22 L O R D A N S O N ’ S V O Y A G E R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 23
K l ' '' it at that feafon, and as the Spanijh failors, being for the ttoli part dron the ravage of a moft deftruflive and incurable difeafe, and ore
accuftomed to a fair-weather country, might be expefted to be very board the Spanijh fquadron the devaftation of famine.
averfeto fo dangerous and fatiguing a navigation, the better to en- For this fquadron, either from the hurry of their outlet, their
courage them, fome part of their pay was advanced to them in Ru- prefumption of a fupply at Buenos Ayres, or from other lefs -oba
l l ropean goods, which they were to be permitted todifpofe pfin the- vious motives, departed from Spain, as has been already ohlerved,
South-Seas, that fo the hopes of the great profit, each man was to- with no more than four monthsprovifiou on board, and even that
make on his venture, might animate him in his duty, and render as it is faid, at fhort allowance only ; fo that, when by theftorms
him lefs difpofed to repine at the labour, the hardfhips, and the they met with off Cape Horn, their continuance at fea was prolonged
perils, he would in all probability meet with before his arrival ore a month or more beyond their expeflation, they were reduced to
the coaft of Peru. fuel; infinite diftrefs, that rats, when they could be caught, were
Pizarro with his- fquadron having, towards the latter end o f fold for four dollars apiece; and a failor, who died on board, had I I I February, run the length of Cape Hosn, he then flood to the weft- his death concealed for fome days by his brother, who, during that
\ 1 ward in order to double It ; but, in the night o f the lafli day o f time, lay in the fame hammock with the corpfe, only to receive the
■ } February, Q. S. while with this view they were turning to wind- dead man’ s allowance o f provifions. In this dreadful lituation they
ward, the Guipufcoa, the Hermtona, and the EJperanza, were fepa- were alarmed ( if their horrors were capable o f augmentation) by
rated from the Admiral; and, ore the 6th o f March following, the the difeovery o f a confpiracy among the marines, on board the Bfta,
n Guipufcoa was fèparated from the other two ; and, on the 7th the Admiral’s fhip. This had taken its rife chiefly from the miferies (being the day after we had paflèd Slreights le MaireJ , there came they endured: for- though no lefs was propofed by the confpirators
on a raoft furious ftorm at N W , which, in defpight o f all their than the maflacring the officers and the whole crew, yet their moefforts,
drove the whole fquadron to the eaftward, and, after lèverai rive for this bloody refolution feemed to be no more than their de-
I fruitlefs attempts, obliged them to bear away for the river o f Plate^ fire of relieving their hunger, by appropriating the whole fhip’s prowhere
Pizarro in the  fa arrived about the middle of May, and' viflons to themfelves. But their defigns were prevented, when juft
I I ft a few days, after him the Efperanza and the FJjevan% The Her- upon the point of execution, by means of one of their confeflbrs,
miona was fippofed to founder at fea, for fhe was never heard o f and .three o f their ringleaders were immediately put to death.
H
more; and the Guipufcoa was run afhore and funk on the coaft However, though the confpiracy was fuppreffed, their other calao
f B razil. The calamities of all kinds, which this fquadron un- rnities admitted of-no alleviation, but grew each day moreandmore
derwent in this unfuccefsful navigation, can only be paralleled deftruflive. So that, by the complicated -diftrefs- of fatigue, ficknefs,
by what we ourfelves experienced in the fame climate, where ' and hunger, the three -fhips which efcaped loft the greateft part of
1 1 « 1 buffeted by the fame florins. There was indeed feme div.erfity their men : The A fa , their Admiral’ s fhip, arrived at MonteFedio ire
I i l in our diftrefifcs, which rendered it difficult to decide, whole fitua- .the river ,of 'Plate, with half ‘he'r crew only:; the St. Efievan had loft
tion was molt worthy e f commiferation. For to all the misfor- in like manner half her hands, when fhe anchored in the bay o f
tunes we had in common with each other, as fhattered rigging, Barragan; the Efperanza, a fifty-gun fhip, was flillmore unfortuleaky
fhips, and the fatigues and defpondency, which neceffarily nate, for of four hundred and fifty hands which fhe brought from
attend thefe difafters, there was fuperadded. on board our fqna>- Spain, only fifty-eight remained alive, and the whole regiment of
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