In October of the year 1698 we were stirred to excitement by the
news that Mr. Benbow had been ordered to take a squadron to the
West Indies, and there was much eager speculation among us as to
the vessels which would have the good fortune to sail with him. I
hoped with all my heart that the Falmouth would be one of them, for
I was weary of the humdrum life of idling on shore or aimless
sailing up and down the channel. The admiral's was a peaceful
mission, and no fighting was expected, but I felt a great curiosity
to behold new scenes. To my vast delight, when the admiral came
down from London, Captain Vincent told me that the Falmouth was to
be one of a squadron of four, the others being the Gloucester, the
Dunkirk (both fourth rates of forty-eight guns), and a small French
prize called the Germoon.
We set sail on the 29th of November, touched at Madeira to take in
wine and other stores in which that bounteous isle is prolific, and
after a tranquil voyage reached Barbados on the 27th of February.
We proceeded to Mevis and the Leeward Islands, and steering our
course thence to the continent, made the highland of St. Martha,
and so to Cartagena, where we obliged the governor to deliver up
two or three English merchant ships which they had seized at the
time of the hapless Scotch settlement at Darien. Thence we stood
away for Jamaica.
Joe Punchard (who was on board the Gloucester, having returned to
his old vocation of body servant to Mr.
Pages:
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260