_Shelvocke_ flushed with his imaginary success at this island of _Chiloe_, now affects the Statesman; and offers to the public a scheme of the advantages which might accrue to _Great Britain_, by taking that island, p. 113, 114; with hopes, no doubt, of being at the head of such an undertaking: but one may easily foresee, without prejudging the man, that he who has behaved so ill in this expedition, will never be trusted with any command in another: and ’tis well enough known, without his medling, that no people can make settlements in the _Spanish West-Indies_, with so much ease and safety, as the _English_ if they please; as having skill and power to do anything at sea, if they have good commanders. But it must appear very absurd to the government, to whom he submits this notion of his, that a mariner who has circumnavigated the globe, can discover no better place than _Chiloe_ for his _Britannic_ Majesty’s subjects to possess themselves of; from the great dangers of which he owns all of us to be but providentially escaped: for according to his own, and my description of it (who have been very particular) it appears immediate destruction for any one to attempt the going in. He owns he lost his anchor at his first coming too; and gives a most terrible account of the chanel, himself: and yet has the folly and presumption to incourage his own countrymen to settle here. What can this be, but a design against the lives of his Majesty’s good subjects? In my humble opinion ’tis malice prepense, and deserves exemplary punishment. And as for the additional stock of provision he boasts of, p. 100, he has much magnified it in his book: and whatever it might be, it was not worth our going there to alarm the coast, and thereby frustrate the very design of our coming out. A stranger would rather believe he had been bribed before he left _London_, by this counter method to defeat the whole enterprize. Captain _Clipperton_ by this time might reasonably be supposed gone from _Fernandes_: so away we sail from _Chiloe_ to our own satisfaction, as well as the great joy of the King of _Spain_’s subjects, whom we had plagued all round that bay, tho’ to little purpose. But instead of _Fernandes_, he is quickly furnished with another excuse from holding his course thither; which he says, p. 115, was the persuasions of his people to the contrary: “for they had notions, which the _Frenchman_ had inspired them with, of vast advantages by going first to the port of _Conception_.” This too is all a fiction, forged at home to palliate his own male practice; for we were all against medling with the continent, and wanted to seek out our consort and try our fortune at sea; which ’tis well known has always been, and must be the practice of privatiers, who mean to succede in their undertaking.