es of eight were gathered as easy as pears from a
tree; but finding most things contrary to their expectation, they
quitted the fleet, and returned; others affirmed they had rather
starve than return home without a great deal of money.

But the major part judging the propounded voyage little to their
purpose, separated from Lolonois and the rest: of these one Moses
Vanclein was ringleader, captain of the ship taken at Puerto Cavallo:
this fellow steered for Tortuga, to cruise to and fro in these seas.
With him joined another comrade of his, by name Pierre le Picard, who
seeing the rest leave Lolonois, thought fit to do the same. These
runaways having thus parted company, steered homewards, coasting along
the continent till they came to Costa Rica; here they landed a strong
party nigh the river Veraguas, and marched in good order to the town of
the same name: this they took and totally pillaged, though the Spaniards
made a strong resistance. They brought away some of the inhabitants as
prisoners, with all they had, which was of no great importance, by
reason of the poverty of the place, which exerciseth no other trade than
working in the mines, where some of the inhabitants constantly attend,
while none seek for gold, but only slaves. These they compel to dig and
wash the earth in the neighbouring rivers, where often they find pieces
of gold as big as peas. The pirates gaining in this adventure but seven
or eight pounds weight of gold, they returned, giving over the design to
go to the town of Nata, situate on the coasts of the South Sea, whose
inhabitants are rich merchants, and their slaves work in the mines of
Veraguas; being deterred by the multitudes of Spaniards gathered on all
sides to fall upon them, whereof they had timely advice.

Lolonois, thus left by his companions, remained alone in the gulf of
Honduras. His ship being too great to get out at the reflux of those
seas, there he sustained great want of provisions, so as they were
constrained to go ashore every day to seek sustenance, and not finding
anything else, they were forced to kill and eat monkeys, and other
animals, such as they could find.

At last in the altitude of the cape of Gracias a Dios, near a certain
little island called De las Pertas, his ship struck on a bank of sand,
where it stuck so fast, as no art could get her off again, though they
unladed all the guns, iron, and other weighty things as much as they
could. Hereupon they were forced