Thus fitted out and thus instructed, and the officers of both ships being provided with legal commissions to cruise against her Majesty’s enemies, the French and Spaniards, in the South Seas, on the first of August, 1708, they unmoored from King road, and on the 4th of the same month cast anchor at the Cove in Cork, where they continued victualling, and adjusting their men, changing some and enlisting others, among whom were many foreigners, till the first of September, when they sailed in company with the Hastings man of war, having first agreed, in case of separation, to meet at Madeira, there to take in wine and brandy for the remainder of the voyage.

[Here it is necessary to apprize the reader, that, as there are two very authentic accounts of this voyage, one written by Captain Rogers, and one written by our author, we shall endeavour to reduce them into ONE, by supplying from Captain Rogers what is wanting in Captain Cooke, and shall, contrary to the method pursued in Harris, continue the narrative in the person of Captain Cooke, though sometimes we may be obliged to use the words of Captain Rogers. And this being premised, we will now proceed:]

On the 10th of September, says Captain Cooke, we spied a sail, which we chaced and came up with. She happened to be a Swede, bound for Cadiz; and though from several circumstances there was reason to suspect that she had contraband goods on board, yet it being difficult to prove it, and we being in haste, dismissed her. This caused a mutiny on board the Duke, headed by the boatswain and three inferior officers, who persuaded the men not to give her up. Captain Rogers confined the authors of this disorder, in which there was not one foreigner concerned. He put ten of the mutineers in irons, a sailor being first soundly whipped for exciting the rest to join him; others less guilty he punished and discharged; but the chief officers continued armed, fearing what might happen, the ship’s company seeming too much to favour the mutineers. They had afterwards a great deal of trouble with these fellows, who did more mischief when in irons than before, by stirring up the men to release them, pretending that they suffered in the cause of the crew, and therefore the crew ought to rise and release them. This determined the Captain to make some examples, but not to irritate too much; he therefore began by removing the boatswain from his office, and appointing another in his room, without intending anything further. But on the 14th this intestine storm rose higher than ever; for then a sailor with the best part of the ship’s company at his heels, went up to the Captain, and demanded the boatswain out of custody. With this man the Captain desired to speak alone, and when he came upon the quarter-deck, the officers seized him, and caused one of his chief comrades to whip him. Thus by different corrections of the like kind, the officers on board the Duke broke the combination, and allayed the tumult. The boatswain they sent home in the Crown galley in irons; the other prisoners they released upon their humble submission; such among them as were petty officers they restored to their commands, and all on board were forbidden to disobey or reproach them: and thus ended an insurrection, which, had it succeeded, would have put a stop at once to the farther prosecution of the voyage.

On the 15th, finding ourselves to the southward, and at the same time somewhat to the eastward of Madeira, we changed our place of rendezvous, and bore away for the Canaries.

On Saturday the 18th, at five in the morning, we saw a sail right a-head, to which we gave chace. About 10, we came up with and took her, being a small Spanish bark bound from Teneriff to Fuertaventura, with several men and women passengers on board, and laden with sundry sorts of goods. Next day we bore away for Oratavia-road, where we stood off and on, and sent away the prize’s boat with one of our owners agents, a priest, and the master of the prize, to treat about the ransom of her, and to get wine, provisions, and other necessaries, for the refreshment of both the ships. About eight next morning, a boat came from the town, with a letter from the English merchants residing there, wherein they expostulated with us for making prize of the bark, alledging that there was a free trade agreed to in these islands between her Majesty of Great Britain and the Kings of France and Spain, so religiously observed by the latter, that they had caused an English ship taken there by a French privateer, to be restored; and farther, representing the danger that might arise to themselves, living by permission in an enemy’s country, if the bark was not immediately given up, for which reprisals would be made on them; as also, that we should be answerable at home for interrupting the settled commerce. This letter was signed by the Consul and three capital merchants. Our Captains immediately returned for answer, that, having no instructions relating to the Spanish vessels trading among those islands, they could not justify the releasing of the ship on their bare opinions, without some order or proclamation of her Majesty, the English being protected there only on anchoring ground, and the bark being taken in the open seas; that, in case Mr. Vanbrugh, the owners agent, was not restored, they would carry away all the prisoners they had; and, if they apprehended any detriment to the factory, they might ransom the bark, and seek their redress in England. They desired dispatch, there being no time to lose; and, upon sending back Mr. Vanbrugh, they would release the prisoners. At night another letter came in answer to theirs, from the Consul, importing, that the English men-of-war were civilly received there, and never committed any hostilities; and that it was strange we should insist on ransoming any Spaniards, who were never made prisoners in England, or elsewhere; and the Governor there delivered up to him any English prisoners that were brought in by Spanish privateers; wherefore he insisted, that those in our custody should be dismissed, and the bark discharged, accepting a present of wine in return. With this from the Consul at the city of Laguna, came another letter from the merchants at Oratavia-port, much to the same purport, only offering to pay to the value of 450 pieces of eight, the sum demanded for the bark, in wine, brandy, sugar, oil, barley, and greens, to prevent incensing the natives against them, not doubting but that reparation would be made them in England. Our Captains replied, by threatening to cruise among the islands to avail themselves for their loss of time, and to cannonade the town of Oratavia, unless they received instant satisfaction. On the 22d, at four in the morning, we stood in for the shore, making a clear ship; but, soon after, we saw a boat coming with our owners agent, and Mr. Cross, one of the English merchants, bringing five buts of wine, and other refreshments. We lay off the town, took the goods out of the prize, sold the bark to Mr. Cross, and put the prisoners on board her. Thus ended this troublesome business, which being unanimously approved of at a council of officers of both ships, they proceeded on their voyage; and, seeing a sail to the westward, gave chace to her, but, night coming on, lost her.

On the 24th we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, and, the Sunday following, performed the ceremony of dipping the men of both ships who had not crossed it before; a ceremony that causes a good deal of mirth among the common men.

On the 30th we passed by Santa Lucia, one of the Cape de Verd islands, and by eight in the morning came in sight of St. Vincent, and about eleven came to an anchor in ten fathom water within the rock.

As we knew the island not to be inhabited, we were not a little surprized to see some people on shore; and, in order to learn who they were, and what their business was, I armed the pinnace, and went on shore, when we found them to be Portuguese come from the island of St. Anthony to catch turtle, who told us we might here wood and water.

This island lies in lat. 16 deg. 55 min. N. and in 25 deg. 36 min. W. long. from the meridian of London. There are on it Guinea-hens, hogs, and goats, and about the shore plenty of fish. In the woods there are spiders as large as little birds, whose webs are not easily broken through, being woven with a substance nearly as strong as ordinary thread.

The Cape Verd islands are eleven in number, St. Anthony, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, St. Nicholas, Sal, Bona Vista, Mayo, St. Jago, Fogo, Romes, and Brava; and take their general name from a promontory on the African shore. They belong to the Portuguese, but are not all inhabited.

While we lay at St. Vincent’s, new disturbances arose among the men in relation to plunder; for here they had an opportunity of trading, and therefore every man wished to have something to exchange. The effects taken in the late prize occasioned a general murmur throughout both the ships; to put an end to which, and to fix the people in a firm resolution of doing their duty, we determined to settle the matter at once, by framing such articles, as, without giving our owners any ground of complaint, might inspire the seamen with courage and constancy, and make them as willing to obey as their officers were ready to command. It cost some trouble to adjust the articles; but that was fully compensated, by their effectually answering the purpose. And now, having composed all differences, the men again chearfully returned to their duty, all but two or three of the Duke’s men, who made their escape on shore among whom was their linguist, who probably had no mind to be left behind; but, having staid beyond his leave of absence, and paid no regard to the orders that were sent him to repair on board, it was thought proper, by way of example, to depart without him. Accordingly on the 7th of October we unmoored, and, on the 8th, after lying by all night for our consort, we set sail together for the coast of Brazil. But on our passage thither some fresh disputes arose among our men and, after various consultations to accommodate the differences, it was resolved, that Mr. Page, who was our second mate, should be sent to serve on board the Duke, and Mr. Ballet to come from the Duke to serve on board the Dutchess in his room. This was not to be effected without force, Page refusing to obey the order; and when it was on the point of being put in execution, he resisted; but, being overpowered, and carried on board the Duke, he was there charged with mutiny. He desired to go to the head, for a necessary purpose, before he made his defence, and was permitted so to do; when he instantly jumped over-board, with the design of getting back again to the Dutchess, but was taken up, tried, and punished, which put an end to the disturbance for that time.