July 23. At 6 last Night our Stream Cable broke, and we lost our Anchor: The Ground here is a black Mud, which in all hot Countries rots Cables in a very little time. We have often Thunder, Rain and Lightning all the Night, tho’ clear dry Days. This is accounted by the Spaniards the worst part of all the Coast for wet dirty Weather. We have had enough of it, but God be thank’d are now pretty well, there not being above 30 Persons in all our Ships unhealthy.
July 24. We caught our Negroes that ran away, and one of the Dutchess’s, Hunger having brought ’em out of the Woods.
July 25. I put 35 Men aboard the Marquiss, and Capt. Courtney 26, so that her Complement will be 61 White Men, and 20 Negroes. Captain Edward Cooke Commander, and our Second Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Pope, his Second. We design to agree, that the Captain with his Officers and Men shall have equal Wages with others in the like Posts, to encourage them.
July 26. Last Night the Marquiss sprung a Leak, and made 8 Inches Water in an Hour; but the Carpenters stopt it. A Canoe came from the Main, and bought some Negroes of us.
July 27. At 8 this Morning, the Canoe return’d, with Mr. John Morell, who desir’d he might go ashore to his Brother, and forward his getting of more Money to deal with us for Goods, since he saw that we were resolved to leave nothing of Value behind us.
In Gorgona Road.
July 28. Yesterday Afternoon, Mr. John Morell return’d, having met his Brother coming with what Money he could get; he told us the Country being alarm’d, he had much ado to get Leave to come to us; that the Governour of Barbacore was at the Water-side, with above 200 Men commanded by himself, to prevent our Landing, or that any thing should be brought to us; and that all the Shore was lined with Men for that End. We have took out of the Galleon 320 Bails of Linnen, Woolen, a little Silks, and most Sorts of Goods, usually in Bails, besides Boxes of Knives, Scizzars, Hatchets, &c. The Dutchess and Marquiss have also taken what they can; so that all our 3 Ships are full. We found aboard the Galeon a great Quantity of Bones in small Boxes, ticketed with the Names of Romish Saints, some of which had been dead 7 or 800 Years; with an infinite Number of Brass Medals, Crosses, Beads, and Crucifixes, religious Toys in Wax, Images of Saints made of all sorts of Wood, Stone, and other Materials, I believe in all near 30 Tun, with 150 Boxes of Books in Spanish, Latin, &c. which would take up much more Stowage than 50 Tuns of other Goods: All this came from Italy, and most from Rome, design’d for the Jesuits of Peru; but being of small Value to us, we contented our selves to take only a Sample of most Sorts to shew our Friends in England, and left the rest. A large wooden Effigies of the Virgin Mary being either dropt or thrown over board, from the Galeon, and drove ashoar near the North Point of the Island, the Indians that came in the Canoes with Senior Morell, &c. from the main Land, being then a Fishing, took up the Image, and brought her in the Canoe to the Shoar just over against our Ship, where we gave our Prisoners Liberty to walk that Day: As soon as they saw her, they cross’d and bless’d themselves, and fancied that this must be the Virgin Mary come by Water from Lima or Panama, to relieve them in their Necessity: They then set it up on the Shoar, and wip’d it dry with Cotton; and when they came aboard, told us, that tho’ they had wip’d her again and again, she continued to sweat very much; and all but those employ’d in wiping her, stood around devoutly amaz’d, praying and telling over their Beads: They also shew’d the Cotton to our Linguist and the Ransomers, wet by the excessive Sweat of the holy Virgin, as they fondly seem’d to believe, and kept it as a choice Relick. The Morells perceiving me laugh at the Story, they told me a much stranger, in order to convince me, viz. That a few Years ago, at a Procession in the Cathedral Church of Lima, which was at that time very richly furnished, and worth some Millions of Pieces of 8 in Gold, Silver and Jewels; the Image of the Virgin was more richly adorn’d with Pearls, Diamonds and Gold, than the rest; and those Ornaments being left in the Church, according to Custom, till the Night after Procession, without any Guard, because the People concluded that none durst be so sacrilegiously impious as to rob the Church; an unfortunate Thief, resolving at once to enrich himself, got into the Church at Midnight, and made up to the Image; but whilst he was going to take off a rich String of Pearls from the Virgin’s Wrists, she caught him fast by the Arm, and held him, till being found in that Posture he was apprehended and executed. This Story was confirm’d as an unquestionable Truth by all the other Prisoners, who assured us, That all the Fathers of the Church at Lima confidently affirm the same, as well as a considerable Number of Lay-Brethren, who (they say) were Eye-Witnesses of it; so that it passes amongst them as currant, as an Article of their Faith: By this we may see how the Belief of those false Miracles, by the Cunning of the Romish Clergy in these Parts, obtains Credit among those Men who are not so easily imposed on in their worldly Affairs. Thus I am apt to believe those Gentlemen invented the Story of the sweating Miracle, out of Zeal to their Church, and thinking thereby to deter us from carrying away any more of the Relicks out of Senior Morell’s Galeon. Before this, when I heard such Stories, I took ’em to have been invented meerly to ridicule the Romanists, but when I heard such silly Stories related by 8 grave Men, of a handsome Appearance and good Reputation amongst the Spaniards, I was convinc’d of the Ignorance and Credulity of the Papists.
July 29. Having for a long time been importun’d by the Companys of each Ship, to divide what we was forc’d to agree to as Plunder, we resolved on a Committee to be called to morrow to settle that Affair, which we did in the following Manner.
At a Committee on board the Duke, the 29th Day of July, 1709. It’s agreed, that the following Articles shall regulate Plunder, and be in part a Satisfaction allow’d by the Committee of the Duke and Dutchess, for past Services, more than each Man’s Agreement with the Owners.
Impr.