University of Virginia Library

THE
PREFACE
TO THE
READER.

THE general Applause wherewith
the History of the Bucaniers hath
been received, could have no other
effects, than easily to perswade
the Pulisher of that Piece, to undertake the
Second Volume thereof. Especially considering
that the same points which deserved the
Credit and Commendation of the first, did seem
to subsist for the like esteem and reception of
the second. These were the fidelity of the Relations
both here and there published, the Authors
having been not onely Eye-witnesses, but also
Actors in the transactions they report: the candor
and sincerity of the Stile; the variety and pleasantness
of these Voyages, the greatness of the
Attempts here related, the unparallel'd, and
undaunted Courage of the Bucaniers, the

strangeness of their performances, the novelty of
their Exploits; and withal, the glory and grandeur
of Valour, which here is seen to be inherent
to our English Nation, and as pregnant of great
Actions in the present, as in the former Ages.
Unto which points may be added, in this Second
Volume, for its recommendation, the grand
discovery of a new passage into the SouthSea,
beyond the Streights of Ferdinando de Magallanes
and le Maire, through an open and in
no-wife dangerous Ocean, without those formidable
perils both from Rocks, Currents, and
Shoals, which hitherto have rendered the two
passages aforementioned, altogether unaccessible
to Trading; a Navigation performed by
Captain Sharp and his Companions, many
degrees beyond what Sir Francis Drake, Jacob
le Maire, Noord, or Magallanes himself, who
first Circumnavigated the World, ever reached
unto in their Sailings. This Discovery
alone, as hugely beneficial to Mankind, so
may it seem sufficient of it self to recommend
this present piece unto the publick, even as
extremely necessary to all such as Navigate the
Ocean; and no less delightful unto those persons
whose Studys are directed to the search
of Nature, to the Arts of Mathematick or Navigation.
Besides which point, both of Art,
Curiosity, and Usefulness, we have given unto
us here, by Mr. Ringrose, an exact account
of many places in the South Sea; the very
Draughts and Maps of many Ports, Islands,
Bays, Gulfs, Points, and Coasts, hitherto unknown
to the greatest part of Europe; their
appearance at Sea; their soundings, landings,
and bearings; together with what variety of
Winds and Weather, of Currents and Calms,
and other Observations the Bucaniers experimented
in those parts. All which things, as
they manifest unto us the inquisitiveness of the
Author, so ought we highly to applaud his Curiosity
and Genius, who all along the course of
this Voyage, not onely fought with his Sword
in the most desperate Engagements and Battels
of the Bucaniers against the Spaniards, but
with his Pen gave us a true account of those
Transactions; and with his Pensil hath delineated
unto us the very Scenes of those Tragedies.
Thus we find him totally employed
towards our information and instruction at
home, while he endured the greatest fatigues
and hardship abroad: at the same time making
Quadrants at Sea, that others sate idle and murmuring
upon the Decks; at the same time shipwrackt,
and almost naked, and starving upon a
desart Island, and yet describing, even more
exactly than the Spaniards themselves, the
Gulf of Ballona, otherwise called of San Mi-
gnel, where he was cast away. These things,
I say, as they are not undeserving of the highest
praise and commendation in this ingenious
Gentleman Mr. Ringrose their Author, so
shall the Curioso's of Nature and Posterity it
self be his eternal debtors for their acquaintance
with these writings.

Some imperfect account of these transactions,
both short and in many things defective,
I gave the last year unto the publick, at the
end of the second Impression of the History
of the Bucaniers. But such as that Relation
was, I had no better then to give; neither had
I then seen the present Journal of Mr. Ringrose;
and that same account being received from
the hands of some of the Bucaniers themselves
at Wapping, it was esteemed fit, both by me
and others, to be published at that time. But
as the Author of those Papers mistrusting both
his own memory and sufficiency, remitteth himself
in that Narrative unto the Journal of Mr.
Ringrose, and desireth by this alone to be corrected,
or supplied either in what he was
mistaken or deficient; so now this Diary being
published, I hope I have vindicated my
self from any sault in History, having brought
these papers to light, by which those others
were before-hand both acknowledged and desired
to be amended.

As to any other Journal of this Voyage,
I shall not concern my self in the least with
their veracity, nor meddle with their Relations;
knowing, that if any other person did
take it, that no person in the Voyage was so
able as Mr. Ringrose. Yet I know that divers
Narratives, in many points differing from one
another, have at several times been made publick
of one and the same Battel, one and the
same Siege, Voyage, Journey, or other transaction.
And indeed all humane Affairs, wheresoever
reported by several persons, though all
were present at the same times and places of
their circumvolution, are necessarily subject
to some diversity in the rehearsal; one person
observing, omitting, contracting, dilating,
understanding, or mistaking, one particular
point or part of any transaction more than another.

Having premised thus much, I shall here
onely declare, that what here is asserted, shall
be supported by Mr. Ringrose himself, when
ever he returneth into England; yea, and
owned for truth by Captain Bartholomem Sharp,
as the chiefest actor in these Affairs, assoon as
he cometh home again: and if any other person
can shew unto the World any Journal of
the same Voyage more compleat, more exact,
more elaborate, more curious, and informing,

than Mr. Ringrose hath done, he shall deserve the
Laurel for me.

The case being thus stated concerning the
present Narrative or Journal, I hope no person
for the future will asperse or misconster
the sincerity of my Intentions, in relation to
the publick. This I speak under that due resentment
I ought to have, for being traduced,
the last year, by some persons, who being
transported with too much passion and partiality,
would have no body else to be an admirer
of the person and valorous Actions of Sir
Henry Morgan, or the rest of the Bucaniers,
but themselves. As if to publish a Translation
of the unparallel'd Exploits of that Jamaican
Hero; to give him this commendable
title; to say, that both he and his Companions
had acted beyond mortal men in America;
to compare them to Alexander, Julius
Cæfar, and the Nine Worthies of Fame; to
propose them unto our English Nation, as
the truest patterns of undaunted and exemplary
Courage, that ever it produced, were
to disparage the Conduct of Sir Henry Morgan
and his Companions; as if all this were intended
onely to diminish the glory of his Actions,
and eclipse the splendour of his and
their valorous Triumphs. Methinks, if Envy
reacheth thus far, with the same reason,

or unjust measure, those persons may say, that
to publish this present Journal, is to divulge
nothing else than a Satyr against Captain
Sharp; and that Mr. Ringrose who everywhere
admireth his Conduct, and extolleth
his Actions unto the Sky's, yea and was present
himself, and concerned in the same Affairs,
did mean nothing else than to traduce
both his own and Captain Sharps name, as
infamous unto Posterity. For my part, I
judge my self so far distant from blemishing
in the least, or disparaging Sir Henry
Morgan, or his Heroick Actions; that I believe
I have shewed my self to be the greatest
admirer of his personal Valour, and Conduct:
yea, I think that I have done more,
towards the advantage, both of the Honour,
and Credit of that great Commander, by
soliciting and publishing that Translation,
than all the Authors of our English Nation besides.
And I could unfeignedly wish, that
these persons who pretend to be so passionate
for Sir Henry Morgan, and his huge Deserts,
as to Misinterpret the sincere respects
and service, I have endeavoured to perform
unto his Merits, would outdo what I have already
done in this particular, and give us either
a more full, exact, and true account of
his Exploits, or the best Panegyrick of his
Prowess, that ever was Written; and then
experiment whether I did not readily embrace
the Printing such a thing at my own cost and
charge, and rather render them ten thousand
thanks for his Commendations, than carp
at their Actions for Penning, or Printing the
same.

For what if the French or Dutch Author
of the History of the Bucaniers, did mistake
himself in two or three points, relating to
Sir Henry Morgan? Must, therefore the Publisher
be blamed for faithfully Printing, what
was most faithfully Translated? Must the
Saddle be set upon the wrong Horse, and
the faults of the Author, be imputed unto
the Printer? Thus if Mr. Ringrose should
happen to commit any mistake in these present
Papers, that blame should be presently
mine; and happy should be all Authors,
if so readily their errours could be discharged
upon the Publishers. Besides, what Authors
can there be found so accurate in all things,
as not to be subject now and then to some
little lapses of their Pen? Were it so in
John Esquemeling; as he ought to be pardoned
for any small peccadillo not wittingly
nor willingly committed, concerning what
he relateth of Sir Henry Morgan, so am I hitherto
perswaded, that he never designed to

offend that great person, or falsely traduce
his memory, in the least. My Argument is:
because he himself had the hand of a private
Bucanier in those Affairs, he himself was a
Sharer in those Bootys, an Actor in those Enterprizes,
and could no more blame Sir Henry
Morgan for leading unto those Attempts,
than blemish himself for following unto them.
Another Reason, even more prevalent, is,
that he all along speaketh more honourably
of Sir Henry Morgan, than of any other Commander
of the Bucaniers, though they were
his own Country - men, either Francis Lolonois,
or Roche Brasiliano, whereof the one
was a Dutch man, and the other was born in
France. So that to say, that he representeth
the English Bucaniers, as the worst of men,
is plainly to forget, that he relateth ten times
greater villanies of his own Nation and Country
People; and that the partiality they accuse
him of, if any such can be found in that
Author, is rather bent against the French
and other Nations, than the English. Doth
he in any place of his History, lay all the
faults and cruelties of the English Bucaniers
upon Sir Henry Morgan? Or do we believe
that if committed without order, as in most
Armys many things are so done, the General
or Commander in Chief, ought to be accountable
for them? Or if those things were performed
by order, that the Spaniards had
not deserved them at the hands of the Bucaniers?

Ay, but he mistaketh the Pedigree of Sir
Henry Morgan. Truely, a great fault, and
unpardonable in John Esquemeling, a Forreigner
to our Nation, and an illiterate Bucanier,
that he should not be better read in our
English History. So did he also mistake his
very name, calling him Captain John Morgan,
for Henry; but that that fault was rectified
in the Translation. As if every private Souldier
ought to be thoroughly acquainted with
the Christian name of his General, and know
whether he was Baptized John, or Thomas,
Richard, or William! Now what dishonour
can it be reputed, unto the merits of Sir Henry
Morgan to be misrepresented by John Esquemeling,
for the Son of a Rich Yeoman in
Wales, whenas at the same time he saith, that
he was of good quality in that Country, even
as most who bear that name in Wales are known
to be? Doth not all our English Nation
know the Family of the Morgans to be one
of the Ancientest, and best Qualified in all
Wales, or England; and that to be descended
of a rich Yeoman of the same Family, is as
great an hounour, and as honourable a Pedigree,

as any private Gentleman needeth to
pretend unto?

But then Sir Henry Morgan did not burn
Panama. And what disgrace were it, to
that worthy person, if he had set fire unto it,
for those reasons he knew best himself?
Certainly no greater dishonour than to take
and plunder the said City. Thus are these
persons so far transported with passion towards
Sir Henry Morgan, as to bereave him
of the glory of his greatest Actions, whether
true or false. For whether he fired the
Town or not, (for that Question I shall not
make mine) this I am sure, that it was constantly
so reported, and believed here in England,
viz. that the English had set fire unto it;
that unto this day the Bucaniers do believe
it to be so; and consequence unto this belief
Mr. Ringrose, in these Papers saith plainly
in some place or other, that Panama was
once burnt by Sir Henry Morgan; that the
Spaniards themselves never believed nor reported
this Fact otherwise, neither will they
easily be perswaded to the contrary unto this
very day, as I am credibly informed by those
persons who lived in Spain at the same time
that the news of the taking of Panama was
brought into Spain, and who have been resident
there for these many years since. For

what concerneth, what is now Published, that
the Governour of Panama fired the Town himself,
is rather believed by the Spaniards to be
a sham of the Governours making, thereby to
save his own Bacon, against whom they rail as
the greatest Coward that ever was, for deserting
the Town, and flying to the Mountains,
at the approach of the English. How
then, say they, could he fire it himself, or give
orders to have it fired, when we know he was
upon the Spur, thirty or forty Miles distant
from thence? Had he done it, he would have
set fire unto every House, before he had left
the Town, and not so many Hours after the
English were in possession of the place, and he
at such a distance from it. Thus both the English
Nation, and the Spanish having agreed, to give
the honour of this Action either truely or falsely,
unto Sir Henry Morgan, I cannot but admire
that those who pretend to be the greatest admirers
of his merits, should endeavour to devest
him of it.

What concerneth two or three points more,
relating to Sir Henry Morgan in the History of
the Bucaniers, I shall not undertake to Apologize
for John Esquemeling, in case he hath misrepresented
them. All that I shall say, is this,
that that worthy person is not the first General
or Chief Commander, whose Actions have been

misconstrued or misunderstood by the common
Souldiers, and consequently ill represented by
them at home. Neither is any thing in this
World more subject to glosses, and false representations,
than the Heroick Actions of great
men, by their Servants, or inferiours. If this be
the case of John Esquemeling, and that he was
Male-contented whith his Fortune at Panama,
what is that to me? What fault was that of
mine? I'th' mean while, why have not these
persons, so zealous of the honour of Sir Henry
Morgan, given us the true Journal of his huge
Exploits, but rather suffer his famous Actions
to lye dormient for so many years in England,
at the same time that other Nations have Pubshed
them abroad? And then why must I be
blamed by these persons, his admirers, for doing
for the renown of Sir Henry Morgan what I
could, if I could not do so much, as I would
willingly have done?