My long projected Design now lay open to me, which was, to fall in amongst the
Dutch Spice Islands, and see what Mischief I could do there; accordingly we put
out to Sea, the 12th of August, and passing the Line the 17th, we stood away due
South leaving the Straits of Sundy, and the Isle of Iava on the East, till we
came to the Latitude of eleven Degrees, twenty Minutes, when we steered East and
E. N. E. having easy Gales from the W. S. W. till we came among the Moluccas, or
Spice Islands.
We passed those Seas with less Difficulty than in other Places, the Winds to the
South of Iava, being more variable, and the Weather good, tho' sometimes we met
with Squauly Weather, and short Storms; but when we came in among the Spice
Islands themselves, we had a Share of the Monsoones, or Trade Winds, and made
use of them accordingly.
The infinite Number of Islands which lye in these Seas, embarrast us strangely,
and it was with great Difficulty that we worked our Way thro' them; then we
steered for the North Side of the Phillipines, where we had a double Chance for
Purchase, viz. either to meet with the Spanish Ships from Acapulco on the Coast
of New-Spain, or we were certain not to fail of finding some Ships or Jonks of
China, who, if they came from China, would have a great Quantity of Goods of
Value on Board, as well as Money; or if we took them going back, we should find
them loaden with Nutmegs and Cloves from Banda and Ternate, or from some of the
other Islands.
We were right in our Guesses here to a tittle, and we steered directly through a
large Out-let, which they call a Streight, tho' it be fifteen Miles broad, and
to an Island they call Daurma, and from thence N. N. E. to Banda; between these
Islands we met with a Dutch Jonque, or Vessel going to Amboyna. We took her
without much Trouble, and I had much ado to prevent our Men murthering all the
Men, as soon as they heard them say, they belonged to Amboyna, the Reason I
suppose any one will guess.
We took out of her about sixteen Ton of Nutmegs, some Provisions, and their
small Arms, for they had no great Guns, and let the Ship go: From thence we
sailed directly to the Banda Island or Islands, where we were sure to get more
Nutmegs, if we thought fit; for my Part I would willingly have got more Nutmegs,
tho' I had paid for them, but our People abhorred paying for any thing; so we
got about twelve Ton more at several times, most of them from Shore, and only a
few in a small Boat of the Natives, which was going to Gilolo. We would have
traded openly, but the Dutch, who have made themselves Masters of all those
Islands, forbid the People dealing with us, or any Strangers whatever, and keep
them so in Awe, that they durst not do it; so we could indeed have made nothing
of it, if we had stay'd longer, and therefore resolved to be gone for Ternate,
and see if we could make up our Loading with Cloves.
Accordingly we stood away North, but found our selves so intangled among
innumerable Islands, and without any Pilot that understood the Channel and Races
between them, that we were obliged to give it over, and resolved to go back
again to Banda, and see what we could get among the other Islands thereabouts.
The first Adventure we made here, had like to have been fatal to us all, for the
Sloop being ahead, made the Signal to us for seeing a Sail, and afterwards
another, and a third, by which we understood she saw three Sail, whereupon we
made more Sail to come up with her, but on a sudden was gotten among some Rocks,
falling soul upon them in such a Manner as frighted us all very heartily; for
having it seems but just Water enough as it were to an Inch, our Rudder struck
upon the Top of a Rock, which gave us a terrible Shock, and split a great Piece
off of the Rudder, and indeed disabled it so, that our Ship would not steer at
all; at least not so as to be depended upon, and we were glad to Hand all our
Sails, except our Fore-fail and Main-top-sail, and with them we stood away to
the East, to see if we could find any Creek or Harbour, where we might lay the
Ship on Shore, and repair our Rudder; besides, we found the Ship her self had
received some Damage, for she had some little Leak near her Stern Post, but a
great Way under water.
By this Mischance we lost the Advantages, whatever they were, of the three Sail
of Ships which we afterward came to hear, were small Dutch Ships from Batavia,
going to Banda and Amboyna, to load Spice, and no doubt had a good Quantity of
Money on board.
Upon the Disaster I have been speaking of, you may very well suppose that we
came to an Anchor as soon as we could, which was upon a small Island not far
from Banda, where tho' the Dutch keep no Factory, yet they come at the Season to
buy Nutmegs and Mace. We stay'd there thirteen Days; but there being no Place
where we could lay the Ship on Shore, we sent the Sloop to cruise among the
Islands, to look out for a Place fit for us. In the mean time we got very good
Water here, some Provisions, Roots, and Fruits, and a good Quantity of Nutmegs
and Mace, which we found Ways to trade with the Natives for, without the
Knowledge of their Masters the Dutch.
At length our Sloop return'd, having found another Island where there was a very
good Harbour, we run in, and came to an Anchor. We immediately unbent all our
Sails, sent them ashore upon the Island, and set up seven or eight Tents with
them: Then we unrigged our Topmasts, and cut them down, hoisted all our Guns
out, our Provisions and Loading, and put them ashore in the Tents. With the Guns
we made two small Batteries, for fear of a Surprize, and kept a Look out upon
the Hill. When we were all ready, we laid the Ship a-ground upon a hard Sand,
the upper End of the Harbour, and shor'd her up on each Side. At low Water she
lay almost dry, so we mended her Bottom, and stopt the Leak which was occasioned
by straining some of the Rudder Irons with the Shock which the Ship had against
the Rock.
Having done this, we also took Occasion to clean her Bottom, which, having been
at Sea so long, was very soul. The Sloop Wash'd and Tallow'd also, but was ready
before us, and cruised eight or ten Days among the Islands, but met with no
Purchase; so that we began to be tired of the Place, having little to divert us,
but the most furious Claps of Thunder that ever were read or heard of in the
World.
We were in Hopes to have met with some Purchase here among the Chinese, who we
had been told came to Ternate to trade for Cloves, and to the Banda Isles, for
Nutmegs, and we could have been very glad to have loaded our Galleon, or great
Ship, with these two Sorts of Spice, and have thought it a glorious Voyage; but
we found nothing stirring more than what I have said, except Dutchmen, who by
what Means we could not imagine, had either a Jealousy of us, or Intelligence of
us, and kept themselves close in their Ports.
I was once resolved to have made a Descent at the Island of Dumas, the Place
most famous for the best Nutmegs; but Friend William, who was always for doing
our Business with
out Fighting, disswaded me from it, and gave such Reasons for
it, that we could not resist; particularly the great Heats of the Season, and of
the Place, for we were now in the Latitude of just half a Degree South; but
while we were disputing this Point, we were soon determined by the following
Accident. We had a strong Gale of Wind at S. W. by W. and the Ship had fresh
Way, but a great Sea rolling in upon us from the N. E. which we afterwards found
was the Pouring in of the Great Ocean East of New Guinea. However, as I said, we
stood away large, and made fresh Way, when on the sudden, from a dark Cloud
which hover'd over our Heads, came a Flash, or rather Blast of Lightning, which
was so terrible, and quiver'd so long among us, that not I only, but all our Men
thought the Ship was on Fire. The Heat of the Flash or Fire was so sensibly felt
in our Faces, that some of our Men had Blisters raised by it on their Skins, not
immediately perhaps by the Heat, but by the poisonous or noxious Particles which
mix'd themselves with the Matter inflam'd. But this was not all; the Shock of
the Air which the Fracture in the Clouds made, was such, that our Ship shook as
when a Broadside is fired, and her Motion being check'd as it were at once by a
Repulse superior to the Force that gave her Way before, the Sails all flew back
in a Moment, and the Ship lay, as we might truly say, Thunder-struck. As the
Blast from the Cloud was so very near us, it was but a few Moments after the
Flash, that the terriblest Clap of Thunder followed that was ever heard by
Mortals. I firmly believe a Blast of a Hundred Thousand Barrels of Gunpowder
could not have been greater to our Hearing; nay indeed, to some of our Men it
took away their Hearing.
It is not possible for me to describe, or any one to conceive the Terrour of
that Minute. Our Men were in such a Consternation, that not a Man on board the
Ship had Presence of Mind to apply to the proper Duty of a Sailor, except Friend
William; and had not he run very nimbly, and with a Composure that I am sure I
was not Master of, to let go the Fore-sheet, set in the Weather Brace of the
Fore-yard, and haul'd down the Topsails, we had certainly brought all our Masts
by the Board, and perhaps have been overwhelm'd in the Sea.
As for my self, I must confess my Eyes were open to my Danger, tho' not the
least to any thing of Application for Remedy. I was all Amazement and Confusion,
and this was the first Time that I can say I began to feel the Effects of that
Horrour which I know since much more of upon the just Reflection on my former
Life. I thought my self doom'd by Heaven to sink that Moment into eternal
Destruction; and with this peculiar Mark of Terror, viz. That the Vengeance was
not executed in the ordinary Way of human Justice, but that God had taken me
into his immediate Disposing, and had resolved to be the Executer of his own
Vengeance.
Let them alone describe the Confusion I was in, who know what was the Case of ?
Child of Shadwell, or Francis Spira . It is impossible to describe. My Soul was
all Amazement and Surprize; I thought my self just sinking into Eternity, owning
the divine Justice of my Punishment, but not at all feeling any of the moving,
softning Tokens of a sincere Penitent, afflicted at the Punishment, but not at
the Crime, alarmed at the Vengeance, but not terrify'd at the Guilt, having the
same Gust to the Crime, tho' terrified to the last Degree at the Thought of the
Punishment, which I concluded I was just now going to receive.
But perhaps many that read this will be sensible of the Thunder and Lightning,
that may think nothing of the rest, or rather may make a Jest of it all, so I
say no more of it at this time, but proceed to the Story of the Voyage. When the
Amazement was over, and the Men began to come to themselves, they fell a calling
for one another, every one for his Friend, or for those he had most Respect for;
and it was a singular Satisfaction to find that no body was hurt. The next thing
was to enquire if the Ship had received no Damage, when the Boatswain stepping
forward, found that Part of the Head was gone, but not so as as to endanger the
Boltsprit; so we hoisted our Topsails again, haul'd aft the Fore-sheet, brac'd
the Yards, and went went our Course as before: Nor can I deny but that we were
all somewhat like the Ship, our first Astonishment being a little over, and that
we found the Ship swim again, we were soon the same irreligious hardned Crew
that we were before, and I among the rest.
As we now steer'd, our Course lay N. N. E. and we passed thus with a fair Wind,
thro' the Streight or Channel between the Island of Gilolo, and the Land of Nova
Guinea, when we were soon in the open Sea or Ocean, on the South East of the
Philippines, being the great Pacifick, or South Sea, where it may be said to
join it self with the vast Indian Ocean.
As we passed into these Seas steering due North, so we soon cross'd the Line to
the North Side, and so sailed on towards Mindanoa and Manilla, the chief of the
Philippine Islands, without meeting with any Purchase, till we came to the
Northward of Manilla, and then our Trade began; for here we took three Japonese
Vessels, tho' at some Distance from Manilla. Two of them had made their Market,
and were going Home with Nutmegs, Cinnamon, Cloves, &c. besides all Sorts of
European Goods brought with the Spanish Ships from Acapulco. They had together
eight and thirty Ton of Cloves, and five or six Ton of Nutmegs, and as much
Cinnamon. We took the Spice, but meddled with very little of the European Goods,
they being, as we thought, not worth our while, but we were very sorry for it
soon after, and therefore grew wiser upon the next Occasion.
The third Japonese was the best Prize to us, for he came with Money, and a great
deal of Gold uncoin'd, to buy such Goods as we mentioned above: We eased him of
his Gold, and did him no other Harm, and having no Intention to stay long here,
we stood away for China .
We were at Sea above two Months upon this Voyage, beating it up against the
Wind, which blew steadily from the North East, and within a Point or two one Way
or other; and this indeed was the Reason why we met with the more Prizes in our
Voyage.
We were just gotten clear of the Philippines, and as we purposed to go to the
Isle of Formosa, when the Wind blew so fresh at N. N. E. that there was no
making any thing of it, and we were forced to put back to Laconia, the most
Northerly of those Islands. We rode here very secure, and shifted our Situation
not in View of any Danger, for there was none, but for a better Supply of
Provisions, which we found the People very willing to supply us with.
There lay while we remained here, three very great Galleons or Spanish Ships,
from the South Seas, whether newly come in, or ready to sail, we could not
understand at first; but as we found the China Traders began to load and set
forward to the North, we concluded the Spanish Ships had newly unloaded their
Cargo, and these had been buying; so we doubted not but we should meet with
Purchase in the res
t of our Voyage, neither indeed could we well miss of it.
We stay'd here till the beginning of May, when we were told the Chinese Traders
would set forward, for the Northern Monsoons end about the latter End of March,
or the Beginning of April; so that they are sure of fair Winds Home. Accordingly
we hired some of the Country Boats, which are very swift Sailers, to go and
bring us Word how Affairs stood at Manilla, and when the China Jonks would sail,
and by this Intelligence we ordered our Matters so well, that three Days after
we set Sail, we fell in with no less than eleven of them, out of which however
having by Misfortune of discovering our selves, taken but three, we contended
our selves, and pursued our Voyage to Formosa. In these three Vessels we took in
short such a Quantity of Cloves, Nutmegs, Cinnamon, and Mace, besides Silver,
that our Men began to be of my Opinion, That we were rich enough; and in short,
we had nothing to do now, but to consider by what Methods to secure the immense
Treasure we had got.
I was secretly glad to hear, that they were of this Opinion; for I had long
before resolved, if it was possible, to perswade them to think of returning,
having fully perfected my first projected Design, of Rummaging among the Spice
Islands, and all those Prizes, which were exceeding rich at Manilla, was quite
beyond my Design.
But now I had heard what the Men said, and how they thought we were very well. I
let them know by Friend William, that I intended only to sail to the Island
Formosa, where I should find Opportunity to turn our Spices and European Goods
into ready Money, and that then I would tack about for the South, the Northern
Monsoons being perhaps by that time also ready to set in. They all approved of
my Design, and willingly went forward, because, besides the Winds, which would
not permit until October, to go to the South: I say, besides this, we were now a
very deep Ship, having near two Hundred Ton of Goods on board, and particularly
some very valuable. The Sloop also had a Proportion.
With this Resolution we went on chearfully, when within about twelve Days Sail
more, we made the Island Formosa, at a great Distance, but were our selves shot
beyond the Southermost Part of the Island, being to Leeward, and almost upon the
Coast of China. Here we were a little at a Loss; for the English Factories were
not far off, and we might be obliged to fight some of their Ships, if we met
with them; which tho' we were able enough to do, yet we did not desire it on
many Accounts; and particularly because we did not think it was our Business to
have it known who we were, or that such a kind of People as we had been seen on
the Coast. However, we were obliged to keep up to the Northward, keeping as good
an Offing as we could, with respect to the Coast of China. We had not sailed
long, but we chased a small Chinese Jonk; and having taken her, we found she was
bound to the Island of Formosa, having no Goods on board but some Rice, and a
small Quantity of Tea; but she had three Chinese Merchants in her, and they told
us they were going to meet a large Vessel of their Conntry, which came from
Tonquin, and lay in a River in Formosa whose Name I forget, and they were going
to the Philippine Islands, with Silks, Muslins, Callicoes, and such Goods as are
the Product of China, and some Gold; that their Business was to sell their
Cargo, and buy Spices and European Goods.
This suited very well with our Purpose; so I resolved now that we would leave
off being Pyrates, and turn Merchants; so we told them what Goods we had on
board, and that if they would bring their Super-Cargoes or Merchants on board,
we would trade with them. They were very willing to trade with us, but terribly
afraid to trust us; nor was it an unjust Fear, for we had plundered them already
of what they had. On the other Hand, we were as diffident as they, and very