Page 206
An.1685
Isle of Pacheque.
The 4th of May we sailed hence again bound for the Kings Islands; and there we continu'd cruising from one end of these Islands to the other: till on the 22d day Captain Davis and Captain Gronet went to Pacheque, leaving the rest of the Fleet at anchor at St. Pauls Island. From Pacheque we sent 2 Canoas to the Island Chepelio, in hopes to get a Prisoner there. The 25th day our Canoas return'd from Che- pelio, with three Prisoners which they took there: They were Sea-men belonging to Panama, who said that provision was so scarce and dear there, that the poor were almost starved; being hindered by us from those common and daily supplies of Plantains, which they did formerly injoy from the Islands; especially from those two of Chepelio and Tabago. That the President of Panama had strictly ordered, that none should adventure to any of the Islands for Plantains: but necessity had obliged them to trespass against the President's Order. They far- ther reported, that the Fleet from Lima was ex- pected every day; for it was generally talked that they were come from Lima: and that the report at Panama was, that King Charles 2d of England was dead, and that the Duke of York was crowned King. The 27th day Captain Swan and Captain Townly al- so came to Pacheque, where we lay: but Captain Swan s Bark was gone in among the Kings Islands for Plantains. The Island Pacheque, as I have before related, is the northermost of the Kings Islands. It is a small low Island about a league round. On the South side of it there are 2 or 3 small Islands, nei- ther of them half a mile round. Between Pacheque and these Islands is a small channel not above 6 or 7 paces wide, and about a mile long. Through this Captain Townly made a bold run, being preft hard by the Spaniards in the fight Iam going to speak of, though he was ignorant whether there was a sufficient depth of Water or not. On the East side of