Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 52.djvu/57

 Straits of Magellan; but, according to his own account, detained by the mutinous temper of his crew, the most unruly set of rascals he had known in his thirty years' service as ‘an officer,’ whom he only succeeded in bringing to order by the assistance of M. de la Jonquière, the future antagonist of Anson, but at this time on his way home from the Pacific in command of a French ship which had been in the Spanish service. The story, as told by Shelvocke, is utterly incredible, and is said by Betagh to be absolutely untrue.

In going round Cape Horn the Speedwell was driven as far south as latitude 61° 30′, and, the weather continuing very bad, an incident occurred which has been embalmed in literature by Coleridge in the ‘Ancient Mariner.’ Shelvocke's account of it is: ‘We all observed that we had not had the sight of one fish of any kind since we were come to the southward of the Straits of Le Maire, nor one sea-bird, except a disconsolate black albatross, who accompanied us for several days, hovering about us as if he had lost himself, till Hatley, my second captain … imagining from his colour that it might be some ill-omen, after some fruitless attempts, at length shot the albatross, not doubting, perhaps, that we should have a fair wind after it’ (, pp. 72–3). Neither fair wind nor the poetic calm, however, followed. It was upwards of six weeks from the death of the albatross before they sighted the coast of Chili in latitude 47° 28′ south, and during the whole time ‘we had continual contrary winds and uncomfortable weather.’ Wordsworth, who had recently been reading Shelvocke's ‘Voyage,’ suggested the albatross incident to Coleridge in November 1797.

After dallying on the coast for a couple of months, Shelvocke at last went to Juan Fernandez, to find that Clipperton, after long waiting, had left it three months before. He now went down the coast capturing several small prizes, and among others a vessel of a hundred tons burden, ‘laden with cormorants' dung which the Spaniards call Guana, which is brought from the island of Iquique to cultivate the Agi or cod-pepper in the vale of Arica’ (ib. pp. 164, 171;, pp. 101). After sacking and burning Payta, and learning that two or three Spanish ships of war were on the coast, from which on two different occasions he had a narrow escape, Shelvocke resolved to go back to Juan Fernandez and wait for a more favourable opportunity. He anchored there on 11 May, but a fortnight later, in a fresh wind and heavy swell, the cable parted and the ship was thrown on shore, where she became a complete wreck. That this was not attended with much loss of life would seem to have been due to Shelvocke's presence of mind and good seamanship at a very critical time. The provisions were for the most part saved; but such treasure as had been collected was reported to be lost, being possibly secreted by Shelvocke, with the exception of eleven hundred dollars, which were divided among the crew as theirs by right of having saved them.

From the remains of the Speedwell they were able to build and rig a small vessel of about twenty tons, in which, on 6 Oct. 1720, they sailed from Juan Fernandez, and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to seize some larger ship, they captured the Jesu Maria of two hundred tons burden, which the Spaniards offered to ransom for sixteen thousand dollars. Under the circumstances, however, the ship was of more value than any ransom, and the Spaniards were dismissed in the little bark which was given to them. Shelvocke and his crew then went north, and at the Isle of Quibo fell in with the Success, from which they had separated in the chops of the Channel nearly two years before. Clipperton was much displeased with Shelvocke's conduct, and wished to suspend him from the command, but was obliged to forbear as it seemed doubtful whether, after the loss of the Speedwell, he had any authority over him. He called him, however, to account for the owners' property, and having examined his statement, refused to associate with him unless he and his crew delivered up the money which they had, illegally as he maintained, divided among them. As they refused to do this, the ships separated the next day, Clipperton very unwillingly supplying the Jesu Maria with a couple of guns and some stores of which she was in need. The Success shortly afterwards went to China, and, being found unseaworthy, was sold at Macao. Clipperton and his men then divided their booty, which, after putting on one side the owners' moiety of 6,000l., gave 419 dollars to each able seaman, and 6,285 dollars, being fifteen shares, to Clipperton. The 6,000l. was put on board a homeward-bound Portuguese ship, which was accidentally burnt at Rio de Janeiro, and not more than 1,800l. was saved for the owners. Clipperton went home in a merchant ship, but died in Ireland a few days after his arrival.

Shelvocke, meantime, at Sonsonate, captured a fine ship of three hundred tons, named the Santa Familia; and when in-