Page 191
An.1685
More Privateers arrive.
lefs ufual Machines. Nay they have not the fence to have their Guns run within the fides upon their dif- charge, but have Platforms without for the Men to ftand on to charge them; fo that when we come near we can fetch them down with fmall fhot out of our Boats. A main reafon of this is, that the Native Spa- niards are too proud to be Seamen, but ufe the Indians for all thofe Offices: one Spaniard, it may be, going in the Ship to command it, and himfelf of little more knowledge than thofe poor ignorant creatures: nor can they gain much Experience, feldom going far off to Sea, but coafting along the fhores.
But to proceed: In the morning when it was light we came again to an anchor clofe by our Buoys, and ftrove to get our Anchors again ; but our Buoy-Ropes being rotten, broke. While we were puzzling about our Anchors, we faw a great many Canoas full of Men pafs between Tabago and the other Ifland. This put us into a new confternation : we lay ftill fome time, till we faw that they came directly towards us, then we weighed and ftood towards them : and when we came within hale, we found that they were Englifh and French Privateers come out of the North Seas through the Ifthmus of Darien. They were 280 Men, in 28 Canoas ; 200 of them French, the reft Englifh. They were commanded by Captain Gronet, and Captain Lequie. We prefently came to an Anchor again, and all the Canoas came aboard. Thefe Men told us, that there were 180 Englifh Men more, un- der the Command of Captain Townley, in the Coun- try of Darien, making Canoas (as thefe Men had been) to bring them into thefe Seas. All the Englifh Men that came over in this Party were immediately enter- tain'd by Captain Davis and Captain Swan in their own Ships; and the French Men were ordered to have our Flower Prize to carry them, and Captain Gronet being the eldeft Commander was to command them there ; and thus they were all difpofed of to their hearts