Page 371
An.1686
The Disorders among the Ships Crew.
them, and threatened the undertakers very hardly. However this did not so far discourage them, for they secretly bought another ; but their de- signs taking air, they were again frustrated by Captain Swan.
The whole Crew were at this time under a ge- neral disaffection, and full of very different Pro- jects ; and all for want of action. The main divi- sion was between those that had Money and those that had none. There was a great difference in the humours of these ; for they that had Money liv'd a- shore, and did not care for leaving Mindanao; whilst those that were poor liv'd aboard, and urged C. Swan to go to Sea. These began to be unruly as well as dis- satisfied, and sent ashore the Merchants Iron to sell for Rack and Honey, to make Punch, where- with they grew drunk and quarrelsome : Which disorderly actions deterr'd me from going aboard; for I did ever abhor drunkenness, which now our men that were aboard, abandoned them- selves wholly to!
Yet these disorders might have been crush'd, if Captain Swan had used his authority to suppress them : But he with his Merchants living always a- shore, there was no command, and therefore eve- ry man did what he pleased, and encourag'd each other in his villanies. Now Mr. Harthop, who was one of Captain Swan's Merchants, did very much importune him to settle his resolutions, and declare his mind to his men ; which at last he contented to do : Therefore he gave warning to all his men to come aboard the 13th day of January 1687.
We did all earnestly expect to hear what Cap- tain Swan would propose; and therefore were very willing to go aboard. But unluckily for him, two days before this meeting was to be, Captain Swan sent aboard his Gunner, to fetch something ashore out of his Cabbin. The Gunner rummaging to find