Next day, being as willing to get rid of them, as they were to get back their own ship, I took every thing out of the Conception that could be of use to us, sufficient for twelve months provisions of bread, flour, sugar, and sweetmeats,[278] both for ourselves and the Success, which we expected to meet with at the Tres Marias.  I took also away her launch and negroes, the latter to assist us in working our ship, not having sufficient strength to manage her in the long run before us of 175 degrees.  I then delivered up the Conception to Espina and the rest, after being three days in our possession:  which was not only an act of generosity to our prisoners, but an act of prudence with regard to ourselves.  The next great point to be managed, was to get our people to consent to sail so far north as California, previous to our intended voyage to the East Indies, for which we were not in so good a condition as we could wish, though much better than before, and even than we had any reason to have expected, every thing considered.  We had a good ship, with fifteen guns and sufficient ammunition, together with a reasonable quantity of provisions; but we still wanted to complete our wood and water for so long a voyage, the procuring of which was necessarily our first care.  The ship’s company were for going to Quibo for this purpose, as nearest us, but that place was attended by two important inconveniences.  The first was the danger of the road, as the stormy season was coming on, and we were but indifferently provided with ground tackle, which must expose us to many dangers.  The second was, that Quibo was but at a small distance from Panama, and we had reason to fear the Spaniards might send a ship of war from thence in search of us; as we had now no hopes that peace had taken place, and had consequently laid aside all thoughts of surrendering.  On these considerations, we plied up to the island of Cano, where we soon did our business, having a good boat.

[Footnote 278:  Betagh charges Shelvocke on this occasion, with the concealment of a considerable treasure, taken in the Conception, of which some account will be given at the conclusion of the voyage.—­E.]

On our passage to that island, the sweetmeats of all kinds were divided among our messes; and one day a man complained that he had got a box of marmalade into which his knife could not penetrate, and desired therefore to have it changed.  On opening it, I found it to contain a cake of virgin silver, moulded on purpose to fill the box, weighing 200 dollars; and on examining the rest, we found five more of the same kind.  These cakes of silver, being very porous, were nearly of the some weight with so much marmalade, and were evidently contrived for the purpose of defrauding the king of Spain of his fifths, which he exacts from all silver procured in the mines of Peru.  We doubtless left many such cakes behind in the Conception, so that this contrivance served them both to wrong their king, and to deceive their