Page 157
An. 1684
Guiaquil attempted.
fo thick, that we could not march through in the night; and therefore we fat down, waiting for the light of the day. We had two Indian Pilots with us; one that had been with us a month, who having re- ceived fome abufes from a Gentleman of Guiaquil, to be revenged offered his fervice to us, and we found him very faithful: the other was taken by us not above 2 or 3 days before, and he feemed to be as willing as the other to affift us. This latter was led by one of Captain Davis's men, who fhewed himfelf very forward to go to the Town, and up- braided others with faint-heartednefs: Yet this man (as he afterwards confeffed) notwithftanding his Courage, privately cut the ftring that the Guide was made faft with, and let him go to the Town by himfelf, not caring to follow him; but when he thought the Guide was got far enough from us, he cried out that the Pilot was gone, and that fome body had cut the Cord that tied him. This put every Man into a moving pofture to feek the Indian, but all in vain; and our confternation was great, being in the dark and among Woods: fo the defign was wholly dafhed, for not a Man after that had the heart to fpeak of going farther. Here we ftaid till day, and then rowed out into the middle of the River, where we had a fair view of the Town; which, as I faid before, makes a very pleafant prof- pect. We lay ftill about half an hour, being a mile, or fomething better, from the Town. They did not fire one Gun at us, nor we at them. Thus our defign on Guiaquil faild: yet Captain Townley, and Captain Francois Gronet took it a little while after this. When we had taken a full view of the Town we rowed over the River, where we went afhore to a Beef Eftantion or Farm, and kill'd a Cow, which we dreft and eat, We ftaid there till the evening Tide of Ebb, and then rowed down the River, and the 9th day in the morning arrived at Puna. In our way