complement of men, and only ten muskets and four
pistols, with not much powder and shot, and no water. They rowed very
hard for six leagues to get up with the ship, and on Mr Fry getting
near, she hoisted Spanish colours. We could plainly see that she was
French-built, and therefore concluded that it must be the ship we had
long looked for, which was to carry the bishop. Our ships being almost
out of sight, and the chase near the coast, making the best of her way
to run ashore in a sandy bay, we resolved to lay her on board, one of
our boats on each bow, I[222] being then on her weather quarter, and
Captain Fry on her lee. It was our intention to pretend that we were
friends, till we should get out of the way of her stern-chase guns; but
the Duke's men, conceiving the Spaniards were going to give us a
volley, poured in their shot. We then laid in our oars, and fell to with
our small arms. We kept up a constant fire for a long time, which was
returned by the Spaniards, who killed two of Captain Fry's men, and
wounded one of his and two of mine. One of the dead men was John Rogers,
our second lieutenant, and brother to Captain Woods Rogers, who had
behaved himself gallantly. Finding the enterprize too difficult, Captain
Fry drew off his boat, as I did soon after. Captain Fry then put some of
his men aboard my boat, giving us some powder and shot, and taking in
our wounded men, on which he stood away towards our ships, while I
resolved to keep the chase if possible from running on shore, and rather
than fail to clap her on board. Seeing our design, the enemy edged off
to sea, and we after them. Our ships came up apace, while we kept close
to the Spaniard, sometimes firing at him. At length the Duchess got up
and fired a shot or two, on which she struck, and we immediately
boarded. The men begged for quarter, and we promised them all civility.
This ship was of 270 tons, commanded by Don Joseph Arizabella, and had
come from Panama bound for Lima, where she was to have been fitted out
as a man of war, the captain having his commission on board for that
purpose. She had seventy negroes on board, with many passengers. The
loading was bale goods, with some things belonging to the bishop, and a
considerable quantity of pearls; but the bishop had been landed at Point
St Helena, whence he was to go by land to Guayaquil. Many of the
passengers were considerable merchants at Lima, and the briskest
Spaniards I ever saw. After the captu