THE

TRAVELS

OF

Mr. William Dampier.

CHAP. I.

An Account of the Authors Return out of the South Sea, to his Landing near Cape St Lawrence, in the Ifthmus of Darien: With an Occafional Defcription of the Moskito Indians.

Pril the 17th 1681. about Ten a Clock in the morning, being 12 Leagues N. W. from the Ifland Plate, we left Captain Sharp and those who were willing to go with him in the Ship, and embarked into our Lanch and Canoas, defigning for the River of Santa Maria, in the Gulph of St Michael, which is about 200 leagues from the Ifle of Plata. We were in number 44 white Men who bore Arms, a Spanish Indian, who bore Arms alfo: and two Moskito Indians, who alB

ways

An.1681

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The Authors Return out of the South Seas.

An. 1681 ways bear Arms amongst the Privateers, and are much valued by them for ftriking Fish and Turtle, or Tortoife and Manatee or Sea Cow; and five Slaves taken in the South Sas, who fell to our fhare.

The Craft which carried us was a Lanch,or Long Boat, one Canoa, and another Canoa which had been fawn afunder in the middle, in order to have made Bumkins, or Veffels for carrying water, If we had not feparated from our Ship. This we joyn'd together again and made it tight; providing Sails to help us along: And for 2 days before we parted,we fifted fo much Flower as we could well carty, and rubb'd up 20 or 30 pound of Chocolate with Sugar to sweeten it; these things and a Kettle the Slaves carried alfo on their backs after we landed. And because there were fome who defigned to go with us that we knew were not well able to march, we gave out, that if any man faultred in the Journey over Land, he muft expect to be fhot to death; for we knew that the Spaniards would foon b after us, and one man falling into their hands might be the ruin of us all, by giving an account of onr ftrength and condition: yet this would nor de'er 'em from going with us. We had but little Wind when we parted from the Ship;, but before 12 à clock the Sea-breeze came in ftiong, which was like to founder us before we got in with the fhote; for our fecurity therefore, we cut, up an old dry Hide that we brought with us, and barricadoed the Lanch all round with it to keep the water out. About 10 a clock at night we got in about 7 leagues to windward of Cape Palo under the Line, and then it proved calm, and we lay and drove all night, being fatigued the preceeding day. The 18th day we had little wind till the afternoon; and then we made fail, ftanding along the fhore to the Northward, having the wind at S. S. W. and fair weather.

At

The Authors Return, &c.

3

At 7 a clock we came abreft of Cape Paffio, and An.1681 found a fmall Bark at an Anchor in a fmall Bay to Leeward of the Cape, which we took,our own Boats being too fmall to tranfport us. We took her just under the Equinoctial Line; fhe was not only a help to us, but in taking her we were fafe from being defcribed we did not defign to have meddled with any when we parted with our conforts, nor to have feen any if we could have helped it. The Bark came from Galli laden with Timber, and was bound for Guiaquil.

The 19th day in the morning we came to an anchor about 12 leagues to the Southward of Cape St Francifco, to put our new Bark into a better trim. In 3 or 4 hours time we finished our business, and came to fail again, and steered along the Coaft with the Wind at S. S. W. intending to touch at Gorgonia.

Being to the Northward of Cape St Francifco we met with very wet weather; but the Wind continuing we arrived at Gorgonia the 24th day in the morning, before it was light; we were afraid to approach it in the day time, for fear the Spaniards fhould lie there for us, it being the place where we careened lately, and where they might expect us.

When we came afhore we found the Spaniards had been there to feek after us, by a House they had built, which would entertain 100 Men, and by a great Crofs before the Doors. This was token enough that the Spaniards did expect us this day again; therefore we examined our Prifoners if they knew any thing of it, who confeffed they had heard of a Pereago, (or a large Canoa) that row'd with 14 Oars, which was kept on the River on the Main, and once in 2 or 3 days came over to Gorgonia purposely to fee for us, and that having dif covered us, fhe was to make all speed to Panama with the News; where they had 3 Ships ready to fend after us

The Author's Return out of the South Seas. An. 1681 We lay here all the day, and scrubb'd our new Bark, that if ever we fhould be chafed we might the better escape: we filled our Water, and in the evening went from thence, having the Wind at S. W. a brisk gale.

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The 25th day we had much Wind and Rain, and we loft the Canoa that had been cut and was joined together; we would have kept all our Canoas to carry us up the River, the Bark not being fo convenient.

The 27th day we went from thence with a moderate gale of Wind at S. W. In the afternoon we had exceffive showers of Rain.

The 28th day was very wet all the morning; betwixt 10 or II it cleared up, and we saw two great Ships about a league and half to the Weftward of us, we being then two leagues from the Thore, and about 10 leagues to the Southward of point Garrachina. Thefe Ships had been cruifing between Gorgonia and the Gulf 6 months; but whether our Prifoners did know it I cannot tell.

We presently furled our Sails, and rowed in clofe under the fhore, knowing that they were Cruifers; for if they had been bound to Panama this Wind would have carried them thither; and no Ships bound from Panama come on this fide the Bay, but keep the North fide of the Bay till as far as the Keys of Quibo to the Weftward; and then if they are bound to the Southward they ftand over and nay fetch Galleo, or betwixt it and Cape St. Francifce.

The Glare did not continue long before it rained again, and kept us from the fight of each other: but if they had feen and chaced us, we were refolved to run our Bark and Canoas afhore, and take our felves to the Mountains and travel over Land ; for we knew that the Indians which lived in these parts never had any Commerce with the Spaniards; fo we might have had a chance for our Lives.

The

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An Account of the Moskito Indians. The 29th day, at 9 a clock in the morning, we An. 1681 came to an Anchor at Point Garrachina, about 7 leagues from the Gulph of St Michael, which was the place were we first come into the South Seas, and the way by which we defigned to return.

Here we lay all the day, and went ashore and dried our Cloaths, clean'd our Guns, dried our Ammunition, and fixt our felves against our Enemies, if we should be attack'd; for we did expect to find fome oppofition at Landing: we likewise kept a good Look-out all the day, for fear of thofe two Ships they faw the day before.

The 30th day in the morning at 8 a Clock we came into the Gulf of St Michael's mouth; for we put from Point Garrachina in the Evening, defigning to have reach'd the Iflands in the Gulf before day; that we might the better work our escape from our Enemies, if we fhould find any of them waiting to ftop our paffage.

About 9 a clock we came to an Anchor a mile without a large Ifland, which lies 4 miles from the mouth of the River; we had other fmall Islands without us, and might have gone up into the River, having a strong tyde of flood, but would not adventure farther till we had lookt well about us.

We immediately fent a Canoa afhoar on the lfland, where we faw (what we always feared) a Ship at the mouth of the River, lying clofe by the fhore, and a large Tent by it, by which we found it would be a hard task for us to escape them.

but it

When the Canoa came aboard with this news, fome of our men were a little difheartned was no more than I ever expected.

Our care was now to get fafe over land, feeing we could not land here according to our defire: Therefore before the Tyde of flood was fpent, we mhanned our Canoa and rowed again to the land to fee if the Enemy was yet in motion. When we B 3

came