Cinque Ports bore away north-east for the coast. of Peru, which they came in sight of on the 11th of March. "Coasting northward along the shore," says Funnel, "which is the highest and most mountainous I ever saw, we were surprised, on the 19th of March, to see the waves changed to a red color for seven or eight leagues, though, on sounding, we had no ground at one hundred and seventy fathoms; but, on drawing up some of the water, we found the color to be owing to a vast quantity of fishspawn swimming on the surface." Keeping a constant look-out for vessels to attack, they saw, on the 22d of March, two at some distance, the sternmost of which proved to be the Frenchman which they had chased and fought off Juan Fernandez. They were very eager to capture this vessel, not merely on account of her value, but because, if she reached Lima-the port which she seemed to be bound for-her crew would communicate the intelligence that two buccaneering ships were on the coast, and so prevent the merchantmen in that port from sailing. Dampier, however, was averse to attacking her; and she escaped, greatly to the discontent of the men, whose fears were in great part realized, and who were only kept from breaking out in rebellion by the capture of two considerable prizes a few days afterward. Clearing these

vessels of the valuable part of their cargo, as well as a bark laden with plank and cordage, which they fell in with on the 11th of April, they let them go, and began to meditate a descent upon some settlement on the coast north of Lima. Santa Maria was the town they resolved to attack, as they expected there to find a great quantity of gold collected from the adjacent mines. On their way to this town from the island of Gallo, which they left on the 17th of April, they captured a small Spanish vessel, on board of which they found a Guernsey man, who had long been a prisoner among the Spaniards. In high spirits with their success, they sailed for Santa Maria, Captain Dampier telling them that, on a former occasion, one hundred and twenty pounds weight of gold had been carried off by a buccaneer from that town, and, that, as it was now much larger, the quantity of gold in it must be enormous. They reached the town, and commenced the attack in the night-time. "The design, however," says Funnel, "miscarried, whether from fear, confusion, or the enemy having early intelligence of our motions, which enabled them to cut off many of our men. This is certain, that we became quite sick of our fruitless attempts before the 1st of May, and immediately re-embarked. We were now so short of provisions that five boiled

green plantains were allotted for six men; but when almost out both of hope and patience, a vessel came and anchored close beside us at midnight, which we took without resistance. This proved a most valuable prize, being a ship of one hundred and fifty tuns, laden with flour, sugar, brandy, wine, about thirty tuns of marmalade of quinces, a considerable quantity of salt, and several tuns of linen and woolen cloth; so that we had now a sufficient supply of provisions even for four or five years." On board of this rich prize, to secure an equitable division of the spoil among the crews of the two ships, were placed William Funnel and Alexander Selkirk-the former on behalf of the crew of the St. George, the latter on behalf of the crew of the Cinque Ports.

The buccaneers carried their prize into the Bay of Panama, and anchored with her under the island of Tobago, on the 14th of May. "Here," says Funnel, "Captains Dampier and Stradling disagreed, and the quarrel proceeded to such a length, that they could not be reconciled, so that at last it was determined to part company, all the men of both crews being at liberty to go with which captain they pleased. Five of our men went over to Captain Stradling and five of his men came to us." It would therefore seem that our hero, Selkirk, had here

an opportunity of changing his captain; and as it is certain that he had no special friendship for Stradling, his not availing himself of the opportunity would indicate that, bad as Stradling was, he preferred him to Dampier. Probably he thought that, by remaining with Stradling, who was more unhesitating in his measures than Dampier, he would sooner grow rich. At all events, he and Funnel, on quitting the prize, resumed their old stations in their respective ships. The prize was abandoned after all that was considered valuable had been taken out of her; and on the 19th of May, 1704, the two ships parted company, never to meet again, the St. George sailing away in quest of more prizes, the Cinque Ports remaining behind. It is with the fate of the latter that we are now to be further concerned; and as Funnel went with the St. George, we have no longer his narrative to guide us.

For three months the Cinque Ports kept cruising along the shores of Mexico, Guatemala, and Equatorial America, like a villainous vulture watching the horizon for its prey. No ships, however, appeared to reward the greedy activity of the crew; and at length, in the end of August, Stradling resolved to turn southward, and make for Juan Fernandez, to take in provisions and refit. Meanwhile, as was natural

among so many men of savage character, cooped up idle in a vessel, all was dissension on board. Stradling and Selkirk especially were, to use a common phrase, at dagger-drawing; now in loud and angry dispute below, now scowling sullenly at each other on deck. Selkirk resolved to leave the vessel as soon as an opportunity offered. Accordingly, when, in the beginning of September, they came in sight of Juan Fernandez, and the two men who had been living on the island since the beginning of Marchwhen, it will be remembered, the St. George and Cinque Ports had been obliged to sheer off without being able to pick them up-made their appearance, healthy and strong as ever, and delighting their old companions with an account of how they had spent the seven months of their solitary reign, eating fruit in abundance, chasing goats, and hunting seals, the idea flashed across his mind that he would take their place, and leaving the vessel to sail away without him, remain the possessor of Juan Fernandez. By what process of imagination he flattered himself that such a life would be agreeable; whether he finally adopted his resolution in a fit of unthinking enthusiasm, such as sometimes leads to strange and whimsical acts, or whether his differences with Stradling, and his disgust with his situation on board the Cinque Ports,