A journal of a voyage made into the South Sea, by the bucaniers or freebooters of America, from the year 1684 to 1689 written by the Sieur Raveneau de Lussan ; to which is added, The voyage of the Sieur de Montauban, captain of the free-booters on the coast of Guiney, in the year 1695.

CHAP I. (Book 1)

A Iournal made by the Free-Booters into the South-Sea, in 1684. and in the following Years. (Book 1)

IT is no very uncommon thing for a Child that is a Native of Paris,* 1.1 to go and seek his Fortune abroad, and to entertain a fixed Design of becoming a Man en∣gaged in hazardous Adventures. This City, within which most of the Wonders of the World are contain∣ed, and which is perhaps the greatest that can be met with, ought, in my Opinion, to have the Prefe∣rence of any other upon the Face of the Earth. But who is he that can penetrate into the Secrets of Nature, and give a Reason for some sort of Inclinations she works in the Minds of Mortals? As for my self, I must confess I am not able to give an Account of the Depth of my Desires; and all that I can say, is, That I have always had a most passionate Disposition for Travel. Scarce was I Seven Years old, when, through some in∣nate Notions, whereof I had not the Mastery, I be∣gan to steal out of my Father's House: It's true, my first Rambles were not far, because my Age and Strength would not allow them to be so; but they were so much the more frequent; and I have often given my Parents the trouble to look after me in the Suburbs, and that Place we call la Vilette: However, as I grew up, my Excursions were the larger, and by degrees I ac∣customed my self to lose a slght of Paris.

This rambling sort of Humour was accompanied with another, which I dare not dignifie with the Name of a Martial one, but was such as wrought in me an ardent Desire to see some Siege or Battel: I could not hear the Noise of the Drum in the Streets without those Transports of Mind, the remembrance whereof does still operate a kind of a vigorous Heat and Joy in me. It so fell out at length, that I met with an Offi∣cer, with whom I had but a slender Acquaintance, but my Warlike Genius quickly inclined me to make him my Friend. I looked upon him as a Person who could

be very serviceable to me in my Designs; and it was with this Prospect I applied my self to manage him. The Siege of Conde being happily commenced at this time, and he being obliged to serve there with his Com∣pany, I made him the offer of a Sword that had hither to done neither good not harm to any Man, but whi•••• I was passionately desirous to make use of. Here 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was that he gave me the first Instances of his Friend∣ship, for he took me freely along with him, and kept me all the Campaign; at the breaking up whereof 〈◊〉〈◊〉 returned with him no ways discouraged, or weary 〈◊〉〈◊〉 War, as the greatest part of them are, who have had but just a Taste of it. And this I tell you was my first Adventure.

The second was not quite so good, for the Success that attended it, tho it was alike agreeable to my Pa∣late, and according to my Heart's Desire, I hapned to become a Cadet in the Marine Regiment, but I fell in to the Hands of a Captain, who was▪ wonderous skilful to drain the Children of the Family of their Money; so that this Campaign, wherein I hoped to have done the King some Service, was worn away in Expence•• My Father gave more than he should, or I delerved to get my Discharge, and to set me once at full Liber∣ty to take to what I liked best; It was not perha•• his Inclination I should do so, but it was mine, and was not long to seek.

God, who it seems, was not willing to make me 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Conceit with the Trade, was so much the better Guide unto me at this time, as I was ill-guided before•••• For Monsieur the Count d' Avegean, whose per••onal Me∣rit has sufficiently distinguished him in the Body 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the French Guards, took me along with him to the Siege of St. Guislain, where I failed not to meet with new Pleasures in the use of Arms, tho it were never so hot. There were a great many Mens Lives lost at this Siege which yet did not cool the Desires I had to hazard m•• own: And tho my Parents, who could not well broo•• this my gadding Humour, were in hopes the Fatigu•••• of War would cure me of it, they were mistaken in th•• matter; for I was no sooner got upon the Stones 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Paris, but I grew weary of being there. I had nothing but Voyages in my Head, and those that were longest and most accompanied with Dangers, appeared to m••

to be the best. For a Person never to get out of his Na∣tive Countrey, and to be ignorant how the rest of the Earth stands, appear'd to me a matter that should be ap∣propriate to a Woman only; Whereas it was my Judg∣ment, That a Man should never be confined to one Place, and that nothing could suit him better than to make himself acquainted with all those of his own Spe∣••ies. To travel by Land, I thought both long and dif∣ficult, and therefore I concluded I could sooner and more safely accomplish my Designs by betaking my self to the Sea; and now you find me ready to go on board.

There was nothing omitted on the part of Parents that were full of tender Affections for an extravagant Child, to divert me from my Resolution; But as to Young∣men, such as I was, it may be said, as is usually done of Womenkind, That what they will, God wills; and to say the Truth, I was over-ruled by my Inclination herein; wherefore when they perceived, that absolutely to oppose my Humour, would make me but the more opiniative; they proposed I should take a Voyage for S. Domingo, where I should find Friends and Protection in case of need; and as this exactly suited both with my Desires and Designs, and that provided I could get to Sea, I did not care whither bound; I very readily obeyed.

Diep was the Place where I embarked,* 1.2 and from whence I parted on the 5th of March, 1679. with grea∣ter Satisfaction of Mind than I am well able to express: That Element; which, to the Generality of Men, seems very frightful, appeared to me the most amiable and delightful of any in the World. The Winds, if I May say so, wrought in me some Delight; for I found that almost every little Blast brought us happily onward on our Way: And I was so overjoyed to find my self in so desirable an Island, that I thought no more of the Hazards my Voyage made me liable to. Let no Man therefore be amazed thereat, if he finds none of them contained in my Journal. And seeing there are other Persons who have been particular enought in their Re∣lation given of this Passage, I have this only to say, that I safely arrived, through the Mercy of God, at S. Do∣mingo; and if any one has the Curiosity to follow me in my remaining Expedition, he must begin from thence.

I continued there, however, for above three Years not only in order to see the Countrey, but thro such Conjunctures as would not admit me to go out of it; I found my self chained there to a Frenchman; that was so far from deserving the Name of one, that his harde••∣ed Malice much better became a Turk. But what Mi∣sery soever I have undergone with him, I freely for give him, being resolved to forget his Name, which shall not mention in this place, because the Laws of Christianity requires it at my Hands; tho as to matt•••• of Charity he is not to expect much of that in me since he on his part has been every way defective in the Exercise thereof upon my Account. But my Patience•• at last being quite worn out, as being weary of those Cruelties, whereof I saw no end, I made my Complaint•• to Monsieur de Franquesnay the King's Lieutenant, wh•• acted as Governour since the others Decease; and who•••• Generosity proved to be a Sanctuary to me, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 readily consenting to take me to his own House, whe•• I staid six whole Months.

I had borrowed Money in the mean time,* 1.3 and thought it was the part of an honest Man to repay i•• My Parents would have been perhaps very willing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 have paid my Debts, but they could hear nothing fro•• me, nor I from them; and the Letters they sent 〈◊〉〈◊〉 passed thro such officious Hands, that they spared 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Charge of Postage. I was therefore necessitated 〈◊〉〈◊〉 seek out some other way to free my self; and this found in meeting with that which satisfied the natu•••• Inclination I had for travelling. I bethought my self 〈◊〉〈◊〉 making one of the Free-Booters Gang, to go a Voyag•• with them, and to borrow for the Payment of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Debts, as much Money as I could from the Sp••∣niards. Now these sorts of Borrowings have this Ad∣vantage attending them, That there is no Obligai•••• of Repayment, as in our Countrey, they being estee••∣ed the Product of a Just War; and seeing the place 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Action is beyond the Line, there is no Talk there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 making any Restitution: Besides which, we may a•• observe in this place, that there was then a Rupt•••• between the Two Crowns, and that we had a so mal Commission from my Lord Admiral to infest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Spaniards.

There was no question to be made, but I could find a Captain that would receive me; and I was not long in making the Choice, since there was not ma∣ny of them at that time to pitch upon. Laurence de Graff was the Man I most fancied, who would make a special Corsair; and tho he had not been long ar∣rived, all that he wanted, was to be gone as well as I. We were in a few hours time well satisfied with each other, and became such Friends, as those are wont to be, who are about to run the same Rifque of Fortune, and apparently to die together. This last indeed we should have reckoned upon with most ap∣pearance of Reason, but it was what we least thought of. My Departure took up all my Thoughts, I fur∣nished my self with Arms and other small Necessaries, at the Charge of Monsieur de Franquesnay, who was very ready to advance me some Money, which I have paid him since, and whose kindness I shall never forget. At last the day came, and I must freely say, it was, in my Opinion, one of the best in the Course of my Life. On the 22d, of November, in the Year 1684. we departed from Pettit-Guaves, on the Coast of St. Do∣mingo, to the number of 120 Men on Board a Prize taken some time before by Captain Laurence de Graff, from the Spaniards, which they sent as an Advice-boat from Carthagena on the Terra Firma of America, to Spain.

Our Design was to go and joyn our selves with a Fleet of Free-Booters, which we were in hopes to meet with before the Havana, a great City in the Isle of Cuba to the North, and about fourteen Leagues distant from St. Domingo.

We anchored on the 4th of December at the Tortoise Island to take in Water, and on the 6th sailed away in order to return to the Coast of St. Domingo, which is but Three Leagues off, and where we arrived the 12th, casting Anchor at Cape Francis, where we took in our full Store of Water and Wood. We left this Place on the 17th, and were taken with a North-wind two Leagues from the Road in such a manner, that we lost our Shalloop, which was too big to be put up∣on our Gibbet. Towards Evening we sailed back to a Place of Safety, where we were obliged to stay Two Days waiting for a Canoe we had sent to buy

at the Cape, from whence we came, such things a•• we wanted for making up the Loss of our Cha∣loop.

On the twentieth we made ready to endeavour to rejoyn the Victorious, a Ship that came with •••• from the Cape, belonging to Nantes, and bound to the Isles of the Wind, which had on Board the Com∣mander of St. Laurence, Lieutenant-General of the French Islands and the Coasts of the Terra Firma of America, and Monsieur Begon Intendant of Justice Policy, and the Finances of that Countrey, to who•• we served as Convoy, left they should have been a••∣tacked by the Spanish Pirogues that Cruise there∣abouts. And indeed we had a great deal of Reason to be concerned for the Safety of those Gentle∣men who were in much Esteem with all the Colonies of these Islands, because of the good Orders they kept, the exact Justice they administred, and the Tr•••• quility the People enjoyed under them; but we could not possibly set sight on this Ship, as not knowing wha•• Course she steer'd.

The three and twentieth we steer'd our own Course and in the Evening discovered a Ship to Leeward of us, to whom we gave Chase, but she braced 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to wait for us; and when we were come up 〈◊〉〈◊〉 her, we found it was Captain le Suer of Deep, who commanded a Flute called the Amerantha, whom 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quickly left, keeping our own Course. But on the Five and twentieth, which was Christmas-day, we ha•• a great Calm till next day, when the Wind proving contrary, obliged us to put back to the Port 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Platta, on the Coast of St. Domingo, where we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the end of the Month.

On the First of Ianuary in the New Year, 168•• we doubled Cape St. Francis, and next day by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the Morning did the same by Cape Cabrott, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 we doubled that of Savona towards Noon, they being all scituated on the same Coast, and that day one of our Men died.

On the Fourth we sailed in sight of la Mona, next day coasted the Isle of Puerto Rico, and la Savona and then steered South-East and by South, till the Eleventh, when we discovered the Isles, of Ave, to-towards

which we bore till the Evening, and dou∣bled them on the Twelfth about Eleven in the Morn∣ing, keeping still the same Course till we came to the Isle de la Roca; where there was also another Rendezvous of our Men of War to be, which we were going to seek out.

On the Thirteenth, at Seven in the Morning, we discovered the main Land of America, and were becalmed next Day, which continued to the Fif∣teenth at Noon, when we had a fresh Gale, and steered North North-East till the Seventeenth, when about Moon-setting we descry'd Two Ships and Four Boats to Windward of us, about a Cannon-Shot's Distance, that had the Cape of us, which brought us upon Deck to make all ready.

One of those Boats on the Eighteenth by break of Day, being a Tartane commanded by Captain Iohn Rose, as not knowing us presently, came up and ha∣••ed us; and as our Captain had a Commission from the Lord High Admiral of France, the Count of Thou∣louse, we made answer from Paris, and put out our Flag; But Rose who would not know us so, belie∣ving we had no other Intention in feigning our selves to be a King's Ship, than to get clear off him, gave 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Two Guns to make us strike, insomuch that ta∣king him really for a Spaniard, we knocked out the Head of Two Barrels of Powder, in order to burn our selves, and blow up the Ship, rather than fall into the Hands of those People, who never gave us Quarter, but were wont to make us suffer all imagi∣nable Torments, they beginning usually with the Captain, whom they hang with his Commission a∣bout his Neck: But one of the Two Ships came up with us in a Moment, and knowing what we were, gave us a Signal, which was so much the more Satis∣faction to us, that instead of Enemies, which we took them to be, they proved to be not only Friends, but those very Ships we were in quest of, which obliged us to put in at the Cape, and spend that Day to visit one another.

One of these Two Ships belonged to Captain Mi∣chael Landresson, and was called The Mutinous, but formerly The Peace; and the other to Captain Laurence

de Graff, whose Name was The Neptune, but once The St. Francis, and which he had quitted, when he went in his Prize to St. Domingo to get a new Com∣mission of the Governour, his own that he had be∣ing then expired. The first of these Ships carried Fifty Pieces of Cannon, and the other Forty four, and had both of them been Two Spanish Armadil∣la's, who the Year before coming out of Cartha∣gena, to take the Ships commanded as well by the Captains, Laurence and Michael, as those of Cap∣tains, Iohn Quet and le Sage, were themselves taken by those, whom they were about to become Masters of: And as for the four Boats, they were commanded by other Captains, whose Names were Rose Vigneron, La Grade, and an English Traytor from Iamaica; By them we were informed that they were watching in that Place for the Patach of Marguerita, and a Squa∣dron of Spanish Ships, which they expected would sail that way, in order to take them.

On the Nineteenth we resolved to quit that Post, and did all we could to get up with the Isle of Curassol, a great part whereof belongs to the Hol∣landers. We sailed in sight of those of Bonuaira and Roube••; and about Two in the Afternoon of the same Day, we chased a Flemish Boat that came from the Port of Guaira, on the Continent, and was returning to the Town of Curassol, Two Leagues to Leeward of which we anchored that Evening in the Port of Sanct•• Barba.

On the Twentieth we sent away a Boat, under the Command of La Garde, to the Town to ask the Governour leave to buy us Masts for Captain Laurence his Ship, that had lost them in an Hurricane near the Isle of St. Thomas. But this he absolutely refused, and shut up the Gates against us. Upon the Boat's Return, and Relation given us of the Gover∣nour's Refusal, I carried him a Copy of our Com∣mission, hoping to engage him by that means to grant us our Request; But he still persisted to deny ••s while a part of our Crew scrupled not in the mea•• time to go ashore, and enter into the Town after ha∣ving left their Swords behind them at the Gate.

On the Twenty third our Ships weigh'd Anchor, in order to sail for Sancta Crux, which stands seven Leagues to Leeward of this Town, and in our Pas∣sage by the Fort we saluted it, who returned us Gun for Gun▪ But the Governour finding we were two Hundred Men of us in the Town, informed us on the twenty fourth by beat of Drum, that it was his Plea∣sure we should be gone, and return forthwith on board our Ships, and that he would give us Shallops to carry us thither, provided we paid him two Pieces of Eight a Man, I presently discerned it was his Will we should not go back by Land, because we must for that purpose cross a Lake that stands at the foot of the Fort, which he had forbidden us to pass; And this made me go and tell him, we gave him thanks for his Shaloops, that if we were minded to go by Sea to re∣joyn our Ships, we had Pirogues to carry us thither; and that we had no other design to get to them by Land, but for a walk's sake: To which he answered, That the Inhabitants there scrupled to let us see their Island; but for all that, he would not let us pass over the Lake, and so we were two days before we could reach Sancta Crux, where our Ships were waiting for us.

We came afterwards to know the reason of the Go∣vernor's Displeasure against us, which was, that Capt. Laurence, and Captain Michael's Ships had taken two Dutch Ships before the Havana, that were fraught for the Spaniards, having two Hundred Thousand Pieces of Eight on board, whereof one half belonged to the Dutch Company, and the rest to the Spaniards. These last, with whom we were at War, being the only Per∣sons that were pillaged, were pillaged, were indempnified by the Dutch, who had charge of the said Ships, and who shared with them the other one Hundred Thousand Pieces of Eight that belonged to their Company, which the Free-Booters medled not with, being at Peaco with that Nation; And they easily perswaded their Princi∣pals that all had been taken from them, and so we were punished for the Knavery these Dutchmen practised to∣wards their own People.

Though this Island of Curassol be well enough known in France,* 1.4 I cannot but take notice, as I go along, that the Temperature of its Air is the same with that

of St. Domingo, and produces the same sort of Fruits▪ that the Land is almost level throughout, and the Country very naked because of the little Wood that grows there, but almost barren in several places, and produces little to the owners besides Maes and small Millet, yet it is watered with several Springs and Rivers. The Town that stands upon it, is small but very nea••, being encompassed with an high though very thin Wall; There is a good and safe Port belongs to it, and the Fort that commands it as well as the Town is very re∣gularly fortified; the Inhabitants are of several sorts of Religions, the exercise thereof being free, the chief of which is that of the Dutch, of the Iews, as well as of others; each of whom have their respective places of Worship in the Town. The chief of their Trade consists in Sugar that grows there, and of Wool which comes from the Sheep which breed upon the place in great Numbers: Besides the Skins of these Animals, as also of a great many Oxen and Cows which they keep in the lowest and best watered Grounds of this Island, where it abounds in Pasture: they are altoge∣ther affected to the Spanish Nation, with whom they have the main of their Trade.

On the twenty seventh we made ready and steered our Course for Capella Vella, which is on the Continent of America, where we designed to fix our selves in or∣der to wait for the Patach of Marguerita, whereof I have already spoken: The same day Captain Vigneron's boat left us to return to the Coast of St. Domingo, because they had not Men enough to make any thing of the Enterprize, there being no more than twenty on board her.

Being come to the Cape by the thirtieth, we ancho∣red there; and our next care was to set a Vigie or some Sentinels, to the Number of fifteen upon the top of it, to give us notice when they discovered the Patach but next day we thought it more adviseable to pursue this following method to get Intelligence: We sent on the first of February Captain Rose's Boat to the Mouth of the River la Ache on the Continent, inhabited by Spaniards, and about twenty Leagues distant from the Cape where we then were, under pretence of trading with them, but in reality with a design to make some Prisoners, that to we might be informed whether the

Patach was passed by that way or no; for it was usu∣al for her to take in part of her lading in that River.

While we waited for the return of this Boat, I and some others went a shore to view and observe the Coun∣try about the Cape. I understood it was inhabited by a most cruel, barbarous and savage Indian Nation, who are neither Friends to, nor have Society with any other People whatsoever, no not even with the Spani∣ards themselves, who live round about them. They eat without any distinction whatever they can catch, and are afraid of nothing but Swords and the like Weapons; but as for Fire-Arms they matter them not at all; we were satisfied to have a sight of them as we returned, without having the Curiosity to make a trial of their Teeth, by going farther up into a Country, were there was nothing to be got.

I am not able to forbear in this place to give a strange Example of what I am speaking,* 1.5 and of what this People can do, whom I take to be the oldest Free-Booters of America. The Marquiss of Maintenon, Go∣vernour of the Isle of Mary Gallant, who had the com∣mand of one of the King's Frigats called the Witch, having taken a Prize of fourteen Guns, which he went on Board, and finding himself one day separated from his own Ship, was constrained, in order to take in wa∣ter, to cast Anchor at Boca del Drago on the Terra Fir∣ma of America, which was inhabited by the same In∣dian People as live at Cape la Vella. He brought his Ship as near the Shore as he could, and bringing all his Cannon to bear on one side, he sent under the Covert of them his Shalloop with two and twenty armed Men to fill their Casks with Water. Now those Savages lying in Ambush upon the Sea-side, did not give the Shalloop time to land, but throwing themselves head-long into the Water, and rushing upon them in spight of the continual Fire made upon them from the Cannon of the Man of War, they carried her with the two and twenty Men for above fifty Paces to Land, where after they had killed them, every one took his man upon his Back, and moved them off; then they return∣ed, and swimming to cut the Cables of the Ship to make her drive a-shoar, they hoped also to serve those on board the same Sauce, but as good luck would have it, they had time to loose their Sails and to make ready to put farther off from the Shore.

On the second we put our Ships into a Careening-Posture, and on the eight Rose's Boat returned to us, and gave an account, that as soon as they had ancho∣red at the Mouth of the River la Acha, they sent a small Canoe with six Englishmen in it a-shore, they being of our Crew, and at Peace then with the Spa∣niards, who agreed with them, that next Morning about Sun-rising, they would fire a Gun to give the o∣ther notice to come on board to traffick with them; That in the night they had put thirty men a-shore to surprize those of the Spaniards that should pass to and fro; But that the Spaniards having discerned the Snare that was laid for them, fired all night, which gave all the Inhabitants the alarm; That next Morning our Peo∣ple fired their Cannon of Signal according to the A∣greement, and put out English Colours, but it was to no purpose, for the Spaniards according to all appear∣ance, had no inclination for those Goods they supposed we would trade with them in, so that our Men finding their design had miscarried, weighed Anchor and sailed away to joyn us.

As we were of opinion at last that there was no hopes the Patach would pass that way,* 1.6 we held a Coun∣cil on board our Ship about forming another Design, but not being able to agree with Captain Laurence, (who was owner of two thirds of the Neptune) because he would have imposed upon us; there were four∣score and seven that quitted the Ship and went on board the Prize in which we came from St. Domingo, and so left him on the thirteenth. He weighed and steered his Course thitherward; Captain Michael, and Captain Iohn Rose weighed also, and sailed for Cartha∣gena, and we who were irresolute what way to take, followed the latter.

On the 25th we had a hard Easterly Breeze, which carried us beyond a River that runs on the Terra-Firma, and is by the Spaniards called Rio-grande, where we should have taken in Water which continues sweet within the Sea for three or four Leagues from the Mouth of it, for all it rains so little, and provided you take that which runs on the Superficies. About three of the same day in the Afternoon, we saw our Lady de la Poupla which is also on the Continent, and the 16th anchored at the Isles of St. Bernard, from whence we

parted in the Eveninig with three Pirogues only, in order to get to windward of Carthagena, to endeavour to seek us some Provision which they continually carry to that place, and our Design had in effect the desired success.

We returned on the 18th with seven Pirogues laden with Maes,* 1.7 which we made good Prize: By the Spa∣niards that were in them, we understood, that there were two Galleons at Carthagena, and that the Spanish Flota was at Porto Belo, and that two Ships, one car∣rying twenty and the other twenty four Guns would quickly put out from thence; but we did not think fit to wait for them, because they could not assign to us any determinate time when they should sail.

On the twenty second at Noon we weighed, and to∣wards Evening discovered Point Picaron on the Conti∣nent, and the Isles of Palmas: About two Hours with∣in the Night we doubled the greatest Point of these Islands. The next Morning, which was the twenty third, we found our selves separated from Captain Mi∣chael and Captain Rose, and then it was we took a Re∣solution of attempting to cross over the Continent to the end we might get into the South-Sea: In order to which we sailed to the Bay of the Isle d'Or, which is inhabited by the Indians of Sambes, that so we might know of them (who were our Friends) what success the other Free-booters met with, who, we had been told, were gone thither some Months before.

From the twenty third at Night to the twenty fourth we kept to the Cape, being afraid of entring into the Gulph of Arian, and that Morning by break of Day we made nearer the Shoar, to discover where we were, and upon trial we found it to be a Point of the Wind in that Gulph, which the Currents made us to double.

Between this Gulph and Cape Matance happened a very remarkable Adventure;* 1.8 we had on board our Ship a Soldier belonging to the Spanish Galleons, whom we had taken to windward of Carthagena, in one of the Pirogues whereof we found the Maes before spo∣ken of, who out of a despair to find himself made a Prisoner, though he was very kindly used, took a Re∣solution, as appeared by what followed, to throw him∣self into the Sea, to which end he went five or six

times upon Deck without being able to put his Design in execution, and that in all likelyhood, out of a se∣cret resistance he found within himself to do it: But at last, after several Attempts, he effected the same, which exciting my Curiosity to enquire into the Cir∣cumstances thereof, I found he had put off a Scapulary or kind of Cloak he wore, and laid it under the Car∣riage of one of our Guns: And what is yet more ex∣traordinary is, that contrary to what usually happens in such cases, the Body which fell down with full force into the Water, floated along time upon the Back by the Ship's side, though to our apprehension he did all he could to drown himself; But when out of Compas∣sion to save his Life we threw out some of our Tackle for him to catch hold on, he not only refused to make use of them, but turned himself upon his Face and plung'd to the bottom.

On the Twenty fifth at Eleven in the Morning we arriv'd and anchor'd at the Isle d'Or, or Goldeu Island▪ and at the same time fired a Gun to give the Indian notice of our coming. Then we went a-shoar, to know what that Flag was we discover'd at a distance from us, where we found three Men belonging to Captain Grognier and Captain Lescuier's Crew, who told us, that they had carried there because they would not go with the other Free-Booters, who were on their Jour∣ney to the South-Sea, under the Conduct of those two Captains, and that as soon as ever they saw us, they had set up that Flag, as a Signal for us to come up to them.

The Six and twentieth came some Indians with Let∣ters on Board us, which were directed to the first Free-Booters that should Anchor in that Road, to give them notice, that they were gone, to the number of an hundred and seventy Men to that Sea, and some small time before them an hundred and fifteen Eng∣lish; Besides which they also set us some Instructions how to demean our selves towards the Indians through whose Territories we must pass, wherewith w•• were fully confirmed in the Project we had already formed of undertaking this Expedition: And though we were but fourscore and seven Men, yet we made our selves ready to be gone. In the mean time some other Indians came also on Board us, by whom we were

informed, that Captain Grogniet and Captain Lescuier were still in their Territories, and not yet gone to the South Sea, which made us write to them by one of those two Indians, to let them know that we were com∣ing to them.

On the Twenty seventh at Noon we saw Captain Mitchel and Captain Rose turn in to the same Port, which made us go presently on Board, to know what made them come in and Anchor in that Road. They told us they had been in Chase of a Spanish Ship nam∣ed the Hardy come from St. Iago on the Coast of Cuba and bound for Carthagena, but not being able to come up with her, they were come into this Port, as being the nighest, to take in Water. Then we shew∣•••• them the Letters we had received, which wrought a Desire in many of them to come and increase our Number, insomuch that an hundred and eighteen Men quitted Mitchel's Ship, and the whole Crew of Captain Rose, being Sixty four Men, who burnt their Vessel, when they had paid the Owners the price of it: We were not then for delaying, but on the Twenty ninth quitted our Ships and went a-shoar, where we encamped to the Number of Two hundred sixty and four Persons; but as to the Ship belonging to our particular Crew we left her in the Hands of Captain Mitchel rather than burn her.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Au∣thors first Adven∣tures and Disposition.
• * 1.2

  Embarks at Diep for Ame∣rica.
• * 1.3

  Resolvests turn Free-Booter.
• * 1.4

  A Descri∣ption of the Isle of Cu∣rassol.
• * 1.5

  A strange Story of the Savages.
• * 1.6

  The Free-Booters disagree and part.
• * 1.7

  They take some Pri∣zes.
• * 1.8

  A strange story of a Spanish Soldier.