the Admiral of these seas to gain
intelligence, himself having cruised with his squadron of four
sail a considerable time, in hopes of meeting with us, well
judging the condition our ships might be in. You will be
surprised to hear that in a sixty gun ship, on our arrival at
this island, we mustered but seventy-two persons, including
officers and boys, capable of appearing on deck; the rest being
all sick, having lost 228 since our leaving England, which
includes nine months.

"We were joined by the Gloucester and Tryal sloop, (vide
Anson's Voyage, p. 114,) the crews of which vessels had
suffered still more, so that had there been an experienced
enemy to have dealt with us, they might have made a very easy
conquest of us all. But, 'whatever is, is right.' They gave us
time to recover our spirits and rally our forces, for which we
visited them afterwards and shut up their ports.

"I shall not attempt a description of this island at present,
but only tell you it is the most romantic and pleasant place
imaginable, abounding with myrtle trees, and covered with
turnips and sorrel. Its bays, teeming with all kinds of fish,
seem calculated for the reception of distressed seamen. We
stayed here three months, employed in refitting our ships, and
restoring the health of the sick, and this without any loss of
time to us, it being the winter season, in which, from April to
September, navigation is judged unsafe by the Spaniards. In the
beginning of this month (September) we were agreeably surprised
by the sight of a sail, to which we immediately gave chase,
slipping our cable; but night intervening, we lost her. We soon
after fell in with another, who was her consort, of 500 tons,
and much richer, having about 18,000_l._ in money on board,
besides a cargo, which would have been valuable (being chiefly
sugar) could we have brought it to a proper market; but in
these parts it is a misfortune that nothing but money is truly
valuable, having no ports whereat to dispose of anything. Here
I commenced captain again, in the Tryal's prize, having twelve
guns, besides swivels, with thirty men, and had a separate
cruise ordered me with Captain Saunders. (Vide Anson's Voyage,
p. 114.) She was a ship he had taken in the sloop, which then
proved so leaky