ushion being brought to
Ease him, we finished the Evening and the Punch jovially enough, he
being before the end in high favour with the Commander, and promised his
Rating back again.

April 15th. The Officers of all three Ships met on board the _Marquis_,
and the Committee came to a Resolution to attack Guayaquil at once. The
Bark we had called the _Beginning_ by this time had come back to us,
having begun nothing and found nothing, since its first prize, except a
great Sea Lubber, some kind of Monster that the Doctor of Physic had
caught and wanted to preserve in Rum, to make a Present of to the Royal
Society when we came Home; but we forbade his wasting good Liquor for so
unworthy an end, and the Monster, smelling intolerably, was thrown
overboard. 'Twould have caused me no great sorrow to see the Doctor
follow his Prodigy, for he was a very uncomfortable Person, and was
much given to cheating at Cards.

April 20th. To our Boats off Guayaquil, a Great Company of Men and
Officers all armed to the teeth. We rowed till 12 at night, when we saw
Lights, which we judged to be a place called Puna. It blew fresh, with a
small rolling Sea, the Boat I commanded being deep laden and crammed
with men; some of us say they would rather be in a Storm at Sea than
here; but, in regard we were about a charming Undertaking, we thought no
Fatigue too hard. At daybreak we saw a Bark above us in the River; and,
running down upon her, found it was a large Pinnace, full of the most
considerable Inhabitants of Puna, escaping towards Guayaquil. Here were
at least a dozen handsome genteel young Women, extremely well dressed,
and from them our men got some fine Gold Chains and Earrings. Some of
these Nicknacks were concealed about 'em; but the Gentlewomen in these
parts being very thinly dressed in Silk and Fine Linen, they could hide
but little, and our Linguist was bidden to advise them to be Wise in
Time, and surrender their Valuables, which they did. And so civil were
our Sailors to them, that they offered to dress some Victuals for us
when we got 'em aboard; which made us hope that the Fair Sex would be
kind to us when we returned to England, for our discreet behaviour to
these charming Prisoners.

* * * * *

I am afraid that during the Attack on Guayaquil, which took place the
next day, and continued for the three following ones, when the place
Capitulated to our force, and a Treaty was signed between ou