Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746Byron, John
History
Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746
Byron, John
Chiloé (Chile); Patagonia (Argentina and Chile); Wager (Ship)
the garrison he commanded, and desired to know if we had observed that
all the lower battery was brass guns. We were immediately after, by his
order, put into the condemned hole. There was nothing but four bare
walls, excepting a heap of lime that filled one third of it, and made
the place swarm with fleas in such a manner that we were presently
covered with them. Some of Admiral Pizarro's soldiers were here in
garrison that had been landed from his ships at Buenos Ayres, as he
could not get round Cape Horn. A centinel's box was placed at our door,
and we had always a soldier with his bayonet fixed, to prevent our
stirring out. The curiosity of the people was such, that our prison
was continually full from morning till night, by which the soldiers
made a pretty penny, as they took money from every person for the
sight. In a few days, Captain Cheap and Mr. Hamilton were ordered up
to St. Jago, as they were known to be officers by having saved their
commissions; but Mr. Campbell and I were to continue in prison. Captain
Cheap expressed great concern when he left us; he told me it was what
he had all along dreaded, that they would separate us when we got into
this country; but he assured me, if he was permitted to speak to the
president, that he would never leave soliciting him till he obtained
a grant for me to be sent up to him. No sooner were they gone than we
fared very badly. A common soldier, who was ordered to provide for us
by the governor, brought us each, once a day, a few potatoes mixed with
hot water. The other soldiers of the garrison, as well as the people
who flocked to see us, took notice of it, and told the soldier it was
cruel to treat us in that manner. His answer was, "The governor allows
me but half a real a day for each of these men; what can I do? It is
he that is to blame: I am shocked every time I bring them this scanty
pittance, though even that could not be provided for the money he gives
them." We from this time lived much better, and the soldier brought us
even wine and fruit. We took it for granted, that our case had been
represented to the governor, and that he had increased our pay. As to
the first, we were right in our conjectures; it had been mentioned to
him, that it was impossible we could subsist on what he allowed; and
his answer to it was, that we might starve; for we should have no more
from him, and that he believed he should never be repaid even that.
This charitable speech of the governor was made known every where, and
now almost every one who came to see us gave us something; even the
mule-drivers would take out their tobacco pouch, in which they kept
their money, and give us half a real. All this we would have given to
our soldier, but he never would receive a farthing from us, telling us
we might still want it; and the whole time we were there, which was
some weeks, he laid aside half his daily pay to supply us, though he
had a wife and six children, and never could have the least hope or
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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