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Page 8
The Resolution was taken, to board on the Quarter, which they did; but
seeing no body appear, they feared some Stratagem. However, some of the
Crew ran into the Steerage and Great Cabbin; but seeing nobody, they
went between Decks, and, upon Examination, found her a Ship abandon'd,
and that she had Six Foot Water in the Hold. They took out of the Great
Cabbin Two Chests of Pieces of Eight, with some Hammocks and Cloaths
from between Decks, and so left her.
The next Day, we spied another Sail, which gave us Chase: We lay bye,
till we saw she was an Overmatch for us; for by the Canvass she spread,
we concluded her no less than a Man of War of Fifty Guns. We clapp'd
upon a Wind, and made all the Sail, and lay as close as we possibly
could, but it blowing a fresh Gale, we found she gain'd upon us. This
obliged our Men to throw over the Treasure which they had found the Day
before, and had been the Cause of no small Joy. Finding she still gained
upon us, we threw over our Eight Guns, which together with the Wind's
slackening, was the Means of our Escape; for now we visibly wrong'd the
Ship, and in less than Six Hours, lost her.
The Loss of the Money was a considerable Affliction to the Crew, but
that of their Guns was so great a one, it had well near set them all
together by the Ears. Some condemn'd the Captain for ordering them to be
thrown over, others justifying what he had done, as the only Means of
their Escape. At length, good Words, and a Bowl of Punch the Captain
made for each Mess, laid this Storm for a while; but that which at first
pacify'd these turbulent Spirits, was what blew them up again: For when
they were all drunk, the Boatswain said the Captain was a Coward, and
took a Merchant-man for a Man of War: That his Fear had magnified the
Object, and deprived them of the Means of either taking others, or
defending themselves. This he said in the Captain's Hearing, who,
without returning any Answer, took a Pistol from his Girdle, and shot
him dead; and then seizing another Mutineer, he ordered him a Hundred
Lashes at the Gangway, which were very honestly paid him.
After this, he called all Hands upon Deck, and told them he should not
be fit to command so many brave Fellows, would he suffer any to insult
him: That if any on board thought he was a braver Man than himself, he
was ready to shew him his Error, either with his Fusil, Pistol, or
Cutlass: That since they had done him the Honour to chuse him Captain,
he would carry Command, which all brave and experienced Men knew
necessary, and none but Cowards would murmur at. That, as to the
Boatswain, he had deserved his Death, since one Mutineer was enough to
breed Confusion in the Vessel, which must end in the Destruction of them
all.
What, _continued he_, I have already said, I repeat, If any Man
has a Mind to exchange a Ball with me, I am ready for him; but while
I am Captain, I will be Captain, and let the boldest of ye disobey
my Commands.
This resolute Procedure quash'd the Mutineers, and he ever after kept
a strict Command, and was esteemed a gallant Man.
Two Days after this, we fell in with a _Spanish Garde de Costa_, and Two
Sloops; they boarded, and with very little Resistance, took the Ship,
tho' she had Fourscore Hands on board, and our Sloop but Ninety. She was
mounted with Twenty Guns, but her great Shot did us but little Damage.
The two Sloops were _English_, going to the Bay of _Campechy_ with
Provisions, which we wanted very much. They were taken but the Day
before by the _Spaniards_, and tho' they endeavoured to get off, when
they saw we had carried the Frigate, yet our Sloop wrong'd 'em so much,
that we soon came up with, and took them. There were Twelve _Englishmen_
on board the Prize, Four of which took on with us.
Our Captain now quitted his Sloop, went on board the Ship, which he
called the _Basilisk_, and left the Three Sloops to the _Spaniards_.
The Eight _English_, who refused to take on with him, he kept on board,
promising to set them on shore on the East End of _Jamaica_ in few Days,
but refused them one of the Sloops, which they desired; I suppose,
fearing, at their Arrival, some Man of War might be sent in Search of
him, or, may be, hoping to bring them over, for, it's certain he had no
Design to land them as he promis'd.
Our Ship's Crew was now extreamly jocund, for they had Provisions for
at least Three Months, with what they took out of the _English_ Sloops,
and, in Money, they found upwards of an Hundred and Sixty Thousand
Pieces of Eight, and Two Thousand Gold Quadruples. We lost but Three Men
in boarding, so that our Crew, with the Four _English_ who join'd 'em,
consisted of Ninety and One Man.
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