefit of a land breeze, towards the ifland of Lobos de la Mar, and on the fourteenth came up with Lobos de la Terra, where fome of the men landing, killed a number of feals, boobies and penguins, which, as they had been long without frefh meat, proved a feafonable refrefh- ment. They arrived at Lobos de la Mar, on the nineteenth, where the Mofkito-men ftruck a great number of turtle, and taking on board out of a prize, which they had formerly left there, fome planks for firing, they came to a re- folution of attacking Guiaquil, which is fitua- ted in a bay of the fame name, between cape Blanco on the fouth, and point Chandy on the North ; and at the bottom of the bay lies a fmall ifland, fhaped like a dead man in a fhroud, called St. Clara. Having ROUND THE WORLD. 6i Having heretofore had a defign againft Guia- quil, they left the fhips at Cape Blanco, and fttered with a bark and ibme canoes to the ifle of St. Clara, and thence in two canoes to Point Arena, where they the next day took ibme of the fifhermen of Puna, and afterwards feized the town. The next ebb they took a bark coming from Guiaquil, laden with Quito cloth, from the mafter of which they learnt, that there were three barks full of negroes confine; with the next tide. Leaving five men on board the bark, they embarked all the reft in canoes, and proceeded towards Guiaquil, but the canoes being heavily laden, it was break of day before they got with- in two leagues of the town ; whereupon they hid themfelves all day in a neighbouring creek, and lent one of the canoes back to the bark, with orders not to fire at any thing till next day •, but before they arrived with thefe directions, two barks filled with negroes coming out of the har- bour with the evening tide, and falling down with the ebb towards Puna, coming within fight of the Engliih bark, they fired three guns at them ; which put the Englifh in the canoes in great confirmation, not doubting but the peo- ple of the town had taken the alarm •, where- upon ibme of the company were for advancing to the town immediately, and others for return- ing to the fhips •, but as the ebb tide prevented their going upwards, captain Davis with fifty of his men, determined to march by land to the place, but the reft judging that it was im- pofllble they ihould fucceed, continued in the creek to wait the event. After an abfence of four hours, captain Davis and his men, being almoft choaked among the mangrove woods, which grew in the marihes, and finding it impofiible to proceed, returned. It was then determined to row up within fight of the town, and, if they found themfelves dif- covered, to retire without attempting to land -, therefore rowing through the north eaft channel, they got within view of the town during the night; when, on a fudden, at the difcharge of a muiket, they perceived the whole place to be full of lights, and as they had feen but one be- fore, they certainly concluded that they were difcovered ; but feveral of them bbferving that the Spaniards ufed lights on the evenings pre- ceeding their feftivals, and that the next was a holiday, they upbraided captain Swan and his men with cowardice. On this they landed at a place about two miles from the town, which being over-run with woods they were forced to wait for day-light ; when having an Indian guide, whom they had taken three days before, a cord was tied to him, and he was led by one of captain Davis's men, who feemed one of the moft forward in the en- terprize ; but now, perhaps, beginning to re- pent his raihnefs, he cut the rope, ^nd let the Indian efcape into the town. "When he thought the fellow was at a proper diftance, he cried out that fomebody had cut the rope ; when the company having fearched in vain for the fugi- tive, determined to abandon the enterprize •, however they landed on the oppofite ftiore, and N° VI. Q^ killed a cow, which they dreiTed and ate, undif- turbed by the inhabitants. On the ninth of December they returned to Puna, and in their way took the two barks abovementioned, and finding a thoufand ne- groes on board, they kept about fixty, and left the reft, with the barks, behind, and foon faw them make the ihore. Mr. Dampier feems of opinion that this was a very impolitic proceeding, and that if they had taken thefe people directly over the Ifthmus of Darien, they might have been able to have worked the gold mines of St. Maria ; an undertaking which would have been fo well fupported by the Englifii and French privateers, from all parts of the weft Indies, that they might have been able to have ftood their ground againft all the power of Spain in that part of the world •, and in time have been ftrong enough to have extended their conquefts to the wealthy gold mines of the province of Quito. They fet fail on the thirteenth, and in three days arrived at La Plata, in their way to which they met the bark, which they had fent in fearch of captain Eaton, of whom they had got no in- telligence ; here they divided the eloth which they had taken on board the bark ; and hav- ing fupplied themfelves with freih water, they refolved to fteer for Lavelia, a town in the bay of Panama. Accordingly they failed on the twenty-third^ and the next morning pafied in fight of cape Pafiao, a high round point, covered with fruit trees, on the land fide, but bare towards the fea, Eetwixt this and Cape Francifco are abundance of fmall points, full of various kinds of trees,which inclofe fo many fandy creeks. As their defign was to fearch for canoes in- feme river, unfrequented by the Spaniards, they endeavoured to make the ifiand of St. Jago, on account of its vicinity to the ifie of Gailo, where there was fafe anchorage for the fhips, and gold in great plenty. The river of St. Jago is large and navigable,, and about feven leagues from the fea it divides itielf into two branches, furrounding a large ifiand, the mould of which is of a deep black, producing a number of tall trees, among which, the largeft are the cabbage trees, and thole of red and white cotton. The cabbage is the tailed, and Mr. Dampier meafured one that was one hundred and twenty feet long. It has no branches but near the top, where they fprout out to the length of twelve or fourteen feet, covered with fmall long leaves, in fuch regular order, that at a diftance they appear but as one leaf. In the middle of thefe branches grows the fruit, which is as big as a- man's leg, about a foot long, as white as miik, and very fweet, whether eaten raw or boiled. As foon as the head is gone, the tree dies •, for which reafon they cut it down to gather the fruit. Between the cabbage and ths branches, many fmall twigs fprout forth, about two feet long, at the end of which grow hard round ber- ries, about the fize of a cherry, which falling once a year, afford excellent food for the hogs. The body of the tree is full of round rings from top 6 2 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE top to bottom, about half a foot afunder •, the bark is thin and brittle, the wood black and hard, and there is a white pith in the middle of the tree. The pleafing verdure of thefe trees are a great ornament to the grove, and they are much ufed by the planters of Ja- maica. The white cotton tree grows to a confidera- ble height, branching out like the Englifh oak, the body being biggeft in the middle, like a nine-pin, and the bark of a grey colour, and extremely fmooth. The leaves are of the fize of thole of a plumb-tree, are oval, fmooth, jag- ged at the ends, and of a dark green. When the cotton is ripe, which is about the month of November, the trees look like apple-trees in blofToin. This cotton is very fine, but not be- ing fubftantial, the people in the Weft Indies do not think it worth gathering •, but in the Eaft Indies it is ufed for ftuffing of pillows. That called the red cotton tree, produces no cotton, and its wood is tougher than the white, which, in other refpedts, it very much refem- bles ; and the wood of both is fomewhat fpungy, and fit only for the making of canoes, nor will it laft long, even for that purpofe, unlefs it is often tarred. The continual rains which fall in this part of Peru, added to the natural ferocity of the in- habitants, which it appears impoffible to tame, have prevented the Spaniards from making any confiderable difcoveries on this coaft •, and the people bear fo mortal a hatred to the Spaniards, and are fo jealous of all other Europeans, that whoever attempts to row up the river, muft lie expofed to their ambufcades on each fide ■, and they are fuch excellent markfmen, that their ar- rows feldom mifs their aim. Notvvithftanding thefe dangers, Mr. Dampier and fon-e others, ventured to row fix leagues up the river, till they came to two huts, where they found a hog, Which appeared to be of the Eu- ropean kind, and fome fowls and plantanes, which they drefied and fed very heartily upon ; while the poor Indians, who owned them, fee- ing their approach, took their wives and children into their canoes, and paddled away with fuch expedition, that there was no poffibility of catching them. On the oppofite fide they faw many huts, which, like thefe, were covered with Palmeto leaves, but the ftream being very rapid they were afraid to venture farther up •, fo that after a day's excurfion, they returned to their fhips, which v/ere ftationed off Gallo, a fmall uninha- bited ifland, about three leagues from the mouth of the river Tomaco •, and four and a half from an Indian village of the fame name ; where, at twelve o'clock on the following night, they made a defcent, and going into one of the houfes, they feized upon all the inhabitants ; among whom was Don Diego de Pinas a Spaniih knight, who was come thither to lade timber -, but find- ing nothing in the veiTel that brought him, but thirteen jars of wine, they took them out, and turned the Vefiel adrift. The fame day three Indians, in a canoe, came on board ; they were of low ftature, ftrait and well limbed, with black hair, long faces, fmall eyes and nofes, and of a dark complexion. On the thirty-firft feveral cf the men, who had been fome leagues up the river, with two canoes, returned and brought with them feveral ounces of gold, which they had found in a houfe be- longing to a lady of Lima, who kept fervants here, to trade with the Indians for gold, and who at fight of the 'canoes, had made their ef- cape into the country. CHAPTER III. They take a Spani/b packet boat bound to Lima ; defcription of the Pearl Ijlands ; account of New Panama ; defcription of the mammee tree ; they are in great danger of being defrayed ; are joined by more buccaneers ; are reinforced by captain Townley ; defcription of fruits, which grow on the ijland of Chepelio ; account of the town and river of Cheapo ; account of an unfuccefsful attempt upon the Spanijh fleet ; the city of Leon defcribed ; account of their taking and burning that city ; defcription of Rio Leja, and the taking rf it ; Davis and Swan part company, and Dampier goes with the latter ; defcription cf Guatimala, and of the port of Guatulco ; fome of the people narrowly efcape being deflroyed ; they attempt tofeize ajloip in the harbour of Acapulco, but do not fucceed ; feize a number of mules laden with provifions ; cruize for the Manila fl-'ip, which efcapes them ; the Captains Townley and Swanfeperate. AS they were going in their canoes from Tomaco towards Gallo, on the firft of January 1685, they feized a Spaniih packet boat going from Panama to Lima, by which they learnt that the Armada was arrived from Spain at Porto Bello, where it waited for the Plate fleet from Lima : on which they changed their refolution of going to Lavelia, and refolvcd to rendezvous among the King's or Pearl iflands, by which the fhips bound from Lima to Panama, muft necefianiy pafs. Hereupon they failed on the feventh of the month, and on the eighth took a fhip of ninety tons, laden with flour, and having a gentle gale from the fouth, they continued their voyage, and next day anchored on the weft fide of Go-gj- na, an ifland twentv-five leagues diitant from Gallo. Ther ROUND THE WORLD. H T . :! their voyage on the thirteenth, > • •.■nty-fifth, tins little fleet, which co; two flout fhips, commanded by Da- vis van, the prize of ninety tons, and two tei ders, came into a deep well -inclofed channel, on fie north fide of St. Paul's ifle, which is a good place for careening. The Pearl iflands are numerous, low and woody •, feven leagues from the continent, and twelve from Panama. Mr. Dampier fays, that though in the maps they are called Pearl iflands, he could not find one pearl oyfter near them. The moft northern ifland is called Pachea or Pacheque, and St. Paul's is the moft foutherly : all the reft of them, though large, having no names. The negroes who belong to the inhabi- tants of Panama have planted fome of thefe iflands with plantanes, bananas and rice. The channel betwixt them and the continent, is feven or eight leagues broad, of a moderate depth, and has good anchoring all along it ; and tho' 'the iflands lie dole together, there are good chan- nels between them, proper for boats. Having fent their barks on a cruize towards Panama, they returned on the fourth day, with a prize laden with maize, faked beef and fowls. They found abundance of oyfters in the harbour, together with mufcles, limpers, and clams, which laft are a kind of oyfters that cling fo clofe to the rocks, that, to be eaten, they muft be opened on the fpot. They alfo found turtle-doves and pigeons here. The fhips being well careened by the four- teenth of February, they took in wood and water, and failed out among the iflands, where on the fixteenth they anchored within a league of the ifland of Pacheque, and on the eighteenth fleered with a north eaft wind, directly towards Panama, and anchored oppolite Old Panama, once a place of confiderable confequence, but the greateft part of it being laid in afhes by Sir Henry Morgan in 1673, it was never rebuilt. New Panama which ftands on the river fide, four leagues from the old town, is a handfome city watered by feveral rivers, fome of which have gold in them, and which run into the bay. The houfes are chiefly of brick ; and with the churches, monafteries, and prefident's houfe, our author fays, make the beft appearance of any buildings he faw in that country. This place has a view of many pleafant iflands, and from the variety of hills, vallies, groves and plains around it, affords a moft enchanting profpect from the fea. It is encompafled by a high ftone wall, on which a number of guns are mounted, which formerly were placed only on the land fide, but now are alfo planted towards the fea. This city has a vaft trade, being the ftaple for all goods, to and from all parts of Peru and Chili ; befides that every three years, when the Spanifh fhips go to Porto Bello, the Plate fleet comes hither with the King's plate, as well as what belongs to the merchants, whence it is carried by mules to Porto Bello •, and at that time every thing is exceflive dear here. On the twentieth of March they anchored about a league from the Perico iflands, and on the twenty-firft another prize fell into their hands, laden with hogs, beef, fowls, and fait from Lavelia. Three days after they took this vefiel they fteered for Tobago, an ifland in the bay of Panama, three miles long and one broad, the foil of which produces plenty of plantains and bananas, together with cocoa and niammee trees •, which laft are fixty or feventy feet high, are without knots or boughs, except at the top, where fome fmall branches fprout out, thick and clofe together-, the fruit is of thebignefs of a large quince •, round, and covered with a grey rind, which before it is ripe, is brittle ; but when come to maturity, turns yellow, and will peel with eafe. The ripe fruit has an agreeable fmell and tafte, and has two rough ftones in the middle, each of which is about the fize of a large almond. The fouth weft lide of this ifland is covered with trees and fire wood, and on the north fide, there is a fine frefli-water fpring which falls into the fea. Here was formerly a handfome church, but it has been deftroyed by the Buccaneers, and to the north- weft lies a fmall town called Tobagilla, near which they came to an anchor on the twenty- fifth, and had like to have been deftroyed by a pretended trader, who under a fliew of trading privately with them, inftead of bringing his bark in the night laden with merchandize, ad- vanced towards them in a fire fhip •, but fome of the people fufpecting his defign, fired upon the vefiel, whereupon thofe who attended her took to their boats, and the Englilh cutting their cables to avoid her, (lie blew up without doing any damage •, at the fame time a fmall float which was in fight, guided by one man, and was fuppofed to be a compound of com- buftibles defigned to lay hold of their rudder, alfo difappeared. Thefe engines are faid to have been contriv- ed by captain Bond, who formerly deferted from them to the Spaniards, for without his afliftance they could not have fitted out a fire fhip. The ignorance of the Spaniards in the South Seas, in maritime affairs, being altoge- ther aftonifhing •, and it is common for the veflels there to be manned with Indians, hav- ing only one Spaniard on board, who is the commander. On the morning of the twenty-eighth, they were joined by two hundred Englifh and eighty French Buccaneers, who came from the north fea over the Ifthmus of Darien. The Englifh were taken on board by the Captains Davis and Swan, and the reft put into the prize they had taken, loaden with flour, under the command of a Frenchman called Captain Gronet, who offered Davis and Swan each a commiflion from the governor of Petit Guave : but Swan having a commiflion from the Duke of York, refufed it, and Davis accepted one. It was very common about this time for this governor to furnifh the Buccaneers with com- miflions, and alfo to give them blank ones for any other perfons with whom they might chance to join company : and although they were in fact no more than a licence, to hunt fowl and fifh 64. CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE fifh on the iflaiid of Hifpaniola, yet under the fan&ion of them, they had committed the moft abominable depredations in America, both by lea and land. With this additional reinforcement, they fet fail on the fecond of March, towards the gulph of St. Michael, in fearch of Captain Townley, who was faid to be eroding the lfthmus with one hundred and eighty men, with whom they came up the next day among the Pearl iflands. Townley had taken two barks, one laden with fugar and the other with flour, and fome jars of wine and brandy* which he divided among the men belonging to Davis and Swan, as he wanted the jars to fill them with water •, in fearch of which, as it was the dry feafon, they fleered to point Garachina, where the natives gave them refrefhments, but meeting with no water, they flood over for Port Pines, fo called from the great number of pines which grow on the fhore ; but the fea ran fo high that the boats could not make land ; wherefore they fleered for Tobago, and their courfe fell in with four Indians, and a in Mulattoe in a canoe, who having been on board the fire fhip that was fent to burn captain Davis's vefiel, they were immediately hanged. "While they were employed in taking in wood and water, at the ifland of Perico, at which place they caft anchor on the third of April, they fent four canoes to the continent to get fugar in the adjacent fugar works, to make up their cocoa into chocolate, and to get fome copper kettles, which, as their numbers were confiderably in- creafed, were much wanted for the boiling of provifions ■, and they brought back three kettles with them. In the interim captain Davis fent his bark to the ifland of Otoque, in the Bay of Panama, which is inhabited only by few negroes who breed fowls and hogs •, where they found a meflenger, who was difpatched to Panama, with an account that the Lima fleet was tailed. Moft of the let- ters had been thrown into the fea, but from the - reft they learnt that the fleet was coming under a convoy, confifting of all fuch fhips as they had been able to get together from Peru. Being in- formed by the pilot that the king's fliips always came that way, thty failed back to the Pearl iilands on the tenth, and on the twenty-fecond, arrived at Chepelio, one of the pleafanteft iflands in die bay of Panama, though but a mile in length and not quite fo broad. The foil is good, and produces plenty of deli- cious fruits, in particular plantanes, fapadilloes, avogato-pears, mammee fapotas, and ftar-apples. The Sapadillo is rather longer, but about the fize of a bergamot pear -, the juice of it, when firft gathered, is white and clammy, but if laid by for two or three days, it grows fweet,. and the fruit becomes foft and lufcious •, two or three black ftones, about the fize of a pompion-feed are found within it. The Avogato Pear is about the fize of a lemon, and when ripe is as foft as butter, and of a greenifli yellow. When it has been gathered three or four days, the rind comes q&" with cafe. As it has an mfipid tafte, it is rally eaten with fugar and lime juice, or a ntane and fait. The ftone of it is as big as a horie-plumb. This fruit being efteemed agreat provocative, the Spaniards have planted it near moft of their habitations on the north fea. The infide of the mammee-fapota is of a deep red, and contains a rough, flat, long, ftone. This is the principal fruit of the Weft Indies, and is very pleafant and whclibme. The ftar-apple grows to the height of our quince-tree •, the fruit is about the fize of a large apple, but is fo covered with the broad oval leaves of the tree, that it is fcarcely to be feen. The river Cheapo rifing in the mountains on the north fide, is afterwards inclofed be- tween them and thofe on the South ; and run- ning gently to the weft, in form of a femi-circle, falls into the fea at the diftance of feveh leagues from Panama. The city of Cheapo ftands on the left bank of the river, about fix leagues from the fea, in a fine open country, which by the help of woods, hills, and pafture grounds, affords a very delightful proipecl ; but the whole is woodland, for many leagues on the fouth fide of the river. On the twenty-fourth, the two hundred and fifty men, who had been fent to this place, re- turned, having taken it without oppofition > but found nothing worth mentioning in it. In their way thither, they took a canoe with armed men, but moft of them made their efcape. Captain Harris joining them on the twenty- fifth, they failed the next day for Tobago, where they arrived on the twenty-eighth, and having fome thoughts of making an attempt upon Pa- nama, they examined fome prifoners they had feized as to its ftrength •, and, though they now vnuftered one thoufand men, they were diverted from that expedition, on being informed dian the inhabitants had been greatly reinforced from Porto Bello, and that the height of the walls, and the ftrength of the place was very confiderable. They failed again for the Pearl iflands, on the fourth of May, where they cruifed till the twenty-fecond, when they fent three canoes to the ifland of Chepelio, to take fome prifoners ; who returned on the twenty-fifth, with three feamen of Panama, who informed them, that a ftrict order had been ifiued there, not to fetch any plaintains from the adjacent iflands, which had occafioned a great fcareity •, and that the arrival of the fleet from Lima was every day expected. On the fouth fide of the ifland Pacheque r are two or three fmall iflands, between which the fleet lay at anchor oh the twenty-eighth of May, and then confifled of ten fail, two of which only were men of war. Captain Davis's fhip carried thirty-nine guns, and one hundred and fifty-fix men ; captain Swan's fixteen guns, and one hundred and forty men. The reft be- ing provided only with fmall arms •, and they muftered in all nine hundred and fixty men : they had alfo one fire-fhip. About eleven o'clock, the weather, which had been very bad, beginning to clear up, they difcovered the Spanifh fleet, at the diftance of three leagues ; and about three in the afternoon, they bore down right upon the Spaniards, who kept clofe on a wind, to come up with them •„ but ROUND THE WORLD. 6$ but night coming on before they came to clofe quarters, they could only exchange a few fhot, one of which took place, and killed a man in one of the privateers. When it began to grow dark, the Admiral put out a light at his top, as a fignal for the fleet to come to an anchor •, which they took t ! own again in about half an hour, but it foon appeared as before -, which the Englifh fuppo- fing to be in the Admiral's top, and being to the windward, kept under fail, but found them- felves deceived in their expectations, by a ftra- tagem contrived by the Spaniards ; who having put this fecond light on the top-mart head of one of their barks, fent her to the leeward ; fo that in the morning, the Englifh found that the enemy had the weather-gage of them, and com- ing up with a full fail, lb that they were oblig- ed to make a running fight of it, all the next day, almoft round the bay of Panama •, for, in the end, they anchored againfl the ifle of Pache- que. Captain Townley being hard preffed by the enemy, Was forced to make a bold run through the channel, betwixt Pacheque, and three ad- jacent iflands. Captain Harris was forced from them during the fight ; and captain Gronet, with three hundred and eight men in the flour prize of ninety tons burthen, kept at a diftance, while there was any appearance of danger ; for which it was the next day agreed to difmifs him w:th his men, moft of whom were French; and permitting him to keep the fhip, he was ordered to leave the company immediately. Though the Spanifh fleet confifted of four- teen fail, befides periaguas, or boats of twelve or fourteen oars each •, yet the Englifh had but one man killed. The lofs of the Spaniards is not known •, and it is thought that if Gronet had continued firm, they might eafily have made themfelves mailers of the fleet and its trea- fure. The whole fleet fet fail from Pacheque on the firft of June, for the ifle of Quibo, in fearch of captain Harris, whom they expected to meet there, as it was the place of general rendezvous, and he was accordingly there before their arrival •, ■when it was immediately agreed, that as they had been unfuccefsful in their late attempt, they would try their fortune by land, by attacking the city of Leon, on the coalt of Mexico. The city of Leon ftands twenty miles up the country, in a plain j the houfes, which have large gardens, are built of done, and covered ■with pantiles : it has a cathedral and five churches, and from the pleafantnefs of its fitua- tion, fome travellers have called it the Paradife of the Weft-Indies. Near it is a high volcano, which, at times cafts forth fmoke and flames, and may be feen from the fea •, it has a good manufactory of hemp, is rich in fugar, paftu- rage and cattle ; but is a place of no great trade. They began their march about eight o'clock in the morning, captain Townley, with one hundred of the beft men, leading the van ; cap- tain Swan followed him with one hundred more-, and the captains, Knight and Davis, brought up N" 6, R the rear with one hundred and feventy. Captain Townley was attacked on his enter- ing the town, by a party of two hundred Spa- nifh horfe, and five hundred foot ; but two or three of the principal officers being difmounted, the horfe fled, and the foot feeing them retire, followed their example, and abandoned the city, to the mercy of the enemy. In about four hours all the Englifh entered the town, except a few, who being tired, were left upon the road-, among thefe was an old grey-headed fellow, of the name of Swqn, who had ferved under Oli- ver Cromwell in Ireland, and was eighty-four years of age ; on his abfolutely refufing to take quarter, the Spaniards fhot him dead -, but they took feveral others prifone rs, among whom waS one Mr. Smith, who, having lived in the Ca- naries, fpoke the Spanifh tongue fluently. Smith being carried before the governor, and examin- ed with regard to the ftrength of the invaders, reprefented them to be fifteen hundred men, one thouland in the town, and five hundred in ca- noes ; which well-timed piece of deceit, had fuch an effect upon his excellency, that though he was at the head of more than one thoufand men, he did not choofe to attack the enemy^ but lent a flag of truce the next day to propofe a ranfom for the town ; but the Englifh de- manding provifions for one thoufand men for four months, and thirty thouland pieces of eight, he did not chufe to comply with the de- mand ; and therefore they fired the city on the fourteenth of Auguft, and the next morning marched towards their canoes. A Gentleman, who had been taken prifoner, was delivered back in exchange for Mr. Smith, and a Spanifh Gentleman was releafed, on pro- mifing to deliver one hundred and fifty oxen at Rio Leja, where they intended to make theif next attempt. They rowed in their canoes towards Rio Leja on the fixteenth of Auguft, where their fhips were by that time come to an anchor. This is a beautiful place, feated a mile from the har- bour, on the mouth of a river, on a fmall plain, and has three churches, and an hofpital, with a handibme garden to it ; but is fituated in an unwholfome air, near fome fens and marfhes, which occafion a noxious fmell. The creek that leads from Rio Leja, has a broad entrance, but afterwards clofesintoa nar- row deep channel, covered on both fides with cocoa trees. A mile from the entrance of the creek, it winds to the weft, where the Spaniards caft up an intrenchment, which was defended by one hundred and twenty men, and farther down had laid a boom of trees acrofs the creek > but as foon as the Englifh, had fired two guns. the Spaniards quitted their poft, and left the enemy to take the town, which they did, with- out opposition -, but they found only empty houfes, except five hundred lacks of flour, fome pitch, tar, cordage, and fome fugar in the neighbourhood, together with the hundred and fifty oxen, which had been promifed by the Spa- nifh gentleman, whom they releafed at Leon. The buccaneers ftaid hers a week, and then fet fire to the town, though Mr. Dampier de- when the woman declared that a number of mules laden with flour, and other goods, defigned for Acapulco, had flopped on the weft cf the village-, upon which information they failed to a harbour called Chequetan, where on the ninth of the month they landed ninety-five men, who having the woman for their guide, fhe conducted them through a pathlefs wood into a plain, near which, at a farm houfe, they found fixty mules, laden with flourj cheefe, chocolate and earthen-ware ; all which they carried ofFexccpt the earthen-ware. They alio discovered plenty of black cattle, upon which captain Swan went afhore, and killed eighteen cows. When they had thus flocked themfelves, they difmiffied the Woman with three of her children, and gave her fome trifles for which fiie was very thankful •, but notwithftanding her tears and intreaties, captain Swan kept one of her boys, who proved to be a very good lad, and Swan in return was a kind mafler to him. They found plenty of turtle on this coaft, and the Jew-fifh, which is fo called becaufe the people of that profeflion are great admirers of it. The head of this fifh is very large, it is very fat and fweet, of the fhape of a cod, and fometimes exceeds four hundred pounds weight. They quitted this river on the twenty-firft of November, and by the help of a land wind from the north, continued their courfe, in hopes to difcover the town of Cupan, which was fuppofed to be fituated in about eighteen de- grees north latitude, but they could neither' find this place, nor the City cf Colima, which was faid to be very rich. They now rowed twenty leagues along the fliore, in all which way they could find no place convenient for landing, nor the leaft fign of inhabitants •, but at length they faw a man en horfeback, and having made the ihore with feme difficulty, they purfued him, but feen loft fight of him in the woods, where they could find no track. Difappointed and dejected, they returned back to their fhips on the twenty-eighth, and the next day two-hurdred men were fent in: canoes in learch of a town called Sa'.lagua, and as they rowed along, faw two horfemen on fliore, one of whom drank to them out of a pocket bottle through clerificn, in return for which one of the canoes fired a fliot which killed the horie under one of them, whereupon his com- panion rode away from him, and two of the" men ftripping, fwam on fhore to fecure him, but as he defended himfelf with a long knife and they were unarmed, they could net iucceed' in the attempt. On the thirtieth they returned again to their fhips, the fea running fo high that they could find no convenient place for landing •, but en the firft of December they came in fight of the port of Sallagua, which appears like two harbours, being parted by a high rocky point in the mid- dle* 68 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE die. Here they faw a large thatched houfe, which appeared to be new, arid a number of Spaniards both horfe and ibot, who made a mili- tary parade with drums beating and colours fly- ing -, but two hundred of the buccaneers land- ing the next morning ; the Spaniih foot did not Hand a lingle charge, and the horfe foori follow- ed them •, but two oi the Englifh having knock- ed two of the Spaniards off their hodes, mounted and purfued the others lb far that they were fur- rounded by them, and would have undoubtedly been kdled, if fome of the fwifteft of their com- panions had nut come to their refcue juft in time-, for they had flood the difcharge of feveral piftols and were already unhorfed. They here found a broad ftony road, which they were informed by two Mulattoes whom they made prifoners, led to the city of Oarrah, which was four long days journey from thence, .the country being very thin, of inhabitants all the way ; and that the troops they had put to flight were fent from that city to fecure the Ma- nilla fhip, that was to fet ibme pafTengers on dhore there. Hereupon they failed on the fixth of October, intending to cruife off cape Corientes, and wait for the fhip ; and on the eleventh, being within fight of the cape, they ftationed themfelves fo as they imagined they could not mifs her : but being in want of provifions, fifty or fixty men went in a bark, to procure fome to the weft of the cape, but being unable to get round it, were obliged to return ■, however they left fome men behind them in four canoes, who intended to row to the weft. On the twenty-fourth the four canoes, having met with very indifferent fuccefs, returned to the fhips near the cape ; they having by the help of their canoes got round it, and landed in theVal- deras or valley of flags. This valley, which lies at the bottom of a deep bay, is about three leagues wide. On the land fide, it is bounded by a green hill, which, defcending gradually into the valley affords a delightful profpeel, which is ftill more beauti- fied, by the wide-fpread paftures ftored with ' cattle, and the pleafant groves of guavas, orange and lime-trees, which grow wild here in prodi- gious numbers. In this delightful valley, the canoes landed thirty feven men, who advancing three miles into the country, were attacked by one hundred and fifty Spaniards horfe and foot ; when to avoid the trampling of the horfes, the bucca- neers retired to a clofe wood, where they fuftain- ed the attack of the enemy with great bravery, killing the leader and feventeen of the horfe- me'n ; whereupon the reft fled. The Englifh, loft four men, and had two wounded, whom they brought down to their canoes upon hoifes,. one of which they were obliged to kill and eat -, for tho' there were plenty of horned cattle upon the Savannah, they were afraid to venture there again, leaft they fhould meet with their ene- mies. On the twenty-fifth being Chriftmas day, they regaled on fome Jew nib, and on the twen- ty-eighth, Captain Townley returned aboard with forty bufhels of maize, which he had taken at an Indian village up the country, five leagues to the eaft of cape Corientes. On the firft of January, their provifions being all exhaufted, they fleered to the valley of Val- deras, to provide a fupply of beef, and came to an anchor about a mile from the fhore, in fixty fathom water. Here they landed two hundred and forty men, fifty of whom were appointed to watch the motions of the Spaniards (who frequently appeared in large companies, but dared not attack them) and the reft were em- ployed in killing and falting_as many cows, as would Iaft them two months ; and they might have taken a larger fupply, but their fait did not hold out. They flayed here fix or feven days, during which time the Manilla fhip paffed by them u> the eaftward, as they afterwards learnt from fome prifoners whom they happened to feize. The lofs of this prize is attributed to the wil- fulnefs of captain Townley, who would infill on. attempting to take the Lima fhip in the harbour of Acapulco, when they ought to have been providing themfelves with beef and maize, which afterwards, being abfolutely in want of provi- fions, they were compelled to do, while the fhip efcaped them. Townley's chief view in cruifing in thefe feas, being the hope of meet- ing the fhip, and that being now at an end, he and Swan parted company •, Swan keeping on a weftward courfe, and Townley going back to the eaft ; but we muft purfue our author, wh> failed with captain Swan, C H A P. k O U N D THE WORLD. Kg G H A P. IV. Defcription of the Penguin fruits ; they take a prifoner, who conduSl them to Santa Pecaque\ where they loo fe fifty of their men ; an odd method by which Mr. Dampier was relieved in the dropfy ; they fail for the Eaft Indies ; arrive at the ijland of Guam ; proceed to the Phi- lippine ijlands ; defcription of the produce of the ijland of Mindanao , and of the remarka- ble habits, buildings, cujloms and manners of the people ; farther proceedings on the ijland, till captain Swan is deprived of the command ; they leave Mindanao ; accoimt of bats of an extraordinary fize ; defcription of the ijland qj Luconia ; account of the if and of Pulo Condore, with a defcription of the tar tree, and its other extraordinary productions ; they arrive at Siam, and return to Pulo Condore, where fome of the men narrowly ej'cape being killed in an attempt upon a Malayan bark. THEY failed from the bay on the feventh of January 1686, with a good wind at north eaft ; and at night paflfed by point Pontique, which is the moft wefterly point of the valley of Valderas. On the twentieth they anchored on the eaft fide of Chametly iflands, which are fix in num- ber, and lie in twenty-three degrees eleven mi- nutes north latitude. On one or two of thefe iflands grows die fruit called Penguins, which are of two forts, the red and the yellow. The red penguin has no ftem, but fixty or feventy of them rife in a clufter from one root, immediately out of the ground, and are encompafied with prickly leaves, a foot and a half, or two feet long ; the fruit is about the fize of a fmall onion, and of the fhape of a nine-pin. The yellow, which is about the fize of a hen's egg, grows in clufters of eighteen or twenty out of a green ftem, about a foot high, fur- rounded with ftiarp prickly leaves, half a foot long and an inch broad : the fruit is covered with a thick rind, and is full of fmall black feeds. The tafte of both forts is extremely pleafant, and pretty much alike. On thefe iflands are alfo found feme guanoes, and a few feals. Here captain Swan, taking one hundred men with him, went to the northward to diicover the river Cullacan, which is fuppofed to lie in a province of the fame name, in twenty-four degrees north latitude, and to have a wealthy town on its banks •, but they rowed thirty leagues without feeing any figns of the river, or any place where they could land with fafety •, but they afterwards landed on the weft fide of a fak-lake, feven leagues from the Chametly iflands, where they found fome few buftiels of maize in a farm houfe, and took a prifoner, who informed them that there were generally a confiderable number of black cattle in that place, which the Spaniards had driven off"; but that in all probability they would find pro- vifions in an Indian town at about five leagues diftance, to which they immediately marched, but were oppofed on their attempting to enter it, by a confiderable party of Spaniards and Indians whom they repulied at the firft charge -, and en- tering the place they found two or three wounded N J 6. S Indians, who told them that the town was called Maflaclan, and that there were two rich gold mines about five leagues from thence. They took what maize they could find at this place ; and remained till the lecond of February, when eighty men were lent to a town called Rofario, fituated on a river of the fame name ; and though they were told the mines were not a- bove two leagues from thence, as they were more in want of provifions than gold, they paid no regard to the information, but contented therri- felves with carrying off about ninety bufhels of maize. They failed from Rofario to the river St. Jago, where being in hopes of finding a town of fome confequence, feventy men were fent up the river in canoes, while the fhips anchored at its mouth. They foon found a corn field, and while they were bufy, gather- ing maize, they took an Indian, who informed them that four leagues farther was a town called Santa Pecaque. As foon as they went on board, Captain Swan ordered eight canoes and one hundred and forty men to proceed with Indian 10 the place. They failed fome miles up the river, then landing, marched through woods plains for three or four hours, and then proaching the town, the Spaniards quitted it, and the Buccaneers entered without oppofidon. The town of Santa Pecaque, near which are fome lilver mines, is fituated in a large plain on the borders of a wood. It is neatly built, but not large, has a fquare market place in the middle of it, and two churches. Here they found plenty of falt-fifti, fait, fugar, and maize, and the captain dividing his people into two companies, ordered half of them to carry the provifions on board, and the other half to take care of the town : they continued this bufinefs for two days, but a kind of muti- nous fpirit getting among the men, they refufed to march with that regularity, which the captain had directed, fo that fifty four horfes guided by fifty men, which were conveying maize to the canoes, were attacked by the Spaniards, who killed them every one on the fpot, and though captain Swan marched to their relief, the ene- my, who it is likely had paid pretty dear for the victory, never attempted to attack him ; and the the and and ap- 7° CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE the reft of the men returned fafely on board, with their commander. On the day following this unhappy engage- ment, the caotain gave orders for filling; water, and failing, and accordingly they got under fail the twenty-firft, fleering towards California. On the feventh of February, they anchored at Prince George's ifiand, the 'middlemoft of the Tres Marias,* at which place our author, who was much afflicted with the dropfy, was" buried for about half an hour, up to the neck in the hot fand, which producing a plentiful perfo- ration, he was then wrapped up warm, and put to bed in a tent, by which means he obtained great relief in the diforder. They remained here careening till the twen- ty-fixth ; but as they could get no frefh water, it being the dry feafon, they failed to a rivulet on the continent, near cape Corientes, where they remained lor fome time ; and having had but indifferent fuccefs in thefe parts, they came to a refolution of fleering for the Eaft Indies, to which voyage many of the men were very a- verfe ; but captain Swan, Mr. Dampier, and a majority of the people, declared in favour of the attempt. They failed from cape Corientes on the thir- ty-firft of March 1686, and having a trade wind, and fair weather, proceeded a-pace in their voyage. On the twentieth of May, about four o'clock, they difcovered land, at eight leagues diftance, to their great joy, having then but three days provifions left, and the people beginning to 'murmur at the captain for carrying them fo far out of their knowledge. In all this voyage, which according to Mr. Dampier's calculation is five thoufand, nine hun- dred, and feventy-five miles, weft of cape Co- rientes, they faw neither fifh nor fowl, except a large flight of boobies, which they fuppofed came from fome neighbouring rocks. It was a happy circumftance they arrived here, before their provifions were all gone, as ' thofe men who were againft the voyage, had determined, in cafe of want, to kill and eat the captain, Mr. Dampier, and fuch other perfons as had advifed it. About eleven at night, on the twenty-firft of May, they came to an anchor about a mile from fhore, on the weft fide of the ifiand of Guam, one of the Ladrones ; and the next morning captain Swan wrote a letter, which he fent with lome prefents to the governor ; who, in return, fent him plenty of hogs, cocoa nuts, rice, fifty pounds of fine Manilla tobacco, and other re- frefhments. Here the captain being informed, by a friar that came on board him, that the Philippine iflands abounded with provifions, they hoifted iaii on the fecond of June, and on the twenty- firft, arrived at the ifiand of St. John, which he paffed by, and came to an anchor in a fmall bay, on the eaft fide of Mindanao, which had A defej iptfon of theft iflands will be found been reprefented as "the moil plentiful of thefe iflands, The Philippines are a range of large iflands, extending from five to nineteen degrees of north latitude. The chief of them is called Luconia, where Magellan was killed by a poifoned arrow, and is now in poffeffion of the Spaniards. St. John and Mindanao are the only iflands of all the Philippines, which are not under Spanifh fubjecn'on ; and are fituated moft to the fouth. St. John is in length about thirty-tight leagues ; its ereateft breadth is about twenty-four, and the foil is very fertile. Mindanao is iixty leagues in length, and between forty and fifty in breadth; the foil is good, and there are fome ftony hills which produce many kinds of trees, entirely 'un- known in England. The valleys are well wa- tered, and abound widi yams, potatoes, pum- kins, water-melons, plantanes, bananoes,- gua- vas, nutmegs, cloves, betel nuts, durians, co- coas, oranges, &c. but particularly the tree whence fago is gathered, which the inhabitants call the Libby-tree, and which grows wild by the water fide, in groves of fevtral miles -ki length. This tree re fern bles the cabbage tree, but is not fo high •, it has a thin hard bark, and be- ing cut down and fplit, the bark is taken out, and beat well in a mortar, and then pouring wa- ter upon it, it is ftrained through a cloth, thro' which the water forcing the mealy fubftar.ee, the leaves and hufk remain behind, and are thrown away. After the fubftance is well fettled, they feparate it from the water, and form it into . cakes, which when baked, eat almoit as well as bread; and for three or four months in the ■ year, the natives of Mindanao live on this food. The fago being dried in fmall bits like cumfits, is carried to other parts of the Eaft Indies, and is now generally knOwn as a ftrengthener, thro' moft parts of Europe. The plantain-tree grows to the height of ten • or twelve feet, and is about three feet in cir- cumference. It fpririgs out of a fucker with only two leaves, but when it is about a foot high, another pair of leaves fprout out, and fo on, the leaves increafing, both in fize and num- ber, to the very top. The fruit, which is fhap- ed like a hog's pudding, arifes from the heart of the tree in cods of fix or feven inches long, growing in clufters. It is a pure pulp, without feed or kernel, is foft, and of the colour of but- ter, melts in the mouth like marmalade, and is ' as nourifhing as it is plealant. When the tree is cut dow'n, the trunk is fplit in the middle, and left to dry in the fun, when it appears com- pofed of threads of equal fize, which are drawn out by perfons who make a living of that em- ployment, and woven into pieces of cloth, fe- ven or eight yards long. Another kind of plan- tain is alfo produced on this ifiand, the fruit whereof is tinctured with a black feed, which is efteemed a great aftringent. The Banano feems to be a leffer fpecies of the in ca ptain Wcodes Rogers's Voyage, plan- ROUND THE WORLD. n plantain, but is not fo lufcious, though more foft and delicate : it is bed eaten raw, as a fruit ; but it is diiacrreeable -shen roafted or boiled : it is fometimes mafhed into a drink, and is not unpleafant, when taken that way. The betel nut is larger and rounder than the nutmeg, and grows upon a very high tree, which has no leaves, except near the top. It is much eiteemed while it is young, being grate- ful to the ftomach, reddening the lips, and pre- ferving the gums ; but it dies the teeth black : it is generally fplit into quarters, and each quar- ter being wrapped in the arecca-leaf, a fhrub, refembling the willow, which being firlt be- fpread with a foft pafte made of the lime, is chewed all over the call, and is apt to make thofe very giddy who are not ufed to it. The durian fruit is produced by a tree which rt fcmbles the apple-tree. It is as large as a pumkin •, but is not to be eaten till it is quite ripe, when the top burfts open, and yields a 11: oft fr.igranr fmell. It is divided into cells like a wallnut •, and, like that, is covered with a thick green rind. The pulp, which is very de- licious, is as foft and as white as cream. In the heart of it is a ilone as big as a bean, which is covered with a thin fhell that falls off, when it is roafted, when the kernel in tafte refembles a cheihut. There are no beafts of prey in this ifland, but it abounds in horfes, bulls, cows, goats, buffa- loes, wild hogs, deer, monkies, guanoes, li- zards, fnakes, and fcorpions. A creature which is called Centipedes, from its numerous feet, abounds here, which lurks in old houfes and dry timber, and whole fting is worfe than the fcorpion's. Their hogs feed in prodigious herds in the woods, and have thick nobs growing over their eyes. Of tame fowls, they have only ducks and hens i but of the wild kind, pigeons, turtle- doves, parrots, paroquets, bats as big as our kites, and fmall birds of various kinds, in pro- digious numbers. The chief fifh are, turtles, mullets, bremes, cavalies, Ihooks, and bonitoes. In the heart of the country are mountains that afford confiderable quantities of gold, and the ifland abounds in harbours, creeks and rivers. The weather here is more temperate than one would imagine, confidering how near it lies to the equinoctial line. The winds are eafterly, from October to May, with fair weather ; and from May to October, they are wefterly, with rains and tempefts,which tear up large trees, and lay the whole country under water -, fo that the inhabitants are oblig- ed to pafs from houfe to houfe in canoes. Thefe ftorms are ufually in July and Auguft •, but they abate in September, and ceafe entirely in October. In September they have heavy fogs, which, if it has rained the preceeding night, ge- nerally laft till ten or eleven o'clock in th/i morning. The common religion of the people of the ifland, is Mahometanifm ; but the people fpeak a different dialect, according to the principali- ties into which it is divided, each being govern- ed by its own king. The people in general refemble each other in ftrength, ftature and colour •, they are not large, but well limbed, 'with little black eyes, oval faces, fiat foreheads, fliort nofes, wide mouths, black teeth and hair, and bright tawny (kins. They never cut their thumb-nails, but fome- times fcrape them, and that of the left hand is generally the longeft. They are thievifh and indolent, not caring to work hard, except they are drove to it •, but are ingenious and nimble, and very civil to ftrangers. The Men neither wear fhoes or ftockino-s, but breeches and frocks, and have a turban tied once round the head in a knot, the ends hanging down, and either laced or fringed. The women have fmaller features than the men, and look agreeable enough at a diftance ; but their nofes are \'o very fmall, that in fome of them, fcarce any rifing between the eyes can be difcerned. They have alfo very fmall feet. They wear their hair tied in a knot, hanging down their backs. Their garments are a piece of cloth, which forms a kind of petticoat, and a loofe frock that reaches a little below the waift, the fleeves of which are fo narrow that they can hardly get their hands through, but are longer than then- arms, and fet in plaits round their wrifts. Thefe women would be fond of the company of the while men, if the cuftom of the country did not forbid it •, but their hufbands are not jealous of their affability to ftrangers. They have a cuftom peculiar to the city of Mindanao. On the arrival of ftrangers, the men come on board to invite them to their houfes, where they enquire if they chufe a Pa- gally or comrade, which the ftranger, through civility, is obliged to accept of •, and to fhew their gratitude for which, they muft make a fmall prefent, in return for which they have the liberty of eating drinking and fleeping in their friend's houfe, as often as they pleale. A female friend is alfo allowed to fome ftrangers upon the Platonic fyftem ; and it is not unulual even for the wives of the Sultan and his nobles, who take greater liberties than the poorerwomen, to enquire of a ftranger, whom they fee by acci- dent, if he has got a pagally or comrade •, and if he replies in the negative, they fend him a pre- fent of tobacco and betel as a token of their efteem. The moft populous and extenfive nation in the ifland is Mindanao, whence it derives its name •, and the people of that place are tolera- bly well civilized, lying near the lea, and being pretty much engaged in commerce. Mr. Dam- pier does not pretend to defcribe all the different people of this ifland •, but informs us that the molt remarkable among them are the Hilla- noons, who inhabit the inland mountainous part of the country, and are proprietors of the gold mines. The houfes of the city of Mindanao, are built upon pofts eighteen or twenty feet high, to which they afcend by a ladder. The building confifts only of one floor, which is divided into feveral rooms. The roof is of palm leaves, and in the fpace under the houfe the common people keep ducks and fowls, and others empty their dirt 72 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE dirt, where it lies till it is carried away by the land-floods. The houfe of the fultan Hands upon one hun- dred and fifty great polls, and is much higher than the reft, with broad fteps leading up to it. In the firft room are twenty iron guns on car- riages, and the general and other great men have guns in their houfes. Near this houfe is another, raifed about four feet from the ground, where the fultan and his council fit crofs-legged on rich carpets, to give audience to ambaffadors and foreign merchants. The floors of the houfes in general are well matted, as no chairs are ufed in the country. The common people feed on fifti, rice and fago, but the better fort have buffalos and fowls, which they drefs with a great deal of rice •, but they are miferable cooks. They ufe no fpoons, but take up their victuals with their fingers. They ufually wafh after meals, and pour all their water on the floor, near the fire fide, thro' which it finks, ftagnating underneath, and pro- ducing a very difagreeable fmell : thole who are in health, eafe themfelves in the river, but the fick perform this office through a hole made for that purpofe in the floor of the bed chamber. Bathing is much praclifed among thefe people, a beneficial cuftom in hot countries ; and it is common for them to go into the river, ftnp themfelves, wafli their cloaths, put them on again, and go about their bufinefs. Some of thefe people fpeak Spanifh, bvit the moft common languages are the Malayan, and that of Mindanao. They have frequently in- vited the Englifh to fettle among them, but are afraid of the Dutch and Spaniards. Almoft every perfon here is a goldfmith, blackfmith, or carpenter. They build good ihips, adapted for trade or pleafure, and deal in gold, bees-wax, and tobacco, the laft of which is better than that of Manila, which may probably be owing to the difference of the foil. Agues, fevers, fluxes, and griping of the guts arc the moft common diforders ; for all which difcafes, the country affords fufficient medicines, which the people very well know how to pre- pare and ufe. They are alfo fubjedl to lepro- fies which leave large blotches upon the (kin after the cure is performed. The fultan is defpotic, but fa poor, that if he knows that any of his fubjecls have money, he will borrow it •, nor do they dare refufe him. He had, in Dampier's time, befides his fultana, twenty nine concubines, and was then between fifty and fixty years of age. Several of the con- cubines would beg trifles of the failors, whom they met in the ftreets. When the fultan went abroad he was carried in a litter upon four men's {boulders, attended by a guard of eight or ten men, but he never went far from the city, as the adjacent country was woody, and inconveni- ent for travelling. Sometimes he took his pleafure on the water with his women, in a neat veflel built for that purpofe, wirh a cabin made of bambo, and di- vided into three rooms ; in one of which he re- pofed on a carpet, whereon little pillows were laid for his head ; the women attended \n the fecond, and the fervants, with betel and tobac- co, waited in the third. He fometimes makes war with the moun- taineers •, the weapons they ufe are fwords, lances and a fort of bayonet, called a crefTet, which is worn by all perions from the higheft to the low- eft. They fight no pitched battles in the field, but make fmall wooden forts, which they defend by guns, and from which they fally to furprize each other in fmall parties ; but neither give nor take quarter. In the fultan's mofque, there is a great drum with one head, which ferves inftead of a clock, being ftruck about twenty times, every third, fixth, ninth and twelfth hour, with a large ftick knobbed at the end with cotton. They ufually circumcife their children at ele- ven or twelve years of age, and there is com- monly a great number circumcifed together •, as the common people keep their children till the operation is to be performed on a fon of the fultan, or fome perfon of confequence. The ceremony is performed by a mohometan prieft, who holding the forefkin between two flicks, fnips it off with a pair of fciflars. After this all the armed men that attend, form themfelves into a ring, and one of them ftepping into the middle of it, ftamps, gnafhes his teeth, and handles his arms as if he was engaged with an enemy ; and then flices the ground as if he had conquered his enemy, and was cutting off his head. Thefe tricks being at an end, he retires amidft the ac- clamations of the people, and is fucceeded by another, who a£ls the fame farce. "When the day is far fpent in this diverfion, one of the ric heft men about the court performs the ceremony, who being fucceeded by the ful- tan himfelf, the whole concludes, and all the people attend him to his palace. The only mufic thefe people have, are bells without clappers, which are commonly fixteen in number, and increafe in weight from three pounds to ten. Thefe being placed upon a table, are ftruck with a flick, and produce an uncouth difagreeable noife. Mr. Dampier heard a fet of thefe in the houfe of the king's brother, whofe fon being to be circumcifed, occafioned their being ufed for fe- veral days together, previous to the ceremony. They have women who fing, and dance to the mufic of their own voices, and others dance with them •, nor are the fultan's children above join- ing in thefe gambols. Thefe people obferve the Ramadam, or falling time in the month of Au- guft, beginning at one new moon and continu- ing till they fee the next, during which time, they fall till the evening, then go to prayers for an hour, and afterwards feaft heartily. They have fo gveat an averfion to fwine's flefh that they will not permit a perfon who has touched a hog to enter their houfes for fome days afterwards ; yet there are great numbers of thefe animals run- ning wild about the illand, which they often re- quelled captain Swan's people to deftroy ; but would not converfe with them for fome days after they had complied with their requeft. The fultan's brother having defired to have a pair of fhoes from one of the failors, but be- ing ROUND THE WORLD ins told that they were fewed with threads poinicd with hogs briilles, he returned them in a great paflion, and defired to have a pair fewed m fome other manner, and was extreme- ly p. cued that E>is requefl was complied with. As rhe people, or" the ifland were very civil, and as the featon c^~ the year was far advanced, cap- tain Swan began to entertain thoughts of flay- ing at Mindai ad for a confiderublc time, and thinking that, in this cafe, it would be proper to make a friend of the fultan, he fern Mr. Moore on fbore, with three yards of lcarlet Cloth, and three of filver lace, by way of a pfefent. An audience was granted to him about nine o'clock at night, the fultan, by his inter- preter cunverfing with him above an hour in Spanifh-, after which he and his people were entertained with an excellent fupper. Next day captain Sv.an vifited the fultan, and was entertained with beetle and tobacco ; and two letters were (hewn him, one from the Eaft India company of London, who had entertained thoughts of building a fort there-, and the o- thcr, which was directed to any Englishman who might happen to flop there, was from one captain Goodlud, and concluded with thefe words, " Truft none of them, they are all thieves •, Tace is Latin for a candle." One of the general's men had flolen f)me goods from this captain Goodlud, and fled into the mountains. This fellow being taken while captain Swan was upon the ifland, the fultan would have delivered him to the captain to be punifhed ; but Swanrefufing to interfere in the affair, the fultan, to manifeft his love of juf- tice, ordered him to be bound to a poft, by the hands and feet, where he was expofed the whole day to the heat of the fun, and the flinging of the Mofkitos. In confequence of this equi- table behaviour in the fultan, captain Swan gave pofitive orders that none of his people fhould offend the natives, and he punifhed Mr. Teat, his chief mate, for fome flight fault he had been guilty of. The chief general Raja Laut, being at vari- ance with the fultan, was not prefent when captain Swan held his conference with his ma- jefty, but he waited his return, and treated him and his people, very hofpitably, with rice and fowls boiled. Raja was a perfon of exceeding good underfl3nding, wrote the Spanifh lan- guage, and fpoke it fluently, was converfant in books of that language, and not unacquainted with the cuftoms of European nations. He was very friendly to captain Swan, gave him his bell advice, and offered him the life of his houfe while he remained on the ifland. Raja Laut kept a number of wives, with whom he lay by turns, and always fpent two rights fuccefllvely with her who had brought him the firft fon. She who was to be his bed- fellow for the enfuing night wore a ftriped hand- kerchief by way of diftinclion, and was at- tended all the day with particular marks of re- fpect. As the tempeftuous weather began to ap- proach, the failors, by the help of fifty or fixty fifhermen, hauled the fliip up the river, where N° VII. T they dug a hole and moored her, fo that fhe was always afloat, and the inhabitants coming on board, all the men were foon provided with pagallys, or comrades who behaved in a very friendly manner to them: captain Swan was ulually attended with trumpets at his dinner, the mufic of which afforded Raja Laut the higheft entertainment. The city of Mindanao, which is a mile in length, and fituated on the bank of the river, is. a perfect pond during the wet feafon, and the fhip would have been in the utmolt danger from the large pieces of timber which were wafhed down by the floods, had net great care been taken to preferve her. When the floods began to 3bate, captain Swan hired a warehoufe, where he kept his goods and fails, while the fhip was careening -, and remarking that Raja Laut was exceedingly fond of dancing, he fent for h's violins on fhore, and fome of the men to entertain him. A- mong the reft one John Thacker a frugal fel- low, who had faved money enough to drefs himfelf genteely, and who had learned to dance at fome of the mufic houfes in Wapping, was miflaken by the general for a nobleman, and one of the failors confirmed him in his error ; but the affair coming to the knowledge of the captain, the tar was thrafhed for the impo- fition, and the general vvas undeceived, but could never afterwards endure the fight of the fellow. When they came to careen the fhip, they found a moft aftonifhing number of worms had eaten into her bottom during her flay in the harbour-, but having new fheathed her, they fleered out on the tenth of December, and be- gan to fill water, and carry rice on board ; but the general, who had his views in detaining the veflel, kept feveral of the men on fhore, hunt- ing with him, under pretence of flocking the fliip with beef-, but Mr. Dampier, who was one of the hunting party, fays, that in ten days excurlions they meet with only four cows, and that they were not able to catch any one of them. Our author is of opinion that captain Swan now began to entertain thoughts of quitting the ifland, with a view to take in a lading of fpice, at an adjacent ifland, which has been fince in poffefiion of the Dutch-, but the men expec- ted he would have continued the privateering, which he was extremely averfe to, though he carefully concealed it from them. Raja Laut had a hunting match in fearch of black cattle, the clay after Chriftmasday, in which he was accompanied by all his wives, and five or fix Englifhmen : in this expeditition they killed three heifers, but he and his com- pany took care to drink fo plentifully, of a very agreeable liquor, extracted from rice, that they were drunk two or three times before night. About this time one of the men happening by accident to find captain Swan's journal, fhewed it to his companions -, and as they found he had made remarks on the fmallefl offences of every falor on board, and been very free 74 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE in his reflections on the crew in general, they de- termined to deprive him of the command, which they accordingly did, chufing Mr. Read, Cap- tain, and Mr. Teat rnafter-, and having reiblv- ed to cruize before Manilla, they fet fad on the fourteenth of January 1687, leaving captain Swan and thirty fix men on fhore. Mr. Dampier was among thofe who left Min- danao, and on the third of February they an- chored off an ifland to the weft of the ifle of Sebo, the name of which they did not know, in latitude nine degrees fifteen minutes, where they faw neither houfe nor inhabitants, but a prodigious number of large bats, the wings of fome of which when extended, meaiured eight feet from tip to tip, and were edged with fharp crooked claws, with which they clung faft to any thing they happened to touch. They faded from this place on the tenth of February, coafting along the weft fide of the Philippine IQands. On the eighteenth they came to an anchor at the north weft end of Mindora, an ifland forty leagues in length. Here they found a fmall river of frefh water, running into the fea, near the place where they lay at anchor, and faw plenty of oxen and hogs, but they were fo wild rhey coukl not catch them. During their ftay here, a canoe from Manilla, with four Indians on board, came and told them, that in the harbour of Manilla there were generally twenty or thirty vefTels, belonging to the Spaniards, Portuguefe and Chinefe, and that if they had a mind to engage in a clandeftine trade, they would carry their letters to fome merchants of that place. They left this place on the twenty- firft, and on the twenty-third, arrived at the fouth-eaft end of the ifland of Luconia, where they took two barks bound to Manilla, from Pagaflanam, a fmall town on this ifland. The ifland of Luconia is near fixty leagues broad, and not lefs than one hundred and twen- ty in length : it is furrounded by many fmall iflands, of which Mindora, the principal, lies neareft to it, and gives its name to a channel, that lies between that ifland and Luconia. The country is partly compofed of mountains, which afford fome gold, and partly of large paf- turc plains, which are ftored with buffaloes, cows, horfes, (he:p, goats and hogs. Ic is faid to be extremely heaithy, though fituated in fifteen degrees north latitude •, and its water is efteemed the beft in the world. It is inhabited by Indians, who live in fmall towns, and are in- ftructed in the Roman catholic religion, by Spa- nifh priefts. Manilla is the chief, if not the only city of the ifle of Luconia, feated at the foot of a ridge of high hills. It is defended by a ftrong wall ; the houfes are fpacious, ftrong, and covered with tiles ; and the ftreets are large and regular, with a market place in the middle. It is adorned with feveral churches and convents, and the harbour is very large. The city is well watered, and the country about it is fruitful and plentiful. Its chief trade is with Acapulco. As the feafon of the year was too far advanced for them to think of trade, they determined to fail for Pulo Condore, the chief of a clufter of fmall iflands on the coaft of Cambodia, and to return in the month of May to lie in wait for the Acapulco fhip-, accordingly they failed from Luconia on the twenty-fixth of February, and anchored on the north fide of Pulo Condore, on the fourteenth of March. This ifland, which is the only one of the cluf- ter that is inhabited, produces feveral kinds of trees, among which is a very tall one, between three and four feet in diameter, from an incifion made in the trunk of which, there diftilled a li- quor, that when heated a little, had the virtues of tar, and being kept longer over the fire, ac- quired the confiftence of pitch, inftead of which it was ufed with fuccefs. One of thefe trees affords two quarts of juice for a month together, after which,- drying up, it recovers itfelf a- gain. Mango trees are alfo produced here, the fruit of which they pickle while it is green, with fait, vinegar and garlick. This fruit is about the fize of a fmall peach, very juicy and pleafant, and is fo fragrant as to perfume the air at fome diftance, In this ifland there grows a ftrait tree, about a foot diameter, upon which grapes grow in clufters, about the body of the tree, like the ■fruit of the cocoa-tree, and have a very pleafant tafte. There is alio a kind of baftard nutmeg, which exactly refembles the true, but has nei- ther fmell nor tafte. Here are hog 1 ', guanoes and lizards, together with level al forts of fowl, as parrots, paroquets, wild rocks and hens, tur- tle doves and pigeons. The fea fhore abounds with mufcles limpets and turtle. 'I ; inhabitants, who came originally from Cochi. China, are fmall, but well fhaped -, of a dark complexion, long vifage, black hair, thin lips, little eyes, and white teeth-, they are very civil, but poor ; their chief employment con- fifting in fupplying veffcls with the juice of the tar-tree ; and making turtle oil, by boiling the fat of the fifh, which they fend to Cochin China. They are very free of their women, whom they brought on board, and permitted the ufe of them tothefailors, for a very fmall acknowledgment-, nor is this a cuftom peculiar to the place, be- ing alfo common at Tonquin, Pegu, Siam and other parts of the Eaft Indies, as well as on the coaft of Guinea, where almoft every failor is fur- nifhed with a fine black girl, during his ftay there. Thefe people are moft of them idolaters -, but Mr. Dampier does not pretend to be acquainted with the ceremonies of their religion -, only he imagines they worfhip the elephant and the horfe, having obterved a representation of the latter on the outfide, and of the former in the infide of a temple, which was a mean wooden building in a fmall village on the fouth fide of the ifland. They ftaid at this place from the fixteenth of March, to the fixteenth of April, during which they careened the fhip, and made her a frelh fuit of fails, out of the cloth taken on board the Spanifh prize. While they remained here, the inhabitants fup- ROUND THE WORLD. 75 fupplied them with plenty of hogs, turtle and fruit, for which they took rice in exchange. Ha- ving unloaded the prize they had taken at Ma- nilla, they went to the north fide of the ifland, to fupply themfelves with water, and then tak- ing on board a perfon who underftood the Ma- layan language, to pilot them to Siam, with which place, as well as the iflands lying on the road, he pretended to be acquainted, they fet fail on the feventh of April, and entered the bay of Siam on the twenty- fourth, where the pilot ran them aground. At this place captain Read went on fhore a- mong the ifiands, in fearch of fifh, but return- ed without fuccefs; and then fleering for Pulo Ubi, .at which place they had touched in their paflage hither, they found two veffels at anchor, laden with lacquer, fuch as is ufed in japanning ; thefe veffels, one of which was remarkably neat, had on board forty failors, brifk fociable fellows, armed with guns i'words and lances. They returned to Pulo Condore on the twen- ty-firfl of May, where they found a fmall bark at anchor, to hail which captain Read fent a canoe along- fide of her ; but charged his men not to venture on board her, w ; thout having firft made friends of the people ; left they fliould be Malayans, whom he knew to be remarkably treacherous ; however, the men neglecled his orders, and boarded her, but were Toon oblig- ed to retreat, being attacked with a kind of bayonets, called CrelTets, and compelled to leap into the lea, and fwim for their lives ; and it is not a little extraordinary, that one of the men, named Daniel Wallis, i'wam, on that oc- cafion, though he could never fwim before, or was able to repeat it afterwards. Captain Read manned two canoes, in order to punifh thefe people •, but as foon as they faw the Englifh advancing, they efcaped into the woods, having firfl cut a hole in the fhip's bot- tom, and funk her. CHAP. V. The IJlandof St. John, and its inhabitants defcribed; defer iption of a Chinefe Junk', jlory of a poor Chinefe who wanted to feed his pagod; they meet with a violent form ; fail for the Pifcadores, where they are treated in a friendly manner ; account of the Five Jfes, with the buildings, and the drefj'es and manners of the inhabitants ; they fail for cape Camorin j anchor near Mindanao; the death of captain Swan; account of three water fpouts; they arrive at Button-Jfla?id; are treated with hofpitality ; they anchor on the coajl of New Holland; dejer iption of the country and inhabitants ; they take a fmall prize ; D ampler and others left, at their own requejl, on the Ifland of Nicobar, which, together with the inhabi- tants, is defcribed; Mr. Dampier arrives at the Englifo factory at Achin ; an account of the painted prince ; our author arrives in England. THEY failed from Pulo Condore with a fouth weft wind, on the fourth of June 1 687, intending to cruize off Manilla ; but the wind foon changing to the fouth eaft, they were forced on thecoaft of China, and came to an anchor on the north eaft of St. John's ifland, lying in twenty-two degrees thirty mi- nutes north latitude, on the twenty fixth day of the month. The fkirts of this ifland, bordering on the fea, are for the moft part woody : the foil in general is fertile ; and in the inland parts, there are good paflure grounds, and many groves of trees. ^ They have plenty of tame durks, cocks and hens, but no wild fowls; and buffaloes, bullocks, goats, and China hogs, are very plen- ty. Thefe hogs are black, have fbort necks, fmall heads, fhort legs, and bellies which fweep the ground. The natives chiefly maintain themfelves by cultivating rice. They are tall, raw-boned, ftraight-bodied men. They have tawnycomplexi- ons, long faces, acquiline nofes, fmall eyes, black hair, and thin beards, which are tied up in knots, or curled in whifkers on each fide of their lips. They were formerly very proud of their hair, but the Tartars, when they made a conqueft of this country, compelled them to fhave their heads, leaving only one lock on the crown of the head, which they permit to grow to a great length, and fometimes it flows loofe, though it is generally platted. It is as much as the life of a Chinefe is worth, to be found with long hair ; and many of them have been known to abandon their country rather than part with it. They wear no covering for the head, but in- flead of it, ufe an umbrella to fhade them from the weather; but a large fan is ufed for this purpofe, if they have but a little way to go. They wear no ftockings, but flippers on their feet, and their covering is a light frock and breeches. The women of this ifland as well as thofe on the continent of China, are compelled to be much at home, on account of the fmallnefs of their feet, which are bound up prodigioufly tight in their infancy, to prevent their growing, fmall feet being efteemed a great beauty; for this reafon they only ftumble about their houfes, being obliged to fit down at the end of every two or three fteps. They make very curious embroidery for their fhoes, and in general are excellent needle wo- men. 7 6 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER's VOYAGE men. The feet of the . poorer women are fuf- fered to grow much larger, that they may be able to go about to procure their fubfiftence. There is a fmall town in the ifland of St. John, fituared in marfhy ground, the houfes of which are mean, low, badly furniihed, and built upon pofts. Whilft they lay at anchor here, a Chinefe junk lay near them, fhe was flat both at head and flcin, having little huts, three feet high on the deck, which were covered with palmetto-leaves. She had a large cabbin with an altar and lamp burning in it. The hold was divided into fe- veral partitions, each of them fo tight, that] if a leak fhouid Ipring in one, the goods in the next would receive no damage. Every merchant has his particular room, where he (lows his goods, and fometimes lodges in it himfclr". Thefe junks have only two mafts ; a main- maft and fore-mart ; the laft has a fquare fail and fquare yard, but the main-maft has a fail narrow aloft, like a floop's fail. In fair weather they ufe alfo a top-fail, which in foul weather they hale down on the deck, yard and all. The main-maft of the biggeft junks, is as large as that of our third rate men of war, but made all out of one tree, and not pieced as ours are. One day as ftveral of the failors were at din- ner, on a hog, which they had juft roafted, a poor man begged a piece of it, which they gave him: and after he had eaten it, he beckoned them to follow him into a neighbouring wood, and conducted them to a temple where flood an idol, to which he would fain have perfuaded them to have given fome of their food ; which they refufed, as well as to worfhip the pagod, to which, by his example, he would willingly have incited them. Perceiving all imaginable figns of an ap- proaching itorm, on the third of July, they weighed anchor, and got out to lea with all pofli- ble expedition, that they might not want room. About eleven o'clock at night, the ftorm over- took them, which lafted with prodigious fierce- nefs till about four in the morning, when the hopes of the fuperftitious failors were revived by the fight of a Corpus Sanctum upon the main-mall, which they looked upen as the fore- runner of good weather, but had it been upon deck, they would have efteemed it as a certain fign that they fhouid be loft. The Corpus Sanctum is a fmall glittering light like a ftar, which ufually dances about a fhip in hard weather. By eleven o'clock the next morning it-was a flat calm, after which the ftorm raged more vi- olently than ever, and as they dreaded the con- tinuance of bad weather during this moon, which was near the full, they determined to fteer away for the Pifcadores, or Fifher Iflands, which lie in twenty- three degrees north lati- tude. On the twentieth of July they gained fight .of the Pifcadores, and came to an anchor be- tween the two eaftermoft iflands, on the weft fide of one of which, they were agreeably fur- prized to find a large town, with a fort com- manding the harbour, the houfes of which were neatly built but low. Some of the men who went on fhore were car- ried before thegovernor,whobeing info medthat they were Englifh, and intended to trade, he told them they muft not pretend to do ir, as it was a thing abfolutely forbidden there -, but he treated them with great civility, and faid he would afiift them as much as lay in his power-, and fent a prefent to the captain, of a fmall jir of flour, fome water-melons, about a dozen pine- apples, and fome cakes of fine bread. They were vifued the next day by an officer of a very grand appearance, drefled in a loofe coat, with breeches and boots of black filk, and a black filk cap, on which was a plume of black and white feathers. He brought on board with him as a prefent from the governor, a very fat heifer, two large hogs, four goats, two bafkets of flour, twenty large flat cakes of bread, two jars of fam-fhu, or arrack, and fifty five jars of hoc-fhu, a ftrong pleafant liquor refembling mum, and which is extracted from wheat. In return for thefe prefents captain Read fent the governor a filver hiked fword, a carbine and a gold chain ; and on the gentleman's return, he was faluted with three guns. They failed from the Pifcadores, with' a fouth weft wind, on the twenty-ninth of July, fleering from fome little iflands between Formula and JLuconia, known by no other name than the "Five Ifles, which they imagined to be un- inhabited -, but to their great furprize they found three populous towns, all within a league from the fea. One of thefe iflands, which is about eight leagues long, and two broad, they called the Prince of Orange Ifland, in honour of the Prince of Orange, afterwards King William the third. To another Mr. Dampier gave the name of Grafton, in honour of the Duke of Grafton, in whofe family his wife then lived, and a third was called Monmouth Ifland, in honour of the Duke of Monmouth; thefe were the three largeff, and of the others, one they called Goat Ifland, from the number of goats they faw upon it, and and the other Bafliee, from a pleafant liquor of that name, which they drank there. Orange Ifland, though the largeft of them all, is uninhabited, being rocky and barren ; on Goat Ifland there is one town, but Mon- ' mouth and Grafton Iflands contain a great number of inhabitants. The hills of thefe ifles are rocky, but the valleys are fertile in grafs, plantanes, banana?, pine-apples, pompions,fugar canes, potatoes and cotton. They are well watered with running ftreams, and are well ftored with goats and hogs, but have fcarce any fowl either wild or tame. The natives are fhort and thick, round viAic- ed, with low foreheads, and thick eye brows. Their nofes are flattifh and fhort, their eyes of a hazel colour and final), but not fo fmall as thofe of the Chinefe ; their lips and mouths are of the middle fize, they have white teeth, and black thick ftrait hair, which they cut fhort, fo as not to permit it to cover their ears. Their complexion is a dark copper colour. The men go bare-heackd, fome of them wear no round the world if ho cloaths but a cloth about the middle, but others have a kind of jacket made of plantain- leaves, which is as rough as a bear's ("kin. The women have a fhort petticoat of coarfe Callico of their own making, which reaches a little be- low the knees. Both fexes wear ear-rings made of a yellow metal, which they dig out of the mountains, which is of the weight of true gold, but rather paler. Our author is not abfolutely certain whether it was real gold or not, for it was of a fine colour at firft, but afterwards faded, which making the people on board fuipect ic, they did not buy much of it. They obl'ei ved the na- tives cover it with a kind of red earth, and then put it into a quick fire till it was red hot, which brought it to its former colour again. Their houfes are very frnall and not above five feet in height-, they are built with fmali polls fattened together with boughs. At one end of the houfe is the fire place, near which they lay a number of boards, on which they fleep. They inhabit villages built on the fides of rocky hills,- three or four rows of houfes being one above another. Thefe rocky precipices are framed by nature into deep fteps or ftories, upon each of which they build a row of their houfes, and afcend from one row or ftreec to the other by ladders, which being drawn up, there is no pofiibility of climbing to attack them. The ftreet to every row of houles runs parallel to the tops of the houfes of the row beneath, and the ladder by which they afcend is placed in the middle of the ltreet. Thefe people live moftly by fifhing, and are very expert in build ng boats, which relemble o'ur yawls. They have alio larger veflels, which aie managed with twelve or four- teen oars. What hufbandry affairs they carry on, are managed chiefly by the women. It was cuf- tomary for them to beg the paunches of the hogs and goats that were killed by the fhip's crew, the contents of which they put into a pot and then boiling it, eat it with raw fiih ,j but they have a difh made of locufts, which is not ill tailed-, thefe inledls coming at certain fcafons to devour their plants, they catch them with ne;s, and bake or broil them in an earthen pan. Their common drink is water, but they have alfo a ftrong and intoxicating liquor called Bafhce, which is made of the fugar cane boiled and mixed with fome blackberries, which is put into jars and kept five or fix days, and then it greatly refembles Englilh beer both in colour and tafte. Mr, Dampier does not pretend to be acquain- ted with their language, which is neither like the Chinefe nor Malayan ; but he obferves that the yellow metal already mentioned, is called by the name of Bullawar, which is the word that the Indians of the Philippine Iflands ufe for gold. They have no arms but lances, which are headed with iron, but they wear a kind of coat of mail made of the fkin of the buffalo, vhich is as thick as a board, has no fleeves, N°7. U and reaches down to the calves of their legs; Our author fays thefe people appeared to have no religion or government, nor any precedency among them, except that the children were very obedient to their parents; but he fancies they have ancient cufioms which fcrve them for laws* tor they faw a young lad buried alive, as they fup poled for theft; Each man has only one wife, who is very obe- dient to her hufband. Their boys are brought up to fifhing, and the girls work in the planta- tions, with their mothers, where each family cultivates as much ground as is neceflary for its own fupply. They are civil good tempered people, nei- ther quarrelling among themfelves nor with o- thers. They have no coin, but pals their yel- low metal as money, which they pay away by guefs. On the fhip's firft anchoring here, about a hundred boats, filled with the natives, came round her at once, and made no fcruple of go- ing on board, exchanging yams, potatoes and balhee for leaden bullets, lpikes and old nails ; a fat goat for an old iron hoop ; and a fat hog of eighty pounds weight, for two or three pounds of iron. On the twenty-fifth of September ovir adven- turers were driven out to fea by a violent Itorm, which continued to fuch a degree till the twenty- ninth, that they were every moment in danger of being fwallowed by the waves -, and it was the firft of October, before they could get back to Bafhee ifknd. The men were fo difcouraged by this ftorm that they determined to lay afide all thoughts of cruizing before Manilla, and were more inclined - to a homeward voyage than to any other enter- prize -, but captain Read, and Mr. Teate, at length perfuaded them to fleer for cape Camo- rin, by going round to the eaft of the Philip- pine iflands, and fo keeping fottth of the fpice iflands, to pals into the Indian ocean, about the ifland of Timor; inflead of which, as the eaf- tern Monlbon was at hand, our author obferves, that their neareft and belt way had been to have palled through the ftrcets of .Malacca. They quitted thefe iflands with fair weather, and the wind at weft, on the third of October 1 68 7; and on the fixteenth of the fame month, anchored between two final! iflands to the fouth of Mindanao, where they haled the fhip on fhore to clean her bottom, and made for her a new fore-top-maft, a pump, a fore yard, and a boltfprir. At this place a young prince belonging to one of the adjacent fpice- iflands, came on board and informed them that captain Swan and his men, whom they left behind them, had fought under Raja Laut with good fuccefs againft the mountaineers, and the captain was in great ef- teem at Mindanao. Being now fo near the captain, our author would have perfuaded the men, to fubmit once more to his authority -, but the affair coming to the knowledge of captain Read, he took care to prevent it. After 7 8 CAPTAIN WILLIAM DAMPIER'? VOYAGE After this, Mr. Dampier learnt that mod of Swan's men got on board different fhips, but that he himfelf and the furgeon going on board a Dutch veffel, were overfet by the natives and drowned ; and that there was fome grounds to imagine that this murder was perpetrated by order of Raja Laut, partly in revenge for fome flighting expreflions which Swan had impru- dently uttered, and partly for the fake of fome gold which the captain had amafled, and which, by his death, fell into the hands of the general. They failed hence on the fecond of Novem- ber, and on the twenty-fecond, being three leagues to the fouthward of the ifland of Celebes, they faw a large proa, in which were fixty men, attended by fix fmaller ones, to whom they hoifted Dutch colours, but in vain, with a view to allure them on board. On the coaft of Celebes, they faw cockles fo prcdigioufly large, that one of them was fuffi- cient to feed feven or eight people. A kind of vine alio grew here, the leaves of which being pounded with hog's lard, made an excellent falve for wounds. In three degrees fouth latitude, on the thir- tieth of November, they difcovered three water fpouts : thefe are very dangerous to fhipping ; but the ill confequences of them are fometimes prevented by firing great guns at them in order to break thern. They are firft formed upon the furface of the fea, the water of which, after whirling about a long time in the circumference cf, perhaps, a hundred paces, flies up in a py- ramidical form to a cloud, which crowns it, and along with which it drives upon the water, un- til the faction being fpent, the fpout feparates from the cloud, and the water falls again into the fea with a dreadful noife, and deftroys what- ever may happen to be beneath it. On the firft of December, they fleered a fouthern courfe, and on the fixth came to an anchor on the eaft fide of the ifland of Button, lying infour degrees, fifty- four minutes, fouth latitude. The ifland is flat and woody, about twenty- five leagues long, and ten broad. About half a mile from the fea is Callafufur.g, which is the refidtnee of the faltan : it is a long town, feated on the top of a fmall hill, in a pleafant plain, inclofed with a ftrong ftone wall, within which is a walk of cocoa trees. The inhabitants are neat, cleanly, fmall, and well fhaped ; in manners and complexion, re- femble thofe of Mindanao. They are Mahome- tans, and fpeak the Malayan tongue. The faltan, hearing that the fhip was Englifh, came on board with three of his fons, attended by fome of his nobles, and affured captain Read that he would ferve him to the beftof his power, and that he was welcome to trade with his fub- je£t.s for whatever he pleafed. The captain caufed him to be faluted with five guns on his coming on board, and the fame number when he "went on lhcre. The people brought on board plenty of pota- toes, eggs, fowls and other provifions : and the next day captain Read, agreeable to an invita- t'on, vifited the faltan at his palace, which was a very neat building. He was received in a room on the ground floor, covered with mats, after having firft paffed through a lane of forty foldiers, armed with lances, who were quite naked ; and was entertained with tobacco, betel and cocoa-nuts. Some time after this, the fultan made him a preftnt of two he goats, and a boy, each of whofe jaws were lined with two rows of teeth. This ifland abounded in rice and potatoes, and feveral beautiful birds, particularly paroquets, and cockadores. The cockadore is as white as fnow, with the fhape and bill of a parrot, and has a bunch of feathers like a crown on his head. Captain Read remained here till the twelfth, but in attempting to weigh, they broke their cable, and loft their anchor, which had hooked on a rock. On the fixteenth, they got clear of the fhoals, which lie in great numbers about this ifland ; and on the twentieth paffed by the iflancLof Om- ba, which in fome maps is called Pentara, where they faw thick fmokes by day, and large fires by night. There is a good town on the north fide of this ifland, near the fea ; but they could not ftand in for it, on account of the badnefs of the weather. Being clear of all the iflands, by the twenty- feventh, they fleered for New Holland, which land they fell in with on the fourth of January 1688, in latitude fixteen degrees, fifty minutes fouth. They ran twelve leagues along the fhore before they could find a proper place to anchor in ; but the following day they found a good harbour, and came to an anchor at the diftance of two miles from the fhore. New Holland is a vaft tract of land, which Dampier fays he is certain joins neither to Afia, Africa, nor America •, but he is uncertain whe- ther it is a part of the main continent, or an ifland. The land is dry and fandy, and near where they anchored there were no rivers; fo that what frefh water they had, was got by dig- ging- The country produces many kinds of trees, which grow at a diftance from each other, hav- ing under them pretty long grafs. From one of thefe trees diftilled a gum, which, on examina- tion, appeared to be gum dragon. They faw no animal?, but difcovered the foot- ftep of fome beaft that appeared to be like a large maftiff dog's. They found no fruits, and very few birds, the largeft of which was no big- ger than a thrufh, and the fea appeared almoffc deftitute of fifh, except the manatee and turtle. The inhabitants of this country appear to be the moft miferable people on earth •, having no garments except a piece of the bark of a tree tied like a girdle round the waift ; no houfes or coverings, but the heavens; nofheep, poultry, or fruits ; their food being a fmall fort of fifh, brought in with every tide, and left in ftone weirs, which are erected on the fhore at low wa- ter-mark for that purpofe ; and they have fome- times a few cockles, mufeks and periwinklrs ; what- ROUND THE WORLD. 7 fraid that his wife, in confequence of his ab-> fence, muft pay a fine of forty fhillingS; but when he found all the reft determined to go, he would not be left behind, but drank as heartily as any of them to the fuccefs of the voyage. About fix o'clock in the morning of the tenth, they dilcovered a fail, to which they immediate- ly gave chafe, and came up with her about three in the afternoon, when fhe bore down right upon them, fhewing Sweedifh colours* They fired at her twice, after which fhe brought too, and they fufpected, from lome expreffions uttered by two or three of her hands, whom they found drunk, that fhe had contraband goods on board; .but finding, after a ftnet exa- mination of the mailer and feveral of his men* that it would be difficult to prove her a prize j and being unwilling to loofe time by carrying her into port, they let her depart without the leaft embezzlement. The mafter appeared to be very thankful that he was detained fo fhort a time, and at his departure, prefented captain Rogers with fome dried beef and two hams; in return for which he received a dozen bottles of red ft reak cyder. She was a fhip belonging to Stadt, of two hundred and feventy tons burden, and twenty-two guns, and had failed round Scotland and Ireland. On hef leaving the Duke and Dutchels fhe faluted them with four guns. During the time this fhip was in cuftody, a defign 84 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER S*s VOYAGE defign had been privately formed on board the Duke, by the boatfwain and three other in- ferior officers, to make a prize of her j and •when they found fhe was given up they began to mutiny; but Gyles Cafh the boatfwain being difplaced, and, with ten of them, put in iron c , and a fevere whipping given to fome of the prin- cipal leaders of the disturbance, all was quiet again, and things began once more to move in their proper channel. A like inclination had appeared among the hands on board theDutch- efs, but when thofe on board the other fhip were brought to obedience, it fubfided. After this, however, they had fome trouble with thefe mutineers, and on the fourteenth of September fome of the fhip's company, headed by a bold daring fellow, came up to captain Rogers at the ftecrage door and demanded the difcarded boatfwain out of irons. The captain gave them good words, and having taken the ringleader aiide, as if to fpeak privately with him on the quarter deck, he had him faddenly feized by the help of the officers, and lathed by one of his own followers. • The next day he fent Gyles Cafh the boat- fwain in irons, on board the crown galley of Bid Jeford, which had kept them company fince the fixth inftant, and left them on the fifteenth ; and on the fixteenth, the captain difcharged the prifoners out of irons, on their acknowledging their forrow for what was pall, and promifing better behaviour for the time to come. In the afternoon of the feventeenth they gain- ed fight of the peak of TenerifF, and the next day took a Spanish bark of twenty-five tons, bound from Oratavia to Fuerteventura, with forty-five paffengcrs, men and wo.nen, on board, among whom was a pjrieft, who was one of the agents for the owners. On the nineteenth they boe away for Ontan via road, and fent the matter of the Spaniih veffrl on Ihore, with the prieft, to agree about her ranfom ; and to get wine, provisions, and other neceffaties for ben mips. They were ac- companied by Mr. Carlton Vanburgh, who went on this errand contrary to the opinion and incli- nation of captain ! : gers. On the twentieth, a boat came from the town, •with a letter directed to the captains Rogers and Courtney, expoftulating with them for making a prize ot the bark, aid ailed, ging that Mr. Vanburgh fhould be detained till the bark was rcftored, to keep which was not only againft a j rivate contract: entereei into between Spain and England, relative to the Canaries •, but would be of the utmoft detriment, as well to the trad- ing fuojeds of both crowns, as to feveral En- gliffi merchants refiding on thefe ifLnds ; of •whom a tenfold latisiuction would be ex- aded. This letter was figned by John Pou'den, vice- ponful, and three merchants, Bernard Walfti, John Croffe, and George Fitzgerald. The captains agreed on an anlwer to this let- ter, to this effect •, that in keeping the bark they acted up to their inftrudions ; that they knew nothing of any private articles in favour of the fhips of thefe ifiands i that in cafe Mr. Vanburgh was not reftored, they would carry away all the prifoiters they had ■, and if they apprehended any detriment to the factory, they might ranfom the bark, and feek their rcdrr s in England. They defired difpatch, 'here being no time to lofe ; and faid, mat upon fending back Mr. Vanburgh, they would releafe their prifoners. At length, after other letters had paffed be- tween them, Mr. Croffe, one of the Enslifh merchants, who had figned the abovementioned letters, came off to them in a boat on the twenty- fecond, bringing with him Mr. Vanburgh, to- gether with five buts of wine, fome hogs, grapes, and other things. Upon which the captains ordered the goods to be taken out of the prize, which they fold to Mr. Crolfe for four hundred and fifty dollars, and put the prifoners on board her ; but at the requeftcf Mr. Vanburgh, what- ever could be recovered of tiie effects belong- ing to any cf the prifoners, were returned to them ; parncu'arly their crofl'es, reliques and books -, and captain Rogers made a prelent of a cheefe to the prieft. On the t.venty fifth of September, they paffed the tropic, when about fixty of the cre.v, who h id never been this courfe before, were ducked three times, by hoiiting them up halfway the main yard, with a rope to which they were made fait, and foufing them into the water : this dipping was of great fervice to fome of them, as it cleanfed them from the dirt and filch which they had contracted in the voyage. Thofe who chole to Day half a crown, to be fpent in a merry-makincT among the fhip's crew, on their return to England, were excufed from this ce- remony. On the twenty ninth a failor, who it was ima- gined was Suddenly feized with a fit, fell from the main top-gallant, into the fea, and was drowned. On the thirtieth of September, they difcover- ed St. Lucia, one of the Cape de Verd ifiands-, and about eleven o'clock, anchored in the har- bour of St. Vincent, where, as they knew the ifland wis uninhabited, and faw feveral men on more, captain Cooke went in the pinnance, to learn who they were, and found them to be Portuguese from the iiland of St. Antonio, come to catch turtle. This ifland abounds in hogs, goats, and gui- nea hens •, and in the road they caught great plenty of filh. Some of the Duke's people went on ihore here, in fearch of game, but could find none, except a wiidafs, which, though wound- ed, efcaped, after having led them a moit fa- tiguing chafe. In the woods they found a number cf large fpiders, the bodies of which were as large as a irnall walnut, and their webs fo ftrong that they were not broken through without diffi- culty. On the third, it was determined to fend Jo- feph Alexander, their linguift, with a refpectful letter to the governor of thefe ifiands, defiring leave to traae for refrefhments, as being fub- jecTts of Great Britain, and allies of the crown of Portugal. During their Itay here, the linguift deferted ; ROUND THE WORLD. *J deferted ; but his reafons for fo doing, were never known. The deputy governor, who was a negro, came on board the Duke, and brought with him, to- bacco, brandy, hogs, fowls, oranges, limes, mufk-melons, and water-melons ; for which he was paid in prize goods of fmall value. While they lay here to clean their fhips and take in wood and water, a committee was held on board the Dutchefs, in which certain regu- lations were made relative to prizes and plunder, which were agreed to by all parties ; and care ■was taken to prevent a too-common practice a- mong the failors, of felling their cloaths to the negroes and natives of thefe iflands, for brandy and other trifles. There are ten of thefe idands, only feven of which are inhabited : which are St. Jago, St. Nicholas, Bonavifta, St. An- tonio, Brava, Mayo, and Fuego, which laft is fo called from its volcano : St. Nicholas, and St. Jago, are the mod populous, the latter of which is a bifhop's fee, which bears the fame name with the ifland. Here is alfo a con- fiderable town, faid to contain upwards of five hundred houfes, the principal commodities of which are tobacco, fugar, indigo, and goat- fkins, from which the fine maroquin leather is made. Their goats, which are fat and well- tafled, yean once in four months, and have three or four kids at a time. The foil in this neighbourhood is but indifferent, but the vallies produce fome corn and grapes. The fhips fet fail on the eighth of October in the evening, after having put the deputy go- vernor on fhore, near a rocky cavern, where he was obliged to take up his abode for that night, there being no houfes any where near him. On the twenty-fecond, Mr. Page, fecond mate of the Dutchefs, being ordered to a birth aboard the Duke, from whence Mr. Ballet was to remove on board the Dutchefs, he (Page) rcfufed to change his fhip, and captain Cooke infilling that he fhould, he ftruck him, but he was at length brought on board the Duke, and captain Rogers condemned him to the bilboes : but before the fentence was put in execution, he defired to go to the head to eafe himfelf, when he jumped overboard, and endeavoured to fwim back to the Dutchefs, where, as the captains were both abfent he might have excited the men to mutiny; but the boat which was along-fidefollowed,and brought him back, when he was heartily lafhed, and then confined in irons till the twenty-ninth, when he was fet at liberty on promife of better behaviour. Two of the failors having ftolen two fhirts, a wig, and a pair of ftockings, part of the plun- der of the Canary prize, they were ordered into the bilboes on the fecond of November, but afterwards difcharged on begging pardon. On the fourteenth they came within fight of the land of Brazil, and on the eighteenth came to an anchor before the ifland of Grande in eleven fathoms water. While they lay here, new quarrels arofe, and things had certainly come to an extremity on board the Dutchefs, if captain Courtney had not put eight of the ringleaders into irons, which frightened the reft, and, in N° VIII. Y all probability prevented an attempt to run away with the fhip. On the twentieth Mr. Dampier and a lieute- nant commanded two boats, which were fent to the watering place, to fee that it was clear of enemies, where they found a Portuguefe boar, the people of which complained that they had lately been robbed by the French. On this day four men, who had been obferv- ed to be very forward in mutinies, were put into irons-, and in the evening captain Cooke and lieutenant Pope went to Angre de Reys, a village about three leagues diftant, called by the Portuguefe, Noftta Seniora de la Concep- tione, with a prefent of butter and cheefe to the governor, and a requeft of his friendfhip; but as they approached the fhore, the inhabitants miftaking them for French, fired at them feveral times, but did them no damage, and entreated their pardon as foon as they difcovered their miftake. The governor being at a city called Rio de Janeiro, about twelve leagues diftant, they were holpitably entertained by a friar, who informed them that the French had lately plundered, and ufed them very ill. Several of the inhabitants came from the town on the twenty-fecond with canoes laden with corn, fowls, limes, and other provi- fions, which they exchanged for a few trifles : to thefe people the captain behaved with the utmoft civility, and promifed a handfome re- ward to thofe who fhould fecure any of the de- ferters from the fhips. A Portuguefe veffel coming to an anchor near the fhips on the twenty-third, laden with negroes, who were brought to work in the gold mines up the country, captain Rogers fitted out and armed the pinnace, to go and enquire whence fhe came, to which the captain replied in a very fatisfaclory manner, and fent back fome very fine fugar, and a pot of fweetmeats, as a prefent to the Englifh captains. The Portuguefe are extremely careful to conceal the roads leading to their mines from all other nations, and they affirm, that the diftance from the fea ports to thefe fources of wealth, is prodigioufly great. It was not long before this that fome French Buccaneers, who put in here to water, fcized a- bove twelve hundred weight of gold in boats, the land road being almoft impaffable, that leads from Rio de Janeiro to the mines. Captain Dover and Mr. Vanburgh having been out to take their pleafure in the pinnace on the twenty- fourth of this month, returned with a creature that flunk intolerably, the fkin of which was covered with fur, fluck full of quills or prickles, like a hedge-hog, and its head refembled that of a monkey. Several Portuguefe, and among them fome Francifan Friars, who came along fide the fhip, affirmed that the naufeous frnell arofe only from the fkin, and that the flefh was very fine eating; but it was fo very offenfive, that none of the failors could be prevailed upon to try it. On the twenty-fifth, two men deferted from the Dutchefs, and made their efcape into the woods, but in the night, they were fo terrified by 86 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER S's VOYAGE by the noife made by the baboons and monkies, which they miftook for the howling of tygers, that they ran back and plunged into the water, hailing the fhip, and praying to be taken on board again. On the fame day two Irifh land-men got away from the Duke, but they were taken on the fhore two days afterwards, while they were waiting for a Portuguese canoe to carry them to fome other place ; and being brought on board, captain Rogers ordered them to be feverely whipped and then hid in irons. About four o'clock in the morning, the day before thefe fellows were retaken, the watch on the quarter-deck, efpied a canoe, and call- ed to 1 er to come on board, but the people not anfwering, and driving to get away, caufed a fufpicion that they had either got the deicrters, or were °oing, by agreement, to fetch them off the ifland-, whereupon the pinnace and yawl were immediately difpatched after them : the pinnace coming up near the canoe, fired, to flop them, but to no purpofe ; at length one of the Indians who rowed the canoe, was wounded ; the perfon who owned and (leered her, was a friar, who had a quantity of gold which he had got in the mines •, as captain Rogers imagines, by confeffing the ignorant. This friar ran the canoe afhore on a little ifland full of wood, juft as his purfuers landed, and was attempting to make his efcape, but a Portuguefe, who had no gold to loole, called him back ; and he was taken with the other prifoners on board the fhip, where he was civilly entertained by captain Rogers; the poor Indian died in about two hours afterwards, and the friar was inconfolable, threatening to feek re- drefs either in England or Portugal, for the death of his flave, and the lofs of his gold, which poffibly he had dropt in the buftle, or buried at the place where the canoe ran on fhore. The captains Rogers and Courtney, and fome of the other officers, on the twenty-feventh of O&ober, went in a boat to the town of Angre de Reys, to fee a proceffion in honour of the Virgin Mary. The Portuguefe governor, who treated them with the utmoit politenefs,requefted that their mufic, which confuted of a hautboy and two trumpets, might be permitted to affift at divine fervice inftead of an organ ; which re- queft was readily complied with. When the fervice of the church was ended, the muficians, who were by this time half drunk, marched at the head of the proceffion, in which was carried lamps of incenfe, a hoft, and an image of the Virgin Mary, adorned with flow- ers, and furrounded with wax candles ; borne i . a bier by four men, and followed by the cruardian of the convent, about forty priefh' and friars, the governor of the town, captain Rogers, captain Courtney and the other officers of their company, every one of whom carried a wax taper, through complaifance; fome junior pritfts, and the principal inhabitants of the place, every one with his confecrated candle, clofed the proceffion. When the ceremony was at an end, a gen- teel entertainment was provided for the Englifh gentlemen at the convent ; and the governor, whofe houfe was at three miles diftance, accom- modated the reft of the company at the guard houfe, where twenty foldiers were ftationed, under the command of a lieutenant and an en- fign. The town of Angre de Reys, confifts of a- bour fixty low houfes, poorly built, ill furnifhed, and covered with palmetto leaves; it has two churches and a monaftery of Francifcan friars, plainly furnifhed but neat and decent. The friars poffeffed fome black cattle, but they did not chufe to fell any of them. Perhaps the mean appearance of the place, might have been owing to their having fecreted their beft effects, as they had fo lately been plundered by the French. The officers having returned on board, fent the boat back to the town for liquor, together with an invitation to the principal gentlemen of the place to return the vifit on board, with which they complied and were extremely merry. When the liquor began to operate, they toated the pope's health, and captain Rogers in return gave the archbilhop or Canterbury and Wil- liam Penn the famous quaker, which they rea- dily pledged. The weather being hazy the company re- mained on board all night, and in the morn- ing were put on fhore in the boat, when the captain, at parting, made a prefent of fome bucter and cheele to the fathers of the convent. Some letters were alfo delivered to them, which they promifed fhould be fafcly conveyed to Eng- land, and they departed highly delighted w h the agreeable treatment the\ had met with. A committee was held on !x>ard the Dutchefs, on the thirtieth of November, in which Mr. Vanburgh's conduct in firing at the Portugutfe canoe, was enquired into and highly cenfured ; and to prevent ill-blood, it was unanimoufly agreed that he fhould be turned over to the Dutchefs, and that Mr. William Bath, the com- pany's agent in that fhip, fhould take his place in the Duke. The ifland'of Grande is remarkably high land, and about nine leagues long. It abounds with monkeys and other wild beafts; it has plenty of timber and excellent water, and oranges, lemons, and guavas grow wild in the woods. The rivers and bays abound with fifh, among which the fhark is reckoned the moft remark- able ; it has three rows of teeth, a, very rough fkin, and the old ones efpecially, tafte very ftrong: they are ten feet long, and ufually at- tended by a fifh called the pilot fifh, which finds out their prey for them, and whom, it is laid, they never devour. The fhark is a very heavy fifh, and his mouth lying under the head, he is obliged to turn him- felf on his back to catch his prey; and in this manner he often catches hold of the limb of a man who is fwimming, which he takes off at a bite-, he is however, foon fickened by playing with a line, though extremely ftrong under water. The pilot fifh is exceedingly like a mackerel when ROUND THE WORLD ?• when fwimming in the water, and looks as if he were painted blue and white in a circular form, fomething like a barber's pole : but there is another kind of pilot fifh, which is of a deep blue when out of the water, the back is fpeck- led like a feal's fkin, the belly is of a higher co- lour than the back and fides, and the fcales are l'mooth like thofe of a tench. One of thefe, which was eight inches long and three broad, was ftruck by captain Cooke with a harping iron. The provifions wherewith the (hips were fup- plied, they got from Angre de Reys, which is lituated on the other fide of the harbour, form- ed by this ifland, on the continent of Brazil. Thefe confifted of Indian corn, pine-apples, bananas, plantains, guavas, lemons, oranges, rum, fugar, tobacco, beef, mutton, hogs and fowls ; but they have no kind of fallading here, nor any bread except cafiado, which they call Faranada Pan, or Bread of Wood. While they remained here, the wind veered but little be- tween north and eaft, and the weather was ex- ceflively hot. They failed out of the bay of Grande on the firft of December, fleering for Juan Fernandez; and on the fifth of January, encountered a vio- lent ftorm, which drove fuch a quantity of water into the Dutchefs, that they expected fhe would fink every moment, and as the men were going to fupper about nine o'clock at night, fhe fhipped a feaat the poop, which beat in the bul khead and all the cab-bin windows, and drove the firft lieutenant half way between the decks, together with feveral piftols and mufkets that hung there ; darting a fword that was againft the bulk head of the cabbin, through a ham- mock and rug that hung againft the bulk head of the fteerage ; and if the bulk head of the great cabbin had not given way, thofe who were in the other cabbin muft certainly have been drowned, before the water could have run off. It is aftonifhing that many of the men were not killed, with thefhutters, the bulk head and the arms which were driven with amazing vio- lence. However, the yawl was ftaved on the deck, and one or two of the me*n were wounded, and all the cloaths in the fhip were exceffive wet, the chefts, hammocks and bedding being foak- ed to fuch a degree, that they had not a rag of any thing dry to cover them. On the fevemeenth they took an obfervation, by which they found that they had got round Cape Horn, Terra del Fuego, and the ftreights of Magellan, being then to the northward of Cape Victoria. About this time the fcurvy began to make a great havock among the crews, but on the twenty-fixth they faw land, which they took to be part of the coaft of Chili. They now bore away for the ifland of Juan Fernandez, which they got fight of on the laft day of January, and on the firft of February, captain Dover, fecond captain of the Duke, manned the pinnace and went off in fearch of provifions, and to find a convenient place for the fhips to come to an anchor, but perceiving as foon as it grew dark, a fire kindled on the ifland, it was imagined thatthere were fhips in the road ; this light was alfo feen by thofe on board the fhips, who thought that it proceeded from French vefl'els at anchor, and imagined they fhould be under a neceflity of fighting them, or remain in want of water, whereupon the fhips were ordered to prepare for an engage- ment. Captain Dover returned on board with the pinnace, about two o'clock in the morning, having been afraid to land, on feeing the fire on fhore. On the next day, while they were ftill under apprehenfions of an enemy, they flood in for the fhore, from whence blew fuch fudden and frequent gufts of wind, that they were forced to reef their topfail, and ftand by the mafts, left they fhould go by the board •, they now expected to find, the enemy ; but feeing all clear, and no fhips either in that bay or in ano- ther to the northward, they gueffed that fome fhips had been there, but were gone on fight of them. About noon they fent the yawl afhore,. with captain Dover, Mr. Fry, and fix men well arm- ed •, but as they did not fpeedily return, captain Rogers fent his pinnace well manned to en- quire into the occafion of their flay ; for he be- gan to fear that the Spaniards might have a garriibn there, and had made them prifoners ; they therefore put out a fignal for the yawl, and the Dutchefs fhe wed a French enfign. The boats returned towards evening, and brought with them abundance of cray fifti, and a man cloathed in goats fkins, who appeared wilder than the goats themfelves. This man had been on the ifland four years and four months, having been left there by cap- tain Straddling, commander of a vefiel called the Cinque Ports, of which this perfon, whofe name was Alexander Selkirk, had been mafter. captain Dampier, who had been at that time on board captain Straddling's fhip, informed captain Rogers that Selkirk was the beft failor on board her; whereupon he was immediately made mate of the Duke. It was he who had made the fire the laft nighr, when he faw the fhips, which he imagined to be Englifh. During his abode on the ifland, he had feen feveral fhips pais by, but only two of them came to an anchor; on which he went to view them, and finding them to be Spaniards, he retired from them, and efcapc-d, notwithftanding they fliot at him. If they had been French, he would have fubmitted, but he chofe rather to run the rifle of dying alone on the ifland, than fall into the hands of the Spaniards ; apprehending that they would either make him a (lave in the mines or murder him, as he could by no means fuppofe they would fpare any ftranger who was fo well acquainted with the fouth feas. Thefe Spaniards had landed before he knew what they were ; and they came Co near him, that it was with great difficulty he efcaped, for after they had fhot at him, they purfued him to the woods, where he climbed to the top of a tree, at the foot of which fome who were fearching for him made water, and they killed feveral goats within his fight j but ss CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER S's VOYAGE but at length departed without difcovering him. Mr. Selkirk faid, he was a native of Largo in the county of Fife in Scotland ; and was bred a Sailor from his youth. That the reafon of his being left on the ifland, was a difference be- tween him and his captain, which, together with the fhip's being leaky, made him at firft willing to flay there, rather than go with him ; and that atterwards when he altered his mind and would gladly have gone on board, the captain would not receive him. He had been at this ifland before to wood and water, at which time their fhip was chafed thence by two French (hips, while two of the crew were on the ifland ; but after they had been there fix months, their (hip returned and took them on board. He had his cloaths and bed- ding with him, alfo a firelock, a little pow- der, fome bullets, and tobacco ; a hatchet, a kettle, a knife, a bible, fome books of practi- cal divinity, and his mathematical inftruments and books. He diverted and provided for himfelf as well as he could, but for the firft eight months he was extremely melancholy and could hardly fup- port the terror of being alone in fuch a defolate place. He built himfef two huts with pimento trees, covered them with long grafs, and lined them with the (kins of goats, which he killed with his gun, as he wanted them, as long as his pow- der, which was but a pound, lafted. He pro- cured fire, by rubbing two (licks of pimento wood upon his knee. In the fmaller hut which was at fome dift- ance from the other, he drefied his victuals ; and in the larger he flept, and employed him- felf in reading, finging pfalms, and praying ; fo that he faid he was a better chriftian, while in this folitude, than he was before, or than, he feared, he ever (hould be again. When he was firft left on the ifland, he eat nothing, till he was conftrained to it by mere hunger, which arofe partly from the want of bread and fait, and partly from the excefs of his grief; nor did he go to bed, till he was able to keep awake no longer. The pimento wood, which burnt very clear, ftrved him both for fire and candle, and refrefh- ed him with its fragrant fmell. He could have procured fifh enough, but would not eat them, for want of fait, becaufe they occafioned a loofenefs, except a fort of cray-fi(h, which were extremely good, and as large as our lob- (leis. Thefe he fometimes broiled, and at o- ther times boiled, as he alfo did the goat's flefh, and made very good broth of it, for the tafte of it is much more pleafant than that of the goats of England and Wales. He kept an account of five hundred of thefe animals which he had killed, and as many more which he caught •, and having marked them on the ear, let them go again. When his powder was gone, he took them by outrunning them, for his way of living, and his continual exercife of walking and running, had fo cleared his body of all grofs humours, that he ran with wonderful fwiftnefs through the woods, and up the rocks and hills; as the people belonging to the (hips perceived, when they employed him to catch goats for them ; they had a bull dog which they fent, with fe- veral of their nimbleft runners, to afilft him in catching goats ; but he diftanced and tired both men and dog, catching the goats and bringing them on his back. He told them that his agility in purfuing a goat had once like to have coft him his life ; he purfued it with fo much eagernefs, that he catched hold of it on the brink of a precipice, of which he was not aware, as the bulhes con- cealed it from his fight ; fo that he fell with the goat down the precipice a prodigious height ; and was fo (tunned and bruifed with the fall, that he lay there, infenfible, as he imagined, about twenty-four hours, and when he came to his fenfes, he found the goat dead under him ; but he was fo hurt that he was hardly able to crawl to his hut, which was about a mile diftant, nor was he able to go abroad again in lefs than ten days. He came at length to reliih his meat well enough without fait or bread, and found plenty of good turnips which had been fowed there by captain Dampier's men, and had now overfpread fome acres of ground. He had plenty of good cabbage from the cabbage-trees, and feafoned his meat with the fruit of pimento trees, com- monly called Jamaica pepper. He found alfo a black pepper, called Malageta, which was very good to expel wind, and prevent a griping in the guts. He foon wore out his (hoes, and all his cloaths by running in the woods, and at length his feet became lb hard, that he ran every where without difficulty ; and it was fome time after he was found before he could wear (hoes again, for not being ufed to any fo long, his feet fwelled when he came firft to put them on. After he had conquered his melancholy, he diverted himfelf fometimes with cutting his name on the trees, together with the time of his being left, and continuance there. He was at firft much peftered with rats, which had bred in great numbers, from fome which had got on (hore from (hips, which put in there for wood and water. The rats gnawed his feet and cloaths while he flept, fo that he was obliged to cherifh fome cats, which had alio bred from fome that had got afhore from different (hips ; thefe he fed with goat's fie(h, by which many of them be- came lb tame, that they would lie about him in hundreds, and foon delivered him from the rats. He likewife tamed fome kids; and, to divert himfelf, he would frequently fing and dance with them and his cats ; fo that by the favour of Providence, and the vigour of his youth, he be- ing novv only thirty years of age, he at length was enabled to conquer all the inconveniences of his folitude, and became extremely eafy. When his cloaths were worn out he made himfelf a coat and a cap of goat's (kins, which he fewed together with little thongs of the fame, which he cut with his knife. He had no other needle ROUND THE WORLD. 89 needle but a nail, and when his knife was worn out, he made others as well as he could of fome iron hoops that were left afhore, which he beat ftrait and thin, and ground upon ftones. Having fome linen cloth by him, he cut out fome fhirts, which he fewed with the worfted of his old {lockings, pulled out on purpofe, ufing an old nail to make holes, inftead of a needle, and he had his laft fhirt on when he was found. At his firft going on board, he feemed much rejoiced, but had lo far forgot his native language for want of ufe, that he could not ipeak plainly, only dropping a few words of Englilh now and then, and without much connection; but in two or three days he began to talk, and then told them that his filence was involuntary •, for that having been fo long on the ifland, without any perfon with whom to converie, he had for- got the ufe of his tongue. A dram was offered him, but he would not tafte it, having drank nothing but water for fo long a time, and it was a good while before he could relifh the victuals on board. He gave no account of any produce of the Ifland, *which had not been difcovered before, except fome black plumbs, which were very good, but difficult to come at; the trees on which they grow being on high mountains and rocks. Pimento trees were plenty here, fome of which were fixty-fect high, and two yards in circumference •, the cotton trees were ftill higher, and near four fathoms round at the bottom. The climate of this ifland is fo good, that the trees and grafs continue green all the year round. The winter lads no longer than June or July, and is not then fevere, there being only a fmall froft, and a little hail, but fometimes great rains. The heat of the fum- mer is equally moderate, and there is not much thunder or tempcftuous weather of any fort. Mr. Selkirk law no venemous creature on the ifland, nor any fort of beafls but goats, which had originally been put on fhore here on pur- pofe for a breed by Juan Fernando, who fettled here with fome families, till the continent of Chili began to fubmit to the Spaniards, which being a more profitable foil, the planters were tempted to remove thither. They got the fmith's forge on fhore, on the third of February, fet the coopers to work, and made a little tent for captain Rogers to have the benefit of the air. The people of the Dutchefs alfo erected a tent for their fick men : thofe in health were employed in providing fifh both for themfelves and the fick, and were fometimes able, fo great was the abundance, to catch as many in a few hours, as would ferve two hundred people. The bay abounded with fea fowls, which are as large as geefe, but they had a fifhy tafte. Mr. Selkirk, to whom they gave the name of Governor, never failed to procure two or three goats a day, for the ufe of the fick men, by which, together with the wholfome air, and the help of the greens, they foon got rid of the fcurvy. They fpent the time till the tenth in taking in wood and water, and refitting their fhips. They hkewife boiled up about eighty gallons of fea lions oil, as they might have done feveral tons had they been provided with veffels. This they refined for their lamps, to fave candles; and it was fometimes ufed by the failors inftead of butter, to fry their meat, and they found it far from difagreeable. The healthy men eat the flefh of young feals, which they preferred to the fhips provifions, and faid was as good as Englifh lamb; though, cap- tain Rogers obfcrves, he fhould have been very glad of the exchange. They now made all poffible hafte to get the necefiaries on board, being unwilling to lofe time, as they had been informed at the Canaries of five ftout French fhips that were coming into thofe feas. CHAP. IL They fail from Juan Fernandez ; defcription of the birds called boobies, and the flying fifh ; account of their taken feveral prizes ; defcription of the Iflands of Lobos de la Mar ; a defcent upon Guiaquil concerted; the town of Puna taken by furprize. The town of Guiaquil taken, which is afterwards ranfomed and evacuated. ON the thirteenth of February, a conful- tation was held on board the Dutchefs, in which they made feveral regulations for prefcrving ftricr. honefly, difcipline and fe- crecy on board both veffels, and agreed to fail to the ifland of Lobos de la Mar; and that fhip which arrived there firft, was to leave directions for the other how to proceed, buried in a glafs bottle at the diftance of twenty yards from the fhore, at certain places which they named. On the fourteenth they weighed anchor, with * A parties! 2r defcription of this ifland will be N° 8. Z a fair gale at fouth eaft, having buried only two men at the ifland of Juan Fernandez. On the twenty-fourth of the month, they crofled the tropic of Capricorn, when they faw feveral tropical birds, among which were the boobies, which are about the fize of a m3gpy ; the eyes are large, the back red, and the tail confifts only of one feather, about eighteen inches in length ; the feathers are black and white on the top of the back and wings, and white under- neath ; they are fuppofed to live on fifh, they found in Anfon's Voyage. fly 9& CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER S's VOYAGE fly high, and are fcarce ever feen but near the tropics. On the third of March, when the weather was extremely hot, they faw feveral pieces of wood, and fome trees floating on the water, to- gether with abundance of weeds, about which were feen a considerable number of fea-larks, fome of which captain Cooke (hot, as he did a boobic that was almoft white, and a feal, which immediately funk ; a large funfifh coming near the boat, they ftruck it with the fifgig, but it got away from them. They alfo faw feveral flying filh, which are long and (lender, having a very large eye, and a body which in fhape and colour reiembles that of a mullet. They fome- times fly near the length of a mufket (hot be- fore they touch the water, and then, wetting their wings, rife up again ; their enemies, the dolphins, chafing them and fwimming after them with fuch fwiftnefs, that they frequently catch them on their falling into the water; and fometimes the flying filh will drop into the (hips. On the fourth of March every man was put to an allowance of three pints of water per- day, that their flock might hold out, they be- ing determined to keep out at fea, in the hope of taking fome prize from Lima or eJfewhere •, and according to their hopes, on the evening of the fifteenth they faw a fail, and the Dutchefs being neareft, foon took her. She was a little veffel, of fixteen tons, from Payta, bound to Cheripe, to take in flour, with a fmall fum of money on board to purchafe it. The matter's name was Antonio Heliagos, a Meftizo, that is, one begotten between an Indian and a Spaniard ; the crew, which confided of eight men, where a Spaniard, a Negro, and fix In- dians. They faid that all the French (hips, being feven in number, were failed out of thofe feas fix months before, and that no more were to come there •, adding, that the Spaniards had fuch an antipathy to the French, that at Callo, the fea-port for Lima, they quarrelled fo fre- quently with them, and killed io many of them, that none tvere differed to go on fhore there, for fome time before they failed from thence. The prifoners likewife faid, that there had been no enemies in thofe parts fince captain Dampier was there four years before ; and that captain Straddling's (hip, the Cinque Ports, who was Dampier's confort, foundered on the coaft of Barbacom, where he and about fix or feven of his men were faved, but being taken in their boat, had been kept prifoners at Lima ever fince, where they nad fared much worfe than poor Selkirk, whom they had left afhore at Juan Fernandez, had done. When they had manned the prize with Eng- lifh failors, they haled off clofe on a wind for Lobos, having (hot within it-, and had not the crew of the prize informed them better, they might have endangered their fhips by running in farther, as there are fnoals between the ifland and the main. On the feventeenth, they anchored between the two iflands of Lobos de la Mar, together with their prize, which on the day following they prepared to fit out as a cruifer, under the command of Mr. Stratton, giving her the name of the Beginning : on the twentieth, being man- ned with thirty two men, and flocked with pro- vifions, fhe put to fea with the Dutchefs ; and on the twenty-fixth they brought in a prize which they had taken in company ; her bur- den was fifty tons, and (he was laden with tim- ber, cocoa nuts, and tobacco, which laft article was diftributed among the crews of the Duke and Dutchefs. Having cleaned and refitted the lad prize, they made Mr. Selkirk mafter of her, and remov- ed the fick of both (hips on board her, under the care of a furgeon. The two largeft of thefe iflands, called Lobos de la Mar, (to diftinguifh them from thofe called Lobos de la Terra,) are about fixteen leagues from the continent, and fix miles in length. The foil is a white clay, mixed with fand and rocks. They afford no frefh water nor any thing green, and have no kind of wood. There are a vad plenty of a kind of vultures or carrion crows, which at a diftance, looked fo like tur- keys, that one of the (hip's officers, bleffed him- fclf at the fight of them, thinking he fhould fare delicioufly ; nay, fo very eager was he to tafte them, that he had not patience till the boat could put him afhore, but jumped into the water, with his gun in his hand, and getting near enough, let fly at two of them •, but when he came to take up his game, it dunk fo into- lerably, that he was laughed at for his fruitlefs impatience by his brother officers. Befides thefe birds, here are penguins, boo- bies, gulls, pellicans, and a fort of fowls like teal, that neflle in holes in the land. Of thefe lad: the crews got prodigious numbers, which when fkinned, they affirmed to be excellent eat- ing. They alfo found abundance of bull rufhes and empty jars which the Spanifh filhermen had left on fhore, for all over this coaft they ufe jars for their oil, wine, and other liquids, in- flead of cafks. On the iflands are abundance of feals, and fome fea-lions ; the feals are much larger than thofe at Juan Fernandez, but the fur is not fo fine. They killed many of them to eat their livers, but one of the crew, a Spaniard, dying fuddenly after eating of them, the ufe of this fort of food was forbidden. The prilbners faid that old feals were very unwholfome. The wind always blowing frefh over land, brought an ugly noifome fmell from the feals on fhore, which gave captain Rogers a violent head-ach, and this fmell was complained of by every body elfe on board ; but no complaint of this kind had been made from the fmell of the feals at Juan Fernandez. The prifoners told them, that it was expected that the widow of the late viceroy of Peru, with her family and riches, would fhortly embark for Acapulco, and flop at Payta to refrefh, or fail near in fight, as cuflomary, in one of the king's (hips of thirty-fix guns •, and that about eight months before, a (hip with two hundred thou- ROUND THE WORLD 91 thoufand pieces of eight on board, befides a cargo of liquors and flour, had pafled by Payta for Acapulco. They alio faid, that they had left feignior Morel in a ftout fhip, with dry goods for Lima, recruiting at Payta, where he expected in a few days, a French built fhip, belonging to the Spa- niards to come from Panama richly laden, with a bifhop on board. Upon this advice they agreed to fpend as much time as poffible cruifing off Payta, with- out difcovering themfclves, tor fear of hinder- ing their other deligns. On the firft of April, they found the fea of the colour of blood, which, on infpection appeared to be caufed by the fpawn of fifh lwimming on the furface of the water. On the fecond, Mr. Fry was fent in the pin- nace, after a veiTel, which they then difcovered ; he foon took her and brought her in, when fhe appeared to be the fhip already mentioned, com- manded by feignior Morel and his brother ; her burthen was five hundred tons, and befides her cargo, fhe had on board fifty negroes, and many paifcngers bound from Panama to Lima, with a fine flock of frefh provifions; the command of this veffel was given to lieutenant Fry ; and the following day the Beginning took a prize of thirty-five tons burden, bound from Guiaquil to Chancay; by which veffel they learnt that the bifhop already mentioned was flill at Payta, but would foon pafs the road in which they now •were, in his way to Lima •, whereupon the cruizers were ftationed in fuch a manner as feem- ed to bid fair for fhortening his lordfhip's voyage. On the feventh of April, Mr. Vanburgh ft ill continuing to behave in a very riotous and im- proper manner, was, in a full council of the offi- cers of both fhips, turned out of his poft as a perfon unfit to be trufted. It was refolved in a committee, on the twelfth of April, not to fend the Beginning prize into Payta, as had been agreed on, for fear of being difcovered ; but to attempt the town of Guiaquil ; the enterprize to be conducted by the three captains Rogers, Courtney and Dover; Rogers to command a company of feventy-one officers and failors ; Courtney to be at the head of feven ty- three men; and Dover to have feventy mariners under his command : Captain Dampier to command the artillery, with a referve of twenty-two men to act upon occafion ; captain Cooke to command the Dutchefs with forty-two men, and captain Fry the Duke with forty men. They haled in for cape Blanco on the thir- teenth, when a committee was held, in which it was agreed, that for the encouragement of offi- cers and men, all bedding and cloaths, gold rings, buckles and buttons, liquors and provi- fions, with all forts of arms, except great guns for fhips, fhould be allowed as plunder, to be tqually divided between all the men on board, or on fhore, according to their whole fhares : that all wrought gold or filver, crucifixes, watches found about the prifoners, or wearing apparel of any kind, fhould alfo be plunder, ex- cept money, women's ear rings, loole diamonds, pearls and precious (tones; and, in cafe any thing was not fufficiently explained, a committee fhould, upon application being made for that purpofe, meet after the expedition, and deter- mine what further ought to be reputed plunder, without fraud to the owners, or prejudice to the officers and men : that no perfons fhould mif- interpret this allowance, fo as to fecure or con- ceal either wrought or unwrought gold or filver, pearls, jewels, diamonds, or precious ftones, not found about prifoners, or their wearing apparel, which fhould be looked upon as a high mifde- meanor and feverely punifhed: that none fhould keep any plunder, but deliver it to his officer publicly, and carry it to the place appointed to depofit it: that in cafe any town, fort or fhip were taken by ftorm, the encouragement agreed on at the ifland of St. Vincent, fhould be allowed to each man, over and above the gratuity pro- mifed by the owners to thofe that fignalized themfclves; but if any party fhould be engaged with another of the enemy, and defeat them* then all the prifoners, and the arms and move- ables about them, fhould be divided among them only who were in the action: all the plun- der taken afhore, to be carried on board by pedbns appointed for that purpofe, and entered in public books for the fatisfaction of all con- cerned. That thofe who fhould commit any diforder on fhore, difobey command, quit their poft, difcourage the men, behave themfelveS cowardly in any action, burn or deftroy any thing without orders, or debauch the prifoners, fhould lofe all their fhares of the plunder, and be fe- verely punifhed otherwife. On the morning of the fifteenth, the French- built prize, which they had fo long expected; appeared within fight near the fhore, and as they had but little wind, the boat and pinnace rowed after and attacked her, but fhe repulfed them, with the lofs of two men, one of whom was captain Rogers's brother, who was flioc through the head ; and three were wounded : but the fhips coming up, fhe ftruck to the Dutchefs, after receiving a fhot or two. The men begged for quarter, which was readily promifed. There were feventy blacks, and a confiderable number of pafiengers on board \ the lading confifted of bale goods ; and there was a confiderable quantity of pearls. The veffel was about two hundred and feven- ty tons burden, commanded by Don Jofeph Arizabala, who informed them that the bifhop and his attendants, had been landed at point St. Helena, and were gone by land to Guia- quil. On the feventeenth all the men intended for the defcent upon Guiaquil, to the number of two hundred and one, went on board the barks, each having a ticket delivered to him, fignifying what company he belonged to, and his particular ftation, which was thought neceffary to pre- vent the men from ftraggling. As there were three hundred prifoners tn cuftody, and the men to guard them being but little more than a third of that number, irons were fent on board the Duke and the other veffels in order to intimidate them. The 9 2 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER S's VOYAGE The captains Fry and Cooke, to whom were committed the care of the Duke and Dutchefs, were directed to keep out at fea for forty-eight hours, to prevent their being diicovered by the enemy •, and afterwards to wait the event of the expedition at Punta Arena, off which place captain Rogers and his barks, together with captain Courtney, came to an anchor at ten o'clock at night, when taking to their boats with about forty men, they made for Puna, an ifland covered with fwamps, and ovct-run with mangrove?, and in the morning came to a grap- pling dole under the land, out of light of the look-out. At (even in the evening of the nineteenth, the fhips came to an anchor between St. Clara and Tumbcz, when the boats weighing, rowed with- in half a mile of the town, and came again to a grapp!:ng, difpofing themfelves, for fear of be- ing diicovered, in luch a manner, that they had the appearance of drift timber upon the water. By break of day on the twentieth theygotclofe up with the town, and fecured all the canoes, and notwkht' anding an alarm was fpread, by an Indian who efcaped them, they feized the go- vernor of the town, and with him about twenty people, w ho allured them that the inhabitants of Guiaquil could have no information of their being fo near, thofe who had fled from Puna, having taken refuge in the woods. In this town ihcy found a paper that had been fent from Lima, copies of which were alfo dif- perftd all along the coaft, to give notice that captain Dampier was again arrived in thofe leas ; they were however convinced that they lhould be able to execute what they intended before any forces could arrive from Lima to oppofe their defigns. On the morning of the twenty-firft, the Be- ginning was fent a-head towards Punta Arena, on the ifland of Puna, for fear of any danger ; but Ihe round there only an empty vefiel riding clofe under the point : Ihe proved to be a new Spanifh bark that had been fent to load fait-, but her crew, on light of the Englilh, thought proper to abandon her. All apprehenlions being now totally remov- ed, the boats and barks rowed for the town of Guiaquil, and at eleven faw a light in the town ; whereupon they rowed as eafily as pof- lible, till they came within a mile of it, for fear of a difcovery, and then heard a centinel call to another, talk fome time, and bid him bring fire. Finding they were diicovered, they rowed over to the other fide againft the town, Jaw a fire made at the place where the centinels talked, and foon after many lights at the water fide, and all over the town ; heard them ring the alarm bell, fire fcveral vollies, and faw them light a fire on the hill where the beacon was kept, to give the town notice that they were tome up the river. Hereupon the boats came to a grappling, and fuch a violent dilpute aroie among fome of the chief officers, that they were heard afhore, but thr Spaniards not understanding what they faid, ictched an Englifhman to the water fide to inter- pret what they heard ; but before he came the debate was at an end. This account they had from that very Engli(hman,whoafterwardscame over to them, and proceeded on the voyage. A council was held in the ftern of one of the boats, to refolve whether they fhould land im- mediately, or ftay till day-break * and as the officers differed in their opinions, it was agreed, fince they did not know the ground, and the barks were not come up, which had near half the men, and the artillery on board, to ftay till day-light, by which time it was hoped the barks would join them ; and therefore they fell a little way down the river to meet them, hearing feveral mufket-fhots in their way, which they at fir ft thought were fired by the Spaniards along the (hore. At break of day, on the twenty- fecond, they law one of their barks at anchor clofe under the fhore, within a mile of the town, and at flood they defcried the other coming up the river ; they then rowed back to the bark, which had fired the mufquets abovementioned, at fome fifhermen who were pafling, and whom they made prifoners. When their forces were thus reaffembled, they held a council in the pinnace, failed up the river, and fent a flag of truce with the captain of the French-built fhip, the gover- nor of Puna, and another prifoner ; then towed up the barks a-breaft, and came to an anchor againft the town. When the captain of the French- built fhip came to the corregidor or mayor of the town, heafked the number of the Englifh, which the captain pretended to be greater than it really was. The corregidor faid they were boys and not men •, to which the captain replied, he. would find they were men ; for they had fought him bravely in their open boats, though he had killed the brother of one of the captains, and wounded and killed others : and, therefore, ad- vifed him to agree for the ranfom of the town, for though he had three thoufand men, he would not be able to withftand them. To this the corregidor replied, " My horle is ready." On the twenty-third, they went up the river after fome veffels, in their pinnace, fix of which they took and brought to an anchor by the barks ; they alfo feized two new veffels of about four hundred tons each, and then went afhore with a flag of truce, and the governor came on board one of the prizes, to confult concerning the ranfom of the town and fhips ; which they could not agree about, and he promifed to re- turn again at feven in the evening, but was not as good as his word. The boats now went up the river again, to fearch for more fhips, but returned without finding any, but they took feveral canoes with fome plate aboard. The centinels hailed aboataftermidnight which came on board with one gentleman, who faid he was fent by the corregidor, with a prefent of two bags of flour, two fheep, and two hogs ready killed alfo two jars of brandy, and two of wine •, and to allure them that the governor would have been with them according to his appointment, but was prevented by the abfence of one of the prin- cipal merchants concerned : but he would come off ROUND THE WORLD 91 off in the morning by feven o'clock ; and hoped they would do him the juftice to believe he was a man of honour •, for though he had been greatly reinforced fince he left them, he was de- termined to wait on them agreeable to his pro- mile. 'I he captains fent their compliments to the corregidor, and thanks for hisprefcnt, and faid, they were forry they had nothing to fend him by way of return ; but denied he might be told, that they were lurprized he had not kept his word, but depended that he would convince them ot his being a man of honour, by meeting them at feven o'clock in the morning, or there lhould be a final end of the treaty. They waited with impatience till feven in the morning, when they law a flag of truce, on beard one of the new fhips, where they fuppofed the governor to be, and therelore manned their pinnace, and lent their linguift to give their promife, that if the corregidor would come on board the prize, he fhould have full liberty to return •, on which he came on board with three ether perfons. The barks belonging to the two frigates were now ordered to go dole under the Jhore, near the belt part of the town, and every thing to be held in readincls for landing, in cafe they fhould not agree with the corregidor. The three captains at the fnft demanded that fifty- thoufand pieces of eight fhould be paid for the ranlom or. the town, the two new fhips and the fix barks ; befides which, the governor was to obhge himlelf to purchafe the goods and ne- groes, which were taken in the prizes, at cer- tain fitipulated prices, to be paid within nine days. The Spaniards agreed to this latter article, offering to leave two hoftages for the perform- ance ot it, which were thought infufficient ; but they refufed to give near the ium demanded for the town and fhips, faying that they had men and arms fufficient to defend themfclves. From this delay the captain iuipectcd that they only •wanted to gain time, and therefore informed them, that they could take the town, or feize the fhips at j lealure -, that they looked on both the one and the other, as much their own, as if already in their pollefiion, and that if their demands were not inftantly complied with, they would fire both town and fhips before night. After fome little confederation, the corregidor and his companions agreed to buy the cargoes, and to give hoftages tor forty thoufand pieces of eight for the town, the two new fhips and the barks ; but they declined figning this agreement till they had the confent of the principal per- fuis of the town, which the corregidor under- took to procure in the fpace of an hour. About one in the afternoon the corregidor was put on fho;e in captain Roger's pinnace •, fome of the men were for flopping him, becaufe not long before, an Indian came off in a canoe, to know whether he had agreed with the Eng- lifh, as, in cafe he had not, his men were in readincls to begin the fight, and waited only for his orders ; but the coiregidor infilling that the detaining him would be contrary to the flag N* 8. A a of truce, he was permitted to depart ; but the three gentlemen remained as hoftages, at the requeft of the corregidor, who did not doubt but the agreement would foon be ratified. When the time allotted for the anlwer was expired, a meffenger came from the town to inform them, that they could raife but thirty thoufand pieces of eight, and he did not men- tion a fingle word of trade. On this they fent their linguift and one pri- foner with their final meffage, which was, that if in half an hour, they did not fend three more good hoftages for the forty thoufand pieces of eight agreed on, they would ftrike the flag ot truce, land, give no quarter, and fire the town and fhips. In the mean time they faw the Spa- niards quit the two new (hips, and they imme- diately took poffeffion of them. Their mefienger returned, and in about half" an hour, three men more came from the town, to the bank oppofite the captain's barks, where they held out a white handkerchief, as if to treat further. They faid that their refolution was to give thirty-two thoufand pieces of eight, and no more : to which th° Englifh replied that they had done treating, and bid them retire im- mediately out of the reach of their (hot, as they valued their lives. They now ftruck their white flag, and let fly their martial colours. Captain Rogers ordered two guns of about fix hundred weight each, mounted on carriages, into the great launch, and filled their three boats with men in order to land ; he then went him- felf in a pinnace, captain Courtney in another, and captain Dover in the launch, the three boats carrying about feventy men. They towed the launch afhore : the third, lieutenant remained on board the bark with ten men, to play their guns into the town as they landed -, where the Spaniards, compared with their little army, made a formidable ap- pearance. As foon as they landed, which was about four in the afternoon, the men fired on their knees, at the brink of the bank, and then loading, ad- vanced, having called to their bark to forbear firing left they fhould hurt their own men. They pufhed forward with fuch bravery, that the Spa- niards fired but one volley, and retired back to their guns, where their horfe drew up a fecond time ; while the Englifh, (till preffing on with the utmoft intrepidity, came to the ftreets of the town, where they faw four guns pointed at them, before a fpacious church ; but as foon as they came in fight, the horfe moved off with great precipitation. Hereupon captain Rogers called out to his men to run and feize the guns, he himfelf ad- vancing with about ten men within piftol (hot of them ; at which boldnefs the enemy were fo intimidated, that after one general difcharge they all fled, except the gunner, an Irifhman, who kept his poft till he received four wounds,- of which he afterwards died. Many more of the Englifh now corning up, under the command of captain Dover and cap- tain Courtney ; Mr. Rogers remained to fecure the poft he had fo bravely gained, and took poffeffion 94 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER'S VOYAGE poffeffion of the church, where they made about twelve prifoners, while the reft marched to the other end of the town. From the time they landed, till their feizing the guns, and taking poffeffion of the church, was not more than half an hour. Captain Dampier with twenty-five men was now pofted at the guns, which he turned againft the enemy, who foon fled from the town. By this time the reft of the Englifh being landed, marched after captain Courtney and captain Dover. The men in general behaved with the utmoft courage, but, as is generally the cafe with fail- ors, they were kept but little under command, after the firft piece was fired ; but after the at- tack, they forbore hard drinking, and kept properly together. Captain Rogers oveno-k Courtney and Dover, at the other end of the town, where he left Courtney to keep guard at a church, and then returned to his firit poft, whilft Dampier and his men went to reinforce Dover and Court- ney. Thus they were in quiet poffeffion of the town by fun fet, having met with no oppositi- on after the enemy quitted the great church. They now made a proper difpofition of their guards, and in the evening, captain Rogers went on board the bark, fettled a watch, and then returned afhore to the church. Captain Dover now fet fire to five or fix houfes which fronted the church, which burnt all night and the next day. The reafon of burn- ing thefe houfes was, that there was a hill near this quarter, and thick woods within a mufket fhot of the church, from whence the enemy were almoft continually firing at him during the whole night, but without doing any damage : and the next day feveral final! parties of horfe and foot came down, but retired without making any attempt. Had the Spaniards been courageous, they might have done great milchicfto captain Dover, as his friends were not near enough to affift him; for the town being long, the whole of it could not be kept without dividing the men into par- ties at considerable diftances ; but his firing the houfes did him great fervice, by covering the worft part of his quarters for that night; and at day-break captain Courtney relieved him, when they both quitted thole quarters, as a place too much expofed to the enemy. An Indian who had been taken prifoner, in- formed Rogers, that he knew of much money up the river in houfes and bark-logs ; where- upon the Dutchels's pinnace, with twenty-one men, commanded by lieutenant Connelly, were fent up the river, As they had found but little wealth in the town, captain Rogers was for fending both the pinnaces tofeize that which the Indian had fpoken of; but the others would by no means confent to it, left the enemy fhould engage them in the abfencc of their boats and fo many of their peo- ple. The Englifh now began with iron crows and other inftruments, to break open the churches and all the ftore-houfes, cellars, &c. but in this they had very little fuccefs, as fcarce any thing was left in the iown except flour, beans, peafe, and jars of wine and brandy. Thefe, however, they began to carry to the water-fide, but as the weather was wet, hot and unhealthy, the men were fo fatigued, and became fo weak, that they could not well work at this employment. Numbers of the people were for taking up the boarded floor of the church, to fearch for trea- lure among the dead ; but captain Rogers abfo- lutely forbad its being done, becaufe not long before their arrival, a peftilential difeafe had carried off* great numbers of people. They found only two of the enemy killed in the town, one of whom was the Infh gunner abovemenlioned ; and made one prifoner, who was wounded in the head ; but on enquiry they were told, that fifteen of them were killed and wounded. Among the Englifh only two were wounded. On the twenty-fourth, the Englifh colours were kept flying all day, on the towers of the church, where captain Dover kept guard, while Rogers and Courcney took care to have what thev iound moft ufeful, conveyed to the water- fide. On this day the governor of Puna, and ano- ther prifoner were len: to the enemy, who were in the woods at about a league's diftance, with propofals for ranfoming the town. They re- turned in the evening, with an ambiguous an- fwer, but defired to be fent back again the next morning, in hopes to prevent the burning of the town. They had intelligence this day that the ene- my were coming down the hill ; on which an alarm was given, and part of the men being lefc with the guns, captain Rogers marched with the reft, and met captain Courtney on the bridge, retiring, who reported that the enemy were nu- merous and well armed at the north end of the town ; but Rogers defiring that they mighc march againft them, Courtney confented; where- upon they went forward with their whole force, which did not exceed feventy men ; but on their advancing, the Spaniards retired into the woods, from whence they affailed them with firing fhots, which the Englifh returned at random ; and the captains not agreeing about keeping pof- feffion of that end of the town, marched back, taking fome of the moft valuable effects, which they lent on board the barks. About ten o'clock this night, the boat which had been fent up the river, returned, having been abfent about twenty-four hours. They had proceeded about feven leagues, and fixteen of the men had landed at fix different places, the others taking care of the boat, having a fwivel gun to defend themfelves. At one place they feparated, and four of the men rambled fo far into the woods in fearch of wealth, that after wandering about three hours, they could not find their way back to their com- panions, but they met them again afcerwards, by mere accident, and got to the boat. They had, at different places, fome fkirmifhes with the enemy ; and, in particuler, chafed thirty* • five ROUND THE WORLD. 9$ five horfemen, who were well armed, and com- ing to affift the inhabitants of Guiaquil. They found the houtes up the river full of women, and at one place there were above a dozen well-drefled, handibme young women, from whom they took feveral gold chains, and ear-rings; but were in other refpects fo civil to them, that the ladies brought them a cafk of good liquor, and offered to drefs victuals for them. Several of the largeft gold chains they had concealed, by faftening them round their mid- dles, legs and thighs •, but as in thofe hot coun- tries, the women go extremely thinly cloathed, in fine linen and filk, the men, by prefT'ing on theoutfideof their cloaths, felt the chains, and, by means of their linguift, modeftly defired them to take them off with their own hands. As they returned down the river, they called at this houfe for provifions; and as they had been lb civil at firft, the ladies exprefTed neither furprize nor uneafinefs at a lecond vifit. In their progrefs, they had feized a large empty bark, but thought proper to abandon her. They brought back with them, in plate, ear- rings, and gold chains, to the value of one thou- fand pounds; but they were of opinion, that they loft much more than they got, for want of another boat; for while they were upon the fearch, on one fide, the bark logs and canoes crofted the river in their fight, carrying many perfons with their effects, out of their reach. They alfo acquainted captain Rogers, that in the places where they had been above the town, they had feen more than three hundred armed horfe and foot, in feveral parties, fo that they apprehended the defign of the enemy, in pre tending to ranfome, was to gain time till they were able to attack them with great fuperiority of numbers. Hereupon the En glim, for fear of a furprize, agreed to affemble in a body at every alarm, which, on the fight of any large parties, was beat feveral times in a day. Three drums, feveral iwords and lances, and a quantity of arms, five jars of powder, toge- ther with fome matches and (hot, were found in the church, where captain Rogers alfo found the corregidor's gold-headed cane, and another with a filver head; for among the Spaniards, none carry a cane but the chief officers, and no perfon muft ufc one with a filver, and gold head, who is under the degree of a captain. About one in the afternoon of the twenty- fifth of April, the prifbners returned with an offer of thirty thousand pieces of eight, as -a ranfome for the town, (hips, and barks, to be paid within the fpace of twelve days ; which the captains did not approve, nor would they have Waited fo long for a much larger fum, as they had received undoubted intelligence, that the Spaniards had fent an exprefs to Lima, to haften the fuccours expected from thence. The cap- tains therefore agreed upon fending this final anfwer; that the town fhould be let on fire by three o'clock the next afternoon, if fufficient hoftages were not immediately delivered for the payment of thirty thoufand pieces of eight with- in fix days ; and that in the interim, a cefiatioh of arms fhould be granted. This day the enemy appeared thick in the woods; and in the afternoon, an officer and nine men were engaged at the north end of the town, with a party of Spaniards, whom they drove into the woods ; but following them too far, they were attacked by others, when one of the Englifhmen was fhot through the calf of his leg; and another, who was endeavouring to re-charge his piece, received a fhot upon the middle of the pole-ax that hung by his fide, which made an impreffion upon the iron, and bruifed the flelh direftly under it, but did him ho material injury. The perfon who was fhot in the leg, living irregularly, and drink- ing hard, fell into a fever, which coft him his life. Captain Courtney's chief lieutenant, having his piftols hanging at his fide, one of them went off againft the outfide of the calf of his leg, and left the bullet in the flefh. Thefe accidents, added to the increafing boldnefs of the enemy, determined captain Courtney to join his ftrength to that of captain Rogers. They laid this night in the churchy keeping centinels round it, within a mufket of fhot each other, with a charge to challenge each other every quarter of an hour; and every man to keep his arms and ammunition in the moft ex- act order, and be ready to rife at the lead alarm. A Frenchman belonging to captain Roger's company, who, with fome others, had been fent to ftrengthen captain Courtney's quarters^ Handing centry in the night, fhot one of the failors dead. This accident was occafioned by a ftnet order that had been given to (hoot every perfon in the night, who did not anfwer on be- ing challenged, which as the challenge was gi- ven in French, the Englifh failor was not able to do. At two o'clock in the afternoon of the twenty-fixth, the prifbners returned from the enemy with two horfemen, who informed them, that their laft propofal was agreed to ; and that the governor of Puna who had been very in- ftrumental in bringing the affair to aconclufion, together with an old gentleman on board one of the barks, were to remain as hoftages for the performance of" it : but the meffengers faid^ that if thefe gentlemen Were not thought fuffi- cient fecurity, they themfelves were willing to remain prifbners; which was not infilled upon, but they were permitted to return to the camp, to bring back the agreement figned, which ran in the following terms. Contract for the ranfome of the town of Guiaquil. Whereas the city of Guiaquil, lately in fub- jettion to Philip V. King of Spain, is now ta- ken by ftorm, and in the pofTeffion of the cap- tains Thomas Dover, Woodes Rogers, and Stephen Courtney, commanding a body of her Majefty of Great Britain's fubjects ; we the un» der written are content to become hoftages for the 9 6 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGER S's VOYAGE the faiJ city, and to continue in the cuftody of the laid captains, Thomas Dover, Woodes Ro- gers, and Stephen Courtney, till thirty thou- land pieces of eight fhould be paid to them, for the ranfom of the faid city, two new fhips, and fix barks-, during which time no hoftility is to be committed on either fide, between this and Puna; the faid fum to be paid at Puna, within fix days from the date hereof-, and then the hoflages to be difcharged, and all the prifoners, to be delivered immediately : otherwife the faid hoftages do agree to remain prifoners, till the faid lum is difcharged in any other part of the world. In witnefs whereof, we have voluntary fet our hands, this twenty-feventh day of April, old ftile, and the feventh of May, new ftile, in the year of our Lord 1709. The two hcftages lay this night at the Eng- lifh quarters, and the next morning were put on board one of the fhips, while the Englifh re- tired from the city with drums beating and co- lours flying, leaving the Spaniards at full liber- ty to return to their houfes. Captain Rogers, who with a few men brought up the. rear, picked up many cutlafies, pole-axes and piftols, which the men, who were grown quite weary of a military life, dropped through lazinefs as they marched. Their greateft diffi- culty was in getting the guns down to the wa- ter fide, the grourTd being foft, that the men who helped to carry them funk in to the depth of half a leg. To remedy as much as poffible this incon- venience, they contrived a frame of bambo canes, under which fix men could ftand and bear an equal weight on the fhoulders. Tho' they were large four pounders, the gun and frame not exceeding fifteen hundred weight, yet they would not have been able to have performed their work if the prifoners had not aflifted them. As captain Rogers was marching out of the town, he miffed one John Gabriel, a Dutch- man, whom he apprehended was either killed or made prifbner: but the fellow had taken up his quarters in a certain houfe where there was fome excellent brandy -, of which he drank fo freely, that, at laft, it laid him on the floor, and in this condition he was when captain Rogers and his men left the town. A little while afterwards the mafter of the houfe returned, and found the Dutchman ftretch- ed at his full length, and fo drunk that it was difficult to diftinguifh whether he was dead or afleep •, the Spaniard, however, determined to make the experiment: but firft of all called in his neighbours, who advifed him to fecure the Dutchman's arms, which being done with- out any difficulty, they then raifed him up and fet him on his feet, when, after a little totter- ing, he opened his eyes, and began to flare about him, not being very well fatisfied to find himfclf awake in fuch company. His landlord however foon fet his heart at reft, by restoring him his arms, and advifing him to make all the hafte he could to join his com- panions, who were not yet embarked. There needed not much intreaty to fet the Dutchman forward i he moved with all imaginable alacrity, and foon got fafe on board. Captain Rogers informs us that this was the only man, who had drank to an extraordinary degree, fince their firft entering the town. The plunder which they took, exclufive of the ranfom which they received for the town, was very confiderable ; being about two hun- dred and thirty bags of flour, bear,s, peafe and rice •, fifteen jars of oil ; one hundred and fixty jars of other liquors ; fome cordage, iron ware and fmall nails; about four half jars of pow- der, about a ton of pitch and tar, a parcel of cloathing and necefiaries ; about twelve hun- dred pounds in plate, ear-rings, &c ; one hundred and fifty bales of dry goods-, four guns ; about two hundred ordinary Spanifh arms and mufket barrels ; a few packs of in- dico, cocoa and anatto, with about a ton of loaf fugar. They left abundance of goods in the town, befides liquors of moft forts, and fea ftores, with feveral warehoufes full of cocoa ; feveral fhips on the flocks, and two new fhips unrigged, lying at anchor. The hoftages informed them, that during the treaty, eighty-thoufand pieces of eight of the king's money were fent out of the town, be- fides their plate, jewels, and other things of the greateft value; from which it appears, that if they had landed at firft, and allowed the enemy no time, they had been much greater gainers than they were; and, in that cafe, they were well affured that they might have made to the value of two hundred thoufand pieces of eight in money, plate, and jewels ; and yet the place was then poorer than it had been for forty years paft, having been almoft burnt down about a year and a half before, which had oc- cafioned a very great expence in the rebuilding it. CHAP. ROUND THE WORLD. 97 CHAP. III. Description of Guiaquil and parts adjacent; they leave Gidaquil ; account of the Jicknefs of fome of the men ; th-y arrive at Gorgona ; proceedings at Gorgona, and a defcription of that Ifland ; they fail to the bay of Tecames, and trade with the inhabitants ; defcription of the village of Tecatnes ; they make the Gallapagos Jfands ; defcription of the //lands of T'res Marias. GUIAQUIL, the metropolis of a province of that name in Pern, is in length, about a mile and a half, and divided into two parts, called the Old and New Town, which are joined by a bridge, about half a mile long, for the ufe only of foot paffengers. On each fide of the bridge are fome houfes at a diftance, and the number of houfes in both towns, amount to above five hundred •, and the inhabitants are about two thouiand. It is fituated in a low boggy ground, which renders it exceffively dirty in winter. There is but one regular ftreet along the river fide to the bridge, and from thence along the Old Town. There are four churches, St. Jago, St. Francis, St. Auguftine, and St. Dominic. There is a handfome parade before the church of St. Jago, and another before that of Domi- nic, with a half moon, upon which they for- merly planted guns, but there was none mount- ed when the Englifh took it. There is alfo a chapel, which, as well as the churches, is adorn- ed with altars, carved work and pictures. There was a good organ in the church of St. Auguftine, but the priefts had carried off all the plate into the woods. Some of the houles were lofty brick build- ings, but moft of them were of timber or bam- boes fplit, and many of them were decently fur- nifhed. In the merchants ftorehoufes there were great quantities of meal, brandy, fugar, cloath- ing, cordage and iron. Some of the inhabitants had calafhes,which captain Cooke obferves could be but of little ufe, unlefs to carry them a ftone's throw to church, for the ground is fo boggy, ef- pecially in winter, that no road could be made for them. This morals ground was full of large toads, fome or them as big as an Englifh two- penny loaf. The town is governed by a corregidor, who is the chief magiftrate,. and appointed by the king. It is well fituated for trade and fhip- buikling, lying feven leagues from Puna and fourteen from Punta Arena, upon a large river which receives many fmall ones that fall into it ; this river has many villages and farm houfes on its banks, on which grow abundance of man- groves and farfaparilla, which impregnating with its waters, are faid to render them effica- cious againft the French difeafe •, but when the floods came down from the mountains, the wa- ter is reckoned unwholfome, on account of its bringing down with it feveral poifonous plants and fruits, among which is the machanilla, a kind of poifonous apple, which kills all birds that tafte of it ; and the Englifti, while they N* IX. B b were there, faw hundreds of them dead upori the water. They have plenty of oxen, goats, fheep$ poultry, Mufcovy ducks, feveral kinds of fowls unknown in Europe, and great numbers of horl'es. Carrion crows abound here, which the inhabitants will not fuffer to be killed, but pre- ferve them to deltroy the carrion. The fliips are built under iheds to fhelter the men from the fun ; and, at low water, the river is frefli al- moft as far as Puna. An Englifhman who had lived at Guiaquil for fome time, acquainted the captain that in the month of December pre- ceeding they had three weeks rejoicing for the birth of the prince of Altunas, when they muf- tered eleven hundred foot, and five hundred horle in arms, tefides a much greater number unarmed, but moft of thole troops came from the country. During this folemnity they had two hundred bulls baited to death, after the Spanifh manner, and run at the ring withfpears, which are their principal diverfions. Captain Rogers took his leave of the barks a mile below the town, with J:he pinnace double manned, defigning to get before them to the fhips at Punta Arena. The day proved excef- five hot, and they faw many alligators in the ri- ver. On the following day, which was the 28th of April, captain Rogers reached Puna, where he met Mr. Duck, and Mr. Hatley, in the Be- ginning, with an empty bark they had taken ; the Spaniards, having gone afhore and left her at anchor off Punta Arena. The people who had been left behind were much concerned at the delay of their compani- ons, and the fcarcity of water was fo great that for fome time paft the prifoners had been allow- ed but a pint a day. They had alfo been obliged to fink a fmall prize which they had taken, to prevent the prifoners running away with her, as they could not fpare hands fufficient for manning her. Captain Rogers got on board by day-light, and found his people heartily rejoiced at his return, after an abience of twelve days, on an expedition, fubjecl- to fo many dangers and diificulties, all which he had happily furmounted.' The lieutenants Cooke and Fry had, during this time, been under great uneafinefs on account of the prifoners, to whom they allowed their liber- ty in the day time, but at night they were fruit up in the forec.iftle or between the decks ; but on board the prize, which was not fo fecure, they put them in irons every evening, and fet them free in the morning ; but they never al- lowed any correspondence between the prifoners in CAPTAIN WOODES ROGERS's VOYAGE. in the feveral {hips, by which means they were ignorant of their own ftrength, and the weaknefs of their mailers. On the twentieth of the month died Roger Booth, one of the Dutchefs's men, who had been ihot through the windpipe, and on the twenty-fourth died William Eflex, a flout failor; fo that out of both mips only four men were loft in this expedition. Mr. Stratton, a quarter-mafler, aboard the Dutchefs, who had been wounded in the thigh, was now out of danger. Wounds are more fre- quently attended with fevers, and are therefore more dangerous in that part of the world, than they are in colder climates. A veflfel coming in fight about three in the afternoon of the twenty-ninth of April, captain Cooke defpatched the Havre de Grace's boat, well manned, in puriuit for her, and fhe im- mediately iurrendered. She proved to be a bark of thirty tons burden, laden with beans, peafe, quinces, marmalade, plumbs, apples, oranges, pomegranates, Guiaquil fheep, two hundred and feventy facks of flour, two hundred fugar loaves, and fome dried beef. She had fix men on board, betides the mafler ; they had been out feven days from Pulania, where they had left fome flout French fhips, and orders had been lately received from Lima, di- recting them to keep a good look out, as an En- glifh fquadron was loon expected in thofe leas, but that it was not known againfl what particular place they were bound. From this intelligence it was evident that the arrival of the conibrt-fhips was not generally known. They waited with impatience from this time to the lecond of May, in expectation of the ran- fom for .the town of Guiaquil, and they now be gan to think that the corregidor meant to dilap- point them, and put them off till forces fhould arrive from Lima ; and the hoflages expected no better fate than to be carried prilbners to England •, but they were in fome degree reliev- ed from thtie uneafy reflections, by the arrival of a boat in the evening, with twenty-two thou- fand pieces of eight, in part of payment ; where- upon many of the priibners were put on fliore, and a meflage to the corregidor lent back by the lame boat, informing him that they intended to fail the following day, and would carry the hoflages away with them, if the remainder of the money was not lent before their depar- ture. In a fhort time after this, captain Courtney took charge of the Havre de Grace, and fell down with her to Punta Arena, to which place captain Rogers agreed to follow him the next morning, waiting only to take on board fome hogs, fheep, black cattle-, plantains, cocoas, wa- ter, lails, and other neceflary matters, which were fall on fhore. Before his departure he put on fliore the governor of Puna, who was one of the hoflages, making him a preient of a bale of damaged goods, and four lick negroes : he alio gave an old prieft his liberty. A boat came on the next day, with three thoufand dollars more, and the perfons who brought it declared that the remainder, and alfo twelve hundred dollars to trade for goods fhould foon come •, but captain Courtney being of o- pinion that this was only a pretence for detain- ing them till a fquadron cf fhips could be fitted out againfl them at Lima, infilled that they fhould immediately hoifl fail and quit this fta- tion, in which he was feconded by a majority of the officers ; whereupon they refolved to make all poflible difpatch : but the Beginning being fmall and of no farther ufe, they fold her to the Spaniards for about the value of fifty pounds llerling, which was paid in gold chains, pearls, &c. and they put the prilbners aboard her ; but kept the pilots, togtther with a perfon who could lpeak Enghfh, the prefident of Panama's ion, and three remaining hoflages. They now bore away for the Gallapagos iflands, with a flrong gale at foutri fouth-weft. On the eleventh of May, upwards of twen;y men on board the Duke, and near fifty on board the Dutchefs, were feized with a malignant fe- ver, which they had contracted at Guiaquil, re, not long before they took the place, a contagious difeafe had carried eff ten or twelve perions every day for a confi er.-.ble time -, fo that the vaults under their churches, which are their ufual burying places, were filled fo i that they were obliged to dig a large and deep hole, cloie to the great church, where they kept guard, and this hole being ahnoft filled with the bodies half putrified, the Englifh were furround- ed with inch a corrupted air, as to lay the foundation of thofe diforders which now^ap- peared. They discovered land on the feventeenth, and by day-break the next morning were within four leagues of two large iflands, which almofl joined rogerher. Having rti ed where to mec ,,_- of feparation, they now lent their boat afhore two different times in (catch of wa- ter, but fhe returned with a melancholy account that none was to be found, and that the ifland was nothing but loofe earth, very rotten and heavy, which broke like cinders under their feet, and that the ground was k parched that it would not bear the weight of aman,which induced cap- tain Rogers to believe that it had been avolcano, though, he fays, then: was fome greens and much fhrubby wood upon it. The Dutchefs having caught a confiderable quantity of turtle and other filh, diftributed it on the twenty-firil, among the lick of both (hips, which, as their proviiions were nearly exhaufted, was of the utmofl fervice to them ; but their prefent unhappinefs was not a little increafed, by finding their medicines began to run fhorc, while the lick people dropped off apace ; but it was dbferved that none died, except thofe who were afhore at ( Guiaquil. On the twenty-fecond, Mr. Hatley with five men on board one of the prize ba ing water on board for only two days, together with a galleon, which was another of the prise fhips, were milling : nor was there any fi'gn of their returning, though lights were kept at the top- mall-head of the Duke and Dutchefs all night, and guns continually tired ; whereupon captain Rogers ROUND THE WORLD. 99 Rogers with th: Duke, the Havre de Grace and the bark, went in fearch of them, and came up with the galleon in a few hours, near the ealter- jnoft ifland; bu: coold obtain no intelligence of Hatley, whom they be; an to give up for loir. It was agreed in a council of officers on the twenty-fixth, to Handover to the main in fearch of water, which they could not find on any of the illands •, and on the fixth of June, a difcourfe was overheard by one. of the iailor: , between the Indian and black prifoners, who propofed to murder all the Englifh failors, and run away with the fliip : but on being charged with it, • denied their having defigned any fuch thing ; but acknowledged they had feme ccn- iation of that kind, in which, however, they had no ferious intentions •, but to prevent any evil confequences that might arife from t! ca Is, captain Rogers divided them among the er fhips. On this day the Dutchefs, after a (hart chace, took a velfel of ninety tons burden, named the St. la Nova, Juan Navarro Na- varet c jmmander, bounded from Panama toGuia- quil -, there were on board her about forty paf- iengers among whom w?s Don Juan Cardolh, who was going to take upon him the command of Baldivia, of which place he had been appoint- ed governor. On the lcvenih of June, they anchored about a cable's length from the more, on the eaft fide of the ifland of Gorgona, and on the eighth, the boat- of the Duke and Dutchefs feizc-d a bark of fifteen tons burden, called the Golden Sun, AntfVos Enriquis, mailer, with ten Spaniards and Indians on board, together with a few ne- groes. She had no cargo except a lmall quan- tity of gold dull, and a large gold chain, with which they were going to Guiaqui!, to purchafe fait and bran On the ninth! in the evening a council of all the officers, except captain - s, wh was in- difpofed, was held on board the Dutchefs where- in, after i id been examined, it \\ ..:,; rtfolved, from the accounts tie/ gave of its fituation and advantages, to fleer for the ifland laga, « here they defigned to leave their , m a lafe road, and then row up the river in their boats, till they could furprize fome canoes, it more effectually ftem the I the river ; and in thefe canoes they were to proceed to the golden mines of Barba- core or St. Juan, where they expected to find a confiderable booty, as the Spaniards in that nei . urhood had no kind of intelligence that an enemy was fj near. As captain Rogers had previoufly agreed to yield his aflent to whatever they fhould deter- mine, they hoifted fail for Malaga about twelve o'clock the fame night ; but when Rogers came to hear the refuk of their deliberations, he de- termined to difcourfe with Mr. Morell, and fome other of the prifoners, of whole know- ledge "refpecting the place of their dellination, he was wed allured ; and thefe informed him that whoever acivilcd the council to thofe mea- fures which they now intended to purfiie, either defigned to betray them to ruin, or were totally unacquainted with the affair •, for the ifland of Malaga, was not only unfrequented and barren, but the r I extremely narrow and full of fhoals : that if the fliips got over, which could only be effected at fpring tides, there was the ut- moti danger of their being run afhore. They like wife afilired him that the banks of the river all the way up to St. Juan, were well inhabited, by a race of people flrongly attached Spaniards, who would take all poflible. methods, to annoy an enemy, particularly by their poifoned arrows from the covert of the woods ; and that the channel was lb narrow, that by felling trees acrofs it, they might effectually prevent the retreat of the invaders, and cut them all to pieces. Captain Rogers, was fo flrongly aft'tcled with this i i, and faw the danger to which they . ..: ut to expofe themielves, in fo clear a light, that he immediately lent for the captains Courtney and Cooke, and acquaint- ing them with what he had heard, they imme- diately changed their courfe, in order to return to Gorgona, where they determined to careen, and fit up the Ha\ rede Giace, as a twenty gun fhip, to be commanded by captain Cooke, and manned out of the Duke and Dutchefs, to act as a third confort. They came to an anchor on the thirteenth of June, near the fhore of Gorgona, in forty fa- thoms water, and having held a committee, the Dutchefs was appointed to careen, and the Duke to lie on guard, left they fhould be furprized by an enemy. The Duke was careened as foon as fire was turned out, fo that in about a fortnight they were again in prime order for failing, to the great aftonifhment of the Spaniards, who declared that careening one of the King's fliips, at Lima, ufually took up fix weeks, though they had all kinds of neceflaries, and artificers ready to give their afliftance. On the twenty-ninth, they fet up tents on inure for the fick, who were even by this time much better than when they came to the ifland, notwithstanding the Spaniards reprefented it as a very fickly and vnwholfome place ; but the bare lying aihore, and having the opportunity of walking about, had fo good an efteel, that while the men in health were employed in fitting out the fhips for the fea, the fick men gathered flrength enough to return to their duty. The Spaniih prifoners went into the woods with them, fhewed them what timber was pro- per to be cut, and gave them every other aflift- ance in their power. They now not only erected coopers and ar- mourers tents, but laid out ground for a rope- y.od, erecled a tent for a fmrth, another for a block-maker, and a third for a fail-mailer, and each had his crew to act under him for the bet- ter difpatch of bufineis. It is not to be imagined that thefe people were all excellent in their feveral profeffions ; but they made a fhift to carry on things very well, necefllty and practice having taught them many refources, which the ableft man in their feveral branches ioo CAPTAIN W00DES ROGERS's VOYAGE. branches of bufinefs, would never have thought of •, or perhaps have fuppofed practicable, had he been told of them by others. Thus they fetded a manufactory on the little iQand of Gorgona, and as every officer had his charge, and overlooked a particular fort of ar- tizans, they had fufficient bufinefs on their hands, and were very agreeably employed. The bufinefs which chiefly engaged them from the twenty-ninth of June, to the ninth of July, was the fitting out the Havre de Grace, which being compleatly finifhed, they gave her the name of the Marquis •, and a good enter- tainment being provided, they faluted each of the other fhips with three Huzzas from on board her, diftributed liquor among the company, drank the healths of her Majefty and their owners, and to their own fuccefs in conjunc- tion. They foon after fent on board her two of the main deck guns from the Duke, and two from the Dutcheis, which, with four taken at Guia- quil, and twelve that were in the fhip, made twenty very good ones, the carriages all new, or fo well repaired that they were as ftrong and good as if mounted in England. Her compli- ment of men, was fixty one 7 befides twenty ne- groes, and the captain, officers and men, were allowed the fame wages as thole in the other fhips. The next thing of importance appeared to be the getting rid of the prifoners, who began to be a great burden upon them, and were of no ufe at all ■, therefore in a committee held on the ninth it was agreed that Captain Dover, Mr. Fry and Mr. Stratton, with forty-five brave tailors under their command, fhould have the care of tranfporting them to the continent, which was immediately put in practice. The two Morells, Don Antonio, and Don Juan Cardofa, were difmified among the reft, and at their departure appeared to be highly fatisfied with the treatment they had met with •. and the latter, in particular, was very ready to acknow- ledge this, as he had been once very ill ufed by a Jamaica privateer, which he had fallen in with not far from Porto Bello. The reader may remember that this gentle- man, when he was taken, was bound to Baldi- via, of which place he was governor. He was a genteel lively man of about thirty-five years old, and had been a colonel in the fervice of Spain. The brothers, Morell, promifed, that if the fhips would wait for them they would return in a day or two, with as much money as they could raife, to purchafe fome of the prize-goods which re- mained on hand ; which otherwife, as they were only valuable on that coaft, the captains declared they would burn, together with the galleon in which they were contained, as they had ample room on board the confort fhips for all neceffary commodities. The vefTcls which had been employed in landing the prifoners, took a fmall village, where they made prize of fourteen hogs, a few goats, and icven horned cattle, with which they re- turned to the fhips. On themorning of the feventeenth, the two Morells, and fome other gentlemen came off in a large canoe, with fome money and fruit, with which they purchafed goods at fo reafonable a rate, that they requelted to be permitted to come again, with as much more money as they could raife •, a requeft, which, as there appear- ed to be no danger of an enemy, capable of hurting them, was extremely agreeable to the captains. On the eighteenth, a negro, who had been bit by a fpeckled fnake, died in lefs than twelve hours, notwithftanding the utmoft exertion of the furgeon's ikill to lave his life. There are a great abundance of thefe fnakes on the ifland of Gorgona, fome of which are three or four yards long, and as thick as a man's leg. They are of an amphibious nature, and one of them having on the fame day, conveyed himfelf on board the fhip, by the help of the cable, was killed upon the forecaftle by the men. As they were rummaging the Marquis, on the nineteenth, they fourd on beard five hun- dred nam; of Pope's bids, w h e\ bring a free gift frcm his Holinefs to the King of Spain, produce a very confiderab!e revenue in the Weft Indies, rs they are fold from thiee rials to fifty pieces of eight each, accciding to the circum- fiar.ces of the purcl af.-r, who is thereby excufed from hearing mafs, from falling on particular days, and fome] other ecclefiaflical injunctions, the neglect: of which would otherwife have been deemed mortal tranfgreffions. Some of thelc were thrown overboard, and the reft ufed as fuel to the fires which they kept under their kettles. It is probable the renfom of thefe would have turned to a good ac- count, if the bifhop had not efcaped them. On the twentieth and twenty-hrft, two canoes came orr board to trade, bringing with them money, limes, fowls, and other provifions. On the twenty- fecond, five of the negroes be- longing to the fhip hid themfelves in the woods with a view of deferting to the Spaniards, when their matters had left that ftaticn ; but one of them being retaken the lame day was fevealy punifhed 5 and three mere of them, being forced by hunger to quit their afylum, were ta- ken two days afterwards. On the twenty-feventh, the two Morells came on board again, with what money they could raife, and told the captains, that the country being much alarmed, it was with great difficulty they had obtained leave to come to them : that the governor of Barbacore, with two hundred men, was at the water-fide, to prevent their be- ing traded with, and to hinder their landing -, and that all the coaft was lined with men ali'tm- bled for the fame purpofe. In leaching the galleon, they found three hundred and twenty bales of linen, woollen, filks, &c. befides boxes of knives, hatchets and fciflars : they alio difcovered great quantities of bones in fmall boxes, ticketed with the names of faints, fome of which had been dead feven or eight hundred years ; with a prodigious num- ber of crofles, beads, medals, religious toys in wax, images of faints, made of all forts of wood, ftone and other materials, to the a- mount ROUND THE WORLD. 201 mount of thirty tons, with one hundred and fifty boxes of books in Latin, Spanish, &c. all which effects had been brought from Italy, and Were intended f r the jefuits of PcrU ; but being of trifling value to the failors, they only took a fample of the feveral forts to mew their friends in England, anil left the reft. One circum!ta:ice, however, is worth re- cov.nting. A huge wooden image of the Virgin Mary, having dfOpt, or been thrown overboard, . happening to drive towards the north point of the ifland, lb me Indians from the main land, who happened to befifhing on the coalt, took it up, and brought it to the fhore, iuit oppofite fhip, where fettingit up with great apparent devotion, they wiped it dry with cotton, while others flood around greatly aftonifhed, praying, and telling over their beads, imagining that the imaoe fweat : after which, fome of them came on board, and told the {hip's crew, that as they wiped it off, the fweat continued to increafe. They 'alio (hewed the cotton to the linguitt, which they fondly believed, was wet with the exctffive fweat of the holy Virgin, and faid they mould therefore prefenre it a precious and valua- ble relic. As captain Rogers feemed to laugh .at this idle {lory, the two Morells told him one, if poffible, more abfurd and ridiculous, in order to con- vince him of the truth of it. They faid that, a few years before, at a proceflion in the cathe- dral church of Lima, which was at that time fo richly furnifhed, as to be worth feveral millions cf pieces of eight in gold and fiver and jewels. The image of the Virgin was moft magnificent- ly adorned with pearls and diamonds ; and thofe ornaments were, according to cuttom, left in the church, till the night after their proceflion,with- out any guard ; as the people imagined that none would dare to be fo facrilegious as to rob the church ; but an unfortunate thief, determin- ed to enrich himfelf by one bold action, broke into the church at midnight, and advanced to the image : but whiltt he was endeavouring to take off a rich firing of pearls from the Virgin's wriit, fhe catched him faft by the arm, and held him till the next day ■, when being found in that poflure, he was condemned and executed, on the credit of the miracle. A committee was held on board the Duke on the twenty-ninth, in which it was agreed to dil- tribute rewards to thofe who had moft diftin- guifhed themfelves : when Mr. James Stratton was allowed forty rupees : William Davis, and Derrick Derrickfon, had twenty rupees each -, (a rupee is about the value of half a crown) the boat's crew that engaged the Marquis, when ta- ken, had two bales of bays, one of ferges, and one of linen, to be fold by them, when and where they fhould think proper ; and to each of the men, who went up the river beyond Guia- quil, a fuitof cloaths was given. Thefe rewards, over and above the refpective (hare of each man, were given, to encourage them to behave gallantly for the future •, but notwithstanding the generofity fhewn by the commanders, on this occafion, a dangerous mu- tiny was let on foot a few days afterwards, which IN 9. might have proved of very fatal confequence, had it not been difcovered by the Iteward of the Dutchefe, who accidently overheard the ring- leaders holding a council on the manner in which they fhould proceed •, above fixty of them had ligned articles, by which they bound themfelves to ftand by one another, till they had obtained what they called Juftice, with refpedt to the plunder, which they imagined had not been fairly diltributed. Four of the principal promoters of this de- ftrucxive fcheme, among whom was the perfon who had drawn up the articles, were immediate- ly fecured, and laid in irons ; but upon expref- fing their forrow for the crime, afking pardon, and promifing to behave better for the future, thev were loon afterwards fet at liberty. The cap- t ins'thought it moft prudent to proceed in a mild manner ; for to have punifhed a few with great feverity, when fo many were concerned, might have been attended with very difagreeable con- fcquences. Captain Rogers, to remove all feeds of dif- content, gave them all poffible affurance that they fhould be fatisfied to the utmoft, in every legal demand whatfoever •, promifing them n increafe of their refpective fhares of plunder, and concluded by remonftrating to them in a moft pathetic manner, on the danger of engaging in fuch rafh and unjuft confpiracies. After this, affairs began to move once more in their proper channel. In a council of the principal officers of the three lhips, held on board the Dutchefs on the fixth of Auguft, they bound themfelves by an oath, never to part company while there was a poffibility of their keeping together. On the feventh it was agreed to give up to Meffrs: Morell and Navarre, their refpective fhips, and fuch goods as were not worth their carrying away, together with fome negroes ; which was done accordingly. With regard to the effects in the baric, they a- greed with M. Navarre for twelve thoufand pieces of eight, which with three thoufand that remain- ed for the ranfom of Guiaquil, he was to bring to them at Manta within twelve days. Captain Cooke now ^valued the money and plate on board, for the ufe of the owners, at twenty thoufand pound?, and the goods at fixty thoufand. Among theprifoners on board Navarre's fhip, were feveral ladies, who, at their departure, ac- knowledged the civility with which they had been treated, which, they faid, had much ex- ceeded what the Englim would have received from their countrymen, on a fimilar occa- fion. The ifland of Gorgona lies in three degrees north latitude •, it is three leagues in length, ly- ing north eaft and fouth weft, very narrow, and aoout fix leagues from the continent. It is full of wood and tall trees, one of which, called is proper for malts ; and from a bo-lfam that is efficacious in fe- Palma-Maria, this tree i flues veral dileafes. The ifland, at a diftance, appears like three little hills : and along the north fide of it, there C c is IC2 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGERS's VOYAGE. is riding for fhips ■, but in fome places foul ground and fhoals near the fhore. The Spanifh hiftorians mention violent ftorms and heavy tornadoes of wind which happen near this ifland •, but captain Rogers found nothing of the kind, meeting only with a few fhowers, and fometimes thunder : but from fpring, till the beginning of May, ftrong breezes from the northward are frequent. There are feveral re- markable rocks about this ifland, particularly one to the fouth well, which, if viewed half a mile from the fhore, looks like the fail of a fhip; and at the north eait end, are feveral high ones, very ileep and round, at almoft the diftance of a cable's length from the fhore, where fea fowls breed in great abundance. The animals found here are monkies, guinea- pigs, hares, lizards, and lion-lizards, which lall change their colours, and are beautiful crea- tures. Befides a great variety of plants and trees, peculiar to the hot climates : here are fe- veral forts of fifh, not to be found in our feas, and mullets in great plenty, but which it is difficult to catch with hooks and lines, on ac- count of the extraordinary clearness of the water, which enables them to fee the hook, and avoid it. Hcie is alfo fome white coral, and abun- dance of pearl oy Iters. There are but few birds, except a large fort of fowls, called Ca- racafos ; but in the rocks there are great num- bers of bats, which fly about the ifland in the night. Here are alfo feveral fpecies of fnakes •, and thofe in fuch numbers, that it is not very fafe walking the ifland for fear of treading on them. Some of the Duke's people caught here an ugly creature, which Mr. Rogers iuppofes to be of the monkey kind •, it, in fome degree, re- fembled one of thofe animals, only its hair was thicker and longer •, its face, eyes and nofe were lefs, and more wrinkled and deformed ; its ears were notib large •, its teeth longer and {harper-, irs hinder parts more clumfy, its body thicker in proportion •, its tail very fhort •, be- fides, inftead of live claws, like ringers, which a monkey has, this animal has only three on each paw, which are {harper and longer. On their letting this animal go, at the lower part of the mizen fhrouds, it was two hours in getting to the which a monkey would have performed in lefs than half a minute. It walked an equal and flow pace, as if all its movements had been direded by -clockwork. The Spaniards with great propriety call it a Sloth, and fay it as on the leaves of a certain lofty tree, which when it has cleared, before it can get down,walk to, apd climb another, it becomes lean, and is almoft ftarved. Their bufinefs at Gorgona being finifhed, they failed from thence on the feventeenth of Auguit, and on the tenth, captain Rogers propoled to fend the Marquis to Brazil, to diipofe of her car- go of prize goods, and get frefh provifions,while the Duke and Dutchefs fliouid continue in their prel'ent latitude, in expectation of the Manila Ihip ; but his propofal was rejected by the ma- jority. On the twelfth they found themfelves only thir- teen leagues diftance from Gorgona, which bore from them fouth and by eaft ; and on the eigh- teenth, the Dutchefs took a bark of feventy tons burden, bound from Panama to Lima •, but (he had nothing valuable on board, but twenty-four negroes, from whom they learnt, that the whole coaft was alarmed with their being in the South Seas, and that ever fince their taking of Guia- quil, the inhabitants were in the utmoft appre- henfions of a vifit from them. The two barks firft entered the bay of Te- cames on the twenty-fifth of Auguft, and the confort fhips anchored near them in a few hours afterwards. (It was at this place that Sir Fran- cis Drake took the valuable plate prize in 15/8) Juft as it grew dark, Mr. White the lir.guifr, having ventured afho:e without orders, with a Spanifh prifoner, had like to have fuffered for his rafhnefs ; for landing oppcfite fome hot; feveral Indians attacked them from an ambuf- cade, with fire arms, bows, arrows and lances ; though they called out to them in Spanifh, r.nd told them they were friends : but they had the happihefs to efcape being fhot, hiding themfelves all night in the wood, while the people on board imagined they were either killed, or taken prifoners •, but ?.t break of day they ventured to call again on the Indians, whom they prevail- ed on to trade, provided they could obtain the eonfent of their padre, who lived at fix leagues diftance. s The linguift informed them that there was a padre on board, whom they defired to fee ; whereupon he was fent on fhore, and wrote a letter to the prieft of the place, informing him how extremely well himfelf, and the other Spa- nifh prifoners were ufed, and earneftly recom- mending a trade. At the fame time he informed the inh; what an eafy matter it would be for the Englifh to burn the church and houfes, but that they were of a charitable difpofition, and extremely kind to thofe in their power. Through the mediation of this friar, they promifed that they would trade with them the next day, whether the padre gave his content or not ; and the Indians having accepted of a pre- fent of three images of faints, and a feathered cap, to be given to the wife of their chief, they wafbed off the red paint, with which they had daubed themfelves, and which while they wear, is to be confidered as a declaration of war -, and then they fent captain Rogers a prefent of feveral bows and arrows. When the boat returned with the prieft to the Ihip, lie took with him one of the Indians, who entered it with a look of aftonifhment, ajid be- ing much pleafld with the great cabin, laid him- felf down in it on his fide, gazing wildly about him for an hour together, till captain Rogers, having given him fome old baize for cloathing, a few toys, and a dram of brandy, Jled him out, and he was taken on fhore. At night a letter was received from the padre, allowing them full permiflion to trade, and the next day they received hogs, and black cattle, in exchange for bays. The ROUND THE W O R L D. 10* The boats were now fent up a creek, laden with cafks to he filled with frefh water, when the people meeting by chance with one of the chiefs of the Indians, v. bows and arrows, he advifed them to go hi. up the river, or t!;cy would find the water to be h ; for this him! advice, they offered him a dram out of a quart bottle of ftrong b*andy, but h 'hi of the battle, he drank the ■. . rid departed extreme- :11 pleafed, alluring them that they fhould applied from the village, with whatever they . for. The boats I brought a cpnfiderable quantity of water, plaintains, hogs, black cattle and other provifions ; and the (hips being he< and cleaned, they fet the prieft on fhore, givi him by way of acknowledgement, a black fe- le flave, o i he appeared to be more fond than became his character. They alio lent to the friar or prieft of the village, in return for his kindnefs, a male negro, and a piece of bays. They now put all their prifoners into an un- them at liberty to run her afhore at high water, keeping with them only of the hoftages detained on account of the ranfom of Guiaquil not being fully paid ■, and thefe they determined to carry with them to England. The villa e of Tecames lies in a bot- tom, dole to the water fide, and confilts only of [even houfes and a church; the houfes are built with fplit bamboes, covered with palmetto ka\ es, and railed upon polls, with hog-llies be- neath them, and they afcend to them by the help of pieces of wood notched, inflead of flairs. The men are employed in killing wild fwine with bows and arrows, and in ftriking fifh with their lances ; at both which they are very dex- trous. The place where the prieft already mencioned lives, is a larger village, and the country between one place and the other is tolerably well peo- pled. There are two or three rivers in the neighbourhood, which difcharge themfelves into fea. The inhabitants are barbarous and refolute, ufi. . rms and poifoned arrows in their en- :nts, and at adepts at bufh-nghting! There is no dealing with them by compulfive hods, and whoever is under the neceffity of ucliing on this coaft, mult endeavour to make n friends by gentle methods. The women carry their children at their backs and have no covering but a piece of bays tied about their waill. A land breeze generally fprings up about midnight at fouth and by eaft, which dies away about noon •, and in the after- noon a fea breeze comes on, which continues at weft and weft fouth weft till midnight. From January to May, they have light fhowers to the northward, but from June to December the weather is generally dry. The three confort fhips made one of the Gal- lapagos iflands on the tenth of September, where they continued for a week, taking in turtle and fait, of both which there is great plenty. The Spaniards reckon fifty of thefe iflands, only one of which yields frefh water. They abound as well with fea as land birds-, and the latter are hawks and turtle-doves, which are fo tame that they fuffer themfelves to be knocked dov/n with The feats here are fo fierce as to attack any one who happens to come in their way ; which captain Rogers experienced, who being on fhore, one of theie animals advanced to him with all the rage of a incenfed mail iff dog; the cap- tain defended himfelf by flicking a pike he had in his hand into the creatures breafl, on which he retired a little, and then advanced again, till he had received three feveral wounds, when he r treated to the fea, fnarling and fhewing his long teeth above the water. While they re- ined here, ten negroes being fent on fhore to cut firing, (even of them deferted into the woods. They failed hence on the feventeenth of Sep- tember, and on the fecond of October, when t ley were ten leagues fouth weft of the land of eral of the men began to grow faint and fickly, but they were recovered by bleed- ; th< ir diforder arofe from their fcanty al- nce of bread, which was but four ounces a day to each man, the reft of their food being chiefly turtle. On the fourth of October, they came up with the iflands called Tres Marias, where they re- mained till the twenty-fourth, to take in wood and warter, and catch turtle ; but it was not without difficulty that they found a ftream that was wholfome ; ali the fprings which they met with, two only excepted, out of which they fupplied themfelves, being not only bitter, but violent purgatives, occafioned by fame neigh- bouring minerals or bitter roots. The middlemoft of thefe iflands is fituated in t enty-one degrees, thirty-five minutes north latitude, at a final! diftance from the coaft of Mexico •, they are about four leagues afunder, and lie ranged at nearly equal dillances from each other. The largeil is about five leagues in length, the fecond about three leagues, and the fmallefl fcarcely two. There are two or three broken white iflands r them, one of which, at a diftance, appear- ed fo like a fhip under fail, that ngnal was made for a chace : but the miftake was foon difco- vercd. They here faw a great many different kind of parrots, alio wood-pigeons, doves, thrufhes, black-birds, red-birds, humming-birds, many hawks of various beautiful colours, and bats with the ears and nofe refembling thofe of a moufe •, -a number of guanas, lome racoons, rabbits, and excellent hares, but confiderably fmaller than thofe of England. The fifh in thefe iflands were old wifes, gar-fifh, cavallos, yel- low tails, (kip-jacks, bonitos, and albacores. There were likewife great numbers of trees and fhrubs, among which were lignum-vitse, birch, filk-grafs, prickle-pear and euphorbium. C H A P. io4 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGERS's VOYAGE. CHAP. IV. The confort-Jhips fail for California ; a defer iption of that country, and the natives ; they take one of the Manila flips ; they fail from Puerto Seguro, a?id arrive at the if and of Guam, where they pur chafe provijions ; defer iption of that if and; they fail to Bouton- ifiand, and from thence to Batavia, where they refit their vefiels ; the ungenerous behaviour of the Dutch at that place ; the confer t-fjips fails to the Cape of Good hope; and from thence, under convoy, to Europe. ^~ 4 H E Y failed from the i (lands of Tres Marias on the twenty-fifth of October, and on the firft of November, being in latitude twenty -two degrees fifty-five minutes, they difcovered the land of California, bearing about eight leagues diftant, weft and by north ; on the feventeenth, lb me Indians were difcover- ed at a diftance on a bark log, who paddled to- wards them •, they were at firft afraid to ap- proach too near, but were at length prevailed upon by a prefent of a knife and fome bays, for which they returned two live foxes, two bladders of water, and fome deer-fkins. Thefe people were quite naked, and ftrangers to the European manner of trafficking. Some of the fhips crew ventured affiore on the nine- teenth on barklogs, for the fea ran too high for them to attempt landing with their boats. The good matured natives leaped into the fea to guide the bark-logs in the belt manner they were able •, and on their making the fhore, the Indians led each of the Englifh up the bank, where was an old man, with a deer's-fkin fpread on the ground, on which they kneeled before the Enolifh, who alfo kneeling, the Indians wiped the water off the faces of the Englifh with their hands. This ceremony being ended, each of the fail- ors, fupported by two of the lavages, was led through a narrow path, of about a quarter of a mile in length, to their huts, where they were welcomed by the mufic of a very uncouth in- ftrument, being only two jagged flicks, which an Indian rubbed acrofs each other, and accom- panied the noife with a voice ftill more inharmo- nious than the found of the inftrument. They then all fat down on the ground, and having been regaled with broiled fifh, the Indians at- tended them back in the fame manner with their mufic. The natives prelented them with knives made of iharks teeth, and feveral ether little curiofities, and permitted them to fhare in all they had, except their women, children and arms. Above two hundred Indians inhabited the place where they landed, and lived in huts made of boughs of trees and leaves erected in the form of bowers, with a fire before the door, round which they lay and flepr. The men went naked, and the women had only a fhort petticoat reaching fcarcely to the knee, made of lilk grafs or the fkins of pelicans or deers •, fome of them wore pearls about their neck?, which they faftened witha firing of lilk grafs having firft notched them round, and cap- tain Rogers imagined they did not know how to bore them. Thefe pearls were mixed with flicks, bits of fhells, and little red berries, which they thought fo great an ornament, that they would not accept of glafs beads of various colours, which the Englifh would have given them. The men are ftrait and well built, have long black hair, and are of a dark brown complexion. They live by hunting and fifbing, and have a greater eilcem for European fciflars, nails and knives, than for filver or gold. They ufe bows and arrows, and are fuch excellent markfmen, that they will fhoot a fmall bird as it flies. Their bows are made of a hard, yet pliant wood, and are about fix feet in length : the firing is made of filk grafs, and the arrows, which are four feet and a half long, are made of a jointed cane, with four long feathers about a foot from the hotch, for the firing •, at the other end is fixed a piece of hard wood, which is pointed with a fharp taper flint. The women, whofe features are rather difa- greeable, are employed in making fifhing lines or in gathering grain, which they grind upon a flone. They were willing to aflill the Englifh in filling water, and would fupply them with whatever they could get : they were a very honeft people, and would not take the leaft thing with- out permiflion. In the bay of Puerto Seguro, there are great numbers of albacores, mullets, dolphins, bream, and other fifh, which the natives are extremely expert at ftrikingwith their wooden inftruments from their floats, which are made of five pieces of wood, and are moved with fhort paddles : from thefe floats they would often leap, and flrike the fifh, when near the bottom of the wa- ter. They alio dive and fetch up pearl-oyfters from the rocks. Some of the failors 1 informed captain Rogers, that they law one of them dive with his inllru- ments, and while he was under water, put up his ftriker, with a fifh upon the point of it, which was taken off by another, who attended his motions on a bark iog : and this account the captain was the rather induced to believe, be- caufe he himfelf had thrown fome rully knives overboard on purpofe to try the fkill of thefe excellent divers ; and they feldom miffed catch- ing the knife, before it was more than three or four fathoms under the water. The ROUND THE WORLD. 105 The land from the mountains down to the fea is reeky, but intermixed with pleafant vales and plants. The foil, which i> finely, produces only a few flirubbv bullies of different kinds, which afford the inhabitant;, feveral forts of fruit and berries, which fupuly the place of bread : and in particular they have a fort of round ber- ry, not unlike that of the ivy, which they dry at the fire, and the infide of which has both the look and tafte of parched peas. There is another berry like a currant, which has a white pulp that eats fourilh, having a large ftone within it that relembles a bird's eye, and a kernel of an agreeable tafte. They have likewife a fmall black feecLwhich they grind upon a (lone, and then eat it by hands full ; when boiled in water this relembles the taite of coffee ; but without boiling, captain Cooke's men ufed to thicken their broth with it, and laid it anfwered the end of flour. nit likewife grows here in cods, the out- fide of which is green and peels off, and on a {talk within it, are a great number of black feeds, like the head of a clove, which relembles green pea?, both in tafte and fmell. They have befides thefe, a fort of yams, re- fembling thofe of the Weft Indies, and various other forts of roots, plants and feeds. They have alio a variety of different birds, among which are wild ducks, heron, and teal, and a fine bird of the fize of a black-bird, the belly of which is yellowdfh, the back of a dark green, the tail and bill black, and the head covered with dark fea- thers, with a tuft of red ones in the middle of them. While the (hips remained here, the weather was remarkably ferene and pleafant, and forne of the men who went in the bark to view the country about fifteen leagues to the northward, faid it was there covered wirh lofty trees, and that the inhabitants were poffefied of fkins, from whence they inferred that they iometimes engaged in hunting (till farther to the north- ward. Thefe people had neither plantations nor gardens. The natives grew familiar with the En- glifn from their long ftay among them, and went frequently on board the Ihips, with which they feemed exceedingly delighted. One of them, who had a fhirt given him, tore it in pieces, and e it to his companions to hold thofe feeds which they ate inftead of bread. On the twenty- firft of November, captain Rog*ers fent afliore the boat, with a mufician in it ; but he does not acquaint us what effect har- monious founds had upon thofe rough unciviliz- e i people. On the twenty-eighth, two men were feverely puniihed for ftealing the key of the ftore-room out of the pocket of the fteward as he lay afleep, and taking bread and fugar from thence : as the the flock of bread began to run very fliort, this crime was the more inexcuieable, efpecially as they had no profpect of recruiting it till their ar- rival at Guam, whither they intended to fail on their leaving this coaft. By this time they all began to defpair of tak- l the Manila ftiip, it being a month beyond ,N! 9. Dd her ufual time of bailing that way ; but on the twenty-firft of December, about nine in the morning, the man at the maft head cried our, that he faw a fail, at the diftance of feven leagues •, but as they had little wind, they did not come up with her till the next day ; when captain Rogers, having no fpirituous liquors on board, ordered a large kettle of chocolate to be made for the fhip's company ; and, after pray- ers, began the engagement ; the Dutchefs be- ing yet confiderably to the leeward, the enemy fired her ftern-chafe firft, which the Duke re- turned with her fore chafe ; and then getting clofe on board her, gave her feveral broadfides, at the fame time plying their fmall arms very brifkly, which the Spaniards for a while return- ed, and then [truck her colours, juft as the Dut- chefs had come up, and fired five guns, and a volley of fmall fhot. They then lent the pinnace aboard the enemy, and brought the captain, with the officers away ; and having examined them, found that a larger fhip had come out of Manila with them, but that lhe being a better failor, had parted company with them three months before. The Spaniards in the above engagement, loll nine men, and had feveral wounded. On the part of the Englifh, one man was wounded, be- fides captain Rogers, who received a fhot thro' the left cheek, that carried away a great part of his upper jaw, with feveral of his teeth, fome of which dropped on the deck where he fell. This prize was called Nueftra Senora de la Incarnation, commanded by Sir John Pichberty, a gallant Frenchman •, and the prifoners faid, that the cargo in India amounted to two mil- lion of dollars : fhe carried one hundred and ninety-three men, and mounted twenty guns. On Chriftmas-day, the Dutchefs and Mar- quis went out of the harbour to cruize for the great Manila fhip •, ?.nd en the fame day two centinels were polled on the top of a hill, from whence they had a good view of the fea, with instructions, that if they law three fail of fhips in the offing, they fnould wave their colours three times. On the twenty-fixth, in the afternoon, the centries made three wafts, whereupon they in- flantly put all the prifoners, amounting to one hundred and feventy, on board the bark, with- out arms, rudder, fails, or a boat : and leav- ing twenty-two hands to guard them, captain Rogers, who was ftill in a very weak condition, get under fail at feven in the evening, and con- tinued the chace all night, and the next day ; but having little wind, did not come up with them till the day after •, and as the other fhips had engaged the enemy feveral times in the interim, the Marquis was by this time difa- bled. Captain Rogers, however, inftantly engaged, and the attack was frequently renewed, till a cheft of arms and cartouch-box took fire, and all the three fhips were damaged •, when it was determined, confidering the number of the ene- my's men, and the force of the fhip, to purfue her no farther. In io6 CAPTAIN WDODES ROGERS's VOYAGE. In this bloody engagement, the Englifh loft many of their men, and captain Rogers was a- gain wounded, having the heel bone of his left foot taken or? by a Splinter. Thus ended their fruitlefs attempt on this large fhip : after which they returned to the harbour of Puerto Seguro, where they Spent lbme days in refitting, and ta- king in wood and water. For fome time paft they had been at fhort allowance of bread, but had the happinefs to find fuch a quantity on board the Manila fhip, which they had taken, as, with their former ltock, they hoped would Serve them in the long run which they intended to take acrofs the South Sea. On the firft of January, the bark, with captain Pichbertv, the hoftages, &c. being well fupplied with a ftock of provifions and water, failed from Puerto Seguro ; and Pichbertv, together with his officers and chaplain, acknowledged, with the utmoit gratitude, the civility fhewn them, in having all their books, cloathes and inftru- ments reftorcd to them. A few days afterwards, a committee of offi- cers was held, in which the majority appointed captain Dover to the command or the prize, which was named the Batchelor Frigate ; but againft this nomination, captain Rogers, who had a very indifFeient opinion of Mr. Dover's a- bilities, as a fea officer, entered a folemn pro- tcft, which was alfo lubfcribed by the principal officers on board the Duke •, whereupon to pre- vent the inconveniencies that might arife from heart-burnings, and the incouragement of dis- putes among each other, a new committee was appointed to be held, wherein it was determined that captain Dover ffiould be confidered as chief captain on board the prize, but without any power with regard to failing, engaging, or other affairs immediately rcfpedUng the fhip : the care of which was committed to Mr. Fry and Mr. Stratton ; while Dover was to fee that nothing was done contrary to the intereft of the owners. Thus was unanimity again reftored, and captain Rogers and his people declared themielves well fatisfied. It was now determined that, as their bufinefs in thole leas was pretty well at an end, they ffiould prepare to fail for the Eaft-Indies ; and that in cafe of Separation, the place of rendez- vous ffiould be Guam, one of the Ladrone i Hands. They weighed from the port of Seguro on the tenth" of January, but were becalmed under the ffiore till the twelfth in the afternoon, when a breeze fprung up, which ran them out of fight oi land. On the twenty eighth of the month, the ftew- ard miffed fome pork, and the thief being dis- covered, captain Rogers ordered him to be tied to the main geers, where every man upon the watch gave him a flroke with a cat of nine tails. There was an abfokue neceffity for this fevere punifhment, at this time, as all the provifions on board would not laft above two and thirty days. Some of his companions, who were privy to the theft, were laid in irons. On the fourteenth of February, the allowance, for that day, was increafed to half a pound of bread or flour, to every mefs ; and the captains having put the men on drawing valentines, gave them cans of punch to toaft the healths of their refpe&ive miftrefles. On the feventeenth a piece of captain Rogers's jaw bone, which had lodged in his throat from the time he was wounded,was happily extracted, which freed him in a confiderable degree from the exceffive pain he had before felt. On the tenth of March they made the illands of Serpana and Guam, and anchored near the latter in twelve fathom water, the natives con- tinually paffing them in their proas, withafto- niffiing fwiftnefs : but none of them would, on any account, be prevailed upon to come on board. As there was now an abfolute neceffity of their procuring a Supply of provifions to pre- vent them from Starving, not having at the ffiort- eft allowance, bread and flour Sufficient for four- teen days, they determined, if poffible, to get fome of the inhabitants on board, and detain them as hoftages, in cafe they fliould be under the neceffity of fending any of their people to the governor. In confequence of this refohition they feized two Spaniards, who hailed them, and came on board on a fuppofition that the Englifh came from New Spain. They detained one of thefe by way of hoftage, and Sent two linguifts affiore with the other, who carried a letter to the go- vernor of the place, in which they demanded a liberty to deal, in a peaceable manner, for pro- vifions and refrefhments, for which they pro- mifed not only to pay immediately, but to be- have in all other reipects in a friendly manner ■> but they threatned, that, if the requeft was re- futed, they would aft openly as enemies, a pro- ceeding, which, however, they wiihed rather to avoid. On the eleventh in the morning the Duke's pinnace was fent on Shore with a flag of truce •, and the iflanders behaved with the utmoft Sriendfhip to the crew, promifing to Supply them plentifully with provifions, provided the gover- nor would give them permiffion. About noon a letter was brought on board by the linguifts, accompanied by three Spanifh gentlemen, in which the governor obligingly promifed to ac- commodate them with whatever the ifland pro- duced. A fuitable anfwer to this obliging let- ter was immediately lent to his excellency, Signed by all the captains, expreffing their own thanks and thole of the crews, for his polite and friendly offer. On the thirteenth each fhip was fupplied with a bullock, befides limes. oranges, cocoa nuts,. and other fruits ; and an entertainment was provided on board the Batchelor for Several SpaniSh gentlemen, at which all the officers of the Several Snips were preSent, not excepting captain Rogers, who was unable to go on board without being hoifted up and down in a chair. In the morning of the Sixteenth Several of the officers went in the pinnace, to dine with the governor on fhore, agreeable to an invitation he had given them. On their landing they were ROUND THE WORLD. 107 were received by two hundred men drawn up in arms, and the clergy and other principal people of the ifland attended to conduct them to the governor's houfe, which, eonfldering its fituatioft, is a very noble building. They were here treated with the utmoft friendfhip and refpefl:, and treated with ac leaft fixty different difhes •, and when they departed, were faluted with a vo'ley of fmall arms. In return for thefe civilities they made the gover- nor a prefent of twenty yards of Icarlet ferge, fix pieces of cambrick, and two negroe boys dreffed in liveries. The ifland of Guam is about forty leagues In circumference : the anchoring place is on the weft fide, and about the middle there is a large cove with feveral houfes, built in the iriifh fafhion, with accommodations for the Officers and crew of the Acapulco fliip ; the fettlement here having been made on purpofe for that fhip to rerrefh, and take in neceffaries in her paffage to Manila. On this, and the neighbouring ifiands are about three hundred Spaniards, who have converted moft of the natives^ to the roman catholic religion. There were at this time eight priefts, fix of whom kept fchools, belkies performing their offices as clergymen. They had fchools alfo taught by Mullattoes and Indians, who had attained to a knowledge ^of the Spanifh lan- guage, which is underftood by moft of the natives. This ifland, which is full of hills, val- lies, and ftreams of good water, produces oranges, lemons, citrons, mufk-meJons and wa- ter-melons, which were originally brought thi- ther by the Spaniards, befides the bread-fruit, the cocoa nut, and other fruits natural to the foil and climate. Of the exotics, oranges in par- ti, ular thrive very well. The indigo plant grows will in fuch greit abundance, that if the people had coppers to boil it, and we:e induftrious, they might make great quantities of this valuable article of com- merce •, but lying lb far out of the way of trade, they make no ufe of it ; nor indeed do they take much pains to improve any thing but what con- Qtes to their prefent fubfiftance. Money is little ufed, and lb lcarce among them, that they could not raife a thoufand dol- lars, which they wanted to do, in order to pur- chafe commodities of captain Rogers. They have about two hundred ibldiers, who receive their pay from Manila by a fmall ihip which arrives once a year. This fhip brings them cloaths, fugar, rice and liquor •, lb that moft of the money paid is immediately laid out in thefe necefiaries, and the fliip takes it back again ; but of late they have fown rice in the vallies, and made fome other improvements. They have plenty of cattle, which are fmall, lean, and generally white. Their hogs make the belt pork in the world, on account of their | feeding chiefly on the bread-fruit and cocoa- A farther defcription of thefe proas, as well as nuts ; and if the Spaniards were not extremely indolent, they might have, of their own growth, moft of the neceffaries and even delicacies of life. The native Indians are ftrong and tall, and go naked, except a kind of clout worn by the men, and a fhort petticoat by the women, round their middle. The men burn fmall lumps of clay of an oval form, till they are as hard as marble, which they are extremely dextrous at flinging •, and the Spaniards fay that they fel- dom mifs hitting a mark, and throw with fuch force, as to kill a man at a confiderable dil- tance. The moft remarkable thing on the ifland is the bread-fruit, which refembles an orange, and when ripe is about three times as big. The leaves are of a brown colour, about as large, and not unlike thole of the fig-tree. The wind here blows conflantly from the fouth-eaft, ex- cept during the weftiv monfoons, which Lift from the middle of June to the middle of Au- guft. The governor Lvc's on the north fide of the ifland, where there is a fmall village and a con- vent -, and this is the chief fettlement of the Spaniards who intermarry with the natives ; and at the time the conlbrt-fhips were there, there were not above four Spanifh women on the ifland. They have no other weapons but a ftick or lance, which is made of the heavieft wood that grows on the ifland. The governor made cap- tain Rogers a prefent of one of their flying proas, which the Spaniards laid would run twenty leagues in an hour : this account was probably exaggerated, but captain Rogers fays that from what he law they may run twenty- miles or more in that fpace of time ; for when the natives came in thefe vcffcls to take a view* of the fhips, they paffed by them like a bird that was flying.* They got under fail to leave the ifland of Guam, on the twenty-firft of March, hav- ing firft taken in plenty of wood and wat:r, and each fhip received its proportion of provi- fions, which in that commanded by captain Rogers amounted to fixty hogs, fourteen fmall bullocks, ninety-nine fowls, twenty-four bafkets of Indian corn, forty-four bafkets of yams, fourteen bags of rice, and eight hundred cocoa- nuts. On the fourteenth of April, being in twenty three degrees north latitude, they came fo near to three water fpouts, that one of them had like to have broke over the Marquis •, but it was happily difperfed by two fhots from the Dutchefs. On the twenty-third the Marquis and Batchelor received confiderable damage in their rigging, by a violent ttorm which lafted four or five days ; and thefe veffels being both but indifferent failers, were a confiderable hindrance to the voyage, which was rendered very fatigu- of this and the other Ladrone ifiands, will be found in Anion's Voyage. ing io8 CAPTAIN WOODES ROGERS' s VOYAGE. ing to the crew of the Duke, who were conti- nually obliged to ply their pumps, on account of a leak on board, which, at prefent, they had no opportunity of flopping. Having coafted for feveral days along the high lands of New Guinea, they on the twenty- fifth of May made Bouton, to which ifiand the Duke and Dutchefs immediately lent their pin- naces, which foon returned with plenty of cocoa- nuts, and reported, that tne inhabitants, who ipoke the Malayan tongue, were very civil and hoipitable. At this time they endeavoured in vain to find ground proper to anchor in, though the Duke founded with a line of eighty fathoms, and run her boltfprit almoft on fhore. In the interim the inhabitants came off in canoes, bringing with them, fowls, In ian corn, cocoa-nuts, pump- kins, &c. which they trucked for goods with the failors. Captain Rogers fent fome of his officers in the yawl and pinnace to land, where the king and his nobility received them in a very hofpitable manner, and promiled that they fhould be fup- plied with fuch necefiaries as the place afforded. His majefty and all his attendants were bare- footed, and had r.o other covering than a clcth wrapped round the middle. After founding for three or four days, as they cruized round the head-lands, they at length got anehoring ground in between thirty and forty fathoms water, and the Duke and Dutchefs came to their moorings. About this time the Duke's boat, which had been fent on fhore, returned with fome Malay- ans in a canoe, who, by prefents, had been pre- vailed upon to come on board ; but thefe people were of no ufe, there being no perfon on board who could underfiand them •, and captain Dover who had a linguift, refilled to lend him, not- withftanding the evident neceffity of the cafe ; neither would the Malayans be prevailed upon to go on board the Batchelor, fhe being in dan- ger of running en the fhcals, though captain Rogers treated them with lweetmcats •, but on their quitting the Duke, they made figns, point- ing to the land which lay to the northward which they called Bootoo. Captain Dampier having formerly been thro' the (freights of Bouton, was examined reflecting his knowledge of the place, but he feemed to remember very little of it : however on the twenty-ninth of May, it was agreed to fend him, together with Mr. Vanburgh, Mr. Connelly and the linguift, bv way of deputation to the King, defiring a fupply of provifiens, for which they would very readily pay. The king received thtfe gentlemen in a cour- teous manner, and he feemed pleafed with the iamples which they fhewed him of fuch goods as they chofe to exchange for provifions ; and was exceedingly delighted with a biihep's mitre which was lent him as a prefent. The inhabi- tants now began to flock on board, bringing fowls, Indian corn, and cocoa-nuts, to exchange with the Englifh, but they demanded too high a price for them. On the firft of June, Mr. Dampier returned from the town in the pinnace, bringing a myfte- rious account of the proceedings on fhore, and a fmall quantity of provifions, as a prefent to the captains •, but the two other officers re- mained behind, to difpatch what they could agree for. Several of the principal inhabitants with a Portuguefe linguift, came from the town the next day, under pretence of looking at the goods and carrying famples to the king ; but captain Ro- gers 2nd the reft of the gentlemen began to be afraid, by their thus trifling, that they fhould get nothing of them at laft, and therefore fent theDutchefs's pinnace to hurry away the officers as faft as poffible, with what provifions they had got. The country people had pretty well fiipplied them with provifions by the fourth of June, and therefore they were determined to wafte no n time in that place, but fail immediately for Batavia. On the fifth, .Mr. Conneliv returned in the pinnace, and informed them that the King was for compelling them to take a quantity of pro- vifions at an exorbitant price, and for detaining Mr. Vanburgh till the money was paid. The fame day feveral of the nobility came on board with four lafts of rice, and a cask of arrack, which was immediately agreed for; and, asfe< n as they were departed, the Portuguefe linguift came to difpofe of fome provifions of his own ; but as he brought no news of the Englifh on fhore, a fufpicion began to arife that fome mif- chief was intended -, whereupon they determined to keep him till the boat returned ; and they the rather chofe to fix en him, as he was of fuch ufe to the king, in all commercial matters, that he could not poffiblv fpare him -, but the Por- tuguefe being apprehenfive of their rfefign, got out of the fhip into his own canoe, and rowed away as faft as poffible ; but he was foon over- taken by the yawl ; en which all the people who worked in the canoe, jumped into the lea, but they were taken up by the Du'chefs's pinnace, and the linguift was encemore broughton board, where finding himfelf likely to be detained, he difpatched his cance to the King, defiring that the Englifh might be immediately difmil- fed. Upon this Mr. Vanburgh and the failors with him came on board en the leventh, having part- ed with the king in a very friendly manner ; but he could not prevail upon his majefty to furnifh them with a pilot to conduct them thro' the ftreights, at any rate. On Mr. Vanburgh's coming on board the linguift was immediately difmified. The ifiand of Bouton is near thirty leagues in length, and is fituated in five degrees twenty minutes fouth latitude. . The inhabitants fay that all the adjacent illands are fubjeft to their king, who can raife fifty thoufand men. They are well made people, of the fmallifh middle fize, have very indifferent features and a dark olive complexion. They fpeak the Malayan lan- guage, and profefs the Mahometan religion, of which, however they know very little, except bathing, abftaining from fwine's flefh, and hav- ing ROUND THE WORLIJ. log ing a number of wives. The only fpice pro- duced on this ifland is a few nutmegs ; and the inhabitants are not afraid of the Dutch, againft whom their poverty is a fufficient fecurity. They weighed anchor from the ifland of Bou- ton, on the eighth of June, and the next day came up with a vefTel bound for MaccafTarts, a dutch fettlement on the fouth part of Celebes. The mailer, who was a Malayan, promiled to pilot them not only through the ftreights, but even to Batavia, for a fmall gratuity, provided it was kept iecret from the Dutch ; and the captain readily agreed to his demands, this being a happy incident in their favour, as thereby they avoided feveral dangerous fhoals, the fhunning of which properly, is belt known to the Holland traders. On the feventeenth they hailed a Dutch fhip of fix hundred tons, and fifty guns, by whom they were informed that prince George of Den- mark was dead., and that the powers of Europe were ftill at war. On the twentieth they entered the road of Batavia, and came to an anchor in about fix fa- thom water among upwards of thirty fail of fhips. On the twenty-fecond, the captains waited on the p-overnor, who having examined and ap- proved of their commiffion as private fhips of war, promiled them all polTible affifbance, but was not over lcrupulous in keeping his word ; for it was a confiderable time before they could obtain leave to careen their veffels : but at length, on the twenty-third of July, they hove down upon Horn ifland. They were obliged to buy their provifions at moil extravagant prices, and though their hav- ing an audience with the governor was necelfary on feveral occafions, they could never obtain it without bribing his guards and fecretary, nor was it always that even this method was effica- and indeed this is the cafe at almofl all cious the Dutch fettlements, where the chief people treat the captains of the Englifh fhips as enemies, while they receive them with all the outward ap- pearance of friendfhip. Horn ifland being a very inconvenient place , to careen at, the commanders petitioned the go- vernor for leave to perform that bufinefs at Un- herft, which is the place where the Dutch careen their veffels ; but this was a favour they could not on any terms obtain, nor even the affiftance of the Dutch carpenters, fo that they were com- pelled to employ eight or ten Malayan carpen- ters. That the Dutch government might complete their opprefiive mealures •, they abfblutely forbad any or their people to purchale the Marquis, which the captains had agreed to fell ; fo that , they were obliged to part with her to the firfl Englifh bidder, who happened to be captain Opey, of the Oley frigate from London ; who bought her at the low price of five hundred and feventy-five Dutch dollars. During the time they flaid at Batavia, cap- tain Rogers, who recovered his health but very flowly, had a mufket fhot cut out of his cheek, which the furgeon had hitherto miftaken for a piece of his broken-jaw, and had alio feve- ral fplinters extracted from his heel. Several of the men were here carried off by fluxes, which the water of this ifland is apt to occafion •, and yet they took care to correct its ill qualities with a fufficient quantity of arrack and fugar, the laft article of which they purchafed at one penny per pound, and the other at eight pence the gallon. The officers; and men having fupplied themfelves with fuch neceflaries as they wanted, and a proper flock of provifions being laid in, they left Batavia on the twelfth of October, and failed for the Cape of Good Hope. On the feventeenth, having taken in wood and water at Java head, within Princes ifland, they proceeded on their voyage, and came to an anchor in the Cape harbour, on the twenty-eighth of December. The Englifh fainted the Dutch fort with nine guns ; which compliment was returned with feven. At this place they waited for the convoy of the Dutch fleet to Europe till the beginning of April, and though Captain Rogers ftrongly oppofed this delay, a ma- jority of the committee of officers carried it a- gainfl him. On the fifth of April the Dutch admiral hoift- ed a blue flag, and loofened his fore-top-fail, as a fignal to unmoor ; and the next day the whole fleet, confifting of fixteen Dutch and nine Englifh fhips, failed with a frefli breeze at fouth fourh-eafl. Captain Rogers remarks that during the whole voyage from the Cape to Holland, the moft exact difcipline was obferved by the fleet, and the utmoft refpect paid to the admiral, though he only commanded a trading vefTel, which had been to the Eafl-Indies on the Dutch Eafl India company's account. This admiral is reprefented as a man of great abilities and good nature, and particularly re- fpectful to the Englifh, frequently entertaining the captains on board his own fhip. On the twenty- third of July they arrived in the Texel, on which the Dutch fired all their guns, and the Englifh complimented the Admiral with feveral rounds of cannon. In the afternoon of the twenty-fourth captain Rogers went up to Amflerdam to buy provifions for the fhip, and tranfact other neceffary bufinefs. They failed from the Texel on the twenty- fecond of September, and on the fecond of October 1 711, came to their moorings in the downs, where fome of their owners came on board to congratulate them on their fafe ar- rival. N° X. E e Captain [ >» ] Captain JOHN CLIPPERTON's V o Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD. (From an Authentic Journal.) CHAPTER I. The reafon of undertaking this voyage ; copy of the emperor s permifjicn, which is ?iot ufed; rules for the voyage ; the flips fail from Plymouth ; are Jeperated in a form ; Clip- pcrton fails to the Canaries ; defcription of thofe ijlands ; arrives at the Cape de Verd IJlands, which are defcribcd ; fails to the freights of Magellan ; they arrive at Juan Fer- nandez ■, they fail from thence, and take fever al prizes, one of which efcapes and alarms the coafl. ABOUT the beginning of the year 17 1 8, fome Englifh merchants, forefee- ing that it could not be long before there ■would be a war between England and Spain, refolv- ed to fit out two fhips for the fouth feas, in hopes that they might make as fuccefsful a voyage as the Duke and Dutchels had done, under the command of captain Rogers. Two fhips were accordingly provided, one called the Speedwell and the other the Succtis •, but as the war be- tween the two crowns, did not break out fo foon as was expected, it was thought proper to have his imperial majefty's commiflion. This being determined on, the proprietors made choice of Eajfl George Sheivocke, to command the Expedition. This gentleman had been a lieu- tenant in the royal navy, had the character of being a good officer, and was univerfally ef- teemed an accomplished feaman. He was a man of" coniidcrable abilities, had great volu- bility of fpeech, and a very winning addrefs. His inftructions were to proceed with the Speed- well, then commanded by captain Robert Mit- chell to Oflend ; there to wait for the em- peror's commiflion, and to receive his Elemifh officers on board the fhip, together with as much wine and brandy as might be neceJTary for both ihips during the voyage. Captain Sheivocke failed to execute this part of his commiflion, in the month of November 1718, and to ihew the greater refpeft to the im- perial court, it was refolved to change the names of the fnips ; whereupon the larger was was called the Prince Eugene, and the latter the Starenberg, after Count Starenberg, who was then prime minifter to his imperial majefty. Captain Sheivocke was ordered to take on board fixty Flemifh Tailors, under three officers? and when he had got his commiflion to pro- ceed directly for the Downs, to meet the other fhip, which had been fitted and manned in the Thames. He was likewife inftructed, to make no fhew or parade, by hoifting colours, giving enter- tainments, inviting ftrangers aboard, or doing any tiling that might give inquihtive people an opportunity of learning the ftrength of the fhip, or prying into the defign of the voyage ■, but it appears that Sheivocke, coniidering his power as difcretionary, did noc properly obey the or- ders he had received, and at length failed for the Downs, with ninety Flemings, and fix offi- cers on board, where he found the other fhip, which had been waiting for him a confiderabie time. His having flayed much longer than was expected, created fome uneafinefs, feveral of his owners having waited fome days at Deal in expectation of him : but difputes quickly grew very high, when it was found that the Flemifh ieamen, confiding in their numbers, and fonei of being commanded by their own officers, be- haved in fuch a manner, that the Englifh knew not how to act with them : and as there was conftantly a mixed command, at length the whole fhips crew was in a flame ; and the owners faw that to fend out a mixed company of Englifhmen and Flemings, to cruize with fuccefs againft the Spaniards, was an impractica- ble thing •, fo that they found themfelves obliged to lay afide all thoughts of proceeding under the Emperor's commiflion, which was, indeed, no longer neceflary, as the war between Great Britain and Spain was. by this time begun. It ROUND THE WORLD. Ill It was therefore refolved to procure the King of England's commiffion, and to fend back all the men and officers to Flanders, paying their charges, and allowing two months wages to the men •, a refolution which was immediately put in execution. But before we proceed it may be proper to give our readers a fight of the emperor's commif- iion, not only as it is in itielf a curiofity in point of ftile, but as it is faid to be the only one of the kind, that was ever procured by Britifh fubjects. A Tranflation of the Imperial Commiffion. " Charles VI. by the grace of God, Em- " pcror of the Romans, always Auguft •, King " of Germany, Caftile, Leon, Arragon, Na- " pies, Sicily, Jerulalem, Hungary, Bohemia, " Dalmatia, Croatia, Navarre, Granada, To- < ; ledo, Valentia, Galicia, the Balearic Iflands, " Seville, Sardinia, Corduba, Corfica, Mur- " cii, Juan Algarve, Algier, Gibralter, the *' Canary Iflands, alfo of the Eaft Indies, the I- " Hands and Foreign Lands of the Weitern Sea, " &c. Arch-Duke of Auftria; Duke of Bur- " gundy, Brabant, Milan, Stiria, Carinthia, " Carniola, Luxemberg, Wirtembergh, the " Upper and Lower Sileiia, Athens, and Nea- " patita i Prince of Suabia ; Marquis of the " facred Roman Empire, Burgau, and Mora- " via-, Earl of Hablburgh, Flanders, Tyrol, " Barcelona, &c. " We make known and teftify to all the " world, by the tenor of thefe preients, that of " our own motion, and from the fulnefs of our " power, we have allowed and granted our im- " perial permiffion, and free liberty, to the " raithfuL, and (of us) moll deferving man, " George Shelvocke, upon a certain and expe- " rienced opinion of his honefty, confirmed by " a long fe lies of good actions, to prepare and " fit out for war, the fhip called the Prince " Eugene, able to carry thirty guns, or there - " abouts, aiid to fail with her, well fitted and " furniihed with arms, through any feas far and " wide, to follow and puriue any fuch as are " the enemies of our molt Auguft Houfe, but " chiefly the enemies of the Chriltian name, " and to take and feize their fhips, to the end " that our fubjects, and our fhores, may be " freed from the incurfions of the Turks, and " be rendered fafe from all enemies ; or that " our enemies may be punifhed for their info " lence, fhould they offer any injury to our do- " minions or fubjects. " But we have not otherwife granted and al- " lowed this power and Csefarean permiffion to " the aforelaid George Shelvocke, than upon " condition that he fuffer the aforenamed fhip, " with all the effects wherewith fhe is laden, to " be eftimated and valued by our General Archi- " thalaffic College, commonly called the Office u of Admiralty of the Spanifh Flanders; and that " he fit out and furnilh the laid fhip for war, " by order and appointment of the faid office ' or Admiralty •, and alfo give the proper fe- " curity, and take the ufual oath required by " the faid office, or to whomfoever the Admi- " ralty fhall authorize and impower, by order " of our governor, or our plenipotentiary in " Flanders, viz. that he is the true commander 1 " of the fhip ; and that he will exactly obferve " our orders and rules relating to naval affairs " and holtilities ■, and take care they be invio- " lably obferved by the feamen, and fuch as " fail with him. " Likewife, that a lift or catalogue be made, " in which the names and firnames of the per-* " fons who ferve in the faid fhip, with their " birth, country and habitation, be clearly ex- " preffed, that the commerce of our fubje>£t9 " own confederates fhall not be difturbed, or " any ways hindered ; that the fhips taken from " the enemy fhall not be funk in the fea, nor " the prifoners fet on fhore, or difperfed on " iflands, or diftant or remote countries, to " hide and conceal the nature of their booty. " That no cheits, boxes or trunks, which " fhall be found in the fhip, when taken, fhall " be opened, or any part of the prize goods ta- " ken away, moved or clandettinely fold. " Laftly, that he ufe his beft endeavours " to procure the writings and proofs, relating to " the goods aboard the prize fhips, that the " action and feizures may be approved by the " officers of the Admiralty above-mentioned, " to which officers he is to deliver thofe proofs " together with the prize ; and alfo to acquaint •' them with the day, hour, and place of the " fea, in which the fhip was taken. " But if he fhould be compelled by ftrefs of " weather, or enemies, to make into another " port, he muft inform the above-mentioned " Office of Admiralty of all thefe things ; and, " by the direction and appointment of the fame, " pay the tenth part of the value of the prize, " the expences in unloading the goods, and " warehoufe-room being firft deducted. " Upon thefe conditions we do allow and " grant, to the above-named captain George " Shelvocke, the free ufe of our Caffarean and " imperial flag, arms, and enfign : and we com- " mand our generals, governors, and chief com- " manders, by fea or land, and all the officers and " attendants of our ports, (and we alfo defire " of the governors, commanders and atten- " dants, and officers of our allies, and neutral '• princes,) that they kindly receive the laid " captain George Shelvocke into the ports or " ftations of their jurifdictions, protect him " with their patronage, and allow and permit " him freely to fail, pals and repafs, and act in " an hoftile manner againft our enemies, under " the limitations above-mentioned ; for we " think it expedient for our imperial fervice •, " nor fhall we act otherwife towards the fub- " jects, or any commanders of fhips of our al- " lies, or neutral princes, but treat them witli " the fame favour and protection. " In teftimony of which, we have ordered " and commanded thefe prefents, fubferibed by " our own hand, and authorized by the feal of " our imperial arms, and under-written by " Ramundus a Vilina Perlas, marquis of Rialp, " our fecretary of ftate, as ufual to be made. " Given 112 CAPTAIN JOHN CLIPPERTON's VOYAGE " Given in our city of Vienna, 1 6th July, " A. D. 1 718, of our government of the " Empire 5. of Spain 13. of Bohemia and " Hungaria 5. " Charles." " The faid captain George Shelvocke may " make ufe of this imperial commifiion in war- " ring againft the Spaniards, and any fubjects " of the pofTeflbr of that crown ; but not a- " gainft any other power, though even enemies " to the chriftian name, on either fide of the " equinoctial line, nor do them the leaft in- " jury. " Done at Bruffels, the 28th of September, " 1718, " CASTIt-LON." When the owners had obtained the defired commifiion from King George the firft, they determined that their fhips fhould be called by their old names, the Succefs and Speedwell ; and that captain Shelvocke, who had been hi- therto confidered as principal, fhould be only fecond in command. This ciixumftance was fuppofed to be owing partly to foine impropriety in his conduct, when he went to obtain the Emperor's commifiion ; and partly to fome change in the circumftances of affairs, which rendered it neceffary that the commander in chief fiiould have a perfect know- ledge of the South Seas. The perfon therefore who was preferred to captain Shelvocke, was captain John Clipperton, who had ferved under captain Dampier, in the capacity of a mate. Captain Clipperton was born at Yarmouth, in the countv of Norfolk -, and his relations be- ing moft of them feafaring people, he was bred a iailor from his infancy ; and having failed in all kinds of veffels to moft parts of Europe, once to the Weft Indies, and once round the world, he had by that means gained fo much experience as to be efteemed one of the beft naval officers then in Great Britain. He was a blunt rough failor, had a ftrict re- gard to what he confidered as his duty, was a man of honcft principles, and of a very humane dilpofition. His circumftances were but indif- ferent, which induced him to undertake this voyage, for the benefit of his family, which, in the mean time, he left in Ireland. The command of the Succefs was given to captain Clipperton, and captain Shelvocke was appointed to command the Speedwell, having under him, as fecond captain, Mr. Simon Hat- ley, the fame perfon whom captain Woodes Rogers loft among the Gallapagos ifiands, and who was a prifoner among the Spaniards for a confiderable time afterwards. The inftructions the captains received, were to proceed immediately to Plymouth ; and to fail from thence with the firft fair wind for Cape Horn, or the ftreights of Magellan, and then, either to double the Cape, or pafs through the ftreights, as fhould be moft convenient. Then to fail into the South Seas, cruife on the coafts of Chili, Peru and Mexico, and endeavour to meet the Acapulco fhip. To be careful above all things not to feparate from each other ; to undertake nothing of importance without hold- ing a council of officers, ftating the queftion in writing that was to be debated, drawing up the refolution, with the reafons upon which it was grounded, in concife terms, and obliging eveiy officer prefent to fign it. They were alio to call a council in the fame manner, as foon as pofiible after any action had happened, or any prize of conlcquence been taken, in which the conduct of the officers concerned might be examined, and a true judgment of it immediately pafied, which was to be fubferibed by the perlons affifting at the council. That the captains might net be at a lofs for precedents, the proprietors prefented each of them with captain Rogers's account of his voy- age : but all theie precautions proved in a great mealure ufelefs ; and this expedition wore an unfortunate afpect from the beginning. The fhips were obliged to remain three months at Plymouth, waiting for a wind ; during which time all things fell into confulion, and factions were formed in which the crews of both fhips were involved from the captains down to the cabin boys ; fo that every poft carried up com- plaints to the proprieters, and brought down in- ftructions, reproofs, and exhortations to har- mony and concord. It is in fome meafure ne- ceffary to premife thefe matters for the right underftanding of what follows. At length, on the thirteenth of February 17 19, the Succefs, captain Clipperton, sr.d the Speed- well, captain Shelvocke, failed from Plymouth with a fair wind, but the whole ftock of wine, brandy and other liquors for the ufe of both fhips, was ftill on board the Speedwell ; and how fatal a miftake it was, not to divide it be- fore this time, will loon appear. On the fifteenth they had fqually weather with rain -, and in the evening they unbent their beft and fmalleft bowers in the Succcis, flowed their anchors, and found themfelvcs often obliged to fiiorten fail for the Speedwell. Captain Shelvocke tell us that he came this day under the Lee of the Succefs, and complained to Captain Clipperton of the cranknefs of his fhip, which proceeded from their having too much weight aloft •, and therefore defired him to fend for his wine and brandy, which would give him (Shelvocke) an opportunity of ftriking down fome of his guns into the hold, which would have enableei him to have failed much better than he did ; but this was not done, which if it is a proof of Captain Clipperton's negligence, is alio a proof that he had no fulpicion of Shelvocke's leaving him, and that, on his part, he had no intention to defert the Speedwell. Between nine and ten o'clock at night on the nineteenth, there arofe fo violent a ftorm as obliged both fhips to take in their top-fails. The gale increafinc- the Succefs made a fio-nai for the Speedwell to bring to, which Shel- vocke readily obeyed, and by feven o'clock botli fhips were under bare poles, nor able to ROUND THE WORLD. **i to., fuffer one knot of canvas all the night through. On the twentieth, about two in the afternoon, the florin abated, when Clipperton made fail, fleering fouth and by eaft, whereas Shelvocke, according to his own account, flood away to the noi.ii weft, fo th.it from this day, they never law each other till they met by accident in the South Seas. Here then properly begins the hiftory of Captain Clipperton's voyage round the world in the Succefs. As his confort had now left him, Captain Clipperton, who was but indifferently provid- ed, was obliged to take upon him a difcre- tionary power of difpenfing, in fome refpects, i his inftructions ■, but this he did but very ill. lorn and with great caution. The Canaries being the firft place appointed for a rendezvous, he failed thither with Such ex- pedition that he arrived there on the fifth of Fch, and having taken en board fome re- hments, he continued agreeable to his in- ftructions to cruize in that ltation for ten days, in hopes of feeing his confort •, but being dil- appointed, he determined to continue his voyage, lcaft he fhould mils her at the next place of rendezvous, which was the Cape de Verd Iflands, and accordingly he left Gomera on the fifteenth, in order to be early at his next ftation. Thefe iflands, which from their fertility, and the temperature of the air, the antients call- ed the Fortunate Iflands, having been difcover- thc Spaniards in the Year 1402, they called them the Canaries, orlflands of Dogs, from the number of thofe creatures which they found there. They are feven in number, Lancerota, Forte Ventura, Teneriff, Gomera, Hiero or Ferro, Palma, and the Great Canary. The Great Canary, which is at a confiderable diftance from the others, is the refidence of the bifhop, and fuppofed to contain nine thou- iand inhabitants. Here alio is the inquifition, and the council royal, which governs all the feven iflands. On the illand of Teneriff there is a moun- tain called the Peak of Teneriff, fuppofed to be the higheft in the world ; which may be diftinccly feen at the diftance of lixty lea- gu< s. There is no travelling to the top of it but in the months of July and Auguft, becaufe it is covered wicli mow during the reft of the year, though there is none to be feen on other parts of that ifland, nor on the other fix, during any time of the year. It is laid to be three days journey to the top of it, from whence the reft of the iflands may be diftinctly feen, though fome of them are not lefs than a hundred miles diftant from it. Hiero or Ferro, is one of the largeft of the iflands, but very barren, and fo diy that there is not a drop of frefh water to be found on it, except in fome places near the fea fide, from whence it is both troublefome and dangerous to fetch it, but this inconvenience is amply made amends for by providence, and the inha- le 10. . Ff bitants are fupplied with water in the following manner : All over the ifland there grows a tree which is extremely thick of branches, and the leaves- of which are long and narrow, and main- tain a perpetual verdtire. Over this tree al- ways hangs a little cloud, which wets the leaves with its dew, fo that a fine clear water diftils from them into little pails which the inhabitants fet to catch it. This water falls in fuch quantities that it not only abundantly fupplies the ne- ceflities of the people, but is fufficient alfo for the cattle. The Canaries in general are very fertile, and abound with all forts of provifions. They afford great plenty of cattle, corn, honey, wax, fugar, cheefe and fkins. The wine of thefe iflands, which is ftrong and pleafaht, is carried into all parts of the world. On the twenty-firft of March in the evening, they faw St. Vincent, one of the Cape de Verd iflands, and the next morning anchored in the bay, where they found a French merchant fhip, and a fhip from Briltol, taking in a cargo of afies for Jamaica. They remained here ten days in hopes of meeting the other fhip, but in vain, which fo difcouraged the crew, that Captain Clipperton found it no eafy matter to engage them to con- tinue the voyage ; and indeed confidering that they were fo much in want of liquors, and that their force was To inconfiderable, it is no wonder that they were diffident of the fuccefs of the voyage"; The Cape de Verd Iflands, which the Dutch call the Salt Iflands, from the great quantities of fait which are found there, were difcovered by the Portuguefe in the year 1572, who inhabit fome of them to this day. They are ten in number, viz. St. Jago, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Antonio, St. Nicho^ las, Blanca, de Sal, Maio, de Fogo, and Eona- vifta. They extend from the Green Cape, of which we inall (peak hereafter, one hundred and fixty leagues into the lea. Some are of opinion that they were named Verd, or Green Iflands, from the Green Cape ; others think they take their name from the fea which furrounds them being covered with a green herb, which the Portuguefe call Sergalfo or creffes, which much refernbles Englifh. water- creffes. This herb fo covers the fea, that the water can hardly be feen for it, nor can fhips fail through it without a ftrong gale of wind. It produces berries much relembiing- white p-oofe- berries, but without any tafte. This herb is firft difcovered in thirty four degrees north lati- tude, where it lies fo thick, that it refernbles a number of iflands, but it is not found in any other part of the world. When the Portuguefe difcovered thefe iflands, they were uninhabited, and almoft a defart ; but they now afford plenty of rice, meal, Tartarian wheat, oranges, lemons, citrons, bananas, ana- nas, ignanes, bataras, melons, cucumbers, pom- pions, and feveral other forts of fruits. They alfo oroduce garden and wild figs, have vine- yards, n 4 CAPTAIN JOHN CLIPPERTON's VOYAGE yards, which produce grapes twice a year, and abundance of great and fmall cattle, but espe- cially kids. The iflands of Bonavifta, Maio, and de Sal, produce cattle eno'ugh to furnifh the fhips which go to Brazil with meat. The capital city of thefe iflands is St. Jago, the governor or which commands all the iflands under the dominion of Portugual. It is alfo the fee of an archbifhop, and the juriSdicton of that prelate extends not only over all the iflands, but over all the conquefts the PortugueSe have made on this fide the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape de Verd Iflands are extremely convenient for taking in water upon a long voyage. On the twenty-ninth of May they found them- felves in fifty two degrees fifteen minutes fouth latitude, being off Cape Virgin Mary, the north point of the entrance of the Streights of Magel- lan ; and the next day they entered the ftreights, and failing up as far as Queen Elizabeth's Ifland, they fent their pinnace on fhore to a frefh water- river, which was at this time frozen up. They faw great flocks of geefe and ducks here, but they were fo fhy that they could not take many of them. They flayed fome time at this ifland, which produces little elie but fallads, of which, however, they found great quantities, which was of the utmoft Service to Such of the men as were ill of the fcurvy. The only herb that de- Serves to be particularly taken notice of is Smal- lage, fome of which they ate raw, boiled fome of it in their foups, and kept the juice of it in bottles. On the fourteenth of June, they fent their carpenter on fhore, to fill the empty cafks, and look for a piece of timber to make a mizen mart. They found plenty of wild fowl and fhell fifh on the fhore, which, as they had been for fome time at fhort allowance, was a welcome treat to the Ship's company. On the twenty-Second they anchored in a fine bay, which, from its depth, they called No- Bottom Bay : the trees on the fhore of which were very high, and fo loaded with fnow as to afford an aftonifhing profpect. A canoe came off on the twenty-ninth, with two men, a woman, and a boy on board it. they were of a middle ftature, and dark com- plexions ; their faces were round, their fore- heads low ; their hair was black, ltrait and fhort, and they had no cloathing, except a piece of Skin about the waift. They had a remark- able fine Streak of a bright blue colour, round their wrifts ; and the men were fo extremely jealous, that they could by no means be pre- vailed on to let the women go on board. Captain Clipperton ordered them fome bif- cuit and cheele, and a dram of brandy, which laft was a very fcarce article. The biicuit and cheeSe they eat greedily, but the brandy was So offenfive to their Smell, that they could not, on any account, be induced to tafte it. They brought with them wild geefe and ducks, which they exchanged for knives ; and had a fire in the middle of their canoe, which was built of the bark of trees Sewed together. They had alio with them bows and arrows, and implements for fifhing. After remaining on board two hours, they rowed afhore, making Signs that they would come again. On the afternoon of the day following, the pinnace was fent on Shore, and returned in the evening, with the canoe, laden with muScles, which the Indians had given in exchange for biScuits, knives, and other things. After this, another Indian canoe came on board, having feveral women in it, each of whom had a necklace of five or fix rows of very Small min- ing Shells, very nicely Strung, which greatly re- Sembled mother-of-pearl. All this time the Ship's company was very fickly, and Scarce a day pafled without the death of one or more of them, which was fuppoSed to be owing to the want of warm liquors in (b rigorous a climate : for tho' they had Sometimes moderate weather for two or three days, yet it was continually varying, and they had frequently nothing but fnow, rain and fleet, with fharp winds from the fhore, which were intolerably keen. On the eighth of July they buried their maf- ter gunner afhore, under a tnpple diScharge of Small arms •, and driving a Strong plank at the head of his grave, had the following infeription put upon it : " Mr. William Pridham, gunner of the Suc- " cefs, deceafed July the 7th, 1719, in this " ftreight,. and lies buried here." Qn the twentieth of this month, fome perfons were fent in the pinnace, in order to make a difcovery of a paflage, which a French Tartan is Said to have went through into the South Sea, in May 1 7 1 3 ; and they returned on the twenty- ninth, having found the palfage, which was fo narrow that they judged it hazardous to attempt going far that way. On the morning of the fir ft of Auguft, four officers went to look for this paflage a Second time ; but after the ftricteft examination, they could not find that it led into the South Seas ; and, even if it had, the paflage was So narrow that the fhip could not have made way through it ; they therefore refolved to profecute their voyage through the ftreight?, winch with much danger and difficulty they at length accomplish- ed, being all the way at fhort allowance. They arrived in the South Seas on the eigh- teenth of Auguft, but in . fo weak a condition, that it was impofiible for them to undertake any thing of confequence ; befides, captain Clipperton was refolved, in purfuance of his in- structions, to fleer for the ifland of Juan Fer- nandez, which was the third and laft place ap- pointed as a rendezvous ; and before which ifland, they call anchor on the Seventh of Sep- tember ; and fent perfons on fhore to fearch for fome teftimony of the Speedwell's having been there ; but they met with no fuccefs ; where- upon captain Clipperton ordered an infeription to be cut on a remarkable tree, fronting the landing place ; fo that it was impofiible for any Ship's crew to go afhore and not See it. The in- scription ran thus ; " Captain John »>W, Magee, 171 719. This William Magee, was 1 perSon extremely Surgeon on board the.Succefs, and was a perfon Hound the world. u s extremely well known to captain Shclvocke and all his (hip's company. The reafon why Clipperton's name was not "mfcrted, was, that as he had before cruifed in the South Seas, and had been a long time a pri- foner among the Spaniards, he did not think proper to let them know of his return into thofe parts. Captain Clipperton fent moft of his fick peo- ple on fhore, and made ufe of what conveniences the ifland afforded for their recovery, in which he fucceeded but very indifferently, having nei- ther wine, brandy, or other ftrong liquor, to cheer their fpirits. They here took a great number of goats, which not only ferved them for prefent eating, bat likewile to encreafe their lea ftore, as they had an opportunity of faking them; fome French Vefiels which had lately touched at the ifland having left a confiderabk quantity of fait, which they had made there, behind them. They took in wood and water and repaired their fhip for a cruife in the South Seas, where it was now apparent they were to aft alone, and captain Clipperton gave it as his opinion that the Speedwell was loft •, which, if it was not his real fentiments, he did it to pacify the tailors, fome of whom, with their dying breaths, curled captain Shelvocke for running away with their liquors- The beauty and fertility of this ifland, com- pared with the difficulties they expefted to en- counter in the South Seas, tempted four of the men to run away from the fhip, and fly to the mountains. As they were in want of hands, and as it would have been inhuman to leave them behind, the captain gave orders to make dili- gent fearch for them, but for fome time with- out effeft. At length, the day before the fhip was to leave the ifland, fome of the officers went in the pin- nace to look for thefe men, who had now been abient a fortnight ; and failing round to the eaft part of the ifland, they found two of them in cuftody of the goat hunters, who had met with them while in purfuit of their game ; and who affirmed that they had more difficulty in fecuring thefe fellows, than in killing double the num- ber of goats •, having been obliged to fire at them feveral times before they would furrender. The prifoners faid that for the firft five days they were hard put to it, being obliged to fub- fift wholly on the cabbage trees, with which the ifland abounds •, but that having one night by good fortune, difcovered a fire that was left by the hunters, they drefied fome meat by it, and eat plentifully. The crew being aboard and muftered, they prepared to fail on the feventh of October, and in the mean time a perfon went afhore in the long-boat, to ereft a crofs, which had been al- ready cut for that purpofe •, and at the foot of the crofs a bottle was buried in which was a letter direfted for captain Shelvocke, appointing another place of rendezvous, and fome fignal by which they fhould know each other at fea. On the eighth of October at eight o'clock in the morning, they weighed from the ifland of Juan Fernandez, leaving behind them two of the deferters whom they had not been able to find. Captain Clipperton now failed northward till he was in the parallel of Lima, where he in- tended to aft, though, at this time, they were very weak, having loft no lef; than thirty men* from the time of their paffing the equinoftial line, to their leaving the ifland of Juan Fer- nandez. The men now beginning to entertain fome expectations of plunder, the captain fixed a paper, of which the following is a copy, to the main mail, and which was agreed to by the whole fhip's company. i. The man who firft fpies a fail, proving a prize, to have five dollars for every hundred ton the prize meafures. 2. Every man aboard a prize, found drunk, or in any indecent aft with a white or black wo- man, to be punifhed according to the nature of his offence. 3. Every man, of whatfoever degree, con- cealing any money, or other things above the value of half a dollar, (hall forfeit his ffiare of fuch prize, and twenty dollars out of his fhare in the next that ffiall be taken. On the twenty-fifth of Oftober they chaced a fmall veflel, which they foon came up with and took •, fhe proved, however, a very indifferent prize, being a fnow of forty tons burden, laden with fand and rubbifh for manure ; and captain Clipperton's people could find nothing aboard her worth taking, but a couple of jars of trea- cle, the fame quantity of eggs, and two pieces of eight : but the next day they met with a bet- ter prize, which was a fhip called the St. Vin- cent, of one hundred and fifty tons, laden with wood from Guiaquil •, and having on board two friars, fixteen Indians and four negroes. On the thirtieth they took a large fhip bound from Panama to Lima: fhe was called the Trinity, burden four hundred tons, and had been taken by captain Rogers, when he plun- dered Guiaquil, leveral years before : fhe had many paflengers on board, and her lading wa.s of very confiderable value. On the fecond of November they took a vef- fel of feventy tons, on board of which were the countefs of Laguna and feveral other paflengers, a great quantity of ready money, and upwards of four hundred jars of wine and brandy, which were articles they very much wanted. Captain Clipperton offered the countefs her choice to re- main on board the prize, or to accept fuch accom- modations as he was able to afford her on board the Succefs ; and as'fhe preferred the former, he font an officer of Marines with a guard on board the prize, to prevent her being molefted ; with ftrift orders that nobody fhould enter her cabin but her own domeftics : he likewife diftributed part of the wine and brandy on board the other prizes, for the ufe of fuch of the feamen as were in poffeffion of them. Captain Clipperton, though he had already detached feveral of his officers, and above a third part of his company, to take care of the prizes, was yet as eager to take more, as if he had com- manded a fquadron of fhips of war, inftead of a S privateer weakly manned. On n6 CAPTAIN JOHN CLIPPERTON's VOYAGE On the twelfth they difcovered a vefTel at fome diftance, > which was of two hundred tons burden, and bound from Panama to Lima, with a lading of wood, which though of very little value to them, they took her. The mafter of this veiTel faw Clipperton's error, and judged by the number of prizes which were already in his poffefTjpn, that he could not fpare many hands to fend on board him •, and and having about a dozen paffengers, he directed them, under the command of a French boat- fwain, to hide themfelves in the hold, with or- ders, on his making a certain fignal, to feize as many of the Englifh as came down ; alluring them that he, with the fhip's company, mould be able to manage the reft. As ibon as the vefTel (truck, captain Clipper- ton fent a lieutenant and eight men to take pofTef- fion of her. When the lieutenant came on board her, he ordered all the perfons he faw into the great cabin, and placed a centinel at the doer of it. Thinking that all things were now fecure, he commanded the topfails to be hoifted, in or- der to ftand towards captain Clipperton : while the men net in the leaft apprehenfive of danger, went down into the hold, to fee what was on board the fhip ; when the paffengers who were concealed, rufned out and knocked moft of them down •, and the French boatfwain, coming behind the Englifh lieutenant, knocked him down likewife, and then ordered them all to be bound. In the mean time •, the Spaniards burft the door of the great cabin, and fecured the centinel. The captain having thus got pofTefflon of his fhip, determined to get a fhore at all events •, a a refolution which he purfued with fucheagernefs, as to run his fhip among the rocks, where they were in the utmoft danger ; which he no fooner perceived, than he ordered his pnfoners to be unbound, and by good providence every one of them got fafe on fhore ; and the Englifh lieute- nant and failors were immediately lent prifoners to Lima. As foon as the viceroy of Peru was acquainted with this gallant action, he iffued or- ders for the building a new fhip at Guiaquil, for the ufe of the captain, and directed that all tra- ders fhould be taxed towards the expence of her. This he did to encourage others to follow the captain's example, as well as to reward him for the fervice he had rendered the public. The prifoners on their arrival at Lima, being ftri&ly examined, one of them gave an account of all he knew, particularly of the two men be- ing left on the ifland of Juan Fernandez, and of the letter b .iried in the bottle, direfled for cap- tain Shelvocke. Hereupon the viceroy order- ed a fmall veflel to be fitted out, to fetch away the men and the letter, which was done accord- ingly. It has been thought proper to throw the whole of this relation together, that the reader might fee it entire : we will now therefore purfue cap- tain Clipperton, and fee what fteps he took, after this unfortunate affair. CHAP. II. Captain Clipperton fets his prifoners at liberty ; continues to cruize with fuccefs ; a conf piracy among the crew defeated ; Jails to the Gallapagos ijlands ; meets with captain SJbelyocJke ; fails to the Eaji Indies ; arrives at Guam, whei'e he is ill ufd by the Governor ; fails for China ; makes the port of Amoy ; where there is a mutiny in which captain Clipperton is deprived of the command ; they arrive at Macao ; the crewfeperate, and captain Clipperton returning home, dies of a broken heart. HEN captain Clipperton faw that the laft mentioned prize, in difobedience to a fignal that he made, flood in for the fhore, he began to fufpect what had happen- ed-, and finding it impoffible to come up with her, he began to confider the moft likely means of preventing the ill effects that might be ap- prehended from her crew getting on fhore ; the firft thing he did therefore, was to difcharge all his Spanifh prifoners, by which he faved provifions, which at that time he could very ill fpare, and thought he might engage the gratitude of the Spaniards, to return the good ufage to fuch of his people as were in their power. On the twenty-fourth of November, they took a prize, of about two hundred tons burden, la- den with wood, from Panama to Lima, having on board forty negroes, and thirty Spaniards, who were chiefly paffengers. On the twenty-feventh, they came to an an- chor with all their prizes at the ifland La Plata, where the captain began ferioufly to confider how he fhould make the voyage turn out to the greateft poflible advantage to his owners, as well as to himfelf, and the fhip's company. He knew that the coaft was alarmed, and had cer- tain intelligence that two men of war, one of fifty, and the other of thirty four guns, were fitted out on purpofe to take him. Fie had no expectation of getting the goods which he had taken, ranibmed, in that part of the world, and was fenfible that they would prove of very little value if brought to England. Fie therefore determined to try a project, winch captain Ro- gers had fuccefsfully practiied before > that of lending a cargo of prize goods to Brazil •, and accordingly he fitted out the bark in which he had taken the countefs of Laguna ; mounted her with eight guns, and putting on board her thir- teen R O. U N D THE WORLD. i i' teen Englifhmen and ten negroes, with what provifions and necelTarics he could (pare, 'he loaded her with a cargo valued at ten thoufand pounds and upwards ; and on the twenty-feventh Ihe failed for Brazil under the command of cap- tain Mitchel. When this veflel was failed the captain deter- mined to part with his other prizes, both of which he prefented to the Spaniards, after tak- ing out of them what he thought moft valuable, and detaining the captain of one of the prizes for a pilot, and all the negroes. Captain Clipperton now failed from La Plata, in order to cruize in his former ftation ; and on the twelfth of December, about five in the even- , he law a fail which he foon took ; (lie was called the Rofary, bound from Cherrippe for Panama, laden with provifions. On the thirteenth the launch and pinnace were employed all day in taking the flour and other provisions from oh board the prize •, and when they had got as much out of her, as they could well flow, they cut her mainmalt by the board, left (he fhould overict, and let her go. It was from the priibners on board this veflel, that they learnt that the Englifh priibners had been lent to Lima by land, as mentioned above. They continued to cruife in this (lation, ly- ing in towards the ihore at night, and (landing off all the day ; but they met with no adventure til! the twenty-feventh, when they anchored in Guanchaco Bay, where they found two (hips at anchor, and fired a (hot at each, but no return was made. They then Cent their boats on board, and found the veffels abandoned ■, and could difcover that the lading had been juft taken out, and nothing left on board but feme bread, and a few jars of water. The Englifli now hung: out a flag of truce, and nredtwo guns, hoping the Spaniards would have come on board to ranfom their (hips. Thefe guns were anfwered from the fhore ; but no boat coming off", captain Clipperton's people fired again, and remained till the next day, when finding it was in vain to wait any longer, they pulled down the flag, and fet the (hips on lire. It was now refolved to bear away for the Gal- lapagos iflands, in order to reftefh ; and ac- cordingly en the ninth of January 1720, they anchored in York road, on the north fide of the Duke of York's ifland, directly under the equi- noctial line, where they found good water, lcrubbed and cleaned their (hip •, and after a (lay often days, left thole iflands, and failed to the northward. They difcovered a fail on the twenty-firft of January, which they continued to chafe till eleven o'clock at night, when they came up with her, and (he (truck on their firing a fingle gun. This (hip was called the Prince Eugene^ bound irom Panama to Lima, having on board the Marquis de Villa Roche, who had been preli- dent of Panama, and all his Family. On the twenty-fixth of February, a Spanifli prifoner dying, the Marquis defired he might be buried according to their ceremonies, which was readily granted. When the office for the JO. Or dead had been performed, the corpfe, which lay ready on a grating, was thrown overboard, with a large bag of ballalt tied at its feet ; the Spaniards, according to their cuftom, cried out three times, Bon Viage ; that is, a good voyage. Every one was aftonilhed to fee that the body floated, and continued floating as far as they could fee it ; which the Marquis efteemed as an ill omen, and (aid, that he expected fome fa- tal accident as the confequence of it. On the eighth of March, the boatfwain of the Prince Eugene, and a pricft that was on board that (hip, defired leave to go on (hore at the ifland of Velas, which captain Clipperton rea- dily permitted, on condition that they would perfuade the inhabitants to drive fome black cattle to the (hore, to exchange for fuch goods as were on board the (hip : this they readily pro- 1 miled ; and on the fixteenth returned with four head of black cattle, and alfo fome fowls and fruit, as a prefent to the Marquis •, but they brought word that the Alcalde, or governor, would not fuller them to trade. They alfo brought intelligence, that captain Mitchell's men had been afhore on that ifland, and had (hot fome of their cattle ; but that two hundred men appearing under arms, they was com- pelled to retire ; and this account had been con- firmed from fome of the inhabitants, having in their cuftody, fome cloaths 2nd linen belonging to Captain Mitchell's men. On the twentieth of April they anchored in the gulph of Amapalla, with a view to have ta- ken in water ; but not being able to get any there, they (leered to the ifland of Tygers, where they procured plenty. From this time till the twenty-fourth of June, they met with no fuccefs •, but on that day they took a prize, laden with timber and cocoa-nuts : and on the eleventh of Auguft they anchored* with their p.ize, at the ifland of Lobos de la Mar, where they took what they thought valua- ble out of the prize, creeled tents on (hore, and fcrilbbed and cleaned their (hip. While they remained here, a confpiracy, head- ed by the boatfwain, and another bufy fellow, was formed, for feizing the captain, and the reft of the officers, and running away with the (hip. The confpirators agreed to fet all the officers on fhore on the ifland of Lobos ; and then, without diftinction, to (hoot every man who oppofed their proceedings : but the plot being difcover- ed on the fixth of September, the two ring-lea- ders were feverely punifhed, and the reft par- doned, which put an end to the confpiracy. On the feventeenth they took a fifhing boat, with a confiderable quantity of fait fifh, well cured •, but returning to the ifland of Lobos, they found that their laft prize, which they had left at anchor under the ifland, had been driven afhore and funk •, on which they put thirty-eight Spanifh prifoners on board the fifhing boat, and gave them their liberty. On the firft of November, they failed for the bay of Conception •, and in their pafiage they took a fhip, laden with tobacco, fugar and cloth. They made the bay on the fixth in the afternoon, where thev few three men of war ly- ing n8 CAPTAIN JOHN CLIPPERTON's VOYAGE ing, ■ with their top-fails loofe ; who no fooner difcovered them than they cut their cables, and flood after them. At this time captain Clipperton had one prize with him, which, as well as the Succefs, haled clofe upon a wind •, on which the beft failer a- mong the. Spanifh men of war, gave chace to the prize, which ihe foon came up with, and took. The other mips crouded all the fail they could for fome time, till the largeft, having her mizen-top-maft carried away, fired a gun, tack- ed, and flood in for the fhore •, which gave the Succefs an opportunity of making her efcape. In the Spanifh prize captain Clipperton loft his third lieutenant Mr. Milne, and twelve of his men. The captain of the Spanifh man of war, who retook the prize, was the famous Don Bias de LefTo, who was governor of Carthagena, when it was attacked by Admiral Vernon. Don Bias, enraged to think he had only retaken a Spanifh prize, and miifed the Englifh privateer, in the rirft tranfport of his paflion, ftruck Mr. Milne on the head, with the flat of his fword ; but when his paflion abated, he fent for him to the cabin, and afked his pardon : and finding that the men had ftripped him, he orded him a fuit of cloaths, and kept him for fome time on board his fhip. He afterwards procured his liberty at Lima, giving him a jar of wine, and another of brandy for fea ftore, paid for his pafiage to Pa- nama, and put two hundred pieces of eight in his pocket, to defray the expence of his voyage to Eng-land. The circumftance of loofing their prize re- vived the ill difpofitions of captain Clipperton's men, who though they did not enter into any new confpiracy, became exceedingly dejecled. On the fixteenth they faw another fail, to which they gave chace, but after a few guns fired on both fides, fhe bore away and out-failed them, which was a happy circumftance, as fhe was a fhip of force fitted out to take Captain Shelvocke ; but the captain knowing this was not Shelvocke's fhip, and doubting her ftrength, was unwilling to engage her. They now continued cruizing ta the north- ward, not in fearch of plunder only, but pro- vifions, particularly flour, of which they had none left, and were at this time reduced to an allowance, of half a pound of Indian corn a d\y, to each man. Meeting with no fuccefs in this cruize, and being, on the twenty-feventh, in light of Point Helena, they determined to fet afhore the Spanifh prifoners which had been n in that prize in which the lieutenant Mr. Milne, had been afterwards loft : having put the Spaniards afhore, they determined to fail once more to the Gallapagos iflands, to refrelh quietly, and recover the health and fpirits of the people. On the fourth of December they found them- felves very near the Gallapagos, and on the fixth they lent the pinnace to difcover an anchoring- place, near one of the iflands, which returned without finding any, but reported that they faw a great number of turtle on fhore ; on which the pinnace and yawl were fent to get fome, and returned with fifh fufficient to ferve the whole fhip's company a day. As there was a prodigi- ous furf they could not land, but kept plying on and off, till being unwilling to loofe more time, they determined to fteer for the ifland of Cocos, where they hoped to get frefh provifions, which the number of fick people on board rendered very neceffary. On the feventeenth in the morning they had the fatisfaclion of feeing the ifland of Cocos, at the diftance of nine leagues to the north weft, which filled them with inexpreffible ioy ; and the next day, all who could with fafety be fpared from the fhip, went on fhcre to build a large tent for the reception of the fick, who were carried afhore and lodged there as foon as it was finifhed. Here they got plenty of fifh, fowls, eggs, cocoa- nuts, and other reYrefhments •, and the captain opened the laft jar of brandy, diftributing to every man a dram a day •, and on New- Year's day he allowed a gallon of ftrong beer to every mefs -, fo that by proper refreshments and eafe the crew began to recover apace, and at length got their wood and water on board. On the feventeenth of January 1721, the captain made the neceffary difpofitions for fail- ing •, but it was three days before he could get his people on board, and even then there were no lefs than eleven miffing, viz. three Englifh - men, and eight negroes,who preferred an idle life in that folitary place, to the dread of the dangers and fatigues, to which they were continually expofed on board. On the 25th of this month they arrived on the coaft of Mexico, where, diicovering a fail about fe- ven in the evening, they fent their pinnace to give chace, to whom fhe ftruck about eleven ; and on the return of the pinnace they had the furpriz- ing account, that this was a Spanifh fhip called the Jefu Maria, now commanded by captain Shel- vocke, who gave the following account : that he had no more than forty of his men on board, the reft being all dead or difperfed, that he loft the Speedwell at Juan Fernandez, where they ftaid five months, and built a bark out of her wreck, with which they put to fea, and coafted along Chili and Peru, meeting feveral fhips, but could take nothing till they came to Pifco, near Lima, where they made this prize : there was, however, a confiderable difference in their accounts, and it appeared that they had no regular command among them, but had chofen a quarter mailer, and carried every thing by a majority of votes •, fo that they had entirely broken their articles with re i peel to their owners, and had fhared what they had among themfelves. On the twenty-feventh Captain Shelvocke hoifted St. George's colours, and fired three guns as a fignal to fpeak with them -, on which the Succefs lay to for his boat, which came aboard with a letter to captain Clipperton, who immediately fent back the boat for the purfer, who came, and gave but a very indifferent ac- count of their proceedings, faying that he had not been allowed to take any of the treafure for the ufe of the owners. At eight of the clock this evening, captain Shelvocke ROUND T-H E WORLD. u 9 Shelvocke came on board, having been fent far by captain Clipperton and the agent, to give an account of his tranfactions : this boat alio brought Mr. Dod, their lieutenant of tries, to remain on board the Succefs -, who afferted that lie had been very ill-ulcd fur his attachment to the owners intcreft. The next day Captain Shelvocke fent on board them fix chefts of pitch and dammer, two barrels of tar, and fix llabs of copper ( and Captain Clipperton fpared him twenty four quarter-deck guns, fome great fhot, a com- pafe, and a few other neceffaries. Shelvocke's lie alio laid out a great deal of money with i ew of the Succel's, for cloaths, fhoes, hats, other things which they wanted. 'i he Succefs ftill keeping to tl-c nortltwnrd, ki\v captain Shelvocke fcveral times, but in die beginning of the month of March, con- sidering that they had a fair opportunity of coming up with the Manila fhip, before fne entered Acapuko, the officers determined, the next tiirc vhey law captain Shelvocke, to pro- pole to him the making an attempt. On the thirteenth they difcovered a fail, which from the fignals, appearing to be Shelvocke, they brought to, and the captain and his lieu- tenants came on board them ■, when a general confukation was held, at which the officers be- longing to both fliips, agreed, that the attempt I be made jointly, and that if they were happy enough to meet with her, they fhould run her aboard at once, which they fuppofed to be their only chance for taking her. Hereupon they cruiicd for her, and on the fifteenth captain Clipperton held another con- iultation, in which the following propofals were agreed to, iigned, and fent to captain Shel- yocke •, that if he, and his crew, would refund all the money fhared among themfelves, con- trary to the articles with the owners, and agree to put it into a joint ftock, then ail faults fhould be forgiven, both companies would unite, and proceed to cruife for the Manila fhip. How- ever captain Shelvocke and his people, not caring to part with any thing theypoffeffed, de- clined giving any aniwer to this propofal. Captain Clipperton, now finding that no- thing was to be done with Shelvocke, and hav- ing waited till fome days were elapied beyond the ufual time of meeting with the Manila fhip, determined to go directly to the Eaft Indies, and therefore, without confnlting Shelvocke any more, immediately fet fail, and on the tenth of May arrived in fight of the illand of Serpana, which, gave the greateft joy imagin- able to the crew, who were very weak and fickly; but it was determined to freer to the illand of Guam, as a place beft known to Europeans, and where they thought they were moft likely to meet with provifions. On the thirteenth of May they anchored in the road of Guam, and fent their pinnace afhore, with a flag of truce, in order to obtain fome provifions •, but the inhabitants fent them word that they could not trade with them for fifh, fowl or greens, without the Governor's permif- fion ', and therefore it was thought proper to make immediate application to him. Mr. Godfrey, who was agent for the owners on board the Succefs, having been fent to the governors refidence at Umatta, returned on the fixteenth, on board of one of their proas, with a meffage, importing that they fhould be fup- plied with provifions, provided they behaved civilly and paid honcftly. On the fame day their own launch arrived, and brought on board, bread, greens, fruit, fugar, brandy, and cattle •, and on the next day the governor lent them a handfome prefent of fugar, brandy and palm wine, with a confiderable quan- tity of chocolate ; in acknowledgement of which kindnefs, the whole fhip's cempany drank his health under a discharge of feven guns. This ifiand lies directly north and fouth, k near ten leagues in length, and five in breadth, and has feveral confiderable villages upon it. The native inhabitants were formerly faid to have been fifteen thoufand,but at prefent they are not more than a tenth part of that number, at leaft under the dominion of the Spaniards, for there are ftill fome hundreds, who have taken up tneir refidence in the mountains, and pre- ferve their freedom, notwithftanding all the en- deavours of the governor to reduce them. Thefe Indians are a ftrong, active, vigorous and warlike people, but reputed equally cruel and treacherous •, at leaft fo the Spaniards report of them, who perhaps exaggerate their ill quali- ties to exten.iate their own •, for it is certain that they have treated thefe people with great feve- rity. The Spanifh Garrifon confifts of three hundred men, who are relieved from time to time from the Manillas •, and his catholic majefty allows thirty thoufand pieces of eight per annum for their maintenance. The governor having agreed with them for the ranfom of the Marquis de Villa Roche, who had been fo long their prifoner, he went a fhore on the eighteenth of May, in company with the agent, firft lieutenant and furgcon, and was complimented with five guns on his landing. After this their launch was employed for fix days in bringing wood, water and provifion on board, during which time the governor defired to have fome arms and ammunition in exchange : whereupon captain Clipperton fent him twelve fuzees, three jars of powder, fixty round fhot, four pair of piftols, befides cutlaffes, fwords and daggers. On the twenty-fifth they received a letter, wherein the governor demanded the marquis's jewels, fome confecrated plate, and two negroes, who, he alledged, were Chriftians, and fubjedls to his catholic majefty ; he alfo infifted upon a certificate under the hands of the captain and officers, that peace was proclaimed between England and Spain ; and threatened to detain Mr. Godfrey and Mr. Pritty till thefe demands were complied with. On this the captain fent a letter to the go- vernor, in which he acknowledged, that they were informed, by the people on board the kit prize they took on the coaft of Chili, that there wa* i2o CAPTAIN JOHN CLIPPERTON's VOYAGE was a peace between the two crowns •, but he allured the governor, that if he did not, in twen- ty four hours, fend the ranfom for the marquis, together with the two gentlemen, he would burn the lhip in the harbour, demolifh the houfes on the fhore, and do all the damage he could at the Phillippine iflands. Soon after this they received a letter, in which the governor agreed to pay for the con- fecrated plate, and defired more powder and fhot : to which the captain replied, that he would not fpare any more, nor fend back the ne- groes. Their yawl went afhore on the twenty-eighth, for more provifions •, but the officer who had the government of the village told them they fhould have no more, unlefs they fent a quantity of powder and fhot. On this captain Clipperton immediately weiohed anchor, fending the pinnace a-head to found, and making the bell of his way to his fhip in the harbour. During this kind of lham treaty, the people on fhore had raifed a bat- tery, from whence they now began to fire at the pinnace ; which, being returned, gave an ac- count that what channel they found, was within piitol fhot of the fhore. About fix in the afternoon, making up to the fhip, they ran a-ground, the Spaniards having carried her into fhoal water ; fo that they now fuftained two fires, one from the fhip, and another from the battery over their heads. At nine o'clock they got foul of the rocks, and endeavouring to get off, cut away two of their anchors ; and the enemy now fired fo warmly with ftones and fhot, from a new battery erected on a hill, that they fuffered extremely in their hull and rig- ging; and loft their firft lieutenant, and had three men wounded. Thus they lay in a miferable condition, ex- pofed to the continual fire of the enemy, who, in the night, had a very confiderable advantage over them, for the water being as fmooth as a pond, eafily fhev/ed their pofition •, whereas they had no other direction for their aim, than the flafhes of the guns from the Spanifh battery. While they were in this fituation, the Cap- tain, who for fome time paft had taken to drinking, being overcome with liquor, and quite unable to command the fhip j the officers came to the refolution of running out clear of the enemy, as foon as they could get the fhip a float ; and figned a paper, to indemnify Mr. Cooke, if he would take upon him the com- mand. At four in the afternoon they fet her float- ing, and cut away the fmall bower anchor ; but in ten minutes they run a-ground again •, at nine they carried out the kedge-anchor, but, in heaving, the hawfer broke; they immediate- ly carried out another hawfer, with a lower deck gun to it, having now loft all their anchors, and being ftill a ground. At two o'clock in the morning the enemy hailed them feveral times to flu-render, or expect no quarter ; and at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, they carried out the reft of the fmall bower, with two lower deck guiis, right a head, into five fathom water : they then cleared away the hold, ready to ftart their water, to make the fhip lighter ; got their upper and lower deck guns forward, to bring her by the head, the Jhip hanging a- baft upon the rock : during the iaft four and twenty hours they had happily but one per- fon wounded •, but the fhip was wretchedly torn and mangled between wind and water. On the thirtieth at fix in the afternoon, juft as they got a float, the enemy fired fo brifkly from the new battery, that their fhot raked them thro' between wind and water, killing one of their people and wounding two others. Thus they loft both their bower anchors and cables, the ftern and kedge anchors, four hawfers, four of their lower deck guns, and nineteen barrels of powder ; and had two men killed and fix wounded ; having flood no lefs than fifty hours, a fair mark for the enemy to fire at ; and, if they had not got clear, it was believed they would have funk them before morning. The whole crew were concerned to leave Godfrey and Pritty behind them, but there was no remedy. They now brought to, and began to fplice their riggmg, not a rope of which had efcaped a fhot ; and the carpenters worked all night flopping the holes in the fhip's bottom, and in fixing the mails and yards ; and the reft of the people were employed in fixing the rig- ging- On the twenty third of June, on a ftrict exa- mination, they found the fhip in a very fhattered condition, having fcarce a whole timber in her upper works : and as it blew pretty frefh, they durft not carry fail but were forced, for a week together, to feud under bare poles, through va- riable winds, and in bad weather. This indeed was a melancholy fituation for people to be in, who were in feas with which they were but little acquainted, and failing by draughts on which they could not abfolutely depend. On the twenty-fourth they were in fight of the Bafhee iflands ; and on the laft day of the month they faw the ifland-fhoals of Prata. On the firft of July they fell in with other iflands, and found feveral boats that were fifhing, but as none of thefe iflands were laid down in any chart, they were quite at a lofs ; and not being able to form any judgment of their true courfe, they anchored under one of thefe iflands, in thirteen fathom water, and difpatched their pinnace for intelligence how Macao bore from them, for which port they now intended to proceed. The pinnace returned en the next day with a boat, in which were three Chinefe failors, from whom they could learn nothing more than that Canton lay to the fouth weft. On the third, finding they were too far to the leeward of Macao, and not being able to get a pilot, they refolved to fail for Amoy, before which port they arrived on the fifth in the even- ing, but being afraid to enter it in the night, they plied on and off till day light. They here took notice of a great number of fnakes in the fea, which were brought down by the rivers that empty themfclves at that coaft. The ROUND THE WORLD.' 121 The entrance of the port of Amoy is remark- able, having a high mountain, on the top of which is a tower which may be feen twenty leao-ues at lea ; and on one fide of it is a little ifland, which lies immediately before the bay. They entered this bay on the fixth of July, and were no fooner anchored, than they had ten cuftom-houfe officers put on board them. At Amoy, as in molt other ports in China, the cufloms are under the direction of a fingle mandarin, filled the Hoppo, or mafter general of the cufhoms. The Chinefe in general are efteemed the moft (harping people in the world, and it is an invariable maxim of their policy, to chufe the mod crafty man they can find to execute the office of hoppo. The Eirft thing thefe cuftom-houfe officers de- manded, was, what fhip fhe was, and what bu- iinels ftie had there ; to which captain Clipper- ton replied, that the fhip belonged to the king of Great Britain, that fhe put in there thro' ftrefs of weather, and that they were in want of provifions and other necefiaries. The cuftom- houfe officers next demanded, an exact account of the number of their men and guns, their cargo, and the time they intended to ftay ; all which they wrote down an account of, and then departed. The day after this the men mutinied, and infifted that the captain fhould pay them their prize money immediately, as they knew that the Succefs was in no condition to put to fea. This demand was made by one John Den- nifon, and Mr. Taylor interpofing in the cap- tain's behalf, another of the failors told him he had better defift, unlefs he had a mind to have a brace of balls through his head ; lb that here was evidently an end of the captain's authority, and of all regular proceedings. The Chinefe now brought on board plenty of rice •, alfo fome tattle, fowls, wood and water, for which they were paid. On the twelfth the officers went on fhore to wait on the hoppo, who received them in a very fine palace, treated them with great civility, and rave them permiflion to remain in the harbour till the monibons were over •, for which, how- ever, he demanded, and foon afterwards was paid, in ready money, a very extraordinary compenfation, under the name of the port charges, amounting to feventeen hundred dollars, which is about four hundred pounds fterling. It may be proper to remark, that Mr. Cook, who was now firft lieutenant, demanded thitty fhares of prize-money in right of his office, in which he was fupported by the men, whofe [-oed opinion he had gained by a continual com- pliance with their humours. Captain Clipperton, and the reft of the officers, feeing what turn affairs were likely to take, were very defirous that fome allowance fhould be made to Mr. Hendric, and Mr. Dod, who came on board them from the Speedwell, but their endeavours were fruitlefs, for the men would not content to any fuch allowance. During thefe difputes, fome of the men hav- ing gone afhore without leave, captain Clipper- N v XI. H h ton would have corrected them, but the whole company declaring on their fide, prevented it j fo that all things fell into confufion , and the men refufed to work till they had received their prize-money ; and to fhew that they had no more regard to the credit of their country, than they had to the refpect due to their officer, they applied to the chief mandarin of the place, and defiredthat lie would do them juftice againftthe captain. Hereupon Mr. Clipperton was fummoned before him ; and on the mandarin's demanding a reafon why he refufed to comply with the de- fires of the crew, he produced the articles, by which it appeared that the prize-money was not to be fhared till their return to London. But captain Cook, (for fo he was now called) being examined, gave the mandarin a different account •, on which a guard of foldiers was fent on board the fhip, with a ftricf order from the mandarin to captain Clipperton, to fettle the fhares, and pay the men ; with which he was obliged to comply. Purfuant to the mandarin's orders this diftri- bution was made on the fixteenth of Septem- ber ; but though Mr. Cook and his aflbciates carried their point in this manner, captain Clip- perton's arguments had fo much weight with the chief mandarin, that before he permitted them to proceed to the diftribution, he obliged them to lay by one half of the cargo, for the benefit: of the owners ; which in ready money wrought filver, gold and jewels, amounted to between fix and feven thoufand pounds fterling ; which was immediately put on board a Portuguefe Eaft Indiaman, called the Queen of Angels, which fhip was afterwards unfortunately burnt at Rio Janeiro, on the coaft of Brafil ; fo that, of thefe effects, the owners received no more, the charges of falvade being deducted, than eighteen hundred pounds. They weighed anchor from the bay of Amoy on the thirtieth of September, in order to pro- ceed to Macao, in the road of which they an- chored on the fourth of October. This was formerly one of the moft confiderable places in China, though it is now much decayed. This, place has been now above one hundred and. fifty years in the hands of the Portuguefe, and the manner in which they became pofiefied of it» exhibits an excellent fpecimen of Chinefe ge- nerofity. The Portuguefe going from Malacca and India to trade with the Chinefe, and meeting with bad weather, fome of the fhips miferably perifhed, for want of fecure harbours, in the Iflands about Macao •, on which the others re- quefted fome place of fafety to winter in, till the feafon would allow them to return home - r when the Chinefe, for their own advantage, gave them a fpot of rocky land, then in- habited by robbers, that the Portuguefe might expel them, which in fact they did. At firft they were only permitted to build thatched, houfes, but afterwards, having bribed the madarins, they erected fubftantial houfes and forts ; one of which is at the mouth of the har- bour. APTAIN JOHN CLlPPERTON's VOYAGE 122 bour, called the Fort of the Bar, the wall of which terminates at the rock called Appenha, which is an hermitage of the fathers of the or- der of St. Auguftin on the hill. They have a very large one, called the Fort of the mountain, bccaufe fituated on the very top of a hill. There is alfo a third fort, very high, called Nueftra Senorade Guia, or Our Lady of Guidance. , The city of Macao ftands on a penmfula-, and there is a very ftrong wall built acrois the Ifthmus, with a gate in the middle of it, through which the Chincfe pafs when they pleafe° but it is death for any of the Portugueie to go that way. . . This city is very ftrongly fortified, having upwards of two hundred pieces of brafs canon upon its walls. The Portuguefe have the go- vernment of their own people within the city walls, and yet Macao is, ftriftly fpeakmg, a Chinefe city, for there is a governor refident upon the fpot, and a hoppo, or commiffioner of the cuftoms-, and thefe, together with ^then- officers and fervants, are maintained at the ex- pence of the city,, which is alfo at the charge or fupporting the Portuguefe government. Notwithstanding all this, the inhabitants were formerly extremely rich, which was owing to the crreat trade they carried on to Japan •, which is now almoft loft : but as they are fituated near Canton, and are allowed to go to the two annual fairs at that city, and to make trading voyages at other times, they find a way to fubfift, but can do very little more, for the enormous pre- fents they are forced to make to the Chinefe mandarins on all occafions, in a great mealure devour their profits. A veffel that goes to Canton, pays in the firft place, to the amount of one hundred pounds fterling, for leave to trade-, and they are then obliged to make a considerable prelent for permiffion to have fuch articles as they buy brought on board by the Chinefe, to whom they not only pay ready money for what they buy, but fometimes ad- vance it a year before hand. After this, a far- ther prefent is neceffary for leave to depart, which is at leaft double what was given for leave to trade-, over and above thefe prefents to the minifters, certain duties are paid to the emperor for all that is bought. As foon as Captain Clipperton entered the port of Macao, he went on fhore and found the captain of the lhip called the Queen of Angels, mentioned above, who had undertaken the charge of what effe&s belonged to the owners ; and as this gentleman declared himfelf entirely of captain Clipperton's opinion, with regard to the ftrength of the veffel, the mutinous crew were a little at a lofs ; whereupon Mr. Cook, and another gentleman, propofed going to Can- ton, to confult Mr. Winder, fuper-cargo to an Eaft Indiaman, who was fon to one of the prin- cipal proprietors, as to what fhould be done with the Succefs ; and on their return, the fhip was furveyed, condemned, and fold for four thou- fand dollars. After fhe was fold, captain Clipperton agreed with the purchafer for a paffage in her to Bata- via : and in the mean time the crew difperfed themfelves, fome going to Canton, and fome to other places, from whence, at different times, they procured their paffage to England. When captain Clipperton arrived at Batavia, he procured a paffage in a Dutch fhip to Eu- rope, and on his arrival in Holland, finding himfelf in a declining ftate of health, he took the firft opportunity of getting to Galway in Ireland, where he had left his family, but the fatisfadtion he received in feeing them, was of a very fhort duration, for with a broken fortune, he died of a broken heart, within a week after his landing. T H E [ I2 3 ] THE V o Y AG E O F GEORGE ANSON, Esquire, Afterwards LORD ANSON, ROUND THE WORLD. CHAPTER I. Thefrength of the Squadron ; they fail from St. He/ens to Madera ; defcription of that if and ; the hiftory of the Spani/h fqnadron under the command of Don Jofeph Pizarro ; Mr. Anfon arrives at the if and of St. Catherine ; they proceed to port St. Julian ; a defcription of that port and country ; their difrejfes in doubling Cape Horn ; they arrive at Juan Fernandez. AS inftruction joined with entertainment is the principal view of this publication, it will be unneceffary for us to give an account of the various delays which Mr. Anfon met with from feveral quarters, after his being named as commander in chief of an expedition, the moft interefting particulars of which will be recited in the following pages. As it was forefeen in the latter end of the fummerof the year 1739, that a war with Spain was inevitable, it was the opinion of feveral perfons then in the adminiftration, that it would be a ftroke of admirable policy to attack the enemy in fome of her diftant fettlements, there- by to deprive her of that treafure by which alone fhe could be enabled to carry on the war. The fquadron under Mr. Anion's command, confifted of five men of war, a fioop of war, and two victuallers. Thefe were the Ships. Centurion Gloucefter Severn Pearl Commanders. 1 George Anfon, Efq; Richard Norris Edward Legge Matt. Mitchell Dandy Kidd Tryal Sloop John Murray Wager uns. Men. 60 400 50 300 5° 300 40 250 28 1 bo 8 100 The two victuallers were pinks, the largeft of about four hundred, and the other of about two hundred tons burden. Thefe were to attend the fleet till its provilions were lb far confumed, *s to make room for the additional quantity they carried with them, which was to be taken on board the ihips, and then they were to be dif- charged. On the eighteenth of September 1 740, the fquadron weighed from St. Helen's with a con- trary wind, the commodore propofing to tide it down the channel, lefs dreading the inconveni- ences he fhould thereby have to ftruggle with, than the rifk of ruining the enterprize by wait- ing longer for a fair wind. On board this fquadron it had been propofed to embark three independant companies of one hundred men each, and colonel Bland, with his own regiment, as commander in chief of the land forces ; but by fome unaccountable infa- tuation, this appointment dwindled into four hundred and feventy invalids, draughted from Chelfea, and commanded by lieutenant colonel Cracherode •, and moft of thefe were lb old and infirm as to be totally unfit to furmount the difficulties of a voyage, which required all fhe advantages of health, ftrength and youth. On the twentieth in the morning, being off the ram-head, they uncovered the Dragon, Winchefter, South fea Caftle and Rye, with a number of merchantmen under their convoy •, thefe they joined about noon the fame day, the commodore having orders tj fee them, together with the St. Alban's and Lark, which had weighed from St. Helens with him, a: far into the fea as their courfe and his lay together. W 124 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq 3 When they came in fight of this laft men- tioned fleet, Mr. Anfon firft hoifted his broad pendant, and was faluted by all the men of war in company. By the twenty-ninth of September, the feveral men of war having parted in their appointed latitudes, Mr. Anfon made the beft of his way for Madera, but had the mortification not to reach that Ifland till the twenty-fifth of October, when he came to an anchor in forty fathom- water. They had hardly let go their anchor, when an Englifh privateer floop, ran under their ftern and faluted the commodore with nine guns, which he returned with five. The next day the conful of the Ifland, vifited the commodore, and was faluted with nine guns on his going a-board. The climate of Madera is extremely health- ful and pleafant. The ifland, which is fituated in thirty two degrees feventeen- minutes north latitude, is compofed of one continued hill, of a confiderable height, extending itfelf from eaft to weft; the declivity of which, on the fouth fide, is cultivated and interfperfed with vineyards -, and in the midft of this flope, the merchants have fixed their country feats, which help to form a very agreeable proipect. The only town of any confequence on the Ifland, is Fonchiale, which is fituated on the fouth part of k, at the bottom of a large bay, and is defended by a high wall, and a battery of cannon, befides a fortified caftle, ftanding on the Loo, which is a rock fituated in the water at a fmall diftance from the fhore. This town is the only place of trade, nor indeed is there any other place where it is pofiible for a boat to land •, and even here the beach is covered with large ftones, and a violent furf continually beats upon it ; fo that the commodore not care- ing to his ufe own boats, made ufe of thole of the Portuguefe, to bring off water and other ne- ceflaries for the ufe of the fleet. The ifland of Madera is famous for its ex- cellent wine, which, leems peculiarly adapted by providence for the refrefhfrient of the inhabi- tants of the torrid zone. While they were at this ifland, taking in wine and other refrefhments, captain Norris, on the third of November, fignified, in a letter to the commodore, his defire to quit his command en board the Gloucefter, in order to return to England for the recovery of his health, which be- ing complied with, Mr. Anfon appointed captain Mitchell to command the Gloucefter, removed captain Kidd from the Wager to the Pearl, and captain Murray from the Tryal Sloop to the Wager, promoting lieutenant Cheap to the com- mand of the Tryal. The next day Mr. Anfon gave to the Cap- tains their orders, appointing St. J ago, one of the Cape de Verd Iflands, to be the firft place of rendezvous in cafe of feperation -, with direc- tions that if they did not meet the Centurion there, they fhould proceed immediately to the Ifland of St. Catherine's on the coaft of Brazil. The refrefhments being taken on board, they weighed anchor, on the afternoon of the third of November, and left the Ifland of Madera ; but before we purfue them, it may be proper to give fome account of the proceedings of the enemy, and the meafures they took to fuftrate the deiign of the Englifh. Mr. Anfon, on a vifit to the governor of Madera, received information that for three or four days in the latter end of October, there had appeared to the weftward of that ifland feveral fhips of the line, and a patache ; which laft was fent every day clofe in to make the land. On this intelligence the commodore fent an officer in a clean floop, eight leagues to the weftward, to reconnoitre them, but he re- turned without being able to get a fight of them. In the courle of their expedition^ how- ever, they were perfuaded that this was the Spanifh fquadron, commanded by Don Jofeph Pizarro, which was fent out on purpofe to tra- verfe the views of the' Enghfh Fleet, to which they were considerably fuperior. As this armament was lb clofely connected with Mr. Anibn's expedition, and as the cataf- trophe it underwent was a confiderable advan- tage to this nation, we will here give a fum- mary account of their proceedings, as it has been learnt from intercepted letters and other informations, from their firft fetting out from Spain, in the year 1 740, till the return of the onlyfhip of the Squadron, which reached Eurcpe v in the beginning of the year 1 746. The fquadron under the command of Don ■ Jofeph Pizarro, confifted of the Afia, of fixty-fix guns and feven hundred men, which was the Admiral's fliip •, the Guipofcoa, of feventy four guns and feven hundred men ; the Hermionc, of fifty-four guns and five hundred men ; the Efperanza, of fifty guns and four hundred and fifty men ; the St. Eitevan, of forty guns and three hundred and fifty men ; and a patache of twenty guns. Thele fhips, befides their full com- plement of failors and marines, had on board an old Spanifh regiment of foot, intended to rein- force the garrilbns on the coaft of the South Seas. This fleet failed from Spain with only four months provifions on board, and having cruized for fome days to the leeward of die Madera iflands, fleered for the River of Plate, where they arrived in January, and caft anchor at the mouth of that river, in the bay of Maldonado. Pizarro immediately fent to Buenos Ayres, for a fupply of provifions, but receiving intel- ligence from the Portuguefe governor of St. Catherine's, of Mr. Anfon's arrival at that ifland on the twenty-firft of December preceed- ing, and of his preparing to put to fea again, Pizarro refolved to get round Cape Horn, and therefore weighed' anchor, with the whole fleet except the patache, without waiting for his provifions. As the Spanifh failors, being for the mofh part accuftomed to a fair weather country, might be expected to be very averfe to fo dangerous and fatiguing a navigation ; the better to en- courage them, fome part of their pay was ad- vanced to them in European goods, which they were to be allowed to difpofeof in the South Seas. Pizarro. R O U N D THE WORLD: 125 Pizarro with his fquadron, having, towards the latter end of February, run the length of Cape Horn, he then flood to the weftward in order to double it ; but in the night of the laft of that month, old ftile, the Guipufcoa, the Herrhione, and the Elperanza, were feperated from the admiral ; and on the fixth of March following the Guipufcoa was feperated from the other two ; and next day there came on a furious ftorm which drove the whole fquadron to the caftward. Aftonifhing and almoft incredible were the hardmips they now endured ; their veffels were leaky, and the famine was lb great, that a rat on board the Afia fold for four dollars, and a Jailor who died on board, had his death con- ceded for four days, by his brother, who lay with the corpfe in the hammock, only for the fake: of receiving the dead man's provilions. In this dreadful fituation they were alarmed by the difco'very oi' a confpiracy among the marines on board the admiral's lhip-, which had taken its rife from the miferies they en- dured ; and though the confpirators propofed nothing lets thari the murder of the officers and the whole crew, yet it dees not appear that l hey were ftlmulated by any other motive, than the hope of appropriating the provifions of the whole Ihip's crew to themfelves : but the bloody defign being difcovered by one of their con- feffors, when juft on the point of execution, three of the ringleaders were immediately put to death. Although the confpiracy was fuppreffed, their other calamities admitted of no allevia- tion, but grew every day more and more de- ftruftive ; lb that through ficknefs, fatigue and hunger, the Afia arrived at Monte Vedio in the River of Plate, with only half her crew; the St. Eftavan had, in like manner loft half her hands, when fhe anchored in the bay of Baragan •, and the Elperanza, a fifty gun fhip, was [till more unfortunate, for only fifty eight perfons remained alive, of four hundred and fifty which fhe had brought from Spain -, and the whole regiment of foot perifhed except fixty men. The Hermione was fuppofed to fourtder at fea, for fhe was never heard of more ; and the hiftory of the Guipufcoa is as follows. By the fourth of April they had loft two hundred and fifty men by hunger and fatigue, and though the veffel was extremely fhattered, and let in great quantities of water, thofe who were capable of working at the pumps, at which all the officers without exception took their turns, yet provifions were fo fcarce, that thefe were allowed only an ounce and a half of bifcuit a day ; fo that the men frequently dropt down dead at the pumps •, and thofe who where too fick to labour at the pumps had only an ounce of wheat a day. The fhip having loft her mafts and rigging, the butt-ends of her planks being ftarted, her bolts drawn, her feams all open, and only kept together by fix turns of cable tightened round her, was drove like a wreck till the twenty-fourth of April, on which day they made the coaft of N" 11. I i Brazil, ten leagues to the fouthward of St. Ca- therine's. The captain was very defirous of reaching that ifiand, in order to fave the hull of the fhip, and the ftores that were on board : but the crew, exafperated at the hardfhips they had undergone, unanimoufly cried out, " On fhore, On fhore," and compelled the captain to run the fhip directly in for land : fo that the crew who had furvived their diftreffes, to the number of four hundred, got fafe on fhore •, but the veffel, with all her ftores on board, funk on the fifth day afterwards. As to the twenty-gun tender, Ihe had been broken up before they fet out from the bay of Maldonado. But Pizarro's misfortunes were by no means yet compleated ; for in the year 1 745, coming over land (with Mindinuetta, who had com- manded the Guipufcoa,) from Chili to Buenos. Ayres, they found the Afia at Monte Vedio, which they had left there three years before ; and refolved, if poffible, to return with her to Europe ; but not having above one hundred of their old hands to navigate her, they fupplied the deficiency by preffing feveral of the inhabi- tants of Buenos Ayres, putting on board all the Englifh prifoners then in their cuftody, feveral Portuguefe fmugglers, and fome Indians of the country, among whom were Orellana and ten of his followers. He was chief of a powerful tribe which had committed great ravages in the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres, and had lately been made prifoner by a party of Spanifh horfe: With this mixed crew they fet fail about the beginning of November 1 745, and the native Spaniards, knowing the difiatisfaclion of the men they had forced on board, treated both Englifh and Indians with the utmoft inhu- manity -, but in particular the Indians, who were frequently beaten in the moft cruel manner by the meaneft officers on board. In the mean time Orellana and his companions appeared to bear their fufferings with patience, but medi- tated a fevere revenge on their oppreffors. As Orellana fpoke the Spanifh language flu- ently, he endeavoured to cultivate an acquain- tance with fuch of the Englifh as underftood that tongue ; and knowing them to be enemies to the Spaniards as well as himfelf, it is fuppofed he would have difclofed his fcheme to them, had he found their inclinations fufficiently vindictive j but being difappointed in this expectation, he refolved to truft, for the execution of his plan, to his ten faithful followers only. They now therefore made it their bufinefs to furnifh themfelves with Dutch knives, fharp at the point, which being commonly ufed on board, were eafily procured. At proper oppor- tunities they fecretly cut thongs from raw hides which were on board, and to each end of thefe thongs, fixed the double headed (hot of the fmall quarter-deck guns. This weapon is very mif- chievous, when fwung round the head accord- ing to the practice of their country •, and the In- dians about Buenos Ayres, being trained to this way of fighting from their infancy, are very ex- pert at it. While Orellana and his companions were making their preparations, their revenge was ii6 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq; was doubtlcfs precipitated by the following cir- cumftance. A very brutal fellow, one of the officers, hav- ing ordered Orellana aloft, a talk which he was incapable of performing, the officer, on pretence of difobedience, knocked him down, and beat him at fo unmerciful a rate, that he left him bleeding on the deck, where he lay for two hours, ftunned with his wounds and bruifes. About nine o'clock in the Evening, two or three days after this affair, many of the princi- cipal officers were enjoying the cool air on the quarter deck •, the forecaftle was manned with its cuftomary watch, and the wafte of the fliip was rilled with live cattle. Orellana and his, companions, having thrown off the more cum- brous part of their drefs, and prepared their weapons, came all together towards the door of the great cabin. As they approached, the boatfwain repri- manded them for their encroachment, and or- dered them to withdraw : whereupon Orellana fpoke to his followers in their native Language, when four of them drew off, two to each gang- way, while the other fix, with their chief, affec- ted to retire flowly, till Orellana law the gang- ways poffeffed by the detached parties ; when clapping his hand hollow to his mouth, he fet up the war cry, which is perhaps the moft ter- rifying found in nature ; on which they all drew their knives, and brandiihed their flings fo fuc- cefsfully, that they laid above twenty Spaniards dead at their feet, and difabled as many more. It is impoflible to defcribe the confufion which this fuddtn attack fpread among the ihips crew : moft of the principal officers in the beginning of the tumult, rufhed into the great cabin, where they extinguifhed die light, and made the door fail •, while others endeavoured to make their efcape along the gang-ways into the forecaftle : but the Indians, who were ftationed on purpofe, ftabbed the greater part of them, as they at- tempted to pafs by, or forced them off the gang-ways into the wafte. Some threw them- felves over the barricadoes into the wafte, happy to lie concealed among the cattle ; while the greater part ran up the main-lhrouds, and fe- cured themfelves in the tops or rigging. The watch in the forecaftle, finding their communica- tion cut off, ran up into the rigging of the fore- maft and bowfprit, in the utmoft confufion. Thus did eleven Indians, with unexampled refolution, poffefs themfelves almoft in an in- ftant, of the quarter deck of a fliip mounting fixty-fix guns, and manned with near five hun- dred hands. The officers in the great cabin, among whom were Pizarro and Mindinuetta, the crew between decks, and thole who had I efcaped into the tops and rigging, were only | anxious for their own fafety ; and were for a long time incapable of forming any project for fur- preffing the infurrection. The yells of the Indians, the confufed cla- mours of the crew, and the groans of the wound- ed, all heightened by the obfeurity of the night, had, at firft, greatly magnified their danger, and filled them with imaginary terrors. For as the Spaniards were fenfible of the disaffection of their preft hands, and were confeious of their barbarity to their priibners, they imagined the confpiracy was general, and confidered them- felves as devoted to deftruclion ; fome of them were even fo terrified as to have taken the refo- lution of jumping into the fea, had not the ar- guments of their companions diverted them from it. Orellana having cleared the quarter deck, broke open the cheft of arms, which, a few- days before, had been removed to that place on a flight fufpicion of mutiny ; but, to his great difappointment, he found only fire arms ; but had he thought to have removed thefe, he would have come at the cutlaffes of which he was in learch, in the ule of which weapons the Indians are extremely well {killed ; and with thefe, it is luppofed, they intended to have forced the great cabin. By this time Pizarro and his companions in the great cabin, were capable of converfing aloud through the windows and port-holes, with thofe in the gun room and between decks ; from whom they learnt, that the Englifh, whom they had chiefly fufpecled, were all fate below, and had not been concerned in the mutiny ; and, at length, they came to underftand that there were no confpirators but Orellana and his people. On this, Pizarro and his officers, refolved to attack them, before any of the malecontents on board fhould recover their furprize and join them ; for which purpofe they lowered down a bucket out of the cabin window, into which the gunner handed out of one of the gun-room ports, a quantity of piftol cartridges, with which they loaded their piftols, being the only arms they had in the cabin ; and then venturing to fet the door a little open, they fired among the Indians, but for fome time without effect, till Mindinuet- ta had the good fortune to (hoot Orellana dead on the fpot, upon which his companions inftantly leaped into the fea, and were every one of diem drowned. Thus after the thip had been upwards of two hours in poflefilon of thefe gallant Indians, did Pizarro regain the command of it, and arrived with it in fafety on the coaft of Galicia, in the beginning of the year 1746, after his having been abfent from Europe near five years, and having by his affiduity in watching the motions of Mr. Anfon, occafioned the deftruclion of four fine fhips of war and a tender, and curtailed the naval power of Spain of more than three thou- fand of her ableft hands ; a lots which, alone, would have heen fufficient to have indemnified this nation for the expence of the equipment of Mr. Anion's fquadron. iWe left Mr, Anfon on the third of Novem- ber, having juft weighed from the ifland of Madera, and intending for St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd Iflands ; but next day, when they were at fea, on confideration how far the feafon was advanced, he altered this re^ folution, and appointed St. Catherine's on the coaft of Brazil to be thefirft place of rendezvous in cafe of feperation. On the fixteenth of De- cember in the morning they difcovered the land of Brazil, and on the evening of the eighueenth they caft anchor at the north weft point of the ifland of St. Catherine's. As ROUND THE WORLD: 127 As the forts began to fire their guns and noill their colours, the commodore, to prevent the alarm from fpreading, difpatched an officer to compliment the governor, and defire a pilot to carry them into the road ; a requeft which was immediately complied with ; and on fun- day the twenty-firft they were brought up pall the caftle of Santa Cruz, which they fainted with eleven guns, and the compliment was re- turned with an equal number. Former navigators have celebrated this ifland for the whole (bmenefs of its air, the plenty of refrefhments which it yields, and the holpitalityof its inhabitants •, but Mr. Anion's people found the direct contrary in every particular: their firft care, after having moored their fhips, was to get the lick men on more, into tents which were erected for their reception. The difeaied on board the Centurion amount- ed to eighty perfons, nor were their numbers proportionally lefs on board the other veffels : vet the land air was of fo little advantage to them, that they buried twenty-eight hands from the commodore's fhip, and carried away ninety- fix in a very weak condition ; their chief dilbrders being calentures which they had contracted in their run from Madera, cccafioned by the warmth of the climate, and the offenfive fmell that prevailed among fuch a number of men. When the fick were taken care of, their next employment was to wood anu water their fquadron, caulk their fhips fides and decks, and fecure the mails and rigging againft the tem- pcftuous weather they expecled to meet with in a voyage round Cape Horn ; the dangers of which were lb evident, that Mr. Anfon appoint- ed three different places of rendezvous, the firll of which was port St. Julian, where they were to be flationcd for ten days and take in fait ; the fe- cond the ifland of NoftraSenora del Socoro, where they were to ply off and on from five to twelve leagues diilant, as long- as their ilore of wood and water would permit ; and then to proceed to Juan Fernandez, to take in a frefh fupply •, and there, if they were not joined by the commodore, they were to give him up for loft ; and were to put themielves under the command of the fenior officer, who was to ufe his utmoft endeavours to annoy the enemy by fea and land, as long as his provifions lafted, or as long as they were recruited by what he fhould take from the ene- my ; referving only a fufficient quantity to carry him and the lhips under his command to Macao, it the entrance of the river of Canton, on the coaft of China ; where, having taken in a frefh flock of provifions, he was to fail to England with all pofiible expedition. Under thefe orders the fquadron left St. Catherine's on Sunday the eighteenth of January, and three days afterwards they had a mofl vio- lent florm, attended with fo thick a fog, that it was impoffiblc to fee at the diflance of two fhip's length, fo that the fleet was totally dif- perfed, but they were all in fight again by the next day at noon, except the Pearl, which did not join them till near a month afterwards, when they were almoft arrived at Port St. Julian, where they were obliged to make fome delay to refit the Trial, which had loft her main-maft, in the abovementioned florm. On the eighteenth of February the fquadron came to an anchor in the bay of St. Julian, on the coaft of Patagonia, where the Trial was im- mediately put in repair, being fupplied by the Wager with a fpare main-top-mail, which was converted into a foremaft. That part of the fouthern continent of America, which is unoccupied by the Spaniards, and extends from their fettlements to the ftreights of Magellan, is called Patagonia; it is re- markable for being one continued chain of downs, covered with long tufts of coarfe grafs, interperfed with barren fpots, where only gravel is to be feen. The whole coaft, which is twelve hundred miles in length, and as far back as any dis- coveries have yet been made, has no other wood than a few infignificant fhrubs. A few horfes and black cattle having been put on fhore here by the Spaniards, when they firft fettled at Buenos Ayres, they have in- creafed to that degree that they extend in vaft herds over the continent, and are no longer confidered as private property, but taken by whoever chufes to hunt them down •, many thoufands of them being annually flau^htered by the hunters, merely for their hides and tallow. Thefe hunters are mounted on horfe-back, and armed with a kind of fpear, with a blade at the end of it, which inftead of being fixed in a line with the wood, is fixed acrofs. With this inftrument they purfue the beafts, ahd the hunter that comes neareft him, hamftrings him •, after which he foon falls, without beino- able to rife again, when the hunters inhuman- ly leave him, and follow others which they treat in the fame manner. Sometimes a fecond party attends the hunters to fkin the cattle as they fall, but they oftener leave them to lan- guifh in torment, from an imagination that the anguifh the beaft indures, will burft the lym- phatic veffels, and thereby facilitate the fepara- tion of the fkin from the carcafe. Againft this horrid practice their priefts have loudly exclaimed, but all they have yet faid on the fubjeel has not put a flop to it. The carcafes of the beafts killed in this man- ner are left to putrify, or to be devoured by the wild dogs, of which there are immenfa numbers, which are fuppofed to have been ori- ginally produced by Spanifh dogs from Buenos Ayres, but being allured by the abundance of carrion, they left their matters, and run wild among the cattle. Many black cattle are alfo annually taken alive for the ufes of agriculture and other pur- poles. The method of taking them is very cu- rious. The hunters, who are on horfeback, take a ftrong thong of feveral fathoms in length, at one end of which is a running noofe •, they hold it in their right hand, and it being pro- perly coiled up, and the oppoiite end fattened to the faddle, they ride at a herd of cattle, and when they come within a proper diflance of the beaft they intend to catch, throw the thong; with fuch exactnefs, that they fcarce ever fail to [18 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE AN S O N, Efy to fix the noofe about his horns. The beafl when he finds himfelf entangled, generally runs, but the horfe keeps pace with him, till a fe- cond hunter throws another noofe about one of his hind legs •, and then the horfes turning dif- ferent ways, the beaft is foon overthrown, and each horfe keeps upon the ftretch,till the hunters .difmount, and fecure him as they think proper : and if the affertior.s of peribns of credit may be believed, even tigers are taken in this man- ner. A principle difadvantage in this country is the fcarcity of frefh water, which hitherto has been found only in final! quantities ; that wnich is common in the ponds and ftreams being brackiih and ill-tafted. There are confiderable numbers of Peruvian iheep throughout the country, which are extreme- ly fhy and difficult to be taken. On the eaftern coaft there are abundance of feals, and a great variety of fea fowls, the moft remarkable of which are penguins, which are about the fhape and fize of a goofe ; but inftead of wings have fhort flumps like fins, which are of no ufe to them except in the water: their bills are narrow, their bellies white, and as they ftand and walk in an erect pofture, Sir John Narbo- rough has whimfically compared them to little children in white aprons. There are but few inhabitants on this fide of the coaft, which at port St. Julian is not more than three hundred miles over -, but in the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres, where the continent is near four hundred leagues broad, the natives are numerous, active and fpirited, and oftentimes very troublefome to the Spa- niards-, in their bravery they nearly refemble'the gallant Indians of Chili, who have often fet the Spaniih power at defiance, and ftill nobly main- tain their independence. They are ufually ex- cellent horfemen, and extremely expert in the vvfe of all military weapons except fire arms, which the Spaniards are very follicitous to keep out of their hands. It is certain that the moft effectual flep to fubvert the Spanifh power in America, would be to cultivate a fricndlhip with, and give due encouragement to thefe Indians, and thole of Chili. Sir John Narborough has obferved that the port of St. Julian produces excellent fait, and that in the month or February, fulficient may be found there to fill a thoufand fhips -, Mr. Anfon, however, did not find this report verified ; for on fending an officer to the fait pond, to get a quantity for the ufe of the fquadron, it was found to be fcarce and bad ; which, perhaps, was occafioned by the uncommon wetnefs of the weather. The principal matter which detained the fqua- dron at Port St. Julian, being the refitting of the Trial, and that bufinefs being compleated, the commodore held a council of the officers on board the Centurion, and informed them that his orders were to fecure fome port in the South Seas, where the fhips in the fquadron might careen and refit ; and propofed to attack Baldi- via, the principal frontier of Chili ; to which every member confenting, new inft.ruC~r.ions were given to the captains of the fquadron, import- ing that in cafe of feperation, they were to cruize ten days off the ifland of Noftra Senora del So- coro •, when if they were not joined by the com- modore, they were to proceed and cruize for fourteen days off the harbour of Baldivia •, after which time, if they were not joined by the other fhips, they were to direct their courfe to Juan Fernandez. Each captain was at the fame time directed, not to feperate from the Centurion, unlefs in cafe of unavoidable neceffity, more than two miles. Thefe orders being iffued, the fquadron ftood to fea on the twenty-feventh of February in the morning, when the Gloucefter not being able to purchafe her anchor, was obliged to cut her cable, and leave her beft bower behind her. On the fourth of Mnrch, the day being re- markably ferene, moft of the captains paid a vifit to the commodore •, but while they were in company, they were alarmed by a fudden flame from the Gloucefter, which was followed by a cloud of fmoke ; but they foon learnt that the blaft was occafioned by a fpark from the forge, flying into fome gun-powder and other com- buftibles, which an officer on board was pre- paring for ufe, in cafe they fhould chance to engage the Spaniih fleet ; but that it had been extinguifhed before any damage had happened to the fhip. On the fifth of March they firft difcovered the land of Terra del Fuego, which affords a moft dreary profpeel ; it appears without the leaft mixture of earth or mold, like one con- tinued chain of inacceflible rocks, terminating, at a prodigious height, in innumerable ragged points, which are covered with perpetual fnow,and the hills on which th~y rife, appear to have been cleft afunder as if by earthquakes ; thefe ftup.en- dous chafms extend through the main fubftance of the rocks almoft to the very bottom. On the feventhth-y opened ftreights leMaire, through which, though feven or eight leagues long, they were hurried by the rapidity of the tide in about two hours ; and as thefe are gene- rally reckoned the boundaries of the atlantic and pacific oceans, the men began to flatter themfelves, that their dangers were almoft at an end, and that they fhould foon take poffeffion of thole riches, on which, in imagination, they had fo long feafted. Thefe agreeable ideas were confiderably heightened by the brightnefs of the fky, and the ferenity of the weather ; for though winter was coming on, yet the morning of that day was as mild and agreeable, as any they had feen fince they left England : but they had icarcely reached the fouthern extremity of the ftreights before their agreeable profpects entirely vanifhed ; the wind fhifted and blew in violent fqualls, and the tide turned furioufly againft them, and drove to the eaftward,with fuch rapidity, that the twofternmoft vefTels, the Wager, and the Anna Pink, with the utmoft difficulty efcaped being dafhed in pieces on the fhore of Staten-hnd. For above three months from this time they ftruggled with fuch dangers and diftreffes as are * Icarcely R O U N D T 11 E WORL D. 1^9 Tcarcely to be paralleled, and had fuch a conti- nual fucceflion of tempeftuous weather, as afto- nifhed the oldeft failors on board, who unani- moufly confefled, that what they had hitherto called ftorms, were inconfiderable gales, com- pared to the violence ofthefe winds, which railed fuch fhort and mountainous waves, as filled them with continual terror ; for had but one of theft waves broke over them, it muft in all pro- bability have fent them to the bottom. The fhips now rolled gun-whale too, with motions fo quick and violent, that unlefs the men were happy enough to graip fome fixed body, they ran a rifle of being dafhed to pieces againft the decks or fides of the fhips ; and even \ h all their care, many ufeful hands were either killed or difabled. Theft tempefts were rendered ftillmore dread- ful from Ac manner of their approach, which was generally without any previous notice, after a continued calm, which had encouraged them to venture to make tail with the fore-top-fail fet, or the courfes double- reefed •, and to augment the diftrefs, thele blafts ufually brought with them great quantities of fnow and fleet, which freezing the fails and cordage, rendered them apt to map at the flighteft ftrain, and benumb- ing the limbs of the failors, mortified the fingers and toes of feveral of them. On the firft of April, the weather, after hav- ing been a little more moderate, returned to its former violence, the iky looked dark and gloomy, and the wind began to frefhen and blow in fqualls ; and appearances were fuch as plainly indicated a fevere tempeft at hand : and accord- ingly, on the third, there came on a ftorm which exceeded in violence and duration, all they had hitherto encountered. In this ftorm the Wager loft her mizen-maft, and main-top-fail yard ; and the Anna Pink had her fore-ftay and the gammon of her bow-iprit broke, and was in danger of having; all her mafts come by the board. On the thirteenth of April they all expecled, by their reckoning, in a few days to have enjoyed fome eafe in the pacific ocean ; but the next morning between one and two o'clock the wea- ther clearing up a little, and the moon fhining out on a hidden, the Anna Pink made a fignal for feeing land right a-head : and it being then only two miles diilant, they were under the moft dreadful apprehenfions of running on fnore, and had not the wind fuddenly fhifted, or had not the moon fhone out, every ihip muft have pe- rifhed. They found this land, to their great aftonifb- ment, to be Cape Noir, though they imagined they were ten degrees more to the weft : for the currents had driven them fo ftrongly, that when they thought they ran down nineteen degrees weft, they had not really advanced half that diftance. After this mortifying difappointment they flood away to the fouthward, with the weather tolerably favourable, till the twenty-fourth of April, on the evening of which day the wind increafed to a prodigious ftorm, and about mid- night the weather was fo thick that the whole N* ii. K k fquadron feperated, nor did they meet again till they reached the ifland of Juan Fernandez. To add to their other misfortunes, the fcurvy began to make fuch havock among them, that on board the Centurion only, it carried off forty- three men in the month of April, and twice that number in May. This ftrange diforder, fo ufual on long voyages, appears in manydifferent and horrid fhapes ; it is generally attended with fwelled legs, putrid gums, deje&ion offpirits, lhiverings and tremblings, with a difpofition to be feized with unaccountable terrors upon the flighteft accidents. It opened the wounds of an old marine in fuch a manner as if they had never been healed, though they had been clofed up fifty years : where a leg had been formerly bro- ken and afterwards confolidated, it diflblved the callofity of the bone, and the fraclure appeared as if it had never been cured. Many of the failors, though confined to their hammocks, were chearful, talked in a loud, ftrong tone cf voice, and eat and drank hear- tily ; but on being only moved in their ham- mocks, from one part of the fhip to another, immediately expired ; and others, confiding in their feeming ftrength, have left their ham- mocks to go upon deck, but expired on the way •, while upon the deck nothing was more common than to fee the men drop down dead, on an attempt to exert themfelves with any unufual vigour. On the eighth of May the Centurion arrived off the ifland of Socoro, in which ftation they cruized for feveral days in hope of being joined by fome of the fcattered fhips, but to no pur - pofe i and during this time they were often in, danger of being driven upon the rocks, for the fqualls were fo violent that with the utmoft dif- ficulty they kept clear of the fhore. In one of thefe fqualls, which was attended with violent claps of thunder, a hidden fiafh darted along the decks, with an explofion like that of feveral piftcls, and wounded feveral perfons by whom it pafTed. It would be an endlefs tafk to recount the difafters, fatigues and terrors they fuftained upon this coaft till the twenty-fecond of May, when the fury of all the ftorms they had hitherto en- countered, feemed to combine and confpire their deftruclion ; almoft all their fails were fplit,. their rigging deftroyed, and a mountainous wave breaking over them on the ftarboard quarter, gave the veflel fo prodigious a fhock, that feve- ral of the fhrouds were broke, and the ballaft and ftores fo ftrangely fhifted, that fhe lay on her larboard fide. The wind at length abating a little, they began to exert themfelves to ftir- rup the fhrouds, reeve new lanyards, and mend the fails ; during which operations, they ran great rifk of being driven on fhore on the ifland of Chiloe •, but the wind happily fhifting to the fouthward, they fleered off" land with only a main-fail, there being no perfon left to manage: the helm but the mailer, and the reverend Mr. Walter the commodore's chaplain ; the reft be- ing all bufily employed, in fecuring the mafts and bending the fails. They met with no more ftormy weather in this climate 1 3 o THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq$ climate, for after a fortnights cruife without fee- ing any of the other mips, the Centurion that day got clear of the land, and the weather prov- ing tolerably moderate, bore away for Juan Fer- nandez, which was thought to be the only chance left them to avoid periihing at lea, and the moft probable place they could think of to recover the lick, and refit their veffel j for though Baldi- via was the appointed place of rendezvous, it was no longer thought on ; the only hope now left being that of laving the fhip and the few remaining lives en board. After encountering many difficulties, they at length reached theilland of Juan Fernandez, on the ninth of June, in a moft defponding condi- tion, with great Scarcity of frelh water, and the crew fo difeaSed, that there were not more than ten fore mail men in a watch, capable of doing duty •, and even fome of thefe were lame and incapable of going aloft. Had Mr. Anfon's directions been followed, they would have made the defired port on the twenty-eighth of May ; but his opinion being over-ruled by the majority of officers, the fhip remained twelve days longer at lea than other- wile fhe would have done, and loft between feventy and eighty men, which might have been faved, but from this circumftance. CHAP. II. Dcfcription of the ifland of Juan Fernandez ; the arrival of the Tryal, Gloucejier and An?ia Pink there ; an account ofthedifirejj'es they underwent, before they reached the ifland; a ?iar- rative of the lofs of the Wager, and the adventures of her crew till they arrived in England; a defer iption of Mafa-Fuero ; the Anna Fink broke up ; fever al prizes taken ; the Tryal being unfit for fervice, is funk; an attempt upon Fait a determined on ; the taking and burn- ing the town of Fait a. THE ifland of Juan Fernandez, when firft discovered appears to be furrounded with craggy broken precipices, the proipecl: how- ever, on a nearer approach, changes into a land- fcape the moft beautiful that can be imagined ; a profpect, which, though at any time Sufficient- ly delightful, was uncommonly lb to the few Surviving failors, who now beheld a land cover- ed with woods, interfperfed with carpets of the lovelieft verdure, and watered with numerous ftreams and cafcades, the idea of tailing which, revived the Spirits of thofe who were almoft dy- ing of thirft. The nothern fide of this ifland is compofed of a rangeoof craggy hills, covered with aroma- tic trees, none of which are large enough to yield timber of any ccnfiderable fize. The largeft among them is the myrtle, the top of which grows in a circular form, as re- gular as if it was clipped by art ; and the bark of it yields an excrefcence, which in tafte and fmell refembles garlick, and inftead of which it was uled by the people of the Centurion ; but even this tree cannot be cut to a greater length than forty feet. Some pimento and cabbage trees are found here, but not in any great num- bers •, and Mr. Anfon fewed fome apricots peaches and plumbs, which have fince thriven prodigioufly. The trees cannot take any deep root, for the foil is loofe, gravelly and fhallow, lb that very large trees are eafily overturned ; which occafioned the death of one of the failors, who being upon the hills in fearch of goats, caught hold of a tree upon a declivity, to aflift him in his alcent, which giving way, he immediately relied down the hill, and though in his fall he laid hold of another tree of con- siderable bulk, yet that too gave way, and he fell among the rocks and was dallied to pieces. It was remarked that fome of thefe hills, refembled thole of Chili, where gold is found : . fo that, Mr. Anfon's hiftorian oblerves, it is not improbable but mines might be difcovered here. In fome places they obierved feveral hills, of a peculiar fort of red earth, in colour exceeding vermillion, which, perhaps, on exa- mination, might prove ufeful for many pur- poles. Water-creffes, purflain, wild forrel, turnips, Sicilian radifhes, and many other vegetables pe- culiarly adapted to the cure cf the fcurvy, a- bound every where on the iiland -, the num- berlefs beauties of which cannot fail to charm all thofe who have a true tafte for the beauties of unaffifted na:ure, which greatly excel the la- boured efforts of art. There are fome particular Spots in the vallies, where the fhade and fragrance of the neighbour- ing woocte, the lofcinefs of the over-hanging rocks, and the transparency and frequent falls of the neighbouring ftreams, prefented Scenes cf Such elegance and grandeur, as poflibly may not be rivalled in any part of the world. The great number of goats which Former navigators have found on this ifland, have becu much diminished by the dogs fet on Shore here by the Spaniards. Among the goats which fell into the hands of Mr. Anion's men, were found two or three of a very venerable afpect, which from having their ears flit, they imagined had formerly be- longed to Mr. Selkirk* The dogs having encreafed to a prodigious nam- * See Woodes Roger*'* Voyage,. ROUND THE WORLD. >3* number, have niade themfclves mailers of all the accefilble parts of the ifland, while the few- remaining goats, inhabit the high grounds and fecure the narrow pafles by a conftant guard. The Reverend Mr. Walter in his account of this voyage, tells us that he faw a number of dogs endeavouring to gain a hill, and look- ing a little farther, oblerved upon the ridge of it, a hefd of goats, which feemed to be drawn up for their reception. There was a very nar- row path fkirted on each fide by precipices, where the mailer of tire herd polled himfelf fronting the enemy, the reft of the goats being all behind him where the ground was more open ; as this lpot was inacceflible by any other path except where this champioi had placed himfelf, the dogs, though they ran up the hill with great alacrity, yet when they came within about twenty yards of him, being afraid to at- tack him, (for he would infallibly have driven them down the precipice) they laid themfelves down panting for bieath, and having recon- noitred the foe, marched back to the deilruclion of lbme young feals, on which they now prin- cipally fublift. The people of the Centurion fed en the fea lion, under the denomination of beef. Great numbers of thefe animals haunt this coall during the winter. They are in fize, when at the full growth, from twelve to twenty feet in length, and from eight to fifteen in circumference : they are fo extremely fat, that after having cut through the skin, there is at leaft twelve inches of fat before either lean or bone is found, and the fat of the largeft of them frequently yield- ed a butt of oil. Their skins are covered with fhert hair of a light dun colour ; but their tails and feet, which at fea ferve them for fins, are almoil black. Their feet are divided at the ends like fingers, and are joined together by a web. They in fome degree refemble an over- grown leal ■, but the males have a large trunk '" out that hangs down five or fix inches be- or low the end of the upper jaw, which the females have not ; the males are alfo confidcra- bly larger than the females. The largeft lea lion was mailer of the herd, nr.d the faiiors ftiled him the baihaw, from the number of females he kept to himfelf, and his driving oft" the other males. Thefe animals continue at fea all the fummer, and come on /hore at the beginning of winter, where they re- fide ail that feafon. In this interval they engender, and bring forth their young, and have generally two at a birth, of about the fize of a full grown feal, which they fuckle with their milk. As they are of a lethargic difpofition, and not eafily awakened, each herd was oblerved to place lbme of their males at a diftance, by way of centinels, who never failed to alarm them when any one attempted to approach them, by . making a loud grunting noile like a hog, or lhorting like a horJe in full vigour. The males had often furious battles with each other, chiefly about the females. The faiiors killed many of them for food, particularly for their tongues and hearts, which were thought preferable to thofe of a bullock. They were eafily killed, being incapable of refilling or es- caping, their motion being more unweildy than can well be imagined: their blubber, all the time they are moving, is agitated in large waves, un- der the fkin ; and they are fo full of blood, that on being deeply wounded in a dozen places, there will inftantly guih out as many fountains of blood, fpouting to a confiderable diftance. But though thefe unweildy creatures are eafily killed, they are capable of doing much mifchief ; for a failor being carelefsly employed in fkin- ning a young lea lion, the female from whom he had taken it, approached him unperceived, and getting his head in her mouth, fcored his lkull in notches with her teeth, by which he was fo defperately wounded, that he died in two or three days afterwards, notwithftanding all poffi- care was taken to preferve his life. The bay abounds with plenty of delicious fifh, and in particular with a fort of cray-fifh, which weigh eight or nine pounds apiece, of a moll excellent tafte. They faw but few birds, which were chiefly hawks, humming-birds, owls, and black-birds. There were formerly great num- bers of cats here, but they have been deftroyed by the dogs, as have alfo the Pardela, a fort of bird that ufed to burrow in the ground. As foon as the fhip was brought to a fafe birth, their firft care was to erect tents for the reception of the fick, the number of whom amounted to one hundred and fi^ty feven per- fons, twelve or fourteen of whom died in the boats on being expofed to the frefh air. As the greater part of them were quite helplefs, it was neceflary to remove them in their hammocks ; in which laborious employment the commodore and his officers aflifted. So inveterate was the diforder which raged a- among the men, that its firft fury did not abate in lefs than twenty days after the landing ; and for the firft ten or twelve days, they buried fix or feven people daily ; and it feemed as if no remedy could have repelled the power of the difeafe. Proper meafures having been taken for the recovery of the fick, their next care was tho- roughly to cleanle the fhip, which was become extremely loathfome •, and when that was done, they proceeded with all poffible expedition to lay in wood and water ; in doing which they made the more hafte, as they feared the return of Pizarro's fquadron; for it was evident from the heaps of frefh afhes, and fcattered fragments of fifh bones, that they had been lately here, and it was impoffible that Mr. Anfon fhould be as yet acquainted with their melancholy Situation ; and the commodore, in his prefent circumftances, with only about thirty healthy hands to man a fixty gun fhip, was not a match for any velTel of force. A few days after the Centurion had arrived here, the Tryal Hoop appeared in fight, and was brought into the harbour by the help of fome men difpatched to her affiftance by Mr. Anfon in the long boat, as the Tryal had only three men, befides captain Saunders, her com- mander, and her lieutenant, abls to iland to the THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Elb; t 3 2 the fails •, having buried thirty of her hands, and the reft being down with the fcurvy. In the beginning of July, fome of the men being tolerably well recovered, the ftrongeft of them were ordered to cut down trees, and iplit them into billets, while others, who were not ftrcngenough for this employment, undertook to carry the billets by one at a time to the water fide ; and fome of them performed this with the help of crutches, while others fupported them- felves with a fingle ftick. The Gloucefter was difcovered to the lee- ward on the twenty-firft of June, making the beft of her way for the iiland, though they were not convinced that it was her till the twenty- fixth, when Ihe appeard full in view, and Mr. Anfon immediately difpatched his long-boat on board her, with a fupply of frefh water and ve- getables, of which ihe was in the utmoft need, as without this timely relief, her people had certainly expired through thirft ; being then at the allowance of a pint of water each man per day ; and having no more than enough to ferve them twenty-four hours, even at that quan- tity. It was the misfortune of this veffel to be con- tinually driving on and off the ifland till the twenty-third of July, fometimes out of fight of the land in the greateft diftrefs imaginable, and the utmoft danger of foundering. Thefe diffi- culties were occafioned by the winds and cur- rents fettingoftrongly againft her ; but at length however ihe made the north-weft point of the iiland, and came to an anchor at a time when her people began to defpair of almoft ever gain- ing land, or feeing any period to their calamities but bydtarh. The Anna pink arrived about the middle of Auguft, which, with the Tryal and Gloucefter, mentioned above, were the only veflels that ever joined the fquadron •, for the Severn and Pearl, having been parted from the commodore off Cape Horn, with difficulty reached Brazil, from whence they made the beft of their way back to Europe. We mail have occafion to fpeak of the lofs of the Wager hereafter, but firft we will give a view of the adventures of the Anna, before ihe reached this ifland. This veffel fell in with the land on the fixteenth of May, in forty-five de- grees, fifteen minutes, fouth latitude •, on the firft fight of which they ftcod to the fouthward ; but their fore top-faii fplitting, a hard gale at weft fouth weft, drove them towards the fhore, which ihe was unable, or, as fome fay, the cap- tain was unwilling to avoid, hoping for fome refiefhment among the many iflands then in fight. In about four hours fhe dropped anchor off the ifland of Inchin -, but neither being near enough to the fhore, nor having a fufficient number of hands to veer away the cable brifkiy, they continued to drive for two days, till they came within a mile of land, and expected every moment to be forced on fhore ; when they ob- ferved a fmall opening in the land", and inltantly cutting away their two anchors, they fleered for it, and found it to be a fmall channel, betwixt an ifland and the continent, that led them into an excellent harbour, which fecured them a- gainft all weathers. This was a happy turn of fortune for a crew which juft before had given themfelves up for loft •, for their boats were leaky, and even if they mould chance to reach the fhore, they feared they fhould fall a prey to the favage dif- pofition of the inhabitants : but their fears were ill founded, for all the time they remained here, they law but one Indian family, which entered the harbour in a periagua about a month after their arrival. This family confifted of an Indian, his wife, and two young children ; having with them a dog, a cat, a fifhing net, a. hatchet, a knife, a reel with worfted, a flint and fteel, a cradle, fome roots of a yellow colour and difagreeable tafte, which ferved them for bread, and fome bark of trees intended for the covering; of a hut. As foon as the mafter of the pink perceived them, he lent his yawl, which brought them on board, and being apprehenfive of their difco- vering him, if they were permitted to go away, he was careful to lecure them, but without any mixture cf violence or ill-ufage, permitting them the free ufe of the deck all day ; but at night locking them up in the forecaltle. They were fed with the fame provisions as the fnip's crew, and fometimes indulged with brandy, of which they were very fond. It was Icon perceived that though the woman continued chearful and eajy, the man grew pen- five and reftleis at his confinement. He was a perfon of good natural parts, and though in- capable cf converfing, otherwife than by figns, was very dextrous in making himfelf under- ftood ; but the beft proof of his fagacity was the manner of his efcape ; for after being eight days on board the pink, the fcuttle of the fore- caltle, where they were every night locked up, happened to be unnailed ; a'nd the following night being. very dark and llormy, he conveyed his wife and children through the unnailed fcut- tle, and then over the fhip's fide into the yawl, in which he rowed afhore, having firft turned adrift the long-boat and his own periagua, to prevent his being purfued. All this he conducted with fuch diligence and fecrecy, that though there was a watch on the quarter deck, he v/as not difcovered by them, till the noife of his oars in the water, as he was rowing away, gave them notice of his efcape ; and then it was too late to prevent him. The people on board, who could not but admire the refolution and fagacity which the Indian had difplayed, imagining that he was concealed in the woods in the neighbourhood of the port, and fearing he might want food, left provifions for him in places from whence they had after- wards reafen to fuppofe he took it. His efcape, however, influenced them to haften their departure, fearing he might difcover them to the Spaniards, or to fome of the bar- barous inhabitants ; and of the latter, in parti- cular they were under violent apprehenlions ; wherefore, taking in wood and water, they made ROUND V H E WORLD. *3: made the beft of their way to Juan Fernandez. It now remains for us to give fome account of the Wager, and her various diftrefles. The Wager was commanded by captain Cheap, who was extremely anxious to reach Baldivia, having on board fome few field pieces, cohorn mortars, pioneer's tools, and feveral kinds of military llorcs, all which would have been much wanted, if the pr jected attack upon that place had been adhered to. Thefc confederations induced the captain to haften towards the firft place of ren- dezvous, which was Socoro, from whence he intended to have failed for Baldivia, in cafe he did not find the fquadron at the firft mentioned place. This was his fixed refolution when he made land on the fourteenth of May, in about forty- feven degrees fouth latitude, when exerting him- Jelf to gc: clear, he had the misfortune to fall /a and dillocate his fhouider, which rendered him incapable of acting, and the crew not tak- ing proper pains to work her off the coaft, fhe (truck on a funken rock, and bulged foon afcer, mded between two fmall ifiands. The cenfufbn produced by this accident, was greatly heightened by the rebellious difpofition of the crew, who imagining the. lofs of the fhip deftroyed the captain's fupericrity, and put them all on an equal footing, rell to rifling the ftores, and drinking the liquors, without any confidera- tion of their unhappy condition. Many of them got fo drunk, that falling down between decks, they were drowned in the water which Mowed in- to the wreck. The captain, having ufed his utmeft endea- vours to get the whole crew en fhore, was at length obliged to leave the mutineers, and to follow his officers, and fuch as fubmitted to his authority •, afcer which he fent back the boats, to perfua ;e thofe who ftaid behind, to con- fult their own fafety by coining on fhore, but in vain. The next day proving very ftOrrriy, and the P being in r of parting, they began to '•■"• land; but'the boats not ap- F c; ' rrofffo ' they expect- ed, they madly pointed a foi r pounder from the Paita; for the conveyance of the fhips that touch there, and cattle are brought from the above mentioned town < f Piura. The water brought from Colan is of a whitifh difagjreeable afpecr, but is faid to be very wholfome, being itrongly impregnated with farfiparilla, with which the country through which it runs is faid to a- bound. Paita is efteemed the belt bay in that part of the coaft, affording very fecure and commodious anchorage, and is therefore much frequented by all veifcls coming from the north, fince it is the only place for fhips from Acapulco, Sonfonate, Panama, &c. to take in reffefhmens in the paf- fage to Callao, and the wind being full againfl them for the greateit part of the year, renders it impoffible for them to perform thefe long voyages, without flopping for a recruit of frefh water. This town co'nfifts of about two hundred houfes, each one ftory high, the walls being made of fplit cane and mud, and the roofs only a covering of leave's : thefe buildings, flight as they are, may be allowed fufficient for a climate in which ram is unknown. There fell indeed a fmall quantity in the year 172S, which was con- lidered as a prodigy, and proved the deftruction of many buildings. The only defence of Paita, when Mr. Anion was there, was a fort v-ithout either ditch or outwork, furrounded with a brick w?ll of fmall ftrength, in v. Inch were mounted eight pieces of cannon, and the garrifon confift ed of only one weak company •, though it was thought the town was able to arm three hundred men. Mr. Anfon confidering that the flrength of the place did not require his whole force, and that the fhips might be eafily feeh at a diftance, evert in the night, which would alarm the inhabitants, and give them an opportunity of fecuring their moft valuable effects, refolved to make the at- tempt with the boats only, and ordered the eighteen oared barges, with his own and the Tryal pinnaces on that fervice, which were man- ned with fifty-eight choice men, well armed, un- der the care of Mr. Brett, to whom the conduct of the expedition was left. To prevent any cortfufion which might arife from their ignorance of the ftreets, two Spanifh pilots were ordered 1.0 conduct the lieutenant to N° 12. Mm the befl landing place, and to be his guides on fhore ; and to fecure their fidelity, an afiurance given to the priibners, that they fhould be all here fet on fhore, provided the pilot* acted faithfully. And the pilots were threatened that if they acted treacherouOy they fhould be im- mediately fhot, and the reft of the Spaniards fhould be carried prifoners to Eno-hnd. it was particularly remarkable, that one of thefe pilots bad been about twenty years before a prifoner with captain Clippenon, who com- pelled him, in like manner, to guide his men to Truxillo, an inland town to the fouthwawl of Paita, which they then furprized and pillaged. When the fhips were within five leagues of Paita about ten o'clock at night, lieutenantBrett with the boats under his command put off, and arrived without being difcovered, at the mouth, of the bay ; though he had no fooner entered it, than fome of the people on board a veflfel ri- ding at anchor there, perceived him, and in, me- diately getting into their boar, rowed towards the fliore, crying out, " The Englifh, the Englifh dogs, &c." by which the town was alarmed, and the men in the boats could perceive feveral lights hurrying backwards and forwards in the fort, and other marks of the inhabitants being in mo- tion; On this Mr. Brett encouraged his men to pull up brifkly, and go on fhore before two guns could be fired from the fort ; when drawino- up his men under the fhelter of a narrow ftreet, they in- ftantly marched to the parade, a large fquare at the end of this ftreet, with drums beating, and loud fhouts cf joy ; and were there faluted with a volley of fmall fhot from fome merchants, who had polled themfelves in a gallery that ran round the governor's houfe ; but upon the fire beino- returned, they abandoned the poft, and. left the Englifh in poffeffion of the parade. Mr. Brett now divided his men into two par- ties, one of which he ordered to furround the 00- vernor's houfe, and if poffible to fecure the go- vernor, while he marched at the head of the o- ther to the 'fort, with an intention to have forced it, but the enemy had made their efcape over the wails on his approach, fo that he entered it with- out oppofuion. Thus the town was taken in lefs than a quar- ter of an hour from their firft landing, with the lofs of one man killed and two wounded. As moft of the inhabitants were in bed when the place was furprized, they had fled in their firft fright, without flaying to diefs ; and as the failors could not be reftrained from breaking into the houfes, they eagerly feized upon their cloaths, which ac- cording to the fafhion of the country, were moll of them embroidered or laced •, and throwing thefe over their greafy jackets, cutfo ridiculous a figure when they appeared before the lieutenant, that he lcarcely knew them •, and what rendered their appearance ftill more uncouth, was that feveral of them, not finding men's apparel, had flipped on the women's embroidered gowns and petticoats. In the interim, the Centurion, and the other fhips, making an eafy fail towards Paita, opened the bay about feven in the morning, and at twelve 13 8 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Eia; twelve came to an anchor at a mile and a half distance frcm the town. This day and the fol- lowing were fpent in fending on board the trea- sure, confiftingof the moft valuable things to be found in the town, and beat loads of hogs, fowls, and other refrefhments •, and this was done with- out any moleftation from the enemy, a confide- rable number of whom aSfembled from all parts of the country on a hill at the back of the town, and among them were two hundred horfe that appeared to be well armed, and furmfhed with trumpets and drums and Standards. They paraded about the hill with great often- tation, an ! were headed by the governor who had been one of the firft that fled, leaving behind him his wife, a lady of about feventeen, to whom he had been married but a few days, and who was afterwaids carried off in her Shift by two of his people, juft as the Englifh arrived before his ho ufe. The commodore, to prevent any furprize in the nicht, Sent a rtinforcement on Shore, which was polled in all the paflages leading to the parade, and the Streets were fortified with barricadoes Six feet high, for their better fecurity : but as the enemy remained quiet ail night, they refum- ed their former employment of loading and fend- ing off their boats early in the morning. The ei'cape of the governor was a great mor- tification to the commodore, as well as to Mr. Brett, becaule if they had feeured him, they might probably have obtained a considerable ranfom for the town, as there were in it Several ware houfes filled with valuable goods which were confumed with it, when it was let on fire, upon his (the go- vernor's) I'tfufing to liften to any overtures that were made him •, for tho' Mr. Anfon fent Several meSTages to him by Some who had been taken prifonerSj offering to ranfom the town upon eafy terms, yet he did not deign even to return an an- fwer, and was fo S'ond of his new military com- mand, that he Seemed to have loft all concern for the fate of his government. On the Second day after the EngliSh had taken poffefiion of the place, the Spaniards on the hill were in Such want of water, that many of their Slaves crept into the town by Stealth, and car- ried off Several jars of water for their ufe; and Mr. Brett was informed both by feme deferters and prilbners that he took as they were carrying off the water, that the Spaniards on the hill hav- ing increaSed to a very confiderable number, had refolved to Storm the town and fort on the Suc- ceeding night, under the command of one Gor- don a Scotch catholic. Notwithstanding this he continued lending off the boats without the leaft hurry till the evening, when the commodore a- gain fent a reinforcement on Shore, and Mr. Brett doubled his guards at each of the barrica- does. The bufinefs at Paita being pretty well over on the third day, which was the fifteenth of No- vember, the commodore put all his prifoners, being eighty-eight in number, on Shore, agreea- ble to Ins promiSe, giving orders that they Should be Secured in one of the churches, till the men were ready to embark. Mr. Brett then, agreeable to his orders, dis- tributed pitch, tar : and other combultibles, of which there were great quantities in the town, into houfes Situated in different Streets ; that the place being fired in different parts at the fame time, the destruction might be the more violent and fudden, and that the Spaniards might not be able to extinguish it when he was gone. Then, having fpiked up the cannon in the fort, and fet fire to fuch houfes as were to the windward, he collected his men, of whom there was only one miffing, and marched towards the boats which were ready to carry them off. At this time a body of Spaniards upon the hill put themfelves in motion, and marched towards the town with great feeming refolution ; but Mr. Brett ordering his men to» halt and face about, this heroic troop made a full Stop, and did not dare to advance. They were now ready to put off from the beach, and the lait man was actually embarked, when they heard the voice of a perfon intreating them to take him on board -, (for by this time the beach was fo covered with Smoke that they could not difcern any one) when one of the boats advancing to the place from whence the found ilTned, found the man whom they had miffed, up to the chin in water, having waded as far as he durlt (for he could not fwim) and exceflively terrified, left he Should fall into the hands of the enemy. On enquiry into the caufe of his delay, it was found that he had taken too large a dofe of brandy, and falling afieep, did not awake till the fire came near enough to fcoreh him. He Said that on his firlt opening his eyes, he was Strange- ly amazed to fee the houfes all in a blaze about him on one fide, and on the other, Several Spa- niards and Indians near him, but that, recollect- ing his dangerous Situation, he puShed thro' the thickeft of the Smoke, as the likelieft means of efcaping the enemy, and arrived on the beach juft in time to lave himfelf. It ought to be obferved in juftice to the reft of thefe gallant fellows, that, tho' there was plen- ty of wine and fpiritu his liquors ready at their hands, this was the only man who went on Shore that was known to be drunk during the expedi- tion. The Sailors having helped their comrade out of the water, Mr. Brett and his detachment put off to the Ship. The acquisition they made in wrought plate, dollars, and other coin, amount- ed to upwards of thirty thouSand pounds, befides Several rings, bracelets and jewels, whofe value could not then be determined. The plunder that became the immediate property of the captors, was alio very confiderable. It appeared by a memorial prelented to the court of M.'.drid, that the lofs of the Spaniards by this action amount- ed to half a million of dollars. When the commodore firft came into bay, he found fix of the enemy's veffels at anchor, one of which, called the Solidad, being the Ship that was to have conveyed the trealure to the coalt of Mexico, he refolved to take her with him ■> and gave the command of her to Mr. Hughes, the lieutenant of the Tryal. The other five, being two fnows, a bark, and two row galleys, were towed out of the harbour, fcuttled and Sunk, by the command of the commodore. CHAP. ROUND THE WORLD. *3? CHAP. I. They fail from Paita ; dfputes about the plunder adjuficd by the commodore -, they Jleer for !%uibo; the Tcrefa and Solidad burned ; defer ipt ion of the ifland of §>uibo, and its produce j they fail from Quibo, and cruize for the Manila fhip ; Jleer for Chequetan ; the harbour of Chequetan, and the adjacent country defcribed ; extraordinary qualities of the torpedo- jijh ; they fail for China. T L HEY weighed anchor from the co?.ft of Paita, about midnight, on the fix- teenth of November, the fquadron be- ing increafed to fix fail, that is, the Centurion, the Tryal's prize, the Carmelo, the Carmin, the Terefa, and the Solidad. They now flood to the weftward, and in the morning the com- modore ordered the fhips to fland at a con- fiderable diftance from each other, in order to look out for the Gloucefter, for they then drew near the ilation where lhe had been ordered to cruize. And now a dilpute arofe between the men who had been afhore at Paita, and thole who had remained on board ; the latter maintain- ing that they had an undoubted right to fhare in the plunder which had been taken ; which the former confidered as a reward for the rifks they had run, and, the intrepidity they had fhewn. To this it was replied, by thole who had re- mained on board, that if it had been left to their choice, they fhould have preferred act- ing on Ihore to continuing on board •, and that while the others were on land, their duty was extremely fatiguing ; for befides the labour of the day, they were constantly under arms all night to fecure the prilbners, whofe numbers exceeded their own ; and of whom it was then neceflary to be extremely watchful ■, left, at fo critical a juncture, they might have been tempt- ed to form fome dangerous attempt. They aifo urged that a fufficient force on board was as ne- ceflary to the fuccefs of the enterprize, as the action cf the others on more. Thefe arguments were warmly oppofed by the obftinacy of fome and thefelfifhntfsof others j fo that the commodore thought it neceflary to interpofe his authority before any mifchievious coniequences enfued ; and therefore ordering all hands to afienible on the quarter deck, he addrefled himfelf to thofe who had been on fhore-, commended their behaviour, thanked them for their fervices, and then reafoned with them in luch a manner, as made it evident that their companions on board had an equal right with them to the plunder. He therefore infilled that both officers and private men fhould immediately produce the whole of the plunder upon the quarter deck, where he divided it in the moft impartial man- ner, among the whole crew, in proportion to each man's rank and commiffion : and to prevent the captors from murmuring at this diftribu- tion, as well as to encourage others who might be hereafter employed in like fervices, Mr. Anfon gave his own entire fhare of the booty to be divided among thofe who had been upon the attack j by which prudent meafures, all matters were adjufted to the general fatisfac- tion of the fhip's company. On the morning of the eighteenth they dif- covered the Gloucefter, with a fmall vefiel in tow, which joined them about three in the af- ternoon: when they learnt that captain Mitchel, in the whole of his cruize had only taken two prizes, one of which was a fnow, whofe cargo confided of wine, brandy, and olives in jars, and about feven thoufand pounds in fpecie •, and the other was a launch, the people on board which, when taken by the Gloucefter's barge were at dinner upon pigeon-pye ferved up in filver dilhes. Notwithftanding this circumftance, the pri- foners alledged that they were very poor : hav- ing nothing on board but cotton made up in jars, which being removed on board the Glou- cefter, were ftrittly examined, when the whole appeared to be a very cxtraodinary piece of fali'e package •, there being concealed among the cotton, doubloons and dollars, to the amount of twelve thoufand pounds which were the pro- perty of thofe very merchants at Paita, who had owned the greattft part of the money which Mr,' Brett and his detachment had taken there. The Gloucefter's people had alio been in fight of two or three more of the enemy's fhips, one of which there was reaion to apprehend was of immenfe value ; but they had efcaped them. The Gloucefter and her prize having now joined the fquadron, which was much in want of water, they fleered for Quibo, an ifland fituat- ed in the mouth of the bay of Panama •, and the commodore propofed, after they had fupplied themfelves with water, to fleer for the fouthern pai ts of California or the adjacent coaft of Me- xico, there to cruize for the Manila galleon, which was known to be at fea, on her way to A- capulco •, and as it was now only the middle of November, and the fhip did not ufually arrive till the middle of January, they did not doubt of getting on that flation time enough to intercept her. They were now eight fail in all ; but the Soli- dad and the Santa Terefa being bad failers, and delaying the reft of the fquadron, the commo- dore ordered them to be cleared of every thing that might be ufeful to the other fhips, and then burnt; 140 THE. VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, El burnt ; and having given proper inftructions to the Gloucefter and the other veffels, the Cen- turion held on her way for Quibo. On the 2 2d they made the ifland of Plata, and about three in the afternoon they faw the point of Manta, and as there was a town of the lame name in the neighbourhood, the captain of the Gloucefter took that opportunity of lending away feveral of his prifoners in the Spanifii launch. Having now paffed the equinoctial, they found in a few days an extraordinary alteration in- the climate -, for inftead of uniform temperate wea- ther, it was for feveral days very clofe and ftil- try, with frequent calms, and heavy rains, which rendered it neceffary to caulk the fides and decks of the Centurion, to prevent the rain water from running into her. On the third of December they came in fight of Quibo, and on the fourth in the evening they came to an anchor. The ifland of Quibo is extremely convenient for wooding and watering, as the trees grow clofe to the high wattr mark, and a rapid ftream of frefh water runs over the fandy beach into the fea ; fo thai in two days the Centurion was able to lay in a fufrkient ftock of wood and water. The whole ifland is pretty lofty excepting one part : it confifts of a continued wood fpread all over the furface of the country, which main- tains, a perpetual verdure. A few limes, and abundance of Caffia were found in the woods, but notwithftanding the flicker afforded for birds, they faw no other forts but parrots, paro- quets and mackaws, but of thefe laft there were prodigious flights. The animals they found in the greateft plenty were monkeys and guanoes, which they often killed for food ; for notwithftanding they faw many herds of deer, they killed only two during their ftay upon the ifland, the difficulty of pene- trating the woods preventing their coming at them. The Spaniards fay that a flying fnake is often found on this ifland, which clings- to the boughs of trees, from which it darts upon either man or beaft that comes within its reach, and its fifing is laid to produce inevitable death. The fi-a around the ifland is infefted with num- bers of alligators, of an extraordinary fize, and the crew frequently obferved a flat fifih of confi- derable fize jumping to a great height out of the water, which they fuppofed to be a fifth that is laid frequently to deftroy the pearl divers, by clalping them in its fins, as they rife from the bottom ■, howe\er, to free themielves from this dangerous embrace, they now arm themielves with a fliarp knife, which they flick into the belly of the fifti, and thus regain their liberty. While the fhip continued at anchor here, the commodore, attended by fome of his officers, went in a boat to examine a bay which lay to the northward ; and afterwards ranged all along the eaftern fide of the ifland ; and wherever they put on fliore they generally found the foil to be extremely rich, and met with plenty of excellent water. There were no inhabitants on this ifland, but there were many huts erected to fliel- ter the pearl divers, who frequent the place in the fummer feafon ; for the pearl oyfters, which are found every where in the bay of Panama, are fo numerous at Quibo, that a perfon advanc- ing a little v/ay into the fea, may ftoop down and reach them from the bottom. They are gene- rally large, but very unpalatable. It is laid -that the pearl partakes of the nature of the bottom whereon it is found, fo that if the bottom be muddy, the pearl is of a clufky hue. The bufinefs of taking up oyfters for the fake of the pearls, is practifed by negro flaves care- fully trained to the bufinefs by the inhabitants of Panama. Thefe poor creatures are not efteemed compleat divers till they have learnt to ftay un- der the water fo long that the blood gufties out at their mouth, ears and nofe ; an accident that is faid never to happen a fecond time. They have no idea that any ill confequence will refult from this violer.ee offered to nature, as the bleed- ing generally ftops of itfelf. Along the coaft are great quantities of turtle'*, rhany of which they difcovercd faft afleep, in the heat of the Day, on the furface of the water ; on this they ufually fentout a boat with a man in the bow, who was an excellent diver ; and when the boat came within a few yards of the turtle, the diver plunged into the water, and ri- fing almoft under it, feized the fhell near the tail, and prelling down the hinder parts, the pain awakened the animal, which ftrikingout its feet, ftipported both itfelf and the diver till the boat came up and took them in. Green turtle is undoubtedly a very wholfome' food, as appears from their loofing only two- men in their run from Juan Fernandez to the bay of Chcquetan, which took up feven months^ for the laft four of which they had no other frefli> provifion. Extraordinary as it may appear, it is undoubt- edly true, that the eating of turtle is forbid by the Spaniards, as an unwholfome, if not a poi- fonous food •, and this prejudice lias 'deitended to their negro flaves, fome of whom on board the Centurion were aftoniftied at feeing the failors feed on it, being fully perfuaded that it would prove mortal ; but finding that none of them died, they were at laft tempted to partake of it ; and at length, grew fo fond of it, that they preferred it to all other kind of food -, and frequently congratulated each other on the ex- perience they had acquired, which would enable them to fare luxurioufly on their return to their own country. Sailing from this ifland on the ninth of De- cember, they on the next day took a fmall bark from Panama, which had nothing on board, but fome rock fait, oakum, and about thirty pounds in money. On the twelfth of December they flood from Quibo to the weftward, having fcuttled and funk the laft prize, and beingjoined by the Glou- cefter, which having fprung her fore-top-maft, had been feperated from them. The commo- dore proceeded to cruize for the Manila fhip, having firft given dirctions to his fquadron to ufe all poflible difpatch in getting to the north- ward of the harbour of Acapulco ; and in cafe of feparation, to rendezvous at the middle ifland oftheTres Marias-, and, if they miffed him there, ROUND THE WORLD, there, at the ifland of Macao on the coaft of China. Thcfe orders being given, they made no doubt but they mould foon arrive at their intended ftation, as they expected to fall in with the re- gular trade wind ; but to their great mortifica- tion, they were harraffed with contrary winds, heavy rains, or dead calms, for near a month •, and began to defpair of intercepting the Manila fhip ; but at length their fpirits were fomewhat revived by a favourable change in the wind -, on which the Centurion took the Carrnelo in tow, as the Gloucefter did the Carmin ; and they were now fo unreafonable as to flatter themfeives that fome accidental delay might have lengthen- ed the pafikge of the Galleon, though the ufual time of her arrival at Acapuko was already e- lapfed. On the twenty -fixth of January, about ten at night, the Centurion difcovered a light on the larboard bow, and the Tryal's prize, which was about a mile a-head, made a fignal at the fame time for feeing a fail : and as nobody doubted but what they lav,- was a {hip's light, they were extremely animated with a firm perfuafion that it was the Manila Gaileon ; and what added to their alacrity, was their expectation of meeting v ith two Chips inftead of one •, for they took it for granted, that the light in view, was carried in the top of one fhip for a direction to her con- fort. The Centurion therefore call off the Carrnelo, and prciied forward with all her canvas, making a fignal for the Glouccfter to do the fame •, and thus they chaced the light, keeping all hands at their respective quarters, in expectation of en- gaging within half an hour •, as they fometimes conceived the chace to be within a mile diftant, and fometimes within reach of their guns •, fome of the people affirming that they could plainly difcern her fails. Mr. Anfon himfelf was fo fully perluaded that they ftiould foon be along fide of her, that he font for his firit lieutenant, and directed him to fee all the great guns loade.i with two round foot for the firit broad fidej and after that with one round lhotandone grape •, charging him not to fuffer a fhot to be fired till the commodore lhould give orders, wh ch he laid would not be till he arrived within piftol-fliot of die enemy. Thus they continued chafing all night, firmly perfuaded that another quarter of an hour would bring them up with the fhip, whole wealth they eftimated at millions : but the morning fhewed it to be no more than a mountain within land, the ftubble of which having been let on fire, produced the effect which thus deceived them. The commodore lent his barge on the twelfth of February in fearch of the harbour of Acapul- co, and to cKfcover whether the Gaileon was ar- rived, which returned on the nineteenth with news that they had difcovered the harbour, and that having got within the ifland that lies at the mouth of it, they were doubtful how to pro- ceed •, but while they were lying upon their oars, being ignorant that they were then at the very place they fought for, they difcerned a light near the furface of the water ; on which they N° 12. n plied their paddles, and moving as fuently a i pofiible towards it, they found it to be a fifbing canoe, which they furprized, with three negroes that belonged to it. The negroes at firit attempted to jump over- board, but were prevented by prefenting a piece at them, and taken into the barge : after which the canoe was turned a drift among the rocks, that from its being dafhed in pieces, the Spaniards might imagine the owners of it Were drowned., and not impute their lofs to the real caufe. From thefe three negro prifoners the commo- dore learnt that the Galleon arrived at Acapulco on the ninth of January old ftile •, that fhe had delivered her cargo, Was taking in Water and pro- vifions in order to return, and that the viceroy of Mexico had, by proclamation, fixed her de- parture from Acapulco, on the fourteenth of March new ftile. This news gave them great joy, as they had no doubt but fhe muft certainly fall into their hands; and it would be much more eligible to feizc her on her return, than it would have been to have taken her before, as the fpecie for which the cargo had been fold, would be much more valu- able to them than the cargo itfelf. Satisfied that they were undifcovered, and that the day was fixed for the departure of the Gal- leon from Acapulco, they waited with the uimoft impatience for the important moment. On the firft of March, the time for her de- parture drawing nigh, the commodore difpoled his five Ships in fuch a manner^ that they took up a compafs of at leaft twenty-four leagues, with- in which nothing could pafs without its being known by the whole fquadron •, theveffels being fo judicially ranged, that by fignals, information could be eafily and fpeedily given of what paffed in any part of the line. The better to prepare for the reception of the ' Galleon, there were left on board the Carrnelo, the Carmin, and the Tryal's prize, no more hands than were fufficient to navigate them, the reft being fent on board the Gloucefter and Centu- rion, which fnips only were intended for the at- tack : and as there were a confiderable number of negroes on board, who, for two months paft, had been trained to the management of the great guns, and were well qualified to be of fervice •, thefe were promised their liberty, provided they behaved well during the engagement. All poffible methods having thus been taken to prevent the fhip from efcaping, they waited with the utmoft impatience for the long expect- ed third of March-, and no fooner did that day dawn, than they were all moft eagerly engaged in looking towards Acapulco, from whence neither their duty nor the calls of hunger could divert their eyes ; but to their great mor- tification, the night came, and no news of the fhip. From this day to the twenty-third of March old ftile, they were in hopes of her, as they were fatisfied fhe had not quitted the harbour ; but by this time the whole fleet beginning to be in want of water, it was agreed to proceed to Chequetan to fupply themfeives •, and left the galleon, taking advantage of their abfence, might flip 144 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq ; flip out to fea, Mr. Hughes, lieutenant of the Tryal's prize, was ordered to cruize off the port of Acapulco for twenty-four days, that if ihe fhould let fail, they might be fpeedily informed of it. On the firft of April they were advanced fo far towards Chequetan, that the commodore lent out two boats to difcover the watering place ; which being gone feveral days, their water ran fo fhort, that if they had not met with a daily fupply of turtle, which prevented their being confined to fait provifions, they muft have fuffered very confiderably in fo warm a cli- mate. The long abfence of the boats began to fill them with gloomy apprehenfions ; v. hich, how- ever, were difpelled by their return on the fifth of April, with an account that they had found a proper watering place feven miles to the weft- ward of the recks of Seguataneio ; for which place the fquadron immediately fteered, and the Centurion and Gloucefter came to an anchor on the evening of the feventh in eleven fathom water. The harbour of Chequetan lies in feventeen degrees, thirty-fix minutes north latitude, and is about thirty leagues to the weftward of Aca- pulco •, from which laft place there is a bank of fand,which extends eighteen leagues to the weft- ward, againft which the fea breaks fo violently, that it is impoffible to land with boats on any part of it ; yet the ground is fo clean, that during the fair feafon, fhips may anchor in great fafety at the diftance of a mile or two from the fhore. The land adjacent to this beach, is generally low, full of villages, and planted with a great number of trees •, and on the tops of feveral fmall eminences are feveral watch-towers, fo that the face of the country affords a delightful prof- peel:. It is a very fingular circumftance, that in this whole extent, which in appearance is the moft populous and belt cultivated of the whole coaft, there fhculd be neither canoes, boars, or other vcffels, for fifhing, ccafting or pieafure. The watering place of Chequetan, is a ftand- ing lake, derived from a fpring about a mile up at the other end, where it was of a much better tafte. As the country appeared to be fo well culti- vated and inhabited, the commodore had hopes to have eafily procured fome frefh provifions, and other reitefhments, which they were in want of ; and therefore on the morning after his com- ing to an anchor, difpatched a company of forty men well armed into the country, to try if they could difcover any town or village, and fettle a correlpondence with the inhabitants. Thefemen having proceeded about five miles from the harbour, found two roads, leading eaft and weft •, and chufing the latter, they marched along a beaten track, which led them into a large plain, on one fide of which they law a cen- tinel on horfeback, with a piftol in his hand •, but the horfe ftarting at the glittering of their arms, turned fuddenly round, and ran away a great rate ; the man being very near un- horfed, and dropping his hat and piftol on the ground. The failors having in vain purfued him, to difcover the place of his retreat, tHl they wei;e quite wearied out, and finding no water to quench their thirft, they refolved to return ba but that every means might be ufed to" procure fome intercourfe with the inhabitants, they e- rected poles in feveral places, to which they af- fixed declarations, written in Spanifh, inviting the inhabitants to come down to the fhips to traffic, affuring them of fafegmrd, and faithful payment for all the provifions they brought ; but this proceeding had not the defired effect, for none of them ever came. Some time after Mr. Anfon's arrival at Che- quetan, he fent lieutenant Brett, with two boats, to examine the coaft to the eaftward ; and in particular to make obfervations on the bay and watering place of Petaplan. As Mr. Brett with one of the boats was pre- paring to land, he accidentally caft his eyes a- crofs the bay, and difcovered three fmall fqua- drons of horfe parading upon the beach, and feermng to advance towards the place where he propofed to land. On which, tho' he had onlv fixteen men with him, he immediately put off the boat, flood over the bay towards them, and foon came near enough to perceive that they were mounted on handfome horfes, and armed with lances and carbines. On feeing him make towards them, they form- ed upon the beach, and feemed determined to difpute his landing, firing feveral diftant fhot at him as he advanced ; till at length the boat coming within a reafonable diftance of the moft advanced fquadron, Mr. Brett ordered his peo- ple to fire •, whereupon this refolute cavalry fled with great precipitation into the wood. In their flight, one of the horfes fell down, and threw his rider, but both man and horfe were foon up a- gain, and followed the reft. -In the mean time the ,two other fquadrons were calm fpeclators of the flight of their com- rades, being drawn up at a confiderable diftance out of the reach of the fhot. It was a happy circumftance that the enemy acted with fo little fpirit and conduct, for had they concealed them- felves till Mr. Brett and his people landed, it is fcarce poflible but they muft have fallen into their hands. As they found it in vain to attempt to prevail on the inhabitants to furnifh the fquadron with neceffaries, they were obliged to content them- felves with what they could procure in the neigh- bourhood of the port, where they caught breams, cavallies, mullets, foals, fiddle-fifh, fea-eggs and lobfters : and they here met with the. torpedo, which is a flat fifth like a thornback, and is fo much like the fiddle-fifh, that it is only to be diftinguifhed from it by a brown circular fpot near the center of its back about the fize of a crown piece. .Whoever happens to touch this fifh, feels an inftantaneous numbnefs over his whole body, but more particularly affecting that limb which was in immediate contact with it. Mr.Walter fays that he had a confiderable degree of numbnefs con- veyed Round the worl d. V4T vcyed to his right arm, through a walking cane, which he retted on the body of the fifli for a fhort time only •, and he has no doubt, but he fhould have been much more fenfibly affected, had not the fifh been near expiring when he made the experiment ; as it is obfervable that this influence acts with the greateft vigour on the fifh's being firft taken out of the water, and entirely ceafes as foon as it is dead •, fo that it may be then handled, or even eaten, without any inconvenience. Mr. Walter adds, that the numbnefs of his arm did not go off on a iudden, as the accounts of fome naturalifts had given him reafon to ex- pect, but diminifhed gradually, fo that he had fome fenfation of it remaining till the next day. The animals, they met with on more were chiefly guanoes, with which the country abounds, and which fome people eitcem delicious food. They faw no other beafts of prey, except alligators, kveral of which were difcovered, but none very large ; but they were convinced that there were great numbers of tigers in the woods, though none of them appeared ; for they e- very morning found the beach near the water- ing place imprinted very thick with their foot- fteps. They found birds in fuffkient plenty, parti- cularly pheafants of different kinds, fome of •which were very large : but they were dry and taftelefs eating : belldes thefe, they had variety of fmaller birds, particularly parrots, which they often killed for food. "Whil^ they were in this harbour, Lewis Le- ger, the commodore's cook, wandering into the woods, was taken prifoner by four Indians, who ftripped him naked, and in that condition, con- ducted him to Acapulco, where he was expofed to the lcorching heat of the fun, which was al- moft intolerable* From thence he was carried to Mexico, and from Mexico was fent to Vera Cruz, from whence he was fhipped for Old Spain j but the veflel touching at Lifbon, he made his eicape to the houfe of the Britifh conful, who procured him a paflage to England, where he brought the firft account of Mr. Anfon's fafety, which for fome time pail: had been a matter of doubt. Lcger, being a Frenchman, and fufpecled to be a catholic, it was, at firft imagined, that he had deierted, with a view of betraying all he knew to the enemy. His treatment in prifon at Mexico, was very fevere, and the Spaniards gave him continual proofs of the hatred they bear all thofe who feek to difturb their quiet in the South Seas. This man had afterwards the misfortune to be killed in an infignificant quar- rel in a night-houfe in London. Though the enemy never appeared in view while the fquadron lay at anchor, yet it was evi- dent from different clouds offmoke, that large parties of them were encamped in the woods, on every fide of the harbour. As it now ap- peared that they had not more hands than were neceffary to man a fourth rate man of war, it was refolved to fcuttle and deftroy the Tryal's Prize, the Carmelo, and the Carmin, and to divide their crews, and the richeft pah of their cargoes, between the Centurion and Gloucefter \ which was done accordingly on the twenty-fe- venth of April -, and the next morning the Cen- turion and Gloucefter weighed anchor, leaving behind them a letter corked up in a bottle, and placed in a canoe, which was fixed to a grapnel in the middle of the harbour, directed to Mr. Hughes, and acquainting him that the Commo- dore was returned to his ftation off Acapulco; that he intended to quit it in a few days, and re- turn to the reft of his fquadron, which continued cruizing to the fouthward. Thefe laft words were inferted to deceive the Spaniards, in cafe the canoe fhould fall into their hands, as it after- wards' happened ; with regard to Mr. Hughes, he knew that Mr. Anfon had no fquadron to join, nor any intention of fteering back to Peru; fo that it could have no effect upon him. As their views in the American leas were now at an end, it was a mortifying circumftance to be detained by the abfence of the cutter, in fearch of which they failed towards Acapulco, and cruized all along the coaft to no purpofc. On Sunday the fecond of May, they were ad- vanced within three leagues of Acapulco, and finding nothing of the cutter, Mr. Anfon took it for granted that it was taken, and carried in- to Acapulco ; and therefore wrote a polite letter to the governor, requefting him to deliver up Mr. Hughes and his people •, and in return, pro- mifing to releafe all the Spanifh prifoners now in his hands, fome of whom were people of fi- gure. This letter was carried by a Spanifh officer, who was furnifhed with a launch belong- ing to one of the prizes, and a crew of fix other prifoners : who gave their parole for their re- turn. The governor 5f Acapulco fent a polite an- fwer to the commodore's letter, and two boats loaded with refrefhments and provifions, but the boats not finding the fhips, which had been driven out to fea, were obliged to return, after meeting with a ftorm, in which they were com- pelled to throw all their provifions overboard. While the commodore was waiting for an an- fwer to his letter, the centihel from the maft head, called out that he faw a boat under fail, at a confiderable diftance to the foutheaft •, and on their nearer approach, they found, to the great joy, that it was their own cutter. They foon perceived by the pale and meagre countenances of the crew, the length of their beards, and the feeble tone of their voices* that they had under- gone greater hardfhips than they would have done even in a Spanifh prifon. Thefe poor men were obliged to be helped into the fhip, where they were immediately put to bed ; and being fupplied with food from the Commodore's table, and otherwife properly ta- ken care of, they foon recovered their ftrength. It appeared, that having finifhed their cruize before Acapulco, they plied to the weftward, in order to join the fquadron ; but a ftrong current drove them to the eaftward, till, at length, their water being all expended, they en- deavoured to find a convenient landing place» where they might get a fupply, but to no pur- pole 144 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq ; pofe, there being fo large a furf for eighty leagues, that there was not the leaft poffibility of their landing. In this diftrefs, they had no other method of allaying their thirft, than catching the turtle, and fucking their blood : but when they began to defpair of all relief, and expected to perifh, there fell a violent fhower of rain, the water of which being catched in their fails, fpread hori- zontally, with bullets placed in the center to draw them to a point, filled all their cafks ; and immediately upon this happy fupply, being favoured by a ftrong current, they joined the commodore in fifty hours, after an able nee of forty-three days. Mr. Anfon now difcharged his prifoners, be- ing fifty-feven in number, whom he fumifhed with two launches, well equipped with molls, fails and oars, and flocked with provirons for fourteen days. They afterwards learnt that the two launches arrived in fafety at Acapulco, where they extolled the humanity with which they had been treated. On the fixth of May the Centurion and Glou- cefter, for the laft time, loll fight of the moun- tains of Mexico, being bound to the river of Canton in China, where they expected to mee: many Englifh fnips, and have the long-wifhed for happinefs of enjoying the company of fome of their countrymen. CHAP. IV; The Centurion and Gloucejier much damaged; the Gloucejler burnt ; they anchor at Tinian ; a defer ipl 'ion of that ifiland; of the bread fruit and its other prod-tfions ; the Centurion dri- ven out tofea i tranfaclions at Tinian, till their final departure from thence. WHEN they left the coaft of America on the fixth of May 1742, they flood over to the fouth weft, with a view of meet- ing with a north-eaft trade wind, which the ac- counts of former writers had taught them to expe<5l at the diftance of feventy or eighty leagues from the land. It was, however, the middle of June, before they fell in with the trade wind, at which time they had been feven weeks at fea, and not made above one third of their run, tho' it was common to make the whole in leis than two months. On the twenty-fixth of July, when they were about three hundred leagues from the Ladrones; the wind came about to the weft, and continu- ing in that point four days, confiderably retard- ed their progrels •, and a few days after this, the Gloucefter began to grow more crazy than ever. She had been a conftant trouble to the crew of the Centurion, as well as to her own people, ever fince thty left Chequetan •, and now fhe had feven feet water in her hold, befides bringing her fore-top-maft, and main-top-maft by the board •, it blew a hurricane from the weft, and at the fame time the Centurion fprung a leak, which iequired all the attendance both of officers and men to cure, fo that they could give but little affiftance to the Gloucefter : but Mr. An- fon lent his boat on board her, which foon re- turned with a remonftrance figned by captain Mitchel, and all his officers, reprefenting that the leaks in the fhip were irreparable ; that they had no fpare mails to fupply the place of thole that were deilroyed ; that fhe was quite decayed in many places ; that her crew were reduced to ninety-five, including officers, boys, and two prifoners •, and that out of thefe, only fixteen men and eleven boys were able to keep the deck, and even they were in but indifferent health : that their ffefh water and prcvifions were co- vered over, by the fea water pouring in upon them •, fo that there was no coming at refrefh- ment. On this reprefentation the commodore fent a boat load of water and provifions on board the Gloucefter, and defired his own people to ex- amine into the affair ; which, as they reported not to be at all exaggerated, he gave orders that captain Mitchel fhould put his people on board the Centurion, as expeditioufiy as poffi- ble : which was immediately performed, and it was with the greateft difficulty that the prize money which the Gloucefter had taken in the South Seas was fecured and fent on board the Centurion •, but the prize goods on board the Gloucefter, which amounted to feveral thoufand pounds value, and belonged to the Centurion, were forced to be abandoned ; nor could any more of her provifions be preferved, than five cafks of flour, three of which were much da- maged by the fait water ; and though the Glou- cefter's fick men, amounting to feventy, were put on board the Centurion with all poffible tendernefs, three or four of them expired as they were hoifting them up. The Gloucefter was cleared of every thing that was propofed to be removed, by the fif- teenth of Auguft, and then fet on fire, but fhe continued burning all night, the flames gaining upon her gradually, and her guns going off one by one, as the flames reached them ; till at length, about fix in the morning, fhe blew up with a fmall report, and a black pillar of fmoke arifing from the blaft, fhot up into the air to a very confiderable height. Thus perifhed the Gloucefter : and Mr. An- fon was reduced to one fhip, with which he hoped to have better fuccefs than he had hither- to met with, as he was no longer clogged with any embarrafTments that might contribute to his delay. As it was now calm, the carpenters were em- ployed ROUND THE WORLD. '45 ployed in fearching for the Centurion's leak, which was at length difcovered to be in the gun- ner's fore ftore-ioom, where the water rufhed in under the breaft-hook, on each fide of the item ; but as it was impolfible to ftop it effectually, till they could get on the outfide of the (hip, they patched it up as well as they could, and reduced it very confiderably. On the twenty-third of Auguft, at day break, they had the pleafure of discovering two illands to the weftward, and the next morning a third •, on which their boat was difpatched to one of them, which returned in the evening, with an account that they could find no anchoring ground for fliips ; that they had landed, and found a- bundance of groves of cocoa-nut trees ; but they believed that the place produced no water, and was uninhabited. The account of the impoflibility of anchoring at this ifland, occafioned the grcateft dejection on board ; for the fcurvy had attended them for three months paft, making prodigious havock : and the fatigue of the officers and men, who la- boured hard at the pump, on account of the leak, became almoft infiipportable. They now ftood from Annatacan, which was the name of the ifland to which the men had been fent to examine the anchoring ground ; hoping to fall in with lb me other of the Ladrones, bet- ter prepared for their accommodation : but as there was no perlbn on board who had any know- ledge of them, they were to truft almoft entirely to chance for their guidance. On the twenty-fixth they loft fight of Anna- tacan, dreading it would be the laft land they fhould ever fee •, but the next morning they dif- covered three other iflands, which they after- wards found to be Sayan, Tinian, and Aguigan, and immediately fteered towards the middlemoft of the three, which was Tinian, hoifting Spanifh colours,with a red flag at the fore-top-maft head, in hope that by giving their fhip the appearance of the Manila galleon, they might decoy fome of the inhabitants on board them. Thus prepared, they ftood towards land, and difpatched the cutter to find out a proper birth for the fhip •, and as they foon faw the cutter re- turning, with a proa in low, they fent their pin- nace to receive the proa, which brought her on board, with four Indians and a Spaniard, who had miftaken the Centurion for the Manila fhip. The Spaniard being immediately examined as to the circumfb.nces and produce of Tinian •, his account far furpafled their moft fanguine hopes. He faid that the ifland - was uninhabited, notwith- standing which it wanted but few of the accom- modations that could be expected in the moft cultivated country. That the air was good, and there was plenty of excellent water. That the woods afforded fweet and four oranges, limes, lemons, and cocca nurs in great abundance ; befides a fruit peculiar to thefe iflands, which llrvecl inftead of bread ; an 1 that hogs, poultry and black cattle ran w ild in prodigious numbers. That the Spaniards at Guam made ufeof it as a itore for fupplying the garrifon, of which he was aferjeant, and was now fent thither with twenty - MXIII. O o two Indians to jerk beef, which he was to load for Guam on board a bark of fifteen tons, which was then at anchor near the fhore. As they approached the ifland, they found it had more the air of a magnificent plantation, than an uninhabited place : the lofty trees, the verdant lawns, and the Hoping hills, were fo ele- gantly adapted to fet off each other, as to appear the refult of the moft ingenious contrivance. The commodore defirous of preventing the governor of Guam from obtaining intelligence of his arrival, fent his pinnace to fecure the bark to prevent if poflible the efcape of the Indians, and then caft anchor in twenty-two fathom ; and or- dered the fhip to lie by for that night with her fails furled that the men might repole themfelves, for out of near a thcufand hands that he had brought from England, he could mufter only fevent\ -one, who were capable of ftanding to a gun, and even many of theie were incapable cf duty except on extraordinary occafions. On the next morning a party of men well armed were fent on fhore to fecure the landing place, which was done without difficulty, as the Indians were fled into the woods. They found on fhore many huts, which faved them the trouble of erecting tents ; and the larg- eft of thefe being twenty feet long, and fifteen broad, was immediately fitted up as an hofpital, to which they removed the fick, amounting to one hundred and twenty-eight. Many of thefe were fo helplefs, that they were obliged to be carried on the fhoulders of others from the boats to the hofpital, in which employ- ment Mr. Anfon, and all his officers, were en- gaged, without diftinction; but notwithstanding the extreme weaknefs of the fick, they foon re- covered, by the falutary influence of the land air, and the products of the ifland, fo happily adapt- ed to the cure of the fcurvy. Tinian lies in fifteen degrees eight minutes north latitude, it is about twelve miles long, and fix broad, and is one of the Ladrone iflands, which, altogether, are upwards of twenty in number. The foil is every where dry and healthy ; the land rifes in gentle flopes to the middle of the ifland, though the general courfe of its afcent is often interrupted by vallies of an eafy defcent, many of which wind irregularly thro' the country. Thefe vallies and the gradual fwellings of the ground, occafioned by their different combinati- ons,were moft elegantly diverfified by the mutual encroachments of woods and lawns, which bor- dered on each other," and ran in large tracts thro' the ifland. The woods are compofed of tall, fpreading trees, remarkable either for their beauty or their fruit, while the lawns are ufually of a considera- ble breadth, the turf of which is quite clean and uniform, compofed of a very fine trefoil, inter- mixed with a variety of flowers. - The woods are in many places open and free from all bufhes and underwood, and the neat- nefs of the adjacent turf is frequently extended to a considerable diftance under the hollow fhade formed by the trees. Hence arifes a great number of the moft ele- gant 146 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, E% gant profpecls, according to the different blsnd- ihgs of the woods and lawns, and their various interferons with each other, as they fpread themfelves thro' the vallies, and over the Hopes an 1 declivities with which the place abounds. The cattle, of which it is not uncommon to fee herds of feveral hundreds feeding together in a large meadow, are all of them milk white, except their ears, which are generally brown or Hack •, ana though there are no inhabitants, yet the clamour and frequent appearance of dome- flic poultry, which range the woods in great numbers, perpetually excites the idea of the neighbourhood of farms and villages, and great- ly cc ^tributes to the chearfulnefs and beauty of the place. 'j he number of cattl on the iflarrd were fup- pofed to be at leafl ten thoufand; and the fail- ors had no difficulty of coming at them, as they were not at all my. The firft method of taking them was by fhooting ; but, afterwards, when they found it neceffary to hufband their ammu- nition, the men ran them down with eafe. The fiefh, which was extremely good, they thought more eafy of digeftion, than any they had ever tailed. The fowls were like wife very good, and were run down with little trouble, for they could fcarce fly farther than an hundred yards at a time, and even that fatigued them to fuch a de- gree that they could not eafily rife again; fo that thro' the opennefs of the woods, they could at all times furnifh themfelves with what number they wanted. They likewife found abundance of wild hogs, which were excellent food ; but as they were a very fierce animal, it was neceffary to fhoot them, or hunt them with large dogs, which they found upon the place at their landing, and which be- longed to the detachment lent to procure provi- fions for the garrifon at Guam. As thei'e dogs had been trained to the killing of the wild hogs, they readily followed the Jailors, and hunted for them: but tho' they were a large bold breed, the hogs fought with fo much fury, that by de- grees they deftroyed the greatefl part of them. The. bread-fruit above-mentioned, which the Indians call Rhyrnay, was conftantly eaten by the Centurion's people inllead cf bread, and fo univerfaliy preferred to it, that none of the fhip's bread was expended during their flay en the ill and. It grows on a lofty tree, which towards the top divides into large and fpreading branches : the leaves are of a deep green, notched about the edaes, and from afoot to eighteen inches in length. The fruit which is found indifferently on all parts jof the branches, is in form nearly oval, is cove red with a rough rind, is generally feyen or eight inches long, and each of them grows hngly, and not in chillers. This fruit is fitteft to be uled when it is full grown, but flill green, when being roafled in the embers, it has a diftant lefernblance of the taite of an artichoke's bottom, like which alio it is foft and ipungy. As it ripens, it becomes fofter-, and ol a yellow colour, when it has a lofcious tafte, and agreeal I, like a ripe- peach ; but it is then efteemed unv.hpllomc, and is laid 10 pro- ciuce. fluxes. Befdes the fruits already mentioned, the ifland alio produces fcurvy-grafs, forrel, mint, dande- lion, creeping purflain, and water melons, all which the people eagerly devoured, as powerful remedies againfl the fcurvy, under which they had fo long- laboured. Near the center of the ifland, are two large pieces of frefh water, which abounded in duck, teal and curlew •, and they found the whiflling plover in great plenty. This ifland was formerly well peopled, but a contagious ficknefs, having about fifty years be- fore Mr. Anion's arrival, ivvept away almoft all the inhabitants of Guam, Rota and Tinian, the Spaniards compelled the iurvivors on the twolaft iflands, to remove to Guam, where theylanguifh- ed after their native ifland, till in a few years the greatefl part of them died of grief. In many parts of Tinian are found ruins of a remarkable kind, which generally confifl of two rows of pyramidical pillars, the height of which is thirteen feet, and their bafe five feet fquare : on the top of each pillar is a femi-globe,with the flat furface upwards •, both the pillars and femi- globe are folid, and compofed of fand and flone cemented together, and plaiflered over : the rows of pillars are about feven feet diflance from each other, and each pillar flands about fix feet from the next. Thefe, according to the report of the Indian prifoners, are the foundations of buildings, formerly fet a part for religious pur- pofes. The greatefl inconvenience attending thofe who refide on this ifland, arifes from the num- bers of molkitos, and other fmall flies, which are very troublefome, particularly a tick, which darting its head under the fkin, raifes a very painful inflammation. There are alfo fcorpions and centipedes, which Mr. Anion's people ima- gined were venemous, though they received no . injury from them. But the greatefl exception to this place is the inconvenience of the road, and the little fecurity there is in fome feafons for a fhip at anchor. The only proper anchoring place is at the fouth weft end of the ifland, oppofite to a fandy bay, about a mile and a half diflance from the fhore •, but even this is unlafe, from the middle of June to the middh of Oclober, which is the feafon of the weftern monfoons ■, and what in- creases the danger, is the great rapidity of the tide of flood, which fets to the fouth eaft, be- tween this ifland and Aguigan but during the remaining eight months of the year, the weather is fo fettled, that if the cables are well armed, there is fcarcely any danger. While they were removing their flck on fhore, four of the Indians on the ifland came and fur- rendered themfelves, fo that Mr. Anfon had now eight in his cuflody. One of thefe offered to fhew the moll convenient places for killing cat- tle •, and two of the failors were ordered to at- tend him on that fervice ; but one of them mill- ing the Indian with his firelock and piflol, he ran away with them into the woods. The o- ! ther Indians apprehending they fhould fuffer for this behaviour of their countryman, defired leave j to fend one of their own party into the country, I "i who Round the world. '47 who they engaged fhould both bring back the arms, and perfuade the whole detachment from Guam to iubmit. This requeft being granted, one of them was difpatched, who returned the nrxt day with the firelock and piftol, which he laid he had found in the wood •, and declared he had not been able to find any of his countrymen : but this report had lb little the air of truth, that it occalioned a fufpicion that fome treachery was carrying on, whereupon the commodore ordered the other In- dians on board thefhip, and did not permit them to go on lhore any more. On the night of the twenty-fecond of Septem- ber, when it was excefiive dark, the wind blew from the eaftward with fuch fury that thole on board defpaired of riding out the ftorm. At this time Mr. Anion, who was ill of the fcurvy, and molt of the hands were on more, and all their hopes of fafety feemed to depend en putting immediately to fea. All communica- tion between the iliip and the ifland was deftroy- ed ; for it was imporiible a boat could live. The fea now broke in a furprifing manner all round the fhip, by which the long boat, which was moored aftern, was tofTed lb high, that it broke the tranfome of the commodore's gallery, whole cabin was on the quarter deck, and the violence of the ftroke mattered the boat all to pieces, yet the boat-keeper was laved, tho' extremely bruited. At length the tide flackened, but the wind not abating, their cables broke, and being in the ut- moft danger, they fired guns, and ihewed lights, as fignals of diftrefs. About one o'clock aftrong guft, attended with rain and lightning, drove them out to lea, where, being unprepared to ftruggle with the fury of the winds and waves, they expected each moment to be their lafl. The ftorm which drove the fhip to fea, blew with too much violence to permit the people on flioie to hear the guns which were fired as fignals of diftrefs, and the frequent glare of the lightning had prevented the explofions from being oblerved ; fo that, when at day break, it was perceived from the fhore that the fhip was mining, they concluded that fhe was loft, and moft of them begged the commodore to fend the boat round the illand to look for the wreck. There were, however, a few among them who imagined fhe might be lafe, but they had hardly any expectation of her ever being able to return : in either of which cafes, they thought they were in a moft dreadful fituation, as they looked on themfelves as prifoners for life on the ifland, cut off from all intercourfc with their country, their families, and their friends. In the midft of their gloomy reflections, the commodore formed a plan for extricating them from their prefent fituation ; which was by haul- ing the Spanifh bark on fhore, fawing her afun- der, and lengthening her twelve feet ; which would enlarge her to near forty tens burden, and enable her to carry -them ait to China. The fecple being at length fatisfied that the Centu- rion would, at all events, never be able to re- gain the iliand, begc n to apply themfelves to their different talks with the utmoft eagernefs and induftry, afTembling at their rendezvous by break of day, and working till night with the utmoft vigour. An exi*aordinary incident happened about this time. Mr. Anion, and fome of his officers, were on a tour thro' the ifland : and being on a riling ground, oblerved in the valley beneath them, a thicket which had a progreflive motion. Tho' they were at firft fomewhat furprized, they foon perceived it was nothing more than fome large cocoa-bufhes, dragged along by pcrfons who were beneath them. They at once conclud- ed that thefe were of the party they had found there at their arrival •, and therefore Mr. Anfon and his people hurried after them in hopes of difcovering their retreat : when the Indians find- ing they were difcovered, ran away with the ut- moft expedition ; but the commodore was fo near as not to lofe fight of them till they reach- ed their cell, which he and his officers entering, found there was a paffage through it, which led down a precirice, and which had been contrived for the conveniency of flight. They here met with an old firelock or two, but no other arms. There were however a large quantity of pro- vifions, particularly lalted fpare-ribs of pork, which were excellent ; and from what they law, they concluded that the extraordinary appetite which they had acquired at this ifland, was not confined to themfelves •, for it being about noon, the Indians, confidering their number, had laid out a very plentiful repaft, and had their bread fruit and cocoa-nuts prepared for eating, in fuch a manner, as feemed to indicate that a good meal was neither an uncommon, nor a difregarded ar- ticle with them. The commodore having; fearched in vain for the path by which the Indians had eicaped, he and his people fat down to the dinner, thus hap- pily fuited to their hunger. It was no fmall degree of difficulty that at- tended the lengthening of the bark, many of the materials being wanting, and fome of the tools were to be made. And when fhe fhould be compleated, they were to rig, victual and na- vigate her for fix or feven hundred leagues, thro' unknown feas, where not one of the company had ever been before. But their hopes were kept up by feveral extraordinary and unexpected acci- dents. The carpenters of the Gloucefter and Tryal were both on inore with their cheft of tools ; the fmith alio was on fhore, with his forge, and feveral of his tools, but his bellows were on board the fhip ; wherefore they firft of all refolved to make him a pair of bellows •, but where for fome time at a lofs for want of leather ; but having plenty of hide,, and finding a hogfhead of lime, which belonged to the Indians or Spaniards, they tanned a few hides with it, and making a gun- barrel ferve for a pipe, the bellows anfwered the intention tolerably well. While the fmith was preparing the iron work, others were employed in cutting down trees, and fawing them into planks, and this being the hardeft work, the commodore, for the en- cou- i 4 8 THE VOYAGE OF' GEORGE ANSON, E- q-> couragement of his people employed himfelf in it. A new difficulty now arofe from their being neither blocks nor cordage for hauling the bark on fhore; but their place was fupplied by making rollers of the body of the cocoa-nut tree, which, from its roundnefs and fmoothnefs, was well a- dapted to the purpofe. In the mean time a dry dock was dug to re- ceive the bark, and ways were laid from thence quite into the fea, to facilitate the bringing her up. A party was ordered conftantlv to kill and provide provifions for the company, and as there was neither wine nor brandy on fhore, the juice of the cocoa-nut was their conftant drink ; which keeping the men temperate and orderly, all their preparations advanced apace. It was now found on examination, that the tents on fliore, with the fails and rigging belong- ing to the bark, and the fpare cordage which had been accidentally landed from the Centurion, would be fufficient to new rig the vefiel ; the bottom of which they propofed to pay with a mixture of tallow and lime, They were generally perplexed about procur- ing a ftock of provifions, as they had neither grain nor bread of any kind on fliore, and the bread fruit would not keep at fea : and tho' they had plenty of live cattle, they had hardly any fait. They had however preferved a fmall quantity of the jerked beef which they found on the ifland at their landing, which they determined to pro- long by carrying as many cocoa-nuts as poffible, and by ufing it very fparingly ; and to fupply the place of bread by rice, which they intended to obtain by force at the ifland of Rota, where the Spaniards had large plantations of it ; but this lchenie they were obliged to give up all thoughts of, for on examining their ftock of am- munition, ir appeared that their powder did not amount to a fingle charge for each of the com- P an >'- But a moil dilcourasing circumftance now oc- cured, which was that they had neither compafs nor quadrant on the ifland, At length, on rum- maging a cheft belonging to the Spanifh bark, they found a fmall compafs, which tho' not much Superior to thcfe made for tat amukment of fchool-boys, was to them of the utmoft value ■, and a quadrant was accidentally found on the fea fhore, which had been thrown over- board a- mong other lumber belonging to the dead : this was eagerly ieized, but it i nluckily wanted vones, and was therefore entirely ufelefs ; however, for- tune ftill continuing favourable, it was not long before a perfon pulling out the drawer of an old table which had been driven on fhore, found fome vanes in it, which fitted the quadrant very well; and being examined by the known latkude of the place, was found to anfwer to a fufficient degree of exactnefs. When thefe feveral obftacles were removed, and all things were fo forward that they had fix- ed on the fifth of November as the day on which they intended to put to lea : it happened on the afternoon of the eleventh of October, that one of the Gloucefter's men being upon a hill, lav the Centurion at a diftance ; who running with utmoft fpeed towards the landing place, he, . in the way, faw fome of his comrades, to whom he cried out in great exafy, " The fhip, the • fhip !" This being heard by Mr. Gordan, a lieutenant of marines, who from the fellow's tranfport, was convinced that his report was true, he ran to the place where the commodore and his men was at work, with the happy news ; whereupon Mr. Anfon threw down his axe in a iranfport of joy, and they all ran to the fea fide to feaft their eyes with a fight for which they fo much longed, but never more expected. By five"o'clock the fhip was vifible to them all, after an abfence of nine- teen days ; and a boat was fent off with eighteen men, to reinforce her, and with frefh meats and fruit for the refreshment of the crew : fhe the next afternoon caft anchor in the road, where the commodore went on board her, and was received with the heartieft and fincereft congratulations. The Centurion being thus happily got back to the ifland, the commodore refolved to ftay no longer than was neceflary to compleat his ftock of water, and the long boat being ftaved, on the night they were driven out to fea, as before men- tioned, they were obliged to make ufe of rafts, which as the tide ran prodigioufly ftrong, occa- fioned frequent delays, and more than once they' loft the whole raft : nor was this their only mif- fortune, for on the fourteenth of October, being the third day after their arrival, a fudden guft of wind drove the fhip out to fea a fecond time ; but in about five days time, the weather being fair, they returned again to anchor, and relieved thole they had left behind them from their fe- cond fears of being deferted by their fhip. On their arrival it appeared that the Spanifh bark had undergone a new metamorphofis ; for the people on fhore having defpaired of the fhip's return, had determined to join the bark again, and reftore her to her firft ftate, and they had made fuchprogrefs, that they would foon have finifhed her, had not the Centurion's return put a period to their labours. On their coming to an anchor after their fe- cond driving off to fea, they laboured inceflantly to get in a ftock of water fufficient for their paf- iage to Macao, which having compleated by the twentieth of October, they the next day fent one of each mefs on fhore, to gather as large a quan- tity of oranges, lemons, cocoa-nuts, and other fruits as they poflibly could for the ufe of them- felves and their mefTmates when at fea : and thefe returning on the evening of the fame day., they let fire to the bark and proa, hoifted in their boats, and got under fail, fleering away towards the fouth end of the ifland of Macao, and taking a final leave of Tinian : " An ifland (fays Mr. Walter) which, whether we confider the excel- lence of its productions, the beauty of its appear- ance, the elegance of its woods and lawns, the healthinefs of its air, or the adventures it gave rife to, may in all thefe views be juftly ftiled roman- tic." CHAP. ROUND THE WORLD, 149 CHAP. V. A Defcription of (he Ladrone ijlands ; the flying proa defcribcd ; the Centurion fails to Macao- Mr. Anforis proceedings there ; he takes the Manila Galleon ; his tranfaclions in the river of Canton ; a dreadjul fire extinguijloed by the Englijh failors ; Mr. Ahfon fais from China, and arrives fafely at Spithead. HAVING juft left Tinian, which is one of the Ladrone iflands, it may not be im- proper to give a fhort account of them. The Ladrones, or Marian iflands, were firft dif- covered by Magellan in the year 152 1, and from the account given of the two firft he fell in with, it fhould feem that there were thole of Saypan and Tinian, for they are delcribed as very beau- tiful iflands, and as lying between fifteen and fixteen degrees of north latitude, which agrees with the fituation and appearance of thefe iflands, the Spaniards having given Tinian the name of Buen.a Vifta from its pleafing appearance ; and Saypan, which lies in fifteen degrees twenty-two minute north latitude, affords, when it is viewed from the fea, an agreeable proipecT:. There are generally reckoned twelve of thefe iflanus •, but if the fmall iflets and .rocks are counted, their whole number will amount to a- bove twenty. They were formerly moft of them well inhabited, c nd about the beginning of the pr^ent century, Guam, Rota and Tinian, are laid to have contained above fifty thoufand peo- ple ; but fince that time Tinian hath been en- tirely depopulated, and no more than two or three hundred Indians have been left at Rota, to cultivate rice for the ifland of Guam, which is a fettlement for the Spaniards, where they keep a governor and garrifon, and where the Manila galleon generally touches for refrefhment, in her paiTage from Acapulco to the Phillipine iflands. Guam is efteemed to be about thirty leagues in circumference, and contains near four thou- fand inhabitants, of which a thoufand are fup- poled to live in the city of San Ignatio de Agana, where the governor ufually refides, and where the houfes are built with ftone and timber, and covered with tiles,which is very unuiual in thefe warm climates. As Guam, on account of the refrefhment it yields to the Manila fhip, is reck- oned a poft of fome confequence, it has two cat- ties, and a battery of five pieces of cannon near the fea fhore. The Spanifh troops employed at this ifland, confilt of three companies of foot, of between forty and fifty men each ; and this is the princi- pal icrength the governor has to depend on } for he is generally upon ill terms with the Indian inhabitants, and fo apprehenfive of them, that he has debarred them the ufe both of fire arms and lances. Though the reft of the iflands are uninha- bited, yet they abound with many kinds of pro- vifion i but there is not a good harbour or road among them all ; inibmuch that it is not un- N ? '3- P p common for the Manila fliip, tho' flie is to ftay but twenty-two hours at Guam, to be forced out to fea, and to leave her boat behind her : an in- convenience which is fo feverely felt by the com- merce at Manila^ that it is always recommended to the governor of Guam, to ufe his beft endea- vours for the difcovery of fome fecure port in the neighbouring ocean. Thele Indians are a ftrong, bold, well made people, and from fome of their practices, parti- cularly the contrivance of the flying proa, feem to be no ways defective in underftanding. Thefe flying proas, which for ages paft have°been the only veflels they have ufed, are of a very extra- ordinary fabric, and are faid with the help of a trade wind, to be capable of running near twenty miles in an hour. The head and ftern of this vefiel are exactly alike, but her two fides are widely different. That intended to be always the lee fide being flat, whilft the windward fide is built rounding & in the manner of other veflels : and to prevent her o- verletting, which from her fmall breadth, and the ftrait run of her leeward fide would otherwife infallibly happen, there is a frame laid out from her to the windward, to the end of which is fas- tened a hollow log, fafhioned into the fhape of a boat. The weight of the frame is intended to ballance the proa, and the fmall boat, which is always in the water, is to prevent her overfettino- to the windward. The body of the proa is formed of two pieces joined end-ways, and lewed together with bark, lor there is no iron ufed in her cenftruction. She is about two inches thick at the bottom, which at the gunwhale is reduced to lefs than one. The proa ufually carries fix or feven Indians ;' two of which are phced in the head and ftern] who fleer the veflel alternately with a paddle, ac- cording to the tack fhe goes on ; he in the ftern being the fleerfman ; while the other Indians are employed either in baling out the water which fhe accidentally fhips, or in fettino- and trimming the fail. From the defcription of thefe veflels, it is fuffkiently obvious, how excellently they are adapted for ranging the Ladrone iflands, which, being fituated nearly north and fouth of each other, and lying within the limits of the trade wind, the proas, by failing moft excellently on a wind, and with either end foremoft, can run from one ifland to another, and back again, only by fhirting the fail, without ever putting about ; and by the flatnefs of their lee fide, and their imall breadth, they are capable of lying much nearer the wind than any other veffel hitherto known; 150 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq ; known : and have befides, the advantage of running wich a velocity nearly as great, and perhaps fome times greater, than what the wind blows with. On the twenty-firft of October in the evening, the Centurion having left the idand of Tinian, as readily mentioned, and the eaitern monioon | being fettled, we generally run from forty to fifty leagues a day. Having doubled the fouthern extremity of Formofa, as they were paffing by the rockj of , Veh Rete, there was an outcry of fire on the j fore-caftle, on which the whole crew irllantly j flocked together in the utmofl confulion ; fo j that the officers were for fome time arable to reduce the people to order: wh.ch, however, being at length effected, it was perceived that th fire proceeded from the bricks in the furnace being over-heated, which had on- municated the fire to the adjacent wood work ■, but by pulling down the brick-work, it was eafily extinguilhed. About midnight on the fifth of November they made the main land of China, and not rightly knowing their couile, lay by for thai nio-ht, and before iun-nie, were furpnled to find themlelves in the miuft of an incredible number of fifhing boats, which fpread over the Lea as far as the eye could reach •, and though feme of the boats had five, and none lefs than three men in them •, the commodore could nei- ther by iigns, by pronouncing the word Ma- f ■, nni by fhewing a number of dollars, en- t :e any one of them to come on board and pilot him -, for the difregard thefe people paid to every thing but their own employment, and their want of curiofity, was perfectly fur- grizjng, On the fixth, as they were Handing to the weftward, within two leagues of the coaft, they perceived a boat a head blow a horn and wave a red flag, which they confidered as a fignal of fome fort intended for them ; but in this they were miftaken, for it was only a fignal to order the people to leave off fifhing, and retire to the Inore •, which was inftantly obey- ed. It was a difagreeable circumftance not to be able to procure a pilot : however they held on their courfe through many channels formed by fmall iflands and little rocks, fol- lowing the belt inftruclions of former navi- gators. About four o'clock in the morning of the ninth, a Chinefe pilot put on board the Centu- rion, and told them, in broken Portuguefe, that he would carry the fhip into Macao, for thirty dollars •, which being paid him they pro- ceeded, foon after which feveral other pilots, came on board, who, to recommend them- felves, produced certificates of their abilities, figned by feveral European captains. About ten o'clock in the morning of the twelfth they came to the harbour of Macao, a i,r..;il aland at the mouth of the river Canton : which is in the hands of the Portuguefe, who have a governor here •, who however, fubfifts merely by the courtefy of the Chinefe, who can ltarve tne piace'and difpoflefs the Por- tuguefe, whenever they pleafe -, which obliges the governor carefully to avoid giving them of- fence. Mr. Anfon being determined to fupport the honour of the Bntifh flag, was refolyed not to lubmn to the payment of the duties exacted by the Chinele from trading vellcls ; men of war having immunities of that nature in every civilized port. For this reafun the Portuguefe governor of Macao adviied him not to enter the River Canton, where the ulual demand would undoubtedly be made upon him ; but to heave down and careen at Typa, an obfeure, but fafe and convei.ient harbour, about fix miles from Macao ; whe.e, in all prouaoiiity, the duty woulo rKver be demanded. T. his propofai Mr. Anion agreed to, becaufe he itared invoivirg the European fhips, in the eliipuie which would have anien irom his refil- ling to Comply with the cuftom. Kis tenber- neis for the merchants induced him to eoniulr. with them the manner in which it was neceflary for him to add; els the viceroy of Canton, for a fupply of provifiens, and hands to affiit him in heaving cicwn his fhip. The merchants re- ferred huii to fome Chinefe agent.-, who after having from day to day promiled him to lay the hate of his account before the viceroy, and adjufl matters in his favour ; at length, after more than a month haa been ioftin fruitlefs ex- pectations, they threw off the malic, and de- clared they neither would addrefs the viceroy, nor did they dare to do it, as he was much too great a man tor them to pretend to ap- proach. Mr. Anfon now perceived his error in hav- ing fo much conlulted the intereft of the Ealt India company, and therefore wrote a letter to the viceroy, to acquaint him that he was com- mander in chief of a Britifh fquadron, which had been cruifing againft the Spaniards, who were at enmity with the King his matter, and that he was obliged to enter the Port of Macao, to flop a leak, and fupply himfelf with provi- fions to purfue his voyage. This letter being tranflated into the Chinele language, was given to the hoppo, or chief officer of the cuftoms, who feeming unwilling to take charge of it, Mr. Anfon refented the refufal, and declared himfelf determined to fend it. On this the hoppo, finding he was in earned, begged to be intruded with it, and promiled to procure an anfwer as foon as poflible. Two days after this, a Mandarine of the firff rank, with two of an inferior clals, came along- fide of the Centurion, with a large retinue of officers and fervants and a band of mufic. The Centurion's boat was fent to bring him on board, and a hundred of the crew, drefled in the re- gimentals of the Marines, were drawn up under- arms upon the main deck, againft his arrival. On his entering the fhip, he was faluted by the drums and trumpets, and palling through the guard, was met on the quarter deck by the commodore, who conducted him to the great cabbin. He was governor of the city of J anion* and appeared to be a man of fenfe, and more honefty than is found among the Chinefe in ge- neral ROUND THE WORLD. 15 neral. He brought with him two carpenters, who examined the ftate of the fhip very carefully, and were remarkably exact in viewing the leak. He appeared greatly furprized at the largenefs of the guns, and the weight and lize of the fhot. The commodore obferving his aftonifhment, harrangued on the ftrength of his veflel ; and obferved, that his thus civilly requefting a lup- ply, which he was fo well able to take by force, was a proof of the friendfhip of his difpofition ; and therefore defired that a daily fupply of pro- vifions might be ordered him, left his men mould be : educed by famine to turn cannibals and prey upon their own fpecies ; in which cafe, it was eafy to be forefeen, that independent of their friendfhip to their comrades, they would, in point of luxury, prefer the plump well fed Chinele, to their own emaciated ihipmates. This dilcourie produced the defired effect ; the Mandarine allowed the juftnefs of Mr. An- fon's obfervations, and promifed that he fhould have every neceffary affiflance, as foon as the ftate of his circumftances had been confidered by a councd of mandarins at Canton : and in the mean time, ordered one of his attendants to fee a certain quantity of provifions, of which Mr. Anion delivered a lift in writing, to be put on board the Centurion every day ; and this order ■was punctually complied with. This matter being fettled, Mr. Anfon invit- ed him and the two other mandarines to dinner : at which they were greatly embarrafTed with the knives and forks : lb that after fome fruit- lels attempts to help themielves, one of the at- tendants was obliged to cut the meat in pieces for them. They feemed to have a prodigious averfion to beef, founded on a fuperftition which is very prevalent in India. Though they diflike the meat, they fhewed no averfion to the liquor; and having helped to difpatch four or five bot- tles of frontiniac, and one of citron water, they arofe from table, without feeming in the leait difordered ; and Mr. Anfon having according to the cuftom of China, made the mandarine a handlbme prefent, they departed in their own vefiels. After this conference feveral days elapfed without its producing any effect-, and Mr. An- ion learnt that the delay was occafioned by the intrigues of a Frenchman, who endeavoured un- derhand to poftpone as much as poffible the af- fairs of the Englifh, fearing that if the Centu- rion fhould be allowed any particular diftinction, 2s bearing the King of England's commiflion, the French traders which had always pretended to be men of war, would lofe part of their con- iequence. However, on the fixth of January, the above- mentioned mandarine fent the viceroy of Can- ton's warrant for refitting the Centurion, and fupplyingall her wants; in confequence of which a number of Chinele carpenters and fmiths went immediately on board, to treat about the work they were to perform ; when after fome debates about prices, the carpenters agreed to take a- bout the value of fix hundred pounds for their work ; and the fmiths bargained to furnifn the imall iron work ac the rate of three pounis per hundred weight, and the large at forty-fix ihiliings. Two vefiels called juncts being provided, one to heave down by, and the other to ferve as a magazine for powder and ammunition ; the fhip was immediately hove down ; but as the Chinele work but (lowly, it was the beginning of April before lhe was fitted for fea ; during which the Chincfe frequently preffed her departure, leem- ing conftantly to apprehend fome danger while fhe remained among them. On the fixth of April, the Centurion weighed from theTypa, and having ^ot into Macao road, complied her water as lhe pafled along ■ and her whole bufinefs being finilhed by the nine- teenth, fhe flood out to fea. While the commo- dore was at Macao, he gave out that he was bound for Batavia, and from thence for England; and tho' the v. efterly monfoon was fet in, which rendered that pafiage almoft imp-acttcabie, yet he found means to raife a Eelief that he intend- ed to try it ; but his real dtiign was 10 cruife off the Phillipine iflands for the Manila fhips ; for he fuppofed that this year there would be two, as he had prevented one of them from putting to fea the preceeding feafon. When they were out of fight of land he fum- moneo all his people upon the quarter deck, and told them his reiolution ; which was heard with great pleafure, and the men exprefled their iauf- faction by three hearty cheers. It happened foon after this, that the commo- dore, who had taken fome Chineefe fheep to fea, enquiring of his butcher, why he had lately feen no mutton at his table ; the fellow ferioufly an- fwered that there were but two fheep alive, and, if his honour would give him leave, he proposed to keep thole for the entertainment of the gene- ral of the galleon. On the laft day of May new ftik-, they came in fight of Cape Elpiritu Santo, where they con- tinued to crude till the twentieth of June old ' ftile, when about fun-riiing, the long expected vefTel came in fight, having the ftandacd of Spain flying at the top-gallant-maft-head ; and to the commodore's great furprize, bore down upon him, for he could hardly believe, what afterwards appeared to be the cafe, that fhe knew his fhip, and was refolved to fight him. The engagement foon began, and lafted 3n hour and a half, when the galieon (truck to the Centurion, after having had fixty-feven men killed and eighty-four wounded, among whom was the general Don Jeronimo de Montero, a Portuguefe gentleman, who acted with the ut- moft bravery. The Centurion iiad only two kil- led, and feventeen wounded, all of whom, except one, afterwards recovered. The great flaughter on board the galieon was chiefly owing to tnirty excellent marklmen, who being placed in the tops before the engagement began, did execution with almoft every fhot they fired. This prize, which was named the Noftra Sig- nora de Cabadonga, carried five hundred and fifty men, and thirty-fix guns mounted for ac- tion j 5 2 THE VOYAGE OF GEORGE ANSON, Efq- tion, befides twcn-y-eight pedrcroes, each of which was adapted to carry a four pound ball, j Her cargo was worth tour hundred thouiand pounds fterhng. It is impoflible to defcribe the tranfport on board, when after all their reiterated difappoint- mems, they at length faw their wifhes accom- pl'fhed : but their joy was near being fuddenly damped by a very alarming accident ; for no fooncr had the galleon (truck, than one of the lieutenants • oming to Mr. Anion to congratulate him on his prize, whilpered him that the Cen- turion was dangerouily on fire near the powder room. The commodore received this mocking intel- ligence without any apparent emotion, and tak- ing care not to alarm his people, gave the necef- fary orders for extinguifhing the fire, which was foon clone, though its firft appearance was- very terrible. Some cartridges having been blown up by ac- cident between decks, theblaft had communica- ted its flame to a quantity of oakum in the after hatch-way, near the after powder room, where the fmoke of the oakum occafioned the appre- henfion of a more mifchievous conflagration. The commodore appointed the Manila veffel to be a poll fhip in his majeity's fervice, and gave the command of her to Mr. Saumarez, his firft lieutenant; and having taken proper meafures for fecuring the priioners, whole numbers great- ly exceeded thofe of his own people, he fleer- ed back for the river of Canton ; and on the eleventh of July came to an anchor off the city of Macao. On the fourteenth the Centurion caft anchor fhort of Bocca Tigris, which is a narrow paflage forming the mouth of that river ; and here they were viiited by the mandarine, who commanded the forts at Bocca Tigris, to enquire what the fhips were, and whence they came ? and to take an account of Mr. Anfon's force, which he was to fen. to the governor of Canton : but on be- in» informed, that on board the Centurion, there were between three or four hundred barrels of powder, and four hundred firelocks, he fhrug- oed up his fhoulders, and feemed terrified with the bare recital ; faying, that no fhips ever came into Canton river* armed in that manner ; and that he durlt not fet down the whole force of the fiiip, left it ihould too much alarm the re- gency. The mandarine feemed amazed at Mr. Anfon's expectation of being exempted from all duties ; and faid, that the emperor's duty mull be paid by eveiy ihip that came into his ports •, and it is imagined that private directions were given by him to the Chin-fe pilot, not to carry the com- modore thro' t;.c Bocca Tigris,which is a narrow paflage, little more than amufket fhot over, on each hoe of w hich there is a fort, but not of fuf- ficient ftrtr-gth to prevent an enemy from forcing his way thr. "gh. T.ie pilot, after the mandarine had been on board, ! efukti at firft to take charge of the Chip, till he had it. vt from the fort ; but as it was abljiutely neceflary to haltcn thro', for fear of bad weather, the commodore weighed on the fifteenth, and ordered the pilot to carry him by the forts ; threatening him, that if the fhip ran aground, he would immediately hang him up aE the yard arm ; on which the fellow carried the fhip thro' fafely, the foits not attempting to dif- pute the paflage : however, when the pilot went aihore, he was feized, lent toprii'on, and feverely dikiphned by the bamboo ; but he afterwards found means to get at Mr. Anion, when he re- ceived fo handiome a preient in recompence for his fuffi- rings, as would at any time have induced a Chinele to have undergone a dozen baftinad- .ngs. Mr. Anfort difpatched his lecond lieutenant to Canton on the fixteenth, with a letter to the viceroy, requefting a fupply of provifions, and informing his excellency that the commodore propofed to pav him a vifit. Three mandarines brought a meflage in an- lwer to th*s letter granting the neceflary fupplies", mtreating Mr. Anion to poftpone his vifit till the weather ihould become more moderate, and requefting it as a favour that theSpanifh prifon- ers mighi be fet at liberty, left the emp'eror be- ing informed that his allies were in priibn in hi« dominions, Ihould relent it. But tho' Mr. Anion was very defirous of get- ting rid of the Spaniards, yet to enhance the obli- gation, he at firit railed fome objections, but fuf- fering himfelf to be prevailed on, he told the mandarines that to oblige the viceroy, he would releafe the prifoners whenever he would order boats to fetch them off : but when the manda- rines talked of duties ufually paid by fhips, the commodore pofitively declared that he would not fubmit to pay any, which was only done by trad- ing vefiels, and that as he neither inttnied to buy nor fell, he did not imagine himfelf affected by the emperor's orders. There would be no end of recounting the nu- merous artifices, frauds and extortions, practifed by the Chineie upon Mr. Anfon, and his people, from this time to the thirteenth of October ; when being difappointed of a quantity of bifcuit and other provifions, he determined in perfon to vifit the viceroy of Canton ; and leaving Mr. Brett to command the fhip, he embarked on board his own boat, rowed by eighteen of his hands, uniformly drefled in fcarlet jackets and blue filk waiftcoats, the whole trimmed with filver buttons, befides filver badges on theirjack- ets and caps. He was attended by the fupercargoes of the Englilh, Sweedifh, and Danifti fhips, befides his own boats, and by thofe of all the trading vefiels. As he pafied by Wampo, where the European vefiels lay, he was falluted by all of them except the French, and in the evening he arrived fafely at Canton. The commodore had not been long at Canton before he faw his bread and other provifions, which he had paid for beforehand, in great for- wardnefs ; and as he was upon the fpot, had an opportunity of preventing thofe delays, which would otherwife have taken place. While he remained in this city a fire broke out in the fuburbs. On the firft alarm Mr. An- ion went, with his officers and boat's crew, to eive ROUND THE WORLD. r 53 give his affiftance ; and found that the fire had begun in a failor's thed, and that by the fiight- nefs of the buildings, and the awkwardnefs of the Chinefe, it was getting head apace : but ob- ferving that it was running along a wooden cor- nice, which blazed fiercely, and would foon communicate the flame to a confiderablediltance, he ordered his people to begin with tearing away that cornice, which would loon have been done ; but Mr. Anion was informed, that as there was no mandarine there, who alone has power to command on thefe occafions, the Chinefe would make him anfwerable for whatever was pulled down under his directions; whereupon he order- ed his people todefift, and lent them to theEng- iifh factory to afiift in taking care of the compa- ny's trealure and effects, as it was eafy to forefee that no diftance could be a protection againft the rage of fuch a fire, where fo little was done to put a flop to it. The Chinefe contented themfelves with view- ing the fire, and holding one of their idols near it, which they feemed to expect fhould check its progrefs. At length a mandarine came, attended by four or five hundred firemen, who made fome feeble efforts to pull down the neighbouring houfes ; but by this time the fire, being greatly extended, had got among the merchants ware- houfes ; and the firemen wanting both fkill and fpirit, were incapable of checking its violence, fo that it was feared the whole city would be de- ftroycd. In this confufion the viceroy went thither, and immediately fent to beg Mr. Anion's afiiftance, who was told he might take what methods he thought proper to extinguifh the conflagration. On this, the commodore went a fecond time, taking with him about forty of his people, who exerting themfelves with the agility and boldnefs peculiar to failors, foon put a period to the fire : and as the buildings were moft of them on one floor, and the materials flight, the men efcaped without any other injury than a few inconfidera- ble bruifes. One hundred fhops, and eleven ftpeets full of warehoufes, were confumed by this fire ; fothat the damage amounted to a prodigious fum, and one of the Chinefe merchants was fuppofed to loofe, to his own fhare, near two hundred thou- fand pounds fterling. This fire raged with uncommon violence, ow- ing to great quantities of camphire in fome of the warehoufes, which produced a column of white flame, that blazed up in the air to fuch a prodigious height, that it was diftinctly feen on board the Centurion, at the diftance of at leaft thirty miles. The thirtieth of November being at length appointed for Mr. Anfon's vifit to the viceroy, he was attended from the cuter gate of the city to the great parade before the emperor's palace, where the viceroy refided, by a guard of two hundred foldiers ; and in the parade he found a body of troops, to the number of ten thouland, drawn up under arms, and making a fine ap- pearance, being all new cloathed on the occa- sion. Mr. Anfon with his retinue having paffed thro' the middle of them, was conducted to the great N? 13. Q^q hall of audience, where he found the viceroy feat- ed in the emperor's chair of ftate, under a rich canopy, with his council of mandarines attend- ing him. Mr. Anfon was placed in the third feat from the viceroy, which had been left vacant for him : there being above him only the chiefs of the law and the treafury, who in China precede all military officers. When the commodore was feated, he addrefled himfelfto the viceroy by his interpreter •, men- tioned the various methods he had taken to ob- tain an audience •, faid he imputed the delays he had met with, to the infincerity of thofe he had employed, and that he had therefore no other means left than to fend his own officer with a let- ter to the gate. On the mention of this, the viceroy interrupt- ed the interpreter, and bid him allure Mr. An- fon, that the firft knowledge they had of his be- ing at Canton was from that letter. The commodore then complained of the grie- vances fuffered by the Eaft-india company, from the vexatious impofitions of the merchants, and inferior cuftom-houfe officers •, and at length en- tering on his own affairs, told the viceroy, that this being the proper feafon for returning to Eu- rope, he wanted only a licence to fhip off his ftores and provifions, which were all ready •, and that as foon as they were on board, he intended to fail for England. The viceroy anfwered, that the licence fhould be immediately iffued, and that the next day e- very thing fhould be ordered on board •, thank- ed him in very genteel terms, for the fignal fer- vices he had done the Chinefe in faving the city from being deftroyed by the fire ; but did not mention a word of the duties ufually exacted from fhips. As foon as Mr. Anfon was out of the hall of audience, he was earneftly invited to go into an- other apartment, where an entertainment was provided ; but finding, on enquiry, that the viceroy was not to be prefent, he declined the invitation, and departed, attended in the fame manner as at his arrival, only on his leaving the city, he was faluted by three guns, which are as many as are ever fired by the Chinefe on any ce- remony. The commodre having now obtained a licence for fhipping his provifions, which were immedi- ately fupplied, had nothing to detain him longer in China, and fuch expedition was ufed that on the feventh of September the Centurion and her prize unmoored, and on the twelfth anchored before Macao,where the galleon was fold to fome merchants of that place, for fix thoufand dollars, which was much below her value ; but the pur- chafers knowing Mr. Anfon's impatience to put to fea, made almoft their own terms. The Centurion got under fail on the fifteenth of October 1743, and on the 3d of January came to an anchor at Prince's ifland in the {freights of Sunda, and continued there till the eighth, taking in wood and water, when ftie weighed and flood for the Cape of Good Hope, where on the ele- venth of March fhe came to an anchor in Table- bay. Mr. Anfon continued here till the third of April 1744, when he put to fea, and on the nine- *54 DISCOVERIES OF THE SPANIARDS. nineteenth of the month was in fight of the ifland of St. Helena, but did not touch at it. On the tenth of June they fpoke with an Eng- lifh (hip bound for Philadelphia, from whom they received the firft intelligence of a war with France. On the twelfth they got fight of the Lizard, and on the evening of the fifteenth, to their inex- preflible )oj, came fafe to anchor at Spithead. On his arrival Mr. Anfon learnt, that underco- ver of a thick fog he had run through a French fleet,which was at that time cruizing in the chops of the channel. Having now recited the adventures of the principal circum-navigators, which for the fake of uniformity we have given in regular order from Magellan •, we {hall go back to the difco- veries of the Spaniards immediately after the death of Columbus, and give the whole remain- der of our work, with the like ftric"l regard to uniformity, leaving what we have to fay of com- modore Byron's expedition, till towards the clofe of the volume, by which time it is poflible fome intelligence may arrive, which, befides what is already in print, may be worth communicating to the public. DISCOVERIES OF THE SPANIARDS, FROM THE Death of Columbus to the Expedition of Hernando Cortes. CHAP. I. The value of the gold mines of Hifpaniola, during the government of Nicho 'as de Obando ; the fett lenient of Porto Rico hy fuan Ponce de Leon ; afettlement made by Diego Columbus on the ifland of Cubagua, and a pearl f fiery formed near it ; Hojeda and Nicueffa fail to the Wejl Indies -, Hojeda lands at Carthagena ; his extraordinary efcape ; the fettlement of St. Sebafiian formed by Hojeda, who afterwards dies of want in Hifpanio'a; the colony faved by the advice of Nunez de Balboa; the colony of Nombrc de Dios is in the mean time planted by Nicueffa ; an account of his misfortunes and death. NICHOLAS DE OBANDO being go- vernor of Hiipaniola, at the death of Chriftopher Columbus, employed a fkilful pilot to fail round the ifiand, and defcribe its coafls, and then divided the Indians among the Spaniards, who confidered them as their flaves. Such quantities of gold were found that there was annually melted on the ifland to the value of one hundred and fifty thoufand pounds; yet it was remarked, that fuch as were concerned in amafiing it were no gainers ; for living luxu- riously, and upon credit, their gold at the melt- ins times was often feized for their debts, which verv frequently it was infufficient to diicharge. Obando having appointed Juan Ponce de Le- on, a Spanifh gentleman, to be governor of the province of Higuey, and he (Ponce) having heard from the Indians, that St. John de Porto Rico abounded in gold, procured a licence from O- bando for fettling a colony upon it : in confe- quence of which he failed with fome Spaniards and Indians that knew the place, and landed in the territories of the greateft lori or cacique of the ifland, who received him in an hofpitable manner, and changed names with him as a mark of friendfhip. Ponce having made enquiries concerning the gold, the cacique condudf.edhimallovertheifland,,_ fhewing him the rivers where that metal was found, and among them two that were very rich. Ponce now left fome of his people behind him, whom he recommended to the friendfhip of the cacique and his family, took with him famples of the gold, and failing back to Hiipaniola, ihewed them to Obando, who fending other people with him to fettle, he had on his return, the pleature to find,thatduringhis abfence the cacique had treat- ed thofe he left behind him in a friendly manner. Obando was at this time recalled to Spain, and Don Diego Columbus appointed governor of Hiipaniola in his room, who brought with him a new governor of Porto-Rico ; but Ponce dif- puting this appointment, Columbus fet them both afide, and appointed Michael Cerron governor AFTER THE DEATH OF COLUMBUS. l 5S governor, and Michael Diaz his lieutenant. However by the intereft of Obando, Ponce procured a new commiflion Irom Spain, and going to Porto Rico, round means of quarrelling with Cerron and Diaz, whom he fent prifoners into Spain. Thefe people being out of his way, Ponce profecuted his firft defign of conquering the ifland, which, though a work of more difficulty than he had at firft imagined, he, at length, ac- compliihed it , and the poor Indians were made flaves •, and at length entirely extirpated by the cruelty of the Spaniards, even after all the gold was exha fted, which they had been em- ployed in gathering. Cerron and Diaz having prefented a petition to the court of Spain, and being fupported by the intereft of Columbus, were appointed to reafiiime their former employments ; on which Ponce de Leon being deprived of his poft, and reduced to the condition of a private man, fitted out twofhips for making new difcoveries •, and on the fecond of April r5i2, difcovered land unknown to the Spaniards, which, be- lieving to be an ifland, he called Florida, from its pleafant groves and beautiful appearance, or from the difcovery being made on Eafter Sunday, which the Spaniards call Pafcha Florida, becaufe the fineft flowers are then in fealbn . The court of Spain being follicitous to make all pofiible advanuge of the New World, or- dered Diego Columbus to make a fettlement on the ifland of Cubagua, which he called the ifland of Pearls, and eftablifhed a pearl fifhery on the coaft, which in a few years became fo confiderable, that the kings fifth fometimes amounted to fifteen thoufand ducats per annum. The ifland of Cubagua is fituated in about ten degrees of north latitude, is upwards of three hundred leagues from Hifpaniola, and about three leagues in circumference. The Toil is very barren and dry, producing no grafs, but affording fome guiacum trees and fhrubs, and plenty of fait petre. As the land is flat, without any fprings of frefh water, there are no birds, but fuch as are proper to the lea ; and no land animals are found on it, except a few rabbits. Among other adventurers who petitioned the court of Spain for leave to make difco- veries, was Alonzo de Hojeda ; to whom a grant was promiled of all that had been dif- covered on the continent ; but Diego Nicuefla, who was a man of much larger fortune and greater intereft, interpofing, the patent was flopped, and he procured half the grant for himlelf. To Hojeda was given all the country between Cape de la Vela and the Gulph of Darien, under the name of New Andalufia-, and to Nicuefla, all the land from the above mentioned gulp to Cape Gracias a Dios, under the name of Caftilla del Oro, of Golden Caf- tile ; without a word in the grants reflecting Diego Columbus, to whom, as difcovered by his father, thefe countries of right belonged. Hojeda and Nicuefla each fitted out two ffiips, with which they failed to St. Domingo in Hifpaniola, where they quarrelled about their rights ; and it was with difficulty their difputes were adjufted ; which being, however, accomplifhcd, they failed for their refpe6live governments, towards the end of the year 1510 Francis Pizarro, who alterwards conquered Peru, failed with Hojeda ; who in a few days arrived at Carimari, which is now called Car- thagena, where the natives were prepared to oppofe him, on account of the injuries done them by Chriftopher Guerra, and other Spa- niards, who having pafled that way, had, under pretence of trading, feized many of the natives, and made flaves of them. Thefe Indians were of large ftature, the women wore their hair very long, the men only wore theirs down to their ears ; but both fexes were extremely dextrous at fliootincr with the bow. Hojeda fent fome priefts among them, with fome Indians of Hifpaniola, who fpake the language, to advile them to fubmit peaceably, and to leave off their cruelty, idolatry, and o- ther vices : but the Indians paid no regard to their pe-rfuafions. Hojeda, agreeable to his inftrucYiens, tried all poiiible means to allure, but he had orders, in cafe they proved obftinate, to make war up- on them, and make them flaves. Hojeda now began to exchange Spanifh toys with them for gold -, but finding they were preparing to at- tack him, he fell upon them, took lome of them prifoners, killed a confiderable number, and found a frnall quantity of gold in fome of the places which he had conquered. After this, taking fome of his prifoners for his guide, he went to a tjwn four leagues up the country, where thole had fled who efcaped from the laft battle : whom he found upon their guard, being armed with targets, fwords of extraordinary hard wood, bows, poifoned arrows, and rods which they threw like darts. Hojeda, however, attacked them, killing many, and taking flxty prifoners, which he fent on board his fhips. Eight Indians, during the battle, retired into one of their thatched houfes, where they defended themfelves a confiderable time, and killed one Spaniard : at which Hojeda was fo enraged, that he ordered the houfe to be let on fire, and they all perifhed in the flames, Hojeda now purfuing thofe who fled, the inhabitants of a town called Yarbaco, having notice of his approach, fled to the moun- tains with their effects, and when the Spa- niards arrived, and found the place aban- doned, they difperfed themfelves about the country in fmall parties ; which the Indians oblerving, fell upon them in many different places, and deftroyed them with flights of poi- foned arrows : however, Hojeda, with fome of his companions maintained the fight; often kneeling, the better to cover himfelf with his target ; but when he law moft of his men kill- ed, he ruffled through the thickeft of the In- dians, and running with prodigious fwiftnefs, efcaped into the woods, from whence he made the beft of his way towards his fhip. John de la Caia, who was Hojeda's Pilot, and parti- V i 5 6 DISCOVERIES OF THE SPANIARDS particular friend, got into a houfe, and de- fended himfelf at the door, till his men were (lain, and himfelf fo wounded with poifoned arrows, that he could no longer ftand -, when looking about him he faw one of his people who ftill fought courageously ; to whom he called out and bid him fly immediately, and tell Hojeda all that had happened ; which advice was followed, and this men and Hojeda were all who efcaped, the reft of the Spa- niards, to the number of feventy, being every one flain. Things were in this fituation, when happily for Hojeda, Nicuefla with his two fhips, arrived on the coal", and was no fooner informed of what had befallen his rival, than he generoufl) told him, they ought to forget their dilputes. and only remember ihey were gentlemen ..a. Spaniards •, offering at the fame time to lane; his men, and revenge his lofs. Accordingly they united, and marching againft the Indian', with four hundred men, burnt the town or Yarbaco, took a great number of prifoners, and gold to the value of fourteen thouland pieces of eight. This victory being accomplished, they agreed to part, to purfue their former plan : Hojeda failed for the gulph of Darien, on the eailern promontory of which he fixed a fettlement, an_ gave his town the name of St. Sebaftian ; be- caufe, as that faint is faid to have been martyr- ed by the arrows of the infidels, he thought him a fit patron to defend him from the poifon- ed arrows of the Inoians. He was no fooner fettled here, than finding the inhabitants de- termined to do him all polTible mifchief, he fent captain Encifo, with one of his fhips, to Hif- paniola, to bring him as great a reinforcement of men as he could poffibly obtain •, and during his abfence he intrenched himfelf as well as he could, the better to fecure his people ; but his provifions being foon exhaufted, he found himfelf under a neceflity of making fome excur- fions into the country to obtain a fupply ; in which he loft many of his men by the arrows of the Indians ; fo that the colony was foon reduced to a very wretched condition ; certain of being ftarved if they remained within their works, and almoft fure of meeting. with death, if they ventured out of them. In this depiorable ltate, when they were juft reduced to defpair, they, to their unfpeakable joy and aftonifhment, beheld a fhip enter the port. It belonged to a pirate, named Bernard de Talavera, who, flying from juftice, acci- dentally took fhelter there. Hojeda, bought the ihip's cargo, and treated the captain with fuch civility, that he willingly entered into his fervice. However advantageous this relief might be, it was but of fhort continuance, all their provifions being foon conlumed, no fupply ar- riving from Hifpaniola, and the Indians becom- ing more troublefome than ever, they were a- gain reduced to ex'.reme diftrefs. Alter various ichemes formed to no purpofe, it was at length refo'ved, that Hojeda himfelf fhould fail to St. Domingo, in order to procure fupplies i and accordingly he embarked on board Talavera' s veffel, and put tofer. leav- ing the colony under the command of Francis Pizarro. Hojeda now behaving haughtily towards Ta- lavera, and ufing too much feveritv towards the crew,- Talavera deprived him of all command, and clapped him in irons ; but a ftorm foon a- rifing, the civw, who knew him to be a good feaman, let him at liberty ; and by his fkill they fived their lives, by running the fhip on fhore on the iiland of Cuba. It was but a very fhort pafiage from thence to Hifpaniola •, but Talavera not daring to go thither, prevailed upon Hojeda to venture a voyage with him of a hundred leagues to Ja- maica in a canoe, and they were fortunate enough to accompliih it. When Hojeda had been a fhort time at Ja- maica, he prevailed on the governor to fend him to St. Domingo-, and on his arrival there, found that captain Encifo had let fail for St. Sebaftian ; but his own credit there was fo low, that he could fcarce raife money to buy him bread, and he foon afterwards actually died of want. Thus perifntd one of the braveft men that ever failed from Spain to America. Talavera alio came to an unhappy end •, for ftaying too long at Jamaica, Columbus had him apprehend- ed for piracy, in coniequence of which he was condemned and hanged. In the mean time Pizarro, and the people under his command, quitted St. Sebaftian, and railed to Carthagena, where captain Encifo be- ing juft arrived., with two fhips and a confidera- ble reinforcement, they joined him, and return- ed to St. Sebaftian, where they had the misfor- tune to be fhipwrecked •, and getting a fhore with much difficulty, they found that the In- dians had reduced the town to afhes. They laved out of their ftranded velTels what provifnns and neceflaries they could, end re- built the town in the beft manner they were able-, but they were foon reduced to the greateft dif- trefs both by war and famine •, for hunger fre- quently forcing them out, they were conftantly repulfed by the natives, with the lofs of fome of their number : but a very extraordinary perlbn, whom Encifo had brought with him, relieved them in fome meafure from their diftreis, by his dexterity and prefence of mind. The name of this perfon was Nunez de Balboa; he was of a good family, and had great abili- ties and a liberal education : he had formerly failed on this coaft with Baftidas, and had after- wards obtained a very good fettlement in Hil- paniola-, but having committed fome excefles there, was in danger of being put to death. In thefe unfortunate circumftances he procured himfelf to be put on board captain Encifo's fhip, in a bread cafk, and having remained there fome days, he ventured at laft to make his ap- pearance, when the fhip was a hundred leagues at lea. The captain, who'had been pofitively order- ed not to carry any offenders out of the iiland, was extremely vexed at this adventure, and threatened to put him on fhore at the firft de fart ifland he came to 3 but the principal per- fon s AFTER THE DEATH O F C O L U M B U S J 5: Tons on board interceeding for him, the captain was at length pacified, and granted him his pro- tection ; but this did not efface from Nunez's memory, the treatment he had met with, as we fhall fee in its proper place. This Nunez de Balboa, obferving that the company were in a defpairing condition, and knew not how to proceed, began to encourage them, by faying that they were not in lb defpe- -rate a fituation as they imagined ; for that when he was upon this coaft before, with Baftidas, they had failed to the bottom of the gulph, where they had feen a very large town, fituated in a fruitful foil, and a fine climate, which was indeed inhabited by warlike Indians, but they did not make ufe of poifoned darts : he there- fore adviled them to get off their ftranded vef- lels, and endeavour to purfue their voyage to this p3 ice. Nunez's advice being approved, they failed to the river which the Indians call Darien, and found every thing as he had defcribed it. The inhabitants and their cacique, underftanding that the Spaniards were coming, fecured their wives and children ; and then, to the number of five hundred, waited the invafion on a little hill ; but the Spaniards eafily routed them, and go- ing to the town, found it full of provifions. The next day they traverfed the country, and afcended the mountains, where they found many houfes •, but the inhabitants were all fled •, but they feized houfhold goods, plates of gold, cot- ton, fpun and unfpun, and other things, to a confiderable amount. Nunez gained great cre- dit by the fuccefs of the expedition, and began to be in very great efteem. They now agreed to eftablifh a colony here, which they called Santa Mafia el antiqua del Darien, or St. Mary the ancient of Darien ; the firft being the name of a church of Seville, and the latter the Indian name of the river. Nunez's credit being now eftablifhed, he fecretly con- trived with his friends to depofe Encifo from the command. While thefe things were in agitation, Encifo ordered, that no man, upon pain of death, fhould trade with the Indians for gold ; which caufing a fufpicion that he intended to engrofs that trade to himfelf, they unanimoufiy threw off all fubjection to him •, alledging, that, as they were out of the limits of Hojeda's govern- ment, he had no longer any authority. Encifo being thus deprived of the govern- ment, they determined to choofe magiftrat.es in the fame manner as is done in Spain •, where- upon Nunez de Balboa and Zamadis were e- lected alcaldes, and Valdivia was appointed re- gidore ; but this form of government not giv- ing fatisfaction, new difputes arofcj one party being for reftoring Encifo •, a fecond for fub- mitting to Nicueffa, as that country was within his diftricl ; and a third for giving the fole com- mand to N unez de Balboa. In the midft of thefe debates, Roderic Hen- riquez de Colmenares arrived with two fhips, having on board provifions, military ftores, and feventy men. This gentleman who was carry- ing fupplies to Nicueffa, was forced by a ftorm N? XIV. R r into a port about fifty or fixty leagues from thence, and fending his men aihore to get wa- ter, on a fudden, as they were filling their cafks, about feventy Indians ruihed on them, and wounded forty-five of them with poifoned arrows, and ftaved their boat. The wounded Spaniards fwam to their ihip, where they all died, except one : but k-vtn of the Spaniards who had not been wounded, hid themfelves in a large hollow tree, intending to fwim to the ihip at night ; but the people on board fuppo- fing them to be killed, failed for the bay of Darien, to enquire after Nicuefia : but finding no perfon on the eaft fide of the bay, where they expected to have met with Hojeda's or Nicuefi- fa's people, Colmenares was greatly furprized, and began to apprehend that they were all dead : however, he cauled fome pieces of cmnon to Le fired, and fires to be lighted on the tops of the rocks •, and the cannon being heard by the peo- ple of Santa Maria, they made fignals ; where- upon he came to them, as already mentioned, and generoufly dirtributing his provifions among them, gained their affection, and prevailed up- on them to fend for Nicueffa, to take upon him the government. It is now requifite that we return to Diego Nicueffa, to fee how he paffed his time after leaving Hojeda, whom he had fo generoufly af- fifted. He had not left Hojeda many days, be- fore he met with a violent tempeft, when Lo- pez de Olano, his firft lieutenant, obferving the fqtiadron feparated, formed the defign of fetting up for himfelf, and left his patron to fh if t a3 he could $ but after fome very unlucky adven- tures, he failed to Veragua, which was the place" of rendezvous -, and there laboured to perfuade the people to abandon their original defign, as impracticable, and to fail to Hfnaniola, there to make the moft of what they had left -, alledg- ing, that, without doubt, Nicueffa and his peo- ple had perifhed. While the m'en were meditatihg on this pro- ject, there came a fhallop into the port, With four men on board, who brought advice that Nicueffa was not far off"; that he had been ftranded on an unknown coaft, and having marched a long way with incredible fatigue, was now, with his followers, in a moft miferable condition. On hearing. this news, Olano's heart relent- ed, and he directly fent the fhallop with pro- vifions and refreshments, which came juft in time to fave Nicuefia and his men from ftarv- ina; ; but his refentment ap:ainft the lieutenant was not in the leaft abated by this timely fup- ply ; and ordering him into irons, he threaten- ed to fend him to Spain in that condition. Soon after this Nicueffa fettled a colony on the banks of the river Belem or Bethlehem •, but icon became fo ftreightened for provifions, that he was obliged to leave a part of his men there, and fail with the reft to Porto Bello ; but the Indians not fuffering them to land, they pro- ceeded four or five leagues farther to the port which Columbus had named Baftimentos •, and as foon as he entered it, he cried out, " Pare mos aqui en il nombre de Dios" ; that i^, •■'■ Let 158 DISCOVERIES OF THE SPANIARDS " Let us flay here in the name of God" ; from whence the place was called Nombre de Dios. Debarking his men at this place, he began to erect a fortrefs -, but had not been long there before he found himfelf in the fame diftrefs as at the former colony ; fo that he was obliged to fend one of his velfels to Hifpaniola, to befeech the governor to grant him feme affiitance. This CO veflel was fcarcc out of the port, before that with Colmenares on board, arrived, with the mefTage abovementioned from the Spanifh co- lony. Colmenares and his men were fo affected to fee Nicueffa and his company lean, ragged and barefooted, that they could not forbear fhedding tears, cfpecially at hearing how many had died, and the great difafters they had fuffered. Colmenares therefore endeavoured to do all he could to comfort Nicueffa, telling him that the people of Santa Maria defired he would come and govern them •, that they were in no want of gold, had plenty of provifions, and lived in a fine and fertile country. Nicueffa now began to be in fpirits, and re- turned thanks to heaven for this great and un- expected news •, but foon forgetting the misera- ble lltuation he had been in, and the obligati- ons he owed to thefe people, for having volun- tarily chofen him their governor, he was fo im- prudent as to declare publickly, that he would take all their gold from them, and punifli them for landing on his territories. Nor was this the only error he was guilty of ; for being defirous of viewing fbme iflands in the way, he permit- ed a veffel to fail before him, in which were perfons who told the people of the colony what he had faid ; whereupon, being fpirited up by Nunez de Balboa and others, they refolved not to admit him among them. Having fpent eight days among the iflands, Nicueffa failed for Santa Maria ; but when he arrived at the landing place, he found many of the Spaniards on the fhore, one of whom, in the name of the reft, required him to return to his own government at Nombre de Dios. This was a fhocking affair to Nicueffa, who defired they would hear him ; and for that purpofe went on fhore the next day, when the people attempted to feize him ; but he efcaped by Bight. Nunez de Balboa now interpofing, to pre- vent any perfbnal mifchief happening to him, Nicueffa intreated, that if they would not ac- cept of him as their governor, he might, at leaft, be admitted as a companion ; which being re- fufed, he begged them to keep him as a pri- foner, as he had rather die there, than to go back to ftarve at Nombre de Dios. But notwithftanding all this, they forced him, and about feventeen of his men, into an old rotten bark, and ordered them to go back to the place they had quitted, on pain of being funk. There is no doubt but they endeavoured to comply with this cruel order ; but with what fuccefs is not known, as they were never feen any more. There was, however, a ftory current in the Weft Indies, that when the Spaniards came to fettle themielves in Cuba, they found this in- fcription cut on the bark of a large tree ; " Here the unfortunate Nicueffa finifhed his miferies and his life together." CHAP. II. Diego Velafquez fent by Diego Columbus to plant a colony in Cuba ; a defcriptipn of that ifiand; difcoveries made on the continent under the command of Diego Velajquez, by his lieutenant Hernandez de Cordova, with an account of Cordova s hardjkips and misfortunes tilt his return to Cuba, where he die; ; difcoveries on the continent made by Velafquez under 'jch;i Grijalva ; they land en the ifiand of Cczumcl; defeat the Indians of Pot onchan ; trade with the Mexicans for gold ; return to Cuba, where Grijalva is difgraced by Velajquez for pur- filing his orders too Jlriclly. TH E Admiral Don Diego Columbus, was very much cenfured for not aflifting the abovementioned adventurers to the ut- moft of his power, notwithftanding that the grants given them were in violation of his juft rights ; and his enemies made ufe of this com- plaint to his prejudice at the court of Spain, which being always jealous of him, readily liften- ed to any accufations that were brought againft him : of which Columbus was fo fenfible, that he took eveiy poffible method to fecure to him- felf thofe countries, to which, from the con- tract made with his father, he had juft preten- tions. Columbus having learnt, in the beginning of the year 151 1, that the court were very defirous of planting a colony on the ifiand of Cuba, he was refolved to be beforehand with them, and to fend a number of men thither, under the com- mand of a perfon on whom he could rely -, that having a lieutenant there of his own, the court might have no pretence for granting it to any new adventurers •, as they had done that part of the continent which his father had difcovered, and even the ifiand of Jamaica, which, how- ever, he had recovered. He therefore made choice of James Velafquez, who was the richeft and moft efteemed of all the firft inhabitants of Hifpaniola ; and was a man of great experience and difcretion. It may be here proper to obferve that the pro- vince of Guatiaba, lying next to Cuba, the dis- tance between the two points being but eighteen leagues, many of the Indians had paffed over thither AFTER THE DEATH OF COLUMBUS. 159 thither in their canoes : arfel 5 the reft, a cacique of the province of Guatiaba, named Hatuey, a brave and difcrcet man, who taking with him as many of his dependents as poffible, fettled on the neareft country, known by the name of Mayci, where he governed the inhabi- tants, treating them as fubjetts, but not as (laves. Hatuey, fearing that the Spaniards would fome time or other pafs into Cuba, always kept 1'uies in Hifpaniola, to know what was done there ; and being informed of Columbus's de- iign, he afiembled the moft warlike of his peo- j)le, and putting them in mind of their many fufferings under the Spaniards, told them that they committed all thele outrages for the fake of a "T»at lord they were very fond of, and which he would fhew them 5 and then taking fome gold out of a little palm-tree bafket, added, " This is the lord whom they ferve j him they " follow, and as you have already heard, they " are coming hither only to feek him ; therefore " let us make a feftival, and dance to him, that " wlien they come, he may command them to " do us no harm." Accordingly they began to fing and dance, for their dances, as in Hifpaniola, were to the muiick of their tongs, When they were tired of ringing and dancing, Hatuey bid them not keep the Lord of the Chriftians in any place whatibever, for though they fhould hide him in their very bowels, the Spaniards would fetch him out ; and therefore adviied them to throw him into the river, which advice was immediate- ly followed. As foon as it was known in Hifpaniola, that Velafquez was going to eftabliih a colony in Cuba, a number of people refolved to accom- pany him, and three hundred perfons affembling at the town of Salvatierra de la Zavana, at the extremity of Hiipaniola, they embarked on board four fhips •, and failing in the month of November 151 1, they landed at a port called Palina, in the territories of the cacique Hatuey, who defended himfelf by taking advantage of the woods, Where the Spaniards could not make ufe of their horfes. When the Spaniards had been afnore about two months, the Indians hid themlelves in the thickelt parts of the forefts-j but when the Spa- niards law any of them, they hunted them down, and carried them to Velafquez, who diftributed them among his people, not as (laves, but fer- vants. At length Hatuey withdrew into the mod in- acceflible places-, but after much time .(pent, he was taken with great difficulty, and carried to Velafquez, who bafely ordered him to be burnt alive ; whereupon all the province of Mayci fubmitted -, none of them daring to hold out, after fuch an example of feverity. The Indians being quite fupprefied, Velafquez began to think of dividing them among the Spa- niards, as Obando had done by thofe in Hiipa- niola : and to this purpofe he founded a town near a harbour on the north fide of the idand, at a place which the natives called Barracoa ; and this was the firft Spaniih colony en the ifland. When it was known at Jamaica that Velafquez was at Cuba, a number of people who were with Juan de Efquibel, who was Columbus's lieute- nant there, afked permidion to go and ferve un- der him ; and, among the red, was Pamphilo de Narvaez, with a company of thirty archers ; he was a gentleman born, and being a man of genteel appearance and behaviour, was well re- ceived by Velafquez, who gave him the chief command, next himfelf, and fent him with his thirty men, to the province of Bayamo, a fine open county, fifty leagues diftance from Barra- coa : on his way he was met by a very large body of the Indians ; but mounting a fine mare which he had brought with him, the natives were fo frighted at the fight of the bead, and at the lound of the bells, which were then a part of the trappings of the Spanidi horfes, that they fied with the utmoft precipitation, far up the coun- try, leaving none behind them but old and de- crepid people. Velafquez being informed of this, fent a de-' tachment to join Narvaez, by which means that province was eafily conquered. The idand of Cuba, is upwards of eight hun- dred miles in length from eaft to weft, and in mod: places about feventy broad. It is fituated between twenty and twenty-three degrees north latitude. It lies about feventy-five miles north of Jamaica, and fifty weft of Hifpaniola. On the eaftermoft point there are mountains of a very confiderable height, which extend ninety Miles ; and through the middle is a ridge of hills from eaft to weft, from which very fine rivers abounding in fifh, (which go up from the fea) run down, both on the north and fouth fides, till after a fhort courfe, they difcharge them- felves into the fea. On the fouth of Cuba are a vaft number of little idands to which Chriftopher Columbus gave the name of the Queen's Garden, and there are a fmaller number on the north fide, which V e'aiquez called the King's Garden. The whole idand or Cuba is extremely pleafant, and more temperate than Hiipaniola. It has many fine harbours, particularly on the fouth fide, more convenient for dfips than if they had been made by art: in particular that of St. J ago in the form of a crofs, and that of Xaquas, which is fcarcely to be matched in the world, the fhips pal- ling to it through a narrow channel, not above a crofs-bcw fhot (over, and then turn into the open part of it, which is about ten leagues in circumference, and where there are three fmall ida«ids, fo fituated, that fnips being faftened to ftakes fixed in them, lie fafe under fiielter of the mountains, from ail the winds of the compafs. On the north fide there are alio good harbours, among which, that now called the Havannah, is the largeft. At the time the Spaniards made the firft de- fcent upon this idand, it was fo covered with woods that a perfon might travel near two hundred and thirty leagues under trees of feveral forts, and particularly fweet fcented red cedars, of which the inhabitants made canoes, large enough to hold fifty or fixty perfons. Indian corn i6o DISCOVERIES OP THE SPANIARDS corn was produced here in greater plenty than in any other part of the weft Indies : there were alfo ftorax trees in great abundance, and wild vines, the Items of which were as thick as a man's body. When the Spaniards firft came on the ifland, it was ftocked with birds in great plenty, parti- cularly partridges, flamingoes, pigeons and paroquets, of which laft there were inconceiv- able numbers, which when young were reckon- ed fine food : there were few land animals except a kind of rabbits like thofe of Hifpaniola ; but there was plenty of lea and river fifh, par- ticularly turtle, which were excellent of their kind. When the Spaniards had been fome time fettled on the ifland, they found confiderable quantities of gold in the rivers, fome of which was very pure, but for the moit part, it was of lefs value than that of Hifpaniola or Porto Rico. The original inhabitants of this ifland, who have long fince fallen a facrince to Spanifh cruelty, were a worthy good tempered people, who lived in towns of two or three hundred houfes each, and were governed by caciques : they appeared to have no religion, having neither temples nor idols, nor making facrifices, but they had a kind of conjuring phyficians, called Behiques, who perluaded the people that they held communication with the devil, from whom they pretended to obtain an an- fwer to fuch queftions as were put to him. Velafquez having reduced the greateft part of the ifland of Cuba, and planted feveral colonies upon it, began to think of acting independent of the authority of Columbus, by whom he had been lent there. The admiral, who was by this time recalled into Spain, oppofed this project of Velafquez, to the utmoft of his power ; but the ingrati- tude of that court was fuch, that he was not able to carry his point •, for though Velafquez was ftill left accountable to him for the exer- cife of his authority, yet he was not allowed to recall him without the King's content •, which lb well anfwered the purpofe of Velafquez, that he refolved to execute, without far- ther delay, a project which he had long me- ditated, of fitting out fhips for making dif- coveries* He no fooner made known his intentions, than numbers of Spanifh planters, who were grown rich, embraced the propofal, and offer- ed to contribute largely towards carrying it into execution : among thofe wiio were molt forward on his occaiion, was Francis Hernandez de Cordova, whofe offers being accepted by Velafquez, he fitted out two fhips and a brigan- tine, and taking one hundred and ten foldiers on board, failed from the Havannah on the eighth of February 1517. When Cordova had been twenty one days at fea, during which they lay by in the night, they faw land, and difcovered a town about two leagues from the coaft : and as they drew nearer, two canoes full of men appeared, whom the Spaniards haled ; on which thirty Indian went on board Cordova's fhip, having jackets without fleeves, and pieces of cloths wrapped about their wafte. The Spaniards gave them firings of beads, and treated them with meat and wine ; after which the Indians departed, making figns that they would return the next day, with more canoes, to take the Spaniards on fhore •, feeming much to admire the fliips, the men, their beard?, cloaths, arms and other things ; and, according to their promife, the Indians returned the next day, with twelve canoes, in one of which was the cacique, who invited them home with him faying " Conez cotoche", that is " come to my houfe." On this the Spaniards hoifted out their boats, and taking their arms,went afhore, where a prodigious multitude of the inhabitants waited to fee them. The cacique ftill prefled them to go to his houfe, and at laft they confented, in order to take a view of the country •, but when they came to a wood, the cacique gave a fignal, on which a great number who had been concealed, rufhed out on the Spaniards. They were dreffed in a kind of armour made of quilted cotton, to fecure them from the arrows, and had wooden lwords edged with flint, flings, targets, fpears, bows, and arrows : they wore plumes of feathers on their heads, and their faces were painted of feveral colours. Thefe men gave a hideous fhout, pouring in at the fame time fuch a fhower of ftones and arrows, that they wounded fifteen Spaniards : after which they fell on fword in hand, and fought with great refolution, till feeling the fharp- nefs of the Spanifh fwords, they fled with preci- pition, many of them being wounded, and leventeen killed. There were taken in this action two youths, who becoming chnftians, were baptized by the names of Julian and Melchior. The battle being ended, the Spaniards re- turned to their fliips, plealed at having found a people different from what they had ieen at other places, and feen things different from thofe on the other iflands -, particularly houfes built v/ith ftone and lime, which had not been obferved in the Weft Indies before that time. Cordova now failed on for fifteen days along the coaftj and then entering a bay, landed, in order to take in frefh water. This place the Indians called Quimpeche, from whence it ob- tained the name of Campeche. When they had taken in their water, and were ready to return to their fhips, fifty Indians dreffed in -jackets, with large cotton cloths inftead of cloaks, came, and enquired, by figns, whether they came from the place where the fun-rifes ; and conducted them to fome temples built with ftone, where the Spaniards obferved feveral idols of various ugly lhapes, with blood frefh fpilt ; and from one of thefe temples came ten men in long white mantles, having their hair, which was long and black, twifted up in rolls behind, thefe men held in their hands little earthen fire-pans, into which they caft a gum, and then perfuming the Spaniards, bid them depart the country as they valued their lives : on which they retired to the fea fhore, and immediately embarked. Thev AFTER THE DEATH OF COLUMBUS. 161 T hev now failed fix days along the coaft, and then lan-led at the diftance of a league from a town c.iiled Potonchan, and having rilled their cafks with water, and night coming on, they im- prudently refolved to ftay on fhore : but in the nio-ht were greatly alarmed by the Indians •, and at°break of day found that they were entirely furrounded by a great army, againft which they determined to make the bed defence they were able. As foon as it was broad day light the Indians encompafied them, and poured in a fiiower of arrows, darts and ftones, by which about eighty Spaniards were wounded, among whom was Cor- dova -, but at length the Spaniards rufhing thro' the enemy, ran '.owards their boats, while the Indians purfued them with dreadful fhouts and fcreamings. They crouded into the boats fo haftily, that they had like to have overfet them, and io eager were the Indians to attack them that they plung- ed into the water, endeavouring to wound them with their fear.;. The Spaniards had forty-feven men killed in this action, five died of their wounds on board the fliip . and, in fhort, every man of them was wounded, except one. In this extremity they refolved to burn one of their fhips for want of hands, and to return to Cuba. Having been obliged in the hurry to leave their cafks afhore at Potonchan, they were foon reduced to the greateft dittrefs for want of wa- ter •, whereupon fome of the founder! men went on fhore with jars in fearch of a fupply, but could find none but what was brackiflv, on which they determined to (land. over to Florida, where one of the pilots had been with Ponce de Leon. They here landed near a creek, and having placed centinels for their fecurity, they dug pits, and finding good water, drank fome, and wafhed linen for their wounded men : but when they were about to return, one of the centinels came running and crying out, " to fea, to fea, the Indians are coming." They now law great numbers of canoes row- ing down the creek, filled with Indians of a large and robuit appearance, drefTed in deer-fkins and armed with fpears, fwords, bows and arrows: and thefe landinsr, difcharged their arrows and wounded fix of the Spaniards-, but foon feeling the effects of the crols-bows, mufkets and fwords, they hurried back to their canoes ; and the Spa- niards got all fafe back to their fhips, except the centinel who had given the alarm, who was killed by the Indians. The people on board were fo diftrefied for want of water, that as foon as they came to the fliip's fide, a foldier leaped into the boat, and feizing a jar, drank fo much that he fwelled and died in two days afterwards. After many other fufier- ings they arrived at the Havannah, from whence Cordova fent an account of his voyage to Diego Velafquez, and died in ten days afterwards of the wounds he had received. Velafquez received great pleafure from Cor- dova's account of his voyage, and notwithftand- ing the ill fuccefs of this adventurer, determin- ed to purfue thefe difcoveries the firlt opportu- N° i 4 . S f nity ; taking it for granted, that as thefe Indi- ans appeared to be more civilized than any o- thers they had met with, they were alfo richer ; and as foon as Velafquez's fentiments were known, feveral of the principal inhabitants of- fered him their alTiftance, fo that he was foon able to fend out three fhips and a brigantine, un- der the command of John Grijalva, having with him the captains Alvaredo, Montejo and d' Avila ; who had ft rift rders to make all the difcoveries they could, but not attempt a fettle- men t. They failed from C ba on the eighth of May 1518, and having vifited the coaft of Florida, they landed 'at Cozumel, where feeing no in- habitants, except two old men, who underftood the language of Julian and Melchoir, who had been taken as before mentioned, Grijalva gave them beads and looking-glafies, and fent them in fearch of their cacique ; but they never re- turned. "Whilft they waited for them, came a young Indian woman of Jamaica, who reported, that two years before, as fhe was with her hufband, and nine other men in a canoe, they had been driven in a ftorm to Cozumel, where the inha- bitants had facrificed all the men to their idols : at this woman's earneft requeit, Grijalva took her with him. Sailing hence, they in eight days arrived on the fhore near the town of Potonchan, where they came to an anchor -, which being perceived by the inhabitants,who were vain of having dri- ven Cordova's men out of the country, they took up arms, and advanced to the fhore, to hinder the Spaniards from landing ; fhouting and making a great noife with their trumpets and kettle drums, and running into the water to wound the Spaniards with their fpears-, but the latter were no fooner landed, than rufhing upon them, fword in hand, they obliged them to give way ; for the Spaniards being taught by experience, began to ufe the fame fort of cotton jackets as the Indians, as a defenfive armour a- gainft their arrows •, yet three of them were kil- led, and fixty wounded, among whom was GrijaL va, who was (hot with three arrows, one of which broke fome of his teeth. By this time the boats, with the remainder of the foldiers, who "had been left on board, com- ing to their afliftance, the Indians quitted the field, and the Spaniards went ro the town, dref- led the wounded men, and buried the dead -, but found only three of the natives, whom Grijalva ufed kindly, and gave them toys to induce them to prevail on the inhabitants to come back, pro- mifing not to hurt them ; but the meflengers never returned. They now embarked again, lying by every night, to avoid falling in among the fiats or rocks, and foon difcovered a large river, which was not deep enough to admit the two largeft vefTels, and therefore they fent up the two fmal- ler ones and their boats well manned, who pro- ceeded wi'h great caution, as they faw many armed Indians in canoes along the fhore. The natives called this river Tabafco, but the Spaniards named it Rio de Grijalva, in compli- ment l62 DISCOVERIES OF THE SPANIARDS ment to their commander, and landed at a grove of pal it: trees about half a league from the town. The Indians oblerving the Spaniards land, about fifty cances, full of armed men, moved forward, and then flopped at a final! diftance from the , Spaniards ; on which the latter lent Melchior and Julian, to acquaint them that they only came to treat about affairs which would give them pleafure. On this four cances with Indians drew nearer, when Grijalva ordered his interpreters to tell them, thai he and his people were the fubjecls of a great king, to whom mighty princes paid obedience, and that it was realonable they alio fhould fuhmit to him,becaufe it would be much to their advantage •, but that till the Spaniards could explain thefe matters more particularly, they expected a fupply of provifions. The Indians, in anlwer hereto, faid, that they would give them provifions, but that they had a lord of their own, and did not know what right ftrari'ge'rs had to impofe a new lord upon them ; that they fhould take heed how they made war on thern, as they had done at Potonchan •, for they had affembled an army of twenty-four thou- fand men ; that they knew the Spaniards had killed and wounded about two hundred at Po- tonchan ; but that they were not fo weak as thaie people. They concluded by faying, that they were come thither to know their will, and would make a faithful report of what they faid to a number of very great men, who were affembled either to treat of peace or commence hoftilities. Hereup- on Grijalva gave them firings of beads, looking glafles and other things, expreffed his peaceable intentions, and charged them to bring back an anfwer, becaufe if they did not, he fhould pro- ceed to the town, though he would not do it any harm. Grijalva new returned to his fhips, and the meflenge.fs having informed the chiefs of what the Spaniards faid, it was concluded that peace was preferable to war ; on which they immedi- ately fent Indians loaded w-,h rqafted nfh, poul- try, feveral forts of fruit, and bread. Having delivered thefe things, they laid fome mats on the ground, and placed on themaprefent for Grijalva, confuting of feveral forts of beau- tiful feather vsorks, and a mafk of wood ; and then informed the Spaniards that their lord would tome and pay them a vifit the next day. /<. _'ieeabie to this appointment he came, at- tended by a number of his people unarmed, and going on board Grijalva's fhip without the lead fear, that commander received him with great reipect ; and both parties being feated, they be- gan a dilloui ie, of which neither of them un- derfiood more than a few words which were in- terpreted by Julian and Melchior. An Indian had attended the cacique with a trunk, out of whkh he was now ordered to take fome plates of 1, and thin boards for armour covered with the lame metaj. Thefe the cacique himfelf tried upon G.ljalva, taking off fome, and putting on Qther$, tij he hajj turnilhcd him with a corn- plea; fuit of golden armour, chat fitte i him as well as if it had been made for him. He ai,b gave him feveral curious works' in gold and fea- thers. Grijalva, in return for thefe prefents, called for a little fine fhirr, which he put upon the ca- cique, as he did alio a fine great coat of crimfon velvet with which he had dreffed himfelf to re- ceive his vifiror. He then put on his feet a pair of new fhoes, and gave him fome of the bed firings of beads, fome looking-glaffes, fciffars, knives, and feveral toys made of tin •, and dif- tributed prefents of the like kind among his at- tendants. What the cacique gave to Gri]alva was eiteemed worth three thoufand pieces of eight; and among the reft were a wooden head-piece covered with thin plates of gold, and three or four maiks, fome of which were covered with ftones which reiembled emeralds ; the fight of which valuable commodities made the Spaniards eager to fettle in a country which produced fo much wealth. Grijalva being fenfible that the Indians were unwilling that he fhould remain long among them proceeded farther, and in two days came to a town called Aqualunco,which the Spaniards named La Rambla, the inhabitants of which appearing at a diftance with targets of tortoife- fnell glittering in the fun, fome of the Spaniards' imagined they were of pale gold. Sailing onwards, the Spaniards difcovered fe- veral rivers, in one of which were a number of Indians waving large pieces of white cloth fatt- ened to poles, as if inviting them to land : on which Grijalva ordered captain de Montejo to go on fhore with all the mufketeers and twenty other foldiers ; and that in cafe the Indians ap- peared in a warlike pofture, he fhould give no- tice of it, that more reople might be fent to him. It may be proper to inform the reader that the country on the coaft of which they now were, was a province of the great empire of Mexico, and that Motezuma,who was then on the throne, having heard of the exploits of the Spaniards, and of the pains they took to become acquainted with the maritime parts of his empire, began to grow jealous of their proceedings, and defirous of knowing why they took fo much pains to vifit countries which did not belong to them. To procure this intelligence he had given di- rections to the governors of thefe provinces to entertain thefe itrangers with civility, to take all opportunities of trading with them, and to lend him, from time to time, fuch an account of their motions as might enable him to judge what opinion he ought to entertain of them. It was in confequence of theie inftructions that the Indians had waved their colours as abovementi- oned. Montejo and his men being landed, the Mexi- cans gave them fowls, bread, and fruit, and burning a gum in little fire-pans, they perfum- ed the Spaniards •, of this friendly reception Montejo lent immediate advice to Grijalva; on which that commander came clofe in with his fhips, landed, and prefer. ted the inhabitants with fome glafs beads and necklaces. He was treated with the utmoft refpecl by the emperor of Mexi- co's governor, and the other principal people, who AFTER THE DEATH OF COLUMBUS 163 who ordered the Indians to bring gold to barter, fo that in the fpace of fix days which the Spa- niards remained here, they purchafed gold toys of ieveral fhapes to the value of fifteen thouland pieces of eight. Grijalva made preients to the principal peo- ple, and then taking pofieffion of the country for the king of Spain, in the name of Diego Ve- lafquez, he embarked and touched at feveral ifiands, on one of which they found an altar on which there were idols, and perceived that five men had been jult iacrificed, their breafts being ripped open, their legs and thighs cut off, and the walls bloody ; and on another ifland Grijalva landed with thirty foldiers, where he found a temple in which were feveral idols, and four priefts of the temple drefied in long black man- tles with hoods, who that very day had facrificed two boys, who were found ripped open, and their hearts taken out : thefe circumftances fil- led the Spaniards with horror. This ifland was called Ulua, but Grijalva gave it the name of St. John Baptiff, fince ich it has been called St. John de Ulua, to diftinguifh it from St. John de Porto Rico. Here Grijalva Hayed feven'days, during which he bartered for a fmall quantity of gold, and then lent Alverado to Velafquez, with all the oold and other things which he had obtained from the Indians,- and an account of his difco- ries. Velafquez was extremely pleafed with the ac- count he received ; but Alverado, who was always defirous of fettling a colony, gave him a difadvantageous character of Grijalva, who had ferved him with the utmoft fidelity, and punc- tually obeyed the orders received at his departure. Grijalva confidering that his orders were po- fitive not to fettle, now coafted along in fight of the mountains bfTufpa, and then failed to the mountains of the river Tonala, where he ca- reened one of the fhips that was leaky : and while the people were thus employed, many Indians came to them from a town at a league's diftance, bringing fowls, bread, and other provi- fions, which they exchanged for Spanifh toys : and the news of this traffic being fpread abroad, others came from Gua/acoallo, and other neigh- bouring towns; bringing provifions, fome fmall plates of gold, and very bright copper axes with painted handles : the Spaniards, miftaking thefe axes for gold, purchaied fix hundred of them, and might have had more, for the Indians were very willing to part with them. While they remained at this place, a foldier went into a temple that flood in the fields, from whence, among other things he took the facri- fici g knives, and fome idols, and having (tap- ped them of their ornaments of gold, to the va- lue of ninety pieces of eight, he delivered them to the commander in chief ; but being unable to conceal his joy at obtaining fuch a treafure, information was given to Grijalva of what he had done ; whereupon every thing was taken from him, but afterwards given to him again, on his paying the king's fifth. The ihip being refitted, they failed to the port of Matancas in the ifland of Cuba, with gold to the value of four thoufand pieces of eight, be- fides what Alverado had carried ; but on their going to pay the king's fifth on the copper axes, they to their great mortification, found them rufty. At this place Grijalva received a letter from Velafquez, directing him to haften immediately to St. Jago, and to tell his men that another fleet was fitting out, in order to make a fettle- ment. On receiving this order Grijalva repaired to St. Jago where he met with a very unfriendly reception from Velafquez, who was weak enough to infult him for having obeyed his orders ftricl:- ly in not making a fettlement. In anfwer to this fcandalous treatment, Gri- jalva only fhewed the inftrudtions he had receiv- ed, which Velafquez looking upon as an affront offered to himfelf, beftowed the command of the fleet which was preparing, on Hernando Cortes; the particulars of whofe celebrated expedition, we fhall now proceed to relate. THE [ i6 4 ] THE CONQUEST O F M E X O, B Y HERNANDO CORTES. CHAP. I. Velafquez, governor of Cuba, appoints Hernando Cortes commander in chief of a feet for making new difcoveries ; he departs from Cuba ; lands in the if and of Cozumel ; demo'ifcs the Indian idols ; meets with a captive Spaniard; extraordinary flory ofjerom D'jlguilar ; Cortes fails from Cozumel } enters the river Grijaha ; lands in fpite of the Jndians ; takes the town of Tcbafca ; obtains a great victory ; makes peace with the Indians ; receives Donna Marina, and other faves as a prefent ; embarks to continue his voyage ; gives audience to two Mexican officers ; fends a prefent to Motezuma, and receives one from him ; Motezuma being perplexed by Cortes' s perfeverance, fends him a fecond prefent with poftive orders to leave the coafl ; Cortes artfu ly quiets the murmurs of his people. E V ERAL Spanifh authors have written an account of this expedition; but we fhall follow that of the learned Antonio de Solis, not only as he is the moft elegant writer on the fubjecT:, but as he was at the pains to confult original papers, and to collate and compare the different accounts, by which he has removed fome difficulties that occured in other hiftories of thi; memorable event. Hernando Cortes was born at MeJelin, a town of Eftremadura in Spain, and educated for a military life. His parents intended to have lent him to Italy, to ferve under Gonfalvo de Cordova ; but juft as he was ready to embark a dangerous illnefs prevented that expedition ; and afterwards refolving to try his fortune in the Weft Indies, he failed thither in the year 1504, with letters of recommendation to Nicholas de Obando, who was his kinfman, and at that time governor of Hilpaniola. Obando received him in a very friendly man- ner ; but as Hifpaniola was now wholly fubjec- ted to the Spaniards he lbon grew tired of an in- active lift, and obtained leave to go the ifland of Cuba, where the war was ftill carritd on, and where he %n;dized his valour in fuch a manner, that he was choien Alcaide, or chief magiftrate of the town of St. Jago, an employment'ufually conferred on thofe who had diftinguifhed them- felves in the conqueft of thofe countries. In this fituation was Cortes, when he was made choice of by Velafquez, governor of Cuba, as a proper perfon to conduct the propofed en- terprize ■, and a commiffion was immediately figned, appointing him captain general of the fleet, and of the countries he fhould dilcover and fubdue. As foon as this nomination was known, it' was refented by many perfons who had flattered themfelves with the hope of obtaining the poft \ and in particular by the relations of Velafquez : but in the mean time Cortes employed his own fortune, and all the money he could borrow, in the purchafe of proviflons, arms and ammu- nition, and inlifted foldiers with fuch expedi- tion, that in a few days above three hundred perfons were engaged. Thefe, together with the failors, and all neceffaries, being embarked in ten vefiels, from eighty to one hundred tons each, they failed frcm the Port of St. Jago de Cuba, on the eighteenth of November, 151S, and coafting along the ifland, arrived in a few d.iys at the port of La Trinidad, where Cortes was joined by fevecal petfons of diftin.'lion, who deter- BY HERNANDO CORTES, 16$ determined to follow his fortunes : but he had no fooner left St. Jago, than his enemies pre- vailed upon Velafquez to revoke his commif- fion, who thereupon difpatched couriers to La Trinidad, with orders for the alcalde of that place to difpoffefs Cortes of the com- mand : but Cortes being apprized hereof, confulted with his friends, who vehemently declared that they would (land by him to the lafl extremity. On this Cortes vifited the alcalde, complain- ing of the governor's behaviour, and alluring him that his friends were fo much iiicenfed at the affront, that it was not without difficulty they were reftrained from committing acts of vio- lence •, and he tiled fuch other arguments to fliew what prejudice his majefty's intefeft would fuffer from the execution of the governor's order, that the alcalde was convinced, and wrote to Velaf- quez, adviling him to defift from his purpofe •, which advice was backed by letters from Diego de Ordaz and others, who enjoyed ibme degree of the governor's favour. In the mean time Cortes ftfolved to purfue his voyage, and having fent Pedro de Alverado by land, with a party of foldiers to take care of the liorfes, and raife recruits in the fettlements ; he failed with the fleet for the Havannah ; but in the night, the Capitana, ih which lhip Cortes embarked, feperated from the reff, while the other vefftls continued their courie to the Ha- vannah, where Pedro de Barba, the governor under Velafquez, received the people with great kindnefs. They remained here feverai days, without hearing any news of Cortes, lb that they conclud- ed he was loft, and were proceeding to chufe another commander, when the election was hap- pily prevented bv his fafe arrival. Cortes was received at the Havanriah, with the loud acclamations of his men, and treated with the utmeft refpeel by the governor : and during the few days he remained at that place, he cleaned and proved his artillery, ordered a number of cotton quilts to be made as coats of mail, to defend his people from the 'Indian ar- rows j exercifed his foldiers in the ufe of their fire arms and crofs-bows, as well as in the ma- nagement of their pikes, and taught them to form, file off, attack and retreat, according to the approved practice of war : but while he was thus employed, a mefienger arrived with dif- patches to the governor of the Havannah, con- taining exprefs orders to diveft Cortes of his command, and fend him prifoner to St. Jago, ■under a ftrong guard. Cortes was equally fhocked and incenfed at this frefh inftance of the folly and infolence of Velafquez, which fo evidently tended to the ruin of an enterprize in which he and his friends had embarked their whole fortunes : and there- fore he refolved to provide for himfelf and make ufe of the force he was mafter of, if he found it necefiary : he took the precaution of explaining his fituation to his foldiers, who expreffed the utmoft indignation againft his enemies, and raif- ed fuch a tumult, that the governor of the Ha- Tannah was obliged publicity to declare, that N< 14. T t he did not intend to execute the orders he had received from Velafquez, which he looked upon as a flagrant piece of injuftice. The tumult being thus quelled, and aBrigan- tine added to the fleet, Cortes divided his men into eleven companies, delivered inftrudlions to his officers, and after a folemn mafs, at which all the foldiers affifted, departed from the Havan- nah on the tenth of February 15191 but at fun- fet a furious ftorm arofe, which put the whole fleet into diforder. Diego de Ordaz, whofe fidelity Cortes had fuf- pedled, had been fent before toGuanicanico,afet- tlement on the other fide of cape St. Antonio, and a little before the ftorm he difpatched Pedro de Alverado in fearch of him, with orders to wait for the fleet at Cape St. Antonio ± but Alverado finding that the ftorm had driven him fo far into the gulph that it would be very difficult to weather the Cape, fleered for Cozumel, where he landed and found a town abandoned by the inhabitants, who had fled farther into the country on his approach. Alverado, whofe enterprizing difpofition out- ran his difcretion, imagining that nothing could fo ill become a foldier as inadlion, ordered his men to march farther into the ifland : and at the diftance of a league they found another town, abandoned like the firft, and here the foldiers feized fome provifions, and plundered an idol temple of its ornamental jewels, and fome inftruments for facrificing, made of gold mixed with copper. This proceeding, ren- dered it more difficult to gain the friendfhip and afliftance of the Indians, and therefore rather hindered than promoted the fervice. Cortes having fent another veffel with di- rections to Ordaz, on afuppofitionthat Alverado had been prevented by the florm, arrived with his fleet the next day ; and though he was well pleafed to find that young captain in fafety at Cozumel, he publicly reprimanded him for his rafh behaviour, and difmiffed three Indian prifoners whom he had taken, after having ordered their effects to be reftored, and made them fome prefents for their cacique, in token of peace and friendfhip. The Spaniards continued three days encamp- ed on the fea fide, during which they were muf- tered, when it appeared that they amounted to five hundred and eight foldiers and officers, fixteen horfe, two chaplains, and one hundred and nine mariners and mechanics. The people being affembled, Cortes addreffed them in a fpeech, in which he endeavoured to animate them with courage, by the promife of honour and wealth •, fet before them the dangers they muft expect to encounter, and reprefented in the flrongeft terms, the neceffity of obedience, unanimity and refolution. Cortes had no fooner finifhed his harangue, than notice was brought him, that confiderable numbers of unarmed Indians were approaching, in feverai detached parties ; whereupon he drew up his men, and directed them to prepare them- felves for whatever might happen. The Indians having approached the Spaniards, continued without motion for fome time, but percieving no 1 66 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, no figns of hoftilities, they at length boldly ad- vanced, and entering the camp, mingled among the foldiers, in the moft familiar and fearleis manner. The principal cacique of the ifland, attended by a numerous retinue, came the next day to vifit Cortes, who received him in the moft refpectful manner : and while they converted by means of an interpreter, one of the Indians was heard to pronounce the word Castilla, of which Cortes demanding the meaning, was. in- formed that the Indian faid the Spaniards re- fembled lb me prifoners in Yucatan, who came from a country called Caftilla. Cortes had no doubt but that thefe prifoners were his countrymen, whom he determined to let at liberty ; and talking farther on the fub- ie$f, the cacique informed him that they were in the power of fome Indians of the higheft rank, who refided at Yucatan; and that the moft certain and expeditious method of pro- curing their liberty, would be to offer a ran- fom -, & for if he fhould have recourfe to arms, they would run the rift of being murthered by their matters. In ccniequence of this advice, Cortes ordered Diego de Ordaz, to fail to the coaft of Yuca- tan, with a letter to the prifoners, and fome trifles for their ranfom, and to ftay eight days, within which time the Indians whom the ca- cique fent for that purpofe, undertook to return with an anfwer. In the mean time Cortes marched with his men in a body round the ifland, in order to view the country, and keep the people in action. In this circuit he was accompanied by the ca- cique and a great number of Indians, who fup- plied him provifions, and exchanged gold for glafs beads, of which they were fo fond, that they believed they could never purchafe them at too high a price. Not far from the coaft they found the tem- ple of an idol, which was much revered by the Indians : it was a fqUare ftone building of a to- lerable ftruclure •, and the idol, which was called Cozumel, appeared in the figure of a man of a moft hideous afpeft. Here was a great number of people, liftening very attentively to a prieft, who was drelled in a kind of ornament that fcarcely covered his nakednefs, and who feemed to preach with great eajneft- nefs. Cortes, being {hocked at the abfurdity of fuch worfhip, told the cacique that in order to prefcrve the friendfhip fubfifting between them, it would be ablblutely neceffary for him to abolifh fuch a diabolical religion, and pre- vail on his fubjects to follow his example. The cacique replied that, as to religion, he left it wholly to the priefts, to whom he begged to communicate the affair : and thefe being brought before Cortes, were no fooner informed of ,the matter in debate, than one of them began with hideous outcries to proteft againft thole who fhould be lb audacious as to difturb their wor- lhip, denouncing the immediate vengeance of heaven on the impious innovators •, but Cortes, without paying the leaft regard to his menaces, immediately ordered all the idols to be broke, and all the temples to be demolifhed, except the largeft, which he preferved entire, and hav- ing erected a neat altar, caufed mafs to be ce- lebrated in it, at which the cacique and his people attended, with marks cf aftonilhment, rever- ence and devotion. At the end of eight days Diego de Ordaz returned from Yucatan, without finding the . Caftillians for whom he was lent, and without the Indians, who had not returned according to their promife •, whereupon Cortes fet fail with a fair wind, but one of the fhips fpringing a leak, he was obliged to return to the Iiland the fame day. The fhip being repaired, they were upon the point of reimbarking, when they difcovered a canoe, croffmg the gulph of Yucatan, and . (landing direcTly towards the ifland. Cortes ' perceiving that fhe was full cf armedlndians, or- i dered Andrea de Tapia to lie under the ihelter of the fhore, near the place to which they row- ed ; and as foon as they landed, he got between, them and the canoe, fo as to cut oft" their re- treat. Four men had landed from the boat, ; three of whom were about to run away, but the fourth bid them not be afraid, and advanc- . ing towards the Spaniards, called out aloud in the Caftillian tongue, " gentlemen, I am a. chriftian." On this Tapia embraced him with joy and furorize, and attended him tp Cortes, . together with the Indians, who were the very meflengers left by Diego de Ordaz on the coaft of Yucatan. Cortes carefled the firanger extremely, and having given orders that he fhould be clcathed and fed, enquired by what accidents he had been reduced to that condition : he faid that his name was Jerom de Aguilar, that he was born atEija, . where he had received deacon's orders: that, eight years before this deliverance, he had been flupwrecked near Jamaica, and with twenty other perfons, taking to the boat, had, after great dif- treffes, reached the fhore of Yucatan, where they fell into the hands of a cacique, who made choice of fix of the fatteft of them as facrifices to his idols ; after which they were eaten : that him- felf and his companions were referved for a future banquet, to prepare them for which, they were fhut up in a wooden cage, and fed with dainties •, but finding means to efcape, they fled over the mountains, and fubfifte<4 for fome time on what the herbs and trees af- forded, till they arrived in the dominions of another prince, who was at war with him from whom they had made their efcape : That moft of his companions foon died, and this mafter proving lefs barbarous than the former, he had the happinefs, after fome years of fervitude, to acquire fuch a degree of his favour, that he gave him an employment near his perfon, and honoured him with his confidence ; that this cacique; on his death bed, recommended him to his fon, under whom he pollefTed the fame office ; and in a war with the neigh- bouring caciques, had fignalized his valour in fuch a manner, that he became the favourite both of the prince and people : and therefore on his receiving the letter from Cortes, he ob- tained his liberty as the reward of his paft fervices BY HERNANDO CORTES. 167 fervices, and had prefented to the cacique, as his own gift, the prefents which had been fent to redeem him. On the fourth of May 1519, the fleet failed from Cozumel, and doubling the point of Catoche, reached the river of Grijalva, where the good treatment which the Spaniards had formerly received from the Indians of Tabafco, and the gold brought from thence, were irre- iiftible motives for their landing ; Cortes there- fore, leaving the larger veficls at anchor, em- barked his foldiers on board the linailer, and in the boats, and began to item the current, when he perceived both fides of the river co- vered with canoes full of armed Indians, (im- ported by large numbers on fhore : when guef- fi.ng, from their motions and horrible outcries, that their intentions were of a hoftile nature, he fent Aguilar to them in a canoe with offers of peace, which being rejected, he determined to chaitize them for what he called their pre- fumption, in daring to defend their country: but night coming en, he thought proper to fey by till the next day, and in the mean time he ordered all his foldiers to put on their quilt- ed coats, to fecure them from the enemy's arrows, to remove the artillery into the fmaller veffels, and to make the neceffary preparations for an engagement. At the break of day, the veffels being rang- ed in the figure of a half moon ; advanced (lowly towards the enemy ■, when Cortes fent Aguilar a fecond time, with proposals of peace and friendfhip, to which the Indians made no anfwer, but giving the fignal for the attack, rowed down with great expedition, by favour of the current, till they were near enough to ufe their arrows, cf which they difcharged fuch a number, as well from the canoes as the banks of the river, that the Spaniards were much embarraffed in their endeavours to cover themfelves : having, however, fuftained the firft charge, they attacked the Indians with liich vigour, that the canoes quickly left the paffage free. The Spanifh veffels now approached the fhore, and the men endeavoured to land, but the place being marfhy, and covered with brarh- bles, they were affaulted by a number of Indians who lay in ambufh •, but Cortes having formed his battalion in fight of the enemy, whofe num- bers continually increafed, ordered Alonzo Da- vila to advance through the wood with one hun- dred foldiers, and take poffeflion of the town of Tabafco, which was near the place of action. This officer being derached, Cortes attacked that prodigious multitude, and though he was cbliged to fight up to his knees in mud, he put the Indians to flight, who having by this time difcovered the march of Davila againft their town, they haftened to defend it. Cortes purfued the enemy to Tabafco, but reached it before Davila, and found it fortified with large trunks of trees, fixed in the ground like palifadoes, with fpaces between them for the convenience of fhooting arrows : and at the extremity of the circle one line covered the other, forming a narrow winding lane, in which were I two cr three wdederi caftles that filled up the r afiage Cortes being joined by Davila, vhci'c march had been retarded by maiihcs r.r.d lakes, gave inihuetions for breaking down the palifadee--, and drawing his fword, led his men on to the attack, crying, " My friends, here we muft lodge to night." Having received a fhower cf arrow s en their fhields, they advanced to the fortification, and difcharging their fire-arms and crofs-brows through the openings, fcon drove the enemy from their polls, fo as to be at liberty to demoiifh the palifadoes ; and entering,' found the Indians had formed banicadoes in the ftreets ; but they were fo embarrafied by their own numbers, that their refiftance had little effect. They made their hit effort in a wide fpace in the center of the town, from whence being loon repulfed, they fled to the woods in great diforder ; but Cortes would not let his men purlue them, that they might have time to refrefh themfelves, and the Indians an opportu- nity to fue for peace. Thus did the Spaniards become matters o£ Tabafco, which was well flored with previfiens, though the natives had removed their families and effects. In this engagement fourteen or fif- teen cf the Spaniards were wounded, but the lcf of the Indians was very confidera-ble. The troops were lodged that night in three temples, and the next day the country appeared quite de- ferted, there net being the leaft fign of an ene- my : but Cortes began to be fufpicicus of this ftiilnefs, and his apprehenf ens were confirmed on learning that Melchior his interpreter, one cf the Indians taken by Cordova, had left his cloaths hanging on a tree, and deferted to the Indians that very night. Hereupon, Cortes fent Pedro de Alverado, and Franciico de Lugo with one hundred men each, to view the country, and with orflers to retire if they faw any army in the field ; but after an hour's march, de Lugo fell into an am- bufcade, and was attacked en all fides with fuch fury, that he was obliged to form his imail com- pany into a hollow i'quare, and the enemy dill increafing, he muft have been overpowered by numbers, had not Alverado heard the report cr the fire arms, and haflened to his alfiftance, after having fent an Indian of Cuba to apprize Cortes cf this event. Alverado perceiving, as he advanced, the diftrefs of de Lugo, whole people were now quite fatigued, fell upon the enemy with fuch refolution, that they fled with the utmoft preci- pitation ; but fcon recovering their furprize, they formed again to obftruct the retreat or the two captains, who being joined, and having en- joyed a little breathing time, cut their way thro* a vaft multitude of the Indians, whofe motion refembled the rolling cfthe waves of the lea. At length Cortes appeared at adiitance, march* ing to their relief •, whereupen the Indiana dif- perfed, leaving the Spaniards, who had two men killed snd nine wounded, in pofiefiion of the the field. . Cortes now ordered Jercm de Aguilar to exa- mine feperately fome priicners that were taken, ■--.-' i68 THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, and they agreed in declaring that all the caciques of the neighbouring; countries were marching to the affiftance ot the inhabitants of Tabaico, aad that a very powerful army would take the field next day, to deftroy the Spaniards at once. In confequence of this intelligence Cortes called a council of his captains, and demanded their ad- vice i having firft reprefented the weaknefs and ignorance of the enemy, and the ill confequence of turning their backs upon them, which would be fuch a difgrace as would prevent all their future conquefts. The officers unanimoufly agreeing that it was necefiary to fubdue thefe people •, Cortes ordered the wounded men to be carried on board, the horfes to be landed, the artillery to be in readi- nefs, and every thing prepared for a decifive battle, againit the next morning. At day break the men heard mafs, and Cortes giving the command of the infantry to Diego de Ordaz, he and the other commanders mounted on horfeback and marched with the artillery, which, from the ground being boggy and une- ven, proceeded very flowly, till arriving at a place called Cinthla, about the diftance of a league from their quarters, they defcried the Indian army, which was io numerous and ex- tenfive, as to cover the country as tar as the eye could reach. As the art of war is nearly the fame in all the nations of New Spain, it may be proper to ex- plain the Indian manner of marching and engag- ing, by which the reader may form fome idea of their appearance through the whole of this conqueft. Their principal weapons were bows and arrows, the bow ftnngs being made of the finews of beafts or thongs of decr-fkin twifted, aud the arrows headed with fifh bones : they ufed alfo a kind of javelins, which they fome- times threw, and fometimes managed as a pike ; likewife long two-handed wooden fwords, edged with iharp flints : fome of the ftrongeft of them had clubs pointed with flints, and there were (lingers who threw ftcnes with great force and dexterity. Their defenfive armour, which was worn by none but commanders and peribns of diftinction confifted of quilted cotton coats, breait plates, and fhields of wood or tortoifefhell, adorned with plates of metal. The reft of the people were naked, only having plumes of feathers on their heads, to make them look taller than they really were ; and all of them had their faces and bodies painted of various colours, in order to ftrike terror into their enemies. Their warlike inftruments were pipes made of large canes, fea fhells, and drums made of the bark of a tree holloweJ, which being beaten with a ftick, yielded a very difagreeable ibund. Their battalions were formed without order, out they had bodies of referve to aniwer all emergencies, and they made their attacks with great fury, and horrid outcries, with which they thought to intimidate their enemies •, it is true they were divided into companies commanded by their refpective offi- cers, who could not however, govern them in an engagement, when they were animated only by rage or defpair, and were confequently equal- ly eager to engage or to run away. Such was the army, or rather inundation of In- dians that now poured down upon the Spaniards, whom Cortes ported under the Ihelter of a rifing ground that covered the rear, and having placed his artillery to the greateft advantage, he ad- vanced with his fifteen horfe to a wood, from whence he intended to fally, and attack the ene- my in the flank. The Indians having advanced within a proper diftance discharged their arrows, and then at- tacked with fuch exoeditious furv, that the Spaniards, finding their guns and crois bows un- able to flop them, had recourfe to their fwords, and as the enemy prefled on, the artillery deftroy- edthem by whole companies: yet they continued to fight with the moft obftinate bravery, conceal- ing the damage they fuftained, by clofing as foon as the ball was paft, and drowning by their out- cries the groans of the wounded. Diego de Ordaz behaved with great courage and conduct ; but fuch were the numbers of the ene- my, that he could fcarcely keep his ground, when Cortes with his fifteen horfe, rufhing fuddenlv from the wood, broke through the thickeft of their battalions, doing infinite execution among the Indians, who feeling themleives wounded and trampled on by fuch dreadful animals, threw down their arms and Med in the utmoft diibrder. Diego de Ordaz being loon apprized of what was going forward from the weak refiftance cf the enemy's van, which now began to turn their backs, advanced with his infantry, and charged this huge body with fuch refolution, that he com- pelled them to retire, and forced his way to the place where Cones and his captains had difperfed the enemy, who now retreated, making a run- ning fight, but the Spaniards ftill purfuing them, they at length fled in the utmoft confufion, leav- ing above eight hundred dead on the fpot, while the Spaniards, in obtaining this victory over forty thouland Indians, had oniy leventy men wound- ed and two killed. On the next day Cortes ordered two or three Indian officers, who were prifoners, to be brought before him, and perceiving by their looks that they were under great apprehenfions, received them courteoufiy, told them he knew how to conquer and to forgive, and making them fome trifling prefents, fet them at libertv. This piece of humanity had lb good an effect, that in a few hours leveral of the natives came to the Spaniards, loaded with Indian corn, fowls and other provifions, as a prefent from the prin- , cipal cacique of Tabaico, who made propoials of peace by thefe meffengers ; but Jerom de Aguilar remarking that thefe were mean peo- ple, Cortes, though very defirous of peace, would not admit them to his prefence, but lent them back to the cacique, with a mefTage importing that if he defired his friendfhip, he mult fend perfons of greater confequence to lolicit it. The Indian chief, feeing his error, fent, the next day, thirty of his principal people, adorn- ed with plumes and jewels, who carried the Spanifh general another prefent of the fame kind. On this occafion, Cortes, laying afide his natural affability put on a fevere and item look ; and, BY HERNANDO C R t E S. ±69 and being attended by his officers, gave au- dience to thefe ambafladors, who, advancing towards him in the moil fubmimve manner, perfumed him with incenfe, apologized for the war, and iued for peace in the mod enrneft manner. The general remarked that he had fufficient caufe to be offended, but condefcend- ing to grant their requefl, gave them a few bau- bles as a token of his friendfhip ; on which they departed, well pleafed that their negotia- tion had met with fuch fuccefs. After this Cortes was vifited by the cacique, attended by a numerous train of officers, and followed by aprefent of cotton cloth, plumes of feveral colours and fome pieces of gold of exqui- fite workmanfhip. The general received him with open arms, and they made mutual proteftations of inviolable friertdfhip : the Spanifh captains treated the Indians of diftinclion, and the day was lpent in the utmoft harmony. At partino- the cacique promifed another vifit, and ordered his fubjecls to return with their families to Tabafeo, and maintain a Uriel friendfhip with the Spaniards. The next day the cacique waited on Cortes with a prefent of twenty In- dian women, who were fkilled in making bread of Indian corn, and dreffing provifions : among thefe women was one of extraordinary beauty, who was afterwards baptized by the name of Marina, became Cortes's miftrefs, and was very ferviceable in the conqueil of Mexico. The pilots now preffing the departure of the fleet, they fet fail for Mexico on Palm Sunday, and coafted along to the weftward till Thurfday, when they arrived at St. John de Ulua, and had no looner come to an anchor between the ifland and the main, than they faw two large canoes called Piraguas, coming towards the ffiips, with Indians in them from the neigh- bouring coaft •, and on their nearer approach, began to ipeak in a language which Aguiiar did not underftand ; a circumftance that much chagrined Cortes, who forefaw that the want of an interpreter would greatly impede the fuccefs of his enterprize ; but Marina feeina that Ccrtes was uneafy, and p;ueffing the caufe^- told Aguiiar in the Yucatan 'tonguef that thofe people fpoke the Mexican language, and defired audience of the general, on the part of the go- vernor of that province : and Cortes, rejoiced to find that fhe underftood their meaning, de- fired them to come on board and deliver their mefTage. Marina was the daughter of a cacique of one of the provinces fubjeft to the emperor of Mexico, but had when young been carried away to a Mexican garrifon, on the confines of Yucatan, where fhe learnt the language of that people, after which, by fome misfortune, fhe became a flave to the cacique of Tabafeo, who preiented her to Cortes as abovementioned. As Marina was yet unacquainted with the Spanifh language, fhe interpreted what the Mexicans laid in the Yucatan tongue to Aguiiar, and he imparted it to Cortes in the Caftilian. By means of this double interpre- tation, Cortes learnt that Pilpatoe the gover- nor, andTuetile the captain general of that pro- vince, had fent to know his intention in corn- No. XV. - U u ing upon that coaft. Cortes having treated them with a Spanifh collation, and given them fome few baubles, told them he came as a friend, and would meet the two governors, to treat of matters of great importance to their prince and the whole empire. The Spaniards landed the next morning, being Good Friday, and having got the hories and artillery on fhore, Cortes ordered the foldiers to cut fafcines and fortify their camp, within which they built a number of huts to fhelter them from the prodigious heat of the fun ; and in a fhort time they were all under cover, for Tuetile fent to their affiilance many of the Indians, who were of great fervice in cutting flakes, and interweaving them with boughs. They likewife brought cotton cloths, to cover the tents erecled for the officers, and fupplied the Spaniards with plenty of pro- vifions : but notwithflanding this appearance of friend fliip, Cortes kept himfelf upon his guard, and planted his artillery in the moft ad- vantageous manner. On Eafter Sunday Pilpatoe and Tuetile, at- tended by a great retinue, paid a vifit to Cortes, who received them with equal flate, furround- ed by his officers and foldiers. After the firft compliments, he conducted them to a large hut, which ferved as a chapel, and the hour of divine fervice approaching, he told them by his interpreters, that before he acquainted them with the defign of his voyage, it was fit that he fhould obey the duties of his religion, and pray to the God of all other gods for fuccefs to his propofal. After the worfhip, at which the Indians at- tended with afronifhment, they returned to the general's quarters, where a fplendid dinner was • provided, after which, Cortes, by his' interpre- ters, told them that his bufinefs was to treat with the emperor Motezuma, on the part of Don Carlos of Auftria, monarch of the eafc, on mat- ters of great importance, refpecling his own wel- fare and that of his fubjecls ; for which reafori it was neceffary that he fhould be introduced to the emperor, with all the refpeel due to the greatnels of the king his mafler. On hearing this declaration Cortes's guefts ap- peared to be greatly alarmed, and before they made any reply ordered their people to bring in a prefent of provifions, fine cloths, feathers° of various colours, and a large box, containing fe- veral pieces of gold curioufly wrought : then, addreffing_ Cortes, Tuetile begged he°would ac- cept that fmall prefent from two of Motezuma's flaves, who were commanded to entertain fuch. ftrangers as landed upon his coaft : but intreated him not to think of profecuting their defign, for it would be no eafy matter to fpeak with their prince. Cortes, anfwered warmly, that minifters. ought not to advife in fuch cafes > and that it was their bufinefs to inform Motezuma of his ar- rival and his determined refolution to fee him. Ailonifhed and confounded at this boldnefs, the Indian chiefs intreated Cortes to remain in , his quarters, till the return of a meflenger from . Motezuma ; promifing in the mean time to fup- ply him with proper necefiaries for the fupport of his people. During l 7° THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, During this conference fome Mexican painters, whom Tuetile had brought with him, were dili- gently employed in drawing upon cotton cloths, the mips, lbldiers, arms, artillery and horfes, by way of giving Motezuma an idea of what feemed too extraordinary to be deicribed by words •, and to render their defcription more intelligible, cer- tain characters were placed in different parts, which feemed to explain the pictures, which were not at all contemptible cither for colouring or defign. Cortes obferving their work, remarked that thofe images wanted action to exprefs the valour of his foldiers, and therefore, telling Tuetile and Pilpatoe that he would entertain them after the manner of his country, lie ordered his men to be exercifed and the artillery loaded, while he and his captains, mounting their horfes, maintained a mock fight, to the altonifbment of the Indians, who feeing fuch llately animals fo obedient to their riders, thought there muft be fomething | fupernatiiral in thofe who could manage them with fuch eafe and dexterity •, but when, upon a fignal given, firft the mufkets were fired, and then the artillery difcharged, they were fo confounded and aftoniihed, that fome fell down on the ground, others fled precipitately, and thofe who had moft preience of mind, were fixed to the ipot with terror and admiration. Cortes now endeavoured to difpel their fears, by telling them that thefe were only military di- verfions ; upon which the painters began to re- prefent the Spaniards drawn up in ranks, the attitudes of the horfes, and the fire and fmoke iffuing from the mouth of the cannon : while Cortes returned to his tent with his vifitors, where he gave them fome fmall Spanifh jewels, and prepared a prefent for Motezuma, confift- ing of a tapeftry chair, feveral looking glaffes, a hoiland Hurt, and a cap of crimfon velvet adorn- ed with a gold medal. Tuetile and Pilpatoe, feemingly well pleafed with their entertainment, now took their leave ; but retiring only to a fmall diftance, converted together for fome time, and came to an agree- ment that Pilpatoe fhould remain in that place to watch the motions of the ftrangers ; and im- mediately the men began to build huts, fo that in a few hours a confiderable village was erec- ted -, but left this proceeding fhould give offence, he fent to inform Cortes that his reafon for flay- ing there, was, that he might be at hand to pro- vide for his entertainment, and fupply his troops with provifions. Although Cortes fufpected their real intention, he took no notice of his fufpicions, and they were extremely punctual in fupplying him with all neceffaries. In the interim Tuetile repaired to his own houfe, from whence he difpatched rriefTengers to Motezuma, with Cortes's prefent, the pictures which had been drawn by his order, and a full account of all that had happened. Motezuma was provided with a great num- ber of couriers, distributed along the prin- cipal roads of the kingdom, and thefe were choien from among the fwiftett of the In- dians, who were bred up to that occupation from their childhood ; rewards were allotted out of the public creafury to thofe who firft arrived at the appointed place. Thefe couriers were relieved at every town •, fo that all difpatches were carried with the utmoft expedition, as is evident from the prefent inftance, an anfwer being received from Mexico in feven days, tho* the diftance from that city to Juan de Ulua amounts to full fixty leagues. Motezuma's mefiage to Cortes was brought to the Spanifh quarters by Teutile, together with a prefent from that prince, which was car- ried by one hundred Indians, and confifted of very fine cotton robes -, a number of curiofities made of feathers, fo artificially difpofed as to reprefent natural objects in the moft lively man- ner ; great numbers of bows, arrows and tar- gets •, a large plate of emboffed gold reprefenting the fun ; another of filver with the figure of the moon -, and a confiderable quantity of precious ftones, collars of gold, rings, pendants and other ornaments of the fame metal, of moft exquilite workmanfhip. Thefe articles being difplayed in order, upori matts of palm tree leaves, Tuetile addrefTed Cortes, and informed him, that the great em- peror Motezuma had lint him thofe things in return for his prefent, and as a tellimony of his regard for the King his fovereign ; but that it was neither convenient nor poffible at that time to admit him to his court. Cortes received the prefent in the moft re- fpectful manner, and anfwered in a refolute tone, that though he was unwilling to be want- ing in obedience to Motezuma, he could not dif- honour his own fovereign, by returning without having fulfilled his orders ; and therefore muft ablblutely infift on being admitted to an au- dience. After this he difmitfed them, with, another prefent, promifing to wait a certain time for Motezuma's anfwer, and alluring them he fhould be very unwilling to advance farther with- out his permiffion. In this interval Cortes ordered Francifco de Montejo, to cruize for ten days along the coaft with two vefl'els, to take a view of the towns without landing, and to lock out for fome harbour, where the fhips might be bet- ter fheltered from the winds than in their pre- fent fituation. Cortes's perfeverance in his demand greatly in- cenfed Motezuma, who in the firft tranfports of his paffion, was for immediately deftroying the inlblent ftrangers who prefumed to difpute his will •, but when his rage fubfided, it was fucceeded by forrow and confternation : he held private councils with his minifters •, public fa- crifices were made in the temples ; and in all his behaviour he difcovered fuch evident marks of difturbance and confufion, that the people began to talk without referve of the approach- ing ruin of the empire •, and of the figns and prefages by which it was forefeen. At this time Mexico was in the zenith of its glory, comprehending a prodigious extent of country, governed either by Motezuma in perfon, or many petty caciques or kings who were tributary to him : It extended from eaft to weft fifteen hundred miles, and in fome places was fix hundred broad from north to louth -, the whole being fertile, rich and popu- lous. BY HERNANDO CORTES. 171 lous. This empire, from a very fmall begin- ning, had rifen to fuch a pitch of power and oreatneis in little more than one hundred and thirty years, during which the Mexicans had fubdued all their neighbours. At firll they were governed by a military chief, but in the progrefs of their conquefts they chofe a King, and always gave the preference to him who had the greateft reputation for valour, without paying any farther regard to hereditary fuccef- lion, than that of preferring thofe of the royal family, when they were not excelled by the merit of any other competitor. Motezuma, the fecond of that name, and the eleventh emperor of Mexico, was of the blood royal, and in his youth had fignalized himfelf in war, lb as to acquire the reputation of a valiant commander ; which, together with his exerting the arts of popularity, occafioned his being unanimoufly elected lbvereign. When Cortes arrived on the coaft he had reigned fourteen years, and is laid to have been one of the greateft tyrants recorded in hiftory. He palled the laft twelvemonth in great fear and anxiety ; for immediately after Juan de Gri- jalva's expedition, he was terrified with prodigies which were iuppofed to prefage the ruin of his empire. A dreadful comet appeared in the night •, the lake of Mexico overflowed its banks, though the weather was calm and dry •, and the people imagined that they heard frighful voices in the air, foretelling the downfall of the mo- narchy. Thefe figns and portents, fome of which, per- haps, were invented or magnified, made deep impreflions on the mind of Motezuma, and dil- mayed his counfellors to fuch a degree, that when the fecond meffage arrived from Cortes, they concluded themfelves undone, and were diftradted in their opinions. Some propofed that the ftrangers fhould be treated as enemies, imagining that the portents were lent as warnings to prevent their deftruction, by putting them upon theif guard •, while others thought the Spaniards ought to be received with reverence and refpecl, as creatures of a higher fpecies, who had already given fuch dreadful proofs of invin- cible courage and power, fupported by the thunder and lightening of heaven. Motezuma, having heard their debates, re- folved to purfue a middle courfe, by fending another prefent to Cortes, with orders to leave the coaft ; and in cafe of his refufal, to affemble a numerous army, and act againft him with all his power. While the court of Mexico was employed in thefe deliberations, Francifco de Montejo, whom Cortes had fent to view the coaft, returned from his cruize, having found, at the diftance of fome leagues, a town called Quiabiflan, fituated in a ferule foil, well cultivated, near a bay where the fiiips could ride in fafety ; and Cortes began to think of removing to that place, when his inten- tion was fulpended by the arrival of Tuetile and the principal captains, who advanced towards him with their little perfuming pans, and after the ceremony of fumigation, produced Mote- zuma's fecond prefent, being things of the fame kind as the firft, but in fmaller quantity, toge- ther with three green ftones like emeralds, to be prefented to the king of Spain as jewels of im- menfe value. Thefe articles were delivered with pofitive or- ders to Cortes and his followers to depart with- out delay ; but that officer ftill infifting that he would fee Motezuma in perfon, Tuetile ftarted tip with marks of anger and confufion, and told him that their fovereign had hitherto treated him as a gueft, but it would be his own fault if he was ufed as an enemy : fo faying, he departed haftily, without waiting for an anfwer. In confequence of this abrupt departure, Cortes ordered the guards to be doubled, and the next day had the mortification to find that thofe who ufed to fupply them with provifions were gone, and not an Indian was to be feen in all the country. The fear of want foon produc- ed diffatisfaction among the foldiers, which was fomented by fome who were friends of Velafquez, who infinuated that Cortes had, from meer am- bition, purlued a rafh defign, which would cer- tainly end in the deftru&ion of himfelf and all his followers, unlefs they fhould return to Cuba, to refit the fleet, and reinforce the army, fo as to render it lefs unequal to fuch an important undertaking. Cortes was not ignorant of their murmurs, but being informed by his friends that the majo- rity were on his fide, he appeared before the malecontents ; when Diego de Ordaz, in the name of his companions warmly remonftrated, that as their force was by no means proportion- ed to the defign of fubduing a mighty empire, it was high time to return to Cuba, where they might be reinforced by Velafquez, whofe pro- vince it was to take proper meafures for the fuc- cefs of an enterprize of fo much importance. Cortes, though greatly provoked at this ad- drefs, replied with the utmoft compofure, that thofe who complained muft be weary of good fortune ; witnefs their fuccefs at Cozumel, and their victory at Tabafco ; but that he had no in- clination to put the leaft conftraint upon his foldiers, and as they refufed to proceed, he would prepare for their return to Cuba, without lofs of time. Having made this declaration, he ordered the captains to embark with their refpeftive compa- nies, and hold themfelves in readinefs to fail the next morning : but thefe orders were no fooner known, than his emiflaries, according to direc- tions he had given them, began to exclaim with, great warmth, that Cortes had deceived them by pretending that he was refolved to make a fettlement in that country, which he was now going to defert, notwithftanding their unexpect- ed fuccefs : that if he had a mind to abandon the enterprize, he and his party might retire, and they would foon find another gentleman willing to take the command upon him. Thefe infinuations were fo artfully thrown out, as to bring over many of thofe who had efpoufed the contrary party, and the clamour increafed to that degree, that fome of Cortes's friends were obliged to interpofe, to quell the difturbance they themfelves had raifed. They applauded IJ2 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, applauded the refolution of thefe men, and with- out giving them time to cool, led them directly to Cortes, to whom they repreiented in high terms, that the foldiers were ready to mutiny, on account of the order for reimbarkation, which they imagined to be contrary to the ad- vice of their captains, and was altogether un- worthy of Spanifh courage, which no dangers or difficulties ought to overcome. Cortes was enraptured at the fuccefs of the expedient, but concealed his joy, and coolly re- plied, that he had been mifinformed* for that he was told all the men exclaimed againft the expedition ; but that he would proceed with iuch as were willing, and immediately provide a fliip for tranfporting to Cuba thoie who were unwilling to follow his fortune. This anfwer was received with loud acclamations, and the difcontented party, either changed their fenti- ments, or carefully difguifed them. CHAP. II. Cortes makes afettlement, which he calls Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz ; fends th? flips round to Quiabiflan, and begins his march thither ; enters Zempoalla, and makes an alliance with the cacique ; proceeds to ^uiabijlan ; feizes Motezuma's commifjaries ; forms a fir ong confederacy of the Indian caciques ; builds the town of Vera Cruz ; receives an embajjyfrom Motezuma -, Cortes makes an expedition to Zimpazingo ; demolijhes the idols of Ze?npoalla, and converts the temple into a church ; returns to Vera Cruz ; a con/piracy formed againjl Cortes, who orders his fhips to be funk ; he begins his march for Mexico ; remains fome days at Zocothlan and Xacazingo ; fends ambajjadors to Tlafcala. HE difturbance among the foldiers was np no fooner quelled, than Cortes was vifit- ed by five deputies from the cacique of Zempoalla, with offers of the friendfhip and alliance of their mailer ; which he readily em- braced, and was not a little pleafed at hearing that the Zempoallans, though tributary to Mo- tezuma, deteited that prince for his cruelty and pride. He therefore received the deputies in a very friendly manner gave them prefents at part- ing, and madeprofefiions of his friend (hip for the cacique, whom he promiied to vifit in his way to Quiabiflan. In the mean time Cortes, with a view to divert himfelf of his uneafy dependence upon Velafquez, laid, in concert with his friends, the plan of a corporation to be eftabliihed fome- where on this continent > and feveral perfons being chofen to fill the offices of government, they appointed a clerk of the council, and other inferior officers, and having taken the cuftomary oath, to act according to the rules of juftice and their duty to God and the King, they began to exercife their functions, and called their new fettlement by the name of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. The council being aflembled the next morn- ing, Cortes defired admittance, and having paid his refpedts to the Magiftracy, gave his reafans for being difTatified with the commiffion under which he acted, and declared his refolu- tion of refigning his command into their hands, that, as representatives of his Majefty, they might proceed to the election of a new leader. He then laid on the table the commiffion he had received from Velafquez •, killed the truncheon, and delivering it to the alcaldes, returned to his . habitation in the capacity of a private man. The council, agreeable to a preconcerted plan, unanimoufly admitted of his resignation ; but immediately voted that he fhould be ap- pointed general of the army, in confequence of a new commiffion to be made out by them in the King's name, to be in force till his Ma- jeity's pleafure Ihould be known. The people were now called together by a public crier, and made acquainted with Cortes's refignation, and the determination of the coun- cil : at which they teftified the higheftjoy, and immediately proceeded to Cortes's quarters,with the alcaides and regidores, who acquainted him that the town of Villa Rica had, in the name of Don Carlos King of Spain, and with the con- fent and approbation of the inhabitants in full council, chofen and appointed him general of the army in New Spain •, and, in cale it were neceflary, they required and commanded him to take upon him that office, for the fervice of his Majefty, and the welfare of the public. Cortes accepted the command with great re- fpect, and began to govern the foldiers with a kind of authority that fecured their obedience :. but the friends of Velafquez, unable to conceal their vexation, refented this alteration in a very imprudent manner : they denied the authority of the council ; openly inveighed againft the ambition of Cortes ; talked with contempt of thofe who adhered to his intereft ; and began to kindle a flame of difiention, that leemed to * portend the ruin of the expedition. Hereupon Cortes ordered Diego de Ordaz, Pedro Eicudero, and Juan Velafquez de Leon, to be publicly feized, carried on board the fhips, and put in irons : and perceiving that this proceeding terrified the foldiers, he farther declared he would punifh them with death, as difturbers of the public peace, and promoters of fedition. He continued to affecl: all this fcverity for feveral days, during which he would fuffer no perfons to vifit the prifoners •, but at length fome of their friends were admitted to them, and among the reft fome of Cortes's confidents, whp BY HERNANDO CORTES. *73 who found means to reduce them to reafon : whereupon Cortes fuffered himfelf to be pacifi- ed, and fo entirely conciliated their affections, that, thenceforward, they llood by him with unifiaken fidelity and zeal. Cortes now ordered the fhips to fail for the bay of Quiabifian, to which place he intended to march by land ; and accordingly fetting out, he, in a few hours, reached the river of Zem- poalla, which the foldiefs pafled in canoes and other veflels which they found on the fhore, the horfes being obliged to fwim. Soon afterwards they arrived at fume houfes inthediftrict of Zem- poalla, which they found entirely abandoned and unfurnifhed ; but the natives had left in their temples feveral idols, with fome knives made of flint, and fome miferable remains of human victims. Here likewife they faw three or four Mexican books, made of thin varnifhed cloth folded in leaves, upon which were painted hieroglyphics and characters, iuppofed to explain the rites of their religion. The Spaniards having placed proper guards, took up their lodgings in thefe empty houfes, and the next day continuing their march, faw not one perfon during the morning ; but at length entering fome very delightful meadows, they were met by twelve Indians loaded with fowls and bread, as apreferit to Cortes from the cacique of Zempoalla, who invited him to his town, where he had provided quarters for the foldiers. Six of thefe Indians Cortes fent back to their chief, with thanks for his hofpitality, and kept the other fix as guides to the town, which they informed him was at the diftance of a day's journey. They halted that night at a fmall village, where they were kindly entertained, and in the morning marched onwards for Zempoalla, fol- lowing their guides with the utmoft caution, for Cortes ftill doubted the finceritv of the Indians. In the evening, as they approached the town, they were met by twenty Indians, who came to welcome Cortes, with an apology from the caci- que, who was prevented from coming by a na- tural infirmity. Zempoalla was a large city, fituated between two rivers, and affording an agreeable profpect : the walls of the houfes were whitened with a bright fhining lime, which ex- •i • • • hibited fuch a noble view at a diftance, that one of the fcouts returned in hafte to Cortes, crying aloud that the walls were of filver. On their entering the city, they found the fquares and ftreets filled with prodigious mul- titudes, and the cacique appeared at the gate of his palace, fupported by fome of his nobles, for he was fo extremely fat, that he could neither ftand nor move without great difficulty. He wore pendants in his ears and lips, and was covered with a mantle of fine Cotton adorned with vari- ous jewels •, and when he was brought forwards his appearance was fo clumfy and uncouth, that the foldiers could with difficulty maintain that gravity which is the characteriftic of the Spanifh nation. He welcomed Cortes and his captains in fuch fenfible terms as created refpect, and hav- ing defired them to repofe after their journey, told Cortes he would vifit him at his lodgings, N< X x when they would converfe more at leifure about their mutual intereft. The troops immediately departed to the quar- ters which had been provided for them, in fquare courts furniflied with a number of apartments, where they found prOvifions and neceflaries in great plenty. Soon after this the cacique fent a prefent to Cortes, confiding of gold, jewels and cUriofities to the value of two thoufand pefoes ; and followed this prefent in perfon, being car- ried in a chair on the fhouldersof the chiefs of his family, and attended by a fpendid retinue. Cortes, attended by his captains, went out to receive him, and retiring to a private apartment, with him and the interpreters, expatiated on the grandeur of the king of Spain, and the errors of idolatry -, and told him the defign of his coming was to redrefs wrongs, punifh violence, and vin- dicate the caufe of juftice and reafon. This fubject Cortes artfully touched upon, in order to hear his fentiments refpefting Motezu- ma, that he might difcover what advantages might be made of his refentment ; and indeed the words were no fooner pronounced, than the cacique changed colour, and began to figh as if afraid of difclofing his fentiments •, but at length broke forth into bitter complaints, im- porting, that he and all the neighbouring caci- ques groaned under the tyranny of Motezuma, who oppreffed thofe in fubjeftion to him, and caufed himfelf to be adored as if he was one of their gods : but he concluded with obferving, that he did not wifh to engage Cortes in a quar- rel with an emperor whole power was irrefifti- ble. Cortes replied, that in a juft caufe, the Spa- niards would little regard the power of Motezu- ma •, but at prefent he was on his march to Quiabifian, where thofe who were injured fhould find him ready to redrefs their wrongs ; and in the mean time he might affure his friends and allies, that he would immediately undertake their defence. The converfation being ended, the cacique departed extremely well fatisfied, nor was Cortes lefs pleafed at the profpect of fo powerful an alliance, by which he hoped to ftrengthen his intereft. The Spaniards being ready to march, found four hundred Indians, whom the cacique had provided to carry the baggage and provifions, and help to conduct the artillery. Thefe por- ters, which were called Tamenes, were able to travel, with three quarters of a hundred weight, five or fix leagues in a day. The country they now entered was fertile and pleafant, partly co- vered with trees, and partly laid out in corn fields, and cultivated. They flopped all night at a little village which was deferred, and arrived the next day at Quia- bifian, a town advantageoufly fituated upon a rocky eminence that rendered it very difficult of accefs : they however entered it without oppofi- tion, and found no perfon in the place, till com- ing to a fquare in which the temples were fituat- ed, fifteen Indians adorned with feathers came out with their perfuming pans with looks of fear and terror ; but Cortes encouraging them by his affability, gave them fome glafs beads, on which *74 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, which they recovered their fpirits, and informed him that the cacique had withdrawn himfelf, in order to avoid danger •, as he neither chofe to deny them admittance, nor truft his perfon a- mono- armed troops, whom he did not know •, and that the inhabitants had followed the exam- ple of the cacique. As for themielves they had ftaid to know the intention of the ftrangers -, and as they found them to be of a quiet and peaceable dilpofitiqn, they would acquaint the fugitives, who might return in peace to their habitations. Cortes allured them of his friendfhip, and while they were gone with the news, ifiued orders that his Ibldiers fhould behave with the utmoft civility to the Indians, who foon fhewed the confidence they repofed in the Spaniards, for fome of the families returned that very night, and the whole town was filled with inhabitants in a fhort time. In a few days the cacique himfelf returned, and was introduced to Cortes by the cacique of Zcmpoalla, who made the belt excufe he was able for his friend. The converfation turned upon the cruelty of Motezuma, whom they in- veighed againft with great bitternefs, as a mon- ger who net only impoverifhed them by the impofition of taxes, but robbed them of their wives and daughters ; and having facrified their honour to the moft fhameful purpofes, ftained the altars of his gods with their blood. Their difcourie was interrupted by die entrance of three Indians, who feemed in a great fright, and whifpering to the caciques, put them in fuch confuficn, that they changed colour, and in- ftantly retired. Their diforder was occafion- ed by the arrival of fix commifTaries from Mo- tezuma, who were feen palling before the quar- ters of the Spaniards^ in great pomp, richly adorned with plumes and pendants, and at- tended by many inferior officers and fervants, who cooled them with fans made of feathers. Cortes went to the gate to fee them, while they proceeded with fuch infolent and contemp- tuous looks, that the foldiers would have chaf- tifed them on the fpot, had they not been pre- vented by the general, who contented himfelf with fending Marina, properly guarded, to know the caufe of their coming. By Marina, Cortes learnt that the commif- faries having feated themfelves in the town-houfe, had fummoned the' caciques to appear before them ; and having feverely reprimanded them for entertaining ftrangers who were enemies to their fovereign, demanded, over and above the ufual tribute, twenty Indians to be fa- crified to their gods, as an atonement for the crime. As foon as Cortes had received this inform a- t :;, he directed his ibldiers to bring the ca- c- js to him dire&ly, when, telling them that knew the inhuman purpofe of the comrnil- ies, which he would not luffer them to obey, . •.ommanded them to affcmble their people, ^i^i feize the Mexicans, and to leave the reft to his management. At firft the caciques re- ...~cd to comply with this command, till Cortes mating his order in a peremptory manner, they w 7 ent and executed it ; and having feized the minifters of Motezuma, put themin a kind of pillory, to the great fatisfaftion of the people, who demanded that they might die the death of traitors, or be facrificed to the gods without delay. Though this requeft was enforced by the ca- ciques, Cortes refufed to grant it ; but having fecured them by a guard of Spanifh foldiers, retired to his quarters, in order to contrive fome method of extricating himfelf from the difficulty in which he was involved. He was unwilling to come to an open rupture with Motezuma, and he thought it, at the fame time, a point of prudence to fupport the party he had al- ready formed againft that prince •. and therefore he refolved to do fomething of which he might make a merit with Motezuma, without difgufc- ing the caciques. In confequence of thefe reflections, he fent privately at midnight for two of the pri- foners, and having treated them with great civility, informed them that they were now at liberty, and as they had received their freedom lblely from him, they might allure their prince that he would endeavour to releafe their companions, and convince the caciques of their fault •, for he was extremely anxious of deferving by his own conduct:, that civility from Motezuma, which was due to the ambaf- fador of fo mighty a prince. This declaration the Mexicans heard With equal a~cn fhment and joy •, but as they were afraid to let out on their journey left they mould be killed or taken, the Spanifn foldiers conducted them to the bay, and they were conveyed beyond the dis- trict of Zempoalla, in one of the (hip's boats. The next morning the caciques came to Cortes, very much concerned for the eftape of the two prilbners •, when he received the news with apparent furprize, and blamed their want of vigilance : but to prevent any acci- dent of the like kind for the future, he faid that he would take care of the others himfelf, and inftantly ordered them to be carried on board the fleet, where private directions were given that they fhould be well entertained. The kind behaviour of tiie Spaniards towards their allies, was foon known among the neigh- bouring diftricts ; and the caciques of Zempoalla and Quiabiflan publicly declared the happinefs, they enjoyed under the protection of the Spa- niard* ; fo that in a few days Cortes was vifitecj by above thirty caciques of the mountains within fight of Quiabiflan, en which were nu- merous fettlements of a rude people called To- tonaques, who were remarkable for their ftrength and courage, and who fwore fidelity to the King of Spain, and offered to affift Cortes with an incredible number of armed Indians againft the tyranny of Motezuma. This confederacy being formed, the chiefs returned to their habitations ; and Cortes now refolved to fettle the corporation of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, which hitherto had moved with the army, though under proper diftinc- tion as a republic : for this purpofe he pitched upon a plain between Quiabiflan and the fea, where. BY HERNANDO C O R T E S. where the foil was extremely fertile, well water- ed, and abounding with timber proper for build- ing. Their firft work was to lay the foun- dation of a church, and the Indians affiiting the Spaniards, both that and the houfes were foon finifbed, and the town was encompafied by a wall of mud, fufficient to defend it againit all the methods of attack ufed in that country. Motezuma being in the mean time informed, that the cacique of Zempoalla, whofe fidelity he fufpected, had admitted the Spaniards into his town ; refolved to affemble his forces, as we'd to ehaftize this rebellious cacique, as to go in perfon againil Corres and his people, whom lie deftined as a facrifice to his gods : but his preparations were fufpended by phe arrival of the two Indians, whom Cortes had rekafed Thefe' gave an account of their im- priibnment, and of the behaviour of the Spanifh general, to whom they owed their liberty ; upon whic.i Motezuma's anger was appealed, and lie refolved to have recourfe again to negotia- tion, and endeavour to divert Cortes from his 'i by a new embaiiy and prcfenr. The fettlement and fortrefs of Vera Cruz was juft finifhed when the Mexican ambafiadors arrived : thefe were two young men, nephews tc the emperer, and four ancient caciques who attended them as councilors. Their retinue was extremely fplendid » the prefent, which con- fined of gold, feathers and cotton, was valued at two thoufand pieces of eight •, and the mef- fage delivered to Cortes, imported, that Mo- tezuma had determined to ehaftize in perfon the infolence of the caciques, who had com- mitted fuch an outrage upon his officers •, but the account he had received of Cortes's beha- viour, had induced him to fufpend his ven- iice : but at the fame time he hoped he would foon quit that country, becaufe the ob- ftacles which oppofed his coming to court, were in their own nature infurmountable. Cortes received the embafly and prefects with great relpect, and having" ordered the im- prifoned officers to be brought on fhore, deli- vered them to the ambafiadors ; declaring that ire was proud of that opportunity of teftifying his regaud for the emperor : that thougli he muft acknowledge the infolence of the caciques, yet he thought they were in 1'ome degree excu- sable, from the behaviour of the officers them- felves, who, not contented with the cuftomary tribute, had the inhumanity to demand twenty Indians for their facrifices •, a demand that mult fhock human nature : that as he thought him- felf obliged to the caciques for admitting and en- tertaining him in their territories, he could not help interceding with Motezuma in their be- half, efpecially as they, together with the peo- ple of the mountains, were now in a particular manner under his protection : that when he mould be fo happy as to appear before the em- peror, he would communicate the particulars of his embafTy ; and that, in the mean time, he fhould defpife all difficulties and dangers that might lay in his way •, which would only ferve as a fpur to his refol'ution. With this refolute anfwer, and a prefent of *75 feme trifles for Motezuma, and others to the ambafiadors, they departed, not a little difTatif- fied at the obftinacy of Cortes •, while the admi- ration of the Indians was increafed ; for they thought that the perfon whole friendfhip the proud Motezuma thus folicited with prefents could be little lefs than a deity. Not long after this occurrence, the cacique of Zempoalla, coming to Vera Cruz, told him that the period was arrived for defending their coun- try again ft the Mexicans, fome of whom having arrived at Zimpazingo, had made excurfions into his diftrict, where they had deftroyed the corn fields, and committed other ads of hofti- lity. Cortes thinking it incumbent on him to pro- tect Ids new allies, defired the cacique to provide Indians to carry Ids baggage and draw his artil- lery • and having made a proper difpofition, began his march at the head of four hundred Spaniards, leaving the reft at Vera Cruz. As he paflfed by Zempoalla, he was joined by two thou- fand armed Indians, whom the cacique had af- fembled to ferve under him : he quartered his troops the fame night in fome houfes within three leagues of Zimpazingo, and in the after- noon of the next day he difcovered the town, lituated on the topofafmall hill, among rocks, which hid part of the buildings, and rendered the accefs very difficult. Neverthelefs the Spaniards paffed the rocks,' without having met With any refiftance ; but juft as they were preparing to attack the place in feveral different parts, eight ancient priefts appeared, cloathed in long black mantles, the upper part of which was gathered and platted about the neck, and a piece hung loofe in the form of a hood. Thefe venerable ambafiadors, who had long hair clotted, and whole hands and faces were ftained with the blood of human facrifices, ap- proached the general with marks of the utrnoft iubmiffion, and foon convinced him that he had been impofed upon •, that the Mexican troops had retired farther up into the country, and that this was only an artifice of their inveterate enemies the Zempoallans, in order to make him the inftrument of their revenge. Cortes, provoked at the deceit, immediately difpatched two of his captains with their compa- nies, to bring back the Indians, who had by this: time begun to plunder and make prifoners ; and thefe being brought into his prefence, loaded with booty, and followed by the miferable inha- bitants crying aloud for juftice, he ordered them, to unbind their captives, and reftore the goods, to the right owners : then calling the Zempoal- Ian captains, he told them in high terms, that they had forfeited their lives by prefuming to make him a party in their revenge : but at . length he fuffered himfelf to be appeafed by his own officers, who had been previoufly inftructed for the purpofe, though in fact, he did not dare to proceed rigoroufiy, for fear of looting the friendfhip of his new allies. Cortes, having reprimanded the Zempoallans,' commanded them to lodge without the town,while he himfelf entering it with his Spaniards, was re- ceived 176 THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, ceived as a deliverer, and vifited by the cacique, accompanied by others of the neighbourhood, who voluntarily acknowledged the King of Spain for their Sovereign. Cortes's next lcheme was to compromize the differences between thele people and the Zem- poallans, a work which he had the happinefs to accomplifh •, after which he returned to Vera Cruz, leaving his intereft and reputation highly advanced by the iffue of an affair which had been undertaken with too much precipitation : Thus, like a consummate politician, making his very errors contribute to the promotion of his e;rand deSign. In the march back to Zempoalla, they paffed by two towns belonging to thofe who had lately entered into the confederacy, when Cortes ob- ferving a foldier Ileal two fowls, was fo enraged, that he ordered him to be hanged on the fpot ; but Suffered him to be cut down before he was dead by one of the captains. As he advanced to Zempoalla, he found the cacique waiting for him at fome distance from his town, with plenty of provifions for the re- freihment of the army ; when eblerving that chief appeared afhamed of his conduct, he allured him his own anger had fubfided, and they went into the town together, where the cacique had provided a prelent of eight beau- tiful virgins, feven of whom were intended for the officers, and the eighth, being his own niece, he recommended as a wife to Cortes, that their friendfhip might be Strengthened by the ties of blood. The general thanked him for this proof of his regard ; but informed him, that it was unlawful for a Spaniard to marry any woman, who differed from him in point of religion, and took this opportunity of exclaiming againSt the idolatrous practices of the Zempoallans. About this time the people of Zempoalla, alTembled on one of their moft folemn festivals, in order to offer human Sacrifices, which beino- performed with Shocking ceremonies, the vic- tims were cut in pieces, and fold to the people as Sacred food. Cortes being made acquainted with this tranSaction, was So enraged, that for- getting every other motive, he gave orders for the cacique and his principal people to be im- mediately brought before him, and proceeded with them to the temple, followed by his troops-, when the prieSts, hearing of his approach, came running to the gate, and with loud and hideous outcries, called the people to the defence of their gods •, on which Some armed Indians placed themielves in the avenues of the temple ; when Cortes obferving the inhabitants began to alTem- ble in great numbers, ordered Marina to tell them aloud, that on the flrSt arrow they Should let fly, he would cauSe the throats of the caci- que and all the principal Indians in his power to be cut, and then punifh their preSumption with fire and Sword. The cacique trembling at this dreadful threat, commanded them to lay down their arms and retire •, which they immediately obeying, Cortes began to exclaim againSt the barbarous abSur- dity of their religion ; and at length propofed that they Should directly aScend the Steps, and deftroy the idols with their own hands ; but' they immediately threw themfelves upon the ground, and with tears and lamentations de- clared that they would Suffer the moSt extreme torture, rather than commit Such impious Sacri- lege ; whereupon Cortes ordered the Soldiers to perform the talk, and inftantly the idols were thrown down and broke to pieces, to the inex- prefTible horror of the Indians, who Stood mo- tionlels, expecting to See the inftant vengeance of heaven fall on the christians : but perceiv- ing how unable their gods were to protect them- ielves, their horror and fear turned into Such contempt, that they affiSted the Spaniards in burning the fragments of the idols ; and the temple being cleanfed, maSs was celebrated in it the very next day. The Spaniards having taken this Step, return- ed to Vera Cruz -, and the very day of their ar- rival there, a veSTel arrived from Cuba, com- manded by FranciSco de Salcedo, which brought captain Luis Martin, ten Soldiers, and two horSes. By theSe gentlemen the general learnt, that VelaSquez had obtained the title of King's lieutenant of the ifland of Cuba, with a power to trade and make fettlements in the new dis- covered countries, by which his pride was So augmented, that he reiblved to put a Stop to Cortes's proceedings. Hereupon the latter re- Solved to lay the affair before the king ; and ac- cordingly the council of Vera Cruz wrote a. letter, containing an account of the expedition, and a detail of the behaviour of Velalquez to- wards Cortes, in consideration of whole merit, they beSought his majefty to grant him the com- miifion of captain-general, that he might exert himlelf in his country's Service, independent of the governor of Cuba. Cortes himlelf wrote a letter, in which he explained his reafons for hoping that he Should be able to reduce the whole Mexican empire to the obedience of the king of Spain. TheSe dii- patches were committed to the care of Alonzo Hernandes Portocarrero, and FranciSco Mon- tejo, who embarked for Spain on the Sixteenth of July 1519 •, but Cortes thinking that the fifth part of the gold they had collected would be but ;\ trifling prelent for his majeSty, prevailed on all his people to refign their Shares, and according- ly all their gold jewels and curiofites were put on board, together with Some Indians, who voluntarily undertook the voyage, and a par- ticular preSent from Cortes to his father. Soon after this fome cf the people privately concerted the means of efcaping to Cuba, to give VelaSquez intelligence of theSe proceedings ; for which purpofe they had Secured a veiiel, and laid in provifions for the voyage ; but the very night on which they had appointed to embark., one of the parties concerned, went to Cortes, and revealed the whole affair •, who took his meafures with Such SucceSs, that all the accomplices were Seized on board the veSTel, and being brought to their trial, two of the ringleaders were condemned to die, two others were whipped, as old offenders, the principal mariner of the Ship was Sentenced to looSe one of his feet -, and the reft obtained a pardon : the warrant BY HERNANDO CORTES. warrant for the execution was no fooner figned, than Cortes let out for Zempoalla, to avoid be- ing follicited to pardon the principal offenders. This confpiracy gave great uneafinels to Cortes, as he feared others of the like kind might take place, fo as to difconcert his whole fcheme •, his mind was now agitated by the moft difagree- able reflections ; but at length lie formed a fcheme which fufficiently evinced the greatneis of his foul : this was no other than to delbroy the ihips, that his people being bereft of all means to efcape, and having no other choice but to conquer or to die, might adl with more vigour and unanimity. He communicated this fcheme to his particu- lar friends, who exerted themfelves among the troops in fuch a manner, that they themlclves went to perluade him to agree to it : fo that Cortes feemed but to comply with their own de- fircs when he ordered all the iron work, fails, and every thing that might be of ufe, to be brought on fhore, and all the fliips to be lunk, referving only the boats for fifhing : by this de- ftrucnen of the fleet, a reinforcement was gained of above one hundred men, who had acted as pilots and manners on board. This ftep was no fooner taken, than a fmall fquadron arrived on the ccaft, of which Cortes received advice by an exprefs -, whereupon he ■went immediately to Vera Cruz, and on his arrival, perceived one of the vefiels at anchor, at a confiderable diftance from the land •, and on the fnore were four Spaniards, one of whom being a notary, delivered Cortes a writing, im- porting that the governor of Jamaica laid claim to a part of that country, and therefore Cortes was to make no fettlement there. Cortes declined keeping the paper, and told him that he fhould be glad to meet captain Pineda, who he underftood was commander of the fquadron, in order to fettle the affair in an amicable manner •, but the notary relufing to carry this meffage, and infilling in a difrepecl- ful manner on an anfwer to his notification, Cortes ordered him to be feized, and conceal- ing himfelf and his men behind fome land-hills, near the fnore, flayed all night, and part of the next day, in hopes that others would land from the Ihip : but finding that none came, he direc- ted three of his men to put on the cloaths of the prifoners, and to go down to the lea fide, where they were to make fignals with their cloaks. In conlequence of this ftratagem twelve arm- ed men came off from the Ihip, and as they ap- proached, the others gradually retired, but all of them refufed to land except three, who were immediately taken : the boats crew feeing what had happened, rowed back to the ihip, which foon after weighed anchor and flood to fea ; and thefe men readily engaging with Cortes, he re- turned to Zempoalla with this reinforcement, which though confiding but of feven Spaniards, was then eiteemed a valuable acquifition. Soon after Cortes returned to Zempoalla, he drew up his army, placing a body of Spaniards in the van, and another of Indians in the rear, commanded by three caciques of the mountains ; the flrongeft carriers drew the artillery, and the N< 15. Y y reft took charge of the baggage. In this difpo- fition, with an advanced party to reconnoitre, they began their march towards Mexico, on the fixteenth of Auguft 1519, and in their route were hofpitably entertained at Jalapa, Socochi- ma and Tcxucla, towns belonging to their con- lederacy. They now entered upon the rough part of the mountains, where they were obliged to march for three days over rocks and precipices, in very cold and rainy weather, from the incle- mency of which the foldiers had no fhelter : and their provifions began to fail juft as they reached the fummit, where they found a temple, and a great quantity of wood •, but obferving fome; villages on the other fide of the mountain they hurried thither with all pofiible expedition. They now entered the large and well-peopled province of Zocothlan, the cacique of which refid'ed in a city of the fame name, fituated in a valley at the foot of the mountain. To this prince Cortes fent two of the Zempoallans, with notice of his arrival, who foon returned with a favourable anfwer •, and in a little time they dif- covered the city which made a magnificent ap- pearance : the cacique with a great number of attendants came out of the city, and received the general with a kind of forced civility. The Spaniards here found very incommodious quar- ters, and a great fcarcity of provifions •, but Cortes took no notice thereof, becaufe he was unwilling to engage the cacique in any hoftilities, which might retard his journey, or prejudice his caufe. The cacique vifited Cortes the next day, who received him with great politenefs, and among other queftios afked him if he was fubjedr. to the emperor of Mexico ; to which the cacique replied, " Is there any man upon earth who is not a flave to Motezuma ?" when Cortes dis- dainfully laid, that himfelf and thefe who fol- lowed him, obeyed another king who had many fubjects more powerful than Motezuma : but the cacique raying no attention to thefe words, proceeded to difplay the grandeur of his em- peror ; he laid the provinces under his dominion, were not to be reckoned, that he had many no- blemen who ferved barefoot in his palace, with. their eyes fixed on the ground : that he refided in the moft beautiful, largeft and ftrongeft city in the world, founded in the midft of lakes. He then began to expatiate on his prodigious riches, the ftrength of his armies, and the mifery of his enemies, above twenty thoufand of whom were annually facrificed upon the altars of his gods. Cortes at once faw that this fpeech had been dictated by the court of Mexico, in order to deter him from proceeding ; but without feem- ing to fee the drift of the cacique's defign, he anlwered that he was already well informed of the grandeur of Motezuma •, that his own ern- baffy was peaceable, his men being appointed rather as a mark of authority than a martial guard •, but neverthelefs he defired peace with- out being afraid of war ; for the moft inconfi-, derable Spaniard was able to conquer a whole army of Indians : that if he was compelled to> adts of hoftility, he would deftroy his enemies with 78 THE CON QJU EST OF MEXICO, with fire and fvvord ; for nature would aflift him with her prodigies, and heaven with its lighten- ing, in defence of thecaufe of religion and truth. This rodomontade, had a prodigious effect on the cacique, who entirely altered his conduct, and plentifully fupplied them with provifions for the fpaceof five days, during which they remained there ; and treated Cortes with prodigious re- fpect, making him a prefent of four female flaves, and offering to give him twenty noble Indians, as guides to his army. Cortes now proceeded on his march to the pro- vince of Tlafcala that bordered upon Zocothlan ; and for fome days nothing material occurred •, but afterwards, hearing that the whole country was in arms, he refolved to halt at a fmall town called Xacazingo, until he Ihould be fully ap- prized of their intention. The province of Tlafcala was about fifty leagues in circumference, and the country was well peopled, though it was mountainous and uneven, and the city was built upon different eminences. At firft the people were governed by kings, till growing weary of their tyranny, they lhook off the yoke and formed themfelves into a commonwealth : they divided the towns into a certain number of diftricts, each of which fending a reprefentative to Tlaicala, a fenate was thereby formed, whofe refolutions were obeyed by the whole province. Under this form of government they had long defended themfelves againft the emperors of Mexico, and were then in the zenith of their power •, for the cruelty of Motezuma had aug- mented the number of their confederates, among whom were the Otomies, a warlike nation, not lefs famous for their valour than barbarity. To this republic Cortes fent four of the prin- cipal Zempoallans, who received ample inftruc- tions from Marina and Aguilar, how to addrefs the fenate in demanding a paffage for the Spa- niards through the territories of Tlafcala. They affumed the appearance of ambaffadors •, each putting on his moulder a wreathred cotton tip- pet, knotted at the ends, carrying in the right hand a large arrow, and having on the left arm a target made of tortoifefhell : when the purport of the cmbafiy was war, the feathers of the ar- rows were red, but white when their errand was peace. By thefe fymbols they were known and refpeftcd on the high roads, but if they turned afiac their privileges were thereby forfeited. In this manner the four ambaffadors entered Tlaicala, where they were conducted to a houfe fet apart for the reception of ambaffadors, and the next day were introduced into the fenate, the members of which being feated on little chairs, called yopales, rofe to bid them welcome. As the ambaffadors entered, they raifed their ar- rows on high, and wore their tippets on their heads, as a mark of extraordinary veneration ; then having paid their refpects to the fenate, they proceeded flowly to the middle of the hall, where they kneeled with their eyes fixed upon the ground, waiting for permiflion to fpeak ; till the eldeft fenator bidding them declare their bufinefs, they feated themfelves upon their hams, and he who was chofen the orator, ex- prefied himfelf to this effect : " Noble republic, valiant Tlafcalans, the v " lord of Zempoalla, and the mountain caci- " ques, your friends and allies, wifhing you " health, abundance, and the deftruction of " your enemies, fend us to inform you, that an " invincible race of men are arrived from the " eaft, who appear to be more than human ; " for they iail upon palaces, and weild the " thunder and lightening : yet they worfhip an " Almighty Being, who is offended at human fa- " crifices. Their general is ambaifador from a " powerful prince, who defires to reform the " abufes of our country, and rcprefs the tyran- " ny of Motezuma. He has already refcued " our provinces from oppreffion •, and as he in- " tends to pafs through your territories, in his " way to Mexico, he defires to know wherein " you have been aggrieved by the tyrant, that " he may redrefs your wrongs. We have ex- " perienced his valour, and in the name of our " caciques and confederates, requeft you to " entertain thefe ftrangers as the friends of your " allies." The fpeech being ended, the four ambaffadors raifed themfelves upon their knees, and pro- foundly bowing to the fenate, fat down as be- before, in expectation of an anfwer. The fena- tors having conferred among themfelves, told the ambaffadors that they received the falutation of the confederates with the utmoft gratitude •, but that they muft deliberate upon what anfwer they fhould return to the ftrangers. Then the Indians repaired to their lodging, and the fenate began to difcufs the demand of Cortes, which produced very obftinate debates, fome propping to comply with his requeft, and others imrftlrig on repelling him by force of arms. The chief of thofe who were for peace, was an eld fenator, called Magifcatzen, a man of great authority ,who reminded them of aprophecy, importing that an invincible race of men would come from the eaft, which fuch dominion over the elements that they Ihould found floating ci- ties upon the feas, and ufe fire and air to fubdue the earth : he faid thefe ftrangers were certainly the very people foretold •, they came from the eaft, their arms were fire, they dwelt in floating houfes ; and had proved themfelves invincible by their actions in Tabafco. He alledged that their arrival was predicted by fignals from hea- ven, which it were impious to difregard : that allowing the fignals to be cafual, the ftrangers had afiifted their allies, and were now come in a peaceable manner, to requeft a paffage thro* their country, which they could not in reafon refufe, to perfons who had never injured them, nor without difrefpect to their allies, who had fo earneftly recommended thefe ftrangers. The fpeech of Magifcatzen was received with applaufe ; but the fentiments it had infpired, were totally changed by the interpofition of Xi- cotental their general, a young man of an am- bitious dilpofition, who ridiculed the prophecv, or at leaft the fuppofiticn of its being verified in the Spaniards, whom he reprefented as no more than common men, whofe arms and fhips were the effect of human induftry, whofe valour was nothing BY HERNANDO CORTES. in nothing extraordinary, and whofe pride, cruelty, and avarice, were intolerable, fince they defpifed the laws and cuftoms of the Indians, thirfted after their gold, demolifhed their temples, and blafphemed their gods ; and that with refpecr. to the fignals from heaven, they were always deem- ed as fore-runners of calamity, and ought to be interpreted as warnings to oppofe thole prefump- tuous ftrangers. The arguments of Xicotental preponderated with a people trained to war, and ambitious of glory : they therefore detained the ambafladors, and ordered the general to form the army, and try his flrength with the Spaniards. CHAP. III. Cortes fights an objlinate battle with the Tlafcalans ; Xicotental attacks the Spanift quarters by night ; his army deferts him ; the republic fues for peace ; Cortes receive an embaffy from Motezuma; makes his entrance into T/afca/a ; Diego de Ordaz vifts the volcano of Popo- catepec •, another embaffy from Mexico ; Cortes marches to Cbolula, where afchemefor his dfrucTion is difcovered and defeated, by the fidelity and difcretion of Marina. THE Spaniards having waited' at Xacazin- go for the return of the ambaiTadors, Cortes relblved to continue his march to- wards Tlafcala, that if they were determined on hoftile meafures, he might attack them before they were joined by their allies ; by which refo- lution he prevented their obtaining time to guard a ftrong (tone wall, which was twenty feet thick and nine feet high, with a parapet on the top ; it reached acrofs the valley, extending from one mountain to another, and having no entrance but in the middle, where the two ends circularly crofied each other for the fpace often paces, and might eafily have been defended againft all in- vaders. The Spaniards having pafTed this wall without oppofition, continued their march, having ad- vanced parties to prevent furprize ; fome of which difcovered twenty or thirty Indians at adif- tarice, who by their plumes appeared to be fol- diers: whereupon Cortes lent his fcouts with figns of peace, while he hirnfelf followed with eight hoife, and ordered the infantry to ad- vance at leifure ; when the horfe came near r.heny the Indians took to their heels, till hav- ing joined the main body, they faced about, and ftood in a pofture of defence. The eight horfe were now joined by fix others, but the Indians flood their ground till they were reinforced by a body of rive thou- sand men, who had lain in atnbufcade : at that inftant the Spanifh infantry came up, and form- ed themfelves into a battalion to fuftain the fury with which the enemy advanced ; but at the firft volley of the fire arms, which did great execution, the Indians turned their backs, and the Spaniards taking advantage of their con- fufion, fell upon them fo furioufly, that in a fhort time they quitted the field, with the lofs of fixty men killed, and fome prifoners who were taken by the Spaniards. Cortes did not purfue them, but took pofleflion of fome houies that were in fight, where he found plenty of provisions, and remained all night. The next day, the Spaniards proceeding on their march, were oppoled bv a larger body of the enemy, which advanced 'with great noife, and difcharging a flight of arrows, and a great quantity of flones from flings, began to retreat, making a kind of running fight •, but Cortes imagining that their retreat was only a ftrata- gem, advanced in clofe order, till he gained the top of an eminence, from whence he dif- covered a plain, almoft covered with an army of near forty thoufand men, compofed of feveral nations, diftinguifhed by the different colours of their enfigns and plumes. The Spaniards, undifmayed at the fight, marched down the hill, and forming on the even ground, moved on to the attack, while the Indians kept retiring, till finding them at a diftance from the hill, they opened to the right and left, and running furioufly to oc- cupy the ground on the fide of the hill, they clofed in a circle, and furrounded the Spa- niards, who threw themfelves into the form of a hollow fquare, to fuftain the fury of the af- failants. The air was now darkened with arrows, and a prodigious number of darts and (tones fell upon the Spaniards, till the Indians perceiving the little effect of thefe weapons, boldly attacked them with pikes and (words. Cortes with his horfe, breaking in among them, flew and tram- pled under foot all that came in his way, the artillery fvvept down whole companies, and the fmall arms killed them in heaps : at lenoth. Cortes obferving the enemy fall back, placed his horfe on the wings, and being accompanied by the foot, charged them with redoubled vio-our. At firft they made a gallant refiftance, bu° the men on horleback feeming fupernatural, threw them into diforder, fo that they began to give way on all fides, wounding and treading one another under foot, in the confufion of their flight. During the battle, Pedro de Moron, being mounted on a mare, was furrounded and taken, after having received feveral wounds, and though he was foon releafed by the cavalry, his mare was killed, and the Indiaas had time to clofe again. The Spaniards were by this time tired of the action, and began to doubt of fuccefs, when on a fudden the cries of the enemies ceafed, and this filence was followed by the noife of drums and iso THE CON QJJ EST OF M E X I c o, and horns founding a retreac ; in confequence of which they moved (lowly off, leaving the field to the Spaniards. The retreat was founded on account of mod of the Indian officers being killed; but notwith- ftanding their lofs, they entered their quarters triumphantly, the mare's head being carried as a trophy before the general, who fent it to Tlafcala, where it was facrificed in one of their temples, with extraordinary folemnity. In this battle nine or ten Spanifh foldiers, and many of the Zempoallans, who were animated by the example of the Spaniards, were wounded. Cortes perceiving a fmall town on a rifing ground that commanded the country, marched thither, where he found a great quantity of provifions ; but as there was not room fufficient to accommodate the whole army, the Zem- poallans erected huts for themfelves, and raif- ed fome works of earth to fecure the place, which was, however, of difficult accefs, and ftrongly fortified by nature. The Tiafcaians were now divided in their fentiments, for while fome cried out for a con- tinuance of the war, others were equally zea- lous for peace. Magifcatzen valued himfelf upon having forefeen the difafter •, but Xicoten- tal demanded fupplies to revenge the lofs they had fuftained ; and one of their confederates ar- riving at this period with ten thouland men, they were encouraged to profecute the war with frefh vigour. In the mean time the four Zempoallan am- baffadors, having made their efcape, returned by different ways to the Spanifh camp, and in- formed Cortes that as foon as Xicotental took the field, they were put in prifon, and deftin- ed by the Tlafcalans as facrifices to the god of war. This information had Rich an effect upon their companions, that Cortes, who would willingly have renewed his offers of peace, could not find meffengers to carry the propofals. At this time a profound ftlllnefs reigned throughout the country, and Cortes, thinking he was (till in danger of being attacked by the Tlafcalans, refolved to maintain his pod ; but thinking the Indians would imagine his in- action to be the refult of fear, he determined to fall/ from his quarters the very next morn- ing, to recenroitre the country, and gain intel- ligence : and therefore marched out with all his horle, and two hundred foot, confiding equally of Spaniards and Zempoallans. Ha proceeded as far as fome villages in the roaci to Tlafcala, where he found great plenty of provifions, and took feveral prifoners, from whom he learnt that Xicotental was encamped about two leagues from thence, where he was employed in raifing recruits to augment his army. Cortes now permitted the Zempoallans, who were incenfed againft the Tlafcalans, to deftroy the country with fire and (word : and returned to his camp, from whence he relealed all his prifoners, and chofe two- or three of thofe who had been taken on the day of battle,, to carry a meffage to Xicotental, expreffing his concern for the lofs he had fuftained, which was owing to the obftinacy of his nation, in rejecting the peaceable terms that had been offered them ; and defiring that he would now liften to terms of accommodation, or he fhould make the name of Tlafcala, a terror to the neighbouring kingdoms. 1'he prifoners promifed faithfully to return with an aniwer, in which they were as good as their word, for in a few hours they came back in a bloody condition, having been mangled by order of Xicotental, for their prefumption in delivering fuch a meffage •, and bringing an anfwer that he would, at fun rifing, meet the chriftians in the field, when he made no doubt but he fhould carry them alive to the altars of his gods ; and he gave notice of his refolution, that their captain might have time to prepare himfelr ; for it was not his cuftom to leffen the glory of hisvictories, by attacking an unguarded enemy; Though Cortes Was greatly vexed at the in- folence of Xicotental, yet he would not (light his advice •, on the contrary, at day break he led his troops into the field, leaving fuch a force in the quarters as he thought fufficient for its defence, and advancing about half a league, poffeffed himfelf of a fpot, where he could receive the enemy with advantage. There he formed his men, fecured his flanks with the artillery, and put himfelf at the head of the horfe, in order to give affif- tance wherever it fhould be wanted. The fcouts, in a little time, returned with intelli- gence that the enemy was upon the march, and prefently they appeared, to the number of above fifty-thoufand men, confifting of all the forces of the republic, and its allies. They difplayed the emblem of Tlafcala, which was a large golden eagle, that was never carried into the field, but upon their greateft undertak- ings, and they came forward with equal courage and expedition. As foon as they came within cannon (hot, the artillery ftruck fuch a terror into them, that theyhalted for a confiderable time ; but at length rufhed forward in a throng, till they were near enough to ufe their arrows and flings, and then they were ftopt a fecond time by the difcharge of the crofs-bows and fire-arms. The Tlafcalans at length perceiving the carnage that was made among them by the Spaniards and Zempoallans, burft upon them like a torrent, and broke their ranks by meer dint of weight and multitude ; but they formed again by main force, bear- ing down all that did not give way to their ef- forts. At this juncture a very great diflurbance was obferved among the enemy,whofe troops moved to and fro, turning their arms againft each other, till at length they fled in a tumultuous, manner, with the utmoft precipitation. It was afterwards known that this difturbance and re- treat, was occafioned by the infolence of Xico- tental, who charged one of the confederate caciques with cowardice, becaufe he did not advance when the reft were engaged. The cacique BY HERNANDO CORTES. l6i cacique, who commanded ten thoufand men, replied with anger, and a perfonal challenge enfued, when the other caciques eipoufing their friends quarrel, tumult and uproar prevailed: at length the confederates retired, and Xicoten- tal finding himlelr" abandoned by his allies, left the field to the Spaniards, after having feen a prodigious number of his people flain upon the fpot. Though it is faid that Cortes loft only one man upon this cccafion, feveral of his people were greatly difcouraged by their having been put into dilbrder, and declared that they would not facrifice their lives to the obftinacy of Cortes, but return by themfelves to Vera Cruz, and leave him to purlue his ambitious proje&s alone. This mutinous difpofition increafed to fuch a degree that Cortes found it necefiary to afiem- ble and harangue his ibldiers, whom he re- minded of their having already vanquifhed the Tlafcalans, who would undoubtedly fue for peace •, fo that they mould proceed to Mexico with the additional reputation of having over- come fo warlike a people, whereas if they at- tempted to retreat, they would only bring themfelves into difgrace, and run the hazard of total deftruftion. In a word, he exerted his eloquence fo fuccefsfully, that one of the mu- tineers cried out aloud- " Fellow foldiers, our " general is in the right, we cannot now re- " tire without being inevitably loftj" and the whole army immediately aflented to this opi- nion. The inhabitants of Tlafcala, were fo terrified by the event of the fecond battle, that they cried aloud for peace with the ftrangers, whom they confidered as invincible. The fenate conclud- ed that they were magicians, and refolving to op- pofe inchantment againft inchantment, confulted their wizards, who pretending to have difcover- ed the caufe of their own mifcarriage, affirmed that the Spaniards being the children of the fun, derived a iuperior power from the invigorating beams of their father ; but that when he difap- peared, they remained dilpirited and weak : they therefore propokd that the Spaniards fhould be attacked in the night, and utterly deftroyed be- fore they could be reanimated by the rifing of the fun. This important intelligence the fenate communicated to Xicotental, with orders to execute it, and he began immediately to make his preparations. Cortes in the mean time was particularly care- ful to preferve ftrict difcipline ; he kept centi- nels pofted at a diftance from the quarters, the guards were regularly mounted and relieved, the foldiers re'fted upon their arms, and the horfes ftood faddled all night. Thefe precautions were of the utmoft confe- quence ; for on the night deftined for the pro- jected attack, the out-centinels difcovered a large number of the enemy marching towards their quarters, in a very flow and filent manner-, and notice being given of their approach, the foldiers, without noife or confuiion, manned the works, and chearfully waited to give them a warm reception. N 9 . XVI. Z z Xicotental had brought ten-thoufand men with him, whom he ordered to attack the Spa- niards on three fides at once, an order which they obeyed with equal fpeed and refolution : but they met with a refiftance fo great and unexpect- ed, that many were killed on the fpot, and the reft were the more terrified, as they had come in full confidence of finding the Spaniards weak and unprepared. Xicotental was now convinced of the delufion of the forcerers •, but animated by rage, he re- turned to the aflault with double fury : his In- dians helping one another to climb over the walls, and one party fucceeding as another was flain ; till at length the general, finding it im- poflible to carry his point, ordered the fignal for a retreat to be given : but Cortes perceiving them on the point of retreating, fent out part of his infantry, and all his horle, furnifhed with breaft-plates full of bells, to charge the Indi- ans, who were fo terrified at the unufual noife, that they fled in confufion, leaving a conside- rable number dead, and fome wounded, whom they had not time to carry oft". This victory coft them only one fingle man, who was a Zem- poallan j a circumftance altogether furpriz- ing ! As foon as the news of this action reached Tlafcala, the inhabitants were unanimous in their clamours for peace, and their demands for juftice on the magicians who had deceived them. The fenate afiembling, unanimoufly agreed to punifh the impoftors, two of whom they imme- diately facrificed to their gods, and to implore forgivenefs of the ftrangers, whom they now believed were certainly the heavenly people mentioned in their prophecy. In the mean time a meflenger was difpatched to Xicotental, to acquaint him with the refo- lution of the fenate, and to command him to profecute the war no farther ; but that general being exafperated againft the Spaniards, from whom he longed to retrieve his honour, abfo- lutely refufed to comply with this command j and refolved to attack the Spaniards a fecond time by night, having firft informed himfelf of the ftrength and nature of their fortifications* for which purpofe he employed forty foldiers to enter the Spanifti quarters among the country people, who reibrted thither to exchange pro- vifions for baubles. Thefe fpies had fpent the greateft part of the morning among the Spaniards, unlufpefted ; till a Zempoallan, who had obferved one of them examining the fortifications very narrowly, communicated his fufpicion to Cortes, who or- dering the man to be feized and put to the tor- ture, he made an ample confeflion, in confe- quence of which his confederates were appre- hended, and the whole plan difcovered. Cortes then ordered fifteen of the moftobflinate of thefe- fpies to be punifhed ■, fome by lofing a hand, and others their thumbs, and difmifled them to tell Xicotental that he was prepared for his com- ing, and had fent thole fpies alive, that he might not lofe their information refpedting the Spanifti works. The Indian army was ftruck with horror and aftonifhment l82 T H E C O N QjS EST OF MEXICO, aftonifliment at the fight of this bloody Spectacle, and their meffage deeply impreffed the general's mind, who now began to think that the. Spa- niards could not have difcovered his defign with- out fome fupernatural intelligence : but while he ruminated on this fubject, he was accofted by feveral perlbns, whom the fenate had fent to divert him of his command : and he was imme- diately deferted by the captains and private men, who being agitated with a thoufand. fears, dif- peried different ways, leaving him to return to Tlafcala in the capacity of a private man. All that night, and the fucceeding day, the Spaniards expected an attack ; but on the fe- cond morning the advanced centinels difcovered four perfons of rank, coming along the road, adorned with white feathers in token of peace, and followed by thirty Indians loaded with pro- vifions. As they approached, they halted from time to time, as if afraid to advance, bowing their bodies, and touching the earth with their hands, which they afterwards applied to their lips, as fignals of refpeft and humility. Marina ap- pearing upon the wall, aiked from whom and for what purpofe they came ? and when they had anfwered, " From the fenate and republic of Tlafcala, to treat of peace," they were per- mitted to enter •, and being introduced to Cortes, who received them with great ftate, they made many apologies for what was paft, lued for peace, and earneftly befought him to march into their city, where the Spaniards mould be ferved and refpe&ed as children of the fun, and brothers of the gods. Cortes, with an affected feverity of counte- nance, defired them to tell the fenate, that their being admitted to his prefence, ought to be con- f.dered as a mark of his condefcenfion ; that though peace was agreeable to his inclination, they had no right to expect he lhould grant it immediately-, that he would, however, endeavour to appeafe the anger of his captains, and in the mean time the Tlafcalans would do well to faci- litate an accommodation by an amendment in their conduct. The fame of the Spaniards increafed with their victories ; and Motezuma, whole couriers informed him of every thing that palled, was extremely alarmed at Cortes's victories over the Tlafcalans, fearing that if they mould unite their forces, they might be able to overturn his whole empire: notwithstanding which, he was fo infa- tuated, that inftead of raifing an army in his own defence, he fent another prefent to Cortes, by five Mexicans of the firft rank, who were commiffioned to watch over his actions, to divert him from his intended.journey, and, if poffible, to prevent his coming to an accommodation with the Thfcalans. Theie an the Spanifh quar- ters, directly after the Tiaicalsn numfters had departed, and were farourably received by Cortes. . the ;uefent, which was worth a the .' .eces of eight, but would not dilmib then .diateiy, being deiirous that they it:. ■ . wkneffesto the humiliation of the part till they ■ lhould be able to accomplish the intention of their embaffy. The neighbouring villages, were, in the mean time, ordered by the republic, to furnifh provi- fions gratis for the Spanifh army ; and in two days Cortes was vifited by Xicotental, at the head of fifty noblemen who attended him with the enfigns of peace. He was a well made man, above the middle ftature, and of an agreeable af- pect : he was dreffed in a white mantle adorned with jewels -, he appeared before Cortes with the free air of a foldier, and having taken his feat and mentioned his name, readily acknowledged himfelf to have been the caufe of the war, ima- gining the Spaniards to have been the friends of Motezuma, whom he detefted ; but faid he was come to put himfeTintothe handsof hisconquer- or, hoping by this fubmiffion to obtain peace and pardon for his country : he likewife intreat- ed Cortes to enter the city, where he would find quarters provided for his men ; and he begged ineir wives and gods might be protected from violence. Alter having, in the hearing of the Mexican ambaifadors, warmly complained of the unjuft war they had carried on ; Cortes granted the peace they defired, and promifed that no vio- lence lhould be committed by the foldiers : the conference then broke up, Cortes giving Xico- tental his hand at parting, and telling him that when he had difpatched Motezuma's ambaifa- dors, he would return his vifit. This peace was ridiculed by the Mexicans, who feemed to wonder that Cortes fho.uld fuffer himfelf to be impofed upon by the Tlafcalans, who only fought to lull him into fecurity, that they might deftroy him and his foldiers with the greater eafe : but when they fawthat he was de- termined to grant the peace, they requefted that he would poftpone his march to Tlafcala for fix days, while two of their number went to inform the emperor of this tranfaction, and the reft would remain there to expect his relblution : to which requeft Cortes confented, for he did net think it prudent to break with Motezuma. The ambaffadors returned within the limited time, together with fix gentlemen of great rank, and a fplendid train of attendants, bringing with them a prefent of greater value than the former, and declaring that Motezuma defired to be the friend and confederate of the great prince whom the Spaniards obeyed, and would pay him an annual tribute, on condition that they would en- ter into no league with the Tlafcalans, and give over all thoughts of comino- to Mexico, for his people were refolved that no ftrangers lhould approach their fovereign. Cortes delayed giving them his anfwer, be- caufe they lhould be witnefies of the peace with Tlafcaja, and he determined to detain them as long as poffible, that Motezuma might have the lefs time to prepare for hoftilities. The Tlafca- lans were fo alarmed by thefe embaffies, that the government came to the refolution of vifiting Cortes in the form of a fenate, in order to con- vince him of their fincerity, and induce him to break off his negotiation with the Mexicans. Accordingly the fenators were carried upon the BY HERNANDO CORTES. *H the ihoulders of inferior officers, and arrived in lolemn proceifion, at the quarters of the Spa- niards, where Cortes received them with his ufual ilate and civility, and after they were feat- ed, he was harrangued by the father of Xico- tental, an old blind man, of a venerable ap- pearance, who acquainted him that the lenate ot Tlafcala were come to fue for peace on his own terms •, to perfuade him from engaging in any league with Motezuma, whom he repreiented as a tyrant •, and to intreat him to honour their city with his prefence ; which lait circumtlance he urged lb warmly, that Cortes promifed to march to Tlafcala, as foon as the people of the neigh- ing villages were ready to conduct his artillery and baggage. In coniequence of this declaration, five hun- dred Tamenes, or carriers, appeared at his quar- ters the next morning, and having made the pro- per difpofitions,he immediately began his march. The fields were rilled with prodigious numbers of people, who made fuch motions and outcries, as the Spaniard; miitcok for threats of war, till they were undeceived by Marina, who informed them that the Indians, at their feltivals, ufually exprefled their joy in this manner. At a confider.ible diftance frorti the town the Spaniards were met by the fenators and nobles, who having paid their refpects to Cortes, turned about and marched before. At their entrance the city refonndtd with acclamations, i and the difagreeable noife of their drums, pipes, and horns ; and fo great was the concourfe of people that the magiftrat.es could hardly keep the pafiage free. Some of the women threw flowers on the Spaniards, while others, more bold, put nofegays into their hands. The" priefts dreffed in long garments, came with their copper cenfers, fumigating the Spaniards as they palled, and the countenances of all the ipectators were expreffive of joy, admiration and awe. Quarters were provided in a large building, which had three or four fpacious courts, and a great number of rooms, where the whole army was lodged, and where Motezuma's am- baffadors were fafe under the protection of Cortes, who made this public entrance into Tlafcala, on the twenty-third of September 1 5 19, having concluded a peace, by which the inhabitants of that province enjoy feveral pri- veleges and exemptions to this day. Cortes confidering the character of the Tlafca- lans, acted with the utmoft circumfpection and vigilance ; a regular guard was kept in his quar- ters, he never went abroad without a number of armed attendants, and the foldiers never ap- peared but in companies, with their fire-arms on their ihoulders. The Indians were mortified at thefe marks of diftruft, and Magifcatzen, in the name of the fenates complained to Cortes that his foldiers paffing through the city with lightning on their Ihoulders, gave more offence by that mark of fufpicion, than they would do by committing real acts of violence. Cortes allured him that he was well convinc- ed of the fincerity and good will of the repub- lic, but that thefe circumftances which gave offence, were only the effects of that difcipline by which the Spaniards were rendered invinci- ble. The fenate was fatisfied with this anfwer; and the Spaniards received every day frefh proofs of the friendfhip and fidelity of their new allies; being conftantly fupplied with plenty of provi- fions, and having prefents poured in upon them from all quarters. Cortes ordered his principal apartment to be turned into a chapel, where mafs was often ce- lebrated in the prefence of the principal Indians, among whom Magifcatzen defired to be in- formed of the chief articles of the chriftian re- ligion ; and being inftructed by father de Ol- medo, approved of the worfhip, but could not by any means be prevailed upon to abandon his own gods : obferving, that though the God of the chriftians might be very powerful, thofe of the Indians were likewife mighty enough to protect their worfhippers. Cortes, whole zeal fometimes got the better of his prudence, propofed to deftroy all their idols •, but his fervour was moderated by the wifdom of de Olmedoj who told him that per- fection but ill agreed with the doctrines of the gofpel, and that the converfion of the In- dians required time and gentler ufage : He however prevailed with the Tlafcalans to de- fift from offering human facrifices, which were fo fhocking a violation of the laws of nature : whereupon they inftantly fet at liberty the wretches who had been fed in cages in order to be facrificed. . . The peace being eftablifhed, and the fenate of Tlafcala having fworn obedience to the King of Spain, Cortes fent away the Mexican am- bafladors, defiring them to inform their em- peror of what had paffed in their prefence ; of the follicitations and fidelity of the Tlafcalans, over whom his influence was now fo great, that he hoped in time to reduce them to the obedience of Motezuma : and of his determination to con- tinue his journey, that he might confer with their prince on that fubjec>, and others of ftill greater confequence. While Cortes remained at Tlafcala, receiv- ing homage in the name of the King of Spain, from the different towns and the confederates, of the republic, there was a furprizing erup- tion of fire and fmoke from the Volcano of Po- pocatepec, a very high mountain eight leagues from the city, which filled the people with great terror and confternatioh : for they imagined it a prefage of misfortunes, fuppofing the of fire to be the fouls of tyrants, the gods fent abroad to chaftize the to be fparks whom guilty. Magifcatzen and fome of the chief noblemen, were rehearfing thefe idle fancies to Cortes, when Diego de Ordaz came to afk leave to afcend the; mountain to examine the Volcano. The In- dians were aftoniilied at the requeft, and en- deavoured to perfuade him from fo dangerous an enterprize, laying that the mod courageous people of their nation, had never ventured be- vond fome hermitages of their gods, which were fituated about the middle of the eminence, and that 184 the Conquest of Mexico, that dreadful roarings and tremblings forbad all farther approach. This account inflamed the curiofity of Diego na being ordered to afk the reafon of it, was an- fwered that the Tlafcalans being their enemies, mufl not enter the city in arms, wherefore they earneftly intreated that Cortes would order them to return. He was a little difconcerted at this requeft ; however he defired the Tlafcalans to lie without the city, with which they readily complied, and took up their lodgings at a place, from which, in cafe of neceflity, they might readily come to the affiftance of the Spa-- niards. The Spaniards entered Cholula, as they had done Tlafeala, paffing through an amazing croud of people, who rent the air with accla- mations : the women prefented nofegays and ftrewed flowers, the caciques reverenced them, the priefts perfumed them : the noife was heigh- tened BY HERNANDO CORTES. iS 5 tened by a number of inflruments, and every thing feemed to denote univerfal joy, which the Spaniards now began to think fincere, though they at firft advanced to the place filled with jealous apprehenfions. The city of Cholula flood in an open and de- lightful plain, and contained twenty thoufand inhabitants, with about an equal number in the luburbs. It was greatly frequented by ftrangers, on account of its being a place of great trade, and efteemed a fanctuary of the gods. The ftreets were lpacious and well planned, the build- ings larger and more beautiful thanthofe of Tlaf- cala, and the great number of lumptuous towers which adorned the city, fhewed the multitude of their temples. The quarters appointed for the Spaniards were three or four large buildings contiguous to each other, and fufficient to hold both them and the Zempoallans. The Tlafca- lans pitched upon a place at a fmall diftance from the town, which they fecured with fome works, formed guards, and placed centinels, in imitation of the Spaniards, from whom by this time they had acquired fome degree of military knowledge. For the firft three or four days there was the utmoft appearance of fnendfhip and tranquillity •, but after that, provifions grew gradually icarcer, and the entertainments of the caciques totally ceafed ; Motezuma's ambaffadors held private conferences with the priefts, and the people be- gan to look on the Spaniards with an air of fcorn and diflike ; which circumftances naturally a- wakened the fufpicion of the latter, and Cortes was contriving means to difcover the defigns of the Cholulans,when the whole affair was brought to light by meer accident. Marina had contracted an acquaintance with an old Indian woman of diftinction, who coming one morning to her apartment, begged, with marks of the greateft earneftnefs and affection, that fhe would immediately leave thole a- bominable ftrangers, and come to her houfe, where fhe fhould find entertainment and pro- tection. Marina thinking there was fomething extra- ordinary in this requeft, difguifed her fentiments, bemoaned her captivity, and acted her part with fuch dexterity, that the Indian lady, believing her fincere, told her in plain terms that there was no time to be loft, for the Spaniards were devoted to deftruction •, that Motezuma had provided twenty thoufand Mexicans to fecure the fuccefs of the defign ; that of this number fix thoufand chofen men had already entered the city in fmall parties •, that abundance of arms were diftributed among the inhabitants, who had carried up large quantities of ftones to the tops of their houfes, and cut deep trenches a- crofs the ftreets, in which fharp flakes were fixed, which were flightly covered with earth, for the deftruction of the horfes : that Motezu- ma had determined to deflroy all the Spaniards •, but had given orders that fome of them fhould be taken alive, to fatisfy his curiofity and zeal for religion •, and that he had preferred the Cho- lulans with a curious golden drum to excite their courage on this occafiun. N 16. 3 A Marina having gained this intelligence, de- clared herfelf ready to attend her deliverer ; and on pretence of going to fetch her jewels, haften- ed immediately and related the whole affair to Cortes, who ordered the Indian woman to be feized, and by threats extorted from her a reci- tal of all the particulars. At the fame time fome Tlafcalan foldiers, en- tering the city in the difguife of peafants, warn- ed him to be upon his guard, for they had feen the Cholulans carrying their women and chil- dren to the neighbouring villages. Two or three Zempoallans had by accident difcovered the trenches, and fome works made to guide the horfes to unfufpected precipices ; and Cortes learnt that there had in the morning been a facrifice of ten children, male and female, a ceremony never performed but when they were on the eve of fome military action. Cortes, now fully convinced of the reality of their defign, thinking it neceffary to juftify his conduct by the teftimony of fome unexceptiona- ble witneffes of their own nation, fent for three of dieir chief priefts, and talking with i.hem fe- perately, mentioned all the particulars of the defign without difclofing the authors of the in- formation ; fo that believing hirn endued with the power of penetrating their very thoughts, they acknowledged the truth, and laid the blame of the whole defign upon Motezuma. Thefe priefts were then fecretly imprifoned ; and Mo- tezuma's ambaffaciors being excluded from all communication with the people, Cortes affem- bled his captains ; and having informed them of the confpiracy, propofed a plan for punifhing the Cholulans, which met with their unanimous, approbation. In confequence of this plan he acquainted the magiftrates that he fhould depart the next day ; demanded provifions for his march, Indians to carry his baggage, and two thoufand armed men to join the Tlafcalans and Zempoallans in hisfer- vice. Thefe laft he demanded with a view to difun ite their forces, and they readily granted his requeft, in order to introduce among his troops concealed enemies, to be ufed as occafion might offer. Or- ders were then given for the Tlafcalans to draw near the city at the break of day ; and on the firft difcharge of the fire arms, to enter the city, and join the Spaniards and Zempoallans. At night the quarters were fecured with cen- tinels and guards ; and then Cortes fending for Motezuma's ambaffadors, told them that he had difcovered a confpiracy formed againft him by the people of Cholula, whom he was determin- ed to punifh for the violation of the laws of hof- pitality, and the rather becaufe they had pre- tended to have received orders and affiftance from the emperor to deflroy the Spaniards in that infamous manner : and he declared that he was not fo much incenfed at their treacherous intentions towards hirnfelf, as at their infolence in pretending to fan&ify their crime by the name of Motezuma. The ambaffadors appeared to be overwhelmed with terror and confufion •, but declared they knew nothing of the confpiracy ; and endea- voured to fave the credit of their prince ; while Cortes i86 THE CON QJLJ EST OF MEXICO, Cortes rejoiced in this opportunity of defeating Motezuma's arts, and at the fame time raifing the reputation of his arms. The carriers came early in the morning with provifions, though in a fmall quantity ; and af- terwards came the armed Indians, but in a greater number than Cortes had demanded : thefe he fecured in the feveral parts of his quar- ters, feperating them under pretence of forming his battalions in his cuftomary manner. Theie being fecured, he put his men in order, and mounting his horfe, fent for the caciques, and told them in a loud and angry tone of voice, (Marina interpreting his words, - ) that as he had difcovered their confpiracy, he would punifh them with fuch feverity as fhould make them repent the treachery of their conduct . r They no fooner heard his declaration, than they retired with great expedition to join their own forces, infulting him with abules and threats, which they uttered as they fled. Cortes then ordered his infantry to fall upon their foldiers, whom he kept divided in the iquares, all of whom were foon deilroyed, except a few who efcaped by throwing themielves from the walls. This bloody (laughter being finifhed, he gave the fignal for the Tlafcalans to advance, and then moved flowly into the principal ftreet, ha- ving firft left a guard in the quarters, and fent forward fome Zempoallans to dilcover the tren- ches, that the horfes might avoid the danger. The Cholulans in the mean time, called in the Mexicans, to join in a great fquare, in which were three temples, pofted a number of people on the tops of the towers, and in the porches, while the reft were divided into feveral bodies to engage the Spaniards : but juft as the troops of Cortes entered the fquare, and the charge was given, the Tlafcalans clofing with the ene- my's rear, they were fo difordered that they could not fly, and unable to defend themfelves, fell in heaps without refiftance. The fteps and terraces of the temple were covered with mul- titudes of armed men, who were lo crowded that they had hardly room to turn, or diicharge their arrrows ; when Cortes advancing to the largeft temple, ordered his interpreters to pro- claim free pafiage and pardon to all fuch as Ihould voluntarily come down and furrender themielves ; and this offer, though twice repeat- ed, being rejected by all but one Indian, he or- dered the artillery to play upon the temples and towers, fo that great numbers perifhed in the ruins ; and, upon the whole, about fix thoufand of the Mexicans and natives were {lain. The Tlafcalans inftantly pillaged the place, and feizing upon fome magazines of fait, fent feveral loads of it to their own city, where it was much wanted. Cortes having affigned them quarters without the city, retired to his own lodgings, and ordered the principal people of the town, whom he had taken prifoners, togetiier with the Indian woman and the prieils, whom he had kept confined, to be brought into his prefence, he expreffed his concern at having been com- pelled to punifh the city fo fcverely, publifhed a general pandon, and begged the caciques would call back thofe who had fled. The ambafladors complimented Cortes on the fuccefs of the day, and the citizens, encouraged by his lenity, returned to their reipe&ive em- ployments, fo that the tumult entirely ceafed. On the day after the battle, Xicotental arrived with twenty thoufand men, who had been fenc by the Tlafcalans to the fen/ice of the Spaniard* who on all occafions experienced the fidelity of thofe allies : but Cortes having acknowledged the favour intended him, told the general, that as he propofed foon to begin his march to Mexi- co, it would be highly improper to exafperate Motezuma by bringing into his dominions fuch a number of his declared enemies ; and Xico- tental, owning the propriety of this obfervation, promifed to retire, and keep the troops in readi- nefs for his fervice, in cafe they were wanted: but before they returned, Cortes meditated a peace between the republic and the Cholulans, by which he opened a way for the Tlafcalans to fupply him with fuccours, and fecured to him- felf a retreat, in cafe the expedition fhould prove unfuccefsful. The day of Cortes's departure from Cholula approaching, fome of the Zempoallans defired leave to return home ; to which he not only readily confented, but took the opportunity of fending by them fome prefents for their cacique : he alio wrote a fhort account of his fuccefs to Juan de Efcalante, defiring him to add new for- tifications to the town of Vera Cruz, to fecure it from any attempts that Diego Velafquez might make againft it. New ambafladors arrived about this time from Motezuma, who having been acquainted with what had pafled at Cholula, and defirous of avoiding all fufpicion of having had any concern in that affair, not only fent his thanks to Cortes for chaftifing thofe traitors, but alfo a confider- ablc prefent, hoping by thefe means to lead the Spaniards in a blind fecurity, that they might fall into a fnare which he had provided for them. CHAPTER BY HERNANDO CORTES. \tf CHAP. IV, Cortes leaves Cbolula ; baffles a treacherous defign of the Mexicans ; Motezuma Is difpirited by his oracles ; Cortes is vifited by the cacique ofTezueco ; arrives at that city, from whence he proceeds to Jztapalapa ; Cortes enters Mexico ; is met by Motezuma, who confers with him at his quarters, and g rants htm an audience in the Royal Palace ; A defcription of Mexico, with an account of the grandeur, wealth and power of the emperor, and the religion, and policy of the Mexican government. HAVING remained fourteen days at Cho- lula, Cortes proceeded towards Mexico, and the firft night of his march lodged at a village, to which the chiefs of the neighbour- ing town repaired with prefents and provifions •, and among theie people he heard the fame com- plaints of Motezuma, as in the more remote provinces ; and was told by one of the caciques, that the Mexicans had placed an ambufcac'e on the other fide of the mountain which he was to pafs the next day : that they had flopped up the high road, and opened another ending in preci- pices •, and that the Spanifh army was to be fuddenly attacked at a place where their horfe could be of no fervice, and the foot have no room to form themfelves. Although Cortes was highly incenfed at the repeated treachery of the Mexicans, yet he con- cealed his refentment, and fetting out the next day, proceeded with the utmoft caution, till he reached the top of the mountain ; when perceiv- ing the two roads which had been defcribed to him, he with great compofure turned to the Mexican ambafiadors, and demanded the reafon why one road was newly made, and the other blocked up with trees and ftones •, in anfwer to which they faid that the old road being fteep and difficult, had been flopped up, and the new one opened for his convenience. " You " are but little acquainted (cried Cortes) with " the genius of our nation ; we will march in " this road you have broke, for no other rea- " fon than becaufe it is the moft difficult." So laying, he dcfired his Indian friends to march forward, and remove the obftacles to his paf- fage : which, to the aftonifhment of the ambaf- fadors, was foon executed, for they had no idea that he had the leaft knowledge of their defign : but the Indians in ambufcade, per- ceiving that the Spaniards marched in the royal road, concluded that they were difcovered, and retired in diforder, fo that Cortes defend- ed into the plain, without oppofition, and took up his quarters for that night, in fome houfes eredted for the accomodation of the Mexican merchants who frequented the fairs of Cholula. Thefe repeated difappointments fo difpirited Motezuma, that all his courage forfook him, and he grew daily more and more devout •, he reforted to the temples, increased the number of human facrifices, and at length, afTembling his Magicians, commanded them, upon pain of death, to meet the Spaniards, and either overcome or ftupify them by the force of their enchantments. In obedience to his command, feveralcompa- nies of necromancers fetout; but having perform- ed their conjurations without fuccefs, returned, and told Motezuma, that the god Tecatlepuca from whom proceeded plagues and famine, had appeared to them in a garment girt with a rope of wicker, and with a frowning afpeft declared, that the difolution of the empire was at hand, and Motezuma's ruin decreed. At this report the King was ftruck dumb ; but at length, fummoning all his fortitude, he cried out, " If our gods forfake us, let the '•' 'ftrangers come ; it would be difhonourable " to turn our backs upon misfortunes •," and, af- ter a little paufe " I lament, (faid he) the old " men, women, and children, who cannot defend " themfelves •," a flood of tears running down his checks as he fpoke. From this inftant he began to make prepara- tions for receiving the Spaniards •, the whole difcourfe of Mexico turned upon their amaz- ing a&ions ; the refemblance they bore to thofe men of the eaft who had been defcribed in their prophecies ; and the prodigies by which their coming had been foretold : fubjects of converfation abfolutely neceflary to produce fuch a prepoffefllon, as might enable a handful of men to penetrate to the very court of fuch a powerful and abfolute monarch. The next day Cortes advanced about two leagues, to a village in the jurifdi&ion of Chalco, where he was vifited by the principal cacique, and others of the neighbourhood, who brought him prefents and provifions, and in the abfence of the Mexican ambafiadors, complained of the tyranny of Motezuma, and the weight of their taxes : adding, with tears in their eyes, that he took their women to gratify his own lufl, and that of his minifrers ; fo that the daughter was infecure in the arms of her mo- ther, nor did the wife find protection in her husband's bed. Cortes having comforted them with the hope of relief, continued his march the next day for four leagues, through a pleafant country, adorned with beautiful gardens and groves, till he arrived at a village, build on a creek of the great lake, where he lodged for that night : and to this place the Mexicans reforted in fuch numbers, with their arms and military orna- ments. { 88 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, ments, that Cortes began to be fufpic us •, and in orucr to keep them at a p r djifcanjcg he order* : fome fire-ai ns «nd pieces of artillery, to b Sired in the air, the fight and report of v. :h io terrified ihem, that they retired with • precipitation. In che ... ■ ..v Cortes was vifited by the lor 3 , oi • , who was a nephew of Mo- tezuma; a ybu^ng r.an of an engaging pre- ience, who •• irried on the ihoulders of fdrpe ot his 'laves, :n a chair adorned with a v,,kiy u! feathers curioufly diverfified. As foon as he alighted, his fervants went before to fweep the ground, and keep back the people on each fide j and Cortes going to the door of his apartmen., made a profound re- verence,which the prince returned by firit touch- ing the earth and afterwards his lips with his right-hand, after which he took his feat with an eafy air, and welcomed Cortes and all his captains •, informed him of the friendly difpo- fition of Motezuma •, and mentioned the diffi- culties attending his coming to Mexico, on account of that year's barrennefs, which had reduced the people to great dilirefs, fo that ftrangers could be but ill accommodated, where the inhabitants wanted necefiaries. Ir. anfwer *o this declaration, Cortes faid, thai the King his' mailer having fome important realons for offering friendf] wp to Motezuma, and communicating feveral circumftances, which regarded his perfon and dignity, he, his fer- vant, did with great refpe civil, and polite deportment ; and in the third they were employed in robuft exercifes, as wreft- ling, managing their arms, and carrying weights -, and inured to the hardfhips of fuffering hunger and thirft, and bearing the inclemencies of the weather. Thefe qualifications being acquired, the young noblemen who were defigned for war, were fent as volunteers to the army, to accuftom themlelves to the dangers and hardfhips of a campaign, and were often placed among the baggage-men, and loaded with provifions, to> mortify their pride and inure their bodies to fa- tigue, before they were inrolled as foldiers, an honour to which none were admitted, who had not given proofs of their intrepidity. In every town there was a regular militia, fa that their armies were formed with eafe ; for the princes, caciques and governors, were obliged to- repair to the rendezvous, with a certain number of foldiers. Their troops were better riifci- plined than thofe of the other Indian nations ? and the emperor, with a view to reward acts of valour, inltituted feveral orders cf knighthood. It has been afferted, as a proof of the gran- deur of the Mexican empire, that Motezuma had thirty vaffals, each of whom could bring one hundred thoufand armed men into the fiekh The Mexican year, like ours, confifted of three hundred and fixty-five days, but was di- vided THE C O N QJJ E S T OF MEXICO, *¥4 v'icled into eighteen month?, of twenty days each, ..pd at the end of the year five days were added to make it anfwer the courfe of the fun, and thefe were entirely appropriated to pleafures and di- verfions. They had likewife weeks of thirteen days, to which 'were given different names •, and a longer period, called ages, which confifted of four weeks of years. This period of time was reprefented in a very fingular manner : In the center of a large circle, divided into fifty two decrees, allowing a year for rverv degree, they painted the iun, from whole rays proceeded four lines of different co- lours, which equally divided the circumference, leaving thirteen degrees to each femi-diameter •, and thefe divifions ferved asfigrts of their zodiac, upon which the ages had their revolutions, and the fun his afpefts, adverfe or profperous, ac- cording to the colour of the line. In a larger circle which inclofed the other, they marked with their characters the principal occurrences of the age, and thefe fccular annals were confulered as public infti uments, ferving for proofs of their hiftory. The Mexican marriages were celebrated in the following manner. The contract being fettled, the parties appeared in the temple, and the prieft having examined them relpetting their mutual pafilon, tied the tip of the woman's veil, and the corner of the bridegroom's garment together, and accompanied them, joined in this manner, to their dwelling, where they went round the fire feven times, and then fitting down to re- ceive a fhare of the heat, the marriage was ac- compliihed. Then the hufband demanded the bride's portion, which he was obliged to return in cafe of feperation, which often took place by mutual content : in that cafe the father took care of the boys, and the mother of the girls •, and the marriage being thus difiblyed, the par- ties were forbid to join again on pain of death : an inftitution wifely calculated to check the natural levity of the people. New born infants were carried with great fo- lemnity to the temples, where the priefts re- ceived them with certain admonitions, refpect- ing the troubles to which they were born. When the child was afon of one of the nobles, they put in his right hand a fword, and a fhield on his left arm, which were kept for that pur- pofein the temple : if he was the fon of one of the common people, they put mechanical inftru- ments into his hands •, but the females of both ranks were prefented with a ipindle and diftaff. After this ceremony, they were brought up to the altar, and their privities pricked with a thorn, or cut with a lancet of flint, fo as to yeild fome drops of blood, which were no fboner ihed than they were fprinkled with water, while the priefts uttered certain invocations. The Mexican priefts adminiftered a fort of communion on certain days of the year, dividing into fmall bits an idol made of flour and honey, which they called the God of Penitence. They had alfo offerings of incenfe, proceflions, jubilees, and other kinds of divine worfhip. After an emperor had been elected, he was obliged to take the field, and obtain fome victory over his enemies, before he was permitted to afcend the throne •, and having thus, by his fuccefs, proved himfelf qualified to hold the reio-ns of government, he returned, and made his°public entry into the city in triumph, with great flate and magnificence : after which all the nobility, priefts and minifters, accompanied him to the temple of the god of war, where he alighted from his chariot, and having offered the ufual facrifice, was clothed in royal robes by the ele&ors, who armed his right hand with a fword of gold, as an enfign of juftice, and put into his left, a bow and arrows, fignifying his power and ' command in war. Then the caci- que of Tezeuco, as principal elector, placed on his head a kind of golden mitre. This ceremony being ended, he was addreffed by one of the moft eloquent of the magiftrates, who congratulated him on his new dignity ; expatiated on thf duty of a fovereign, and the cares and troubles that attend a throne : then the chief prieft coming forwards, adminiftered an oath, by which the emperor engaged to maintain the religion of his anceftors, and the laws and cuftoms of the empire •, to treat his vaflals with lenity, to procure feafonable rains, to prevent inundations, fierility, and the ma- lignant influences of the fun and planets. The Mexicans believed the doctrine of the immortality of the foul, and a future ftate of rewards and punifhments: but they buried gold and filver with the deceafed, to defray the ex- pence of the journey, which they fuppofed to be troublefome and tedious : nay they flew fome of their fervants to accompany them, and the wives frequently put themfelves to death to at- tend their hufbands. Princes were under a ne- ceffity of having very large burial-places, for the greateft part of their riches and family were interred with them •, and when the emperor died, all his favourites, and houfhold officers, were oblised to follow him to the other world. CHAP. BY HERNANDO CORTES. r 9 $ CHAP. V. Cortes receives an alarm' ng letter from Vera Cruz, in confequence of which he qffembles a council cf his captains ; makes Motczuma prifoncr ; that emperor appeafes the clamours of i he people ; Motczuma laid in fetters ; the Spaniards build twojljips upon the lake ; a con- fpiracy is fet onjoot agah./l Ccrtes, but being difcovered by Motezuma, the principal con- ductor of it is punijhed ; Motezuma declares the King of Spain his fucceffor, and gains the confent of the fates to become tributary to that prince ; inffts on Cortes' s leaving Mexico, who, however, takes meafures to prejerve his Jooting ; Velafquez fends a fleet to oppofe Cortes ; the proceedings of the cemmif'aries fent by Cortes to the court of Spfiin, and the rije ofthefecond expedition fent againjl him by Diego de Velafquez. THE Spaniards took pains to conceal the admiration with which the above-recited circumftances inlpired them •, and the Mexicans feemed to vie with each other in ex- prefilng their regard for their guefts : they were entertained day after day, with a round of di- verfions, at which Motezuma appeared in per- fon : a condeicenfion, which, as it was wholly unprecedented, ierved to infpire his fubjedrs with a greater degree of efteem and veneration for the Spaniards. The emperor was particularly at- tached to Cortes, with whom he fpent a confider- able part of his time, and contraclied an acquain- tance with the captains, to whom he made fre- quent preients, diftir.guifning the merit of each, in a manner that fufficiently evinced his difcern- ment. In this manner the Spaniards enjoyed for fome •time an agreeable repofe ; but at length they were alarmed by a letter from Vera Cruz, which was brought by two Tlafcalan foldiers, who having diiguifed themielves in the habits of Mexicans, entered the city unnoticed. Cortes learnt from this letter, that fome of the Indians in alliance with the Spaniards, com- j plained to Juan de Efcalante, that one of Mote- zuma's generals, called Qualpopoca, had aftem- bled all the troops upon the frontiers of Zem- poalla, and levied contributions with great cru- elty : upon which Efcalante lent deputies to clefire the Mexican general to fufpend hoftilities till farther orders arrived from court, as Mote- zuma, at that very time, was entertaining the Spaniards, who were the allies of thofe people, with friendfhip and holpitality. To this meflage Qualpopoca made an info- lent reply, which lb provoked Efcalante, that he marched againft him at the head of two thoufand Indians, and forty Spaniards, and notwithilanding he was almolt totally deferted by the Indians, he came to an engagement, and put the Mexicans to flight, and purfuing them to the next town, he attacked them with fuch refolution, that they were entirely diflodged and routed : but this vi&ory coft the Spaniards very dear, for Juan de Efcalante was mortally wounded, fix of the foldiers were alfo wounded in feveral places, and Juan de Arguillo, a man of extraordinary ftature and ftrength, was car- ried oft" alive. In this letter, which came from the council of Vera Cruz, they defired Cortes would give them his advice refpecling the pofture of affairs, and appoint them a new governor. Cortes, who fincercly regretted the lofs of Juan de Efcalante, communicated the letter to his captains, defiring each of them to give his opinion freely at their next meeting •, and on the following morning he fent for fome of the moft intelligent Indians in his army, and afked if they had lately obferved any change in the difcourfe or behaviour of the Mexicans. They faid that the behaviour of the nobles was pen- five and myftcrious, that they had heard fome of the people mention the breaking down the caufeway* and that it was reported that a Spa- niard's head had been prefented to Motezuma, who viewed with aftonilhment the largenefs of its fize, and fierceaefs of its afpecT, and gave orders that it fhould be concealed imme- diately. Cortes at once concluded from thefe circum- ftances, and in particular from that of the head, which doubtkls had belonged to Arguillo, that the Mexicans had determined on his deftruction, and that the plan was authorized by Motezuma j on which he inftantly aflembled his council, compofed of the captains and fome favourite foldiers, and having told them what the Indians had hinted, demanded their advice : when fome of them propoled to obtain a paiTport from Motezuma, and march publickly to the 'relief of Vera Cruz •, others were for retiring privately in the night ; but the majority were of opinion that they fhould continue at Mexico, without feeming to know what had palled at: Vera Cruz, till they fhould find a proper op- portunity of retreating with fafety. Cortes however, approved of none of thefe fchemes, and reprelented that nothing could fink them lower in the opinion of the Mexicans, than demanding a paflport to leave a city which, they had entered againft all oppofition : that if Motezuma really intended their prejudice, he would readily grant them a fafe conduct with a view of leading them into a blind fecurity, that 2<)6 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, that he might afterwards attack them unawares Chat retreating by Health would be attended with equal danger and difgrace, as it would lefTen them in the opinion of their allies, who might deiert them as cowardly fugitives, and poiiibly recommend themielves to Motezuma, by joining his forces to cut off their retreat •, and as to their remaining at Mexico, he thought it would he highly imprudent, without taking fome bold ftep for their fecurity : wherefore he propofed to feize the peribn of Motezuma, and convey him to their own quarters, where he might be detained as a hoftage for the fin- cerity of his people. ■He infifted that fuch a daring action would fill the Mexicans with aftonifhment and fear, and fo greatly aggrandize the character of the Spaniards, that they would never think of combining againft them for the future ; efpe- cially when they mould come to know that the tranfactkflis at Vera Cruz were difcovered by Cortes, which they would believe nuift be owing to fome fupernatural means. This dar- ing propofal lie fupported with fuch a ftrengt! of eloquence, that at length, all the hearers applauded the fcheine, the execution of which they left to his own management. Having fixed on the hour when the Spa- niards were accuftomtd to wait upon Mo- tezuma, for the execution of his plan, Cortes ordered his men to arm themielves in their quarters, laddie their horfes privately, and wait without noife for farther orders. He then placed fmall fcattered detachments in all the avenues to the palace, and directing thirtv chofen men to follow him at a diftance, went thither in company ot four of his cap- tains, who carried their arms with them, which gave no fufpicion, as it was their common cuftom. Motezuma, as ufual, came out of his apart- ment to receive the vifit, and his fervants re- tiring, according to cuftom, to another part of the palace, Cortes, in a tone of refentment, began to complain of the Mexican general, for attacking his confederates in violation of the peace, murdering a Spaniard in cold blood, and endeavouring to juftify his perfidious be- haviour, by faying that he had acted in obedience to his majefty's order. Motezuma changed colour at hearing this charge, which he denied with evident figns of confufion, when Cortes pretending to be- lieve him innocent, laid, " Nevertheless, nei- " ther your own fubjects nor the Spaniards, *• will be undeceived, after fuch a declaration of *' your general, unlefs you take fome extra- " ordinary ftep to efface the imprefiion of fuch " a calumny : I am therefore come to beg you *' will, without any difturbance, repair with us " to the Spanifh quarters, where your majefty " fliall be treated with all the refpect and rever- " ence due to your high rank, until your " charader fhall he cleared to the conviction " of all mankind." >tezumai amazed and incenfed at the bold- the propofal, haftily replied, that princes of his rank were not accuftomed to go tame- ly to prifon, nor would his fubjects permit him fo far to forget his dignity as to ftoop to fo bale a compliance. Cortes then acquainted him that if he would but comply, without laying the Spaniards under a neceffity of forgetting the refpect they had for his peribn, he fhould not regard the oppofition of his fubjects. Still however, the emperor refufed to leave his palace -, but being fenfible of the danger to which he was expoled, he offered to fend for Qualpopoca, and deliver him with all his officers into the hands of Cortes, and in the interim, to fend two of his fons to the Spanifh quarters, as hoftages for the performance of his promife. Cortes was frill unfatisfied widi thefe expe- dients, and his captains fearing that the delay might prove dangerous, began to grow clamo- rous ; and in particular Juan Velafquez de Leon cried out aloud, " fince he will not hear rea- " fon, let us feize him by force, or kill him on " the lpot." Motezuma hearing him fpeak in angry tone, enquired what he laid ; when Marina, to whom he addreffed himfrlf, earneftly exhorted him, as his own vaffal and fubject, to comply with- out farther hefitation, or his life would be in danger •, and what fhe faid had fuch an effect upon him, that inftahtly rifing from his feat, he faid to Cortes, " 1 truft myfelf in your " hands, let us go to your quarters, for fo the " gods have decreed." He then ordered his equipage to be got ready, telling his minifters, that, for fome rea- fons of ftate, he had determined to pafs fome days at the Spanifh quarters : and ordered the captain of his guard to march with a body of troops, and take Qualpopoca and his officers prifoners, that they might be punifhed for hav- ing invaded Zempoalla. Having iffued thefe orders, which Marina inter- preted to Cortes, Motezuma left the palace with his ufual attendants, the Spaniards marching clofe to his chair on pretence of refpect •, but a report that the Spaniards had feized the em- peror's perfon being inftantly fpread, the ftreets were fuddenly filled v/ith crowds of people, who rending the air with their cries, threw them- ielves on the ground in deipair, fhedding floods of tears for the unhappy prince, and a ge- neral infurrection would have undoubtedly enfued, had not Motezuma, with a chear- ful countenance, commanded filence, and allur- ed his people that he was going of his own accord, to pafs a few days with his friends the Spaniards. When he came to the Spanifh quarters, he ordered his guards to difperle the populace, and bid his minifters declare that he would punifh with death any perfon who was guilty of the leaft riot or difturbance. He behaved with an eafy freedom to the Spanifh foldiers who came out to receive him, and having fixed on an apartment at a diftance from thole which the Spaniards made ufe of, it was immediately turnifhed for his accommodation. Centinels were now placed at all the avenues, the guards were doubled, and Cortes, under pre- BY HERNANDO CORTES. pretence of keeping his majefty from being crouded, reftrifted to a certain number, the miftifters and courtiers that waited upon him. At the fame time he prcferved all the formalities of decorum, treatedMotezuma with his accuflom- ed refpefl ; and indeed his majeity's good hu- mour and fchearfulnefs, feemed to teilify that he was pleated with his fituation. Notwithstanding his imprilbhmerit, he exer- cifed all the functions of royalty ; granted au- diences, held councils, and regulated the civil and military government of his kingdom, with the fame freedom as ufual. His table was fup- plied in great abundance from his palace, that the Spaniards might featl on the overplus, and he lent delicacies every day to Cortes arid his captains, whom he would call by their feveral names ; nay he even ltiidied their tempers, as he occafionally convericd with them, and fre- quently difcourfed in a facetious manner, without defcendilig from the dignity of his character. Motezuma parted with the Spanifh officers all the time that was not dedicated to bufi- nefs, and ufed to fay that he was not ealy except in company of thefe flrartgers, who vied with each other in demonflration of refpedt to him. Sometimes he played with Cortes, at Tolo- loque, a game which connfled of tipping down fmall pins of gold, with little bowls of the fame metal; and as they played for trinkets and jewels, Motezuma gave his winnings to the Spaniards, while Cortes diftributed his good fortune among the inferior fervants of the emperor: During thefe amufemerits, he ufed to rally Pedro de Alvarado, for being a partial marker, but when ferious, expreffed the utmoil regard for that gentleman. About twenty days after the emperor's con- finement, the captain of the guard returned with Qualpopoca, and the other officers, who had quietly furrendered on fight of the royal fignet: and being brought before Motezuma, he upbraided him with having killed the Spaniard, and delivered both him and his companions into the hands of Cortes, to whom they con- fefTed themfelves guilty of having violated the peace of their owll accord, and alfo Ordering Arguillo to be put to death in cold blood : till finding that Cortes determined to punifh them with death, they accufed the emperor of being the caufe of the whole, and declared that they had only obeyed his orders. Though this in all probability was the truth, Cortes af- fected to treat it as a malicious afperfion •, and having brought them to a public trial, in which the Spaniards were both judges and ac- cofers, they were convicted, and condemned to be burnt alive. Cortes now refolved on taking another bold ftep, in order to deter Motezuma from ufing any endeavours to prevent the execution of the fentence : he therefore went into that prince's prefence, attended by Marina, and three or four captains, with a common foldier carrying fet- ters ; and having faluted his majefly in the ufual manner, he put on a peremptory look, and told him in a refolute tone, that Qualpopoca and his NY 17. 3 D l 9 f officers had confeffed the crime for which they were condemned to die, but as they affirmed that they had done nothing but by his majefty's order, it was neceffary that he fhould undergo a little perfonal mortification. Saying this, he, with an air of authority, ordered the foldier to fhackle Motezuma, and then leaving him, or- dered the guards to prevent his courtiers from coming near him. The aftoniihment of the emperor, at being treated in this ignominious manner was fo great, that he had neither power to refill, nor fpeech to complain ; while his attendants, in filent grief, threw themfelves at his feet, with marks of the utmofl forrow, lupporting his fetters to prevent their hurting his legs. When his firft amaze- ment was fomewhat abated, he flew into a tran- lport of rage, but foon recovered himfelf, and apprehending his life was in danger, waited his fate with the mofl intrepid fortitude. Cortes, in the mean time, having taken pro- per precautions to prevent any difturbance, or- dered the Mexican general and his officers to be brought forth, and conducted under a ftrong guard to a large fquare, where their hands and feet were bound, after which they were placed on a large pile of broken bows and arrows, and fire being fet to it, they were foon burnt in the prelehce of an innumerable concourfe of people, who beheld the amazing fpectacle in filent ad- miration and awe. Cortes then returning to the emperor's apart- ment, told him with a chearful countenance that the traytors, who had been fo bold as to blemifli his character having received condign punifh- ment, his majefty was how at liberty : and im- mediately flooped down and took off the fetters with his dwn hands. Motezuma received his liberty with the molt tumultuous joy, and embraced Cortes feveral times, after which they both fat down together, and entered into a friendly convcrfation, during which Cortes told him that he might return to his palace whenever he pleafed, as the caufe of his being detained now no longer fubfifted. This however, was merely a political offer, which he knew Motezuma would not accept, for he had taken care before-hand, by means of Marina, to poffefs him with a firrri belief, that if he left the Spanifh quarters before the depar- ture of Cortes, he would fuffer greatly in his. reputation, as foon as it fhould be known to his fubjefts that he had accepted his liberty from, the hands of another. He therefore declined the offer, making a. merit of his flay, by faying, that if he fhould re- turn to his palace, his minifters and nobility would urge him to take up arms, to obtain fa- tisfaction for the affront he had received ; and therefore he would continue where he was, thro* friendfhip for the Spaniards. Cortes allowed the force of his reafons, commended his refolu- tion, and returned him many thanks for the care he expreffed on their account : thus both parties were well pleafed with the fineffe they were pracrifing on each other. Henceforward the emperor itemed perfectly pleafed with his fituation, and when he thought he 198 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, he had given fufficient proofs of his fincerity, he reprefented to Cortes, the expediency of per- mitting him to vifit his temples, that his people might no longer continue in a belief they al- ready entertained, of his being kept a prifoner : and Cortes, feeing the force of this argument, readily confented, on condition that human fa- crifices fhould be abolifhed. His majefty's firft excurfion was to the prin- cipal temple, which he entered with his cufto- mary pomp and attendance, and diftributed with unufual liberality, his bounty among the people, who celebrated his appearance with the loudeft acclamations. Having paid his worfhip, he returned to his quarters, and from this day went abroad occafionally, fometimes to the palace of his wives, and fometimes to his pleafure-houies •> but he never went without the permiffion of Cortes, who commonly attended him in his par- ties of diverfion, and feemed fo entirely to have engrafTed his favour, that the nobles, who had any thing to afk of the emperor, conftantly ap- plied themfelves to the general, as the fureft way to meet with luccels. In the midft of this fuccefs, and apparent tranquillity, the broken expreffions" which the Tlafcalans had heard about removing the bridges and ruining the caufeways, made luch an im- preffion on the mind of Cortes, that he deter- mined to make himfelf mafter of the lake, by building two brigantines out of the wrecks of his fhips which had been bored. To accomplifh this plan, he made it his bu- finefs to excite the curiofity of the emperor, by defcribing the manner of failing with the wind, which was altogether unknown to the Mexicans •, and at length obtained his nermifficn to build two fhips for his majefty's amufement, and the inftrudtion of his fubjects. Accordingly the nails, cordage, canvas and other tackle belong- ing to the Spanifh fhips, were brought from Vera Cruz, and fome builders who had enlifted as foldiers being fet to work, together with many of the carpenters of Mexico, who followed the directions of the Spaniards, the veffels were compleated in a fhort time, and Motezuma re- folved to embark in perfon, with Cortes, that he might have the better fight of this ftrange navigation. Great preparations were made for this ex- traordinary exhibition •, a vaft number of ca- noes, belonging to the emperor and others, were manned with the moft expert rowers •, and the Mexicans firmly believed that their boats would excel the brigantines in fwiftnefs •, but no fooner did a breeze fpring up, than the Spaniards unfurled their fails •, and foon left the canoes at a diftance, to the aftonifhment of the Indians, who were unable to comprehend the manner of fleering and working fuch floating houfes, and firmly believed that by means of thefe wonderful machines, the Spaniards had abfohue dominion over the elements of wind and water : Motezu- ma's aftonifhment was mingled with rapture, and though the victory was obtained againft his own fubjects, he beheld it with the utmoft de- light. Motezuma now became more attached than ever to Cortes, who took this opportunity of enquiring minutely into the ftate of the country, the knowledge of the gold mines •, their fitua- tion •, how they were wrought, and the quan- tity of metal they produced : to which enquiries the emperor gave diftinct anfwers •, ordered his painters to draw an exact reprefentation of all the bays, harbours, and creeks upon the coaft * and even permitted fome Spaniards to go and examine fome of the principal mines, and take an accurate furvey of the country. The pretence of Cortes for making thefe enquiries was, that he might give his fovereign a more full idea of the grandeur and power ot his new ally •, but his real view was to become acquainted with fome port to which fupplies might be fent him. It is related by fome Spanifh hiftorians, that at this juncture, when iuch perfect harmony ought to have prevailed between the Chriftians and Spaniards, fome of Corces's foldiers deter- mined to demolifh all the idols of Mexico, and convert the principal temple into a church : that the whole city role in defence of their gods, and even the priefts had recourfe to arms •, that after a long conteft, in which, however, no lives were loft, the Mexicans confented that a part of the temple fhould be cenverted into a chrif- tain chapel, where an altar was erected, with the crofs of Chrift, and an image of the Virgin Mary ; that even the idolatrous priefts employ- ed themfelves in cleaning and adorning this chapel, in which mafs was celebrated with great lolemnity : but at length the Mexicans being in want of rain, came to Cortes in a tumultu- ous manner, complaining that their gods had refufed to refrcfh the earth, becaufe ftrange dei- ties were introduced into their temples : and in order to appeafe the tumult, he premifed that they fhould have a plentiful fhower, which actu- ally fell in a few hour?, to the unfpeakable ad- miration of the emperor and his fubjects. But it is by no means likely that Cortes, confidering his precarious fituation, fhould permit his fol- diers to engage in fo rafh an enterprize ; and in fact, the whole ftory appears to be calculated with no other view than to raife the character of Cortes, by having a miracle wrought in his favour* Notwithftanding the progrefs that Cortes had made in the emperor's favour, a plot was now formed which bid fair to have been attended with very difagreeable confequences, Cacuma- zin, the nephew of Motezuma, who was cacique of Tezueco, a young man of great vivacity, art and ambition, under pretence of fetting his un- cle at liberty, entertained the defign of afcending the throne of Mexico, either by bringing about an immediate revolution, or by fecuring the po- pular favour at the next election. With thefe views he took all private opportunities of repre- fenting the cowardice of Motezuma, who tamely fubjected himfelf to the tyranny of a few info- lent ftrangers ; and at the fame time endeavoured to vilify Cortes, who had acted as fuprcme ma- giftrate in the midft of Mexico, and had even put an Indian general to death in the moft igno- minious manner ; he laid it was high time to ftand up for their religion, their liberty, and their BY HERNANDO CORTES. r 99 their fovereign, before the flrangers received {implies from their own country, from Tlafcala, or cllcwhere •, and therefore propofed that they lhould inilantly take arm;, and attack the Spa- niards in their quarters. But the cacique of Matalcingo, who was alfo Motezuma's nephew, plainly perceived the driit of Cacumazin, which interfered with his own pretenfions ■, and therefore oppofed the execu- tion of this fcheme, till they had taken fome fteps to iecurethe emperor's perfon, which would be expoied to great danger from fuch an attack : but rinding that his expedient was -rejected as impracticable, he determined to acquaint Mote- zuma with the confpiracy, though he appeared to act in concert with the confpirators, who had aihially appointed the day for carrying the plan into execution, and recommended to each other the moll: profound fecrecy. As foon as this plot was intimated to Mote- zuma, he communicated the particulars to Cortes, who had been already informed of the whole, by means of his fpies : however he thanked the emperor for this proof of his friendfhip, and de- lired his permifiion to march out with his Spa- niards, to chaftize Cacumazin. Motezuma ar- gued againft this propofal •, and defiring that the punifhment of the delinquent might be left to his care, loon took fuch meafures, that Cacu- mazin was feized at his own houfe, and brought prifoner to Mexico, where he was clofely con- fined. At this very period there was at Mexico, a brother of Cacumazin, a youth cf great courage, who but a few days before had elcaped a fnare which his brother had laid for his life. This youth Motezuma had taken under his protec- tion, and confidered him as one of his own family : and Cortes taking advantage of thefe circumftances, difluaded him from putting a prince of the blood to death by a public execu- tion ; and advifed him to deprive Cacumazin of his rank and dominions, and give them to his brother, who lb well defcrved that mark of his favour. The Emperor was highly pleafed with this advice, of which he immediately informed his council, who extolled it as equally juft and mer- ciful ; and by a royal decree, Cacumazin was deprived of all his honours, which were confer- ed upon his brother : and this manner of chaf- tifing without blood-fhed, being applauded thro- out the whole empire, operated lb forcibly on the reft of the confpirators, that they difbanded their troops, and had recourfe to the mercy of the Emperor, whole pardon they obtained thro' the mediation of Cortes. Thus thofe very fteps that had been taken to effect his ruin, eventu- ally ferved to raife his reputation. Though Motezuma was pleafed to fee this ftorm blown over, and appeared lb well fatisfi- ed with Cortes ; yet he could not compare his iormer fituation with his prefent, without hav- ing very humbling thoughts. At length he fummoned all his relblution, and refolving, if pofiible, to get rid of the reftraint under which he languished, he told Cortes that he now in- tended to make a voluntary acknowledgment of that vafialage which he owed to the King of Spain as fuccefibr of Quezalcoal ; that he would fummon a general afiembly of his nobles for that purpofe, and as a mark of that vafialage, would prefent the moll valuable jewels of his treafury to Don Carlos ; and he did not doubt but all his caciques would follow his example^ in contributing according to their circumftan- ces. Cortes, who did hot perceive his whole aim, thanked him for his generofity, without appear- ing to be furprized at the propofal, and fecretly rejoiced at the profpedt of being able to give his fovereign fuch an important earneft of the wealth he might one day reap from this acqui- fition. Motezuma thought that after this, Cortes cbuld have no pretence for ftaying longer in his dominions •, while Cortes, on the other hand, had no intention to depart, and imagined he could eafily maintain the footing he had ob- tained i» Mexico, till he lhould receive orders from Spain. The emperor, according to his promife, dis- patched couriers to convene all the caciques of the empire ; who accordingly came with equal fplendor and expedition ; and being afiembled in the king's apartments, in the prefence of Cortes and his captains, Motezuma made a ftu- died harangue, in which, after having reminded them of the obligations they owed him, as their fovereign and benefactor, and afiured them he had confulted and obtained the approbation of the gods, refpecting the caufe of their meeting i he repeated the ftory and prophecy of Quezal- coal, declared the king of Spain was the decend- ant of that mighty prince, and in confequence the lawful fovereign of Mexico, to whom both he and they were bound in duty to pay obedi- ence : as a token of which he had feledted the moft precious jewels of his treafury for an offer- ing to the king of Spain ; and he did not doubt but that they would follow his example, in ap- propriating fome of their riches to the fame pur- pofe. This fpeech Motezuma was unable to pro- nounce without interruption : he could not re- frain frequent fighs ; and when he owned him- felf the vafial of another prince, the tears ran down his cheeks, and he was unable to pro- ceed. Cortes then arifing, declared that it was by no means the intention of his fovereign to dif- pofiefs Motezuma, or make the leaft innova- tion in his government •, but all he defired was, that he Would fettle his right to the fuccefiion, in favour of his defendants. Upon which Motezuma took frelh courage, and rinilhed his fpeech. The afiembly were aftonifhed and confounded at a propofal which appeared fo inconfifient with the known character, and the dignity of the empe- ror i and confideringit as the effectof compulsion, they groaned bitterly, exhibited many marks of anxiety, and looked at each other with the moft: emphatic filence ■, till the prime minifter, who better knew Motezuma's diipofition than any of the reft, took upon him to anfwer for the whole too THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, whole affembly •, and affined the emperor, that as they all looked on him as their rightful lord and fovereign, they would readily obey whatever he thought proper to propofe, and follow his example to the utmoft of their abili- ties. The whole council fignified their afTent to this declaration, when Cortes, by means of his inter- preter, made an artful fpeech, in which he gave thanks to Motezuma and all the company, for this demonftration of their refpect, which he accepted in the name of his King : but by his manner feemed to imply, that they had done nothing more than what was their duty. Perhaps Motezuma's whole aim in this tranf- a&ion, was only to forward the departure of his vifitors, without any intention of fulfilling the terms of this fubmiffion for the future : but be this as it will, it is certain that • thence-for- ward, Charles the fifth was acknowledged, and believed by the people, to be the lawful heredi- tary fovereign of the Mexican empire -, and their homage was authenticated by a public inftru- ment, according to the cuftom of their coun- try. This affair being tranfacted to the fatisfactioh of the emperor, he determined to lofe no time in recovering that liberty and independance for which he had fo long pined in fecret j and there- fore fpeedily delivered to Cortes, the prefent he had provided, confifting of curiofities in gold, in the fhape of animals, birds and fifhes, and a great number of precious ftones, many of which were of a particular fort, efteemed by the Mexi-: cans above all others, in colour reiembling e- meralds ; together with many beautiful pictures made of variegated feathers. In fact, the whole looked like the ranibm of a great prince, who thought he could not buy his liberty too dear : the contribution of the nobles correfponded with the liberality of the prince : and was fuch as might be expected from wealthy chiefs, who vied Avith each other in liberality and orienta- tion. Cortes appointed a receiver and treafurer to take an exact account of what was received ; and in a few days, exclufive of jewels, precious ftones, and pieces of curious workmanfhip, they had afhafled as much gold as, when melted down, amounted to fix hundred thoufand pefoes in bars; out or which treafure, one fifth part was fet afide for the King, and a fifth of the remainder for the ufe of Cortes, and to defray the expence of providing neceffaries for the army : another part was allotted to reimburfe Diego Velafquez and Cortes's friends in the ifland of Cuba, who had fupplied him with money for the voyage •, and the reft was divi- ded amongft the officers and foldiers, ' including thofe who were at Vera Cruz. All thofe who were in the fame degree of rank had equal fliares -, but among the private men, thofe who had moft diftinguifhed them- felves in the fervice wtre beft rewarded : this difference however, produced murmurs and' complaints, which were at length filertced by the generofity of Cortes, who gave a part of his own fiiare to the malecontents. Motezuma having given this full proof of his fubjection to Spain, lent for Cortes, and in a more refolute manner than he had lately fpoke, told him that as his bufinefs was difpatched, he fhould take meafures for his departure, as his longer ftay would be attributed to finifter motives ; nor could he any longer fupport him, when reafon was not of his fide. Both the fubftance and manner of this inti- mation were fo unexpected, that it was not till after a paufe that Cortes could recollect him- felf fo as to make a proper reply : He now, for the firft time, law the reafon why the affembly had been convoked, and fufpefting that Mo- tezuma had privately affembled his forces, he inftantly lent one of his captains to order the foldiers to take to their arms, and in the mean time excufed his embarraffment, on the fcore of feeing his majefty more moved than ufualj alluring him, that he was fo far from intend- ing to put off his departure, that he came with a defign of afking permiffion to built fhips to carry them to their own country, as his Majefty well knew that they had loft the veffeis in which they failed to that coaft. Motezuma is faid to have affembled fifty thoufand men to lupport his determination j but be that ;;s :i will, it is certain that he was defirous cf avoiding a rupture with Cortes, and even apprehenfive of the anfwer he might receive ; for he no fooner heard this artful reply, than he embraced him with fingular marks of affection-, and being now rid of his fears, he told him with the utmoft complacen- cy, that he had no delire to haften his depar- ture, before he was provided for the voyage ; and that he fhould be fpeedily furmihed with all neceffaries. Motezuma now iffued immediate orders for affembling all the carpenters of the country to cut wood, and work under the direction of the Spaniards -, and Cortes on his part affected to be in equal hafte, fending his builders to Vera Cruz to collect the iron-work, rigging and fails of the veffeis that had been funk ; but at the fame time fent private directions to Martin Lopez, his mafter builder, to proceed flowly,, and protract the work as much as he could, without giving the Mexicans any fufpicion : for his real defign was to maintain his footing at Mexico, till his commiffiaries fhould arrive from Spain, as he expected they would bring him a fupply of troops, and orders how he fhould proceed for the future. By this management he for the prefent quiet- ed the minds of Motezuma and his people ; but in a few days an affair happened, which called for the exertion of all his abilities. In- telligence was brought to the emperor, that eigh- teen fhips had been feen upon the coaft of Pilleca-, and by the paintings which had been made for Motezuma's information, thefe fhips appeared to be manned with Spaniards ; a eir- cumftance that could not fail to alarm the whole empire, and revive thofe fufpicions they hM already harboured againft Cortes. Motezuma immediately communicated his information to Cortes, obferving that" it would be now BY HERNANDO CORTES. 2ot now unneceflary to proceed in building fhips, fince he might embark in thofe from his own country. Cortes having furveyed the paintings,was fully convinced chat they were Spanifh fhips, and fuppofing that they were come from Spain with a lupply of trOops and ammunition', he anfwer- ed with great compofure, that he would embark immediately, provided thofe veffels were bound to any of his lbvereign's dominions ; but at the fame time obferved, that it would be proper to continue building, till a meffenger whom he had fent to Zempoalla, brought him the particulars", and whofe return he hourly expected. Cortes was not a little concerned when, a few days after this converfation, he received a letter from Gonzalvo de Sandoval, importing that this fieet contained eight hundred men, who were fent by Diego Velafquez, to oppofe him and his defigns in Mexico. This difagreeable intelli- gence was put into his hand while he was in converfation with Motezuma, and all his cir- cumfpeclioh was necefTary to conceal from that prince, the emotions he felt on the occafion : but however he fucceeded in his endeavours, Motezuma fufpecting nothing of the truth ; and Cortes retired to deliberate upon this unexpected incident. But we muft now look back to the reception vhich the commifTaries of Cortes found at the court of Spain, and the caufes by which Velaf- quez was prompted to fend fuch a fleet againft him. Alonzo Hernandez Portocarrero, and Ffan- cifco de Montejo, who failed from Vera Cruz, with letters for the King of Spain, together with the firft tribute fent from New Spain, touched at the iiland of Cuba, though contrary to the orders they had received, in order that Mon- tejo might have the fatisfadtion of vifiting his family and relations, who lived near the Havan- nah, at fuch a diftance from Velafquez, that they thought they had nothing to apprehend, either irom his vigilance or refentment. This dangerous ftep, however, had like to have prevented their voyage to Spain ; for Ve- lafquez imagining that Cortes would fend fome of his fhips to the iiland of St. Domingo, to fol- licit fuccours of the religious governors, had ftationed fpies along the coaft, who having made him acquainted with what had paffed at Monte- jo's houfe, he inftantly difpatched two light vef- fels, well manned and armed, with orders to take the fhip, and every rerfon on board ; and Mon- tejo no fooner reimbarked, in confequence of the full notice he received of the governor's de- fign, than he ventured to fail through the gulph of Florida, a thing hitherto unattempted, as the only means to avoid the purfuit. After a profperous voyage, this fhip arrived tafe at Seville ; but at a very unlucky time ; for the chaplain Benito Martin, whom Velafquez had fent to follicit the commiffion of King's lieu- tenant, had obtained his fuit, fent the commiffi- on to Cuba, and was then at Seville, waiting fcr a velTel in which he himfelf might return rhi- ther. This man reprefented Cortes as a pirate, who N? 17. 3 E had clandestinely failed with feveral Veflels be- longing to Cortes .: and Martin's ir.tereft was fo> great at Seville, that the directors of trade, in. confequence of his impeachment, ordered the vefTel and cargo to be .feized ; bat as"ja great favour, permitted the two : captains, ,and the pi- lot lent by Cortes, to apply to his Majefty for redrefs. Accordingly they repaired to Barcelona, where they expected to find the court ; but underftanding that his majefty was at Corunna j from whence he was preparing to pafs over into Flanders', to accept the imperial crown, they fet out for that city, and in their way vifit- ed Martin Cortes, who with equal joy and fur- furprize, heard of the glory and fuccefs of his fon, whofe death he had long mourned •, and they perfuaded the old gentlernan to go with them to the emperor, in the hope that his character and grey hairs might enforce their petitions. They were happy enough to over- take the court at Tordeiillas, juft as the pre- lents f.Om Cortes, with the Indians of the new conqueft, arrived from Seville -, for thefe the directors did not dare to detain, as they were upon the emperor's own account. They met with a very favourable reception from his Majefty, who exprefled his fatisfactiork and aftonifhment at their account of the new difcovered empire, and made a minute enquiry into every particular of the conqueft, while the Indians and prefents gave a fanction and credit to their wonderful relation : but as his Tnajefty Was then On the point of departing for Germany* he referred the letters and follicita- tions of Cortes to cardinal Adrian, and the council to whom he had left the adminift ration of affairs during his own abferice : defiring that they would hit upon fome method of en- couraging Cortes, without doing any injuftice to the pretenfions of Velafquez. But Juan Rodriquez de Fonfenca, bifhop of Burgos, being prefident of the council, and a warm friend to Velafquez, reprefented Cortes as a rebel and feditious perfon, upon whom they could have no reliance : notwithftanding which they did not think proper to give him an immediate caufe of difcontent, though they re- folved not to fend him any part of the fupplies he fo earneftly requefted •, fo that all his de- puties obtained, was a fmall fhare of the cargo they had brought for their fubfiftence; and they afterwards attended the court, without the leaft. fuccefs for two years. Diego Velafquez in the mean time, received his commiffion of King's lieutenant, not of Cuba only, but of all places which fhould be difcovered and conquered through his means. This title, together with affurance of protection from the Bifhop of Burgos, prefident of the Indies, enabled him to obey the dictates of his ambition and refentment : whereupon he de- termined to appropriate to himfelf the honour of conquering Mexico, and to punifh Cortes as a deferter and rebel. Full of this defign, he exerted his whole influence, and expended the greater part of his fortune, in equipping an armament, which confifted of eight hundred. Spanifh 202 THE CON QjU EST OF MEXICO, Spanifli infantry, eighty horfe, twelve pieces of cannon, together with great ftore of provi* fiort, artns and ammunition. The command of this fquadron he beftowed upon Pamphilo de Narvaez, a man of diftinc- tion and capacity > but paffionate, proud, and bigotted to his own opinions < and this perfon, with the title of Diego's lieutenant, had pri- ■ — — — 1 1 ■ 1 ' . - ■ — : C H A The monks of St. Gcronlmo endeavour in vain t a J t »t • rr vate inftructions to apprehend Cortes, and fend him to Cuba in irons, together with his prin- cipal officers,, provided they refufed to abandon his intefeft •, after which he was to take poflef- fion of the countries which had been conquered, in the name of Diego Velafquez, as they were within his jurifdiction, in confequence of the royal grant. P. VI. to prevail on Velafquez to abandon bis projeEl ; the fleet under Narvaez arrives at Vera Cruz, but is cppofed by the governor ; Cortes acls 'With great precaution, and finding he cannot bring Narvaez to accept terms of ac- commodation,, attacks him and his army, obtains a complete victory \ and thereby procures con- fide r able reinforcements. - H E monks of St. Geronimo, who pre- sided over the Royal Audience at St. Domingo, and whofe jurifdiftion ex- tended over the other iflands, hearing of thefe pre- parations, and forfeeing the ill confequences that might attend them, lent Lucas Velafquez de Leon, to diiTuade Diego from his enter- prize, and in cafe his arguments failed, to com- mand him, under great penalties, to defilt from a proceeding that might diftufb the meafures which Cortes was taking. De Ayllon arrived in the ifland of Cuba when the fleet was upon the point of failing, and ufed all his influence and elocution to in- duce Velafquez to change his refolution : he expatiated on the danger which might arife, if Cortes fnould ftand upon the defenfive, and among other arguments, reprefented the injur)' that the Spanifh intereft would fuftain, fhould the Indians be witnefs of a civil war among their conquerors : and exhorted him to leave his complaints to the determination of the royal chamber, from whom he might expect ample ]uftice : but Velafquez, whole pride and info- lence were not a little increafed by the title he had acquired, being deaf to all his remon- ftances, De Ayllon cauied his orders and pro- teft to be notified by a fcrivener, and though he was treated with contempt, he dhTembled his refentment, and then defired leave to accom- pany the expedition, with a view of gratifying his curiofity. Velafquez having granted this requeft, De Ayllon embarked with the view of acting as a mediator between Narvaez and Cortes, and thus preventing the ill confequences of Ve- lafquez's refentment. With the fame view Andres de Duero, fecretary to Velafquez, who had greatly befriended Cortes in the beginning of his fortune, engaged in the expedition ; and the fleet failing with a favourable wind, foon came to an anchor in the port of Ulua •, where Narvaez lent afnore fome foldiers to procure intelligence, who in a little time returned with two or three Spaniards, whom they found ftrol- ling about the cpuntry ; and from thefe he re- ceived information of all that had pafTed at Vera Cruz and Mexico. On receiving this intelligence, Narvaez de- termined to endeavour to obtain the fortrefs of Vera Cruz by treaty, and therefore lent a clergyman named Juan Ruis de Guevara, at- tended by three foldiers and a public notary, to Gonzalo de Sandoval, to perfuade him to join the army with his garrifon, and give up the fortrefs. Gonzalo, whofe centinels had informed him of their coming, was prepared for their recep- tion ; hut when Guevara delivered his meffage, and informed him that Narvaez was come to fend Cortes in chains to Cuba, he could fcarce- ly reftrain himfelf within the bounds of modera- tion ; but anfwered with great warmth, that he could not imagine that Narvaez, whom he took to be a good fubject, would attempt to interrupt Cortes in a conqueft from which Spain would necefiarily reap fuch advantages, but would rather join him with all his forces, to perfect fo noble a fcheme •, but however, if he was actually bent upon offering violence to Cortes, he would find the garrifon of Vera Cruz determined to oppofe him with thfir utmoft power. Guevara, who was a paffionate man, was fo incenfed at a reply fo different from what he had expected, that he broke out in the molr. opprobrious language, threatning Cortes and all his adherents, whom he branded with the names of traitors and felons-, and then commanded the notary to do his office in publifhing that all the Spaniards at Vera Cruz, lbould, on pain of death, pay obedience to Narvaez. Sandoval attempted to perfuade this fiery churchman, of the indecency and impropriety of fuch behaviour in a perfon of his profef- fion ; but finding that his remonftrances had no effect, he put on a peremptory air, and told the notary that he would caufe him to be inftantly hanged, if he prefumed to publilh any order that. did not come from the King. He even caufed the prieft and his attendants to be feized ; and havine lent information to Cones of BY HERNA-N DO. CORTES. 203 of thefe proceedings, he fummoned his Indian allies to Ms afliftance in cafe he fhould be at- tacked, put his fbrtrefs in the bell order he could, and made the proper difpofitions for fuftaining a feige, as became an able com- mander, The account of thefe tranfactions gave Cortes the utmoft uneafinefs, when he reflected on the danger of his fituation between the Mexicans and Narvaez, who were equally his enemies •, and yet he put on an air of tranquillity when in the prefence of Motezuma, telling him that the Spaniards who were lately arrived, came with a fecond embaffy to fupport the propofltions he had already made, and had brought an army with them, according to the cuftom of their' country ; but that he would prevail on them to return, and even go along with them; as his majefty's generofity had left nothing either for him or them to aik. Though Corflrs Was tineafy, lie was by no means idle, but determined to endeavour to effect a reconciliation with Narvaez, and in the mean time make provifion for war, in cafe his negotiation fhould not fucceed. He fent a mef- fage to his friends the Tlafcalans, defiring them to affemble fix thoufand men for an enterprize in. which he might pofiibly want their afliftance •, and he gave private directions to three or four of his foldiers, who were permitted to vifit the mines of Chinantla, to perfuade the caciques of that country, who had already made offers of their friendfhip, to levy two thoufand men for his fervice. At the fame time he purchafed of them three hundred lances made of a very tough wood, armed with points of tempered copper ; and thefe he diftributed among his foldiers, to guard them againft the horfe of Narvaez, which he very much dreaded. In the interim Pedro de Solis arrived fr«m Vera Cruz, with the prieft and other prifoners whom Gonzalo de Sandoval had taken, and fent to Mexico tied in chairs, and carried on the fhoulders of the Indians. Cortes being informed of their coming, went out to meet them, with more attendants than ufual ; embraced them with great appearance of cftecm, and was par- ticularly obliging to father Guevara, to whom he laid that he would chaftife Gonzalo de Sando- val, for paying fo little regard to his perfon and funftion. He then took him to his own apart- ment, honoured him with a place at his table, and took frequent opportunities of hinting that he felt the utmoft fatisfaction at the arrival of Narvaez, with whom he had formerly lived in the greateft friendfliip. He made him a wit- nefs of the favours he received from Motezuma, and the refpect with which he was treated by the Mexican princes : he alio prefented him with fome jewels of value, which greatly allayed the violence of his temper •, his companions alfo par- took of his bounty •, and having thus artfully engaged them in his intereft, he in four days permitted them to return, without giving the leaft hint of his being defirous of their employ- ing their good offices with Narvaez, towards an accommodation. Having difmiffed them in this obliging man- ner, Cortes allowed fome time for his judicious behaviour to produce the defired effect , and then difpatched the friar Bartholome de Olmedo with letters for Narvaez, de Ayllon, and the fecre- tary Andres de Duero, and delivered to him a number of jewels, which he was directed to> diftribute according to his own penetration and fagacity. In the letter to Narvaez^ having firft welcom- ed him to the coaft of Mexico, he gave him an account of the conqueft ; defcribed the power and grandeur of Motezuma, and the warlike genius of the Indians \ enlarged upon the bad confequehces that would be produced by a mif- underftahding among the Spaniards •, reminded him Of his duty to his King, and the friendfhip formerly fubfifting between them j defired to- know his orders, which he promifed to obey if they came from the King, even if they fhould order him to defift from the enterprize, in which, he had fo far fucceeded i but gave hints of the mifchief that would enfue if he only meant to profecute the unjuft refentments of Velafquez, whom he refolved not only to indemnify for the expence of equipping the fleet with which he had arrived, but alfo to gratify him with a fhare of the glory and advantage of his fuccefs; and laftly, he informed Narvaez that he did not ufe arguments becaufe he wanted ftrength, but was as able to maintain his own rights, as ready to offer terms of accommodation. Narvaez had taken up his quarters in ZenW poalla, where the fat cacique received him with the utmoft hofpirality, and at firft thought that he came in order to aflift Cortes ; but to his mortification, he was foon undeceived, for tho* Narvaez had no interpreters, his actions fpoke but too plainly : he treated the Zempoallans in the moft imperious and oppreflive manner, feiz- ed the jewels and furniture which Cortes had left in his own houfe, and permitted his foldiers to be guilty of all kind of violent and rapacious actions. When Guevara returned from Mexico, he waited upon Narvaez, informed him of the magnificence of that city, the kind reception Cortes had given him, the prodigious degree of favour that general was in with Motezuma, and his earneft defire of living in friendfhip with Narvaez : when that infolent officer interrupting his difcourfe, bid him return to Cortes, by whofe artifices he had been cajoled, and thruft him from his prefence with marks of the moft afto- nifhing rudenefs and difrefpect. But though Guevara met with a repulfe from this quarter, he and his companions did not fail of making great impreflions on die minds of the foldiers, among whom they extolled the charac- ter of Cortes in fuch a degree as not only dif- pofcd them to wifh for an accommodation with that general, but gave them an unfavourable opinion of their own commander. Guevara was foon followed by father de Ol- medo, who delivered Cortes's letter to Narvaez -, but could fcarce prevail on him to examine the contents, which however he fuperficially glanced over, in compliment to the bearer. In vain did the 204 THE CON QjU EST O P MEXICO, the friar make a very elegant and pathetic re- -monftrance, on the fatal effects that would attend their animofity, and the neceffity of their acting ifi concert, for the advantage of their country : Narvaez replied in a paflionate manner, that the chief defign of his coming thither, was to chaf- tife Cortes as a rebellious fubject ; that he would immediately fet a price upon his head, and pro- claim all his adherents traitors ; and that he had fufficient force to wreft the conqueft from his hands, without having any occafion to confult thofe who were the abettors and accomplices of his rebellion. The friar, ftill preferving his temper, exhort- ed him to confider well the ftep he was about to take -, and informed him that before he could arrive at Mexico, he would be under the necef- fity of fighting his way through whole provinces of warlike Indians, who were the firm friends and allies of Cortes : that his Spaniards were determined to die by his fide, and that his caufe would be fupported by Motezuma, a prince fo powerful, that he could raiie a numerous army, for every fingle foldier that Narvaez had under his command. The friar now took his leave, and proceeded to execute the other part of his commifilcn : he vifited de Ayllon, and the fecretary Andres de Duero, who engaged to exert all their influence to effect, an accommodation. The father then went among the captains and foldiers of his ac- quaintance, explained the nature of his embafTy, mewed the necefiity of reconciling the two com- manders, diftributed the jewels and other curio- fities with great judgment ; and, in a word, would foon have made a ftrong party in favour of Cortes, had he not been prevented by Nar- vaez, who hearing of his proceedings, ordered him to be brought before him, reviled him in the moft injurious manner, called him a mutinous and feditious traitor, and ordered him to leave Zempoalla without delay. At this juncture de Ayllon entered the room, and propofed that before de Olmedo was difmif- ied, the officers fhould be called together, in order to fix on a proper anfwer to be given to Cortes, whofe inclinations appeared to be lb peaceable : but Narvaez rejected the propofal with fcorn, and to prevent any farther alterca- tion, immediately ordered war to be declared againft Cortes, as a rebel and traitor to the King ; promifed a confiderable reward to the perfon who fhould take him dead or alive, and commanded the army to make preparations for marching immediately. De Ayllon incenfed at this violent and irre- gular proceeding, commanded the crier to defiit, and forbad Narvaez to ftir a foot from Zem- poalla, on pain of death, or to employ the troops without the full confent of the whole army : upon which Narvaez ordered him to be appre- hended, lent on board a (hip, and carried to Cuba without delay : and in the mean time Olmedo returned to Mexico, without any fa- vourable anfwer, leaving the principal officers in the army of Narvaez, Ihocked at his behavi- our ; and the common foldiers loudly exclaim- ing againft his conduct. Cortes found his fears of Narvaez but too well • founded, from the account that father de Ol- medo gave of the implacable temper of that'' officer : but he was greatly pleaied when he heard of the difpofition of the foldiers, and re- folved to take immediate advantage of this fa- vourable circumftance ; and having communica- ted his refolution to his officers and foldiers, they exprefTed the utmoft zeal and impatience to be in action •, for in fpite of the inferiority of their number, they had fo high an opinion of the va- lour and difcretion of Cortes, that they imagined themfelves almoft certain of conqueft, when led on by fuch a general. Cortes determined not to""damp their ardour by any unnecerlary delay, went inftantly to the emperor to inform him of his intended march ; but was greatly furprized when Motezuma an- ticipated his difcourfe, by telling him that he had received information from different parts, that the Spanifh general at Zempoalla, was come with finifter defigns againft him and his follow- ers ; and that though he did not at all wonder ' that the two commanders fhould, from private animofity, be enemies to each other, yet he could not help being of opinion, that as they were both vafials of the fame fovereign, and headed contrary factions, one of them muft con- iequently be a rebel to his prince. Though not a little ftartled at this declara- tion, Cortes, whofe prefence of mind never for- fook him on an emergency, anfwered without hefitation, that the information his majefty had received was undoubtedly true, and he was come to give him the fame intelligence, as au- thenticated by the return of father de Olmedo : that however Narvaez was not to be confidered in the light of a rebel to his fovereign, but rather as a perfon who through miftake, proceeded upon wrong principles •, for he was come as a lieutenant or fubftitute from a mif-informed go- vernor, who living in a remote province, was not acquainted with the laft refolutions of the court of Spain, and thought that an embafTy to the emperor of Mexico was a matter appertain- ing to his office •, but that the whole would be fet right, as foon as he (Cortes) fhould lay his difpatcljes before that lieutenant : wherefore he determined to march directly to Zempoalla, with part of his forces, to induce the new-comers to return on board their fhips, and he would foon make them fenfible that they ought to refpecr. the fubjects of Motezuma, as people under the immediate protection of the King of Spain. The profped of the departure of fuch dila- greeable vifitors, to whofe acts of oppreffion he was no ftranger, was very pleafing to the em- peror ; but he thought that Cortes's engaging againft fuch odds might be attended with danger, and therefore offered to fupply him with an ar- my that fhould be entirely under his command ; and repeated this offer with fuch marks of af- fectionate regard, that Cortes had no doubt of his fincerity, though he declined the offer with due acknowledgement, becaufe he feared the Mexican foldiers were by no means attached to him or his caufe. He therefore determined to leave eighty folr diers BY HERNANDO CORTES. 205 diers in Mexico, under the command of Pedro de Alverado, an accomplished officer, whole engaging manners had already fecured him an ample ffiare of the emperor's favour. He gave him directions respecting his con- duct towards Motezuma ; and the foldiers were ordered to obey their captain, and Serve the em- peror with the molt zealous attachment. Cortes having taken thefe precautions, fent a meflenger to Gonzalo de Sandoval, with direc- tions for him to leave the fortrefs of Vera Cruz to the care of the confederate Indians, and march out with his Spaniards to meet him at an ap- pointed place. He then ifllied the neceffary orders for fupplies of provifion to be ready upon rhe road, and commanded his people to hold them- fclves in readinefs for marching the next morn- ing. A number of Indians being appointed to car- ry the baggage, the Spaniards began their march with the chearfulnefs and circumspection of ve- terans, takirg the road to Cholula, where they were hoipitably received •, and marching on- wards towards Tlalcala, they found at the dist- ance of half a league from that city, a fplendid appearance of the nobility, and the whole fe- nate, who celebrated their entrance with great demonstrations of joy and reipect. Having remained here a Short time, they pro- ceeded to Matalequita, a town of Indian friends, about twelve leagues from Zempoalla, where Gonzalo de Sandoval and his people met them, together with feven Soldiers who had deSerted from the army of Narvaez : from thefe Cortes received information of all that had been trans- acted in the enemy's quarters before they had left them : he had likewife intelligence of a freSher date, from two foldiers who had gone from Vera Cruz to Zempoalla, in the difguife of Indians carrying fruit, which they trucked with the Spaniards for glais beads and other toys ■, and fo admirably affected the Simplicity of the natives, that they were allowed to range through every part of the quarters, and make their obfervations without giving the lealt fuf- picion ; nay, they even ventured to go a fecond time, and as a proof of the carelefs watch that Narvaez kept, took away from the parade a horSe belonging to a captain, named Salva- tierra, one of the molt inveterate enemies of Cortes. Cortes, with a view of gaining Time till the Indians trom Chinantla Should arrive, fent fa- ther de Olmedo with frefh propofals for an ac- commodation -, but as he made no progreSs, the general fent Juan Velafquez de Leon, hoping that his affinity to Diego de Velafquez, would render his mediation the more acceptable. Nar- vaez had written to this officer, conjuring him to efpoufe the caufe of his kinfman, and offer- ing him a very advantageous poft in his army ; and this letter Juan delivered to Cortes, affuring him in the molt Solemn manner, that he would die by his fide rather than delert his colours •, which generous proceeding won the confidence of the general, who thought it an additional reafon for fending him on this negotiation. "When he came near Zempoalla, Narvaez N? XVIII. 3 F thinking he was come to join his army, went out with a grand retinue to meet him, and was ex- tremely mortified to find himfelf miltaken. How- ever, he ufed every argument he could think of to detach him from Cortes, and had the whole army reviewed before him, that he might be an eye-witnefs of his Superior force. The next day he invited him to dinner, with thofe of his own officers in whom he chiefly con- fided, that they might, if poffible, induce him to join them. At firlt he was treated with great civility and compliment ; but in the midft of their mirth Some farcaSms were thrown out a- gainft Cortes ; and although Juan at firSt dif- fembled his refentment, that he might not pre- judice the bufinefs in which he was employed - T the abufe at length became fo illiberal and in- decent, that unable any longer to restrain his indignation, he declared, that if any perfon in that company, who did not efteem Hernando Cortes, and all his followers, as loyal Subjects to the King of Spain, would declare his Sentiments, before fewer witneffes, he would undeceive him in whatever manner he thought proper. This declaration, which diSconcerted Nar- vaez, was anSwered by a young officer of the name and family of VelaSquez, who faid, that no man was worthy of bearing that name, who attempted to vindicate a traitor. Juan, incenfed at this reproach, gave him the lie, and drew his fword to chaStiSe his infolencej when the company interpofed ; but found it no eafy taSk to prevent mifchief : at length, how- ever, Juan was prevailed on to Sheath his fword,' when he left the company abruptly, and return- ed inftantly to Cortes, breathing nothing but re- venge and defiance. Such murmurs were occasioned among the officers and foldiers, by this circumstance, that Narvaez, in order to put a Stop to their cla- mour, was under the neceffity of fending a per- fon to Cortes, to apologize for what had hap- pended to Juan de Velafquez, and to learn the fubftance of his commission, which had not been fully explained. For this fervice he chofe the Secretary Andres de Duero, who met Cortes on his march to an advantageous poSt, which he propofed to occupy till the arrival of the Chi- nantlans •, for by this time his hopes of accom- modation were at an end. Cortes and Duero embraced each other like intimate friends meet- ing after a long feperation ; and the Stranger was received with joy and reipect by all the officers. Before they proceeded to bufinefs, Cortes prefented him with fome jewels of value : he was regaled with the utmoSt magnificence and hofpitality, and Staid till the following day> conferring about meafures to prevent a rup- ture, which would be fo prejudicial to the in- terests of Spain. On this occafion Cortes manifested the ut- moSt moderation, offering to give up the Mexican conquefts to his competitor, while he and his followers would engage in fome new expedition. Struck with this inftance of his modeSty and Self-denial, Andres de Duero pro- pofed an interview with Narvaez, being per- fuaded 2C6 THE CON QJ5 EST OF MEXICO, fuaded that all their animofities would be fur- | mounted by a perlbnal conference : and Cortes inltantly aflenting to the propofal, the fecretary returned to Zempoalla, where he likewife ob- tained the conient of Narvaez : but after the time and place were appointed where they were to meet, accompanied by ten friends only on each fide, Duero lent private information to Cortes, that Narvaez had determined to lay an ambufcade for his life : which account be- in°- confirmed by others of Narvaez's people who were fecretly his friends, he wrote to that treacherous enemy, informing him that he was no ftranger to his c:efign, and reproaching him with his bafenefs. Cortes now continued his march, and {ra- tioned himfelf within a league of Zempoalla, his front being defended by a river, and the neighbourhood of Vera Cruz protecting his rear. Having polled fome centinels on the other fide of the river, and detached a number of fcouts, he allowed his people to repofe thern- felves in fome cottages, where they were fhel- tered from the fun. As foon as Narvaez was made acquainted with this difpofition, he drew up his army in the field, ordered war to be declared at the head of his troops ; offered a reward of two thoufand pieces of eight to any perfon who fhould bring him the head of Cortes, and alio fet a prize upon the lives of Gonzalo de Sando- val, and Juan Velafquez de Leon. Then he marched about a quarter of a league to an open field, where he waited for Cortes, idly imagin- ing that he would give up his advantageous fituation, to attack an enemy who had three times his own number of men. Towards the evening, the weather, on a Rid- den, grew dark and cloudy, and fo great a quan- tity of rain fell, that the lbldiers were inftantly wet to the fkin, and their arms rendered ufe- lefs, fo that they curfed the author of their ex- pedition, grew clamorous, and infilled upon going back to their quarters immediately. Narvaez was obliged to comply with this de- mand, and, little imagining that Cortes would attempt to pals the river in fuch a night, retreated to Zempoalla in great diforder •, but intending to take the field again early in the morning, he would not allow his troops to feperate, but lodged them in the principal temple of the city, which was built upon an eminence that had an afcent of many ill contrived fteps, by which it was rendered very difficult of accefs. On the top of thefe he planted his artillery •, and fixed his head quarters in the middle of the tower, to which he retired with fome officers, and about one hundred lbldiers in whom he chiefly confided •, the reft of the army was diftributed in the other towers, centinels were placed in the avenues, and fome horfe fent out to patrole in the neighbourhood of the town. Thefe difpofitions being made, Andres de Duero fent one of the foldiers whom he could truft, to inform Cortes of their retreat and fituation, merely with a friendly view to make him eafy, that he might pafs the nigfiC without apprehenfion of being attacked in hi3 quarters. Cortes, however, no fooner received this in- telligence, than refolving to take advantage of the favourable moment, he affembled his people without delay, and notwithftanding the continuance of the tempeft. Having pafied the river, with the water above their middle, he addrefied them in a fhort fpeech, in which he defcribed the enemy's fituation, and explain- ed the facility with which they might be attack- ed and routed in the dark, before they could have time to join, or be drawn up in their de- fence : in this fpeech he mingled proper in- centives, refpecting the juftice of his own caufe, and the infolence and treachery of Nar- vaez ; fo that the foldiers, being fired with re- fentment, called aloud to him to lead them to the enemy. The troops were now formed into three bat- talions, the firft of which was commanded by Gonzalo de Sandoval, the fecond by Chriftoval de Oled, and the third by Cortes himfelf. Gonzalo was directed to begin the attack, by mounting the ftairs, feizing the artillery, and preventing all communication between the towers : Chriftoval was directed to afiault the tower in which Narvaez lodged, while Cortes propofed to aid both attacks as occafion fhould require. He likewife gave orders, that as foon as the attack was begun, the drums fhould beat, and the trumpets found, in order to increafe the ter- ror and confufion of the enemy •, and after fa- ther de Olmedo had given them his benediction, and the moft profound filence had been recom- mended to them, they began their march at a very flow pace, to prevent their being fatigued before the action begun, and that the enemy might have time to be lulled in fecurity and deep. Cortes had not advanced above half a league, when his fcouts returned with a centinel of Nar- vaez, whom they had taken, though his com- panion efcaped among the bufhes. In conle- quence of this circumftance the officers held a fhort confultation, in which it was the general opinion, that even if the foldier had difcovered their march, he would not go directly to the town, but take a circuit to avoid danger ; in which cafe if they haftened their march, they would probably arrive at Zempoalla as foon as he •, or allowing that he arrived a little before them, they fhould have the advantage of attack- ing the enemy on their firft waking. They therefore haftened forwards, leaving their baggage and other incumbrances, near a little brook on the road fide : but notwithftand- ing their expedition, the centinel had arrived a few minutes before them, and given the alarm, crying aloud, " The Enemy is upon us." He was directly taken to Narvaez, who flighted his information, judging it impofiible that Cortes fhould think of attacking him with fuch a fmall number of men, or even march in fuch a dark and tempeftuous night, Cortes BY HERNANDO CORTES. 20^ Cortes reached Zempoalla foon after mkl- blgtlt, without having been difcovered by the enemy's cavalry ; lie entered the town and came even within fight of the temple, without meeting with any guards, or being challenged by a fin- ned, with a view to appeafe the clamours of the people. As the Mexicans made no attempt that night, and the fame myfterious fiience prevailed the next morning, Cortes ordered Diego de Ordaz, at the head of four hundred Spaniards and Tlaf- calan fcldiers, to patrole the principal ftreets, and, if poflible, learn their deiigns. Before he had proceeded far, he difcovered a body of arm- ed men, detached on purpofe to decoy him far- ther on ; and having advanced a confiderable way, in order to take fome prifoners, he was all at once oppofed by a prodigious croud, who ad- vanced boldly up to his front, while another ar- my, which had been concealed in the crofs-ftreets, attacked him in the rear, and all the terraces and windows on each fide were crouded with armed men, who (howered upon them an amazing num- ber of ftones, darts and arrows. De Ordaz, finding his retreat cut off, fo that he was unable to apprize Cortes of his danger, ordered the rear to face about, and fome of the N" x8. 3 G men to employ their pikes and fwords below, while the fire-arms were levelled againfl; thofe above. The heat of the battle was foon over; for though the Mexicans advanced with great refolution and fury, they made their attacks in fuch a diforderly and tumultuous manner, that confufion immediately enfued, and they foon re- tired to a diftance, where they could neither of- fend, nor be offended. The fire-arms having foon cleared the windows and terraces, Diego thought it was time to retreat ; but he was fo furrounded as to be obliged to cut his way, fword in hand •, and before he reached the quar- ters, he and moft of his people were wounded, and feven men left dead upon the fpot. This experiment convinced Cortes that it was now no time to think of negociation, and he therefore determined to fally forth with the greater part of his forces, in order to compel them to fue for an accommodation. The Mexicans, in the mean time, looking upon the retreat of Diego de Ordaz as a flight, followed him with unabating fury, till the artillery from the Spanifh quarters made a terrible (laughter among them ; in confequence of which they fell back 5 but halted in fight, and the ftreets were loon filled again with armed men, whole drums and fhells founding the fignal for an affault, they advanced again with the utmoft impetuo- fity. Their vanguard was compofed of archers to clear the walls, that the reft of the army might approach ; and their difcharges were fo thick that the quarters were almoft filled with arrows ; and the Spaniards were foon under the neceffity of employing a number of hands to re- move them, or they would have blocked up the way to the ramparts. While the archers were thus employed, the reft rufhed forwards to the very gates, not- withftanding the terrible havock made amonglt them by the cannon and fmall arms : fome at- temptecl to demolifh the gates with inftru- ments edged with flint ; fome leaped upon the (boulders of their companions, and others made ladders of their lances or pikes, in or- der to fcale the walls : as foon as one com- pany were wounded and fell, others fupplied their places, trampling without remorfe upon the bodies of their friends and companions : in a word, they fought like favage beafts of prey, made doubly furious by famine and re- venge. At length, however, they were repulfed, and retired to the crofs-ftreets for cover, till night came on, when they railed another terrible alarm, by (hooting fire-arrows into the quarters, which lltang fire to different parts of the building, produced a dreadful conflagration ; fo that the Spaniards were obliged to break down walls, to prevent the communication of the flames, and then to labour the greateft part of the night, in order to repair the breaches they had made, that they might be properly defended againfl; the next day. In the morning the enemy appeared at a diftance, afraid of advancing within cannon - (hot, and, with many reproaches, provoked the 210 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, the Spaniards to come forth to battle. Cortes, having determined to make a fally, took this opportunity to make a fhort fpeech, with a view to inflame the minds of his foldiers, and finding them in a right difpofition, he divided his force into three battalions, two of which were ordered to clear the crofs ftreets, while himfelf, at the head of the third, fhould take the Iargeft ftreets, where the chief body of the Mexicans had polled themfelves. This diipofuion being made, they fallied out upon the Mexicans, who flood the firft charge without giving ground, and even fought hand to hand with clubs and two handed fwords, which they weilded with aftonilhing fury : nor could the fire arms, which were levelled at the balconies and windows put a flop to the fhowers of ftones and javelins, which fell fo thick that it became necefikry to fet fire to fome houfes, in order to intimidate the affailants. At length the Mexicans gave way; but in their retreat they broke down the bridges of the ftreets, fo that the Spaniards were compelled to fill up the ditches, before they could profecute the victory. While Cortes advanced in this manner, the two other battalions charged the multitude that pofTeiled the ftreets on the fides, and thus fe- cured a rcreat, driving the enemy in a body before &k .\ till they came to the opening of a large fquaie, where the three divifions joined, and the Mexicans ran away with as much hafte as they had at firft began the fight. Cortes would not permit his men to follow them, but retired without oppofition, having loft ten or twelve men in the action, while the lofs of the enemy was fo great, that the canals were tinged with blood, and the dead bodies lay in prodigious heaps. Cortes now allowed three days for the cure of the wounded, and the refrefhment of the troops, during which lie artfully renewed his overtures of peace, by means of fome Mexicans, who were in the emperor's fervice, who went out with divers propofals : but at the fame time, the general continued to obferve the utmoft vi- gilance and precaution ; and among other ex- pedients, contrived four towers made of wood to run upon wheels, each large enough to hold twenty or thirty men, who might fight under cover, breaking through the barricadoes which were raifed in the principal ftreets, or fet fire to the houfes. Thefe machines being finifhed, he made a fecond fally, with the major part of the Spaniards, the whole body of the Tlafcalans, who in the laft battle had fought gallantly, a few led horfes to be uied occafionally, the wooden towers, and feveral pieces of artillery. The Mexicans, who had increafed their army, which was now commanded by the principal nobles, waited for them in profound filence •, but no fooner had the Spaniards begun their march, than they were all at once furprized with the hoarfe and difagreeable found of their drums and fea-fhells, and the fhouts of an in- numerable multitude, which came forward with greater regularity than ufual, and both gave and received the firft charges without being dif- ordered : and when they were obliged to give ground, they retired at leifure, without turn- ing their backs, and at every canal or barricado, renewed the fight with fuch refolution, that the artillery alone was not able to diflodge them. They difcharged their arrows and lances in a regular manner : fome of them fwam up and down the canals, feeking opportunities to wound the Spaniards with long pikes, while others threw down from the windows, balconies and terraces, great ftones and fragments of rocks, provided for that purpofe, by which the moving towers were fhattered to pieces in a fhort time : and in a word, they fought with fuch courage and regularity as plainly denoted that the whole was conducted by a regular commander. This battle continued for the greater part of the day, during which the city was greatly damaged by the burning of houfes •, and the lofs of lives on the part of the Mexicans was very confiderable. The Spaniards and their confederates met with great oppofition, and were obliged to difpute the ground by inches, fo that night advanced before Cortes could make much progrefs ; and as he could by no means maintain the pofts he had gained, he retired to his quarters with the lofs of forty men, chiefly Tlafcalans : though he himfelf was fhot v/ith an arrow in the left hand, and fifty Spaniards were very much wounded. Cortes now began to confider that notwith- ftanding his fuperiority to the Mexicans in mili- tary (kill, his numbers mult infenfibly diminifti in a feries of fuch victories ; and that they might eafily ftarve him in his quarters, if they fhould combine in a general revolt againft Motezuma : nor was the emperor under lefs anxiety : he had, from the higheft turret of the palace, obferved the battle, in which he could eafily diftinguifh the cacique of Iztapalapa, and others of the no- bility, who might form pretentions to the em- pire. He dreaded the lols of his authority, and being convinced that he could never expe<5t to recover the obedience of his fubjects, as long as the Spaniards fhould remain in Mexico, he lent, for Cortes in the morning, and telling him his fentiments, conjured him to quit the city, that he might return to his own palace, refume the reigns of government, and bring his people once more to their duty. Cortes, making a virtue of necefllty, affented to the propofal, refolving to retire for the pre- fent, that he might be at leifure to form a new plan, and execute it with greater appearance of fuc- cefs : but while he was talking with the emperor, he received information that the enemy was ad- vancing with great fury, to make a general at- tack upon the quarters. They rufhed forwards v/ith fuch violence, that notwithftanding the de- ftruchon that was made among them by the ar- tillery and fmall arms, fome of them got over the walls, fo that Cortes was obliged to form a body of referve, in the principal court, from which he fent frequent detachments, to affift and fupport thofe who were hard preffed or tired with fighting. While things were in this fkuation, the em- peror BY HERNANDO CORTES. 2tr peror propofed to fhow himfelf to the people from the wall, that he might command the po- pulace to retire, and order the nobility to come into his prefence unarmed, that he might en- quire into, and redrefs their grievances. Cortes, hoping that the emperor's prefence would at lead give the Spaniards fome refpitc from their fatigue, approved the propofal, and the emperor inftantly covered himfelf with the enfigns of royalty, the crown, mantle and jewels, which were only worn on the moll folemn occa- fions, and afcended the terrace fronting the great avenue, attended by fuch of the chief Mexicans as ftill continued in his fervice ; one ox whom advancing to the rails, called out with a loud voice, that the great Motezuma had condefcend- ed to come forth, to hear and redrefs their grieve- ances. At the mention of the emperor's name, the outcries of the people inftantly ceafed, and they ftocd motionlefs and filent, as if impelled by the force of fomething fupernatural ; and when he appeared, the whole multitude hum- bled themfelves to the earth. The emperor looking around him with an air of majefty, and diftinguiihing the nobles in the croud, called them by their names relpeclively, and defired them to come forwards : he then called them his friends and kinfmen, thanked them for the zeal and affection they had fhewn for his perfon and fervice, and then made a Ihort harangue to the people, reprefenting that they were actuated by a principle of miltaken loyalty ■, that his refiding among the Spaniards was not the effect of compulfion -, that he was now re- folved to difmils the ftrangers, and therefore expected that his fubjects would lay down their arms, in which cafe he would freely pardon their former outrage. This condefcenfion in a prince whom they had been accuftoned to obey with fear and trem- bling, made fuch an impreffion upon the hearers, that many of them wept to fee the emperor fo humbled, and the reft hung their heads in filence and fufpence : but thefe favourable appearances were foon changed, by the murmurs of fome of the emiflfaries belonging to a cacique who hoped to fucceed Motezuma : they upbraided this unhap- py prince with being a coward, a prifoner, and a Have, and railed fuch a clamour among the peo- ple, that their compaffion was turned into rage •, they curfed and reviled him in the moft oppro- brious terms ; his motions with the head and hand were now difregarded ; his efforts to fpeak were rendered ineffectual by their repeated fhouts, and at length they let fly a fhower of arrows a- gainft him. Two foldiers who where placed near him, en- deavoured to cover him with their bucklers, but notwithstanding their utmoft efforts, he was wounded in feveral places, and received on one of his temples, a violent blow with a ftone, which brought him to the ground. Cortes, ordered him to be carried to his apart- ment, and yeilding to the firft tranfports of his pallion, refolved to flay and revenge himfelf on the authors of this misfortune j but he could then find no enemy to contend with, for no fooner did the emperor fall, than the Mexicans, flruck with horror at the fight, fled with the ut- moft precipitation. Motezuma no fooner recovered his lenles, than he felt the keeneft pangs of defpair •, he became frantic with rage, and imprecated the moft dreadful curfes on his rebellous vafials : he lent a deaf ear to the remonftrances and confolations of Cortes; who endeavoured in vain to give him comfort. His wounds were no fooner dreffed than he tore off the bandages and plaifters, and even attempted to put an end to his life, fo that it was neceiTary to rellram him by force ; on which he ablblutely refufed to take any manner of fuftenance. The wound in his head was in itfelf very dangerous, but the violent agitation of his mind and body foon rendered it mortal. Cortes, perceiving the emperor's end approach- ing, conjured him to renounce his idolatry, and embrace the catholic religion •, while father Bar- thoiome de Olmedo and Marina joined to advife him to the fame purpole ; but all their endea- vours were fruitlefs ; he continued firm in his own religion, and expired in a delirurn of pallion, having conjured the general to revenge his death. The unhappy fate of Motezuma, overwhelm- ed Cortes with grief and concern : he had a fincere affection for that prince, and his whole profpect of fuccefs had centered in his voluntary fubmiflion to the King of Spain •, fo that he was now under the neceflity of forming a new plan, and giving up all the advantages he enjoyed by his influence at the court of Mexico. Thus fltuated, his firft flep was to appoint fix of Motezuma's principal attendants, fome of whom were priefts, to carry out his body to the rebels, and to tell the princes who headed them, that he had fent them the corpfe of their late fovereign, whom they themfelves had murdered -, and who, before his death, had conjured him in the moft earneft manner, to revenge his wrongs, and punifh them for their horrid rebellion : but as he fuppofed the infurrection was owing to the fury of the populace, and was not agreeable to the nobles, he once more propofed peace, and defired them to fend deputies, with whom he would agree on any reafbnable conditions : but that if they fliould now flight his propofal, he would treat them as the worft of rebels, and as his refpect to Motezuma could no longer mode- rate his relentment, he would lay wafte their city, and deftroy them with fire and fword. At a little diftance from the quarters, the bearers of the dead body were met by a number of the inhabitants, who threw down their arms and followed their deceafed prince with the ut- moft refpect and reverence. All the polls were abandoned, the city was filled with cries and lamentations, and though they had already elected another emperor, they teftified their repentance by the moft violent ex- prefiions of forrow, repeating the name of Mote- zuma, and running up and down the ftreets in a clamorous maimer till the next morning, when they conveyed the body to the mountain of Cha- pultepeque, where the funeral obfequies wers performed in the moft folemn manner. Thus fell Motezuma, after a reign of feven- teen 212 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, teen years, the moft powerful emperor that ever fat upon the throne of Mexico : he was the fecond of his name, and the eleventh in the number of emperors. He left four fons and three daugh- ters : two of the former, who lived with their father in his confinement, were killed by the Mexicans in the retreat of Cortes : the women, embraced the catholic religion, and were marri- ed to Spaniards : but the moft illuftrious of all his defcendants was one of his fons, whQ was baptized by the name cf Pedro de Motezuma, and received many favours from his Catholic Majefty, who created him count of Motezuma, and gave him confiderable poffeffions in New Spain, which are ftill enjoyed by his pofterity. While Motezuma lay ill of his wounds the Mexi- cans made no attempts upon the Spanifh quar- ters ; which Cortes imagined to proceed from the confeioufnefs of the crime they had commit- ted : but in fact it was occafioned by the nobi- lity beincr wholly engaged in the inauguration of Quilavaca cacique of Iztapalapa, whom they advanced to the throne. Inftead of regarding the propofal made by the fervants of Motezuma, the Mexicans returned to the war with greater refolution than ever. By break of day on the morning after the funeral of Motezuma, the ftreets were filled with armed men, and they had placed a ftrong garrifon in the towers of a temple which overlooked and commanded part of the Spanifli quarters. Cortes refolved at all events to cany this im- portant poft, which was defended by five hundred chofen men of the nobility -, and therefore drew the greateft part of his ftrength without the wall, and having formed a number of battalions, fuf- ficient to prevent all communication between thofe who were in the towers, and the reft of the Mexicans, he ordered captain Efcobar, with a hundred Spaniards befide his own company, to attack the temple, which was difficult of accefs. This officer reached the lower porch without op- pofition, but in an inftant the defendants from the upper porch made fuch a terrible difcharge of large ftones, lances, arrows, and half-burnt beams of timber, provided for the purpofe, that the afTailants were thrown into diforder, and after having returned three times to the attack, were obliged to retire in confufion. Cortes, who was employed with a troop of horfe in giving his affiftance where it was moft wanted, no fooner perceived the defeat of Efco- bar, than he flew to the place, and quitting his boric, caufed a fhiel ,1 to be faftened to his wound- ed arm, and drawing his fword, advanced to the ftairs with fuch intrepid refolution, as inipired his followers with ambition to follow his gallant example. The action was inftantly renewed with the utmoft vigour. The defendants fought hand to hand like men determined to die rather than fur- render. The very priefts fell, fighting valiantly, and exhorting the people to defend their gods. And though the valour of Cortes and his people was irreiiliible, the Mexicans to a man iuffered themfelves to be cut in pieces, before the Spa- niards could obtain poffeffion of the poft, which was at length effected with the lofs of one Spanifb foldier and feveral wounded. In the heat of this engagement, two Mexicans, who had refolved to facrifice their lives to the fervice of their country, feeing Cortes upon a tower, threw down their arms, and advancing to him like fupplicants, {looped down, aod catching him in their arms, endeavoured to throw him over the rails ; but not being able to ac- complish their defign, as he difengaged himfelf with fome difficulty, they threw themfelves head- long from the tower, and their brains w 7 ere dafhed out againft the pavement. The general finding a confiderable quantity of provifions in this temple, ordered it to be conveyed to the quarters ; after which he com- manded theTlafcalans to fet fire to the building and feveral" other houfes, fo that the artillery might command the whole eminence. He then took a view of the engagement be- low, and feeing that the Spaniards were very warmly charged in the principal ftreet, which they defended with great difficulty, he inftantly mounted his horfe, and haftened to their affift- ance, having ordered Efcobar and his people to follow with all poffible expedition. He now attacked the multitude at the head of his cavalry, wounding, killing or trampling under foot all that flood in his way : but impel- led by the violence of his own courage, he ruined into the croud fo far before the reft of his troops, that liis retreat was cut off : whereupon he rode into another ftreet, where he expected to meet withlefs refiftance-, but he there fell in with a bo- dy of Mexicans, who had taken Andres de Ducro prifoner, and were conveying him alive as a fa- crifice to their gods. Cortes inftantly charged them with fuch fury, as to diforder the whole body, while Duero took this opportunity of their confufion to draw a poignard which they had overlooked when they thought they had difarmed him, and difengaged himfelf by the death of thofe who held him : then recovering his horfe and lane;, the two friends broke through all oppofition, and effected a moft aftonifliing retreat. The Mexicans now retired on all fides with precipitation, and Cortes withdrew his men into the quarters, after having made dreadful ha- vock among the enemy, and burnt a great part of the city ; and what contributed to render this victory the more extraordinary, was, that the Spaniards loft only a fingle man during the whole day. The next day the Mexicans demanded a parley, which Cortes having granted, fome of the nobles approached? the walls, and propofed, in the name of the new emperor, that the Spaniards fhould immediately march down to the fea fide, and quit the country ; on which condition all hoftilities fhould immediately ceafe : but if this propofal fhould be rejected, every foul of them muft expect to perifh •, for the Mexicans being now convinced by experience that the Spaniard* were mortal, were refolved to continue their at- tacks ; and they faid, that if the death of every chriftian fhould coft them twenty thoufand lives. BY HERNANDO CORTES. 2ij lives, they fhould have a diffident number left to rejoice at their luccefs. In anfwer hereto Cortes faid, that the Spa- niards never pretended to be immortal ; though they were io much luperior to the Mexicans in courage and (kill, that with his handful of men, he durft undertake the deftrudion of their whole empire : but being affected with the calamities they had already fullered through their own ob- ftinacy •, and as his bufinels was at an end by the death of Motezuma, he was determined to de- part ; and only waited until the necefiary pre- parations for his march could be made, and feme articles agreed upon, for the mutual ad- vantage and fatisfadion of both parties. The deputies itemed to be pleafed with this anfwer, though their overtures had been intend- ed for a very different purpofe. It had been a- greed in council, by the new emperor and his people, that inftead of expofing tjiemfelves to fuch dreadful (laughter as they had always dif- fered from the artillery and tire arms, they ihould rather amufe the Spaniards with negocia- tions, till they were weakened and difpirited by hunger, when they could attack them with greater chance of luccefs. They knew that the three fons of Motezuma, and other pcrfons of didindion were ftill in the Spanifh quarters ; but thefe they readily devoted as facrifices to their country's welfare, except the chief prieft, whom they refolved to deliver ifpoffible, efteeming him the fecend perfon in the empire. The nobles therefore returned the fame even- ing, to propofe that fome of the Mexican pri- foners might be fent to the emperor with indruc- tions, that they might clearly underdand each other ; and artfully hinted that no perfon was fo fit for that purpofe as a certain antient prieft, who being a man of fuperior abilities, would be able to obviate any doubts or difficulties that might arife. Cortes imagined he faw their drift, but con- cealing his fuipicion, he agreed to the propofal, and made the prieft acquainted with his de- mands, refpeding the neceffaries he fhould want in his march ; being determined, if he fhould return, to mention his expectation of their lay- ing down their arms and delivering hoftages. But they had no defign to fend him back, or to come to any friendly terms ; on the contrary, the centinels difcovered that they were bufily employed in calling up trenches and works to defend the pafTage of the canals ; in breaking down the bridges of the principal caufeway, and cutting of all communication with the road lead- ing to Tlafcaia. Alarmed at this intelligence, Cortes immedi- ately ordered a bridge of boards to be made for thofe openings, fo light as to be carried by forty men, and yet ftrong enough to bear the weight of the artillery. While the people were employed in the ftruc- ture of this bridge, Cortes affembled his cap- tains, to take their opinion, whether it would be moft prudent to retreat by day or by night •, for by this time he had determined to retire to Tlafcaia, and there take meafures for laying N 1 ' iS. 3 H feigc to Mexico. The greater number of the officers advifed a retreat by night, on account of the Mexican fuperftition, which made it un- ufual for them to engage an enemy after fun-fet ; and on the fuppofition that, trufting to the ne- gociation, they had made no preparation for at- tacking them in the march upon the caufeway, by means of their canoes, which they could not eafily manage in the dark. This opinion was ftrenuoufly oppofed by a good number, among whom was Cortes, who reprefented the inconvenience and danger that would attend the march of an army with bag- gage, ami all other impediment*, in the obfeu- rity of a tempeftuous night and rainy feafon, which could not fail to retard the laying of bridges. He likewife demonftrated how little they could depend upon the cudom or common maxims of the Mexicans, which they had al- ready infringed, by letting fire to the quarters^ and taking poffeffion of the temple by night : and he expatiated on the difgrace. of retreating with the appearance of flight, by which they would hazard loofing the efteem of their Indian confederates. The queftion in difpute being put to the vote, the majority of the officers declared for the firft propofal, to which Cortes affented, and it was refolved to begin their march that very night, that the enemy might have as little time as pof- fible to form obdrudions. The carpenters had no fooner finifhed the bridge, which was to be removed from one gap in the caufeway to another, than Cortes dis- patched another Mexican deputy, with a view to amufe the enemy with farther propofals of peace, while he made the proper difpofitions for his retreat, and delivered indrudions to his cap- tains how to behave on all emergencies. His van- guard confided of two hundred Spanifh foldiers, with the choiceft of the Tlafcalans, and twenty horfe, under the command of Gonzalo de San- doval,. Diego de Ordaz, and three other per- fons. The rear guard, compofed of a greater number of horfe and foot, was conducted by Pedro de Alverado, Juan Velafquez de Leon, and others ; and the prifoners, artillery, and baggage, with the main body of the army, wers to be in the centre. This order being formed, he caufed the trea- fure to be brought into his apartment, and de- ducting one fifth for the king, in thofe things which were moft portable, he delivered it to the commiffary, together with a mare of his own, and fome wounded horfes for the carriags. The remainder, amounting in value to upwards of fe- ven hundred thoufand pieces of eight, hepropofed to leave behind as a dangerous incumbrance •, but the foldiers being unwilling to loofe their fliare of fuch a booty, he gave them permiffion to take what they could conveniently carry, in con- fequence of which, fome of the moft avaritious, particularly thofe who had come with Narvaez, loaded themfelves to fuch a degree, that they daggered under their burdens. Thefe previous fteps being taken, Cortes en- couraged the foldiers in a fhort fpeech, ear- neftly recommending vigilance and caution, and £14 THE CON QJJ EST GF MEXICO, and they began their march about midnight, with great filence and circumfpection ; being favoured by the darknefs of the night and the wetnefs of the weather. The bridge, which was carried in the front, was laid over the firft canal, before they met with the lead oppofi- tion ; but the weight of the horfes and artillery jammed it fo fall among the ftones on each fide, that they found it impoffible to remove it, nor indeed had they much time for the attempt : for even before the army had paffed the firft breach of the caufeway, they were fuddenly af- iaulted on all fides, and obliged to take to their arms in the utmoft hafte ; for the enemy hav- ing obferved their motions, had affembled their canoe;, and troops with fuch diligence and filence as to cover the lake on each fide of the caufeway. The Mexicans began the attack with great regularity before they were obferved, and had they maintained the fame good order through- out the engagement, Cortes and all his people muft have been deftroyed : but they foon re- lapfed to their old way of charging in confu- fion, by which means many of the canoes ran foul of each other, and were mattered to pieces ; and the Spaniards made a dreadful Daughter among the diforderly multitude, till their arms were wearied with the work of death. They were alfo attacked in front by a vaft number, who, impatient of inaction, had thrown themfelves into the lake, and clambered up the caufeway with a view to difpute the paflage : but they crouded in fuch numbers, that they were unable to ufe their weapons, and the {laughter was fo great as to form a bank of dead bodies, on which the Spaniards could pafs in the lake. This is the account given by fome authors, while others, with more probability, fay, that the enemy had left a beam of the fecond bridge, over which the foldiers walked in files, leading their horfes through the water by their bridles •, and that the vanguard, continued their march with little inconveni- ence from the laft canal, which was fordable. As foon as Cortes reached the fhore he di- rected the men to be formed as faft as they ar- rived, while himfelf, with fome of his cap- tains, returned to the caufeway, and entering into the engagement, animated the men by his prefence and example. He lined each fide of the caufeway with foldiers, who were to repel the enemy, while the reft marched between them in the centre ; and ordered the artillery to be thrown into thewater, to facilitate the march ; but in fpite of all his vigilance, part of the rear- guard was cut in pieces, the bridge having been deftroyed by the Mexicans in the canoes, before thefe unfortunate men could pafs it, who chiefly confifted of fuch, as, having been greedy of booty, had fo loaded themfetves as to be unable to ad for their own perfervation. However their cries and groans pierced to the foul of Cortes, who was utterly incapable of affording theln the leaft relief; and while he retreated with his people, in the utmoft per- turbation of mind, through the fecond divificn of the caufeway, he was joined by Pedro de Alverado, who owed his life to a moft aftonilh- ing effort of agility. Finding himfelf attacked on every fide, his horfe killed under him, and one of the canals in his way, he pitched his fpear in the breach, and making a violent effort, raifed his body with a fpring, and leaped from one fide to the other -, the diftance being fo prodigious, that he himfelf, when he afterwards furveyed the place, was confounded at what he had done ; and that particular opening is ftill called by the name of " Alverado's Leap." By day break the army having pafied over the lake, halted near Tacuba, that thofe who had efcaped from the battle and were miffing, might have time to join them ; and this precau- tion was the means of perferving the lives of feveral Spaniards and Tlafcalans, who having fwam afhore, had hid themfelves in fome fields of maize till the morning. Thefe brought an account that the laft di- vifion of the rear-guard was entirely cut off-, and the troops being now drawn up, their lofs appeared to amount to two hundred Spaniards, above a thoufand Tlafcalans, forty fix horfes, and all the Mexican prifoners, who in the con- fufion and darknefs of the night had been treated as enemies by their own countiymen. The Spaniatds were extremely dejected, on ' finding their number thus climinifhed, their ar- tillery loft, and themfelves in danger of being again attacked every moment : and what added greatly to their unhappinefs, was the lofs of fe • veral excellent officers, among whom was Juan Velafquez de Leon, who brought up the rear, and fell, oppreffed by multitudes, after per- forming feats of almoft incredible valour. Cortes now fat down upon a ftone to reft him- felf, whilft his officers were engaged in review- ing the men : and notwithftanding all the mag- nanimity of his mind, the weight of his forrow impelled the trickling tears to fteal down his cheek : but he quickly fummoned to his aid that fortitude, which raifed him above all the viciffitudes of fortune •, and comforted himfelf by reflecting, that Marina and Aguilar, who had been the chief inftruments of the conqueft, had efcaped fafe from the dangers of the battle. His eyes began again to fparkle with vivacity, and his returning fpirits reanimated his droop- ing followers. If the Spaniards had been attacked before they had recovered their fpirits, and had time to refrefti themfelves after the battle, they muft, in all probability, have fallen a facrifice to the fupe- rior numbers of the enemy : but an event, which was in other refpects unfortunate, gave them time for repofe, and thereby preferved their lives. We have already faid that the Mexican pri- foners were killed by the enemy ■, and in the morning, when they went to ftrip the dead, they found the fons of Motezuma among thole whom they had killed with their arrows. They were amazed and confounded at this fight : the troops were feized with horror and diimay ; and the news of this event being carried to the new em- peror, he ordered the bodies of thefe unfortunate princes BY HERNANDO CORTES. **$ be pnnces tc be earned to the burying- their anceftors ; and all the inhabitants as one of the as he intended, to have availed -place of accord- ing to cullom, attending the funeral, afforded that feafonable refpite to the Spaniards : but Cortes coniidered their death axeateft lolies h.e had luftaincd, in the conqueft ot the country, himfelf of the claim which the eldeft lbn had to the government. Cortes, in the mean time, fufpecting that there was fome defign in the enemy's delay, di- rected his march towards Tlalcala, proceeding with the utmoft circumfpection ; and indeed the Spaniards had not advanced far, when fome companies of armed men appeared at a diftance ;:.r1 followed the army. Thefe were fome of the inhabitants of feveral cities, whom the Mexi- t ins had directed to obferve the motions of the Spaniards, 2nd hinder their march, till they thcmfelves had paid the laft honours to the fons of Motezuma : and in fact, it was not long be- fore the main body of the Mexicans appeared, and joining the others, attacked the Spaniards lb furioully, that they were obliged to halt, and face about in their own defence. Cortes, having placed his fire-arms and crofs- bows in the front, ordered the horfe to advance and charge the Indians, among whom they made a great (laughter ; but the number of the enemy continually increafing,the Spaniards were wearied with killing them, and began to defpair of being able to repulfe fuch an enormous multitude, when Cortes oblsrving an edifice with turrets, at the top of an eminence, near the field of battle, determined to gain that poll, which with great difficulty he effected. It was a temple dedicated to the Sylvan deities, and having a fpacious court, encompaffed with a wall, on which were feveral towers, it was rendered tolera- bly defenfible. Here the Spaniards found a fhelter from the great danger to which they had been expofed, and in confequence of the fignal relief it afforded them, they afterwards built a hermitage on the fpot, which is to this day known by the name of " Nueftra Sennora de los Remedios," or " Our Lady of relief." The enemy came within mufket-fhot of the walls, and having difcharged an innumerable quantity of arrows, and expreffed their hoftile intentions by fhouts and opprobrious invectives, retired in the evening towards Mexico : but the Spaniards from the tops of the towers, difco- vered that they halted in the plain, where they divided into feveral bodies, with a view to con- ceal themfelves till the morning. Cortes having pofted his centinels and guards, ordered fires to be made to confume the arrows of the Mexicans, which lay in heaps about the place. The people were refrefhed with what provifions were found in the temple, and what the Indians had faved with their baggage : and the linnen horle-cloths were converted into lint and bandages, to drefs thofe who were wounded. When Cortes had thus taken fuch meafures as his fituation rendered neceffary, he called a council of his officers, in which he propofed, that as this poft could not be maintained for want of provifions, and as there could be no hope of retreating while fuch numbers of the enemy furrounded them, they mould fcize this opportunity of purfuing their march in the night, lb as to be two or three leagues a-head of the Mexicans by day light. This propofal meeting with unanimous ap- probation, they allotted fome hours of reft for the refrefhment of the people, who were terri- bly fatigued, and molt of them wounded ; and then departed from the temple at midnight, leaving the fires burning with a view to deceive the enemy •, and the vanguard, commanded by Diego de Ordaz, and provided with trufty guides, proceeded upwards of half a league with- out the leaft interruption ; but when they came to enter lome hilly grounds, they difcovered feveral ambufcades, formed by the militia of the adjacent towns, who attacked the flanks in a dilorderly manner •, thefe ikirmifhes however, did not obftruct the march of the Spaniards, who having advanced two leagues, halted before day-break, at another temple, which they found upon an eminence, intending to continue there, imagining that they faw fome detachments from the Mexican army at a diftance : but the light of the morning no fooner convinced them of their miftake, than they renewed their march, and proceeded two leagues farther, to a village in an advantageous fituation, which was deferted by its inhabitants, where they remained two days, till the wounded men were in a condition to travel. For two days after this, they marched through a rocky and barren country, purpofely avoiding the high road -, they were now without cover in the night, continually perfecuted by flying parties of Indians •, expofed to the rage of hunger and thirft, which they endeavoured to affwage by means of fuch herbs and roots as they could find, till one of the wounded horfes dying, afforded relief to thofe who were in the greateft extremity. At length they reached a village, where the inhabitants received them with an apparent chearf ulneis, and provided every thing for their entertainment with an air of franknefs and hof- pitality : but this was no other than a decoy, to lull them into fecurity, that they might fall into a fnare which the Mexicans had laid for them. The army beginning their march early the next morning, afcended a mountain, on the other fide of which was the valley of Otumba, when Marina took notice that the Indians, who followed them at a diftance, fhouted, and fre- quently cried out, " Proceed tyrants ! proceed ; " you will foon arrive at the place where you " will all perifh." Cortes, judging from this exclamation that fome fnare was laid for them, proceeded with all poffible circumfpection to prevent a furprize j but on their reaching the mountain-top they found their paffage effectually prevented by an immenfe multitude of armed men, who filled the whole of the extenfive vale of Otumba. Thefe were the fame Indians they had encoun- tered at the firft temple, reinforced by an incredi- ble number of people from Mexico, with the prin- cipal nobles at their head, who had divided into feveral companies, and marched with fuch expe- dition by different roads, as to get a head of the Spa- 2l6 THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, Spaniards, and join in this extenfive plain, where they had fufncient room to exert themielves in iuch a manner as they thought proper. The front of this army, which from the di- verfity of their colours and Standards, appeared to be compofed of different nations, took up the whole breath of the valley, but the rear ex- tended farther than the eye could reach. The captain-general of the empire, appeared in the centre, borne upon men's moulders in a fump- tuous chariot, that he might be the better able to give the neceffary orders, and fee them exe- cuted. Near him was the royal ftandard of Mexico, which was never brought into the field but upon the moft urgent occafions : it was a net of maffy gold, crowned with a plume of variegated feathers, and fattened to a pike : in- deed this prodigious army, with the motions of their weapons, and their feathers weaving in the wind, formed at once a beautiful and a tre- mendous appearance. Cortes having furveyed this prodigious hoft, turned to his foldiers with his accuftomed alacrity, and told them that they had now no choice, but to conquer or to die — he had faid more, but he was interrupted by his people, who, with faces glowing with courageous impatience, called out that he Ihould give the word, and lead them inftantly to battle. Unwilling to damp their ardour, he difpofed them in order, and imme- diately advanced. The firft difcharge of the fire-arms and crofs-bows did great execution : every ftroke of the fwords and lances was fatal : andthehorfe broke down and trampled underfoot all thofe bodies which endeavoured to inclofe the army. The Tlafcalans rufhed among the thickeft of the enemy, and the Spaniards gained fome ground in the firft effort : but the Mexicans fought with great obftinacy, and no fooner was one body cut in pieces, than it was fucceeded by another, the battle being continually renewed with fupplies of frefh men, fo that the Spaniards muft in the end have been fpent, with the in- ceffant exercife of their arms. Cortes, who fought on horfeback, fuccour- ing thofe who moft wanted his afilftance, and carrying death and terror on the point of his fword •, reflecting that the ftrength of his m&n muft foon fail, recollected that he had heard the Mexicans fay, that the fuccefs of their battles depended on the royal ftandard, the lofs of which decided the fate of the day. He therefore commanded the captains San- doval, Alverado, de Olid, and Davila, to fol- low and fecure his rear, while he, with his troop, charging that part of the enemy which was neareft the centre, and appeared to be weakeft, trod down whole battalions, and cut their way to the place where the imperial ftan- dard was defended by a body of the nobility ap- pointed for its guard. Cortes now fpurring on his horfe through the midft of them, clofed with the captain- general, whom he wounded and threw from his chariot with the firft ftroke of his lance : when Juan de Salamanca, a private gentleman, leaped from his horfe, difpatched the general, and feizing the Standard, delivered . it into the hands of Cortes : a piece of fervice for which the King of Spain afterwards gave him the plume of feathers as a creft, and other- wife liberally rewarded him. The inftant the Mexicans law their ftandard in the poffellion of the Spaniards, they ftruck all the reft of their colours, threw down their arms, and fled with precipitation, while the victorious Spaniards, inflamed with refentment, made fo dreadful a (laughter, that twenty thou- fand Indians are faid to have been killed in the battle and purfuit. Some few Spaniards were hurt, two or three of whom died afterwards of their wounds at Tlafcala, and Cortes received a violent blow on his head, with a (tone, which battered his head-piece, and made a fmall fra&ure in his (kull. Cortes divided the fpoil, to a very con- siderable value, among the foldiers ; for the Mexicans came adorned with their belt jewels, as to a certain triumph ; fully relying on the fuperiority of their numbers, which amounted W two hundred thoufand. CHAP. BY HERNANDO. CORTES. 217 CHAP. VIII. Cortes and his troops march to Tlafcala, where they are joyfully received; make a grand entry ; The Tlafcalans receive an embajjyfrom the new emperor of Mexico, to induce them to oppoje the Spaniards: Xicotental oppofes Cortes privately, but is difcovered ; the Spaniards march againjl, and defeat the Tepeacans : the emperor of Mexico dies, and Guatimozin is chofen in his room. Another Mexican army attacks the Spaniards and is totally routed ; fome pips arrive on the coajl with recruits, who all join Cortes ; a de- putation fent to the court of Spain, requiring more ajijlance ; Cortes marches towards Mexico ; the Spanifti army in danger of being drowned, but efcapes, and is every where fuccefsful. H^HE Spaniards being affembled, Cortes continued his march, but not without apprehenfions of being attacked, as feveral bodies of men were obferved on the tops of the mountains. At night he took pof- feffion of fome houfes, and the next day entered the territories of Tlafcala, when the whole army teftified their joy by repeated acclamations, and theTlaicalansjproftratingthemfelvesontheeareh, kiffed the ground with filial rapture. While they remained here, refrefliing them- felves by the fide of a fountain of excellent water, Cortes reprefented to his people, of what confequence it was to preferve the friendfhip of the Tlafcalans, exhorted diem to behave with kindnels and civility to the inhabitants, and to avoid giving offence to the meaneft citizen. At noon he entered Gualipar, a confiderable town, the inhabitants of which received him with great hofpitality : and having quartered his troops, he difpatched two Tlafcalans to the fenate, with an account of his retreat and fuc- cefs j but they had already heard of the victory, and the meflengers were fcarcely difmiffed, when he was vifited by Magifcatzin, old Xicotental and his fon, and other perfons of confequence, whom the fenate had lent to compliment him on his return. Magifcatzin advancing before the reft, flew into his arms, and then retired, regarding him with the moft fixed attention. The blind Xico'- tental, directed by the found of Cortes's voice, haftened to him, and exprefied his regard by a flood of tears. They congratulated him upon his victory, exprefied the utmoft concern when they heard he was wounded, regreted the lofs of fo many Spaniards, inveighed bitterly againft the Mexicans, and offered all the forces of the republic and her allies, to afiift him in his revenge. Cortes having made proper acknowledge- ments for thefe civilities, they propofed that he fhould immediately proceed to the city, where quarters were provided for his men •, but he chofe to remain in his prefent fituation, till his people were refrefhed and recovered from the fatigues they had undergone-, and to this the chiefs of the Tlafcalans affented the more readily, as it would give them time to make preparations for his entry into the city, which they determin- ed to celebrate in a folemn and triumphal manner. N" XIX. 3 I The Spaniards remained three days at Guali- par, during which they were liberally fupplied with provifions at the expence of the republic^ and then adorning themfelves with the jewels and plumes of the vanquifhed Mexicans, they * began their march for Tlafcala, which they en- tered in the month of July 1520. The fenate, arrayed in their richeft robes, came out to receive them with a numerous retinue ; the fields were crouded with people, who filled the air with acclamations •, and at their entrance they were faluted with the found of horns, flutes and drums. The troops being properly quartered, Cortes, at the earneft follicitation of Magifcatzin, be- came his gueft ; and Pedro de Alverado took up his refidence at the houfe of Xicotental, who would have been offended by his refufal ■, but the reft of the captains, though much follicked by the capital people, refufed their invitations, as judging it improper for the principal officers to leave the main-guard. The feftival held in honour of their triumph, continued for fome days, during which the Indians celebrated the vidlory with all kinds of diverfions with which they were acquainted : they contended in lhooting at a mark with ar- rows, in running, leaping and wreftling •, and in the evenings different kinds of rope-dancing were exhibited, and a fort of mafquerade was given. All the citizens affifted at thefe fhews, with demonftrations of the utmoft fatisfaclion •, not excepting thofe who had loft their friends and relations at the caufeway •, a misfortune which they attributed to the chance of war. Cortes was greatly affected with the regard they ihewed on this occafion ; his officers be- haved with the utmoft courtefy toward thefe faithful allies, and even the common foldiers generoufly fhared with them the jewels and other fpoils which they brought from the battle. But this joy was damped on a fudden by a dangerous fever with which Cortes was feized ; the wound in his head broke out afrefh, and his friends began to defpair of his life. The mirth of the city was at once changed into mourning ; the nobles exprefied their concern by hourly enquiries after his health, and the common people lamented the danger that threat- ened the great Tuele, a name which they be- llowed 2lS THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, flowed upon their demi-gods •, but the fenate calling together the moft able phyficians of the country, they exerted their fkill lb effec- tually, that his health was fpeedily reftored. Cortes being now impatient to know the ftate of affairs at Vera Cruz, wrote to Rodrigo Rangel the governor, by an Indian courier, who foon brought an anfwer, that no alteration had happened in the garrifon or on the coaft,that Narvaez and Salvatierrawereftill in fafe cuftody, and that the confederate Indians remained true to their engagements-, but that a corporal and eight foldiers who had gone to Tlafcala for the gold belonging to the garrifon, were not returned ; that there was a report current among the In- dians that they had been murdered in the pro- vince of Tepeaca •, and that it was fuppofed the wounded foldiers belonging to Narvaez had met with the fame fate •, for as faft as they re- covered, they had marched from Zempoalla in fmall bodies, being anxioufly impatient to reach Mexico, which they confidered as the centre of all their wealth. The truth of this report was now confirmed by the Tlafcalans, who had till this time con- cealed it from Cortes for fear it might pre- vent his recovery •, and he had the mortification to find himfelf thus deprived of about fifty Spa- niards, who had been killed by the Indians of Tepeaca : whereupon, glowing with refentment, he determined to wreak his vengeance on that ration, which lay between him and Vera Cruz ; and the Tlafcalans, upon whofe frontiers thefe Indians had made depredations, offered to efpoufe his caufe. While Cortes was taking his meafures for this purpofe, ambaffadors arrived at Gualipar, from the new emperor of Mexico, and fent a meffage to the fenate, defiring perniihion to enter the city with propofals of peace ; and Cortes hav- ing confented that this permiffion fhould be granted them, they made their public entrance in a fplendid and folemn manner. The carriers came at the head of the pro- ceffion, with the prefents, confifting of gold and filver, fine cotton cloths, plumes, and other curiofities, and feveral loads of fait, which was then much wanted at Tlafcala. The ambaf- fadors, richly adorned with jewels, and accom- panied by a great retinue, were received in the fenate- houfe, where they made offers of perpetual peace and alliance, on condition that they would declare war againft the Spa- niards, and affift in driving out thofe infolent ftrangers. Their fpeech was interrupted by the murmurs of the affembly, who were fo highly incenfed .it the propofal, that the character of the am- baffadors would hardly have been a protection for their perfons, if fome ancient fenators had not int?rpofed, and reftrained the impetuofity of the reft: in confequence of which, the Mexicans were permitted to retire to their lodg- ings, till the fenate fhould deliberate on the lubjecT: of their embaffy •, and it was unani- moufly refolved to reject their propofals with dif- dain. The ambaffadors, however, did cot wait for a formal difmiffion, but from what they had already feen of the difpofition of the people, dreading fome infurredtion againft their per- fons, they betook themfelves to a precipitate flight. The Spaniards, notwithstanding the many, inftances of regard fhewn them by the Tlafca- lans, had one enemy among that people : this was no other than Xicotental, in whofe mind the memory of being conquered ftill rankled, producing hatred and envy to Cortes, which he had hitherto difguifed under the mafk of friendfhip and complaifance. Though he faid not a word to the fenate in behalf of the Mexican propofals, he took this opportunity of fowing jealoufies among the people, by means of his friends and adherents, who underhand, magni- fied the advantages that would arife from an alliance with the Mexicans, and reprefented their friendfhip for the Spaniards as a dangerous con- nection, that would render both them and their pofterity flaves. Advice of thefe tranfactions being brought to the fenate, they held a confultation, at which the old blind Xicotental, gave it as his opinion, that his fon fhould loofe his life for having lowed fedition •, and he would certainly have died the death of a traitor, but his fentence was mitigated out of regard to the charac- ter and grey hairs of the father : but however it was ordered that he fhould be brought before them in chains -, when he was upbraided for his perfidious dealings, deprived of his honours and command, and thrown down the flairs of the fenate-hcufe with difgrace. Not many days after this, he befought the forgivenefs of Cortes, who was unacquainted with his crime till after the punifhment of it, and by his intereft, he was reftored to his former rank and ftation. Xicotental now affembled the troops of the republic with the utmoft diligence, thereby en- deavouring to atone for his former fault. In the mean time the foldiers who had come with Narvaez, wearied with the perils and fatigues they had already undergone, and terrified at the profpect of a new war, loudly complained of the propofed expedition to Tepeaca, and even de- livered to the general a formal proteftation, im- porting their refufal to undertake that enter- prize, and demanding that they might march immediately to Vera Cruz, that they might be more conveniently fituated for folliciting rein- forcements from Jamaica and St. Domingo. This infolent remonftrance greatly provoked Cortes ; but thinking it moft prudent to conceal his refentment, he reprefented to them, that the Tepeacans having feized the paffes of the moun- tains, it would be out of their power to get to Vera Cruz, without fighting thofe people, in which he fhould have theaffiftanceof theTlafcalan troops, which were now affembled lor that pur- pofe : but he affured them upon his honour, that as foon as they had conquered thofe Indians, every man fhould have free liberty to depart, who did not chufe to follow his fortune. The troops being thus reconciled to the fer- vice, Cortes drew up his army, amounting to four BY HERNANDO CORTE 21$ four hundred and twenty Spaniards, with fe- ventecn horfe, armed with fwords, guns, pikes, targets and crofs-bows ; and thefe being rein- forced with eight thoufand choice Tlaicalans, commanded by officers of diftinguiflied valour, he left to Xicotental the care of bringing up the reft, and began his march amidft the acclama- tions of the people. Having proceeded three leagues, they took up their quarters for the night in a village which the enemy had abandoned at the fight of them : and next morning Cortes ordering fome peafiints, who had been taken by the advanced guard, to be brought before him, made them fome preients, and let them at liberty, on their promife to tell the caciques of Tepeaca, in his name, that he was come to revenge the death of thofe Spaniards whom they had lb treacheroufiy murdered : notwithstanding which, if they would join him and hisTlafcalan allies againft the Mexi- cans, he would forgive what was pail., and rank them among the number of his friends. The next day the Indians returned with an anfwer to this meffage, rejecting all terms of peace, and threatening to carry the Spaniards alive to the altars of their gods. Notwithstand- ing this anfwer, Cortes repeated his offers, which he lent in writing, threatening at the lame time, that if they refilled to come to terms of accom- modation, he would deftroy them with fire and fword, and that fuch as he made prifoners fhould be fold as flaves. They laughed at the paper, as fomething which he had lent to excite their aftoniihment ; fent back a more infolent anfwer than the for- mer, and immediately took the field in order to difpute his march. They formed an ambufcade in fome fields of maize, which might have proved advantageous to them, had they acted with prudence -, but their own impatience occafioned their being dif- covered by Cortes, when at a confiderable dif- tance from them. Having made a proper dif- pofition, he marched on as if he had not feen them ; but wheeling about on a fudden, he at- tacked them with great impetuofity, and made a prodigious {laughter. The action foon became general, and not- withstanding the bravery with which the Tepea- cans fought, they were foon thrown into confu- lion, and being abandoned by their Mexican allies, were totally routed, and almoft the whole army cut in pieces : fo that they fent deputies the lame night to implore the clemency of the conqueror, and furrendered themfelves to thedif pofal of Cortes, who loft not a fingle man in ob- taining this victory. The general, at the head of his army, marched into the city the next day, when the inhabitants proftrated themfelves before him, with marks of the molt abject fear: but when he ordered his in- terpreters to proclaim the King of Spain, and a general pardon in the name of that prince, their apprehenfions were changed into the molt excef- iive joy, and they befought Cortes to take their city into his protection, that the Mexicans might never again influence them to renounce their treaty with the Spaniards. The genera], taking advantage of this requeft, fortified the city with a trench and palifadoes, and built a fort or citadel to keep them in obedi- ence, and fecure the pafiage to Vera Cruz : but previous to this, he lent all the prifoners, who had been taken in the battle, to Tlafcala, where they were publickly fold as flaves, to deter the reft of the Indians from revolting. The reft of the troops, amounting to thirty- five thoufand men, under the command of Xico- tental, being arrived ; Cortes, in order to keep them in employment, fent feveral different de- tachments, under the command of Spanifh offi- cers, to reduce fome places in the province of Tepeaca, which ftill declared for the Mexicans ; and thefe foon returned victorious, having dri- ven the enemy to the other fide of the moun- tains, made a confiderable booty, and taken a great number of prifoners, who were alfo, ac- cording to the newly-adopted maxim, publickly fold as flaves. About this time the emperor of Mexico, Quetlavaca, dying, the electors affembled, and conferred the imperial dignity on Guatimozin, nephew and fon-in-law to Motezuma, a young prince of fagacity and courage, who, in the very beginning of his reign, gained the affections of his people by the wifdom of his conduct. He encouraged the foldiers with privileges and re- wards, exempted his Subjects from all taxes dur- ing the continuance of the war, treated his no- bles with affability, made prefents to the caciques on the frontiers, with a view to confirm them in their fidelity, and fent an army of thirty thou- fand men to aflift them in cafe of neceflity. An account of thefe occurrences was brought to Cortes by fome deputies from the cacique of Guacachula, a warlike and well-peopled city, who came to complain of the tyranny of the Mexicans, and implore the aid of the Spaniards againft their oppreflbrs. Cortes being convinc- ed of the Sincerity of this cacique, and confider- ing the neceflity of expelling the enemy from a. place of fo much importance, immediately form- ed an army of thirty thoufand Tlaicalans, with three hundred Spaniards, and thirteen horfe, which he fent away the next morning, with the deputies from Guacachula, under the command of Chriftoval de Olid, who had orders to repulfe the enemy and take poflefiion of the town. For the fpace of fix leagues they marched on very chearfully, when being about the fame diftance from Guacachula, they were told by fome pea- sants, that the emperor of Mexico, with his whole army, was advancing to give them battle. This report made fuch an impreflion upon Narvaez's foldiers, that they abfolutely refufed to proceed, and it was with great difficulty that De Olid could prevail on them to alter their re- folution. Their mutinous clamours were hardly appeafed, when they difcovered feveral bodies of armed men, defcending from the mountains, and advancing towards them with great expe- dition •, upon which de Olid immediately drew up his men in order of battle ; but fome horfe which he had fent out for intelligence, foon re- turned and informed him, that thefe Indians wers 220 THE CON QJLJ EST OF MEXICO, were commanded by the cacique of Guazocingo, and fome of his neighbours, who were coming to affift the Spaniards ugainil the Mexicans, by whom their dominions had been ravaged. Their motives were, however, fufpected by the Tlaf- calans, who perlwaded the Spaniards that thole people were not to be truiled, as, in all proba- bility, they were fent by the Mexicans in order to fall upon the Spaniards during the engage- ment. This reprefentation had fuch weight with De Olid, that he inftantly caufed the caciques to be feized, and fent in irons to Cortes, who remain- ed at Tepeaca. This rafh action however, was productive of no ill confequence, for the Indians, who had in reality come with friendly intentions, kept their poft, icfolving to wait patiently for the determination of the general, who they firmly believed would do juflice to their fincerity : in which they were not miftaken : for Cortes expreffed equal concern and difpleafure at fee- ing the caciques in chains, and immediately or- dering their fetters to be knocked off, received them ir the moft amicable manner, apologized for the rafh cevduft of his captain, whom he faid he would reprimand : and having effectually ac- quired their efceem, let out with them in perfon to take the command of the expedition. As foon as Cortes came to the camp, all fymp- toms of mutiny dilappeared : he rebuked de Olid for his inconfiderate condud, joined his new allies, and marched immediately towards Guacachula. The Mexicans having intelligence of his motions, inftantly advanced between him and the city, and began the battle with prodigi- ous fury, which however was foon at an end •, for the cacique of Guacachula, feizing this op- portunity to prove the fidelity of his attachment to Cortes, fuddenly attacked the Mexicans in the rear, whereby they were totally defeated in little more than half an hour. The Spaniards then took up their quarters in the city, and the Tlafcalans remained without the walls with the reft of the confederates, whofe numbers increaied fo faft by the arrival of other caciques, who voluntarily lubmitted to the king of Spain, that by this time Cortes had an army of twenty thoufand men. The next care of Cortes was to reduce Yzu- can, which was a town of great natural ftrength, defended in the front by a river fortified with walls and ravelins, and garrilbned with ten thou- fand Mexicans, who had broke down the bridge in order to difpute the paffage. Notwithftanding thefe dilcouraging circumftances, Chriftoval de Olid, who commanded the vanguard, threw himfelf with his troops into the water, and tho' his horfe was killed under him, and himfelf wounded in the thigh, he gaiaed the oppofite ihore, and drove the enemy into the city, which they made a fhew of defending ; but orders were fcarcely given for the Spaniards to begin the attack, when at once the cries of the enemy ceafed, the garrifon difappeared, and the city was forfaken by the inhabitants •, but Cortes ob- ferving the fugitives in their retreat, detached fome companies of Spaniards and Tlafcalans to take fome prifoners, who being brought back, were immediately fet at liberty, with the offer of a pardon and good treatment to all fuch as would return to their houfes •, in confequence of which promife, the town was almoft filled the fame day. The general diftributed the fpoil obtained in both thefe actions among his new allies •, after which he and the Tlafcalans returned in triumph to Tepeaca, the fort and fettlement of which, being by this time compleated, was called by the name of Segura de la Frontera. About this time a fhip arrived at St. Juan de Ulua, with thirteen Spanifh foldiers, two horfes, and fome provifion and ammunition, fent by Diego de Velafquez to Narvaez, under the command of Pedro de Barba. This veffel being difcovered by Pedro de Cavallero, who commanded fome troops on the coaft, he went out in a boat, and laluted the new-comers with the utmoft civility ; but fufpecting the defign of their coming, when Pedio de Barba enquired after Pamphilo de Narvaez, he readily anfwered that he was in good health and great proiperity ; for all thofe coun- tries had fubmitted to him : and Cortes with a few followers, was fled to the mountains. Deceived by this intelligence, De Barba land- ed without fufpicion, and was conducted to Vera Cruz, where finding himfelf outwitted, and be- ing fecretly a friend to Cortes, he readily em- braced the intereft of that general, and accept- ed the command of a company of crofs-bows ; after which Cortes diftributed fome prefents a- mong the foldiers, who readily enlifted in his fervice. He then perufed the letter intended for Narvaez, in which Velafquez promifed to fend powerful fuccours to that officer, and or- dered him to tranfport Cortes under a fufficient guard to Cuba, that he might be fent to Spain as a criminal, where the bifhop of Burgos re- folved to make a public example of him in the moft ignominious manner. In eight days after this, a fecond veffel arrived, with a reinforcement of eight foldiers, one horfe, and a considerable quantity of arms and ammu- nition, under the command of Rodrigo More- jon de Lobera, who was alfo trepanned by Ca- vallero, and fent to Segura, where, like the o- thers, he and his men engaged in the fervice of Cortes. The general had already rcfolved to attempt the conqueft of Mexico, which he had no doubt of effecting, as he was fupported by fuch a num- ber of confederate Indians ; but being under the neceffity of croffing the lake, in order to efcape the danger of paffing the caufeways, he formed the fcheme of building twelve or thirteen brig- antines, which fhould be abletorefift the Indian canoes ; and thefe he propofed to have carried in pieces on the fhoulders of the Indian tamenes, over the mountains of Tlafcala, to a river Situ- ated on the lake. Cortes communicated this lingular project to Martin Lopez, who approved the defign, and undertook the execution of it •, whereupon he was immediately difpatched to Tlafcala, >with all thofe Spaniards who had any knowledge of fhip-building, and a fufficient number of Indians to cut wood, and otherwife affift in for- BY HERNANDO CORTES. 221 forwarding the work. At the fame time the treneral ordered what ironwork and rigging; re- mained, that had belonged to the fhips which had been funk, to be brought to Vera Cruz ; employed a number of hands to extract a kind of pitch and tar from trees that grew upon the mountains, and lent others to the volcano dif- covered by Diego de Ordaz, from whence they brought a large quantity of fulphur, which was made into gunpowder for the fervice of the ex- pedition. Thefe previous fteps being taken, Cortes left inftructions with the new council of Segura, ap- pointed a commander of the garrifon, confifting of about twenty Spanifli ibldiers, and fet out for Tlafcala, which he entered in mourning for the death of his old friend Magifcatzin, who had embraced the chriftian religion in his laft mo- ments : the arms of the officers and foldiers were covered with the manufacture of the country dyed black, and they marched in profound fl- it nee, with an appearance of the greateft grief and concern, which was exceedingly agreeable to the Tlafcalans, who confidered the deceafed as the father of his country. The fon of Magifcatzin was chofen cacique on the recommendation of Cortes. He was a youth of fingular courage and abilities, and foon after his election, he was converted to chriftiani- ty, and baptized by father De Olmedo, by the name of Don Lorenzo de Magifcatzin. His ex- ample was followed by another youth, who was cacique of Yzucan, who came to Tlafcala to return thanks to Cortes, for having decided a difpute in his favour : befides thefe, old Xicotental embraced the doctrines of chrifti- anky. We have already obferved that Francifco de Garay, governor of Jamaica, had fent orders to Cortes not to make any fettlement on his coalt : but notwithstanding the check he received in ha- ving his mefiengers leized, he fitted out three Ships, with which he refumed the enterprize j but no fooner had his foldiers landed, than the Indians attacked them with fuch fury, that they were obliged to retreat to their (hips in great diforder, and put to fea for their immediate pre- iervation. They were afterwards feparated for fome days, during which they feverally formed the fame defign, without being acquainted with each other's fentiments ; and arrived almoft at the fame time on the coaft of Vera Cruz, in order to ferve under Cortes, by whofe increafing re- putation they were allured. The firft fhip that arrived had on board fixty Spanifh foldiers, under the command of captain Camargo ; the next, which was commanded by a gallant and experienced officer, named Mi- chael Diaz de Cruz, brought fifty choice men, and feven horfes ; and the third veffel, conduct- ed by captain Ramirez, contained about forty foldiers, ten horfes, and a great quantity of arms and provifions. Thefe new-comers took the road to Tlafcala in three diftinct bodies, as they landed •, and were received by Cortes and his people with tranfports of joy ; but notwithftanding this no- Is™ 19. 3 K ble acquifition of ftrength, the foldiers brought by Narvaez were ftill more importunate for per- miffion to return to the ifland of Cuba ; remind- ing the general of the promife he had made them before they engaged in the expedition to Tepeaca ; and he was the rather difpofed to grant their requeft, as he had now received a rein- forcement of foldiers, whom he had reafon to believe would be more obedient to his com- mand : whereupon he ordered proclamation to be made, that thofe who were inclined to re- turn, ihould be fupplied with veffels and all proper accommodations : upon which the greater part of the foldiers who came with Narvaez, feiz- ed this opportunity of retiring. But the reader will wonder to find among this number, Andres de Duero, who had been fo much the friend of Cortes, and even owed his life to the valour of that general. But fome mifunderftanding hav- ing happened between them, Duero was refolv- ed to withdraw, and afterwards employed all his intereft in favour of Diego de Velafquez. The charge of conducting and embarking thefe people being committed to Alverado, Cortes difpatched orders to the confederates to make proper preparations for marching on the firft notice •, and in the mean time determined to equip a veffel, and fend fteih agents to Spain, in order to advance the negotiations of Porto- carrero, and Montejo, and to defire they would tranfmit him an account of his own intereft at court, his ignorance of which gave him great anxiety. For this purpofe he drew up a memorial to the king, containing an exact detail of what had happened to him from the time he marched out of Zempoalla, till his retreat to Tlafcala, to- gether with an account of the power, wealth, and extent of the Mexican empire, and the al- liances he had concluded with the Indian na- tions 5 by which he hoped to reduce that vaft and fertile country to the dominion of Spain. He defired fpeedy juftice againft the irregular proceedings of Diego de Velafquez, and Fran- cifco de Garay. He follicited immediate fup- plies of men, horfes, arms and ammunition ; and intreated his majefty to fend over fome clergy- men of irreproachable life and converfation to affift father De Olmedo in the converfion of the Indians, who feemed well difpofed to embrace the chriftian religion. Letters were alfo fent to his majefty by the councils of Vera Cruz and Segura, letting forth the neceffity of fending immediate affiftance, and maintaining Cortes in his poft of captain in chief, as the foundation of this great work be- ing owing to his valour and conduct, it would be very difficult, if not utterly impoffible, to fupply his place with any other perfon capable of bringing it to perfection. Thefe difpatches were intrufted to the care of Alonzo de Mendoza, and Diego de Ordaz, who in a few days afterwards embarked for Spain, having firft received private inftructions to con- ceal their commiffion till they ftiould have found out Cortes's father, and the two former agents, with whom they were to a<5t in concert, as the ftate of affairs might require ■, and that their joint THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, joint follicitations might have the greater influ- ence, they carried a fecond prefent for his ma- jefty, conlifting of gold and curiofities, part of which had been preserved at Tlafcala, and part acquired in the two laft expeditions. At the fame time he fent Alonzo Davila, and Francifco Alvarez Chico, with letters to the re- gulars of St. Jerome, who prefided in the royal audience of St. Domingo, and had jurifdidtion over ail the iflands, and new difcoveries on the main land, defiring their fpeedy affiftance to- wards the fuccefs of the enterprize in which he was engaged •, and entreating that they would interpcll- their authority to put a Hop to the vexatious proceedings of Velafquez and Ga- ray. A favourable anfwer was foon received from thefe fathers, who approved his conduct, pro- mifed to fupport the juftice of his pretentions with the king of Spain, and engaged to put a ftop to all the efforts of his enemies, by commanding them to defift from their oppofition. Ordaz and Mendoza arriving, after a prof- perous voyage, at Seville, found that the bifhop of Eurgos had given pofitive orders to the com- miffioners of trade, to imprifon any one who ar- rived from Spain, and to feize the gold and other merchandize they brought with them. Whereupon leaving the prefent for his majefty in the hands of thofe judges, they were glad to efcape with their letters and difpatches, and fet out in fearch of Martin Cortes and the two for- mer agents, who had been fent from Mexico. They found thefe gentlemen at Medellin, and being afterwards fupported by Adriano, the car- dinal regent, to whom they fubmitted the infpec- tion of Cortes's letters, they entered a prolecu- tion againft the bifhop of Burgos in his own court, and obtained a verdict in their fa- vour. ' This fentence being laid before the King (now emperor) who was juft returned from Germany, it met with his mrj-fty's approbation, and Her- nando Cortes wa" declared a faithful fubject ; an order was made that perpetual filence fhould be impofed on Velafquez, with refpecf. to any pre- tenfions to the conqv?ft of New Spain, and he was only permitted to fue for the money, which the fitting out of Cortes's fleet had coil: him : Cortes's father was indulged with many marks of royal favour, in confideration of the merit of his ten ; a number of priefts were named for the converfion of the Indians ; and orders were given that a fleet fhould be fitted out, with a fupply of men, horfes, and ammunition. In the mean time Cortes received another un- expected fupply of thirteen Spanifh foldiers, who came to leek their fortunes, in a vefiel that arrived at Vera Cruz, with a loading of arms, gunpowder and provifions : he therefore deter- mined to begin his march without waiting till the brigantir.es were finifhed ; for as the troops of the republic and other allies were already al- fembled, he thought it would be improper that they fhould remain idle. It was agreed in a council of his captains, that they fhould make their firfb attempt upon Tezeuco, which lying in the road to Tlafcala, they relblved to fortify and maintain it as a place of fure retreat, where they might find fhelter from the accidents of war. Immediately after this relblution was taken, Cortes reviewed his Spaniards, who amounted to five hundred and forty foldiers, with forty horfe, and nine pieces of artillery, that had been brought on fhore from the veffels. This review was made in the moft oftentatious manner, in order to captivate the admiration of the Indians, of whom there were prodigious numbers to behold the fight : and they were fp charmed with the flying colours, the finery of the foldiers, and their adroitnefs in managing their horfes, handling their arms, and ialuting the general, that they filled the air with fhouts of applauie. Xicotental, at the head of ten thoufand Tlaf- calans, being willing to pay a compliment to Cortes, appeared in his gayeft accoutre- ments, and performed the Indian exercife in the moft pompous manner. All his captains were adorned with plumes of variegated fea- thers, and jewels hanging at their ears and iips. They carried their two-handed fwords un- der the left arm, with the point upwards, and each was attended by a page, who carried his fhield, adorned with figures expreffing Ids own achievements in war. The general foreieeing the difficulty of go- verning an army formed of lb many various na- tions, without rigid dilcipline, drew up feveral articles of war, to be obferved by all perfons on pain of death. Thefe imported, that no man fhould draw his fword againft another, either ia quarters, or while they were marching : that no Spaniards fhould infult a confederate Indian, ei- ther in word or action : that no man fhould vio- late or abufe a woman, though belonging to the enemy : that no lbldier fhould quit the army to go in fearch of plunder, without leave afked and obtained •, and that they fhould not play away their horfes or arms. He alfo prohibited {wear- ing, blafphemy, and other crimes, on pain of infamy and degradation. Thefe orders, which were interpreted to the commanders of the Indian troops, had a prodi- gious effect in reforming their dilcipline, and after a few examples had been made, they con- ducted themfelves with the greateft circumfpec- tion and regularity. Cortes having made thefe prudent regulations, and provided every thing for his march, he made a fpeech to the Spaniards, who were drawn up for the purpofe, in which he exhorted them to behave kindly to the pcor Indians, who had fo warmly efpoufed their intereft. He explained the important nature of the enterprize in which they were engaged ; declared his determination to punifh delinquents with all the rigour of mili- tary dilcipline ; put them in mind of the honour they had already acquired ; reprefented the har- vefi of glory that lay before them, and folemnly declared that he would, upon all occafions, reward fuperior merit to the utmoft of his judgment and ability. After this harangue, which was received with loud peals of acclamation, Cortes, on the feaff. of BY HERNANDO CORTES. 223 of Innocents, in the year 1520, put himfelf at the head of the army, confifting of fixty thou- sand men, and having marched eighteen miles before fun-let, took up his quarters in the town of Tezmcluca, on the confines of Mexico, un- der the government of the cacique of Guazo- cingo, who had provided plenty of provifions for the whole army. They advanced into the enemy's country the next day, proceeding with the utmoft caution ; and being told that the Mexicans were affembled on the other fide of a mountain of difficult paf- fage, in the road to Tezeuco, they ftopt for the ;t in the open fields, making large fires on account of the fevere cold. Early in the morning they began to afcend the mountain, which was overgrown with wood ; and having advanced about a league, they found the way blocked up with trees laid acrofsit, and fharp flakes fixed in the fand, with a view to wound the horfes •, but thefe obftrucfjons were foon removed by a body of two thoufand Tlaf- calans, picked for that iervicc ; and fmall parties were lent out to guard againfl ambufcades. Hav- ing marched two leagues farther, they reached the top of the mountain, from whence they difco- vered the great lake of Mexico, a fight that fil- led them with hope and indignation. They now faw fires fucceffively kindled in the diftant towns, as lignajs of their approach* ; and having held on their march through very difficult roads, till they got clear bf the woods, they dilcovered, at a great diftahce^ the army of the enemy, which filled a large plain, through which ran a considerable ftream of water, col- lected from the neighbouring hills, and over it a fmall wooden bridge was laid, which they had left as a decoy for the Spaniards, propofing to attack them before they could form on the other fide. However, as Cortes advanced, their refolution failed them, and they gradually re- tired from the pafs, until the Spaniards had partly croffed the bridge ; and twenty horfe, with a body of Tlafcalans being detached to keep them in play, they betook themfelves to a precipitate flight, feeking fhelter among the rocks and mountains, whither Cortes did not think proper to purfue them, it being of more importance to him to poflefs himfelf of Tezeuco without lofs of time. The troops were quartered that night in a place within nine miles of Tezeuco •, and as they continued their march the next day, they difcovered ten unarmed Indians coming towards them in hafte, with a plate of gold in the form of a flag, faftened to the top of a lance, as a fignal of peace. Thefe were ambafiadors from the cacique of Tezeuco, who lent them to in- treat Cortes to {pare his country and people, and to admit him into the number of his con- federates ; and they let him know that the ca- cique had provided good quarters for the Spa- niards within the city, and that his allies fhould be properly accommodated with every thing ne- ceffary, without the walls. Cortes examining thefe mefiengers in private, they told him that the reigning emperor of Mexi- co, had threatened their prince with intolerable oppreffion and extortion, becaufe he had refufed to vote for him at his election ■, wherefore he had refolved to fue for the protection of the Spa- niards, in order to fhelter himfelf and his Sub- jects from the tyranny of the emperor. In all probability this cacique was the fame Cacumazin, who had been deprived of his office by Motezuma, and reflored by the new emperor, on account of his inveterate enmity to the Spa- niards. And this appears probable from the diftruft of Cortes, who immediately affembled a council of his officers, acquainted them with the propofals he had received, and his doubts re- specting the fincerity of the cacique •, in confe- quence of which it was determined to proceed with the utmoft caution, and in the mean time accept the offered alliance with apparent chear- fulnefs, in order to obtain a free entrance into the town,where they might be upon their guard, and take fuch mealures as the occafion fhould re- quire. Cortes therefore difpatched the ambafiadors to acquaint their prince, that he accepted his offers with thanks ; and that night took up his quarters in a village near the town, which was deferred by its inhabitants, a circumftance that increafed the general's fufpicion, efpecially as neither the cacique nor any of his people came out to congratulate him on his arrival. At fun-rifing the general made proper dilpo- fitions for attacking the town, which were, how- ever, unneceffary ; for he found the gates open, and entering without refiftance, he advanced through the ftreets in order, till arriving at a large fquare, he there drew up the greater part of his men, while the reft took pofleffion of the avenues. The inhabitants, who crouded together in fe- veral places, exhibited all the figns of fear and anxiety •, and as there was not a iingle woman to be feen, Cortes now no longer doubted their having formed fome hoftile defign. He there- fore lent Pedro de Alverado, and other Spanifh officers, with a body of Tlafcalans, to take pof- feifion of the principal temple, from the top of which they law great numbers of the inhabitants flying from the city, fome by land to the moun- tains, and others in canoes to Mexico. When Cortes enquired for the cacique, he was told that he had fled to Mexico, with a few followers : that his government was detefted by the nobility and people in general ; and that finding on the return of his ambafiadors how ftrongly Cortes was Supported by his Indian al- lies, he was afraid to carry into execution a fcheme that he had formed for letting the Spa- niards into the city, where being fecure and un- fufpecting, he propofed to have them deftroyed in one night by the Mexicans, whom he pro- mifed to admit in the dark for that pur- pofe. Cortes, upon hearing this, determined to con- ciliate the affections of the people, by prohibit- ing his troops, under the moft fevere penalties, to plunder or commit the leaft outrage on the inhabitants : and he quartered all the Spaniards, and part of the Tlafcalans, in the palace of the fugitive cacique, while the reft fpent the night in 224 THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, in the neighbouring ftreets, without entering the houfes, that they might not incommode the people. Some of the priefts came to Cortes the next morning, to return thanks for the moderation with which they had been treated, to offer a pe- tition in behalf of their gods, and to beg permif- fion for the nobles to come and make an offer of their friendfhip and obedience. Cortes having readily granted this requeft, they came in a proceflion, headed by a young man of a very genteel appearance, who told the general that he and his friends were come to ferve in his army, and hoped that their behaviour would entitle them to his protection. Cortes, charmed with the deportment of this young man, embraced him in an affection- ate manner, and having received his followers with marks of refpect, retired to an apartment, where, by his interpreters, he might afk them lb me neceffary queftions : when they informed him that the youth who had firft accofted him, was fon to the elder brother of Cacumazin, and of courfe the right heir to the crown, which that ufurper had poffeffed, after having mur- dered the lawful fovereign : and Cortes learning from their difcourfe, that Cacumazin was odious to the people, on account of his tyranny and oppreffion, determined to raife this young prince to the throne ; who was accordingly crowned with great folemnity the next day, amidll the acclamations of the people. The city was immediately re-peopled, in con- fequence of this revolution,by the return of thole families who had fled to the mountains : the Mexicans were declared enemies to the city, and the inhabitants, who now looked upon the Spa- niards as their bell benefactors, readily aflifted to the number of fix or feven thoufand, in work- ing upon the canals that conveyed the waters of the lake to the city, in order to make them wider and deeper for the reception of the brigantines. In order to facilitate this work, in which the men were often difturbed by canoes from Mexico, and to give employment to the Indian allies, Cortes determined to advance with part of his forces to the city of Iztapalapa, which was lituated fix leagues nearer Mexico, within the lake, the water of which was brought into the town by trenches, provided with flukes to be opened or fhut as occafion lhould require. Ac- cordingly he let out on this expedition with three hundred Spaniards and ten thoufand Tlaf- calans, leaving the military government of Tezueco to Gonzalo de Sandoval. They began their march by the caufeway, and when they came within fight of Iztapalapa, they were oppofed by a body of eight thoufand Mexicans, who having fought for fome time with great bravery, retired into the city, and throwing themfelves into the lake, luddenly difappeared. Cortes finding the gates left open, entered the city, the higheft part of which being utterly abandoned, he there propofed to take up his quarters for the night •, but juft at the dole of the evening, the Spaniards perceived the canals overflowing, and the water rujhing upon them from the fluices, with fuch prodigious impe- tuofity, that they were under the neceffity of quitting the place with the utmoft expedition, or the whole army would have been drowned. Cortes, who was exceedingly vexed at the fuccefs of this ftratagem, fpent the night on a little rifing ground, where the troops fuffered extremely from the cold weather, and the wet- nefs of their cloaths : and at break of day he retreated towards Tezeuco, making the men march at a very quick pace, that they might be warmed with exercife : but they had not proceeded far, when they faw themfelves pur- lued by a prodigious number of the enemy, fo that they were under the neceffity of facing about, in order to fuftain the attack, which at firft was very violent, but being foon repulied with confiderable lols, the army continued their march •, but notwithftanding this check, the Mexicans rallied their forces, and twice re- turned to the charge, by which they loft above fix thoufand men : nor did they quit the field till Cortes approached near to Tezeuco, when they left the victory to the Spaniards, who loft not one man, though many of the ibldiers were wounded, and one horfe was fo covered with arrows, that he but juft lived to bring off his rider. While Cortes remained at Tezeuco, he was vifited by many of the neighbouring caciques, who came to unite with him againft the emperor of Mexico ; and among others, deputies arrived in great hafte from the provinces of Chalco and Otumba, folliciting affiftance againft a numerous army of Mexicans, who were arrived upon the frontiers, and threatned to deftroy them for having entered into an alliance with the Spaniards. Cortes, refolving to protect his allies, and prevent the enemy from gaining a poll by which they might cut oft" his communication with Tlalcala, detached Gonzalo de Sandoval, and Francilco de Lugo, with two hundred Spaniards, fifteen horfe, and a body of Tlafcalans. Thefe were attacked in their march, by a body of Mexicans, who lay in ambulcade -, but though they were eafily routed, they affembled a very formidable army in another part of the road, where they refojved to give the Spa- niards battle. Sandoval and Lugo being informed of their defign, advanced in exact order, and the Mexi- cans milling upon them in a furious and difor- derly manner, met with fuch a warm reception from the fire-arms and crols-bows, as checked their career ; then the horfe advancing, made room for the infantry and Tlafcalans, who fcon threw the multitude into confufion, and being attacked in the rear at the fame time by the troops of Chalco and Otumba, they were totally defeated with a dreadful (laughter. Eight of the chief perfons in the Mexican army were taken prilbners, after which the victorious army palled the night in the city of Chalco, where they were entertained with great hoipita- lity. The old enmity between the Chalquefe and the Tlafcalans was now forgotten, and the Spanilh, BY HERNANDO CORTES. 225 Spanifli captains laid hold of this favourable op- portunity to mediate a treaty of peace between the two nations, which was afterwards ratified by die fenate of Tlafcala. A happy period being thus put. to the ex- pedition, Sandoval and Lugo returned to Te- zeuco, where they met with particular marks of the approbation of Cortes, who directing the eight Mexican prifoners to be brought before him, received them, in the midft of all his cap- tains, with an air of great feverity, while they ap- proached with fymptoms of extreme terror and confufion, to fuffer that punifhment which they thought inevitable: but he informed them by his interpreters, that though it was in his power to retort upon them, the barbarous cruel; ies they had exerclfed on his people, he would con- vince them that the Spaniards equally excelled them in generofity and valour, and that he would give them both life and liberty if they would promife, upon their honour, to tell the prince in his name, that he was coming to demand fatis- faction for their prefidious attack upon him in hks from Mexico, contrary to the treaty which they themfelves had propoled and con- firmed ; but chiefly to revenge the death of Motezuma, whom they had barbaroufly mur- dered ; that his army being now increafed, not onlv by a number of invincible Spaniards, but alio by numerous warlike nations that detefted the Mexican name, he would fpeedily leek the emperor in the midft of the court, lay the city in afhes, and drown his very remembrance in the blood of his people, unlefs he would im- mediately deprecate his wrath, and fue for a peace, which fhould be granted on reafonable conditions. Cortes having thus delivered his fentiments, ordered the prisoners to be unchained, and ac- commodated with a boat to carry them to Mexico by water : on which they threw them- leives at Ids feet, and promifed not only to ac- quaint the emperor with his overtures, but to ufe their beft endeavours to bring about an ac- commodation : but they never returned with any anfwer, nor indeed did Cortes believe that this part of his behaviour would have any other effect, than iuftifying the war he had undertaken in the opinion of the Indians, and raifing their idea of his clemency. About this time Cortes received advice from Martin Lopez, that the brigantines being corn- pleated, he would foon let forward with them •, the republic of Tlafcala having provided ten ihouland tamenes, or carriers, and two thou- land to relieve fuch as fhould tire, exclufive of thofe who were appointed to carry the ammu- nition and provifions, and twenty thoufand ioldiers who waited this opportunity to join the army •, but that he would wait in the laft town belonging to the diftrict of Tlalcala, for a convoy of Spaniards, as he thought it would be imprudent to march through the Mexican territories without any other protec- tion than that of the allied Indians. A general joy was diffufed throughout the army by this news, and Cortes immediately ordered Gcnzalo de Sandoval to march with two hundred Spaniards, fifteen horfe, and N" 19. 3 L fome companies of Tlafcalans, towards the confines of the republic, to meet Lopez and conduct him with his materials to Tezeuco. Accordingly this officer fet out, and halted one day in his route at Zulepeque, a fmall town that refilled to fubmit, and was the very place where the Spaniards were murdered in their way from Vera Cruz to Mexico ; for which reafon he had orders to chaftife and reduce the inha- bitants ; who no fooner perceived the detach- ment, than they abandoned the place, and fled to the mountains, whither a few Spaniards and four companies of Tlafcalans puriued them. Sandoval entering the town, found thefe words written upon a wall with charcoal. "In this houf& " the unhappy Juan Jufte was taken, with " many others his companions ;" and afterwards the heads of thofe Spaniards, dried, to preferve them from putrefaction, were found in one of the temples. This fliocking fpectacle infpired the beholders with rage, and Sandoval determined to punifli the authors of fuch diabolical cruelty, in the moil exemplary manner ; when the companies he had fent in purluit of the fugitives, returned with a great number of men, women and chil- dren, having killed upon the mountains all thofe who refilled to furrender. Thefe miferable wretches, already half dead with fear, teftified their forrow, and implored the mercy of the Spaniards by tears and out- cries, fo that they were foon moved to com- paflion. Sandoval gave his officers a hint to intercede with him in their behalf, that they might fet the greater value upon their pardon, which he at length granted, and received the fubmif- fion of the cacique and principal inhabitants, who from that time forwards adhered to the Spaniards in the ftriileft manner. The wretched remains of the murdered Spa- niards being decently interred, Sandoval pro- ceeded on his march to the frontiers of Tlafcala, where he was joyfully received by Martin Lopez, and a young officer named Chicheme- cal, who commanded the Tlafcalan reinforce- ment, and could fcarcely be prevailed upon to wait for the Spanifli detachment, fo greatly was he inflamed with the defire of fignalizing him- lelf againft the Mexicans. Sufficient time having been allotted for the reft and refrefhment of the men, Sandoval made the proper difpofitions for marching back to Tezeuco, and Chichemecal being ftationed in the rear, was fo incenied at the fuppofed affront, that he could hardly be prevailed upon to pro- ceed till Sandoval offered to march along with him. The vanguard was compofed of part of the Spaniards and Tlafcalans who came from Te~ zeuco ■, the carriers marching in rank and file with their burdens, and properly fecured on the flanks, conftituted the main body-, and the new reinforcement brought up the rear. In this order they proceeded through the Mexican territories, unmolefted by the enemy, different bodies of whom frequently appeared on the hills at a diftance. On their approaching Tezeuco they were met by Cortes and the cacique of that city, who 226 THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, who came out with joy to receive them •, when they made their entrance together, amidft the acclamations of the people and the whole army •, and the planks, iron-work and other materials, were ftored feperately in a large work houfe prepared for that purpole near the canals. Martin Lopez having informed Cortes that the veffels could not be compleated in lefs than twenty days, he relolved to employ that time in reconnoitring the country about the lake, fe- curing proper pofts fo as to prevent the enemy from receiving fuccours, and doing them other damage as opportunity might offer. While he was employed in making prepara- tiens for this excurfion, Chichemecal defired an audience, in which he complained of hav- ing lain totally inactive for the fpace of five whole days, and begged to be inftantly employ- ed in fome fervice in which he might exerciie his capacity and courage. Cortes told him with an air of raillery, that he fhould foon have an opportunity of trying his ardour in an ex- pedition of fome importance, and that he him- felf would accompany him, and bear witnefs to his exploits. Leaving the government of Tezeuco, and the care of forwarding the brigantines to Sandoval, he, with Alverado and De Olid, put himfelf at the head of a detachment confiding of two hundred and fifty Spaniards, twenty horfe, a numerous body of the nobles of Te- zeuco-, fifteen thoufand Tlafcalans under the command of Chichemecal, and about five thou- fand commanded by Xicotental, and began his march towards Yaltocan, a town five leagues from Tezeuco, fituated upon one of the little lakes which difcharge themfelves into the great lake of Mexico ; refolving to reduce the place, and chaftife the inhabitants, who had returned an infolent anfwer, and even wounded the mef- fengers whom he had lately fent to require their obedience, and to offer them terms of peace. At a fmall diftance from the town, he found the Mexicans drawn up in order of battle ; but after one difcharge of the crofs-bows and fire- arms, the horfe rufhing in among them, threw them into diforder, and they were totally routed with a great fiaughter : fome threw themfelves into the lake, fome were taken prilbners and fent in fetters to Tezeuco, but the greater part of them fled to the mountains. Cortes deferring the afiault upon the town till the next day, they pafied the night in fome houfes near the field of battle ; but the next morning they found the enterprize more diffi- cult than had been imagined ; for the town was fituated in the lake and wholly furrounded with water, and the bridge or caufeway being deftroyed, it would have been found utterly impracticable to carry the place, had not one of the Indians of Tezeuco informed Cortes that the lake was fordable at a little diftance ; upon which he ordered two companies of Spaniards and a considerable number of the allies to pafs over, which they performed in the face of the enemy, who refolutely defended the pafiage with their flings and arrows, obliging every man to fight, while he was up to the middle in water ; but when the Mexicans were repulfed from the fhore, and faw the aflailants forming them- felves in a plain near the town, they haftily retired to their canoes, leaving the place un- guarded, which the Spaniards entered without oppofition. Cortes now permitted the foldiers to pillage the town, as a puniihment to the inhabitants, but as they had taken away the greater part of their effects, nothing was found but a few jewels which the owners had neglect- ed to conceal, a quantity of cotton cloths, and fome loads of fait and corn, which laft articles were fent to the army. The officers having (tt fire to the principal temples, with a view to ftrike terror into the fugitives, and be a warn- ing to the neighbouring towns, they repaffed the ford, and the army continuing its march, they found leveral towns fituated upon the lake, in each of which places Cortes lodged one night, in order to make proper obierva- tions, and afterwards quitted them, without fuffering any damage to be done to the build- ings, that the Indians might fee that unlefs he met with oppofition, he never behaved in a ri- gorous manner. Cortes now marched towards Tacuba, which being nearer Mexico than any town upon the lake, was a place of great importance ; but he had no defign of reducing it at prefent, his in- tention being only to take a view of it, that he might the better judge how to attack it at a more proper time. When he approached the town he difcovered a prodigious number of the enemy drawn up in order of battle, who inftant- ly attacked him in the molt refolut£ manner ; but after a number of ineffectual efforts, they turned their backs, and many of them were flain in the flight. The Spaniards remained all night in the field of battle, and next morning they were again attacked by the enemy, who being ealily routed, and flying into the town, many of the Spaniards and allies entered with them, and continued the fight within the city, till the evening, when the general ordered them to be called back, having firft directed them to fet fire to fome houfes, that the enemy being employed, the Spaniards might retreat without oppofition. During five days that Cortes remained in this place, he was frequently attacked by the Indians, who were conftantly driven back to the city with confiderable lofs ; from which he began to hope that he fhould be able to carry the town, when the garrifon was wafted by thefe conftant fallies. At length he difcovered a large body of Mexi- cans, advancing on the caufewav, and having allowed part of them to pafs and draw up on the main" land, he charged them with great fury, when after a flight refiftance they fled towards the caufeway, and he purfuing with great preci- pitation, fell into the fnare they had laid for him •, for his troops were no lboner cronded on this narrow pavement, than the Mexicans faced about to keep them in action, while a prodi- gious number of canoes failed out of Mexico, and invefted both fides of the caufeway ; fo that, the Spaniards were at once attacked in front, flank and rear ; and to add to the danger of their litua- tion BY HERNANDO CORTES. rion, the afiuilants were armed with long fpears, pointed with the fwords of the unfortunate fojdiers who had been killed and taken in their retreat from Mexico. Cortes, in this emergency, formed a front every way , making great havock among the Mexicans, and at length brought off his troops with little lofs, though many of them were wounded, and a pair of colours in imminent , fo that ftreams of blood flowed into the river that ran at the bot- tom of the rock. Sandoval, whofe armour during the engage- ment was ftiattered to pieces,' having in three vict ories deftroyed the Mexican army to a man, began his retreat the next day towards Tezeuco j and he was no fooner gone, than the emperor of Mexico ordered a new army to march, over whom theChalquefesobtainedacompleat victory, after a defperate battle, in which great numbers were flain on both fides. The 228 THE CON QJU EST OF MEXICO, The brigantines being yet unfinifhed, Cortes determined to penetrate in perfon as far as Suchimilco, a town upon the lake, fumifhed with a broad caufeway, which joined thofe that led to Mexico, that he might animate the peo- ple of Chalco, who were apprehenfive of new invafions : and indeed this was a very feaion- able relief to the Chalquefes, who had difcover- ed on the fide of Suchimilco, a new army of Mexicans, who threatened to ravage and fub- due the whole country. The confedrate caci- ques we:e already afTembled in the city of Chal- co, to deliberate on meafures for defending them- felves againft this formidable armament, when the unexpected arrival of Cortes filled the city with gratitude and joy. Cortes being informed by the Indian fcouts, that the Mexicans had taken polfieffion of fome almoft inacceffible mountains on the way to Suchimilco, and a large reinforcement of the allies having joined his army, he immediately marched to a town which he found deferted by its inhabitants, in which he paffed the night. Early the next morning, as he entered the mountainous country by a narrow and difficult path between two ridges of rocks, the Mexicans fhewed them- felves on the tops of the eminences on each fide : and the army marched ilowly on till they arrived at an opening, where the general order- ed the men to be formed, and to attack a con- fiderable fortrefs fituated on the top of a rock, where the enemy appeared in great numbers, infulting the Spaniards. On this occafion, Cortes, yeilding to the im- pulfe of his paffion, without flaying to choofe the leaft difficult path, ordered Pedro de Barba and Bernal Diaz de Caftillo to begin the attack, with twocompaniesof mufqueteers and crofs-bows. At firft the Mexicans retired in feeming confu- fion ; but when the Spaniards had mounted to the moll dangerous part of the precipice, they returned with horrible outcries, tumbling: down a dreadful torrent of flones and pieces of the rock, which bore every thing before them. Cortes now feeing the impoffibility of fucceed- ing, and the imminent danger to which his men e expofcd, gave orders for a retreat, which they effected with the lofs of four Spaniards killed on the ipot, and a confiderable number wounded, among whom was the commander Pedro de Barba. Cortes, extremely mortified at this difgrace, which his own imprudence had occafioned, now ordered the army to march, laying open his flanks in order to allure the Mexicans ; but on a hidden he turned fhort upon them, but was un- able to do them much damage, on account of the thicknefs of the woods and the fwiftnefs of their flight : at the fame time thofe above for- fook their fortification, and followed the Spa- niards at a diflance on the tops of the mountains. Cortes having proceeded a league and a half, faw another fortrefs of the fame kind, ganifoned by the enemy, which he did not think proper to attack, but encamped near a forfaken village top of an eminence. In the morning the general reconnoitring the enemy's poll, obferved an eminence within mufket-fhot, which they had neglected to oc- cupy. This being mftantly feized by Verdugo Barba and Alderete, with mufketeers, they made fuch a fire upon the Mexicans, that, terrified at the unexpected difcharge, they immediately re- tired to a town adjoining to the fortrefs, from whence they fled to the more diflant parts of the country. The town and fort being thus abandoned, fe- vcral women appeared on the hill, wavin^white cloths in token of peace ; and the cacique com- ing down, affured Cortes, that both he and his people were unconcerned in the hoflilities com- mitted by the Mexicans, and that he fubmitted the town and fort to the jurildiclion of the Spa- niards, who thereupon took polfeflion of it in the name of Charles the fifth. The army now marche on to Guaflepeque, but before they reached that town, the cacique, at- tended by the principal inhabitants, came out to meet Cortes, and invited him and the reft of the Spaniards to lodge in his palace, which for elegance misfit have vied even with thofe of Motezuma, and was furniihed with fo large and delightful a garden, as filled the Spaniards with admiration. But they had not much time to enjoy the beauties of this place, for Ccrtes having intelli- gence that the enemy had halted at Quiflavaca, in order to diipute his paffage over a hollow way filled with water, he ordered the army to march for that town. The Mexicans had cut down the bridges, and covered the banks with fuch a number of men, that the pafi'age appeared to be impracticable ; but Cortes plied the enemy with fire-aims and arrows, and ordered fome bridges to be made of long trees, which being laid acrofs at a narrow part of the chafm, afford- ed a paffage for the infantry. Here however, they were attacked with fuch fury that they could hardly keep their ground, and were in the utmoft danger, when Cortes, Olid, Alverado, and Tapia came to their affiflance with the horfe, which, with great difficulty they had brought over. Thefe, together with fome Spaniards and Tlafcalans, who croffed at a third place, charged the Mexicans with fuch impetuous valour, that they were inflantly difordered, routed and pur- ified to the mountains with great flaug-hter ; and the town, being abandoned by the inhabitants, was plundered by the foldiers. Cortes took the road to Suchimilco early the next morning, and during that day had a fatigu- ing march, through a long defile, and a dry barren country, where the foldiers were greatly diflreffed for want of water. At night they lodged in fome houfes near the road, and at day-break, Cortes drew up his men in order of battle, and continued his march, expecting to meet with ftrong oppofition ; and as he ap- proached the place, he perceived the Mexicans drawn up in a plain that fkirted the town, with a large and rapid river in the front, the banks of which they had double lined with foldiers, while their main body was placed to defend a bridge which they had barricadoed with planks and fafcines. Cortes BY HERNANtJd CORTES. 229 Cortes having extended the troops of the allies along the fide of the river to keep the ene- my in play, ordered the Spaniards to advance and attack the bridge, which they at length gained, after having been twice repulfed ■, and the Mexicans were io diicou raged at the lofs of it, that they began to fly in great difordcr •, when the Spaniards immediately forming on the ground which the Mexicans had quitted, and being joined by fome bodies of the allies who had fwam over the river, advanced towards the Mexicans who had halted near the town, and charged them with fuch fury that they retired into the city, at the gates of which prodigious numbers were flain. Cortes, leaving part of his troops to fecure a retreat, followed the fugitives, and ordering fome companies to fcour the ftreets to the right and left, advanced to the principal avenue, which was defended by the greateft force of the enemy. This he furmounted with fome diffi- culty, and impelled by his innate valour, rufhed forwards into the midll of the multitude, by whom he was inftantly furrounded, and his re- treat cut off. Thus fituated, he performed wonders of va- lour, till his horfe falling, he was overpowered and feized, and nothing laved his life but the earneft defire of the Mexicans to carry him alive as a prefent to the emperor : but before they could carry him off, Chriftoval dc Olid, a foldier of lingular courage, feeing the diftrefs of his general, put himfelf at the head of fome Tlaf- calans who were fighting near him, and forced his way to the fpot, where, with his own hand, he flew the Mexicans who had feized Cortes, who having thus regained his liberty at the ex- pence of only two flight wounds, pufhed the enemy fo vigoroufly, that they retired to that part of the city which was built in the water, leaving the Spaniards in pofieflion of all the ftreets upon the firm land. During this engagement in the town, the troops without the gates were attacked by ten thouiand men, fent in canoes from Mexico, under officers of approved valour, who fought for a considerable time with great obftinacy, but were at length compelled to reimbark with great lofs, but not till they had wounded three captains, and a confiderable number of Spanifh and Tlaf- calan foldiers. Cortes, being now mafter of all the buildings and ftreets on the main land, placed fufficient guards by the water fide, and ordered an officer, with twenty or thirty Spaniards, to keep watch on the top of the principal temple, which com- manded a view of the country. Thefe, near the clofe of the evening, gave notice that they dif- covered about two thoufand armed canoes advan- cing with great fpeed from Mexico ; upon which the guards at the landing place were inftantly doubled, and in the morning the enemy difem- barked at a confiderable diftance from the city, . to the number of fifteen hundred men. Cortes immediately marched out, and attacked them fo furioufly, that they were routed at the firft onfet, and a great number of them flain. The general having continued at Suchimilco N? XX. 3 M four days, retreated in good order to Tezeuco, with the fatisfaiftion of having effected the end of his expedition, which was to reconnoitre the city and weaken the force of the enemy, before he ihould Undertake the fiege of Mexico ; but he was greatly chagrined at his having loft nine or ten Spaniards : for befides thofe who were killed at the mountain, three or four were taken alive in pillaging one of the houfes at Suchimilco, and two of his fervants fell into an ambufcade, by carelefsly feperating from the army in their retreat. In a few days after Cortes's return to Tezeu- co, a private foldier, who had been long in the fervice, came to him, dnd with figns of fear and concern, defired a private audience, which the general having granted, he gave him an exadt account of a confpiracy which had been formed in his abfence. The contriver and promoter of this treacherous defign, was one Antonio de Villafana, who being weary of the fatigues of war, began to murmur againft the general, and in particular charged him with obftinacy and raflinefs in undertaking the enterprize againft Mexico. Finding that his difcourfe was liftened to by his fellow-foldiers, he fignified a defire of giving up the enterprize, and returning to Cuba ; but as this could hot be done without the confent of Cortes, he, having firft fufficiently founded his confederates, propofed a fcheme for aflaflinating the general and all his principal officers, except Francifco Verdugo, who had married a fifter of Diego Velafquez •, and they propofed to confer the chief command upon him, which they ima- gined would give a fanction to their mutiny, and be extremely agreeable to the governor of Cuba: but as they knew Verdugo to be a man of hon- our, and the friend of Cortes, they were afraid to make him acquainted with the defign. The confpirators ufed to meet at Villafana's quarters, where they figned a paper obliging themfelves to aid and fupport him in the execution of this fcheme : and in a word, the affair was fo ma- naged, that the number of fubferibers daily in- creafed, and it was at length agreed to feign a packet from Vera Cruz, and that this being de- livered to the general while he was at table with his friends, the confpirators fhould then rufti into the room, under pretence of hearing the news, and murder them all while Cortes was reading the firft letter. Cortes having received this information, went immediately, with two alcaldes, and fome of his captains, to fecure Villafana, whom he found at his quarters, with three or four of the confpi- rators. His guilt was evident at the fight of Cortes, who having put him in irons, and or- dered every body to retire, on pretence of exa- mining him privately, took out of the wretch's bo- fom, a paper figned by all the confpirators, in which he found fome names that augmented his concern. However, he concealed this paper even from, his friends ■, caufed the accomplices who were found with Villafana to be imprifoned apart, and left inftruclions with the officers of juftice to proceed immediately on his trial, without taking THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXICO, 230 taking any notice of the confpirators -, and Villafana, confefTing his crime, was feen next morning hanging at the window of his quar- ters ; fo that his guilt and punifhment were made public at the fame time. As this, hcwever, was no time to fatisfy the demands of juftice with the lives of fo many Spaniards, Cortes gave out that Villafana had torn in pieces and fwallowed a paper, which he imagined contained the names of his accompli- ces : then calling together his officers and fol- diers, he gave them an account of the defign a- gainft his life, and the lives of his friends ; pre- tended to be very happy in not knowing Villa- fana's accomplices, and begged his friends to enquire whether the Spaniards complained of his conduct, that he might correct his own faults, and give them all reafonable fatisfac- tion. He now ordered the foldiers who had been apprehended with Villafana to be releafed, and behaved in his ufual manner to the reft of the confpirators ; fo that being fully perfuaded that he was ignorant of their crime, they afterwards ferved him with extraordinary diligence, to pre- vent his fufpecting their fidelity. A few days after this, Cortes was perplexed with another affair, that gave him great uneafi- nefs. Xicotental, whole mind ftill retained the feeds of animofity againft Cortes, having, pro- bably, received fome new difguft, retired in the night with fome companies of Tlafcalans who were devoted to his fervice ; and Cortes, being informed of his flight, fent fome noble Indians of Tezeuco, to perfuade him to come back •, but Xicotental returning a contemptuous an- fwer, three companies of Spaniards, and a num- ber of Indians, were fent in purfuit of him, with orders to take him prifoner, or to kill him in cafe of refiftance. As lie defended himfelf with the utmoft obftinacy, it was impoffible to take him alive, and he no fooner fell, than his fol- diers, who had fought with reluctance, fubmit- ted, and returned to Tezeuco, leaving their ge- neral hanging on a tree. As foon as thefe difturbances were quieted, Cortes ordered the brigantines to be launched and rigged, and then reviewed his Spaniards, who amounted to nine hundred men, near two hundred of whom ufed fire-arms and crofs-bows, and the reft were armed with fwords, bucklers, and lances : befides thefe, he had eighty-fix horfe, and eighteen pieces of cannon, with plen- ty of ammunition. He then ordered twenty Spaniards, under the command of a captain, to go on board each veffel, with twelve rowers, and one piece of artillery. Things being thus difpofed, Cortes divided his army into three bodies, that he might at the fame time make himfelf mafter of the three principal caufeways. The expedition of Tacuba was committed to Pedro de Alverado, who had under his com- mand one hundred and fifty Spanifh foot, thirty horfe, thirty thoufand Tlafcalans, and two pieces of artillery. The attack of Cuyocan was afligned to Chriftoval de Olid, with one hundred and fixty Spaniards, two pieces of cannon, and thirty thoufand confederate Indians : And the attempt upon Iztapalapa, was left to Gonzalo de San- doval, who had alfo two pieces of artillery, and commanded one hundred and fifty Spaniards, twenty-four horfe, and all the troops of Gua- cocingo, Chalco, and Cholula, amounting to above forty thousand men. Olid and Alverado marched together as far as Tacuba, which was abandoned by its inhabi- tants, numbers of whom had fled to the moun- tains with their moft valuable effects, while thofe who were able to bear arms had retired to Mexi- Here the two Spanifh captains having in- co tellisence that the Mexicans had formed a con- fiderable body within half a league of the city, to cover the aquaducts that fupplied it with freih water, marched thither, and after a warm con- teft, drove the enemy from their pofts, broke the aquaducts in feveral places, and thus effec- tually cut off their water. This fervice being performed, Olid, with his divifion marched on to Cuyocan, while Cortes having allowed Sandoval time to reach Iztapa- lapa, took upon himfelf the command of the lake, embarking with the cacique of Tezeuco and his brother, having firft left a fufficient number of troops to cover his phce of arms, and fecure a communication with his quarters. The brigantines being drawn up in a line, and adorn- ed with flags and ftreamers to engage the ad- miration of the enemy, he advanced towards Mexico, and then failing back, perceived a pretty ftrong caftle, fituated in a fmall ifland, from whence the Mexicans provoking him with abufive language, he determined to attack them in fight of the city, the terraces and balconies of which were filled with innumerable multi- tudes of people : he therefore landed with one hundred and fifty Spaniards, and after a vigorous oppofition, drove the enemy into the caftle, where being fo crouded that they had not room to make ufe of their arms, they were obliged to furrender. The Spaniards now rcimbarked, and failed towards Iztapalapa, in order to aflift Sandoval, when they law a fleet of canoes affembling on the lake, from Mexico and other places, till their numbers were increafed to four thoufand. Cortes, drawing up his veffels in the form of a half moon, advanced towards the enemy, when a breeze of vind fpringing up on a fudden, they began the attack with their artillery at a dif- tance, and then failing brifkly forwards, ran foul of the canoes with fuch force as to overlet all that were in their way, while terrible havock was made by the crofs-bows and fire-arms, and the enemy were fo blinded by the fmoke, that they knew not which way to turn. The nobks of Mexico, who had manned the firft five hundred canoes, made fome ftiew of refiftance ; but moft of them being destroy- ed, the reft were thrown into fuch confufion, that they ran foul of each other, fo that the greater part of them foundered •, a prodigious number of men perilhed, and the brigantines purfuing the reft with their cannon Ihot, com- pelled them to ftielter thcmfelves in the canals of BY HERNANDO CORTES. 231 of the city of Mexico. After this victory Cortes fired fome (hot into the city by way of triumph, while the aftonifhed. Mexicans deplored their lols with loud lamentations. The general palled the night near Tezeuco, and in the morning, when he was on the point of failing to Iztapalapa, he difcovered a great number of canoes making towards Cuyocan, and inftantly purfujag them, found De Olid engaged on the caufeway, and fo hard prelfed on both fides by the canoes, that he could fcarce- ly maintain the ground he had gained. The Mexicans had drawn up the bridges of the caufeways towards the city, and fortified them with barricadoes of planks and timbers, fo that the Spaniards were obliged to demolilh and and clear thofe places of defence, by means of their crofs bows, fire-arms and artillery, until the ditch fhould be filled up with fafcines, and the ruins of its own fortification. At fight of the brigantines, all the canoes on that fide of the caufeway fled with precipita- tion ; but thofe on the other fide ftill continuing the engagement, Cortes ordered the ditch in De Olid's rear to be widened, for the paflage of three brigantines ; upon which the enemy re- tired in diforder, to the laft rampart next the city. The "troops, keeping the ground they had gained, palTed the night upon the caufeway, and in the morning continued their march, almofl without oppofition, till they approached the laft bridge, which was fortified with ftrong works ; and the trenches which were cut in the ftreets were defended by a prodigious number of people. The artillery from the brigantines deftroyed great numbers of the Mexicans, who appeared in crowds at the openings of the ftreets while De Olid, having ruined the for- tification of the cauleway, and filled up the ditch, charged the defendants, who made fv.ch a refolute refiftance, that Cortes, impatient of delay, landed with thirty Spaniards, and foon compelled the enemy to turn their backs, and leave the chief ftreet of Mexico unguarded. However, the fugitives took poifeffion of a temple near the entrance of the city, cover- ing the town and ftairs in fuch a manner, that they formed a mountain of arms and fea- thers ; and from this poft they defied the Spa- niards : but they were foon diflodged by three or four pieces of cannon landed for that purpofe: all that part of the city was forfaken, the idols were burned, and the temple afforded quarters to the Spanifti troops. The next day Cortes retired to Cuyocan, from whence he proceeded to Iztapalapa, where he found Sandoval reduced to the utmoft extre- mity. He had poffeffed himfelf of the build- ings on the land, and made great havock a- mong the enemy, who approached in their canoes to annoy him •, he had demoliftied fome houfes, overthrown two or three reinforcements from Mexico, which had been fent to attack him by land, and the Indians having that day abandoned a large building, he determined to feize k, in order to enlarge his quarters, and drive the enemy to a greater diftance. This fcheme he effected by forming a pafTage with faicines •, but he had no fooner entered with fome of his people, than a great number of canoes, which had lain in ambufh, advanced, with a number of expert fwimmers, who threw themfelves into the water, and took away the fafcines ; fo that his retreat being cut oft", he was belicged on all fides, the enemy fhooting their arrows at him and his men, from the terraces and windows of the neighbouring houfes. In this fituation he was found by Cortes, wiio perceiving the prodigious number of canoes in the water ftreets, ordered his brigantines to advance, and played his artillery fo fucccfsfully, that the enemy tied in great confulicn ; thofe who were upon the terraces crouding into the canoes, funk a great number, and the reft en- deavouring to elcape, fell in among the bri- gantines, fo that the iofs of the Mexicans in this action was very ccnliderable. Cortes now determined to quit this poft, and to detach Sandoval to Tapeaquilla, where there was another caufeway, the poffeflion of which would effectually hinder the Mexicans from being fupplied with provifions, of which they already began to be in want. This defign was inftantly executed by Sandoval, who finding the place abandoned, poffeffed himfelf of in without ,refiftance. Cortes now failed to Ta- cuba, to vifit Alverado, who had met with various fuccefs •, for though the place was aban- doned on his approach, he had been obliged to beat down works, fill up ditches, and at one time advanced fo far as to fet fire to fome houfes in Mexico. Cortes obierving that this method of attack- ing and retreating ferved only to walk time, determined to put a ftop to all operations by land, till he fhould make himfelf abfolnte m af- ter of the lake. For this purpofe he lent for all the canoes belonging to the allied towns, which being manned with the moft expert Indians, he formed them into l'quadrons commanded by officers of their own nations, and diftributed them among the brigantines, four of which he Tent to Sandoval, and left the fame number with Alverado, while he himfelf joined De Olid with the other five. Thus dilpofed, they cruifed continually up and down the lake, and along the caufeways ; by which means they took many canoes loaded with provifions and water, by which the befieged were reduced to the utmoft diftrefs. Thefe difficulties ferved only to infpire the Mexicans with frefn courage, and put them upon devifing new ftratagems : they now difpatched canoes by round-about ways, to clear the ditches which the Spaniards had filled up •, they alfo made failles in the rught to fatigue them by want of fleep, that they might attack them with the advantage of frefn troops ; and they built thirty large veffels called piraguas, ftrengthened with planks, to fhelter them from the fhot in time of engagement. With this fleet they fallied' forth in the night, and lay in ambufh behindxi grove of reeds in the lake, which effectually concealed them from view. In THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, 232 In order to decoy the brigantines that ufually . cruized about the lake by two at a time, they provided three or four canoes laden with provi- fions, for a bait, and fixed a great number of large Hakes in the water to deftroy or incumber the brigantines. Agreeable to their expectation, the next day two of the brigantines that attended Sandoval began their cruize, under the command of Pe- dro de Barba and Juan Portillo ; when the Mexicans fent out their canoes, which being feen at a diftance, pretended to fly and hide among the reeds ; and the brigantines purfuing them, fell in among the hidden ftakes, where they were fo embarraiTed, that they were unable to move backwards or forwards. Then the piraguas ad- vancing from their lurking places, attacked them fo furioufly, that the Spaniards would cer- tainly have been dellroyed, had not fome expert fv/immers, with hatches and other tools, cut away the ftakes, and made room for the brigan- tines, which having regained their liberty, kept fucha fire on the enemy, that almoft all the pi- raguas were funk, and the reft purfued towards Mexico with great (laughter. But in this action the brigantines received confiderable damage, many Spaniards were wounded, Juan Portillo was killed on the fpot, and Pedro de Barba died of his wounds three days afterwards. It was not long before this ftratagem was turned againft the Mexicans, who having again concealed themfelves among the reeds, Cortes, who had intelligence thereof, ordered fix brigan- tines to ftieer off in the night, and lie in ambufh among fome other reeds not far from the ambuf- cade of the enemy : one of thefe brigantines be- ginning her cruize in the morning, and difcover- ing the piraguas as it were by accident, flood oft' immediately, and pretended to fly towards the place of the counter-ambufcade. She was in- llantly purfued by the piraguas, until being at a proper diftance, the other brigantines fallied forth, and attacked them fo furioufly with their artillery, that almoft all of them were funk at the firft difcharge, and the greater part of the men perifhed. Cortes now learning that the people of Mexi- co began to murmur for want of provifions, de- termined to exert his utmoft diligence in cutting off all relief from the city ; and in the mean time lent two Mexican noblemen with a mefiage to Guatimozin, offering to leave him in poflef- fion of his empire, if he would acknowledge the fovereignty of the King of Spain, as his prede- ceflbr, Motezuma, had already done. Hereupon Guatimozin aflembled his council, who advifed him to agree to the general's propo- fals •, but this favourable difpofition was deftroy- ed by the remonftrances of the priefts, who pre- tended to have received aulpicious anfwers from their gods, alluring them of" victory and fuccefs. The nobles were fo animated by thefe aflurances, that they fet the Spaniards at defiance, and the emperor himfelf declared, that he would put the firft man to death who fhould thenceforward mention peace, to whatever dirtrefs the city might be reduced. The general being informed of this, deter- mined to carry fire and fword into the city ; and having fent orders for this purpofe to the com- manders of the troops of Tacuba and Tapeaquil- la, he himfelf marched by the caufeway of Cu- yocan, at the head of the troops commanded by Chriftoval de Olid. The enemy had cleared the ditches as before, and caft up works, which how- ever were foon demolifhed by the brigantines, lb that the troops advanced without any great oppofition to the laft bridge, where the Indians had broke down part of the caufeway to enlarge the ditch ; and on the oppofite bank they had raifed a fortification covered with planks. This however, was foon deftroyed by the artil- lery, which made fuch havock that the enemy retired into the city, and the fhore being left free, Cortes ordered his men to land immedi- ately, and to take on fhore the horfes and three pieces of cannon : but before he advanced into the ftreets, he ordered Juan de Alderete to ftay behind, in order to fill up and fecure the ditch, while the brigantines were directed to approach the fcene of action by the great canals, and to fire upon the enemy •, but Alderete no fooner heard the battle begun, than thinking the office in which he was employed a difhonourable piece of fervice, followed them to the engage- ment, leaving the care of filling up the ditch to another officer, who likewife abandoned it for the fame reafon. The Mexicans flood the firft charge with great refolution, and did the Spaniards confiderable damage from the windows and tops of the houfes ; but on a fudden the action ceafed, and they haftily quitted the ground they had difpu- ted with fuch obftinacy. This unexpected re- treat was occafioned by an order of Guatimozin, who being informed that the great ditch was abandoned, determined to fall upon the Spa- niards in their retreat. Cortes immediately fufpected their defign, and having barely time fufficient to return to his quarters before night, he fet fire to fome houfes from which he had received damage in the at- tack, and began his retreat : But the Spaniards had fcarce began to wheel about, when their ears were faluted with the difmal found of the facred trumpet, which none but the priefts were allow- ed to blow, and thofe only on the moft urgent occafion. Hereupon, an incredible number of chofen warriors attacked the rear, which was brought up by the Spaniards, and fought with fuch intrepidity, that the fire-arms and crofs- bows were wholly difregarded. Cortes being informed that the retreat was hindred by the ditch, endeavoured to form the battalions, but found the talk impracticable, becauie the confederates, being in the fronf, wer# the firft who arrived at the ditch, and had thrown themfelves into it with fuch confufion, that they were either wounded or drowned by the Mexican fwimmers. The general being now left with fome of his people to maintain the fight, his horfe was killed under him with ar- rows, and captain Francifco de Guzman alight- ing to give him lys, was taken prifoner, with- out any poffibility of being refcued. At length, however, Cortes was taken on board BY HERNANDO CORTES. ! 3I board one of the brigantines, wounded and ex- ceflively dejected at his defeat ■, for about a thou- fand Tlafcalans were killed in the action, above forty Spaniards were taken priibners, and almoft every man was wounded of thole that elcaped'. The like ill fuccefs attended Sandoval and Al- verado, who entered the city by different Ways at the fame time with Cortes, but they did not lofe above twenty Spaniards. The operations of war were now lufpended, till the wounded men could be cured, and lbme new meafures taken for annoying the enemy. This victory the Mexicans celebrated with the greateft rejoicings : all the temples of the city were illuminated, and that which was dedicated to the god of war, relbunded with the notes of military inftruments, attending the facrifice of the unhappy Spaniards who were made prifon- ers. The motions of the Mexicans were diftinc- tly feen from the quarters, and fome of the fol- diers declared that they knew the perfons and voices of particular victims : Cortes and his officers could not refrain from tears at this dread- ful fight. The Mexicans elevated with their good for- tune, advanced, a little before day-break, by the three cauieways, to beat up the quarters, fet fine to the brigantines, and compleat the de- ftruction of the Spaniards ; but the found of the facred trumpet, giving notice of their approach, the latter were prepared to receive them, and diey were foon repulfed by the artillery. The next day Guatimozin gave out among his own people, that Cortes was killed in his retreat on the caufeway : he lent to the adjacent towns the heads of the Spaniards who had been facri- ficed, as tokens of his victory, and circulated a report that the god of war, being appeafed by the victims that had been made, had declared in an audible voice, that the enemies of the Mexi- cans fhould certainly perifh. His emiffaries hav- ing induftrioufly propagated this report among the confederate Indians, they were fo terrified to think of the nearnefs and certainty of their de- ftruction, that during the firft three nights, al- moft all the allies abandoned their quarters, ex- cept the chief officers. This was an alarming circumftance to Cortes, who inftantly difpatched the Indian commanders to ftop the fugitives till the expiration of the eight days, that they might be convinced of the impofture ; and accordingly, when that period was elapled, they law how ridiculous their fears had been, and returned to their duty with freih vigour and alacrity. At this time frefh iuccours came in, and feveral nations who had hitherto oblerved a neutrality, being fenfible how greatly Mexico was diftreffed, declared for the Spa- niards ; lb that in a few days Cortes had two hundred thoufand men under his command. In the mean time the Mexicans made frequent attacks upon the Spanifh quarters both by day and night ; but they were conftantly repulfed with confiderable lofs : and Cortes being now informed that the Mexicans grew more and more difcontented on account of the famine, by which great numbers perifhed, relblved to proceed again to action ; and as the troops had fuffered N° 20. 3 N fo much in retreating, it was agreed that each commander fhould endeavour to keep his ground and penetrate as far as the great fquare of the city, where they propofed to join, and take mea- fures for their farther proceedings. The officers unanimoufly approving this plan," the general ordered bread, water and other ne- ceffaries to be provided, for the fupport of the troops in Mexico •, and Itrong garrilbns being left in the quarters, Alverado and Sandoval be- gan their march by break of day from Tacuba to Tapeaquilla, while Cortes advanced from Cuyocan, with the body of troops commanded by Olid, and the brigantines and canoes were diftributed fo as to fupport the three attacks. The difficulties at the caufeways, bridges and barricadoes being furmounted as ufual, the three captains entered the city about the fame time, and fortified themfelves with the ruins of fome houfes; fo as to effect a lodgement for the night. This hew method of proceeding extremely difconcerttd and terrified the Mexicans, who had taken meafures to attack the Spaniards in their retreat. A council immediately met in the palace of Guatimozin ; in which it was de- termined to exert their utmoft efforts to dif- lodge the Spaniards •, and their army being divided into three bodies., advanced to the at- tack about break of day •, but preparations for their reception having been made, the artil- lery began to play upon their firft approach, and did fuch execution as flopped their ca- reer ; when the Spaniards rufhing upon them, they were foon routed and difperfed, by which means better quarters were obtained for the enfuing night : yet ftill the Spaniards had many difficulties to overcome ; for as they ad- vanced, they were obliged to level works, de- ftroy houfes, and fill up trenches that were cut acrofs every ftreet-, notwithftanding which obftacles, all the three captains came in fight of the principal fquare in lefs than four days. The firft who arrived at this fpacious fquare was Alverado^ who there found the enemy, whom he had driven before him, endeavouring to make a ftand ; but before they could range themfelves in order, he attacked them in fo furious a manner, that they inftantly difperfed in confufion, and retired to the ftreets on the oppofite fide. Perceiving at a fmall diftance, a large temple, the towers of which were oc- cupied by the enemy, he inftantly fent fome companies to take poffeffion of that poft, in order to fecure his rear ; and this fervice being performed with very little oppofition, he or- dered a fmoke to be made upon the top, as a fignal of his fuccefs. He was foon after joined by Cortes and Olid, who advanced by another avenue, driving be- fore them a throng of Mexicans, who falling in upon Alverado's battalion, were inftantly cut in pieces : and the fame fate attended thofe who were driven into the fquare by the third divifion, under the command of San- doval. The Mexicans now feeing that the whole force of the Spaniards was united, ran with the THE CON QJJ EST OF MEXfCO, 234 the utmoft hafte, to defend the perfon of , the emperor ; and this retreat gave Cortes an op- portunity of lodging his troops to the greateft advantage. Some companies were placed in the adjacent ftreets, to fecure the quarters from infult ; the brigantines and canoes were ordered to cruize along the caufeways, and fend notice of every thing that occurred ; and the confederate Indians were employed in removing the dead bodies out of the fquare. The next morning all the ftreets which were in poffeffion of the Mexicans, were filled with armed men, in order to cover thofe who were raifing fome fortifications as their ultimate re- treat j but as they did not proceed to hoftilities, Cortes, inftead of attacking, them, as he had intended, refolved to try, once more, if they would accept of terms of accommodation, now they law him fo advantageoufly fituated : for which purpofe he fent four of the principal pri- foners with a meffage to Guatimozin, who, with his minifters and the nobility, had retired to a fpacious angle of the city, the greater part of which was defended by the lake, and the reft, which was but at a fmall diftance from the great fquare, was fortified with ftrong bulwarks, and deep ditches filled with water. Guatimozin having agreed to a fufpenfion of arms, held feveral councils to deliberate on the propofals of peace which Cortes had made-, when the majority were for acceding to the terms, while others were for continuing the war, who being vigoroufly fupported by the priefts, it was refolved to renew the hoftilities. The emperor, in the mean time, gave orders that all the piraguas and canoes fhould retire to a bay in that quarter of the city, that they might be ready to fecure his retreat in cafe of neCeffity. This order was immediately obeyed, and as a prodigious number of veffels were feen making towards that bay, Cortes fufpe&ed their defign, and thereupon appointed Sandoval commander in chief of all the brigantines, giving him diredtions to furround the bay at a diftance, and keep a watchful eye on the motions of the enemy. Thefe fteps being taken, Cortes advanced to- wards their fortifications, and the Mexicans no iboner faw the vanguard approach, than they prepared for a vigourous defence : but when they beheld the havock made by the artillery among their wooden bulwarks, they fent notice of their danger to the emperor, and in a little time demanded a parley, by hanging out white cloths, and repeating the word Peace •, and be- ing allured that whoever had any offers to make might fafely approach, four perfons of diftinc- tion appeared on the farther fide of the ditch, and told Cortes that they were come from Guatimo- zin to receive his propofals. Cortes allured them that he was very defirous of peace, but as affairs of that nature could not be fo well tranfa&ed by deputies, he defired that the emperor would come to treat in perfon, and faid that all afts of hoftility fhould in the mean time ceafe. The ambafiadors retired with this anfwer, and in the evening returned with a mef- fage, that the emperor would come the next day in order to conclude the treaty ; "byt at the time appointed the deputies came back, and pretend- ed that the emperor was prevented from keeping his word by an -unforefeen accident ; and thus the conference was delayed from time to time. Cortes at length fufpecHng their fincerity, told them he fhould profecute the war with the ut- moft vigour, if they did not come to a final re- iblution within a limited time ; but on the laft day of the allowed term, Sandoval diicovered, before fun-rifing, great multitudes embarking on board the canoes in the bay, and having fent immediate notice thereof to Cortes, he advanced towards them with his brigantines. They con- fifted of the nobles and chief citizens, who de- termined to make a vigorous effort, in order to give the emperor an opportunity of efcaping, and accordingly attacked the Spaniards with the utmoft fury, regardlefs of the dreadful havock that was made among them by the artillery. In the midft of the engagement, Sandoval perceived fix or fexen piraguas rowing with the utmoft fpeed from the fartheft part of the bay, upon which he ordered a brigantine that was a prime failer to give them chafe. It was not long before the captain came up with the foremoft pi- ragua, which appeared to command the reft, when the Mexicans inftantly ceafed rowing, and hailed the brigantine, defiling the captain not to fire, becaufe the emperor was on board. This fpeech being interpreted by one of the Spanifh ibldiers, who had learnt a fmattering of the lan- guage, the captain and fome of his people leap- ed into the piragua, to feize their prize ; upon which Guatimozin advancing to him, faid, " I am your priibner, and will obey you in all " things : all the favour I have to afk is, that " fome regard may be paid to the honour of the " emprefs, my confort, and her female attend- " ants." With thefe words he handed the princefs into the brigantine, and perceiving the captain in fome concern refpefting the other piraguas, he defired him not to be uneafy about his followers, for they would all come and die at the feet of I their fovereign. Hereupon he made a certain ' fignal, on which the Mexicans dropped their : weapons, and followed the brigantine. As foon as the nobility on board the canoes 1 which were engaged with Sandoval, heard of the emperor's captivity, they uttered a difmal yell ' of lamentation, furrendered without further re- fiftance, and begged to be taken on board the brigantine, that they might fhare the fortune of their fovereign. The captain had no iboner made Guatimozin prifoner, than he fent a canoe to Cortes, with an account of his fuccefs. Whilft thefe things were tranfa&ed on the lake, Cortes was employ- ed in attacking the wooden fortifications, which the Mexicans defended with the utmoft refolu- tion, till they learnt that the piraguas were ta- ken, when they fuddenly retired, overwhelmed with confufion, aftonifhment and defpair. When the meflenger from the captain of the piragua arrived, and informed Cortes of what had happened, the troops were -ordered to keep their ground without advancing, till farther or- ders j and two companies of Spaniards were fent B Y HERNANDO CORTES. 2 35 Tent to the landing place, to guard the royal pri- foner, whom Cortes received with great refpedl, which was returned by the emperor. On their arrival at the Spanifh quarters, Gua- timozin and his emprefs went in firft, and feated themfelves ; but the emperor, feeming to re- collect himfelf, rofe up and defired Cortes to take his place; being, however, prevailed on to take his feat again, he addrefJed himfelf to the general to this purpofe : " Valiant and renown- " ed chief, why do you not draw that fword " and take away my life ? Prifoners of my rank " are a burden to the conqueror : difpatch me " then, without delay, that I may have the ho- " nour of dying by your hand, fince I have not " been lb happy as to fall in the defence of my " country." Cortes, who felt for his diftrefs, told him, in order to a'leviate his forrow and that of his em- prefs, that he was prifoner to one of the moft powerful monarchs of the univerfe, from whofc clemency he might hope to regain not only his liberty, but even his empire ; and that in the mean time, till his fovereign's pleafure fhould be known, he fhould be treated with all the refpect- due to the emperor of Mexico. Guatimozin was about twenty four years of age, well proportioned, tall, robuft, and of lb fair a complexion, that among his countrymen, he appeared to be a native of a different climate. The emprefs, who was nearly of the fame age, had a commanding afpect, and great dignity of deportment •, but her beauty was rather mafcu- line than agreeable. Cortes being informed that fhe was niece to Motezuma, renewed his offers of fervice more warmly on that account : but thinking it necef- fary to reduce that part of the city which was ftill in pofTeffion of the enemy, he left his prifon- ers- to the care of Sandoval, and went out to give orders for another attack. Guatimozin fufpecting the caufe of his fud- den departure, defired to fpeak with him, and when he came back, intreated him to fpare his unhappy fubjects, who would quietly furrender as foon as they fhould be informed of his capti- vity : wherefore he earneftly begged that one of his own minifters might accompany Cortes, and command the Mexicans in the name of their prince to obey the Spanifh general •, and they no fooner received this order, than they threw down their arms and fubmitted. When the Spanifh troops took pofTeflion of the places evacuated by the Mexicans, nothing but objects of horror and companion met their view. They found a prodigious number of fick and wounded wretches, in the moft refera- ble condition, lying and calling upon death to deliver them from their tortures ; and faw whole houfes and courts filled with the bodies of per- fons of diftinction, who had been flain in battle, and were kept till their funeral obfequies could be performed : and from thefe places iflued fuch a noilbme ftencb, as threatened the air with in- fection, and obliged Cortes to take immediate meafures for preventing a peftilence, by giving orders for the bodies to be interred* While this nufance was removed, the general retired with his prifoners to Cuyocan, having firft affigned quarters to Sandoval and Alverado, who fuperintended the cleanfing of Mexico-, which being performed in a few days, he then returned to that city, the entire reduction of which hap- pened on the thirteenth of Auguft 1521, and from that time is dated the dominion of the Spa*, niards over the empire of Mexico. MM m THE I 236 J THE DISCOVERY and CONQUEST E O F R U, B Y FRANCIS PIZARRO. CHAPTER I. Pizarro and two other perfons undertake the difcovery of Peru -, meet with great diflrejfes 5 all their men defert except fourteen ; Pizarro is joined by a few 'volunteers, with whom he paJJ'es the Equator ; Candiafent to examine the country, of which he gives the mojl advan- tageous account ; they fail to Paita ; Pizarro entertained on Jloore by a Peruvian lady ; returns to Panama, but being oppofed by the governor, embarks for Spain ; Pizarro is fa- vourably received by Charles V. who grants him commij/ions and powers for purfuing his con- quejls ; he is joined by his brothers and returns to Panama, whence he continues his courfe to St. Matthew's bay ; attacks the defencelefs Indians, which occafions his being dijirejfed for want of provifions ; he lands at Tumbez, the inhabitants of 'which fly into the country, and leave immenfe riches behind them, which are feized by Pizarro, who builds a fort upon the coaflt ; a review of the divijions in Peru at the time of Pizarro s difcovering that kingdom. SEVERAL Spanifh writers have reprefented Francis Pizarro as a nobleman by birth, while others, with greater appearance of probability, maintain, that he was the illigiti- mate fon of Gonzalo Pizarro, an officer at Trux- illo, a town in the province of Eftremadura in Spain, who fuffered him to be expofed as a found- ling at the door of a church ; but being difco- vered to be the lather, he was compelled to take him under his own care ; but he fulfilled the duty of a parent very indifferently, giving him no education, employing him in the mod fer- vile offices, and in particular that of keeping his hogs. At length young Pizarro ran away from the herd, and got on board a fhip bound for the Weft Indies, where he lb diftinguifhed himfelf in the wars of Hifpaniola and Cuba, that he ob- tained a commiilion ; and at length failed with Hojeda to the gulph of Darien, by whom he was left to govern, in his abfence, a colony which he had fettled there. Alter this, he lerved under Nunez de Balbca, and having acquired a lur.dlbme fortune, fet- tled at Panama, on its being firft built, and feemed wholly difpofed to a life of eafe and en- joyment ; from which however, he was diverted by that thirft of riches which almoft always at- tends, and encreafes with the polfeffion of them. The Pinions had difcovered Brazil, on the eaftern coaft of South America, in the begin- ning of the fixteenth century, but no difcoveries had been hitherto made to the weft of it, when Pizarro entered into partnerfhip with Die- go de Almagro, and Ferdinand de Luques, a rich prieft, who was fettled at Panama, to pur- lue the enquiries which Nunez de Balboa had let on foot for that purpofe. Diego took his name of Almagro, from a town in the province of Caftile in Old Spain, where he was found, when an infant, in the ftreet, fo that it was never known who was his father. Pizarro and Almagro, were to let fail on this expedition, and in cafe of new difcoveries, the former was to keep pofTeffion of the place, while the latter returned to Panama to procure re- cruit? and other nectffaries, which Dc Luques, in BY FRANCIS P I Z A R R O. *37 in quality of agent, was to provide ; and this office was allotted to him, as lie was both the oldeft and the richeft. of the three, being pro- prietor of the ifland of Tobago in the bay of Panama, and worth a large llim in ready money. Thispartnerfhipmadea great noife in the world, and like other projects, was treated as a wild and vifionary fcheme, which would infallibly end in the ruin of the projectors : but regardleis of idle fugo-cftions, or vulgar opinions, they perfilled in their defigns •, folemnly promiied each other that neither danger nor dilappointment mould make them give up the enterprize, and that they would make an equal divilion of the wealth they ihould obtain, having firfl dedu&ed the empe- ror's (Charles V. of Spain's) dues, and all con- tingent charges. This agreement being made, they repaired to hifh mafs, which was celebrated in the moft folemn manner, by the prieft Ferdinand de Lu- ques, who having broke the wafer into three pieces, took the fifft himfelf, and adminiftered the reft to his companions, as a token that they would purfue their project with as much earneft- nefs as if their eternal happinefs depended on it. Don Pedro Arias d'Avila, or as he is com- monly called, Pedrarias, was at this time go- vernor of Panama ; and they found it an eafy matter to obtain his fanflion to their agreement, as he looked upon it as a ridiculous attempt in three private men : for having himfelf promoted two or three expeditions which had tailed, he cculd not think it poiTible fcr them to fucceed ; and even if they did, his avarice, pride, and cruelty were fuch, that he would have made no fcruple to ufe his rank and authority to make himfelf mafter of their acquifitions : on the o- ther hand, if they mifcarried, no difadvantage would arife to him. However, being foon after- wards removed from his government, he nei- ther reaped any advantage from their voyage, nor had the latisfaftion of hearing of their mifcarriage. Pizarro embarked about the middle of No- vember 1524, in a new fhip, with one hundred and fourteen men, officers included, and failed to the Pearl I {lands in the midft of the bay of Panama, where he took in wood and water, and hay for four horfes, which he had on board, and then proceeding about one hundred leagues to the lbuthward, landed at Port Pinas, upon the continent, where he endeavoured to penetrate into the country -, but the inhabitants having left their habitations, and meeting with nothing but bogs and mountains over-run with wood, without any profpecl: of provifions, he ran far- ther down the coaft ; bat rinding the fame incon- veniences there, and perceiving the rainy feafon coming on, and his men beginning to ficken, through fatigue and want of proper provifions, he fent his fhip to procure frefh fup plies at the Me of Pearls. Pizarro, in the mean time, was joined by Al- magro with two mips, and fixty recruits •, when notwithftanding the unhealthinefs of the climate, they continued on the coaft, and had many en- counters with the natives, in one of which Al- magro loft an eye ; but happening in iome of their excurfions to meet with gold to the value of fourteen or fifteen thoufand crowns, they re- N° 20. 3 O covered their fpirits, and refolved, in fpite of all oppofition, to proceed on the enterprize, in which they were encouraged by their pilot, who, during the time of their being on fhore, had run down as far as cape PalTaro, under the equator, where he had feized fome prifoners, who had given him a defcription of the riches of Peru, far furpaffing their moft fanguine expectations. When the pilot returned with this agreeable news, he found Pizarro in great diftrefs ; his money being gone, his provifions exhaufted, the men fick, and Almagro gone to Panama with what gold they had taken, to raife recruits, and puTchafe provifions and necelTaries. Almagro having been joined by about forty recruits, and purchafed horfes, arms, cloaths, provifions and medicines, returned to Pizarro, whofe fituation, by this time, was very deplo- rable ; the greater part of his men being either fick or dead. Plowever, they removed from this unwholfome place, to the ifland of Gallo ; where having ftaid about fifteen days, they ran along the coaft ftill farther fouth, and found the wea- ther continue fo bad, and the country fo much under water, that Pizarro himfelf began to de- fpair of fuccefs. Their affairs now wore fo indifferent an afpeft, and the difpute about purfuing or aban- doning their voyage was fo violent, that the two commanders were near drawing their fwords ; but the former being determined on, Pizarro, with the remainder of his men, returned to the ifland of Gallo, there to wait till Almagro, who was again difpatched to Panama for reinforce- ments, fhould return. Many of the foldiers defired to go along with him •, but this was abiblutely refufed : and as feveral of the men had threatened to complain to the governor, that fending them on that ex- pedition was devoting them to abfolute de- ftrudtion, great care was taken to prevent their fending any letters ; notwithftanding which, a paper fubferibed by moft of them, fetting forth their hardlhips, and defiring to be recalled, was fo artfully concealed in a bottom of cotton yarn, that it efcaped the vigilance of the officers, and came fafely to the hands of Pedro los Rios, the new governor, Pedrarias having been lately re- moved from his government. In confequence of this paper, Almagro was prevented from raifing more recruits ; and the governor fent a fhip to the ifland of Gallo, with a commiffary on board it, to bring back all the furviving foldiers. Pizarro, mortified in the higheft degree at the arrival of this fhip, intreat- ed the commander to allow fuch of the men as voluntarily chofe it, to remain with him •, which being granted, he drew a line with the point of his fword, and told his people, that if they thought proper, they were at liberty to return to Panama ; but he endeavoured, in the moft pathe- tic terms, to perfuade them not to abandon the enterprize, when they were on the point of reap- ing a golden harveft, to repay their fufferings : he declared that for his part, he faw that fo great advantages muft attend this perfeverance, that he would perifh in the undertaking rather than deiertit : that he had no intention of taking the leaft advantage of them, but that thofe who re- mained 238 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, mained fhould fhare equally with himfelf what- ever fell into his hands ; and concluded with defiring thofe who had courage enough to per- fift, to come over the line he had drawn : but fo great had been the diftreffes of thofe poor peo- ple, that only thirteen men and a mulatto came over, arid the reft embarking with the commif- fary, returned to Panama. The fituation of Pizarro was now extremely dreadful ; he was not only deprived of the means of performing any considerable exploit at pre- fent ; but his future profpeft was very little better. However, he concealed his uneafinefs, and retired with a few daring followers of his defperate fortune to the ifland of Gorgona, for a fupply of water, and ftaid there till he Was joined by Almagro, with a pilot, and a few vo- lunteers, whom, with fome difficulty, he had allured into the fervice. They left Gorgona with thefe men, and fail- ing along the coait, patted the Equator ; and at length found themfelves in thirty degrees fouth latitude, having fpent two years in a voyage, which, now that the trade winds and currents are known, is often performed in as many weeks. However they picked up, during the paffage, feveral Indian veffels of confiderable value,which feemed to confirm their expectations of the wealth of the coaft, to be allured of which, Pi- zarro determined to fend Pedro de Candia, a fenfible perfon, and of good addrefs, to pene- trate as far as he could into Tumbez, and to make his report from his own obfervations. Pedro having found means to render himfelf agreeable to the Indians, executed his commif- fion in the moft mafterly manner, and returned fafely to Pizarro, alluring him that the country exceeded all imagination ; that the wealth and fplendorof the inhabitants, and the magnificence of their public buildings were incredible, in the conftruclion of which great art and fkill were apparent, and that the very walls of them were covered with gold and filver. Hereupon Pizarro held a council among his people, in which, after much deliberation, it was determined that they fhould return to Pana- ma ; where, being now enabled to give an am- ple account of the advantages to be reaped from an expedition to Peru, made in proper manner, it was to be hoped that they would meet with people enough willing to embark in fo advantageous an undertaking, and obtain fupplies fufficient to enfure their fuccefs ; befides which it was agreed, that in their prefent fituation, they could have very little hope of fucceeding. But they refolved firft of all to fail a few leagues up the coaft, where they made Paita, to which Pizarro gave the name of Santa Cruz, and finding this one of the beft harbours on the coaft of Peru, they caft anchor ; and going on fhore, found the natives very humane and civil, willing to fupply them with what provifions they want- ed, in exchange for fifh-hooks, glafs beads, and other trifles. They weighed from this harbour, leaving on fhore one of their people, named Alphonlo de Molina, who had feparated from them, and ha- ving coafted farther fouth in fearch of him, to no purpofe, fhey returned, and he foon after came on board in one of the floats of that coun- try, and informed them that he had been enter- tained in a very handfome manner by a lady of great diftinftion, who was extremely defirous of feeing the fhip •, and foon afterwards fhe fent o- ther floats to pilot them to a fafer part of the harbour. Hereupon Pizarro fcnt Molina and three o- ther perfons on fhore, to invite the Peruvian lady on board •, in conlequence of which fhe came with them, when Pizarro entertained her in the moft elegant manner his circumftances would admit. In return for which fhe invited him on fhore ; and though he offered to wait on her without hoftages, fhe abfolutely refilled it •, and next morning lent twelve Peruvians of quality on board, who remained there during the time that he was on fhore. The lady, with a great number of her attend- ants, received Pizarro as foon as he landed, and conducted him and his people to an elegant har- bour, where fhe entertained them at dinner, and afterwards, with feveral Indian diverfions -, in return for which civilities it is afferted that Pi- zarro made a long fpeech, fetting forth the ex- cellencies of the chriftian religion, and the er- rors of idolatry ; and concluded with exhorting her and her attendants to embrace the truth, and to fubmit to the King of Spain who was the moft powerful monarch on earth. To this difcourfe it is pretended that the Pe- ruvians anfwercd in general terms, that they knew but little of religion, but were fatisficd with that of their anceftors ; and as to a fove- reign prince, they knew of none that ought to command their allegiance, but their own lawful Inca. But as it does not appear that Pizarro ' had any interpreter, and as he could yet have no opportunity of learning the Peruvian language, we are much at a lols to underftand in what manner he converfed with this" lady. The entertainment being at an end, the Spa- niards returned on board, well pleafed with their reception ; and when they were about to hoift fail, a perfon named Alcon, who had attended Molina in his embaffy to the lady, having fal- len deeply in love with her, begged that he might be left behind, which being refufed him-, he went raving mad, declaring that he was a king, and telling his companions that they were vagabonds and ufurpers, come to deprive him of his crown, which however he would defend with his fword ; on which he drew that weapon, and would have done fome mifchief, had he not" been fecured and laid in irons. Pizarro arrived at Panama towards the latter end of the year 1527, with feveral large pieces of gold, three Indian boys, whom lie intended to educate for interpreters, and fome Peruvian fheep. From the fpecimens he brought with him of the riches of the country, and the accounts his people gave of what they had feen, thofe who had before ridiculed the expedition as ruinous and abfurd, began to confefs their error, and in- cline to partake of its advantages. But Pizarro being oppoled by the governor in levying men, and BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. ■39 and other preparations for profecuting his (cherries ; and finding an authority fuperior to Ids own to be absolutely neceflary, he, with the cunfent of his partners, embarked for Old Spain, to folicit the protection of the emperor, and fuch powers as were requifite for carrying their plan Into execution. Pizarro arriving in fafety at Seville, went from thence to Toledo, where Charles the fifth then held his court ; and having prefented his ma- jefty with fome of the Peruvians drefTed in their proper habits, together with fome gold and fil- ver vefiels which were made in the country, and two or three Peruvian fheep, he was received in the mod gracious manner. His majefty having attended with pleafure to Pizarro's account of his adventures in fearch of Peru, referred him for in/tractions to the coun- cil of the Indies, who authorized him to pro- ceed in the conqueft of that empire as far as two hundred leagues to the fouthward of Tumbez. He alio procured an imperial grant of the titles of governor and captain-general, with the offices of lieutenant and chief jullice of Peru. This was acting directly contrary to his agree- ment with his partners, as he had promifed to procure the title of lord lieutenant for Almagro, and that of chief juftice for his pilot, who had ierved him with equal fkill and fidelity. How- ever, he obtained the title of proctor-general of the Peruvians for Ferdinand de Luques, with the emperor's promife of recommending him to the pope as a proper perlon to be nominated bifhop of Tumbez, of which place Almagro was appointed governor, with the title of Don, and his baftard fon was legitimated. Of the thir- teen men who had chofen to remain with Pizarro on the ifiand of Gallo, on fuch as were gentle- men the honour of knighthood was conferred, and fuch as were not, were raifed to the rank of gentlemen. On the twenty-fixth of July 1528, thefe com- miifions were made out at Toledo, and fix Do- minican friars were ordered to attend Pizarro as miffionaries to affift in the converfion of the Pe- ruvians •, and though the emperor expected to reap no fmall advantages from this expedition, he did not contribute any thing toward defray- ing the charges of it : and indeed it is worthy of remark, that this was conftantly the good fortune of Spain in her American conquefts, for the countries not only yeilded fufficientto reimburfe the expences, but even to fatiate the avarice of the conquerors. The affairs which brought Pizarro into Spain be- ing now fettled, he paid a vifit to Truxillo, the place of his birth, where he found that his father had been married to a woman of family by whom he had three fons, Ferdinand, Gonzalo, and John ; and that his mother, who was but a poor coun- try girl, had wedded a farmer, by whom fhe had a fon called Francis Martin de Alcantara : and thefe four brothers being grown up to man's eftate, he enlifted them into his fervice, and embark- ing with them at Seville, arrived fafely at Nom- bre de Dios, from which place he and all his people marched over land to Panama. Almagro was very much difgufted at Pizarro, for having engrofTed to himfelf all the honour and authority, and at firft abfolutely refufed to affift him any farther in the expedition, till Pi- zarro having promifed to give up the title of lord lieutenant, and to yeild him fome other ad- vantages, they were to all appearance reconciled, and Almagro promifed to affift him as before ; but he never fincerely forgave him, as will ap- pear in the fequel. Three (hips being prepared for the expedition, on board of which were one hundred and eighty- five foldiers, thirty-feven horfes, with arms, ammunition and provifions, Pizarro fet Jail from Panama ; but meeting with fuch contrary winds that he was unable to keep the fea with his horfes on board, he came to an anchor at a place which he called St. Matthew's bay, above an hundred leagues to the northward of Tumbez. Here he landed, and thinking himfelf ftrong enough to drive the poor Indians before him, he attacked them without the leaft provocation, made many of them prifoners, and plundered their towns, in which he found prodigious wealth : for thefe people, being honeft themfelves, had no fufpi- cion of the Spaniards, and confequently took no care to hide any thing from them. In confeqiience of this cruel and injudicious behaviour, Pizarro was foon reduced to the greateft diftrefs for want of provifions ; and many of his people contracted a ftrange kind of diforder, which they imputed to the water they drank being poifoned : for their faces and bodies were fuddenly covered with warts, that put them to extreme pain, and on their being cut off fome of them bled to death. Pizarro now too late difcovered his error in not courting the friendfhip of the natives, being in no condition to make a conqueft of Peru with the forces he had left : wherefore he fent his Ihips back to Panama for reinforcements : he alio fent to the fame place thirty thoufand pezoes in gold, befides a confiderable number of fine emeralds, and might have fent many more, but for the' folly of fome of his people, who broke many of them to pieces with hammers, in order to try if they were as hard as diamonds. Pizarro being joined by feveral recruits from Almagro, and fome Spaniards, whom the report of the riches of the country had invited hither from Nicaragua, a place far to the north-weft of Panama, and near the bay of Honduras, he continued his march to Tumbez, keeping the fea ftill in fight till he came near the ifiand of Puna. As great difputes fubfifted between the inha- bitants of this ifiand and the people of Tumbez, Pizarro thought to avail himfelf of their difien- fions by making friends of the former : but having parted into the ifiand, and difagreeing with the inhabitants, he attacked and routed them, fetting at liberty above fix hundred na- tives of Tumbez, and among them a perfon of great quality : thefe he fent home with three of his own people ; and in confequence of this civility expected to have found the Tumbezenes his friends : but if any credit is to be given to the Spanifh hiftorians, he was greatly deceived ; for they facrificed thefe three men to their idols, and 2 4 o THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, and treacheroufly murdered the firft of his people that afterwards fell into their hands. However the landing fome Spanifh horfe and artillery among them, foon threw them into con- fufion, for they fled wherever the Spaniards ad- vanced, who at length made themlelves entire mafters of the valley of Tumbez, where they found fuch incredible heaps of treafure that they could hardly believe their own eyes, on their finding them fo fuddenly in their poffefiion : at length they tcck pofleffion of the Inca's palace and of the temple of the fun, where gold, filver, pearls, emeralds, and other rich treafures, lay in innumerable heaps. So great was the confirmation produced a- mor.g the fugitives by the thunder of the ord- nance, and the appearance' of the horfes, that they declared that if the Spaniards were not gods, they muft be devils ; for no human power could withftand them. Pizarro now determined to take all advan- tages of the terrors his preience had infufed ; he however thought proper to defer his march till he had erected a fort, to which he might retreat in cafe of emergency, and in which the troops he expected might be quartered : and accord- ingly he built one on the fea coaft, to which he gave the name of St. Michael : this was per- formed in the year 153 1, and was the firft Spa- nifh colony planted in Peru. A church was alfo erected at the fame time, and father Ferdinand de Luques being, by indifpofition, rendered iHCapable of fulfilling the office of protector of the Indies, F, Reginal de Pedraga was appoint- ed to that ftation. A fettlement of this fort was undoubtedly much wanted •, and there was no place on the coaft fo proper for the purpofe as that which Pizarro made choice of : nor was his next ftep lefs prudent •, for he made an equal diftribution among his people, of all the gold and filver in his poffeffion, giving notes for it payable at Panama, to fuch as were to accompany him in his future conquefts ; and to thofe who were to remain behind in the new colony, delivering their refpective fhares without abatement, to enable them to purfue their feveral occupations. It was evident that he could not maintain his footing in this country but by force, and as by erecting and fortifying a town there could be no doubt but that he intended to remain, the news of this tranfaction, as well as of his compelling the natives who lived near it to fubmitj not only ta himfelf, but to the meaneft Spaniard, foon fpread through the whole empire, and engaged the two brothers, who were contending for the throne, to turn their eyes upon thofe who might foon have the empire at their difpofal : but as the difputes between thele two brothers, proved not only their own ruin, but the chief caufe that reduced this great empire to the fubjei'tion of the Spaniards, it is necefTary, in order to render this hiftory intelligible, to take a view of the affairs of Peru, at the time that Pizarro invad- ed it. We are informed, by the concurrent tefti- mony of all hiftoria,nSj that the late emperor Guayanacapa diftinguifhed himfelf by his many virtues : that he was generous, valiant and hu- mane, and that his good fortune was not be- neath his deferts : he was ufually fuccefsful in his undertakings, having made feveral additions to his dominions, and in particular fubdued the province of Quito ; to confirm his title to which, he married the daughter of the late fovereign of that country, by whom he had a fon called Ata- hualpa or Atabaliba, to whom, on his death bed, he bequeathed the crown of Quito, as being in- dependent of the Inca's dominions, and its de- fcending to him in right of his mother. But Huefcar, the eldeft fon of Guayanacapa, fucceeding to the hereditary dominions of his father,, infilled upon Atabaliba's iurrendering the kingdom of Quito, promifing, in return, to affign him lands for his fubfiftence, and to give him a fhare of his father's treafures. To this propofal Atabaliba refilled his confent, but offered to pay Huefcar homage for the crown. In confequence of this dilpute formidable ar- mies were raifed on each fide, between which an engagement enfued, which lafted for three days with great and repeated (laughter. At length Atabaliba's forces were defeated, and he himfelf taken prifoner ; but while his guards were im- merfed in rejoicing and revelry, he found means to break a hole in the wall of the houle in which he was confined, by which he made his efcape, and returned to his own fubjects, whom he found greatly dejected by their laft defeat : however, he foon revived their courage by telling them that his father had appeared to him in prifon, and changing him into a ferpent, had given him an opportunity of evading the vigilance of his keepers. The report of this miracle inftantly fpread through the whole empire, and had fuch an effect upon the multitude, that almoft every one took up arms in his defence, and he foon found himfelf at the head of a greater body of forces than he had ever yet commanded, with which he marched againft his brother, who, he was in- formed, was on the road to feek him, with a prodigious army. Atabaliba hearing of his approach, fent two of his beft officers, with three or four thoufand light armed troops, to obferveHuefcar's ftrengthi who drawing near his camp, ftruck out of the high road, to avoid being difcovered. Huefcar, with fome of his principal courtiers and officers, had, at this very inftant, retired into the fame bye-road, to fhun the noife and buftle of his army ; when Atabaliba's men perceiving the royal ftandard, and guefftng the true ftate of the cafe, refolved to make a bold pufh for putting an immediate end to the war ; wherefore they marched down, furprized and routed this body of troops, and made Huefcar himfelf pri- foner. The victors however, were foon in the utmoft danger, for Huefcar's army having intelligence of what had paffed, furrounded this handful of men, and threatened immediately to cut them in pieces. In this extremity they told Huefcar, that if he did not inftantly command his army to BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. 24* to retire, they would cut off his head, and then die- on the fpot to the laft man, being determined not to furfender. At the fame time they told him that he need be under no apprehenfions from his confinement, fince all that Atabaliba requir- ed, was the permiffion to enjoy his own kingdom of Quito in peace, which being once fecured to him, he was too generous to think, of detaining him. On this Huefcar made a fignal to his army to halt, and ordered his principal officers to draw off their forces to Cuzco, the place of the Inca's refidence j which command was immedi- ately complied with. CHAP. II. The ajjijlance of Pizarrofolicited by the contending parties '; account of fame traditions refpe£ling the Spaniards ; Pizarro introduced to Atabaliba, who in return -waits upon the Spanijh general j the Spaniards fall on the natives and take the prince prifoner ; Huefcar put to death privately ; Ferdinand Pizarro fets out for Spain; the occafion of Atabaliba s defl ruc- tion ; a retrofpeB of the affairs of Peru ; Pedro de Silverado enters Peru with an army, but is prevailed upon to retire to his government in Mexico ; Pizarro lays the foundations of the cities of Lima arid Truxillo ; Almagro affumes the title of Governor of Cuzco, but is perfuaded to refign it ; the mines of Pot of difcovered. t I ' HIS was the fituation of affairs when Pizarro entered Peru, and was firft foli- cited to affift Huefcar •, but he anfwered in general terms that he was on his march to affift the diftreffed, and fee juftice impartially admi- niftered. He was afterwards honoured with a folemn embaffy from Atabaliba, deliring his friendihip and alliance : on which he determin- ed immediately to vifit that prince at Caxamalca, where he then was. The Spaniards in their way thither, fuffered exceffively, by marching over a parched, barren defart, for upwards of twenty leagues, after which they found themfelves in a rich, fertile country, where having ftaid awhile to refrefh themfelves, they continued their journey with more i'atisfaclion. Soon afterwards the Spaniards were met by other ambaffadors, who prefented to Pizarro, in the name of the Inca, a pair of gold bufkins richly adorned with bracelets of the fame metal fetwith emeralds and other precious ftones, which he was informed that he was to wear at his hav- ing an audience of Atabaliba, who would eafily know him on feeing his own prelents. Bcfides thefe, the ambaffadors prefented him with many other things of value, and brought with them plenty of provifions, of which the army at that time was in great want. The chief of this embaffy, who was of the blood of the Incas, behaved with great polite- nefs and ceremony, which contributed greatly to raife the fpirits of the Spaniards, who attributed his behaviour to fear, in which they were partly right ; for the Peruvians undoubtedly ftood in awe of them, not fo much from a dread of their power, as from motives of religion : for they fuperftitioufly imagined that the Spaniards were the defendants of the fun. They had an old tradition, to which univerfal credit was given, that the eldeft fon of one of their Incas, who had lived many ages before, had feen a ftrange kind of fpirit, who called himfelf Vi- rachoca, or fon of the fun ; whole drefs and ap- pearance was totally different from that of the IN? XXI. 3 P Peruvians, who have no beard, and whofe cloaths reached no lower than their knees ; whereas this phantom had a long beard, a garment of a very unufual make, which reached down to his feet, and he led in his hand a ftrange kind of animal, the likenefs of which the prince had ne- ver feen. This fable worked fo ftrongly upon the minds of the people, and was fo generally received as a truth, that they no fooner law a Spaniard with a beard, with his legs covered, and holding a horfe by the bridle, than they cried out, " Look, " look ! there is the Inca Virachoca, or the fon " of the fun." It had alfo been reported that the late Inca Guayanacapa, had, a little before his death, prophefied that the empire was near a diffolution, and would foon become the pro- perty of a race of ftrangers who wore beards. Thele circumftances, imprefling the minds of an ignorant people, together with the diffenfions between the two brothers, greatly facilitated the conquefts of Pizarro. When the Spaniards arrived at Caxamalca, they found that Atabaliba had retired to a place at a imall diftance ; to which the general lent his brother Ferdinand Pizarro and Ferdinand Soto in quality of ambaffadors ; who were introduced into the royal prefence with great pomp and ceremony, and ftruck with joy and aftonifhment at the wealth and magnificence which every where glittered around them. Atabaliba was feated in a chair of maffy gold, and as foon as the Spaniards approached him, they faluted him after the fafhion of their coun- try, with which feeming to be well pleafed he arole and embraced them ; and a golden chair being brought for each of them, they fat and were ferved by two beautiful maidens of the roy- al blood, with perfumed liquors, in veffels of gold fet with emeralds. In this liquor the Inca pledged them, and the manner in which he drank to them, as they were told by the interpreter, who was a moft wretched one, was a peculiar mark of his efteem. They had afterwards a collation of fruit, which 242 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQJUEST OF PERU, which being over, Ferdinand Pizarro rhade a long fpeech, in which he told the emperor, that Francis Pizarro, a very famous general, was come as ambafiador to him, from the high prieft of the Chriftian church, and from Charles V, the moll powerful emperor upon earth, to deliver him and his iubjecls from the tyranny of the de- vil, and to point out to him the right road to heaven. To this the Inca made, as they fuppofed, a pa- thetic reply, as it drew tears from the eyes of thofe who underftood him ; and he concluded by faying that he would come on the day fol- lowing to the quarters of the general, to hold a perfonal conference with him. They could not collect much from his dilcourfe ; and from the imperfect and nonfenfical manner in which the interpreter explained to them what the Inca had faid, they had reafon to believe that he had re- ceived but a very indifferent explanation of the oration delivered by Ferdinand Pizarro. This interpreter was one of thole three Indian boys, whom we have already mentioned Pizarro to have intended educating for that character ; and a more ftupid one he could not have cho- fen : his name was Phillipillo, or Little Philip, ib called from the meannefs of his origin, which indeed was but too apparent in his intellects. Francis Pizarro being informed that Ataba- liba intended to vifit him, divided his cavalry, which amounted to fixty men, into three troops, of twenty each, and thefe he polled behind an old wall, that their Hidden appearance might have the greater effect ; and putting himfelf at the head of his infantry, whicli amounted to only an hundred men, he waited the coming of Atabaliba, who advanced in a regular manner with his army, which was divided into four ba- tallions of eight thoufand men each ; and as foon as they came near the Spaniards, the Inca fpoke to his officers in the following terms : " Thefe people are mefTengers of the gods, let " us be feen to do nothing to offend them ; but " on the contrary ufe our utmofl endeavours to " gain them by civilities." The figure of father Vincent de Valverda, who advanced from the Spaniards, with a crofs in one hand, and his breviary in the other, to meet the emperor, furprized him extremely : however, he received him with great civility, and liflened with attention to a long harangue, in whicli the father gave an account of the myf- teries of the Chriftian religion, the great power the pope derived from St. Peter, and the uni- \ trial monarchy of the emperor Charles V. to which it was neceffary that the Inca fhould fub- rrnt, for otherwife, God would harden his heart, as he did that of Pharoah, and the Spaniards would let look upon them plagues equal to thole of Egypt. Nonienfical as fuch an harangue as this mull, r.t the beft, have appeared to the Inca, who had never before heard of thefe fubjects ; yet it muft have been tlill more ridiculous, when conveyed through fuch a channel of ignorance and barba- rity as Phillipillo ! The Inca, however made fome fort of reply ; but what it was, the prieft could not learn from the interpreter, fo that they were equally igno- rant of each other's meaning. Thus afcene'of confuiion inftantly enfued, which was increafed by a tumult caufed by fome of the Spaniards, who obferving an Indian idol upon a tower, richly adorned with gold, filver, and precious ftones, they began to plunder it, in which they were at firft oppofed by the Indians, till the em- peror, whole command to them was equal to a divine law, gave order that they fhould do no- thing; to offend the children of the fun. At the noife of the tumult, father Vincent running haftily to appeafe it, dropped his crofs and breviary ; when fome of the villainous Spa- niards obferving the crofs trampled under foot, cried out, " An infult on Chrillianity ! " And fuddenly falling on the Indians, committed a moll dreadful llaughter, and the horfe at this inftant making their appearance, bore down all before them, while the poor unrefifting Indians fell quite facrifices to their treachery, to the number of five thoufand. Francis Pizarro, at the head of the herfe, ad- vanced to feize Atabaliba, and laving hold on his robe, dragged him from the chariot in which he fat on the fhoulders of his attendants. At this inftant one of the Spaniards attempting to ftrike the emperor with his fword, wounded Pizarro in his hand ; nor was there a drop of Spanifh blood befides fpilt at this horrid fcene of unimpaffioned llaughter, of calm, cool vil- lainy, which happened on the third of May 1533, a ^y kept facred by the Roman Catholic church, in honour of finding the crofs of Chnft, after its having been many years buried. The Spanilh writers give very different ac- counts of this mod inhuman tranfacnon ; but the moft artful among them have never yet been able to wipe away the ftain it has reflected on the characters of Pizarro and his followers, and upon the name of Spaniard in general. Herrera, a Spanifh writer, whofe hiftory of the Indies is in high eftimation, acquaints us, that the Spaniards were under a necefiky of act- ing in this manner in their own defence, Ataba- liba having for a confiderable time, given him fair words, that he might deftroy them with more fecurity : for which purpofe he had ordered his van-guard to feize on the Spaniards at a certain fignal, having fecretly armed them for the pur- pofe, and given them cords and chains to bind thofe whom they fhould ipare for fervitude. If this account were true, Pizarro's attacking the Indians would be vindicated by the law of felf- prefervation. On the other hand, Vega writes, that Ataba- liba having been from the beginning imprefled with an awe of the Spaniards, from a fuppofition of their being the children of the fun, and the perfons pointed out in the above-mentioned pro- phecy, behaved to them with the utmeft refpect,. declaring that he looked upon Pizarro as an am- baffador from heaven, to whofe commands he was bound in all things to fubmit. And the fame author affirms, that when the Spaniards in this unprovoked manner attacked the Indians,, the emperor forbad them to make the kail op- pofition, even though himfelf fhould be facri- ficed. BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. 243 ficed. That he fubmitted to his fate with the lnoft perfect refignation, reprimanding fome who crouded about his chariot with a view to aflill him, and many of whom perifhed in the at- tempt. We will not undertake to determine which is the true account •, but we cannot help remark- ing that Herrera, for the credit of his country, endeavours to palliate the barbarous behaviour of the Spaniards : while Vega, who was a Pe- ruvian by birth, and of the blood-royal, en- deavours to remove the odium as far as polTible from his countrymen. Upon the whole, however, we think a pre- ferable credit is due to the latter, on the confi- deration, that had Atabaliba been fo cunning and treacherous as he is deicribed by Herrera, he would hardly have permitted the Spaniards to march, unmolefted, as far asCaxamalca, when the road through which they paffed to reach it, afforded fo many convenient fituations for de- ftroying them to a man. This is yet a farther consideration, which renders Herrera's account improbable ; for if the Indians had come prepared as he defcribes, they would not have fubmitted without ftriking a blow, in the manner they did. When this horrid fcene was at an end, Pizar- ro removed Atabaliba to his own quarters, and directed that the fpoils of the field fhould be brought before him, which confifted of a vaft variety of gold and filver veffels, the jewels, ornaments and garments belonging to the Inca, royal family, and great officers. Many women of quality, and fome of the mamaconds, or con- fecrated virgins, were taken prifoners. Pizarro ordered that thankfgivings fhould be immediately offered to heaven, on the fpot where he had thus murdered and plundered the poor Peruvians. Pizarro fent out a detachment the next day, to plunder the emperor's camp, who found an immenfe quantity of riches, notwithstanding the Peruvians had removed three thoui'and loads of gold and filver, before the Spaniards arrived there. The Spanifh general now caufed a proclama- tion to be publiihed, importing, that the Inca was living, and that all who chofe it, were at liberty to return and ferve him as ufual. This he did with a view to prevent their concealing or carrying off more treafure •, and it produced the defired effect : for many of the generals and officers, taking with them valuable prefents, re- paired to attend the captive prince. Pizarro al- io ordered that the Inca's women fhould be brought to him, and permitted him to be ferved with the fame order and decorum as before he was a prifoner, though he kept him in fetters ; a circumftance which, at times, gave the emperor no little uneafinefs. Atabaliba, extremely defirous to recover his liberty, and perceiving the fondnefs of his new matters for gold and filver, offered to fill a large room in the caftle of Caxamalca, with thofe me- tals, as high as a common-fized man could reach his hand : an offer which ailonifhed the Spa- niards, and which they were glad to accept of. And accordingly a fmall party of Spaniards were fent with fome of the emperor's people to Cuz- co, and other cities, to bring in the promifed treafure •, and at the fame time Atabaliba iffued orders, that the Spaniards lent on this errand lhould be well entertained in the countries thro' which they paffed. During thefe tranfactions, Almagro having enlifted one hundred and fifty men at Panama, embarked for Peru, in order to join Pizarro; but contrary winds had obliged him to land at cape Francifco, where he was joined by another party of Spaniards, who were going to engage with Pizarro ; fo that his whole force amounted to between two and three hundred : but hav- ving by fatiguing marches, and a bad climate, loft near forty of his men, he at length arrived at the Spanilh colony of St. Michael's •, where he was informed of Pizarro's great fuccefs ; and fearing that he would refufe him his dividend of the treafures, he confulted with his officers whe- ther they fhould not proceed in fearch of fome new diicoveries, independent of him : but a faithful account of this deliberation being fent privately to Pizarro, by Almagro's fecretary, he immediately lent ieveral obliging meffages to Almagro, inviting him to a conjunction, and afiuring him of his integrity ; at the fame time obferving to him, that there were people, who with a view to their own advantage, endeavour- ed to foment diffenfions between them, againft which he intreated him to be on his guard, fince if they were permitted to take effect, the end would certainly be the ruin of one, if not both of them, as well as the deftruction of their en- terprize : and in fupport of this advice, he fent him the fecretary's letter, which Almagro no fooner read, than he gave orders that he fhould be inftantly executed. There was a meannefs, an ingratitude in this behaviour of Pizarro, that throws an additional odium on his character, which it is impofiible to vindicate : but politically confidered, it was right ; fince with the force he had, it was not to be fuppofed that he could complete the conquefl: of Peru ; and if Almagro had oppofed him, the ftrength of the Peruvians would have been there- by increafed, and moft probably their fcheme would have been overturned, and both of them deftroyed. The report of Almagro's arrival made Ataba- liba more folicitous about his liberty •, for he wifely judged, that the infolence of the Spaniards would increafe with their ftrength ; wherefore he hafted the bringing in of the treafure he had offered for his ranlbm, that he might be fet at liberty before Almagro joined Pizarro : but an- other occurence happened about the fame time, from which he apprehended ftillworfeconfequen- ces ; for fome of the Spanifh officers who ac- companied his meffengers to Cuzco, happening to pais through the town, where his brother Huefcar was confined in prifon, went to vifit him, and told him what Atabaliba had offered for his ranlbm •, when Huefcar told them that he had been unjuftly depoled by his brother, who had no right, either to the empire or the treafures he had promifed ; and offered to re- ward 244 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, ward them much more liberally than it was in the power of Atabaliba to do, provided they, who he heard were come to do juftice to all, would releafe him : for that his faithful fub- jects having buried moft of their gold and filver on his being made prifoner, would readily pro- duce it again to purchafe his freedom. The Spanifh mefiengers liftened to thefe over- tures, but leaving Huefcar in priibn, with a pro- mife that juftice mould be done him, continued their journey : and Atabaliba having in the mean time received information of what had pafTed, determined on the death of his brother -, but left the Spaniards mould, from his openly perpetrating luch a fact, make pretence for tak- ing away his own life, he refolved to found Pizarro's fentiments on the fubject •, which he did by acquainting him, with great mew of grief and concern, that his brother's keepers had murdered him in his confinement •, on whicli Pizarro lightly obferved, " That it was the for- " tune of war, fome fell by the fword, form. " were made prifoners, and that the lives of " captives were at the difpofal of the con- " queror." Atabaliba, rejoiced to find Pizarro fo little affected with this fuppofed accident, inftantly difpatched orders for putting Huefcar to death ; and thefe were immediately executed •, but in what manner is uncertain ; fome writers affirm- ing that he was drowned, and others infifting that his body was cut into fmall pieces, to pre- vent his fubjects paying it the cuftomary ho- nours. It is reported, that when the murderers came to Huefcar, and told him their bufinefs, he ad- dreffed them in thefe words ; " It is true my " reign is but fhort •, but in death I have this ** comfort, that he whofe cruelty thus bounds " it, who fcruples not wading to a throne thro' " the blood of his brother and his lawful fo- " vereign, fhall be difappointed in his afpiring " views, and furvive me but a very little " time." The death of Huefcar was no fooner known, than the Peruvims greatly lamented him, and cried to heaven for vengeance on his murderers. In the mean time the officers who had been lent to Cuzco, were, on their arrival there, adored as the true defcendants of the fun : but the peo- ple foon faw their error, and were not a little afflicted to find that fo profligate a race of men, who trampled upon all laws, divine and human, and whofe avarice exceeded all bounds, fhould become the mailers of their country •, and from this time they began ferioufiy to confider how they might diiburthen themfelves of the heavy load which they faw the Spaniards were about to lay upon them. However not daring to difobey the commands of Atabaliba, they lent a confi- derable quantity of treafure to Caxamalca, with a view, moft likely, to affert their liberties to a greater advantage, when their emperor fhould be releafed. The treafure which arrived, however, falling fhort of Pizarro's expectations : and he being informed that much more remained behind in the temple of the invifible god, difpatched his three brothers, and fome of Atabaliba's officers, in fearch of it ; but they could find no mere than to the value of about ninety thoufand crowns, befides wjjat was embezzled by the the foldiers •, for their priefts having heard how irreverently the Spaniards had behaved in fome other temples, and being acquainted with the avarice of thofe people, had fent away four hun- dred carriers, loaded with gold, filver and jewels, which was either buried in the earth, or carried to fuch a diltance that it never fell into the hands of the Spaniards. About this time Almagro arrived in the neigh- bourhood of Caxamalca, when Pizarro, goinar out to meet him, received him with the ftrongeit marks of affection and efteem ; giving him an ample fhare of the fpoils he had taken and divid- ing one hundred thoufand ducats among the men that accompanied him. The reft of the plunder, after Pizarro had deducted the emperor's fifth, he divided among his officers, and this was fo prodigious that the meanefc foot foldier re- ceived for his fhare not lefs than two thoufand pounds fterling •, and Pizarro reierved to himfelf the Inca's golden chair, and fcveral other things of value. Ferdinand Pizarro was now made choice of as the fitteft perfon to go to Europe with the em- peror's fh are of the treafure, and an account of their proceedings : about fixty of the private ioldiers infilled upon their difcharge, that they might go home with him, which was ftrenu- oufly oppofed by Almagro, as it would very much weaken their little army ; but this oppo- fition was over- ruled by Francis Pizarro, who laid that permitting them to go would be the moft political ftep they could take ; for as their meanert foldiers went home fo very rich, they fhould undoubtedly have ten men return for one that departed. Before his departure Ferdinand Pizarro went to take his leave of Atabaliba, who had a greater efteem for him than for any of the reft of the Spanifh officers : the emperor therefore, who was much concerned at his going, faid, " You " rejoice, my lord, that you are returning to " your native foil •, but for me, who, when you " are gone, have not a friend among your coun- " trymen, it is a melancholy profpect ! for I " already apprehend that before your return, " the man with one eye (meaning Almagro) " and the other with the great belly (which was " the king's treafurer) will put an end to my " life : let us then take our laft farewel." He was but too right in this prognoftic : for Almagro, having learnt from the Spaniards who had been fent for the reft of Atabaliba's ranfom, that they had reafons for believing that prodigi- ous quantities of gold were concealed, gave it as his opinion, that they fhould loofe no time, but deftroy the Inca, and then feize all the gold in Peru : and though Pizarro at firft treated this propofal with the contempt it deierved, yet in a little time reientment induced him to counte- nance what honour taught him to abhor. He was incenled at Atabaliba's feeming to pay lefs deference o him than to the reft of the Spa- nifh officers ; the reafon of which being very lingular, BY FRANCIS JP I Z A R R O. H's fiiTHilar, cannot but afford pleafure to the reader. Atabaliba was of a penetrating and curious dilpofition : he was extremely anxious in his enquiries refpedting the cuftoms, manners, and abilities of the Spaniards ; that he might be the better able to deal with them, if he fhould be fo happy as to obtain his liberty : but what molt of all puzzled him, was their writing and reading ; and he was for a long time utterly unable to dilcover whether thefe were natural or acquired §i fts - . With a view to be fatisfied in this particular, he asked one of the Spanifh foldiers if he could write the name of God upon his thumb-nail •, and the foldier anfwering in the affirmative, he begged that he would do it. This infcription Atabaliba (hewed to feveral of the captains and foldiers, all of whom explained it •, fo that he began to entertain an opinion that reading and writing were natural to them ; when unfortu- nately, Francis Pizarro falling in his way, he produced his nail, afking him the fenfeofthe infcription : but Pizarro, who could neither write nor read, blufhed and turned from him without refolving the queftion. From this the Inca inf rred that thefe accomplifhments were the effedt of ftudy ■, and entertained a rery low opinion of the general, whole origin he thought mult needs have been very mean, fince he was exceeded in knowledge by the pooreft of his followers. The contempt that he had conceived for Pi- zarro laid the foundation of his ruin, which was compleated by the villainy of Phillipillo the interpreter, wlio falling in love with one of Ata- baliba's wives, he was fo in:enfed as to tell Pi- zarro that the fellow deierved death, which the general made ajeft of. Hereupon the interpre- ter refolved to be revenged, and accuied the Inca of plotting and contriving the deftrudtion of the Spaniards •, and the general ordering that this ridiculous Itory fhould be digefted into a formal accufation, commiflioners were appointed to try Atabaliba, and the following charge was brought againft him. That he had ufurped the throne of Peru, being himfelf a baftaid : that he had caufed his brother to be imprifoned and afterwards murdered : that he was an idolater : that he had permitted his flibjedts to facrifice men and children : that he kept a number of concubines : that he had waged unnecefTary wars : that he had contained and embezzled the public trea- fure •, and that fince he had been prifoner to the Spaniards, he had incited the Peruvians to rebel and make war againft them, &c. Upon thefe ridiculous articles of accufation, was this fovereign tried, in the midft of his own dominions, by ftrangers who invaded his coun- try •, and what renders the affair ftill more ablurd is, that he was tried, not by the laws of Peru, or by the known and eftablifhed law of nations, but by thole of Spain •, and being found guilty, was fentenced to be burnt alive. After being concerned in this mock fhew of juftice, father Vincent undertook the converfion of Atabaliba, and the argument he ufed with the poor Inca was well worthy fuch a preacher : He told him that if he would die a chriftian, he fhould be ftrangled, initead of being burnt, N u ai, 3 Q» which produced the defired effect ; and to the eternal infamy of all who had any concern in this wicked proceeding, he was baptized in the evening, and ftrangled the next morning. It ought however to be acknowledged to the honour of moft of the perfons of family and diftindtion in the fcrvice, that they oppofed this vile proceeding, delivered a proteft in writing againft it, and publicly declared that his kind- neiies to the Spaniards merited a better fate. Some writers have pretended, but it has never been proved, that the Indians infifted upon the death of Atabaliba, to retaliate that of his bro- ther Huefcar; but there could be no foundation for this affertion, as after Huefcar's death, Ata- baliba was univerfally acknowledged as the law- ful Inca, throughout the whole empire ; and on his being thus murdered, the Peruvians every where acted offend vely againft the Spaniards, which they had never done before. After the death of Atabaliba, Rumnavi, one of his generals, who had retired with the rear guard of his army, from the bloody daughter at Caxamalca, feized upon the province of Quito, and put to death all fuch officers as he fufpedted to be firmly attached to his late matter : while Quifquis, another of his generals, and the fame who had put Huefcar to death, attempted, with a more powerful army, to fecure part of the p ovince of Cuzco •, yet was fo deficient in point of courage, that he fled before a very few Spa- niards who were fent in purfuit of him ; but fome few of thefe advancing too far, and falling into his hands, he put them to death. This general, forefeeing that it would be im- poffible to maintain himfelf againft the other Indian commanders, as well as againft the Spa- niards ; contrived to get into his power a young- er brother of Huefcar, whole name was Paullu, whom he would have perfuaded to alTume the title of emperor ; which this young prince gal- lantly refilled, telling Quifquis that he fcorned to found his grandeur on the ruin of his country ; that he thought it more honourable to be a good man than a bad monarch ; and that he delpifed an authority devolving to him at the expence of another, his brother Manco Capac being the true heir. This honeft and fpirited reply had fuch an effedt upcn Quifquis, that though this prince was in his power, he permitted him to retire ; on which he went immediately to Francis Pizar- ro, to whom he behaved with the fame greatnefs of foul ; telling him that if, as he pretended, he was come among them with a view to adminifter juftice, he ought to declare in favour of his brother, who had already a good army, and would, if fupported by the Spaniards, be foon able to reftore the luftre of the Peruvian dia- dem. It is impoflible to form an idea of a country in a more deplorable fituation than Peru at the prefent juncture : on the one hand its inhabi- tants were prevented from conddering their own ftrength, by their fuperftitious fears refpedting the Spaniards, and on the other, were divided into different i adtions, under different princes, at a time when their preiervation depended on their being united. When 246 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, When Pizarro had gratified his refentment by the murder of Atabaliba, he thought jit to treat his corpfe with the refpect due to that of a fove- reign prince : he celebrated his funeral in the mod folemn manner, and went into mourning for him •, but it was not long before he law that his cruelty to the late Inca had rendered him de- teftable in the eyes of the natives. The two factions immediately united againft him under Manco Capac, who was proclaimed Inca at Cuzco •, upon which Pizarro proclaimed Toparpa, the fon of Atabaliba, ifluing in his name, fuch orders as bell: promoted the Spanifh intereft : but this reprefentation ef royalty foon dying, and Pizarro thinking that nothing would fo much tend to eftablifh the Spaniards in Peru, as pojTt fling themfelves of Cuzco the capital, he began his march thither with his whole force, confifting of near four hundred men, exclufive of fuch as were ftiled confederate Indians. In the mean time Atauchi, a brother of Ata- baliba, having got together a good deal of trea- fure to purchafe his ranlbm, was advancing to- wards Caxamalca, when he received an account of his being murdered, and that the Spaniards were marched from thence. On this he relblved to revenge his brother's death ; and collecting a considerable body of forces, he joined fomePeruvian generals, furprizedthe Spa- niards on their march to Cuzco, killed feveral of them, and took fome prifoners, among whom was SanchodeCuellar,who had drawn up the procefs againft Atabaliba, and attended at his execution. Atauchi had at firft relblved to have facrificed them all to the manes of his brother •, but being informed that fome of the prifoners had openly protefted againft the ill-ufage of Atabaliba, he not only gave the reft of the prifoners their lives, but ordered the wounded to be cured, and dif- mifled them with confiderable prefents, on their figning the following conditions : " That all " acts of hoftility fhould be forgiven on both " fides : that for the future, peace fhould be " inviolably maintained between the Peruvians " and Spaniards : that the latter fhould allow " Manco Capac to afcend the throne of Peru : " that fuch Indians as they held in chains fhould " be fet at liberty : that for the future, no Pe- " ruvian fhould be loaded with fetters, and that '■ the Spaniards fhould not treat them as fiaves " but as freemen, and be allowed to entertain Pe- " ruvians as hired fervants : that all the laws of " Peru, which were not repugnant to thole of " chriftianity, fhould be inviolably obil-rved ; " and that this treaty fhould be ratified by " Francis Pizarro, and his fovereign the em- " peror of Germr.ny." The Spaniards in lifted on " having the free " cxerciie of their religion, on having lands af- " figned them for their fubfiftence, and free li- " berty to trade without paying any taxes " all which articles were readily granted them. However generous thefe articles were, on the part of the Peruvians, yet Pizarro abiblutely re- fufed to ratify them ; and therefore continuing his march to Cuzco, was attacked at fome diffi- cult partes in the mountains, by feveral parties of Peruvians, who finding themfelves unable to ftand againft the fire-arms and horfes, fled to the capital, declaring that no mortal force could oppofe the Spaniards, who were armed with thunder and lightning : on which the inhabi- tants of Cuzco fled to the woods and mountains, with their wives, children and valuable effects. Pizarro entered the city without oppofition, in the month of October 1532, and found an im- menfe treafure ; notwithstanding the citizens had time to carry oft" the greater part of their goods ; and as it was cuftomary to bury, with the people of distinction, the bell part of the riches they had poflefied •, thefe conquerors, who made no fcruple of rifling fepulchrcs, found the wealth in the tombs as great as that in the dwelling houfes, fo that the plunder of this city is thought to have been equal in value to that intended for the ranfom of Atabaliba. Pizarro having pofiefTed himfelf of the capital, invited the inhabitants, who had fled, to return back : which they accordingly did, and even the Inca made a kind of proporal to embrace the chriftian religion, and to hold his dominions of the emperor of Germany, provided that both himfelf and his fubjefls might remain unmolefted in their perfons and eftates for the future. . Upon this, Pizarro giving him all poflibie encourage- ment, he came in perfon to Cuzco, where he was proclaimed Inca, in the fame manner as his predeceflbrs had been, and Pizarro then ratified the agreement abovementioned ; though he by no means intended to keep it. Indeed there was a neceflity for the Spaniards to take thefe pacific meafures, for Rumnavi and other Peruvian generals, had afTembled an army in the fouthern provinces, and taken poflefiion of Quito •, which, not long before, had obliged Pizarro to fend a body of forces under the com- mand of Sebaftian Belancazar to reinforce the colony at St. Michaels, and to oppofe the Peru- vian generals in Quito. When Belancazar came to St. Michael's, he round a confiderable reinforcement of volunteers, whom the fame of the riches ofPeru had brought from different parts of the Spanifh fettlements ; and out of thefe he chofe one hundred and twenty foot and eighty horfe, and then marched directly towards Quito, to feize the riches of the late Inca, molt of which remained there. The Peruvian general who commanded in that province, did his utmoft to harrafs and fa- tigue the Spanifh army, without coming to addon ; but finding that Belancazar advanced immediately towards the capital, he ordered all the treafures of the late emperor to be brought into the hall of the palace, which he fet on fire, and then abandoned the city. While Pizarro and his people were thus en- deavouring to reduce the feveral provinces, Don Pedro de Alverado, the gallant companion of Cortes, of whom much has been already faid in our account of the conqueft of Mexico, had landed at Puerto Vejo, with an army of five hundred men, moft of whom were well mounted, and having before Suffered confiderable hard- fhips, were as good troops as any in America. Thefe, having refrefhed themfelves at fort St. Michael, held on their march towards Quito, but IB Y FRANCIS PIZARRO. ! 4F but in the valley of Riobamba they were met by a large body of forces fent by Pizarro, under the command of Almagro, who had joined Belan- cazar. It feemed now impoffible to avoid a battle ; but both the generals feeing the ill confequences that would arife from' either party obtaining the victory : they entered into an accommodation, and a private treaty was figned between them, by which Alverado, in coniideration of his being paid one hundred thoufand pefoes of gold, bound himfelfto retire to his own government, and never either attempt or encourage an invafion of Peru, during the lives of Pizarro or Al- magro. And that no diflatisfaction might arife among Alverado's troops, it was ftipulated that each party ihould be left at liberty to profecute their leper.'. te difcoveres for their own advantage ; by which mer.ns Alverado provided for fuch of his men, as might, on his departure, chufe to remain behind him. Matters being thus adjufted in an amicable manner, Almagro and Alverado united their forces, with a view to march to Cuzco, where Pizarro was then quartered, to procure his rati- fication of the treaty. It is now proper that we Ihould take notice, that the peace between Pizarro and the new Inca, was concluded after Almagro had left Cuzco to go in fearch of Alverado ■, \o that at this time he was wholly ignorant of it : nor had the confirma- tion of it yet reached Quifquis, who was en- camped near Caxamalca in expectation of the news thereof, with a good army, which he was then ready to difband •, and accordingly, as die Spaniards advanced, he retired. The two generals feeing fo large a body of forces, thought it incumbent on them to make an attack, which they did with confiderable ad- vantage, for Quifquis had no fufpicion that they intended to come to an enjrao-ement ; however O O he retreated .in good order to fome neighbour- ing rocks, the fteep acceiles of which he defend- ed with the utmoft refolution, rolling down huge ftones upon the afiailants, with fuch good aim as to kill feveral of them, particularly the horfe. Thus he defended himlelf till it wa? dark, when he retired to the hills •, but his rear being attack- ed the next day on the banks of a river, main- tained a difficult pals for feveral hours, and fe- cured a fafe retreat higher up the country, whence in a few days after, he made a fally with fome fuccefs ; and notwithstanding he fuftained a confiderable lofs, yet, as he killed above fifty Spaniards, he was far from being difpirited. Pizarro's arrival, however, put an end to thefe difturbances : he marched out to meet Alverado on the road, under pretence of paying him the greater refpecl, but in reality to prevent his coming to Cuzco, left the appearance of that city and the country about it, Ihould tempt him to infringe the articles to which he had agreed. Before Pizarro left Cuzco, he took a formal leave of the Inca Manco Capac, telling him, that he was going to meet fome of his country- men, in order to fettle the peace upon a firm tooting. The Inca in return, dilpatched meffen- gers all the way through which Pizarro was to march, directing his fubjects to treat him and his people as friends. When Pizarro arrived at Caxamalca, he had a meeting with the Indian chiefs, whom he in- formed of the treaty fubfifting between Manco Capac and himfelf : allured them that his coun- trymen were totally ignorant of it, or they would not have fallen on the Peruvians ; and pro- mifed that all hoftilities fhould ceafe from that meeting time. He then continued his journey, and Alverado in the valley of Pacha Camac, he em- braced him with all the appearance of friendfhip* not only agreeing to perforin the articles ftipu- lated by Almagro, but prefenting him with twenty thoufand pieces of gold more, to defray the expence of his journey in coming to meet him ; befides which he gave him feveral beauti- ful emeralds, turquoifes, and velfels of gold, curioufiy wrought, for his own private ufe •, and at the fame time ordered all his officers to confider him as their commander, during his ftay. When Alverado had remained a while, to reft: and refreih himfelf, he took his leave of the two generals, well fatisfied both with the riches he had acquired, and the treatment he had met with ; and retired to the fea coaft, where he em- barked tor his own government of Guatimala ; but many of his people remained behind him. Almagro then went back to Cuzco, and Pi- zarro ftaid behind to fearch out a proper place for founding a new city, which he at length built on the banks of the little river Lima, in twelve degrees thirty minutes fouth latitude, one hundred and twenty miles weft of Cuzco. The firft ftone of this city was laid on the fixth of January 1534, and from its being the feaft of the Epiphany, he called it Villa de los Reys, or the city of Kings ; but it has fince been known by the name of Lima, and is now the capital of Peru. Pizarro having fettled fome of his people here, gave them lands in the neighbourhood, and af- ligned a fufficient number of Indians to affift in cultivating the grounds. He then went to a place about three hundred miles farther north, on the coaft of the South Sea, where he found- ed another city, which he named Truxillo, from the place of his nativity. While Francis Pizarro was engaged in build- ing the city of Truxillo, he received intelligence that his brother Ferdinand had been as fuccefs- ful at the court of Spain as his molt fanguine ex- pectations could hope for •, having procured for him the title of Marquis de los Atabillos, and a large increafe of territory, which was to be dif- tinguilhed by the name of New Caftile ; alfo that he had obtained for Almagro, the poft of marfhal of Peru, and a government two hun- dred leagues in extent, to the fouthward of that affigned to Pizarro, and to be called New Toledo. The report of thefe matters reaching Almagro before any authentic advices had arrived, he fhook off the title of lieutenant to Pizarro, and afiumed that of governor of Cuzco, under pre- tence 248 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQJJEST OF PERU, tence that it was out of Pizarro's jurifdiction, which lie infifted extended only two hundred leagues ^Vom the line ; but being oppofed in this ufurpation by Pizarro's brothers, John and Gonzalo, the conteft arofe to fuch a height that feveral fkinnilhes enlued, in which fome of each party loft their lives. The news of thefe dilTenfions foon reached the Marquis Pizarro, while he was at Truxillo •, who, feeing the immediate neceffity of his pre- fence, left all his Spanifh followers to proceed with the fettlement of the new colony, and without any attendants, committed himfelf to the caie of the Peruvians, who carried him in a hammock on their fhoulciers, relieving each other at proper ftages, and travelling fo ex- peditioufly, that he came to Cuzco before they had the leaft idea of his approach. He now foon convinced Almagro of his error ; allured him that if when their different commifnons from Spain arrived, he mould dif- like what was allotted to him, he would divide the government of Peru with him : and at the O m m fame time faid, that though the territory called Chili, to the fouthward of Cuzco, was, ac- cording to ail accounts, richer in gold and filver than Peru, he would confent to his marching with the beft part of their united forces, to difcover and pofTefs it. The affiftance of the Peruvians being ftill necefiary to the Spaniards, they endeavoured to appear upon fair terms with them, yet they awed them with troops at different places : they ftrengthened Belancazar at Quito ; a large body marched to keep in fubjec~tion the inhabitants of the provinces bordering on the mountains called the Andes ; while Almagro with a con- siderable party, prepared for his fouthern ex- pedition, on which he fet out in the beginning of the year 1535. The Inca Manco, with a view of engaging more effectually the friendlhip of the Spaniards, affifted Almagro with fifteen thoufand men under the conduct of his brother Paullu, and Vil- lachuma the high prieft of the Peruvians,whom the Spanifh writers call by the name of Villahoma. With this body of men Almagro proceeded fouthvvards, as far as the province of Charcas, a barren and inhofpitable country, which though he then did not think worth keeping, has fince proved an acquifition of greater value than any other made by the Spanifh power in America, as it contains the rich mines of Pctofi, from whence more filver has been brought into Europe, than from any other mines hitherto difcovered. CHAP. III. Almagro, on his progrefs to Chill, lofes many of his men ijuffers dreadful hard/hips-, he aban- dons Chili to ufurp the government of Cuzco ; the Inca attacks Cuzco with two hundred thoufand men ; John Pizarro is killed ; the Inca retires to the mountains ; Cuzco fur- renders to Almagro, who gains feveral advantages over Pizarro ; but afterwards con- cludes a treaty with him, which is broken by Pizarro, who caufes Almagro to be put to death ; the Inca oppojes the Spaniards ; the marquifs.s cruelty to the followers of Almagro ; his death concerted ; he and his attendants afj'ajfinated ; his character ; Almagro 's fon proclaimed governor of Peru ; young Almagro meets with oppofition ; Vaca de Cajlro arrives from Spain with power to fettle the difputes in Peru ; he is joined by feveral officers ; he engages in battle with Almagro, who being defeated, and afterwards taken prifoner, is cofiviSled of high treafon, and executed, together with many of his adherents. N the province of Charcas Almagro was informed of two paflages into Chili, but both of them atended with extrordinary difficulty ; the one being through a fandy defart, where his people muft expect to en- counter the fevereft attacks of heat and thirft : the other, though much fhorter, ftill more in- convenient ; lying over prodigious mountains covered with perpetual fnow, fo fteep and craggy, that it was almoft impoflible to climb them 5 and fo intenfely cold, that the air was intolerable, except at one feafon of the year. Almagro preferred the latter road, and per- fifted in his choice in fpite of the reprefenta- tions of Paullu and the Indians ; but he had foon reafon to repent of his obftinacy; his men being obliged to remove the fnow with their hands, by which means they made very fhort journies, and foon confumed their provifions •, fo that they fuftained inconceivable diitrefies, loofing above ten thoufand Indians, and one hundred and fifty Spaniards, befides thofe who eicaped with the lofs of their fingers and toes, though the Spaniards were clothed remarkably warm. At length, after a toilfome march of more than fix hundred miles, they arrived in Co- payapu, a province in twenty fix degrees fouth latitude, fubject to the Inca of Peru, where they were well entertained through the influence of Paullu, die inhabitants not only fupplying them with plenty of provifions, bur, being- informed of their fondnefs for gold, making them prefents to the value of five hundred thou- fand ducats. The authority of Paullu was of the ut- moft fervice to Almagro in his progrefs, for on his account he was received with great cordiality in many places, and oppofed only in very few, fo that he might ealily have planted BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. 249 planted colonies in very excellent fituations, had not all his views, by. a fort of infatua- tion, been directed towards Cuzco, where he was determined to rule, notwithllanding the late treaty ; affirming that by his com- mifTion, which by this time he had received from the King of Spain, this city fell within his jurifdiction. His commiffion was brought him by Juan de Herrada, and Ruis Diaz, who joined him with recruits from Cuzco -, having pafTed the Cordilleras, the road which Almagro him- fclf had taken, with very little fatigue, in the month of November, the fummer of thai climate. Almagro with a view of purfuing his dar- ling project of prefixing in Cuzco, abandoned his views upon Chili, and began his march northward -, but his army, terrified at the re- membrance of what they had fufFered in pafiing the Cordilleras, abfolutely refilled to return by the lame road •, wherefore he was forced to take his rout through the defart, under cover of the hills ; where the Indians told him that there was no water, but what was to be found in Handing pools, corrupted by the heat of the fun, and even thefe were at the dillance of eighteen or twenty miles from each other. To remedy this inconvenience, leather bot- tles were made to carry the water, and parties of Indians were fent before the army, to drain the wells of the ftagnated water, and leave the frefh at liberty to rife : by which expedients the army palled through thefe barren waftes, with much lefs difficulty than had been apprehend- ed. In the mean time things fell into great confu- fion in Peru : the Inca Manco, feeing the little hopes there were of his ever being reftored to the pofieffion of his throne, as he had been promifed by the treaty of Caxamalca, refolved to try what could be done by force ; for which purpofe he prevailed on Ferdinand Pizarro to permit him to go to a folemn feftival, held at Yucaya, four leagues from Cuzco, which was in fact a kind of afTembly of the ftates of Peru, where a fcheme was laid for quickly raifing three armies, and at- tacking Cuzco, Lima and Truxillo at the fame time. Thefe defigns were intimated to Paullu, in the army of Almagro, then on his march thro' the defart ; but he abfolutely refufed to join them at any rate, or to break his faith with the Spaniards-, in return for which conduct Alma- gro faluted him with the title of Emperor. This fidelity of Paullu to the Spaniards was difcovered by mere accident •, for a confpiracy having been let on foot in the camp, againlt the life of Almagro, Phillipiilo the interpreter, who was deeply concerned in it, at firft accufed Paul- lu of being the principal abettor of it ; but this being contrary to that prince's general character and behaviour, Almagro ordered the interpreter to be put to the torture •, on which he confefied that he had accufed Paullu wrongfully, and ac- knowledged that he had contributed, by falfe fuggeftions, to take away the life of Atabaliba : N° 21. 3 R on which accounts he was jultly brought to con- dign punifliment. In the mean time Manco Capac, having af- fembled an army of two hundred thouland men, laid feige to Cuzco, in which there was only fe- venty Spaniards •, but thefe being provided with a few horfes, and a good train of artillery, made a vigorous defence. The Indians having in their firft onfet taken polTcffion of the caftle of Cuzco, held it five or i\x days ; and John Pizzaro, after having at- tacked it in a gallant manner, taking off his hel- met to cool himfelf, received a blow on the head with a ftone, of which he died in about three days, to the great grief of his officers and fol- diers. When the Inca heard that Almagro was ad- . ancing towards Cuzco, he refolved to retire •, md though Almagro endeavoured to perfuade am to a treaty, he abfolutely refufed it, being refolved never more to hear of terms, from a people who had never yet kept their engagements in one fingle inftance. He alio took a ftep which was very extraor- dinary •, this was difbanding his army, and pri- vately retiring to the mountains. His officers endeavoured to difiuade him from this fcep by obferving that Pizarro and Almagro being now at variance, it was the very time for him to hope for fuccefs : but he replied, that notwithftand*- ing their private animofities, they would un- doubtedly unite againft him, if he made a fhew of oppofing them ; and that the proper time for him to vindicate his right, would be when they fhould be fufficiently weakened by their mutual contentions. As foon as Almagro appeared before the walls of Cuzco, he fent a fummons to Ferdinand Pi • zarro, the Spanifh governor, to deliver up the city ■, to which he anfwered, that he held it by commiffion from his brother the marquis, and, as he knew it to be within the limits of his government, would not deliver it up without his orders •, and he immediately began to put the place in a poflure of defence : but part of the garrifon being friends to Almagro, introduced his troops into the city at midnight, by which means Ferdinand and Gonzalo Pizarro were made prifoners ; and Almagro fummoning the magiftrates, compelled them to acknowledge him governor, and at the fame time appointed de Rojas his deputy. The marquis Pizarro, who was ffcill at Lima, hearing no news from his brother at Cuzco, and imagining that the parties he had fent thither to reinforce them, had been cut off by the Peru- vians, fent thither five hundred Spanifh horfe \ and foot, commanded by Don Alonzo de Alve- : rado, and under him appointed Pedro de Lerma captain of a troop of horfe •, who being an older officer, was fo offended at the preference given to Alverado, that thenceforward he meditated the ruin of the enterprize. The news of de Lerma's difcontent being con- veyed to Almagro, they made, by means of their emiflaries, a private agreement, in confe- quence of which de Lerma, with a confiderable body 25° THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, body of men, took the firft opportunity of de- ferring Alverado, after v/hich the latter was vi- vigoroufly attacked by Almagro's forces, his whole party •Touted, and himfelf taken pri- soner. The troops which had deferted to Almagro were amply rewarded, and marfhalled into a body, the command of which was given to Pe- dro de Lerma : and feveral of the officers now ftrongly urged Almagro to provide for his fu- ture fafety, by putting the Pizarros to death ; a meafure which he abiblutely refufed, declaring that it was beneath a gentleman and a foldier to deftroy his pnfoners in cold blood. The news of this defeat made a deep impreflion upon the marquis Pizarro, who finding himfelf too weak to oppofe Almagro, his whole force fcarcely exceeding four hundred men, determin- ed to try what could be done by policy ; and therefore fent deputies to Cuzco, to propofe an accommodation. Almagro, notwithstanding the reprefentation of his friends, that Pizarro wouk never adhere to any treaty, received thefe de- puties with great civility, and promifed to havv an interview with the marquis, in which com miffioners fhould be chofen to fettle the refpedhve boundaries. Accordingly, leaving a fufficient garrifon in Cuzco, he marched out of that city at the head of about five hundred Spaniards, taking the road to Lima, and carrying Ferdinand Pizarro pri- foner in his train •, while Gonzalo Pizarro and Alverado, were left in the town under the care of De Rojas ; but after Almagro's departure they feized De Rojas, put him in irons, and made their elcape to Lima, accompanied by a- bout fixty men, whom they had won over to, their intereft. Upon the news of this efcape, Organez, lieu- tenant general to Almagro, and others of the officers, urged him to revenge it by the death of his prifoner Ferdinand Pizarro •, a piece of cru- elty that he abfolutely refufed, and foon after met the marquis at Mala, with twelve men on each fide, to terminate their differences. How- ever, the conference was fuddenly broke off, by one of Almagro's people rufhing abruptly into his prefence, and crying out that he was be- trayed : on which he immediately took horfe, and rode off, leaving matters entirely un- lettled. This alarm was occafioned by the approach of Gonzalo Pizarro with feven hundred men ; which induced Organez alfo to advance with his troops, to repel by force the treachery he fuf- pected to be in agitation. Each party now feemed ready for war, but the marquis again found means to perfuade Al- magro to liften to terms ; and a treaty was a- greed upon, and fworn to on each fide, by which among other advantages, the pofleifion of CuzcO was ceded to Almagro, till the decifion of the emperor fhould be known ; and in confequence of this treaty, Ferdinand Pizarro was fct at liberty, on his taking an oath not to ad againft Almagro. No fooner had the nurquis Pizarro obtained the point he aimed at, his brother's liberty, than he broke through the treaty, fending a notary with witneffes, to fummon Almagro to furrender Cuzco, and all the places he had fubdued, on pain of being treated as a rebel ; and this dif- honourable proceeding was ftill the more inex- cufable, as, jurt before this time, he had re- ceived an exprefs from court, enjoining each go- vernor, on pain of the emperor's diipleafure, to keep quiet poffeflion of all fuch places as fhould, at the time of that mefTenger's arrival, own their refpecrive jurifdiction ; and if they thought themlelves injured, they were directed to make their appeal to the council of the In- dies ; but Pizarro thought fit to fupprefs thefe orders. Almagro now repenting the confidence he had placed in the marquis, gave orders for fecuring Cuzco, and marched with his troops to a place called the Salinas, from a fountain of brackifh water which iprung up there : and the mar- quis's army under Gonzalo Pizarro, meeting him at this place, an engagement eniued, which lafting two hours, Almagro was entirely defeat- ed. Organez behaved with great gallantry, but growing faint with his wounds, accepted quar- ter from a perfon named Fuentez, who cruelly murdered him in ccld blood. In the heat of the engagement, Ferdinand Pi- zarro was unhorfed by Lerma, who at the fame time upbraided him with his perjury, but his armour faved his life : and Lerma being after- wards borpe down by fome of Pizarro's people, was treacheroufly ftabbed ; but he had the mif- fortune to recover to be butchered in a more cruel manner. Almagro being il!, and too weak to fit a horfe» was carried into the field in a litter, and perceiv- ing his army defeated, retired to the citadel of Cuzco, whither he was purfued by Alverado, to whom he was foon obliged to furrender. As foon as Almagro was in the power of his. enemies, Ferdinand determined to be revenged for his own and Lis brother's long imprifonment;. and effectually to prevent his making head a- gainft the Pizarrcs for the future, caufed arti- tles of high treafon to be drawn up againft him, the principal of which were, that he had feized the city of Cuzco, made a fecret treaty with the Inca, encroached upon the government granted by the emperor to the marquis Pizarro, and fought two battles againft the forces of his fo- vereign, by which much Chriftian blood had been fpilt, and the progrefs of the Spanifh arms confiderably retarded. Almagro being tried for thefe offences, was convicted, and condemned to die, though he infilled on appealing to the emperor. Alverado pleaded warmly that his appeal fhould be ad- mitted, and in vain attempted to foften Ferdi- nand's inflexibility, by representing the kindnefs with which Almagro had treated both him and his brother, when they were his prifoners : evert Almagro himfelf addrefled Ferdinand in the moft moving manner, entreating him to recol- lect the time when he had fpared his life in op- pofition to numbers who would have devoted him to deftruflion : and to remember how in- ilrumental he had been in advancing the Pizar- roi BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. 251 alio begged bowing under the weight ros to their prelent grandeur. He him to conlider that, of age and infirmities, a very little time imift, in the common courle of" nature, bring him to the grave ; and befought him that, after the in- numerable hardfhips he had fullered, he might be permitted to die a natural death. But Ferdinand, deaf to all his entreaties, or- dered him to be ftrangled, in the feventy-fifth, or, according to fome writers, the fixty-fifdi ar of his age ; after which the dead body was beheaded in the great lquare of Cuzco, and lay cxpoled on the fcaflbld, almoil naked, the gieateft part of the day ; no one daring to bury it, left they fhould provoke the reientment of his enemies, who were inhuman enough to take no care of the interment, till towards evening, a few poor Peruvians, who had been his fervants, wrappe i the body in a coarie meet, and convey- ed it to a church creeled by the Spaniards, where it was buried by the clergy under their high altar. The enemies of Almagro have afferted that be was of mean parentage, which however, they could not pollibly know, fince he was found in the ftreets, and being never owned, was called by the name of the town in which he was found. His bravery was remarkable, and his prefence of mind was fuch that no danger could difcon- cert him. He was kind to his foldiers, and flow in punifhing their faults, yet maintained a ftrict discipline by the meer force of his own example. He kept a good table for his officers,, but lived as hard himlelf as any private man 111 the army : and when, through this conduit, he has been charged with affectation, he ufed to reply, that " His was the diet of a lbldier." Having lived fome time with a Peruvian wo- man, he had by her a fon, named Diego, whom at his death he bequeathed to the care of Diego Al- verado; who defiring Pizarro to evacuate fo much of the country as he had always acknowledged to be under the government of Almagro, that he might take poiieiiion of it for the youth, was haughtily aniwered that his goverment was now unbounded, and he knew of no one who had a right to infill: on iharing it with him, fince Al- magro was dead. Alverado, incenfed at this reply, determined to leek redrefs at the court of Spain, and there- fore foon afterwards embarked for Europe, with iuch evidences as were proper to fupport the caufe of young Almagro. It often appears that fevere meafures rather irritate than afluage civil dilTenfions •, which was evidenced by the death of Almagro, which in- ftead of extinguifhing, increaicd his faction : upon which Ferdinand Pizarro, who from the behaviour of the foldiers, fufpected that fome defigns wexe carrying on againft his life, thought it belt to retire to Spain, with all the gold he could amafs, with a view to bribe the Spanifh miniftry : but Alverado having prepared the way for his reception, he was arretted as foon as he arrived, and thrown into prifon ; and not- withstanding Alverado died foon after, not without lufpicion of having been poiloned to put a Hop to the profecution, yet Ferdinand continued in confinement twenty three years. About this time the Peruvians had again re- courfe to arms ; and having in a great meafure got rid of the terror which the horfes and fire- arms had occafioned among them, they were now able to make a itand againft the Spaniards, who being by this time increafed to above two thou- fand, found it more difficult to keep their ground, than they had to conquer the country with four hundred ; and it feems highly probable, that if fome particular bodies of Indians had not been fo infatuated as to adhere faithfully to the Spa- nifh intereft, Pizarro might have been compelled to abandon his acquifitions after fo long a poflef- fion. The molt valuable acquifition made after the death of Almagro, was the conqueft of the pro- 1 .nee of Charcas, in which were the rich mines of Potoli, which the marquis divided among the conquerors, having firlt founded the city of La .Plata, fo called from its being fituated among the mines. His brother Gonzalo, then engaged in fubduing the Inca Manco, and his brother Ferdinand, at that time a prifoner in Spain, had alio (hares in the riches of this province. Gonzalo having driven the Inca to the moun- tains, and becoming governor of Quito, turned his thoughts to the making new difcoveries •, for which purpofe he marched to the eaftward, in order, if pofhble, to obtain fome knowledge of the breadth of America •, and though he met with fuch infuperable obftacles as obliged him to return to Quito, yet Orellana, one of his officers, failed down the great river of the Amazons, re- turning from the mouth of it to the Spanifh fet- tlements, on the other fide of the American continent, and thereby opening a paffage to countries before unknown, though not lefs va- luable than thole already dilcovered. The marquis of Pizarro now employed him- felf in fecuring and eftablifhing his authority, by methods not lefs cruel than impolitic ; for he not only difcharged all the officers whom he fufpected of having had any regard for Alma- gro, but confeious of his own injuftice, and fear- ing the confequence of their complaining againft him, took meafures to prevent their returning to Spain : by which means many of them being involved in great diftrefs, were reduced to the neceffity of living upon the alms of their coun- trymen : and twelve of them, all men of family, lived together in a houfe given them by one de la Prefa, having but one cloak amonglt them all, which they wore by turns, only one of them going out at a time : but de la Prefa dying, Pizarro turned them out of the houfe, and at the fame time publifhed an edict by which, un- der the fevereft penalties, he forbad any one to afford them or their adherents the leaft relief. This proceeding rendering them defperate, was more fatal to Pizarro than poffibly their other diftreffes might ever have been ; for feeing no end to their miferies, but by their own or the marquis's deftruction, they refolved on the latter. The bravefl of Almagro's friends, among whom were the diftrefled veterans above-menti- oned, repaired to Lima, two or three at a time, where 252 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, where they did not want friends, who concealed them in their houfes, till their number exceeded tv»"o hundred. Thefe determined to feize the firft fair opportunity of executing their defign, in which however, they were for ibme time re- tarded, in hopes that a new commiffioner, fome of whofe attendants were already arrived, would come from Spain, in order to take cognizance of the marquis's conduct ; and that he would do them juftice, without laying them under the necefilty of raifing an infurrection. But on Sunday the twenty-fixth of June 1541, De Rada, one of the principal confpirators, had private intelligence that they were dilcovered, and that the marquis was taking meafures to have them all put to an ignominious death in lefs than three hours. This information he haftily communicated to fuch of the confpirators as he could moft readily meet with ; on which, finding there was no time to be loft, they repair- ed, one by one, to the number 1 of nineteen, to the houfe of young Almagro, which ftood on one fide of the great fquare, from whence they inarched with drawn i'words through the market- place towards the marquis's palace, crying out, " Long live the king, but let the tyrant die !" And it is remarkable that though there were at the fame time above a thoufand people in the fquare, they met with no oppofition, nor did Pizarro receive the leaft intelligence of their riling ; lb that they entered the palace very eafily, the doors being open. When the firft news of the difturbance was brought, Pizarro, who was fetting with only two or three of his people, ordered Francis de Chaves, his lieutenant-general, to fecure the great door, which he neglected to do, on a fuppofition that it was only fome difturbance among the foldiers, which his prefence would eafily quell •, fo that going forwards, he met the confpirators on the great ftair-cafe, and demanding the reafon of thofe commotions, was anlwered by two or three of them lodging their daggers in his bofom, on which he inftantly dropped down dead. The marquis, hearing them in the gallery, had no time to put on his armour, but feizing his fword and buckler, defended the door of his apartment very reiolutely for a confiderable time, fupported only by his half brother Don Francis de Alcantara, and two of his pages ; the reft of his company and fervants having fled at the beginning of the infurrection. At length one of the confpirators prefling home, bore down and killed Don Francis, on which the reft ad- vancing with frefh vigour, rhe marquis retired before them, and at laft funk down, fainting with lofs of blood, and was foon difpatched ; while his two pages, having defperately wounded feveral of the confpirators, expired by his fide, gallantly fighting in his defence. Thus fel! Don Francis Pizarro the firft difco- verer and conqueror of Peru, in the fixty-fifth year of his age. His body, by young Alrha- gro's permilTion, was privately buried by his fervants, no perfon of any conitquence pre- luming to attend the funeral, left they iliould give offence to the prevailing party. The meannefs of Pizarro's education was t>ub- lickly known from his not being able to write his own name, which his fecretary ufed to infert between two ftrokes which he drew with a pen. He was endowed by nature with fome good qualities, the moft remarkable of which was his bravery ; but his ambition v/as boundlefs, he never icrupled to facrifice his honour to his in- tereft •, made a jell of the moft facred obligati- ons, and was dead to all the tender feelings of humanity. His fate in fome meafure refembled that of Almagro ; like him he fell a victim to ambition ; Ike him he died a violent death •, and like him him he was obfeurely buried after a life of fpen- dor ; but he poffeffed not the fiftieth part of Al- magro's virtues. Pizarro was never married, but he had feveral mittreffes, fome of whom were daughters and filters of the Incas-, but we do not find that he left any children behind him. As foon as Pizarro was dead, the confpirators returned to the market-place, and proclaimed the young Almagro goverror of Peru : for Al- magro's friends had affembled while the others were attacking the marquis, and fecuring his guards, prevented his receiving any affiftance. They likewife feeured all the hories and arms in the city, and commanded thofe who refufed to join them, not to leave their houfes without per- miffion. They plundered the marquis's houfe, thofe of his brothers, and two or three of his profeffed friends -, and it is laid that the value of a million of crowns in gold and filver was found in his palace, the furniture of which was left untouched, for the ufe of the young Almagro. The magiftracy of Lima were compelled to own the authority of Almagro •, and Cuzco, with many other of the principal towns did the fame ; but Alonzo de Alverado, who was in the fouth- ern province of Chiachapuca, and HuJguin, ab- folutely refufed to acknowledge his authority : •the latter with feveral other officers, haftening to Cuzco, erected the royal itandard there, and difpatched meffengers to the provinces of Are- quipa, Los Charcas, and other places, to promote a lpirit of oppofition to the new government ; whereupon fome, who were of Almagro's party, flipped away privately to join their friends at Lima ; but they were purfued and foon brought back. Holguin, in the mean time, having received intelligence that Almagro, at the head of fix hundred men, was advancing, either to' lay fiege to Cuzco, or give him battle •, and know - ing he was too weak to oppofe him, determined to attempt a junction with Alverado, which he effected in the following manner. He fent out a party of horfe to furprize fome of Almagro's people, in which they fuc- ceeded ; whereupon he ordered two of them to be hanged, and fent the reft back, defir- ing them to tell their leader that in a day or two he would pay him iuch a vifit as lhould make him repent their meeting ; on which Al- magro halted to receive him : and Holguin made ufe of that opportunity to turn off into another road by which he foon came up with Alverado, and in a few days joined Vaca de Caftro, the new BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. *■& new" commiflioner fo long expe&ed from Spain ; who was not only appointed to examine into the differences fubfifting between the generals, but likewife in cafe of the marquis Pizarro's death, was authorized to take upon him the government of Peru. De Caftro had been driven by contrary winds, into the bay of Gorgona, from whence he had de- termined to travel by land to Lima, on the road to which he was thus reinforced, fo that his party now confided of feven hundred men. Vaca de Caftro was a perfon of admirable fenfe, extenfive knowledge, undaunted refolution, and incorruptible integrity. He was bred to the law, but his firm adherence to juftice, his contempt for every proceeding that was not perfectly equitable, and his declining to be concerned in any caufe that had the fmalleft appearance of illegality, prevent- ed his meeting with that encouragement which his virtue deferved ; fo that he was very little known. We know not how to account for it, that a man of fuch uncommon honefty ftiould find intereft at court ; but it is known that the emperor preferred him to this poft, without confulting any of his mi- nifters ; declaring at the fame time that he would try how probity would thrive in an Indian foil, fince it was fo little cherifhed at a Spanifh bar : and it is univerfally acknowledged that the Spanifh dominions in America never had fo good a gover- nor, either before or fince. He ventured upon this expedition with few fol- lowers, and little money ; but after he was thus joined, he met with amazing fuccefs. De Caftro received Alverado and Holguin with great civility, confirming them in their former com- mands ; and to prevent any difputes that might a- rife from a divifion of the chief authority, as had been the cafe between Almagro and Pizarro, he took on himfelf the title of captain-general, deter-, mining to act in perfon every where, tho' he had not been bred to arms. No man ever conducted himfelf more equitably; he never ufed his authority to opprefs his depend- ants, nor endeavoured to purchafe friendfhip by flatten'. He determined every caufe that came be • fore him with the ftricteft impartiality, unregard- ful whether the partv was Spanifh or Peruvian. He was a tather to thofe who obeyed the emperor: to thofe who rebelled, an expounder of the law, adhering ftrictly to the very letter of it ; as a judge he was inexorable •, as a man tender and compaf- fionate. At firft the people were amazed at his deport- ment ; but in a little time they willingly paid him the moft implicit obedience, becaufe they faw that their welfare was the ruling motive of all his ac- tions. Belancazar came from his government of Po- payan to compliment him on his arrival in Peru ; moft of the places that were not over-awed by the prefence of Almagro, acknowledged his authority, and Gonzalo Pizarro, who was returned from his expedition to the eaftward, after having fuffered very great hardlhips, and loft two thirds of his men, fent a deputation to him from Quito, ac- knowledging his authority, and offering to raife as many men as poftible, and march to his affift- N° XXII. \ S ance : but De Caftro fent him word, that he ac- cepted of his fubmiffion, and was fatisfied of his fidelity to the emperor : but that the hardlhips he had undergone in his late progrefs requested fome reft ; on which account, and as his own party was already fufficiently ftrong, he difpenfed with his prefence, and defired Gonzalo to apply himfelf to the care of civil matters in his government of Quito* Young Almagro in the mean time was making what head he could againft fuch formidable oppo- fition. This youth was bleffed by nature with great abilities, improved by a proper education. He was open, brave and geherous ; but hafty, and ra- ther cruel ; while his youth leill-ned his influence, and drove him into many errors* The death of his general, De Roda, a man of experience and integrity, difconcerted him to a very great degree, and his afterwards dividing the commiflion of general between Chriftopher de So- talo, and Garcia de Alverado, laid the foundation of his ruin : for the former having condemned a foldier for theft, was oppofed by the latter in fo violent a manner, that a quarrel enfued, in which, de Sotalo was killedj This affailination was greatly refented by Alma- gro ; and Garcia imagining that he would feek an opportunity of taking his revenge, refolved to be beforehand with him, by murdering him at a feaft which he pretended to prepare for his enter- tainment ; but Almagro having by fome means ob- tained intelligence of the defign, ftaid at home un- der pretence of ficknefs ; when Garcia fearing to loofe fo good an opportunity, went to his palace, to enduce him to come to the feaft. At length Almagro, appearing to be overcome by his per- fuafions, called for his cloak. As notice had been given of Garcia's approach, this was a concerted fignal, on which fix perfons rufhing in at once, feized and ftabbed him in fe- veral places ; while Almagro, drawing his fword« ran him thro' the body : after which he appointed Balfa his general, and then began his march a-< gainft de Caftro. Vaca de Caftro had encamped at Guamanga, about fifty leagues fouth-weft of Cuzco, where, anxious to fpare the effufion of human blood, he endeavoured to prevail on Almagro, to lay down his arms. But the latter infilled upon enjoying his father's government of Cuzco unmolefted, till the emperor fhould difpofe of it. And at this time his claim to it was fupported in Spain by Alverado, and oppofed by Ferdinand Pi- zarro. But while meflages on this fubjedt were palling between them, Almagro difcovered that de Cailro was endeavouring to feduce his people ; for a Spaniard was found in his camp, dilguifed like an Indian, with letters to Pedro di Candia, Almagro's engineer, making him very advantageous offers on condition that he would render the artillery ufelefs in cafe the armies ihould come to an en- gagement. Almagro was fo enraged at this circumftance, that he ordered the fpy to be immediately hang- ed ; and though before this, he was rather dif- pofed to terms of accommodation, he would now hear of none, except de Caftro contented to *54 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, to banifh Holguin, Alverado, de la Vaga, and many other experienced officers, in whom the chief ftrength ot his army confifted : fo that both parties giving up all hopes ot agreement, ad- vanced to meet each other in the valley ot Chupas. The army of de Caftro confifted of feven hun- dred Spaniards, and a confiderable body of Peru- vians, while that of Almagro amounted to no more than five hundred Spaniards ; but the latter had the advantage of a rifing ground, on which his artillery being placed, commanded the whole plain. To avoid the effects of this difpofition, Car- vajal, de Caftro's ferjeant-major, approached the enemy under cover of a little hill ; but when that fhelter failed them, they were quite expofed to the fury of the artillery, which however, be- ing levelled too high, did no manner of execu- tion : which being obferved by Almagro, he flew to the engineer in a rage, and calling him traitor, ftruck him through with his {pear ; and inftantly alighting, threw himfelf upon one of the cannon, when the weight of his body bring- ing it to bear upon the enemy, he ordered it to be fired, and it fwept down feventeen Spa- niards. Almagro's impetuofity now led him into a blunder that occafioned his overthrow, at a time when he feemed to bid fair for obtaining a vic- tory ; for as de Caftro advanced, fome of Al- magro's people prefled him to lead them forward to meet him, to which he raflily confented, and by that means got between the enemy and his own artillery, which rendered it wholly urifer- viceable. This miftake being obferved ferjeant-major, he told Almagro, " kept his poft, as he advifed him, de Caftro ** mull have been inevitably ruined ; but as he (f had thrown away the advantage that fortune by Suarez, his " That if had " had given him, he did not chufe to fhare in a " defeat arifing from his mifconduct ; " and im- mediately rode off to De Caftro's army, with fe- veral followers. At the beginning of the engagement Holguin was killed by a mufket-ball ; and Alonzo de Al- verado would have been borne down by Almagro, had not de Caftro, who had kept aloof with a body of thirty men, haftened to his relief, and by the well-timed fuccour he afforded, evinced that he had a genius for military as well as civil affairs. De Caftro in the end obtained a compleat vic- tory, and Almagro finding his army totally routed, efcaped with only fix horfemen, intending to have taken refuge in the mountains ; but taking Cuzco in his way, with a view to carry off his treafure, the very men whom he had entrufted with the go- vernment of the city, hearing that he had loft the battle, feized his perfon, and threw him into prifon. In the battle ofChupas, which was fought on the fixteenth of September 1542, five hundred Spa- niards were flain, and the chief perlbns in the army of Almagro, taken prifoners. De Caftro, having ordered the dead to be inter- red, and proper care to be taken of the wounded, went to Cuzco, where a tribunal was erected for the trial of Almagro, who was not then above twenty years old ; and being condemned for high-treafon, he was executed in the beginning of the year 1543, and then buried in a private manner, in the fame grave with his father. The fevere regard of 'de Caftro to juftice on this occafion was fuch, that not Almagro only, but moft of the principal councellors, and thofe in par- ticular who had been concerned in the aflaflina- tion of the marquis Pizarro, were formally tried and executed, without favour or affection, by which means the very feeds of rebellion were eradi- cated. CHAPTER IV. The wife regulations of De Caftro after the rebellion was fuppreffed ; he is fuper ceded by Blafco Nunez, who has the title of Viceroy, but aBing very imprudently, is oppofed by Gonzalo Pizarro, and imprifoned ; but efcaping, fujfers great hardjhips, and is at length killed in battle ; Pedro de la Gafca arrives in Peru with the title oj prejident ; Pizarro lofes ground every where, but at length defeats Centeno one of De la Gajca's generals, and is afterwards ruined by rejecling Carvajal's advice ; he is abandoned by his people at the meeting of -both armies ; furrenders himfelf prifoner : is condemned and beheaded ; De Gafca, being perplexed about the divifion of the lands, returns to Spain. DE CASTRO, having by this rigorous diftribution of juftice, put an end to the commotions which had lb long difturbed the country, laid afide all his feverity, and ap- plied himfelf to the cultivation of the arts of peace. He eftablifh courts of juftice, in which caufes were determined with the ftricteft impartiality : he ftrengthened the old colonies, and encouraged the fettlement of new. The mines, during his go- vernment, were wrought to the grcatcft advan- tage ; he erected colleges and fchools in all the cities and great towns ; appointed a number of learned men to ftudy the Peruvian language, and | preach the doctrines of Chriftianity to the natives, and was himfelf the means of converting; the Inca's brother Paullu, who was baptized by the nameot Chriftopher. De Caftro alfo divided the lands into eccle- ftaftical jurifdictions ; and being vefted both with BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. *ss with the papal and imperial authority for that purpofe he appointed both bifhops and inferior minifters : in a word, had the go- vernment continued in his hands, Peru would loon have become one of the belt regulated king- doms in the world, and have yielded greater ad- vantage to the crown of Spain, than all its other pofTerfions. But the cabals of the miniftry, who could reap no advantage from a man whofe conduct flood in no need of defence, and who dilpifed the thought either of bribing or courting them, difperfed the happy calm : they prevailed on the king to erect a kind of royal audience in Peru, and to invert the commiffioncrs that compofed it, with great power, and thefe on their arrival, made it their bufinefs to oppofe the governor in every thing which occafioned frefh difturbances both among the Spaniards and Peruvians, and frefh complaints to the court of Spain, which being generally attended with valuable prefents, were far from being difagreeable to the minifters. • Thele difcontents occafioned the fending over Blaico Nunez, with the title of viceroy, to fu- percede the governor, and enforce a body of laws made at Barcelona, which were highly improper for the kingdom of Peru. This new governor arrived at Lima in the year 1544, and although the inhabitants una- nimoufly offered to fupport de Caftro in his ad- ministration, and to petition the emperor for his continuance, he, would by no means avail him- Iclr" of their friendihip, but fubmitted to the authority of Nunez, who being jealous of his influence among the people, foon made pre- tence for putting him under an arreft, and be- haved otherwife in fo arbitrary and rigorous a manner, as to procure himfelf many enemies ; who prevailed on Gonzalo Pizarro to raife troops againft him, promifing to fupport him in the office of procurator-general, with a power to enlift men in defence of his perfon : and even the judges acknowledged his title in oppofition to Nunez, and took fuch meafures, that he was received as governor of Peru in the city of Cuzco. • Herrera and de la Vega vary every much in their accounts of Nunez's administration ; but we choofe rather to adhere to the reprefentations of the latter, fince he 'not only writes with all the coolnefs of an hiftorian, unbiaffed in favour of either party, but lived on the fpot at the time, a witnefs of moll of die tranfadtions which he re- lates. The deportment of Nunez was fo haughty and over-bearing, that his forces frequently de- serted to Pizarro ; and being a perfon of a paf- fionate temper, he ordered Suarez, who was one of his warmeft friends, to be aflaffinated in his pretence, from the bare fufpicion that he had an intention to defert ; but being foon after- wards fully convinced of his fidelity, fincere- Jy repented his ralhnefs and crueltv. Not long after this, the judges took Nunez Into cuftody, and fent him under a guard on board a fhip, as the only method of preferv- ing his lite from the enraged populace, and the revenge of Benito de Carvajal, "brother to Su- arez, who had ferved under Gonzalo Pizarro. Nunez, however, was afterwards fet at liberty, and conducted at his own defire to Truxillo, by Alvarez, one of his judges, who had been com- miffioned by the reft to carry him to Spain, and lay an account of his proceedings before the em- peror. Gonzalo Pizarro, in the mean time, managed matters fo to get himfelf generally acknowledged governor of Peru : but he wifely left the admini- stration of civil affairs to the judges, devoting his whole time and attention to the regulation of the army. Having fettled matters in fuch a manner that no perfon feemed either able or willing to dif- pute his authority, he refolved on fending two perfons to Spain to defend his proceedings, in the fame Ihip with Vaca de Caftro ; but the lat- ter fearing that thefe envoys might ufe him ill, prevailed on the crew to leave the harbour, and fteer for Panama, before Pizarro's difpatches were ready. This retreat incenfed Pizarro to fuch a degree^ that he charged many of his friends and adherents with being privy to it ; and not only arbitrarily imprifoned, but cruelly took away the lives of feveral of them. The viceroy Nunez, and judge Alvarez, arriv- ed in the mean time at Tumbez, where they publilhed a manifefto, with an account of the particulars of Pizarro's rebellion, requefting the affiftance of all loyal fubjedb againft him. While Nunez was thus fituated he difcover- ed far greater abilities than when in his profpe- rity ; but the bad character he bore, deterred even Pizarro's enemies from joining him ; fo that he was under a neceffity of retiring on Pi- zarro's approach, who purfued and hunted him on the rugged mountains of Quito, where he was driven to fuch extreme diftrefes as to be obliged to feed on horfe flefti. Nunez having avoided him in this manner for more than year, during which time great bar- barties were committed on both fides ; the ar- mies at length came, to an engagement near Qui to, on the nineteenth of January 1546," where Nunez's forces were entirely routed, and himfelf knocked down whilft fighting in the moft gallant manner : his head was then ftruck off, and by order of the revengeful Suarez, fet upon a pole ; but Pizarro being informed of this indignity, re- fentcd it extremely, giving immediate orders that the head fhould be taken down, and in- terred with the body in an honourable man- ner. Pizarro even affected to appear grieved for the death of Nunez, for whom he went into mourn* ing ; but notwithstanding his outward fhow of grief, his whole delight was in amaffing wealth j and from this time forward he conducted him- felf rather like an abfolure monarch than the go- vernor of a province. Intelligence of thefe dangerous proceedings being brought to the court L ; pain, gave great unealinefs to the emperor, and induced him to fend over Pedro de la Galea, with the title of prefident of the royal couit of Peru, and powers equal to thofe of a fovereiga prince. He was com- 256 THE DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF PERU, commiflioned to make laws, or to repeal them, to pardon, or punifh treafon, and to aft, in all other refpedls, as he mould think, moll con- ducive to the honour of God, and the benefit of his king : in a word, he was veiled with autho- rity equal to that of the emperor himfelf. Pedro de la Gafca, though a prieft, and a brother of the inquifition, was a perfon of admi- rable character ; he was honeft, couragious, mild, affable, penetrating, fagacious, and totally dif- interefted* His commiffion was dated at Vienna, in the beginning of the year 1546, and he ar- rived at Panama about the middle of July in the fame year, where he was received in the nioft re- fpedlful manner, and by his agreeable and judi- cious deportment foon procured many friends, among whom was Hinojofa, who commanded the fleet, as admiral under Pizarro ; but by agree- ment between him and Gafca, his revolt was to be kept a profound fecret, till it lhould be known in what manner Pizarro would behave to a meffenger whom Gafca lent to him, with a letter from the emperor, and another from him- Yelf. Thefe difpatches were carried by a perfon .named Paniagua, whom Pizarro received in a very refpedlful manner, laying before an affem- bly of his principal officers the inftrudtions he brought, in which was offered a general amnefty to all who would acknowledge the president's authority ; and proper provifion was promifed to be made for Pizarro and his family, in consi- deration of their fervices, and no notice was to lie taken of his having rebelled. Carvajal declared with great warmth for ac- cepting thefe terms, in which he was feconded by all moderate people. But feveral perfons who were of a reftlefs and turbulent difpofition, prevailed with Pizarro to anfwer, by fending a fhort defence of his conduct, and defiring to be confirmed in his government of Peru, to which, as heir to his brother, who had conquered the country, he had an unqueftionable right. Paniagua had fecret inftrudtions to comply "wh this requeft, in cafe he found Pizarro's party very ftrong : but being privately vifited by moil of the principal people, who affured him that they would join the royal llandard as foon as the president fhould arrive in Peru ; Pa- niagua fuppreffed thefe orders, as he faw that he might fucceed without declaring them : but he had afterwards reafon to repent of this conduct, fince many Spaniards loft their lives by his fi- lence in this particular. Pizarro about this time received intelligence of the defection of Hinojofa, and feveral other perfons, in whom he had repofed the utmoft confidence : but he had ftill greater reafon for uneafinefs, on hearing that the two perfons whom he had fent to Spain, with a vindication of his conduct, had ab andoned his intereft. Not long after this, the city of Cuzco was fur- prized by the following llratagem. Centeno, an officer who had fought with dillinguifhed bra- very, under the viceroy Nunez, after whofe de- feat he fled for refuge to the mountains, once more made his appearance for Pedro de la Gaf- ca, and was joined by about eighty horfemen, with whom he determined to furprize that city, though it was garrifoned by three hundred men* under the command of De Robles, a perfon firmly attached to the intereft of Pizarro. For this purpofe, as foon as it was dark^ ha ordered fome Indians to drive feveral mules and other beads of burden, with a great noiie, and matches lighted at the pommel of each laddie, up a certain ftreet, which alarmed the garrifon ; the foldiers marched out to that quarter where the confufion was raifed, while Centeno and his people entered the city on the contrary fide, at- tacked them in the rear, and threw them into fuch diforder, that they immediately fled, leav- ing him in pofleflion of the place : and many of them, who were equally enemies both to Pizar- ro and De Robles, returning to join him, on difcovering the true fituation of affairs, De Ro-> bles himlelf, who had taken refuge in a convent, was made prifoner, and afterwards behaving in a very infolent manner to Centeno, the latter gave orders that he fhould be beheaded* The prefident De Gafca was by this time ar-» rived in the province of Quito, where he pub* lilhed a general amnefty, and a repeal of the laws which had been fo irkfome to the people ; fome of which, under Severe penaties forbad the Indians from working in the mines, or fiflving for pearl. Thus, by a miilaken policy, pre- venting the obtaining that treafure which made Peru lo valuable an acquifition : Others ordain- ed, that none of the king's officers fhould, on any account, keep an Indian fervant, fo that many of thofe poor people, who had fallen into the hands of humane mailers, deplored their way- ward fate at being compelled to leave them, as if they had been torn from the aims of their pa- rents ; and others of thefe laws directed that the eftates of all perfons lhould, at their death, fall to the king, who was impowered to allow what he thought proper, as a maintenance for their wives and children : in a word, the general te- nor of thefe laws, which were forty-tour in num- ber, were deftrudtive of the true intereft of that country. By this time the army of Centeno was increaf- ed by reinforcements from La Plata, Arequipa, and other places, fo as to amount to above a. thoufand men ; and as the prefident's army waa daily increafing, he determined to march to- wards Lima, which city had declared in his fa- vour a day or two after Pizarro had left it, who bent his courfe towards Arequipa. But the lat-. ter finding that things went every where againft him, and not being much above four hundred ftrong, though he had been joined by Acofta widi fifty horie, he turned off to the fouthward, propofing to have eftablifhed a colony on the eaft fide of the mountains of Potofi, the filver mines of which were jult then difcovered ; and in cafe of meeting with interruption there, he intended to travel ftill farther fourh, and make a fettlement in Chili. But Centeno blocking up his paffage, Pizarro after having tried in vain to bring him over to his fide by fair means, determined to attempt to force a paflage through his camp : for which purpofe Acofta made an attack in the night ; but being BY FRANCIS PIZARRO. M being difcovered, he was obliged to retire, which he did without any lofs. Pizarro's arm)' did not amount to quite five hundred men, while Cenreno's confilted of be- tween a thoufand and twelve hundred ; and on the twentieth of October 1 547, both armies drew up in fight of each other, when the want of numbers was fupplied by the courage and eondudt of Carvajal, who gave orders that his people lhould • not itir from the poll: in which he had fixed them, but referve their fire till the enemy were c'ofe upon them ; he alfo armed every man with two muskets, for many who had deferted, had left their arms behind them ; and his orders were fo well obeyed, that though Pizarro's horfe were at firlt clofcly preffed, Centeno was at length to- talis routed. Centeno had been carried into the field in a litter ; but the proipett of a defeat driving a way all thought or his illnefs, he mounted a horfe, and endeavoured to rally his people, but in vain, for they paid no regard to his remon- itrances, fo that he was obliged to efcape bo- wards Lima, by the moll private roads pofii- ble. Numbers of the Vanquiflud party having now joined Pizarro, he marched to take poileffion of Cuzco, from whence detached parties were lent out to fcour the country, the commanders of which were guilty of many acts of inhu- manity. This defeat, however, did not greatly affect the prefident's army, which daily increafed, Cen- teno hiving come up with him, and he being likewife joined by Kelancazar, and feveral other good officers, among whom was Pedro de Val- divia, with twelve horfe. Valdivia had been appointed governor of Chili, but finding his force too fmall to main- rain him in his poll, he had taken fnipping at St. Jago lor Lima, with a confiderable quantity of treafure, which he thought to have expended in the railing recruits ; but finding the filiati- on ot affairs on his arrival at Lima, he inftanttly joined the prefident, by whom he was received in the moll refpectful manner. His coming was undoubtedly ol great advantage, as he was one of the bell foldiers in America, and poflefled of fuch courage and prudence, as rendered him a fit match for Carvajal. By the help of thefe reinforcements, Gafca found himfelf at the head of fifteen hundred men, and with this army determined to march in fearcii of Pizarro, who being elated with his late iuc- cefs, ralhly refolved to meet him. The experienced Carvajal warmly oppofed this refolution; alluring him that fuch a Hep would be their entire ruin : obferving, that the prefident's army was not only greatly luperior to his, but that he could depend on the fidelity of his men ; whereas Pizarro had the greatelt rea- fon to apprehend, that three hundred men, who, after the laft engagement, had deferted from Centeno, would, on the leall appearance of ad- vantage, return to their old mailer. He like- wife made it evident that the belt llep he could take, would be to harrals the prefident's army, N° 22. 3 T by retiring before him to the fouthward, and carrying off all the provifions in every place as they v.ent; which would reduce their enemies to the utmoft diltrefs ; and he offered to conduct him to a place, out of which it would be impolE- blc to drive him, at the fame that he could awe the whole country around him, and llarve his antagonilt; Put Pizarro was deaf tc all his arguments, and though Carvajal offered to prevent the enemy from palfing the river at Apurimac, with only two hun- dred footj and fifty horfe, his offer was flighted, and the command conlerred upon Acolta, who being deficient both in lorefight and diligence, allowed the enemy to feize upon the pafs, with- out the leall refiltance; There was a fpring of frefli water on a hill near Apurimac, and the only one within many miles : near this fpring Carvajal intended to have lain in ambulh ; and w hen the foldiers, after crolfing the river, fliould run in a diforderly manner to drink, which, as there could be no fufpicion of an enemy, would undoubtedly have been the cafe, he intended to have fallen fud- denly upon them, and drove them back to the river again, when, through their confulion and diforder, they mult have been completely routed* If Pizarro had followed the advice of Car- vajal, there is no doubt but he would have frus- trated Gafca's defigns, 2nd retrieved his own affairs ; but being deaf to all advice, and every opportunity of diftreffing the prefident being difregarded, both armies- drew up on the ninth ol April 1 548, when Carvajal, obferving the order of the prefident's forces, was heard to fay, " Valdivia mult certainly be with G. fca ; " for no other man in Peru could difpofe of that " army in fo advantageous a manner." The battle was loon at an end, Pizarro's people deferring in large bodies to the enemy ; Garcelailb de la Vega, father to the hiftorian,, led the way, and was lollowed by the whole right w'ing, and feveral fquadrons of horfe ; while Carvajal, who in refentment to Pizarro's perverfenels, refufed all command, and acted only as a private man, began to fing aloud part of an old ballad, not ill adapted to the occaiion, and the remainder ot the men, feeing the mfelves thus abandoned, threw down their arms, and fled. Pizarro being, in a very Ihort fpace of time, left with only a few officers, turned to Acolta, and coolly faid, " Well, brother John, what " are we to do r" Why die like Romans, an- fwered he, " No reply'd Pizarro, let us fall like " Chrillians." This being faid, they moved on towards Gaf- ca's army, where Pizarro lurrendered himfelf to Pedro de Villavincentio, who treated him with the utmoft politenefs, refuting to take his fword and dagger, which were the only arms he had : he was met by Centeno, as he was going to ap- pear before the prefident, and that officer ex- prefling his concern for his fituarion, he replied with great chearfulnefs, " This day Centeno has compleated my fall ; to morrow, perhaps, you vour- t HE DISCOV fe R Y AND CO N QJJ EST OF PERT yourfelves will have reafon to lament it." Pi- zarro behaved before Galea, who taxed him with having rebelled againft the emperor* and murder- ed Nunez, with the utmolt firmneis ; alledging that he had not affumed the government till it was conferred upon him by the judges, though it was his, in right of the commiffion granted by the emperor to his brother and his heirs ; that Nunez had been killed in battle, and that for the reftoration of the public peace, he had been un- der the necefiuy ot oppofing him-. In anfwer to the president's charge of his want of loyalty to the emperor, who had raifed him from a very ohfeure lit nation ; he faid, that no pcribn could deny that his family owed their elevation entirely to their own perioral valour ; that if they had erred in their conduct which, however, he denied, yet he thought that even then, the fervices they had done the crown, ihould be allowed to plead in their behalf. He concluded, with bidding the governor look round him, and faid, " You may recolledt that this " whole country was annexed to the throne " of Spain by the Valour of my brother ; 1 too " contributed to it, and do I, who have been " the afnftant, and am the only reprefentative " of that brother, ask any thing unreafonable, " when I infill: on being nlade its governor. I " dare not tax the emperor with injuftice ; but " I cannot help laving, that if he faiv my fitua- " tion, and was allowed to do it with impartial " eyes, inftead of configning me to bondage, " and branding me with the name of rebel, he " would give me a {till larger reward, than that " for which I have been forced to contend." Gafca, who was highly difpleafed with his de* fence, ordered him back into the cuitodv of Centeno, who behaved to his prifoner with a degree of refpedt that reflects great honour on himfelft Not long after this, Gaf;a held a council of war, in which Alonza de Alverado and Ghian- ca, were appointed judges to determine the fate of Pizarro, and his followers, as it was refolved to lole no time, left any change of circumftances ihould happen in their favour. The event of thefe trials was, that Pizarro, old Carvajal, Ac'ofta, and Guevara were con- victed, and lentenced to be hanged ; which was immediately executed upon them all, except Pizarro, whole fentence, in confideration of the noble title of his brother, was changed to de- collation, in coniequene'e of which, he the next day fubmitred his neck to the block, and died in the forty-fecond year of his age; Such was the fate of Gonzalb Pizarro, which, whether he merited or not, we leave to the de- termination of the reader; After this, his houfe, both at Cuzco and Lima, were razed to the ground, and the places on which they flood fown with fait ; a marble pillar was alfo erected, on which his crimes were inferibed, and his head, together with that of Carvajal, was let up in the market-place of Lima» Several of his offi- cers and adherents were executed in other places ; after which the prefident proclaimed a general pardon, and retired to Cuzco, where he remain- ed for forne time. The prefident began to hope, by the fuppref- fion of the rebels, that all his troubles were at an end ; but in this he was miftaken : for he found it irnpoffibie to divide the lands to the fa- tisfattion of the people, as even the meaneft foldier expected fuch pofieffions as would ena- ble him to live the life of a gentleman Gafca being follicifations, determined to efcape from them at once, wherefore he privately withdrew to Lima, and thence made the beft of his way to Panama, in order to embark for Spain, carrying with him near two millions of money for the ufe of the emperor, and not a fingle ducat for himfelf ; an inltance of integrity and difintereftednefs almolt unexampled ! While the prefident remained at Panama, he was near looting all the treafure he had amaffed for the emperor, by an infurrection, which, how- ever, by his valour and prudence, was happily fuppreffed ; after which he embarked at Nom- bre de Dios, in the year 1550, on his return to Spain ; and on his arrival , the emperor was (o well pleafed with his conduct, that he beftowed on him the bilhoprick of. Siguenca, a populous city in Old Caftile, where he died in the year 1 567. at length wearied out with their a& THE [ 259 3 THE DISCOVERY and SETTLEMENT O F B R A I BY THE PORTUGEtJESE, With an Account of the feveral Revolutions of that Country. CHAPTER I. The dfcovery of the country by Don Pedro Alvarez de Cabral ; thefmall advantages expecJed from Brazil, when flrft vifited by the Portuguefe ; an account of its ancient inhabitants* and the manner in which the Portuguefe fettled it ; the unfuccefsful attempts of the French, to fettle a colony in Brazil ; the Dutch make themfelves majlers of Brazil, but are driven out by the Spaniards and Portuguefe ; the Dutch tnakc a new attempt, fending a large feet under the command of Admiral Lank, with a body of land forces commanded by general Wardenburg, who takes the city of Olinda, and all the coaft to the fouth j Admiral Lank takes an if and called the Sandy Receif; Admiral Pater being fent from Holland with a large fleet, the Dutch compel the Portuguefe to raife the fiege of Olinda, and this Admiral with Jix pips, engages the Portuguefe fleet confifling of fifty-four. IN the month of March 1500, Don Pedro Al- varez de Cabral, a man of' quality and great abilities, failed with a fleet of thirteen veflels for Soiala ; from whence he was to have conti- nued his voyage to the coaft of Malabar ; but after paffing the Cape de Verd iflands, he flood fo far out to fea, in order to avoid the calms fo common on the coaft of Africa, that on the twenty-fourth of .April, he fell in with an un- known coaft on the weft ; and as the fea ran Very high, he was under the neceflity of failing along that coaft, as far as the latitude of -fifteen degrees fouth, where he found a good harbour, to which he gave the name of Porto Seguro, or the fafe port, and the country itfelf he named the land of the Holy Ghoft, which name was after- wards changed for that of Brazil, on account of its abounding with a fort of wood of that name, which had been fo called in Europe near three hundred years before this country was dilcc- vered. De Cabral having fent fome perfons on fhore to examine this new land, and they bringing word rdyic it wr.s well watered, fertile, full of fruit-trees, and inhabited by a peaceable and gen- tle people, he determined to land his men here in order to refrefti them. Hereupon he landed, and found every thing correfpond with the reports of his people, and that the natives were fo far from offering anv infult to the Portuguefe, that they received them with a degree of kindnefs far beyond their expecta- tions. De Cabral having with him fome con- demned criminals, whole fentence the king of Portugal had changed to that of tranfportation, he left two of them in the country, to learn the language, to make farther difcoveries, and to ob- tain all poffible knowledge of the place and its in- habitants : but believing, from a view of the country, that the diicovcry he had made was a very valuable one, he determined to loofc no time in acquainting the king his mafter with it, and therefore immediately fent back one of his veflels to Liibon, with fome perfons en board, whole fidelity he could rely upon, and one of the natives of this new difcovered country, to be inii.ru tted in the Portuguefe language. De Cabral alio let up , asamonu- meai: i6o THE DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT OFBRAZIL mcnt of his having been there, ancl of his having taken poflefiion of the countrv in the name and tor tire uie of the kins; of Portugal ; and this was the more neceflarv, on account of the difputes then fubfifting between the Spaniards and Portuguefe, reipedting their difcoveries. It was in confequence of this advice, that the king of Portugal fent feveral perfoiis to make difcoveries on thefe coafts, who very foon found that this was part of the continent of America, which had been fo lately difcovered by Colum- bus ; whereupon great difputes arofe between the two crowns, reflecting the extent and boun- daries of the countrv difcovered by the Portu- guefe. But at length it was agreed, that the king of Portugal mould poffefs all that tradV. ot land from the river Maranon, to the river of Plate. .It cannot be fuppofed, that the firft difcover- ers could form any adequate ideas of the import- ance of this countrv. They found indeed that it was fertile, pleafant, and well fitu»ted ; extreme- ly well adapted to fupply the neceilaries of life : but they knew not that it abounded in gold and iilver. Fof thefe reafons, tho' the miniitry did not or- der it to be deferred, they only lent thither from time to time, fiich perfons as became obnoxious to the laws of their own country, which produced two very bad effedts ; for it not only corrupted the poor Indians, but difcredited the colony in the eyes of the Portuguefe nation. The country of Brazil may be reckoned two thoufarid miles from eaft to weft, and two thoufand four hundred from north to fouth, tho' even to this day the Portuguefe have hardly penetrated five hundred miles in anv part of it. The northern parts of the country, which lie near the equator, are fubjedt to great rains and va- riable winds, more efpecially about the months of March and September, when they are frequently dilturbed bv moft dreadful hurricanes and tem- pefts, which laying the country under water, render it very unwholfcme. In the middle part of Brazil, from the lati- tude of five degrees fouth, to the tropic, it is re- markable that the winds and feafons are the re- verfe of thofe in other parts of the world within the fame latitudes ; for whereas in them a dry feafon comes on when the fun goes northward, and the wet feafon begins when die fun returns to the fouthward : here the wet feafon begins in April, when the fouth eaft winds fet in with violent tornadoes, thunder and lightning ; and in September, when the wind Ihifts to the north eaft, it brings with it a clear fky, and fair wea- ther ; and this is the time of tiieir fugaf har- veft. Their is no country between the tropics, where the heats are more tolerable, or the air more healthful than this, as it is conftantly re- frelhed by breezes from the lea, and abounds with lakes and rivers which annually overflow their banks : and in the inland parts of the coun- trv', the winds that blow from the mountains are even cooler than thole which come from the •fea. That part of Brazil which ftill lies more to the fouth is one of the fineft countries in tha world, in every refpeel : but the Portuguefe do- minions are but narrow in this p^rt, being bound- ed by the Span'rfh territories on the river of Plate. The native Brazilians differed very little in fu- ture or complexion from the Portuguefe ; but tliey greatly exceed them in the ftrength, robuft- nefs and vigour of their bodies. Some of them liv- ed on plains, fame in village*, and others moved from place to place according to their fancies. Their villages coniifled only of three or four large houfes, not unlike our barns, in tvhich a whole family or tribe lived together, under the authority of the eldeft parent. They pradtifed fowling and flfliing for their fubfiftence, and made tip the reft of their diet with the fruits of the earth : fo that though they had not any luxurious plenty, yet in fo fertile a coun- try, they could not fufier any great degree ot* want ; notwithftanding which they were continu- ally at war with each other ; a circumftance which the old writers attribute to their defire of teeding on the fiefh of fuch perfons as they might take. But this later authors have looked upon as a calumny, elpecially as none of the modern tra- vellers have obferved any fign of their being canni- bals. The Dutch and Portuguefe writers give the name ofTapuyers to the inhabitants of the north, part of Brazil : and thofe who dwell in the fcuth, by the name of Tupinambies, or Tupinamboys : and divide thefe again into feveral petty nations, differing in their language, but pretty much the fame in their manners and cuftoms. The Tapuyers are a people of good ftature, of a dark copper colour, with black hair which hangs over their ihoulders ; but they fufier no hair to grow on their bodies or faces, and go almoft naked, the men inclofing their nudities in a kind of cafe, and the women covering their middle with leaves : the men have alfo a cap of feathers, but the womens heads are uncovered. Their or- naments are glittering ftones fattened to their lips or noftrils ; and feathers hung upon their arms. Some of them paint their bodies of feveral dif- ferent colours ; and others, rubbing their fkins with gums, ftick on beautiful feathers, which make "them look more like fowls than human crea- tures at a diftance. The Tupinambies refemble the Africans in their flat nofes, which are not natural, but being com- preffed in their infancy, take that form, a flat nofe being aflential to beauty : they have black curled hair on their heads, but fufier none to grow on their faces or bodies, and paint themfelves like the northern Brazilians. The common food of the Brazilians is the cafiavi or mandioka root, dried to powder, of which they make cakes refembling our fea bif- cuits. They carry this flour with them on their journies, which being infufed in water, ferves them as meat and drink. They alio feed on other roots, herbs and fruits, venifon and fifh, eating a great deal of pepper with all their food. Their moft ufual liquor is fpring water, of which the)' are laid to have the beft and the greatefc variety in the world ; but they have other kinds of liquors, of confidcrable ftrength, made of their BY THE PORTUGUESE. 261 their fruits prefTed and infufed, or of honey, with which they will fometimes get immoderately drunk. They underftood fpinning, weaving, and mak- ing bows and arrows, lances and darts, before the arrival of the Portuguefe ; they alfo built houfes, the architecture of which was but very mean : and they had fome knowledge of the virtues of feveral drugs and herbs, which they adminiflered to the iick. But a certain writer relates, that when they defpaired of their recovery, the relations ufed to agree to knock the lick perfon on the head,which they thought preferable to a lingering illnefs : but we give not this as a fact. Fifhing, fowling, and hunting, were rather their bufinefs than amufement, being abfolutely necef- fary for the fupport of their families, in a country where they had no tame cattle or corn : their di- verfions confiiled of di inking, finging, and danc- ing, which they practifed on their rejoicing days, for a victory, or on the birth day of their children. They are great fmoakers, and ufe the ilrongeit to- bacco ; their pipes are a hollow reed or cane, and the bowl is the fhell of a large nut, which holds al- moft a handful of tobacco. They are of an ingenious and tractible difpofi- tion, ready to learn any thing that the Portu- guefe will teach them ; and they elteem it as a Angular favour if the prielts will inllru