Part 3
In a few days after this, all our petty officers and boat’s crew appear’d in their fine silk waistcoats, caps and breeches; our commander himself in a silken skin, as the word _peaud’soy_ implies, and the beau gentleman his son, in a cinnamon colour’d sute of fine silk, all wondrous gallant and gay!
_Shelvocke_ soon perceived by the whispering and shyness of his officers in the cabin, that this management did not please them, tho’ none of us dared to speak the least about it: So to make us easy, as he would have it (tho’ in reality to make us accomplices) he order’d us to bring into the cabin all our scarlet sutes;--the Gentlemen who fitted us out, having given the chief officers, to the number of twenty five in both ships, a scarlet sute each;--When he made us the following speech.
* * * * *
Gentlemen,
“We have yet a long voyage in hand, and ’tis uncertain where or how we shall be furnish’d with cloaths, when these we have are worn out or impair’d. To shew you therefore that I have your interest as much at heart as my own, I have consider’d that your sleeve cuffs and pocket flaps will be first subject to the injuries of time; which to prevent, I here make each of you a present of as much gold and silver flower’d silk as will serve to cover them. To you gentlemen sea officers, scarlet with gold; and to you gentlemen of the marines, green with silver.” For this kind offer we all return’d humble thanks, beging leave at the same time to be excus’d from this piece of finery: but all in vain; for our captain would not be outdone in point of generosity: we must appear something like himself. And he in his black _peaud’soy_ sute trim’d with large silver loops down the breast, made a ridiculous figure enough.
He has somewhere, I think, call’d me a _Cape of Good Hope man_; which noted headland I never saw, and therefore know not what he means by it: But ’tis certain this transaction with the _Portuguese_ proved _Shelvocke_ a right _Cape Frio_ man, which I believe is very easily understood.
Tho’ _Shelvocke_ never kept any journal, or intended to give the gentlemen any fair account of his actions; yet at his arrival in _England_, finding this story was blown, he was under a necessity of removing from himself the imputation of Pyracy as well as he could: and therefore confidently tells the world, page 23. that he made a protest against _Hatley_, and deliver’d it to captain _Clipperton_, in the _South-Sea_, which, if true, instead of mending makes the story worse.
Now, this is mere invention, founded upon the difficulty there seems to be of confuting him; for _Clipperton_ died in _June 1722_. I was left a prisoner at _Lima_ in _Peru_, and probably sacrificed. As for _Hatley_, he indeed did arrive at _London_ in 23; but went immediately for _Jamaica_, never shewing his face to any one of the owners: so that _Shelvocke_ imagin’d there was no witness of consequence to reveal his craft and treachery; having had three or four years to frame and complete this romantic libel.
However, I desire this invisible gentleman to answer me these following questions.
Why such protest was not made while _Hatley_ was on board the _Speedwell_, to be confronted by a cloud of witnesses?
Why that protest (if any such ever was made) should be deliver’d to captain _Clipperton_, whom _Shelvocke_ from page 22. to 25 of his preface, and all along has made such a sad insignificant fellow; and to whom he had too much pride to think himself accountable? and,
Why was not a copy of that protest printed in his book, fairly vouch’d by his chief officers, as well as that long impertinent one against the governer of _Sansonate_; on the opposite part of the globe? page 340. I really believe one would have been much more to his credit than the other.
We arrive next at St. _Catherine_’s on the coast of _Brazil_, lat. 27 : 30 S: where our captain shews us a masterpiece of machiavilian politicks; making by the following stratagem the greatest number of his ships company rogues against their own inclinations: and knowing this could not be suddenly brought about, he had long been preparing for that purpose his instrument, one _Mathew Stewart_; who, as his own steward, waited on us in the cabin, till our arrival at the _Canary_ islands, when and where _Shelvocke_ had promoted him to be first mate of the ship, tho’ not seaman enough to distinguish between a brace and a bowline. This was done to gain him greater credit with the men; tho’ it was a direct prejudice to three or four clever young fellows who were good seamen and artists. His accepting a steward’s place at first is an undeniable argument he was no seaman. The
The weight of my argument depending much on proving _Stewart_ no seaman, the reader I hope will pardon my inserting this account of him. He was the son or apprentice of a shopkeeper at _Glasgow_ in _North Britain_, and went supercargo of a small ship to _Maryland_ or _Virginia_. On his return from his first voyage he touch’d at _London_, where he squander’d away most of his money: so not caring to look his friends in the face, he desir’d of captain _Shelvocke_ to be imploy’d in our expedition; who made him his steward. He was a young man of good sense and good education: so that it’s plain if he were qualified for doing the duty of a sea-officer, his ambition would not have suffer’d him to accept a steward’s place: and how fit this man was for first mate of a private ship of war, I leave other judges than my self to determine. In this article I appeal to Mr. _James Moffat_ and Company, mercers in _St. Martins le Grand_.
This spark had not been long tampering with the men, before he brought them to any thing he pleased; especially when they saw he always had the captain’s ear, and was so very much in his favour also; which gave us all a kind of emulation, wondering what rare qualifications _Shelvocke_ could discover in a fellow, who but a few days before rinsed our glasses and filled us our wine.
But the mystery was here unravell’d, on our finding a round robine sent up by the men to _Shelvocke_, by this minion of his. Robine is a mutinous letter, at the bottom of which every subscriber sets his hand in a round ring, to avoid being called first in the mutiny. The tenor of this letter set forth their diffidence of the gentlemen owners, and their fears of being all cheated: which the fellows before had no notion of, if not prompted to these apprehensions, as I said before, by _Shelvocke_ himself; who finding all that he had done and said fail of the desired effect, had now made use of this emissary _Stewart_, to poison the men’s minds, when otherwise they would have been quiet at their duty. I need no stronger argument to prove the honest and orderly disposition of the ship’s company, than this writer’s own words, page 4. who says himself, they were four fifths landmen; whose first complaint, ’tis well known, is always for want of provisions; which they, however do in a more submissive manner. But this was quite out of the case; as what they never could or did complain of. Besides, if the boatswain and his mates were supported in the discharge of their duty, they were sufficient enough to keep them under. Add to this, that we were nine officers at his table, an unusual number for such a ship, being so design’d that we might effectually oppose any intended mutinies: but this despotic man had so intimidated us, that had we offered our service, by promising to assist him in bringing those pretended mutiniers to reason, the very proposal from us would have been construed a real mutiny. And further it may be easily imagined, that no one would have had the confidence to deliver this arbitrary captain any proposal savouring of discontent and mutiny, except a pupil so instructed; and such was _Stewart_, whom I might more properly call _quartermaster_, since he officiated as one who had rather been used to the _Jamaica_ discipline, than a well regulated private ship of war.
None therefore but a man void of truth and shame could impute, as _Shelvocke_ does, all his innovations and wilful mismanagements to the mutinies of his men; when any six of his cabin officers, having the small arms always in our own custody, would have drove the rascals over the forecastle, without deserving to be recorded as heroes.
In fine, new regulations and articles were made and introduced by _Stewart_, allowing an additional perquisit to _Shelvocke_ himself of 5 _per cent_. upon the whole capture to be made; which, after his example, we all sign’d.
To give the better countenance to this preceding, _Shelvocke_ asked us officers of his mess, whom we would chuse for our agent? to this not one of them even dared to say a word, waiting his own direction to point out the man: At last I said, that since the whole ship’s company, except our selves, had vested such a power in Mr. _Stewart_, I could see no reason why he might not make one trouble of it, and pay us all our respective shares. To this he answer’d with a menacing sneer, ay by god, I suppose you want that preferment your self. I replyd, I was so well satisfyd with my own shares, and the imployment given me by the Gentlemen at home, that I never coveted or thought of any other. This too gave a great deal of offense. However _Shelvocke_ modestly told us, that unless we chose his own nephew _Adams_ the surgeon, we should make a voyage for a _knife_ and _sheath_. It was no sooner said than done: the doctor drew up an Instrument immediately, and we were constraind to sign it.
But the merriest agent of all, was _Shelvocke_ himself, who calling the next day to Mr. _Hendrie_, the Gentlemen’s agent, told him that he himself would now be agent for the owners, and _Hendrie_ might be purser of the ship, if he pleased: at which arbitrary usurpation, Mr. _Hendrie_ was very much shockt; well knowing that as agent he had a right to twenty shares; but as purser, only what _Shelvocke_ was pleased to allow; for as yet we had no such officer mentiond aboard the ship: wherefore seeing the difficulties we lay under, he believed it was in vain to struggle, and only made this gentle return.----Sir, I hope I have done nothing unbecoming my duty, either in my office, or personally to you; and therefore beg leave to remind you, that those gentlemen who gave you your commission in this ship, made me also their agent for all such captures as she should make: for which _Hendrie_ got no satisfaction, but _Shelvocke_’s adding with an oath that if he did not accept a purser, he should neither be one nor the other. Whereupon Mr. _Hendrie_ demanded, in his own right, to have a council of the officers calld who should hear and determine the case; which being absolutely refused, _Hendrie_ drew up a protest against the captain’s arbitrary procedings, a copy of which he gave into his own hand, and deliverd one to each officer of his mess: which is a proof of _Hendrie_’s honest spirit, and that he was worthy of the post the gentlemen gave him.
My reader may possibly question how so much craft, so much treachery, such an abuse of power, could meet together in the person of one man: but I here solemnly aver every circumstance of this affair to be true; and appeal to all persons concernd therein, besides the depositions aforesaid.
Nor is it so much to be wonder’d at, if we consider a commander of a ship in a far distant latitude, with unlimited power, bad views, ill nature and ill principles all concurring.----I say, it’s not to be wondered at whatever such a Man does, for he is past all restraint.
A late instance of this kind is captain _Jayne_, of _Bristol_ who, in a most extraordinary lingering manner, cruelly starved and tortured his cabin boy to death; nor could his whole ship’s company hinder it, tho’ it was long a doing: however, when ashore, the men were freed from that tyrannical power, and were bold enough to speak the truth, which hanged him.
But to return. Thus was _Shelvocke_’s great estate to be got suddenly, without any one in the ship to be a check upon him, or even a witness of the _quantum_ or _quomodo_, _how_ or _how much_; for now ’tis evident all must pass through his own and his two creatures hands; _Shelvocke_ being agent for the owners, his kinsman for us of the cabin, and _Stewart_ agent for the petty officers and men.
Nor did he stop here; for he also proposed to reduce me from captain of marines to lieutenant, and the two lieutenants of marines to petty officers: but I having a letter from _Edward Hughes_, Esq; directed to captain _Mitchel_, then the commanding officer of the _Speedwel_, to receive me and my servant on board, and to enter me on the roll of equipage, as captain of marines, which I produced, he desisted, and I heard no more of it: but this I remember, that in two days time my pocket-book was stole from me, wherein I kept the said letter, and some memorandums of our captain’s very fine procedings.
Instead of coming into this harbour of St. _Catharine_’s, it’s plain _Shelvocke_’s duty was to make the best of his way to the southward, that he might be early with the enemy the _Spaniard_; for _Clipperton_, about this time, was actually in the great _South Sea_. But our commander found it more comfortable to pass the winter away near that glorious luminary the sun, than at the hazard of losing his liquors to follow his orders and his commodore into the frozen straits of _Magellan_, where _Clipperton_ and his men suffer’d extreme hardships, being quite destitute of those supports which we super-abounded with.
To palliate these mismanagements _Shelvocke_ tells ye, p. 51. that to save his _English_ provisions, he bought twenty one head of black cattle; which, I am sure, was but four: one hundred and fifty bushels of cassader meal; which was no more than five or six: and as for other provisions (excepting three or four hogs) ’tis a forgery; for the inhabitants hearing from our deserters of the _Cape Frio_ story, would no longer deal with us; tho’ Monsieur _Laport_, one of our lieutenants, who was a roman catholic, apply’d to the _padre_, one Sunday after divine service, to sell _Shelvocke_ what he wanted.
He says, in his home made story, page 48. that _Hatley_ burn’d the _Portuguese_ house, tho’ we have often heard him blame _Randal_, his lieutenant, for so doing, he being really the man. This indeed was but a brutish return to the people, who out of fear or complaisance had quitted their house, for our coopers and sail-makers to work in, and likewise served us for a guard house. But _Shelvocke_ says nothing of _Coldsea_ the master, the most quarelsome turbulent fellow in the ship, because whatever imperfect reckoning they had, was kept by him, having made the tour of the globe together. This man at St. _Catharine_’s was doom’d by _Shelvocke_ for transportation to _Europe_, because he insulted his kinsman _Adams_; and to save himself an oath, that he never should come over the ship’s side again, he suffer’d him, at the intreaty of Mr. _Dodd_, to enter at a gun-port.
As to the awning, which he set up page 51. and which he intends as a justification of his coming in here, it proved rather a nusance than a benefit; for as the place afforded not the proper materials, he could not make it staunch and tight, so that the rain, as it fell from the clouds, was not half so troublesom, as the streams it made through this imperfect piece of work, into the poor men’s necks: besides, it very much hinder’d our walking the deck. Captain _Clipperton_ had twice made the voyage before, and therefore was something of a judge; and he, as well as the gentlemen at home, thought the _Speedwel_ completely enough fitted out without any additions of captain _Shelvocke_’s.
It’s merry enough to observe how _Shelvocke_ p. 25. makes Mons. _La Jonquiere_, who was a gentleman of good sense, commander of a fifty gun ship in the King of _Spain_’s service, and in time of war with _England_, hold forth to the supposed mutinous crew of an _English_ privatier, then going to take, sink, burn and destroy as many of the ships belonging to the subjects of the king his master, as should have the misfortune of falling into their clutches; and to this effect, that they should behave themselves dutifully and obediently towards their honest commander, who was leading them to make their fortunes. The absurdity of this is plain enough, when I consider there were not above four or five in our ship at most, who understood any thing of _French_: and I am sure _La Jonquiere_ did not speak a word of _English_: besides, he had something else to mind; all this being only a drunken frolick, occasion’d by the _Frenchman_’s coming aboard us to make merry.
Another, but a worse blunder he commits in the speech, he pretends was made to captain _Hatley_, by Monsieur _La Riviere_, commander of a _Portuguese_ man of war of forty guns, which arrived there some time before we sail’d, p. 26. “That it was very likely he might receive a gratuity from the matter of the ship[2], to prevent his being troublesome: but that his captain’s coming immediately into a port of the same nation, was a convincing demonstration to him (besides the meanness of the story) that there could not be any public or general base design, and that he was far from mistrusting there could be any private one, and desired him to give his humble service to me, and tell me, that he had a great deal of honour and respect for me; and begg’d I would let him have the conveniencies I had ashore (when I had done with them) if the _French_ captain had not preingaged them.”
[2] That is the _Portuguese_ off _Cape Frio_.
Now, ’tis very unlikely that a captain of a man of war, of double the force, and in a harbour of his own nation, should beg leave in so obsequious a manner for conveniencies, which he might easily command; and I know of no conveniencies there, except the house which _Randal_ burn’d; for _Shelvocke_ owns himself, p. 57. that he saw no house or fortification, except the woods. And whereas he (for reasons best known to himself) will have it that _Hatley_ was so odious to the _Portuguese_ inhabitants, charging him with things quite foreign to the truth; it was not his case alone: we were all equally hated by them; for they were by this time acquainted with the ill treatment the _Portuguese_ captain met with from us; as he himself plainly allows, p. 45. saying, “I made no doubt but that captain _Hatley_’s affair would be reported to this gentleman, by some of the inhabitants; and therefore told him, that I expected he would go and vindicate himself to the _Portuguese_ captain, to prevent any disturbances that might arise, by the account of his mismanagement on board the _Portuguese_ we met at sea. To which he readily replied, that he would. Therefore to give him an opportunity of doing it, I sent a complement by Monsieur _La Riviere_.”
Now had the business with the _Portuguese_, off of _Cape Frio_, been a fair merchandize, as _Shelvocke_ relates it, p. 16. how comes he here to call it mismanagement, and cautiously to send _Hatley_ with a complement to vindicate himself?
A _Creolian Spaniard_, servant to one of captain _Jonquiere_’s lieutenants, having robb’d his Master of a hundred quadruples, each of which is four pistoles, absconded in the woods, designing to take his passage with us round _Cape Horne_, to his own country again. _La Jonquiere_ and the lieutenant applied to _Shelvocke_, desiring, that in case the servant should be found, and the money upon him, he would secure him and take it from him; giving _Shelvocke_ directions how to remit the money to _France_, on his arrival in _Europe_, all which he faithfully promised to perform. As soon as the _Ruby_ sail’d, the fellow appear’d to our men at the watering place, with one moiety of the money in his pocket, designing, I suppose, to pay for his passage with it: but _Shelvocke_ not content with that, order’d him to be seiz’d to the jears, where he was whipp’d and pickled, which was repeated every _Munday_ for a month: but the fellow, who had run the risque of hanging for it, and knew the value of money as well as the captain, stood the lash without confessing he had any more: so he remain’d on board and had his passage. Thus was _Shelvocke_, with his wholesome severities, teaching the _Spaniard_ the heinousness of defrauding his master; when we all very well knew _Shelvocke_ deserved the same discipline himself: which brings to my mind an excellent distich of Dr. _Garth_.
_But little villains must submit to fate, That great ones may injoy the world in state._
This story I mention, because he has been cunning enough to skip it over, and only says, p. 31. “’twas well for him he had some money from one of the _Ruby_’s people,” which must be the said lieutenant’s servant.”
I think it needs explanation, how such friendship could exist between two warlike ships of nations already declared enemies, especially since _Shelvocke_ has said nothing of it; fancying the world might ascribe it to his own wise conduct, or rather his gasconading _Monsieur_ into that complaisant temper.
I must therefore acquaint the reader that _La Jonquiere_ had on board his ship a good sum of the King’s money, and near twenty fathers; some of which had been many years in _Peru_, _Chili_ and _Paraguay_ missionaries _de propaganda fide_, and had well fill’d their purses, the gospel there proving very great gain: besides many other wealthy passengers from those parts. These pacific gentry did by no means like the noise of great guns, or changing the pleasures of this world for the uncertainties of immortality: and Monsieur, no doubt, had found how to turn that disposition of theirs into a good article in his accounts. Besides, to my knowledge he had not at his first coming in, above sixty well men, tho’ he had near 400 aboard, passengers included; which ill state of his people was chiefly occasion’d by his passing _Cape Horne_ in the winter with indifferent provision, which the _Spaniards_ in _America_ know not how to cure or pack up.
Before we sail’d, there arrived a _French_ merchant ship from St. _Malo_, commanded by Monsieur _Dumain Girard_, bound for _Chili_; who meeting _La Jonquiere_ at sea, had got an order on _Shelvocke_ to pay him the money: But _Shelvocke_ refus’d it, saying, he would remit it, on his return to _England_, to the lieutenant, whose money it was; which, if he has done, is very extraordinary, being contrary to his dealings in other cases, with those who have had his acquaintance in this voyage.
At length we sail’d from St. _Catharine_’s, but saw no more ships to try the project of the Emperor’s colours with: so that nothing to my present purpose happens, till we got round _Cape Horne_. Where, as we approach the enemy, _Shelvocke_ fearing some of us might be spies upon his actions, thought it the wisest way to get rid of those whom he had hitherto observed uneasy at his procedings; and sets his son _George_ and _Adams_ his kinsman, to tell us, in a formal manner; That such of us, as did not like to serve under captain _Shelvocke_, should soon be found with other imbarkations. And this was often repeated.
Let the reader then be pleased to observe, that he has placed this affair p. 62. before we got to _Cape Horne_: but this is another proof that he kept no regular journal, for all this happened when we were in the great _South-Sea_, and liquors began to grow scarce.