him, however, by pointing out that he had thought it
preferable to obtain provisions by this _ruse_, than to sacrifice lives
on both sides by taking them by force, and that his Excellency's
captivity would endure no longer than until he had received on board a
sufficient number of live bullocks and fresh vegetables to insure the
recovery of the ship's company; and, in the mean time, not the least
insult would be offered to him. Whereupon the Spanish governor first
looked at the commodore and then at the file of armed men at the
cabin-door, and then to his distance from the town; and then called to
mind the possibility of his being taken out to sea. Weighing all these
points in his mind, and the very moderate ransom demanded (for bullocks
were not worth a dollar a piece in that country), he resolved, as he
could not help himself, to comply with the commodore's terms. He called
for pen and ink, and wrote an order to send on board immediately all
that was demanded. Before sunset the bullocks and vegetables were
brought off, and, so soon as they were alongside, the commodore, with
many bows and many thanks, escorted the governor to the gangway,
complimenting him with a salvo of great guns, as he had done before, on
his arrival. The people on shore thought that his Excellency had paid a
long visit, but, as he did not like to acknowledge that he had been
deceived, nothing was said about it, at least in his hearing, although
the facts were soon well known. As soon as the boats were cleared, the
commodore weighed anchor and made sail well satisfied with having
preserved his ship's company and as the Falkland Islands, in case of
parting company, had been named as the rendezvous, he steered for them.
In a fortnight he arrived, and found that his admiral was not yet there.
His crew were now all recovered, and his fresh beef was not yet
expended, when he perceived the admiral and the three other vessels in
the offing.

It appeared that so soon as the Dort had parted company, the admiral had
immediately acted upon the advice that the commodore had given him, and
had run for the coast. Not being so fortunate in a _ruse_ as his second
in command, he had landed an armed force from the four vessels, and had
succeeded in obtaining several head of cattle, at the expense of an
equal number of men killed and wounded. But at the same time they had
collected a large quantity of vegetables of one sort or another, which
they had carrie