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
But a little after daybreak on the 23rd, still having no wind, Rogers
says, "we _got_ out _eight_ of our _ship's oars_, and rowed above an
hour, when there sprung up a small breeze, upon which I order'd a large
kettle of chocolate to be made for our ship's company, (having no
spiritous liquor to give them) and then went to prayers, but before
we had concluded, were disturb'd by the enemy firing at us. She had
barrels hanging at each yard arm, which looked like powder barrels to
deter us from boarding. The 'Dutchess' being to leeward, with little
wind, did not come up. And the enemy firing her stern chase several
times, we returned it with our forechase, till getting close aboard,
we gave her several broadsides plying our small arms briskly, which
they return'd as thick for awhile, but did not ply their guns so fast
as we. After a little while shooting ahead of them we lay athawt their
hawse close aboard, and ply'd them so warmly, that she soon struck
her colours two-thirds down; and the 'Dutchess' coming up, fired five
guns and a volley of small shot, to which she made no reply, having
submitted. This Galleon was," says Rogers, "called by the long name
of 'Nostra Seniora de la Incarnacion Desengàno,' Sir John Pichberty,
Commander, she had twenty guns, with twenty patereroes and 193 men,
whereof nine were killed, ten wounded, and several blown up and burnt
with powder. We engaged them about three glasses" (an hour and a half),
"in which time we had only myself and another wounded. I being shot
through the left cheek, the bullet striking away great part of my upper
jaw, and several teeth which dropt down on the deck where I fell. The
other was an Irish land-man slightly wounded. A shot disabled our
mizenmast, and I was forced to write what I would say to prevent the
loss of blood, and because of the pain I suffered by speaking."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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