eemed the more probable, as these people
had some linen and other articles of clothing belonging to Captain
Mitchell's men. Next day some letters from the marquis were intercepted,
which were by no means conformable to the strict honour to which the
Spanish nobility usually pretend, as they were meant to stir up the
inhabitants of Velas to surprise the men belonging to Captain
Clipperton, and to seize his boat when it went ashore for water. Upon
this Captain Clipperton confined the marquis for some days; yet allowed
him and his lady to go ashore on the 20th, leaving their only child as
an hostage; and soon after the prize was restored to her captain.

[Footnote 237: The circumstance here alluded to no where appears in the
narratives of any of the former circumnavigations.--E.]

[Footnote 238: Perhaps Velas point is here meant, in lat. 10 deg. 9' N. on
the coast of that province of Mexico called _Corta Rica_.--E.]

On the 14th April, the marquis and his lady came on board, accompanied
by the alcalde, and an agreement being made for their ransom, the lady
and child were sent ashore, and the marquis remained as sole hostage. In
the whole of this transaction, Clipperton seems to have been outwitted
by the marquis, who lately broke his word, and by this the crew of the
Success were provoked to murmur against their captain for trusting him.
On the 20th of April, the Success anchored in the Gulf of Amapala, or
Fouseca, in lat. 13 deg. N. and not being able to water there, repaired to
the _Island of Tigers_,[239] where they procured water with great ease.
They went to the island of Gorgona, in lat. 2 deg. 53' N. for the same
purpose, on the 4th June. On the 24th of that month they took a prize
which had once been in their hands before, now laden with timber and
cocoa-nuts; and on the 11th August, anchored with their prize at the
island of _Lobor de la Mar_, in lat. 6 deg. 95' S. where they set up tents
on shore, scrubbed and cleaned their ship's bottom, and took whatever
seemed of any value out of the prize.

[Footnote 239: Perhaps the Isla del Cana, in lat. 8 deg. 46' N. is here
meant, or it may have been one of the islands in the Gulf of
Amapala.--E.]

While here, a plot was entered into by the crew, for seizing the captain
and officers, whom they proposed to leave on the island of Lobos, and
then to run away with the ship; but this was happily discovered on the
6th September, the two principal ringleaders severely punish