Life of William Phips, Biography · Section 5
SECT. 5.
TO Relate all the Dargers through which he paſſed, both by Sea and Land, and all the Tireſome Trials of his Patience, as well as of his Courage, while Year after Year, the moſt vexing Accidents imaginable, delay'd the Succeſs of his Deſign, it would even Tire the patience of the Reader: For very great was the Experiment that Captain Phips made of the Italian Obſervation, He that cann't ſuffer both Good and Evil, will never come to any great Preferment. Wherefore I ſhall ſuperſede all Journal of his Voyages to and fro, with reciting one Inſtance of his Conduct, that ſhow'd him to be a Perſon of no contemptible Capacity. While he was Captain of the Algier-Roſe, his Men growing weary of their unſucceſsful Enterprize, made a Mutiny, wherein they approach'd him on the Quarter-Deck, with Drawn Swords in their Hands, and required him to join with them in Running away with the Ship, to drive a Trade of Pyracy on the South Seas. Captain Phips, though he had not ſo much of a Weapon, as an Ox-Goad, or a Jaw-bone in his Hands, yet like another Shamgar or Sampſon, with a moſt undaunted Fortitude, he ruſh'd in upon them, and with the Blows of his bare Hands, Fell'd many of them, and Quell'd all the Reſt. But this is not the Inſtance which I intended: That which I intend is, That (as it has been related unto me) One Day, while his Frigate lay Careening, at a deſolate Spaniſh Iſland, by the ſide of a Rock, from whence they had laid a Bridge to the Shoar, the Men, whereof he had about an Hundred, went all but about Eight or Ten, to divert themſelves, as they pretended, in the Woods: Where, they all entred into an Agreement, which they Sign'd in a Ring, That about ſeven a Clock that Evening, they would ſeize the Captain, and thoſe Eight or Ten, which they knew to be True unto him, and leave them to periſh on this Iſland, and ſo be gone away unto the South Sea to ſeek their Fortune. Will the Reader now imagine, that Captain Phips having Advice of this Plot, but about an Hour and half before it was to be put in Execution, yet within Two Hours brought all theſe Rogues down upon their Knees, to beg for their lives? But ſo it was! For theſe Knaves conſidering, that they ſhould want a Carpenter with them in their Villanous Expedition, ſent a Meſſenger to fetch unto them the Carpenter, who was then at Work upon the Veſſel; and unto him they ſhew'd their Articles, telling him what he muſt look for, if he did not ſubſcribe among them. The Carpenter being an honeſt Fellow, did with much importunity, prevail for one half hours Time to conſider of the Matter; and returning to Work upon the Veſſel, with a Spy by them ſet upon him, he feigned himſelf taken with a Fit of the Cholick, for the Relief whereof he ſuddenly run unto the Captain in the Great Cabbin for a Dram; where, when he came, his buſineſs was only in brief, to tell the Captain of the horrible Diſtreſs which he was fallen into; but the Captain bid him as briefly, return to the Rogues in the Woods, and Sign their Articles, and leave him to provide for the Reſt. The Carpenter was no ſooner gone, but Captain Phips calling together the few Friends (it may be ſeven or eight) that were left him aboard, whereof the Gunner was one, demanded of them, whether they would ſtand by him in the Extremity, which he informed them was now come upon him; whereto they reply'd, They would ſtand by him, if he could ſave them; And he Anſwer'd, By the help of God, he did not fear it. All their Proviſions had been carried a ſhoar to a Tent, made for that purpoſe there; about which they had placed ſeveral Great Guns to defend it, in caſe of any Aſſault from Spaniards, that might happen to come that way. Wherefore Captain Phips, immediately ordered thoſe Guns to be ſilently Drawn and Turn'd; and ſo, pulling up the Bridge, he charged his Great Guns aboard, and brought them to Bear on every ſide of the Tent. By this Time the Army of Rebels comes out of the Woods; but as they …rew near to the Tent of Proviſions, they ſaw ſuch a change of Circumſtances, that they cryed out, We are Betray'd! and they were ſoon confirm'd in it, when they heard the Captain with a ſtern Fury call to them, Stand off, ye Wretches at your Peril! He quickly ſaw them caſt into a more than ordinary confuſion, when they ſaw Him ready to Fire his Great Guns upon them, if they offered one Step further than he permitted them: And, when he had ſignified unto them his Reſolve to abandon them unto all the Deſolation which they had purpoſed for him; he cauſed the Bridge to be again laid, and his Men begun to take the Proviſions aboard. When the Wretches beheld what was coming upon them, they fell to very humble Entreaties; and at laſt, fell down upon their Knees, proteſting, That they never had any thing againſt him, except only his unwillingneſs to go away with the King's Ship upon the South-Sea Deſign: But upon all other Accounts, they would chooſe rather to Live and Die with him, than with any Man in the World; however, ſince they ſaw how much he was diſſatisfied at it, they would inſiſt upon it no more, and humbly begg'd his Pardon. And when he judg'd, that he had kept them on their Knees long enough, he having firſt ſecur'd their Arms, received them aboard; but he immediately weighed Anchor, and arriving at Jamaica, he Turn'd them off. Now with a ſmall Company of other Men, he ſailed from thence to Hiſpaniola, where, by the Policy of his Addreſs, he fiſhed out of a very old Spaniard, (or Portugueſe) a little advice about the true Spot where lay the Wreck, which he had been hitherto ſeeking, as unproſperouſly, as the Chymiſts have their Aurifick Stone: That it was upon a Reef of Shoals, a few Leagues to the Northward of Port de la Plata, upon Hiſpaniola, a Port ſo call'd, it ſeems, from the Landing of ſome of the Ship-wreck'd Company, with a Boat full of Plate, ſaved out of their Sinking Frigate: Nevertheleſs, when he had ſearched very narrowly the Spot, whereof the Old Spaniard had adviſed him, he not hitherto exactly lit upon it. Such Thorns did vex his Affairs, while he was in the Roſe-Frigat; but none of all theſe things could retund the Edge of his Expectations to find the Wreck; with ſuch Expectations he return'd then into England, that he might there better furniſh himſelf to Proſecute a New Diſcovery; for though he judged, he might, by proceeding a little further, have come at the right Spot, yet he found his preſent Company too ill a Crew to be confided in.