he was at length shot through the body, and dropt down
dead; on which they immediately called out for quarter, and thus ended
the dispute.

We now commanded them to hoist out their launch; but they answered, that
their tackle and rigging were so shattered that they could not possibly
comply; wherefore I sent Mr Randall and two or three more in our canoe,
who found all her people most submissively asking mercy. Mr Randall sent
the most considerable of the prisoners on board my ship, who informed me
their vessel was _La Conception de Receva_, belonging to Calao, but last
from Guanchaco, of 200 tons burden, laden with flour, loaves of sugar,
boxes of marmalade, and jars of preserved peaches, grapes, limes, and
such like. She mounted six guns, and carried above seventy men, being
one of the ships that had been fitted out and commissioned purposely to
take us; so that she was the second of these armed merchantmen we had
taken. In this engagement, the Spanish captain and one negro were
killed, and one or two slightly wounded; but their masts, sails, and
rigging were much shattered. On our part, the gunner only was slightly
wounded, and a small piece was carried out of the side of our main-mast.
We had now above eighty prisoners of all sorts, and not exceeding
twenty-six of ourselves. When the Spanish gentlemen came off board, they
would not give me time to ask the reason of not hearkening to our
peaceable offers; but immediately laid the whole blame on their dead
captain, Don Joseph Desorio, who vowed he would listen to no terms but
his own, and was resolved to take us by force. There were several
persons of note among our prisoners, particularly Don Baltazzar de
Abarca, Conde de la Rosa, an European nobleman, who had been governor of
Pisco on the coast of Peru, and was now on his return for Spain; also a
Captain Morell, who had been formerly taken by Captain Rogers; and
several others. We treated them all with the utmost civility, at which
they wondered; because, from prejudice against our cruizers, and
conviction of their own harsh behaviour towards their prisoners, they
expected to have been dealt with very roughly.

In the situation where we now lay, we were in the track of all the ships
bound for Panama, not above thirty miles from that place, our numbers
being very few, and even part of our crew sick. For these reasons we
were as expeditious as possible in examining the contents of our new
prize, and removing them int