If _Shelvocke_ had sent the governer a handsome piece of silk of the _Cape Frio_ acquisition, for his lady, it would have been a genteel return, and sutable to the gaiety of the _American Spaniards_. I make no doubt we should have had fat beeves and hogs, as many as we wanted: but the whimsical duty which our commander order’d us to perform, together with his own aukward behaviour, made us really appear both frightful and ridiculous: and if he had acted as he ought, what pretext could remain for his loitering here, and not going immediately to the place of rendezvous? But his coming in and all he did here, was intirely vain amusement, idly wasting five or six weeks, ordering us every day ashore, in our fools caps, in the persuit of game or shooting the wild boar. So that what we were chiefly supplied with, was the produce of two small islands on the starboard-side going in; for which we were indebted to lieutenant _Brook_’s good management, who at our first coming secured all the small imbarkations he found in the bay, which hindered the inhabitants carrying off their cattle. I come now to the story, p. 98. relating to my self, which he has drest up with silly falsities only to expose me. In short, _Shelvocke_ order’d me and lieutenant _Dodd_, with as many marines as the pinnace could carry, to go ashore at the flag place, to exercise only; whereas he falsly says it was to get supplies from the _Spaniards_. I who had never learned, seeing the rest of our officers had taken it in their heads to learn, thought it would appear singular, if I did not learn too: so we exercised about half a dozen times making but one line of about fifteen men (tho’ he talks of ranks) and went strait aboard. The real design of this was quite otherwise than he would have the world believe: for the second or third day after our arrival, two canoes approach’d us to form some judgment of our designs; and for that reason we were order’d to exercise ashore, in this manner, to appear as formidable as we could: but it was in hopes the _Spaniards_, taking it for a formal landing to plunder them, would knock us on the head, which was easily enough to be done; for _Shelvocke_ when he sent us, said there was no need of any powder or shot, tho’ we cautiously took some unknown to him: besides, had it been only to exercise, it might have been done aboard, or at the watering place the other side the bay, where there was none but our own people.