K NOT SO HARD _Iris Weddell White_ 421
CERES ENTERS, AT IRIS' CALL _Iris Weddell White_ 439
STEPHANO AND TRINCULO QUARREL _Iris Weddell White_ 448
WHERE THE BEE SUCKS, THERE SUCK I _Iris Weddell White_ 455
LOOK DOWN, YOU GODS, ON THIS COUPLE _Iris Weddell White_ 461

RINGROSE AND HIS BUCCANEERS[1-1]

Just two days after we took possession of the town of Santa Maria, we
departed thence on Saturday, April 17th, 1680. We all embarked in
thirty-five canoes, which we had taken while lying at anchor at the
front of the town. Thus we sailed, or rather rowed, down the river in
quest of the South Sea upon which Panama is seated. Our prisoners, the
Spaniards, begged very earnestly that they might be permitted to go with
us and not be left to the mercy of the Indians, who would show them no
favor and whose cruelty they so much feared, but we had such difficulty
in finding boats for ourselves that we could assist them little.
However, they found soon after either logs or old canoes, so that they
were able to come along with us.

It was my misfortune to have a canoe which was very heavy and
consequently sluggish. Because of this we were left behind the rest a
little way, there being only four men beside myself in the boat. As the
tide fell it left several shoals of sand naked, and hence we, not
knowing the location of the channel amongst such a variety of streams,
steered for over two miles into a shoal where we were forced to lie by
until high water came. As soon as the tide began to turn, we rowed away,
but in spite of all our endeavors, we could neither find nor overtake
our companions. At ten o'clock, when the tide became low, we stuck an
oar in the sands and by turns slept in our canoe, where we were pierced
to the skin by the showers that fell in the night.

The next morning, as soon as the day had come, we rowed away down the
river in pursuit of our people, and after going about two leagues we
were so fortunate as to overtake them at an Indian landing place, where
they had been taking in water. They told us that we would not find water
again for six days, and that we must without fail fill our jars.
Although we made what haste we could, by the time our jars were filled
our friends had all departed and were already out of sight. Such is the
nature of the pirates; they care not in the least whom they lose or
leave behind.

We rowed after them