Page 362
An. 1686
The Generals Treachery.
expences where-ever they came; but that for the reft, thofe that had but mean Clothes, they were only common Sea-men. After this the General fhew'd a great deal of refpect to all that had good Clothes, but efpecially to John Thacker; till Captain Swan came to know the bufinefs, and marr'd all; undeceiving the General, and drubbing the Noble-man: for he was fo much incenfed a- gainft John Thacker, that he could never endure him afterwards; tho the poor fellow knew nothing of the matter.
About the middle of November we began to work on our Ships bottom, which we found very much eaten with the Worm: for this is a horrid place for Worms. We did not know this till after we had been in the River a month; and then we found our Canoas bottoms eaten like Honey-combs; our Bark, which was a fingle bottom, was eaten thro; fo that fhe could not fwim. But our Ship was fheath- ed, and the Worm came no farther than the Hair between the fheathing Plank and the main Plank. We did not miftruft the Generals Knavery till now: for when he came down to our Ship, and found us ripping off the fheathing Plank, and faw the firm bottom underneath, he fhook his Head, and feem- ed to be difcontented; faying he did never fee a Ship with 2 bottoms before. We were told that in this place where we now lay a Dutch Ship was eaten up in 2 months time, and the General had all her Guns; and it is probable he did expect to have had ours: which I do believe was the main reafon that made him fo forward in affifting us to get our Ship into the River, for when we went out again we had no affiftance from him. We had no Worms till we came to this place: for when we careen'd at the Marias, the Worm had not touch'd us; nor at Guam, for there we fcrubb'd; nor after we came to the Iland Mindanao; for at the S. E. end of the Island