But wliilft the Wager, with thefe views, was making the heft of
her way to her fiuft rendezvous off the Ifhnd of Sacaro, whence (as
there was little probability o f meeting any o f the fquadron here)
lhe propofed to fleer direftly for Baldivia, Ihe made the land on
the 14th o f May, about the latitude pf 47° South; and, the Captain
exerting himfelf on this oceafion, in order to get clear o f it, he
had the misfortune to fall down the after-ladder, and diflocated
his fhoulder, which rendered him incapable o f afting. This accident,
together with the crazy condition o f the fliip, which was
little better than a wreck, prevented her from getting off to fea,
and entangled her more and more with the H infomuch that
the next morning, at day-break, fhe ftruck on a funken rock, and
foon-after bilged, andgrounded between twa.fmall lllands, at about
a mufquet-lhot from the Ihore.
In this fituation the fhip continued intire a long time, fo that all
the crew had it in their power to get fife on Ihore; but a general
copfufion takingplace, numbers-of them, inftead of confulting their •
fafety, o r rcfledting on theircalamitous condition, fell to pillaging
the flop, arming themfelves.with the M l weapons that came to,
hand, and threatening to murder all who ffiould oppofe them.
This phrenzy,was greatly-heightened by the liquors they found onboard,
with which they got fo extremely drunk, that fome of them,-
falling down between decks, were drowned,. as the water flowed
into the wreck, being incapable o f railing themfelves qp, and retreating
from it. The Captain, therefore, having done his- utmoft:
to get the whole crew on Ihore, was, atlaft, obliged to leave the-
mutmeers- behind him and to follow his officers, and fuch as he -
had been .able to prevail on: but he did notfaikto. fend back the-
boats, to perfuade thofe who remaiaedto haveTpme regard to their-,
prefervatron ;. though all his efforts were, for fome time, without
fuccefs. However, the,next day, the weather proving-'ftormy and<
there being great danger of the fhip’s parting, they began to be -
alarmefl with the fears of perifhing, and were.defirous of-getting to .
land but, it Asms, their madnefs had not yet left .th em .fo r th e :
boat;
boat not appearing to fetch them off fo foon as they expedfed, they
at laft pointed a four-pounder,' vfbieh was on the quarterdeck,
againft the hut, where they knew the Captain refided on (bore,
and fired two fhot, which paffed but juft over it.
From this fpecimen of the behaviour of part of the crew, it
will not be difficult to frame fome coiije&ure of the diforder and
anarchy which took place, when they, at laft, got all on Ihore.
For the men conceived, that, by the lofs o f the fhip, the authority
o f the officers was at an ehd; and they being now on a defolate
coaft, where fcarcely any other provifions could be got, except
what ffiould be faved out o f the wreck, this was another infur-
mountable fource o f difcord; fince the working upon the wreck,
and fhe fecuring the provifions, fo that they might be preferved for
future exigencies as much as poffible, and the taking cate that what
was neceflary for their prefeiit fnbfiftenee might be fparingly and
equally diftributed, were not matters to be brought about but by
difcipline and fubordination: and the mutinous difpofttion of the
people, ftimulated by the impulfes of immediate hunger, rendered
every regulation made for this pu rpofe ineffeftual; fo that therd
were continual concealments, frauds, and thefts, which animated
each man- againft bis fellow, and produced infinite feuds and con-
tefts. And hence there was a perverfe and malevolent difpofition
conftantly kept up amongft them, which rendered them utterly
ungovernable.
Befides thefe heart-burnings, ocCafioned by petulance and hunger,
there was another important poiift, which fet the gre'ateftpart
o f the people at variance with the Captain. This was their differing
with him in opinion on the meafures to be purfued ill the prc-'
fent exigency; for the Captain was determined, i f poffible, to fit
up the boats in the beft manner he could, and to proceed with
them to.the northward; fince, having with them above ail hundred
men in health, and having gotten fome ftre-arffiS and ammunition
from1 the wreck, he did not doubt but they could mafterany
Sfanijh veffel they Ihould encouter with in thofe feas; and he
U a thought,