They took Possession of it, and continued there near seven Weeks, in which Time they all cleaned their Ships. We should have observed, that a Galley came into the Road while they were there, which Davis insisted should be yielded to La Bouse, according to his Word of Honour before given; Cocklyn did not oppose it, so La Bouse went into her, with his Crew, and cutting away her half Deck, mounted her with twenty four Guns.
Having called a Counsel of War, they agreed to sail down the Coast together, and for the greater Grandeur, appointed a Commadore, which was Davis; but they had not kept Company long, when drinking together on Board of Davis, they had like to have fallen together by the Ears, the strong Liquor stirring up a Spirit of Discord among them, and they quarrelled, but Davis put an End to it, by this short Speech:—Heark ye, you Cocklin and La Bouse, I find by strengthening you, I have put a Rod into your Hands to whip my self, but I’m still able to deal with you both; but since we met in Love, let us part in Love, for I find, that three of a Trade can never agree.—Upon which the other two went on Board their respective Ships, and immediately parted, each steering a different Course.
Davis held on his Way down the Coast, and making Cape Appollonia, he met with two Scotch and one English Vessel, which he plundered, and then let go. About five Days after he fell in with a Dutch Interloper of thirty Guns and ninety Men, (half being English,) off Cape Three Points Bay; Davis coming up along Side of her, the Dutch Man gave the first Fire, and pouring in a broad-Side upon Davis, killed nine of his Men, Davis returned it, and a very hot Engagement followed, which lasted from one a Clock at Noon, till nine next Morning, when the Dutch Man struck, and yielded her self their Prize.
Davis fitted up the Dutch Ship for his own Use, and called her the Rover, aboard of which he mounted thirty two Guns, and twenty seven Swivels, and proceeded with her and the King James, to Anamaboe; he entered the Bay betwixt the Hours of twelve and one at Noon, and found there three Ships lying at Anchor, who were trading for Negroes, Gold and Teeth: The Names of these Ships were the Hink Pink, Captain Hall Commander, the Princess, Captain Plumb, of which Roberts, who will make a considerable Figure in the sequel of this History, was second Mate, and the Morrice Sloop, Captain Fin; he takes these Ships without any Resistance, and having plundered them, he makes a Present of one of them, viz. the Morrice Sloop, to the Dutch Men, on Board of which alone were found a hundred and forty Negroes, besides dry Goods, and a considerable Quantity of Gold-Dust.
It happened there were several Canoes along Side of this last, when Davis came in, who saved themselves and got ashore; these gave Notice at the Fort, that these Ships were Pyrates, upon which the Fort fired upon them, but without any Execution, for their Mettle was not of Weight enough to reach them; Davis therefore, by Way of Defiance, hoisted his black Flag and returned their Compliment.
The same Day he sail’d with his three Ships, making his Way down the Coast towards Princes, a Portuguese Colony: But, before we proceed any farther in Davis’s Story, we shall give our Reader an Account of the Portuguese Settlements on this Coast, with other curious Remarks, as they were communicated to me by an ingenious Gentleman, lately arrived from those Parts.
A Description of the Islands of St. THOME, DEL PRINCIPE, and ANNOBONO.
AS the Portuguese were the great Improvers of Navigation, and the first Europeans who traded too and settled on the Coasts of Africa, even round to India, and made those Discoveries, which now turn so much to the Advantage of other Nations, it may not be amiss, previously to a Description of those Islands, to hint on that wonderful Property of the Loadstone, that a little before had been found out, and enabled them to pursue such new and daring Navigations.
The attractive Power of the Loadstone, was universally known with the Ancients, as may be believed by its being a native Fossil of the Grecians, (Magnes a Magnesia) but its directive, or polar Virtue, has only been known to us within this 350 Years, and said to be found out by John Goia of Malphi, in the Kingdom of Naples, Prima dedit nautis usum magnetis Amalphi; tho’ others think, and assure us, it was transported by Paulus Venetus from China to Italy, like the other famous Arts of modern Use with us, PRINTING and the Use of GUNS.
The other Properties of Improvements of the Magnet, viz. Variation, or its Defluction from an exact N. or S. Line, Variation of that Variation, and its Inclination, were the Inventions of Sebastian Cabot, Mr. Gellibrand, and Mr. Norman; the Inclination of the Needle, or that Property whereby it keeps an Elevation above the Horizon, in all Places but under the Equator, (where its Parallel) is as surprizing a Phænomenon as any, and was the Discovery of our Countrymen; and could it be found regular, I imagine would very much help towards the Discovery of Longitude, at least would point out better Methods than hitherto known, when Ships drew nigh Land, which would answer as useful an End.