We embarked in the evening, and it was night before we got to the place where we were to be delivered up to the Spanish guard.  We were met by three or four officers and a number of soldiers, all with their spados drawn, who surrounded us as if they had the most formidable enemy to take charge of, instead of three poor helpless wretches, who, notwithstanding the good living we had met with amongst these kind Indians, could hardly support ourselves.  They carried us to the top of a hill, and there put us under a shed, for it consisted of a thatched roof without any sides or walls, being quite open; and here we were to lie upon the cold ground.  All sorts of people now came to stare at us as a sight; but the Indian women never came empty-handed; they always brought with them either fowls, mutton, or some kind of provision to us, so that we lived well enough.  However, we found a very sensible difference between the treatment we had met with from the Indians and what we now experienced from the Spaniards.  With the former, we were quite at liberty to do as we pleased; but here, if we only went ten yards to attempt at getting rid of some of the vermin that devoured us, we had two soldiers with drawn spados to attend us.

About the third day, a Jesuit from Castro came to see us, not from a motive of compassion, but from a report spread by our Indian cacique, that we had some things of great value about us.  Having by chance seen Captain Cheap pull out a gold repeating watch, the first thing the good father did was to lug out of his pocket a bottle of brandy and give us a dram, in order to open our hearts.  He then came roundly to the point, asking us if we had saved no watches or rings.  Captain Cheap declared he had nothing, never suspecting that the Indian had seen his watch, having, as he thought, always taken great care to conceal it from him; but knowing that Campbell had a silver watch, which had been the property of our surgeon, he desired him to make it a present to the Jesuit, telling him at the same time, that as these people had great power and authority, it might be of service to us hereafter.  This Campbell very unwillingly did, and received from the father, not long after, a pitiful present, not a quarter part of the value of the rim of the watch.  We understood afterwards that this had come to the governor’s ears, who was highly offended at it, as thinking that if any thing of that sort had been to be had, it was his due, and did not spare the Jesuits in the least upon the occasion.

Soon after this, the officer of the guard informed us there was an order come to carry us to Castro.  In the evening, we were conducted to the water-side, and put into a large periago, and there were several more to attend us, full of soldiers.  About eight o’clock at night we were off the town.  Their boats all laid upon their oars, and there was a great deal of ceremony used in hailing and asking for the keys, as if it had been a regular fortification.