When they had lost all Hopes of the St. _Joseph_, they coasted along the
North-Side of _Cuba_, and the _Victoire_ growing now foul, they ran into
a Landlock'd Bay on the East North-East Point, where they hove her down
by Boats and Guns, though they could not pretend to heave her Keel out;
however, they scraped and tallowed as far as they could go; they, for
this Reason, many of them repented they had let the last Prize go, by
which they might have careened.
When they had righted the Ship, and put every Thing on Board, they
consulted upon the Course they should steer. Upon this the Council
divided. The Captain and _Caraccioli_ were for stretching over to the
_African_, and the others for the _New-England_ Coast, alledging, that
the Ship had a foul Bottom, and was not fit for the Voyage; and that if
they met with contrary Winds, and bad Weather, their Stock of Provision
might fall short; and that as they were not far from the _English_
Settlement of _Carolina_, they might either on that or the Coast of
_Virginia, Maryland, Pensylvania, New-York_, or _New-England_, intercept
ships which traded to the Islands with Provisions, and by that Means
provide themselves with Bread, Flower, and other Necessaries. An Account
of the Provisions were taken, and finding they had Provisions for four
Months. Captain _Misson_ called all Hands upon Deck, and told them, as
the Council differed in the Course they should steer, he thought it
reasonable to have it put to the Vote of the whole Company. That for his
Part, he was for going to the Coast of _Guiney_, where they might
reasonably expect to meet with valuable Prizes; but should they fail in
their Expectation one Way, they would be sure of having it answered
another; for they could then throw themselves in that of the
_East-India_ Ships, and he need not tell them, that the outward bound
dreined _Europe_ of what Money they drew from America. He then gave the
Sentiments of those who were against him, and their Reasons, and begg'd
that every one would give his Opinion and Vote according as he thought
most conducive to the Good of all. That he should be far from taking it
ill if they should reject what he had proposed, since he had no private
Views to serve. The Majority of Votes fell on the Captain's Side, and
they accordingly shaped their Course for the Coast of Guiney, in which
Voyage nothing remarkable happened. On their Arrival on the Gold-Coast,
they fell in with the _Nieuwstadt_ of _Amsterdam_, a Ship of 18 Guns,
commanded by Capt. _Blacs_, who made a running Fight of five Glasses:
This Ship they kept with them, putting on Board 40 Hands, and bringing
all the Prisoners on Board the _Victoire_, they were Forty three in
Number, they left _Amsterdam_ with Fifty six, seven were killed in the
Engagement, and they had lost six by Sickness and Accidents, one falling
overboard, and one being taken by a Shark going overboard in a Calm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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