{tore of water (which have been already touched on) together with
the neceffary repairs of our rigging, and other unavoidable occupations,
took us up fo much time, and found us fuch unexpected
employment, that it was near the end of A pril before we were in
.a -condition to leave the place.
During our flay here there happened an incident, which, as it
.proved the means of convincing our friends in England of our fafety,
which for fome time they had defpaired of, and were then in
doubt about, I {hall beg leave particularly to recite. I have ob-
ferved, in the preceding chapter, that from'this harbour of Cheque-
tan there was but one path-way which led through the woods into
the country. This we found much beaten, and were thence convinced,
that it was well known to the inhabitants. As it paffed by
the fpring-head, and was the only avenue by which the Spaniards
could approach us, we, at fome diftance beyond the {p ring-head,
felled feveral large trees, and laid them one upon the other acrofs
the path; and at this barricadoe we conftantly kept a guard. We
befides ordered our men employed in watering to have their arms
ready; and, in cafe o f any alarm, to march inftantly to-this poll.
And though our principal intention herein was to prevent our being
difturbed by any fudden attack of the enemy's horfe ; yet it an-
fwer-ed another purpofe, which was not in itfelf lefs important:
This was to hinder our own people from {draggling (ingly into the
country, where we had reafon to believe they would be furprized by
the Spaniards, who would doubtlefs be extremely felicitous to pick
up fome of them, in hopes of getting intelligence of our future de-
iigns.' To avoid this inconvenience, the ftriiteft orders were given
to the centinels, to let no perfon whatever pafs beyond their port.
But notwithftanding this precaution, .we miffed one Lewis Leger,
who was the Commodore’s Cook : As he was a Frenchman, and
was fufpefted to be a Papift, it was at firft imagined that he had
deferted, with a view of betraying all that he knew to the enemy ;
tko’ this appeared, by the event, to be an ill-grounded furmife; for
it w&s afterwards known, that he had been taken by fome Indians,
3 who
271
who carried him prifoner to Acapulco, from whence he was transferred
to Mexico, and then to Vera Cruz, where he was (hipped on
board a veffel bound to Old Spain. But the veffel being obliged by
fome accident to^mt into Lijbori, Leger efcaped on {Ivors, and was
by the Brilijh Conful fent from thence to England; where he
brought the firft authentick account of the fafety o f the Commodore,
and of his principal tranfaflions in the South-Seas. The relation
he gave of bis own feizure was, that he rambled into the
woods at fome diftance from the barricadoe, where he had firft
attempted to pafs, but had been flopped and threatened to be punched
; that his principal view was to get a quantity of limes for
his Maftet’s {lore ; and that in this occupation he was furprized:
unawares by four Indians, who {tripped him naked, and carried,
him in that condition to Acapulco, expofed to the fcorching heat of
the fun, which at that time of the year {hone with its greateft violence!
That afterwards at Mexico his treatment in prifon was fuf-
ficiently fevere, fo that the whole courfe of his captivity was a continued
inftance. of the hatred which the Spaniards bear to all thofe
who endeavour to difturb them in the peaceable poffeffion of the
coafts of the South-Seas. Indeed Leger’s fortune was, upon the
whole, extremely Angular ; as, after the hazards he had run in the
Commodore’s fquadron, and the feverities he had fnffered in his-
long confinement amongft the enemy,, a more fatal difafter attended
him oh his return to England: For though, when he arrived in
London, fome of Mr. Anfon s friends interefted themfelves in relieving
him from the poverty to which his captivity had reduced
him ; yet he did not long enjoy the benefit of their humanity, fince
he was killed in an infignificant night brawl,, the caufe of which:
could fcarcely be difcovered.
And on occafion of this furprifal o f Leger, I muft obferve, that
though the enemy never appeared in.fight, during our ftay in the-
harbour, yet we perceived that there were large parties of them
incamped in the woods about us ; for we could foe their finokes,.
and could thence determine that they were polled in a circular line
furrounding;