for a supply of water, or in search of us. For we could not doubt that
the sole purpose they had at sea was to intercept us, and we knew that
this island was the likeliest place, in their opinion, to meet with
us. The circumstances which gave rise to these reflections, in part
of which we were not mistaken, as will appear more at large hereafter,
were our finding on shore several pieces of earthen jars, made use
of in these seas for holding water and other liquids, which appeared
fresh broken. We saw also many heaps of casks, near which were fish
bones and pieces of fish, besides whole fish scattered here and there,
which plainly appeared to have been only a short time out of the
water, as they were but just beginning to decay.

These were infallible indications that there had been a ship or
ships at this place only a short time before our arrival; and, as all
Spanish merchant ships are instructed to avoid this island, on account
of its being the common rendezvous of their enemies, we concluded that
those which had touched here must have been ships of force; and, as we
knew not that Pizarro had returned to the Rio Plata, and were ignorant
what strength might have been fitted out at Calao, we were under
considerable apprehensions for our safety, being in so wretched and
enfeebled a condition, as, notwithstanding the rank of our ship, and
the sixty guns with which she was armed, there was hardly a privateer
sent to sea that was not an overmatch for us. Our fears on this head,
however, fortunately proved imaginary, and we were not exposed to the
disgrace which must unavoidably have befallen us, had we been reduced
to the necessity, by the appearance of an enemy, of fighting our
sixty-gun ship with no more than thirty hands.

While employed in cleaning our ship, and filling our water casks, we
set up a large copper oven on shore, near the sick tents, in which
fresh bread was baked every day for the ship's company, as, being
extremely desirous of recovering our sick as soon as possible, we
believed that new bread, added to their green vegetables and fresh
fish, might prove powerfully conducive to their relief. Indeed, we
had all imaginable inducements to endeavour at augmenting our present
strength, as every little accident, which to a full crew would have
been insignificant, was extremely alarming in our present helpless
condition. Of this we had a troublesome instance, on the 30th of June,
at five in the morning, when w