I have sign'd this paper as a sollicitor of the British nation.
PEDRO HENRIQ; DELAED."
Tuesday, May the 20th, this evening myself, the carpenter, and cooper, went on board the St Tubes, one of the Brazil ships, carrying twenty-eight guns, Theophilus Orego Ferrara, commander, bound for Bahia and Lisbon. The people left on shore were,
John Jones, Master's mate.
John Snow, ditto.
Vincent Oakley, surgeon.
John King, boatswain.
Samuel Stook, seaman.
John Shoreham, ditto.
John Pitman, ditto.
Job Barns, ditto.
Richard East, ditto.
Richard Powell, ditto.
Wednesday the 21st, early this morning the captain came on board, on seeing us, he ask'd us, how we came on board without his leave? Notwithstanding he gave leave to the consul for our passage, we ought to have waited on him ashore. There was on board the ship a Spanish don, a passenger, who told the captain, no Englishman should go in the same ship with him, therefore desir'd we might be turn'd ashore; but the captain insisted upon doing what he pleas'd on board his own ship, and would not comply with his request. The Spanish don, when we came to converse with him, was very much mov'd with the relation of our misfortunes, and said to us, though our royal masters, the king's of England and Spain, are at war, it was not our fault; that we were now on board a neutral ship; belonging to a king who was a friend to both nations; that he would not look upon us as enemies, but do us all the service he could. He extoll'd the conduct and bravery of Admiral Vernon at Porto Bello; but, above all, applauded him for his humanity and generous treatment of his enemies. He made great encomiums on the magnificence of the British fleet, and the boldness and intrepidity of the sailors, styling the English the soldiers of the sea. He supplied us in our passage not only with provisions from his table, but also with wine and brandy; and during the whole voyage appear'd so different from an enemy, that he took all opportunities of giving us proofs of his generosity and goodness.
Friday, the 7th of May, 1742, this morning anchored before the city of Bahia, went on shore to the vice-roy, shew'd him the pass we had from the governor of Rio Janeiro: He told us the pass was to dispatch us to Lisbon, and that the first ship which sail'd from hence would be the ship we came in; we petition'd him for provisions, acquainting him of our reception at Rio Grand and Rio Janeiro, that we had hitherto been supply'd at the rate of eight vintins each man per day. He refused supplying us with any thing, upon which I told him, we had better been prisoners to the king of Spain, who would allow us bread and water, than in a friend's country to be starv'd. The captain of the ship we came in, hearing the vice-roy would not supply us, was so kind as to go with us to him, acquainting him how we were provided for at Rio Janeiro, and that he would supply us himself, if he would sign an account to satisfy the consul general at Lisbon, so that he might be reimburs'd. The vice-roy answer'd, he had no orders concerning the English; that he had letters from the king of Portugal his master to supply the French, but had no orders about any other nation, and if he gave us any thing it must be out of his own pocket, therefore he would not supply us. The captain then told him, that we were officers and subjects to the king of England, and in distress; that we did not want great matters, and only barely enough to support life, and begg'd that he would allow but four vintins per day, being but half the sum hitherto allow'd us. The captain's entreaties avail'd nothing, the vice-roy continuing as fix'd in his resolution of giving us no relief. I do not believe there ever was a worse representative of royalty upon the face of the earth than this vice-roy; his royal master, the king of Portugal, is very well known to have a grateful affection for the British nation (nor can we believe he is so Frenchify'd as this vice-roy makes him) his deputy differs greatly from him, he has given a proof of his aversion to the English. We think persons in the distress we were represented in to him, could in no part of the world, nay, in an enemy's country, be treated with more barbarity than we were here: We work'd here for our victuals, and then could get but one meal per day, which was farina and caravances. At this place we must have starv'd, if I had not by me some money and a silver watch of my own, which I was obliged to turn into money to support us. I had in money fourteen guineas, which I exchanged with the captain who brought us here for Portugueze money; he at the same time told me, it would be hard upon me to be so much out of pocket, and said, if I would draw a bill on the consul general at Lisbon for the sum, as if supplied from him, upon the payment of that bill, he would return me my fourteen guineas; accordingly a bill was drawn up by an English merchant at Bahia and sign'd by us, being as follows:
"Nos abaixo asignados Joam Bulkeley, Joam Cummins, & Joam Young, Vassalos de sua Magg de Brittanica El Rey Jorge Segundo, declaramos que temos recebido da mam do Snor' Cappam de Mar e Guerra Theodorio Rodrigues de Faria a coanthia de Corenta eloatra Mil e Oito Centos reis em dinheiro decontado comque por varias vezes nos Secorreo para o Nosso Sustento des o dia 17 de Mayo proximo passado athe odia Prezente, por cuja caridade rogamos a Deos conceda mera saud Born succesto e por este pedimos humildeme te ao Snor' Consul Geral da Mesma Nacao que Aprezentado que este Seja nao' duvide em Mandar Sattis fazer as sobredito Snor' Cappam de Mar e Guerra a refferida coanthia visto ser expendida em Obra pia e que o Estado da nossa Mizeria epobreza tre nao' pode pagar e por passar na Verdade o Refferido e nao' sabermos Escrever pedimos a Gabriel Prynn homem de Negocio nesta Cidade e Interprete de Ambas as Lingoas ou Idosmas que este por Nos fizese e Como Testemunha Asignase.
Sao 44 800 re. Bahia, 14 Setembro, 1742.
JOHN BULKELEY.
JOHN CUMMINS.
JOHN YOUNG.
Como Testsmunha que fix a rogo dos Sobreditos,
GABRIEL PRYNN."