To Herbert the Prince wrote at greater length, giving an account of the
wreck of the Admiral, and of the factious opposition he had encountered
among his officers. He explained also that the shares of each man in
the prizes taken had been adjudged by the chaplain, Dr. Hart, and he
concluded: "If His Majesty or the Duke of York be in necessity
themselves, pray dispose of all to what they have need of, for their
own use; I mean _after the debts I made at Toulon for the fleet are
satisfied_. I wrote word so to His Majesty."[34] Some eight years
later, at the Restoration, those debts which weighed so heavily on
Rupert's conscience were still unpaid, and the fact is worth
remembering in connection with the quarrel that the Prince had with the
King on his return to France.
{256}
The cargo being despatched and the ships repaired, the Princes made for
the Cape Verd Islands, where they took in water and "one thousand dried
goats."[35] From there they went to Santiago, which they found
inhabited chiefly by negroes. There was, however, a Portuguese
Governor, Don Jorge de Mesquita de Castello Baranquo, who overwhelmed
them with attentions, and presents of fruit. Rupert returned his
civilities with such presents as his cargo afforded, and wrote to the
King of Portugal gratefully acknowledging the kindness of Don Jorge.
The letter bears date March 2nd, 1652.[36] When the Princes had been
some days in the harbour, Don Jorge informed them that certain English
vessels, bound for Guinea, were at anchor in the River Gambia, and
offered pilots to take the Royalists up the river. This offer Rupert
eagerly accepted, but the pilots proved inefficient, and mistook the
channel, forcing the "Swallow," now the Admiral, to anchor in very
shallow water. Rupert went out in his boat to sound for the channel,
and while thus occupied, came upon a ship belonging to the Duke of
Courland, on the Baltic. The Courlanders at once told the Prince the
whereabouts of the English vessels, and offered to pilot him up to
them. With their help, the Admiral weighed anchor, found the channel,
and captured an English ship, the "John." On board this ship was a
negro interpreter, known as Captain Jacus, and the son of the Governor
of Portodale. To these two Rupert showed much kindness, freely giving
them their liberty, an action for which he soon reaped an ample reward.
That night Rupert's fleet anchored by the Courlander, which continued
professions of friendship and offers of aid, for which the Prince
returned grateful thanks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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