fire-ship, or smoker,
in case she should prove too hard for the Success. We also determined to
board her at once, as otherwise we should have much the worst of the
contest, owing to her superior weight of metal, and her better ability
to bear a cannonade. Clipperton assured me he was certain of the time
this ship was to sail from Acapulco, being always within a day or two
after Passion-week, of which time a fortnight was yet to come. Before
returning to my own ship, I informed Captain Clipperton of our scarcity
of water, when he told me he had eighty tons, and would spare me as much
as I wanted, or any thing else his ship afforded. I had now the
pleasure of enjoying my command as fully as ever, and my whole remaining
crew, from the highest to the lowest, expressed their satisfaction at
our present prospects. Morphew, the ringleader of all our disorders,
fearing my resentment might fall heavily on him, contrived to insinuate
himself into the favour of the captain and officers of the Success, by a
submissive deportment, and presents, and, in the end, left me on the
14th March, being received on board that ship. On the 15th, Mr Rainer
came on board my ship, to visit his old ship-mates, and staid all night.
I constantly reminded Clipperton of our want of water, and he as often
promised to supply us with a large quantity at once.

We thus continued to cruize in good order, and with great hopes, till
the 27th March, when I had to suffer the most prodigious piece of
treachery that could be imagined. We used to cruize off and on, at a
convenient distance from the shore, so as not to be discovered from the
land, yet so that it was impossible for any ship to leave the port of
Acapulco without being seen by us. As my ship did not sail so well as
the Success, Clipperton used to shorten sail, particularly at night, and
shewed us lights on all necessary occasions. Towards evening of that
day, he stretched about two leagues a-head of us, and I could not see
that he lowered even a topgallant-sail for us to come up with him. I
kept standing after him however, till almost a-shore on the breakers,
when I had to tack and stand out to sea. Next morning no ship was to be
seen, which reduced us to the most terrible apprehensions, considering
our sad situation for want of water, and our vast distance from any
place where we could expect to procure any, as we had now no other
choice but either to beat up 220 leagues to the _Tres Marias_, or to