In each ship the ravages of the fatal disease became
more serious, and, as the Commodore had predicted, he had but twenty
men really able to do duty. Nor had the Admiral's ship and the other
vessels suffered less. The Commodore again went on board to reiterate
his proposition. Admiral Rymelandt was not only a stern, but a vindictive man. He
was aware of the propriety of the suggestion made by his second in
command, but, having refused it, he would not acquiesce; and he felt
revengeful against the Commodore, whose counsel he must now either
adopt, or by refusing it be prevented from taking the steps so
necessary for the preservation of his crew, and the success of his
voyage. Too proud to acknowledge himself in error, again did he
decidedly refuse, and the Commodore went back to his own ship. The
fleet was then within three days of the coast, steering to the
southward for the Straits of Magellan, and that night, after Philip
had retired to his cot, the Commodore went on deck and ordered the
course of the vessel to be altered some points more to the westward. The night was very dark, and the _Lion_ was the only ship which
carried a poop-lantern, so that the parting company of the _Dort_ was
not perceived by the Admiral and the other ships of the fleet. When
Philip went on deck next morning, he found that their consorts were
not in sight. He looked at the compass, and, perceiving that the
course was altered, inquired at what hour and by whose directions. Finding that it was by his superior officer, he of course said
nothing. When the Commodore came on deck, he stated to Philip that he
felt himself warranted in not complying with the Admiral's orders, as
it would have been sacrificing the whole ship's company. This was,
indeed, true. In two days they made the land, and, running into the shore, perceived
a large town and Spaniards on the beach. They anchored at the mouth of
the river, and hoisted English colours, when a boat came on board to
ask them who they were and what they required? The Commodore replied
that the vessel was English, for he knew that the hatred of the
Spanish to the Dutch was so great that, if known to belong to that
nation, he would have had no chance of procuring any supplies, except
by force. He stated that he had fallen in with a Spanish vessel, a
complete wreck, from the whole of the crew being afflicted with the
scurvy; that he had taken the men out, who were now in their
hammocks below, as he considered it cruel to leave so many of his
fellow-creatures to perish, and that he had come out of his course to
land them at the first Spanish fort he could reach. He requested that
they would immediately send on board vegetables and fresh provisions
for the sick men, whom it would be death to remove, until after a few
days, when they would be a little restored; and added, that in return
for their assisting the Spaniards, he trusted the Governor would also
send supplies for his own people. This well made-up story was confirmed by the officer sent on board by
the Spanish Governor. Being requested to go down below and see the
patients, the sight of so many poor fellows in the last stage of that
horrid disease--their teeth fallen out, gums ulcerated, bodies full
of tumours and sores--was quite sufficient, and, hurrying up from the
lower deck, as he would have done from a charnel-house, the officer
hastened on shore and made his report. In two hours a large boat was sent off with fresh beef and vegetables
sufficient for three days' supply for the ship's company, and these
were immediately distributed among the men. A letter of thanks was
returned by the Commodore, stating that his health was so indifferent
as to prevent his coming on shore in person to thank the Governor, and
forwarding a pretended list of the Spaniards on board, in which he
mentioned some officers and people of distinction, whom he imagined
might be connected with the family of the Governor, whose name and
titles he had received from the messenger sent on board; for the Dutch
knew full well the majority of the noble Spanish families--indeed,
alliances had continually taken place between them, previous to their
assertion of their independence. The Commodore concluded his letter by
expressing a hope that, in a day or two, he should be able to pay his
respects and make arrangements for the landing of the sick, as he was
anxious to proceed on his voyage of discovery. On the third day, a fresh supply of provisions was sent on board, and,
so soon as they were received, the Commodore, in an English uniform,
went on shore and called upon the Governor, gave a long detail of the
sufferings of the people he had rescued, and agreed that they should
be sent on shore in two days, and they would, by that time, be well
enough to be moved. After many compliments, he went on board, the
Governor having stated his intention to return his visit on the
following day, if the weather were not too rough. Fortunately, the
weather was rough for the next two days, and it was not until the
third that the Governor made his appearance. This was precisely what
the Commodore wished. There is no disease, perhaps, so dreadful or so rapid in its effects
upon the human frame, and at the same time so instantaneously checked,
as the scurvy, if the remedy can be procured. A few days were
sufficient to restore those, who were not able to turn in their
hammocks, to their former vigour. In the course of the six days nearly
all the crew of the _Dort_ were convalescent and able to go on deck;
but still they were not cured. The Commodore waited for the arrival of
the Governor, received him with all due honours, and then, so soon
as he was in the cabin, told him very politely that he and all
his officers with him were prisoners. That the vessel was a Dutch
man-of-war, and that it was his own people, and not Spaniards, who had
been dying of the scurvy. He consoled him, however, by pointing out
that he had thought it preferable to obtain provisions by this _ruse_,
than to sacrifice lives on both sides by taking them by force, and
that his Excellency's captivity would endure no longer than until he
had received on board a sufficient number of live bullocks and fresh
vegetables to insure the recovery of the ship's company; and, in the
meantime, not the least insult would be offered to him. Whereupon the
Spanish Governor first looked at the Commodore and then at the file of
armed men at the cabin door, and then to his distance from the town;
and then called to mind the possibility of his being taken out to sea. Weighing all these points in his mind, and the very moderate ransom
demanded (for bullocks were not worth a dollar apiece in that
country), he resolved, as he could not help himself, to comply with
the Commodore's terms. He called for pen and ink, and wrote an order
to send on board immediately all that was demanded.