I think it proper to observe here, because it belongs to the Subject, that when we arrived at the Texel in Holland, there were two Spanish Ships there, bound for Cadiz, and on board of one of ’em a Sailor, who told us he was aboard the large Spanish Ship from Manila, when she arriv’d at Acapulco, very much disabled by the Engagement she had with us off of California; that ’twas the Gunner who made them engage us so resolutely at first, and forced them to continue the Fight by keeping in the Powder-Room himself, and having taken the Sacrament to blow up the Ship in case we had boarded and over-power’d her. I was the more apt to believe this Man had seen the Ship, and this Story might be true, because he related almost every Passage of the Fight, as I have given it before in my Journal.
Mexico Described.
I shall also take Notice here that Capt. Stradling, who was taken Prisoner in America, when his Ship stranded, and came off Prisoner in a French Ship, some Months after we left the South Seas, inform’d me, that the Corregidore of Guiaquil sent an Express to Lima, upon the first Notice of our being in those Parts, that they then apprehended us to be part of a Squadron of Men of War, and therefore lay still until they had certain Advice of our Strength, and in about 3 Weeks after we took the Town, they fitted out 3 Spanish Men of War, which was all their South Sea Strength, against us; the biggest carried not above 32 Guns, but they were join’d by 2 French Ships, one of 50, and the other of 36 Guns, and all well Mann’d. They stop’d at Payta, till Mr. Hatley and his 4 Men, who lost Company with us at the Gallapagos Islands, being in want of Provisions, and having had no Water for 14 Days, stood in for the Main, and landed near Cape Passao, almost under the Equinox, among a barbarous sort of People, who are a mix’d Breed of Negroes and Indians. They voluntarily surrendered themselves, being in a starving Condition, yet those Brutish People, instead of giving them Food, tied their Hands, then whipp’d them and hang’d them up, so that they must unavoidably have lost their Lives, had not a Padre, who liv’d in the Neighbourhood, came time enough by good Providence, to cut ’em down, and save them. There are several Letters from Mr. Hatley since, which signify that he is a Prisoner at Lima. Capt. Stradling likewise told me that the French Ship, which brought him to Europe, was the very Ship that we chas’d in sight of Falkland Island, before we passed Cape Horn. She had before attempted to sail round Cape Horn, to the South Sea; but it being the wrong Season, she met with bad Weather, and was forc’d to bear away to recruit at the River of La Plata, and there wait for a more proper Season to go round Terra del Fuego, into the South Sea. When we chas’d her, she had not above 100 healthful Men on board, so that had we been able to come up with her, she must certainly have been our Prize.
Capt. Stradling told me they ran their Ship on an Island, and afterwards surrendered Prisoners to the Spaniards, to save their Lives, she being ready to sink; so that the Report I formerly mention’d, that part of their Crew was drown’d in the Ship, proves a Mistake.
In Mexico, the Prisoners who are employ’d in cutting Logwood, have no way to escape the Cruelty of the Spaniards, but to turn Papists, and be baptized after their Manner; then they have the Liberty to chuse a Godfather, who is generally a Man of Note, and they serve him as Liverymen, &c. One Boyse, who fled to us at Guiaquil, was baptized thus by an Abbot, in the Cathedral of Mexico, had Salt put in his Mouth, and Oil poured upon his Head, and small parcells of Cotton, which rub’d it off, were distributed as precious Relicks among the Penitents, because taken off the Head of a converted Heretick, as they call them. The native Spaniards enjoy all the Posts in the Church and Monasteries, and admit no Indians, nor any mix’d Breed, to those Preferments; which they think a necessary Piece of Policy, that they may the better keep the Country in Subjection to Spain. Some of these Prisoners who are forced to be pretended Converts, do now and then make their Escape, tho’ it be dangerous to attempt it, for if taken they are generally confin’d to the Workhouses for Life. There are several Englishmen who were Prisoners in this Country, that, by Compliance, have obtain’d their Liberty, with the Loss of their Religion in exchange for Riches; particularly one Thomas Bull, who was born in Dover, and taken in Campeche; he is a Clock-maker, has been 18 Years there, is about 45 Years old, lives in the Province of Tabasco, and grown very rich. One Capt. James Thompson, born in the Isle of Wight, has been there about 20 Years, is about 50 Years old, grown rich, and commanded the Mullattoes who took Capt. Packe, at the Beginning of the War. The Person who told me this was a Comb-maker, and endeavour’d to escape from La Vera Crux, but was taken, and sent Prisoner to Mexico, where he came off to Peru, after he had his Liberty, by pretending he went to buy Ivory to make Combs; he gave me a long Account of his Ramble amongst the Indians, and says, he was at the Mouth of the River Missisippi, which falls into the Gulph of Mexico, but could not pass it: He adds, That the Indians, on the Bay of Pillachi, have murder’d several of the Padres, out of an Aversion to the Spaniards, but show a great Inclination to trade with the English. There are other Englishmen who now live near the Bay of Campeche, as I was inform’d; one of ’em is Tho. Falkner, he was born at the Hen and Chickens in Pall-mall, where his Friends kept an Alehouse. He is married to an Indian Woman. Such of them as won’t comply to turn Papists are kept in miserable Slavery, either in the Mines or Workhouses at Mexico, which City he says, is about as large as Bristol. Those that are put in Workhouses are chain’d and imploy’d in carding Wool, rasping Logwood, &c. They have more Manufactures of Woollen and Linnen in Mexico than in Peru. Abundance of raw Silk is brought from China, and of late Years worked up into rich Brocades equal to any made in Europe.
Mexico Described.
The Mullattoes and Indians, on light Occasions, are put into the Workhouses, and kept there, till they pay their Debts or Tribute; but no Spaniards, except for the worst of Crimes: There are many Englishmen, who were taken cutting Logwood in the Bay of Campeche, in several of these Workhouses, kept at hard Labour, and will end their Days in Slavery, unless their Liberty be demanded by her Majesty at the general Peace.
There’s abundance of Sheep in this Country, which yield excellent Wool, of which, I am inform’d, the English Prisoners have taught them to make Cloth, worth about 15s. a Yard in England, which there yields 8 Pieces of 8; They have also taught them to make Bays and other coarse Woollen.
At Chopa in Mexico, about Lat. 12. N. there’s a great River which sinks into the Earth at once, runs under the Mountains, and rises bigger about 15 Leagues from the Place where it sunk. ’Tis twice as large as the Thames. This River afterwards joins that of Tabasco, and falls into the North Sea, as most of the great Rivers of this vast Continent do, he told me, about this Place. There are high Mountains, with Plains on the Top, where the Air is very temperate, and all our European Fruits grow; whereas at the Bottom of these Mountains they have none but the Fruits of hot Climates, tho’ ’tis not above 5 Leagues asunder.
There are also Woods of Pines, &c. on those Mountains, among which there are Flocks of harmonious Birds, which sing together in an agreeable Consort, that resembles a fine Organ, so that Strangers are amaz’d to hear such Musick strike up of a sudden in the Woods. There’s also a strange Creature in those Woods, call’d by the Spaniards an Ounce, much of the Form and Size of a Woolf-dog; but it has Talons, and the Head is more like that of a Tyger: It kills Men and Beasts, which makes travelling through the Woods dangerous; ’tis said to eat nothing but the Heart of its Prey.