Life Aboard a British Privateer in the Time of Queen Anne: Being the Journal of Captain Woodes Rogers, Master MarinerRogers, Woodes
History
Life Aboard a British Privateer in the Time of Queen Anne: Being the Journal of Captain Woodes Rogers, Master Mariner
Rogers, Woodes
Privateering -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
The tedium of this long cruise was broken once by touching at the
islands of Tres Marias for wood and water, and again by a second visit
to the Galapagos in hopes of falling in with "poor Hatley and his
bark;" but nothing was found there beyond some traces of the buccaneers
in the shape of wreckage and broken wine jars. Rogers also mentions
at this time, as an event of some importance, the birth on board the
"Duke" of "a tawny coloured negro girl," the mother being a negress
from Guiaquil, kept among other prize goods of the same class to act
as laundresses[18] and seamtresses on board the ships. Both mother
and child were well cared for, a close cabin being provided for her,
together with a "bottle of thick strong Peru wine." This interesting
event was evidently not looked upon by Captain Rogers as an unmixed
blessing, for he says that "he gave our other she-negro nymph (called
Daphné) strict orders to be careful not to transgress in this way."
[Sidenote: _'Tis agreed to sail to Guam or some other place to
recruit._]
[Sidenote: _Discover the Manila ship._]
Provisions of all sorts, especially bread, were, "after a strict
rummage of the ships," now found to be running short, while their new
consort, the "Marquiss," was discovered to be defective and leaking,
and had to be taken to the "port of Segura," for repairs. "So that,"
Rogers says, "we all looked very melancholy, necessity compelling us
to no longer continue cruising for the Manila ship, but sail at once
across the Pacific for the island of Guam in order to revictual before
starting for China and the Indies, and thence round the Cape of Good
Hope, for England." This was, however, scarcely decided upon, when, on
December 21st, at nine a.m., a man "at the mast head cry'd out he saw
another sail as well as the 'Dutchess,'" which, though at first thought
to be the "Marquiss" rejoining them, proved "after several wagers" to
be the long expected "Acapulco ship." The weather continued calm that
day, which "kept them all in a very uncertain languishing condition,"
and the chase had to be tended during the night by "two pinnaces
showing false fires, that we might know whereabouts they and the chase
was."
[Illustration: _The "Duke" takes the Manila Ship._]
[Sidenote: _Pursue her._]
[Sidenote: _Engage her._]
[Sidenote: _Take her._]
[Sidenote: _Capt. Rogers wounded._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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