observed Captain Knapman was more vigilant than ordinary, keeping at a good distance off shore, for fear of coming too near those small low islands; as he did once, in a voyage from England, about the year 1673, losing his ship there by the carelessness of his mates. But we succeeded better, and arrived safe at Port Royal in Jamaica some time in April 1679, and went immediately ashore. I had brought some goods with me from England which I intended to sell here, and stock myself with rum and sugar, saws, axes, hats, stockings, shoes, and such other commodities as I knew would sell among the Campeachy logwood cutters. Accordingly I sold my English cargo at Port Royal; but upon some maturer considerations of my intended voyage to Campeachy, I changed my thoughts of that design, and continued at Jamaica all that year, in expectation of some other business.

I shall not trouble the Reader with my observations at that isle, so well known to Englishmen ; nor with the particulars of my own affairs during my stay there. But in short, having there made a purchase of a small estate in Dorsetshire, near my native country of Somerset, of one whose title to it I was well assured of, I was just embarking myself for England, about Christmas 1679, when one Mr Hobby invited me to go first a short trading voyage to the country of the Mosquitoes. I was willing to get up some money before my return, having laid out what I had at Jamaica; so I sent the writing of my new purchase along with the same friends whom I should have accompanied to England, and went on board Mr Hobby. Soon after our setting out, we came to an anchor again in Negril Bay, at the west end of Jamaica; but finding there Captains Coxon, Sawkins, Sharpe, and other Privateers, Mr Hobby's men all left him to go with them upon an expedition they had contrived, leaving not one with him

pier's time called "Ash" by English

seamen.

besides myself; and being thus left alone, after three or four days' stay with Mr Hobby, I was the more easily persuaded to go with them too.

2

It was shortly after Christmas 1679 when we set out. The first expedition was to Portobello, which being accomplished, it was resolved to march by land over the Isthmus of Darien, upon some new adventures in the South Seas. Accordingly, on the 5th of April 1680, we went ashore on the Isthmus, near Golden Island, one of the Sambaloes,1 to the number of between 300 and 400 men, carrying with us such provisions as were necessary, and toys wherewith to gratify the wild Indians through whose country we were to pass. In about nine days' march we arrived at Santa Maria, and took it; and after a stay there of about three days, we went on to the South Sea coast, and there embarked ourselves in such canoes and periagoes, as our Indian friends furnished us withal. We were in sight of Panama by the 23d of April, and having in vain attempted Pueblo Nuevo, before which Sawkins, then commander-in-chief, and others, were killed, we made some stay at the neighbouring Isles of Quibo. Here we resolved to change our course and stand away to the southward for the coast of Peru. Accordingly we left the Keys or Isles of Quibo the 6th of June, and spent the rest of the year in that southern course; for, touching at the isles of Gorgona and Plata, we came to Ylo, a small town on the coast of Peru, and took it. This was in October, and in November we went thence to Coquimbo on the same coast, and about Christmas were got as far as the Isle of Juan Fernan

1 Probably corresponding with what is now called the Muletas Archipelago, a number of small islands and rocks extending along the northeastern coast of the Isthmus of Darien, from Point San Blas.

2 Piroques; large canoes made square at one of the ends; called also "piraguas: "Italian, "piroga ; Spanish, "piragua."

for we knew that the Spaniards would soon be after us, and one man falling into their hands might be the ruin of us all, by giving an account of our strength and condition; yet, this would not deter them from going with us. We had but little wind when we parted from the ship, but before 12 o'clock the sea breeze came in strong, which was like to founder us before we got in with the shore. For our security, therefore, we cut up an old dry hide that we brought with us, and barricaded the launch all round with it, to keep the water out. About 10 o'clock at night we got in about seven leagues to windward of Cape Pasado, under the Line, and then it proved calm, and we lay and drove all night, being fatigued the preceding day. The 18th we had little wind till the afternoon, and then we made sail, standing along the shore to the northward, having the wind at SSW., and fair weather. At 7 o'clock we came abreast of Cape Pasado, and found a small bark at anchor in a small bay to leeward of the Cape, which we took, our own boats being too small to transport us. We took her just under the Equinoctial Line. She was not only a help to us, but in taking her we were safe from being described. We did not design to have meddled with any when we parted with our consorts, nor to have seen any if we could have helped it. The bark came from Gallo, laden with timber, and was bound for Guayaquil. The 19th, in the morning, we came to an anchor about twelve leagues to the southward of Cape San Francisco, to put our new bark into a better trim. In three or four hours' time we finished our business, and came to sail again, and steered along the coast with the wind at SSW., intending to touch at Gor

gona.

Being to the northward of Cape San Francisco, we met with very wet weather; but, the wind continuing, we arrived at Gorgona the 24th, in the morning, before it was light: we were afraid to approach it in the daytime, for fear the Spaniards should

lie there for us, it being the place where we careened lately, and where they might expect us. When we came ashore we found the Spaniards had been there to seek after us, by a house they had built which would entertain 100 men, and by a great cross before the doors. This was token enough that the Spaniards did expect us this way again, therefore we examined our prisoners if they knew anything of it, who confessed they had heard of a periago, that rowed with fourteen oars, which was kept in a river on the main, and once in two or three days came over to Gorgona purposely to seek for us; and that, having discovered us, she was to make all speed to Panama with the news, where they had three ships ready to send after us. We lay here all the day, and scrubbed our new bark, that if ever we should be chased we might the better escape; we filled our water, and in the evening went from thence, having the wind at SW., a brisk gale. The 25th we had much wind and rain, and we lost the canoe that had been cut and was joined together; we would have kept all our canoes to carry us up the river, the bark not being so convenient. The 27th we went from thence with a moderate gale of wind at SW. In the afternoon we had excessive showers of rain.

The 28th was very wet all the morning; betwixt ten and eleven it cleared up, and we saw two great ships about a league and a half to the westward of us, we being then two leagues from the shore, and about ten leagues to the southward of Point Garachina. These ships had been cruising between Gorgona and the Gulf six months; but whether our prisoners did know it, I cannot tell. We presently furled our sails, and rowed in close under the shore, knowing that they were cruisers. The glare did not continue long before it rained again, and kept us from the sight of each other; but if they had seen and chased us, we were resolved to run our bark and canoes ashore, and take ourselves to the mountains and travel

turn out. I persuaded them to run into the River of Congo, which is a large river, about three leagues from the islands where we lay; which, with a southerly wind, we could have done; and when we were got as high as the tide flows, then we might have landed. But all the arguments I could use were not of force sufficient to convince them that there was a large river so near us; but they would land somewhere, they neither did know how, where, nor when. When we had rowed and towed against the wind all night, we just got about Cape San Lorenzo in the morning, and sailed about four miles farther to the westward, and ran into a small creek within two keys or little islands, and rowed up to the head of the creek, being about a mile up, and there we landed, May 1st, 1681. We got out all our provision and clothes, and then sunk our vessel. While we were landing and fixing our snapsacks to march, our Mosquito Indians struck a plentiful dish of fish, which we immediately dressed, and therewith satisfied our hunger.

Having made mention of the Mosquito Indians, it may not be amiss to conclude this Chapter with a short account of them. They are tall, well made, rawboned, lusty, strong, and nimble of foot; long-visaged, lank black hair, look stern, hardfavoured, and of a dark copper-coloured complexion. They are but a small nation or family, and not 100 men of them in number, inhabiting on the main, on the north side, near Cape Gracias Dios, between Cape Honduras

and Nicaragua. They are very ingenious at throwing the lance, fisgig," harpoon, or any manner of dart, being bred to it from their infancy, for the children, imitating their parents, never go abroad without a lance in their hands, which they throw at any object, till use has made them masters of the art. Then they learn to put by a lance, arrow, or dart. The manner is thus:-Two boys stand at a small distance, and dart a blunt stick at one another, each of them holding a small stick in his right hand, with which he strikes away that which was darted at him. As they grow in years they become more dexterous and courageous, and then they will stand a fair mark to any one that will shoot arrows at them, which they will put by with a very small stick no bigger than the rod of a fowling-piece; and when they are grown to be men, they will guard themselves from arrows though they come very thick at them, provided two do not happen to come at once. They have extraordinary good eyes, and will descry a sail at sea farther, and see anything better, than we. Their chief employment in their own country is to strike fish, turtle, or manatee, the manner of which I de scribe elsewhere (Chapter III.). For this they are esteemed and coveted by all Privateers, for one or two of them in a ship will maintain 100 men; so that when we careen our ships, we choose commonly such places where there is plenty of turtle or manatee for these Mosquito men to strike; and it is very rare to find Privateers destitute of one or more of them when the commander or most of the men are English; but they do not love the French, and the Spaniards they hate mortally. When they come among Privateers they get the use of guns, and prove very good marksmen. They behave themselves very boldly in

A kind of harpoon or spear, with several barbed prongs, and a line attached; it is used for striking fish at sea, and is also called a "fishgig' or fisgy."

66

* Parry.