In pursuance of this plan, we took a galleon on the 1st April, of 500 tons burden, commanded by two brothers, Joseph and Juan Morel, laden with dry goods and negroes; and next day we took another prize.  We now determined to make an attack on the town of Guayaquil; and on the 11th April, in a grand consultation, this enterprize was fully resolved upon, and a paper of instructions was drawn up for the guidance of the officers who were to command, so that each might be taught and kept to his duty.  This enterprize was to be conducted by the three captains, Rogers, Courtney, and Dover.  Captain Dover was to command the van division, consisting of seventy marines; Rogers the centre company, of seventy-one men, mostly officers and sailors; and Courtney the rear-guard, of seventy-three men; while Captain Dampier, with a reserve of twenty-two men, was to bring up some pieces of cannon, to be employed if necessary.  Our force therefore on this occasion consisted of 238 men.[221] Captain Cooke was to remain in the Duchess with forty-two men, and Captain Fry in the Duke with forty, our entire force being 320 men, while we had about 266 prisoners in both ships, including Indians and Negroes.

[Footnote 221:  The enumeration in the text gives only 236 men.—­E.]

Every thing being arranged, we bore in for Cape Blanco on the 13th, of which we had sight about noon, bearing E.S.E. ten leagues off.  On the 15th in the morning we saw a ship near the shore, and having little wind, the Duke’s boat, commanded by Captain Fry, and that of the Duchess by Captain Cooke, rowed directly for her, going off in such haste that neither of them had the swivel guns commonly used in the boats, neither had they their full complement of men, and only ten muskets and four pistols, with not much powder and shot, and no water.  They rowed very hard for six leagues to get up with the ship, and on Mr Fry getting near, she hoisted Spanish colours.  We could plainly see that she was French-built, and therefore concluded that it must be the ship we had long looked for, which was to carry the bishop.  Our ships being almost out of sight, and the chase near the coast, making the best of her way to run ashore in a sandy bay, we resolved to lay her on board, one of our boats on each bow, I[222] being then on her weather quarter, and Captain Fry on her lee.  It was our intention to pretend that we were friends, till we should get out of the way of her stern-chase guns; but the Duke’s men, conceiving the Spaniards were going to give us a volley, poured in their shot.  We then laid in our oars, and fell to with our small arms.  We kept up a constant fire for a long time, which was returned by the Spaniards, who killed two of Captain Fry’s men, and wounded one of his and two of mine.  One of the dead men was John Rogers, our second lieutenant, and brother to Captain Woods Rogers, who had behaved himself gallantly.  Finding the enterprize too difficult, Captain Fry