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I was then engaged by Captain Woodhouse, of the sloop Betsey, to go with him (as he then informed me) to the bay of Honduras. On the 26th of March we sailed from Jamaica, fully persuaded that the bay of Honduras was our destined place; but were soon informed of our Captain’s intention of going to the Isthmus of Darien, for mules and horned cattle. Accordingly on or about the 10th of April, we anchored a little on to the westward of Nombre de Dios, and our Captain dispatched a negro on shore, who could speak the spanish tongue, as a messenger to inform the inhabitants that he wanted a few mules and horned cattle, for which he would return them sundry goods, which he had brought for that purpose, viz. linens, hardware, and cutlery ware.
As soon as the inhabitants received this intelligence, they brought to the shore about thirty mules, and forty head of horned cattle, which we took on board; and the Spaniards came on board to receive in exchange such goods as they made choice of: But before any of their articles were landed, our Captain ordered us to seize the Spaniards by force of arms, and put them on shore; which we accordingly did, and immediately weighed anchor, leaving these poor injured people to bewail their loss and disappointment, and curse the English traders for this perfidious injury done them. Such illicit practices have caused many persons to suffer in those parts, who might themselves be very honestly inclined, and
