A Voyage to Cacklogallinia | Page 9

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.
For Three Weeks after we met with no Adventure; wherefore the
Captain resolved to cruize off the Havana, and many of our
Water-casks being emptied,