Prince's men to desert and come on
board our ships. This greatly enraged the Prince, who strung up several
poor fellows found making their way to us. Still, others came off, and
one of them told us that the _Swallow_, a ship of thirty-six guns, had
actually got under weigh and was on the point of escaping, when the
intention of her officers and crew being discovered, she was brought
back. Some time after this, three boats under command of Lieutenant
Blake were sent on shore to fill our casks at the fountain where we
usually obtained water; Lancelot and I accompanied him. As there was no
fear of our men deserting, we allowed some of those not required for the
work in hand to stroll a short distance inland, Lieutenant Blake going
with them, while I remained to superintend the watering party.

I was thus engaged when I heard some shots fired, and saw Lancelot, who
had gone a little way off, running towards me.

"What's the matter?" I inquired.

"Our shipmates have been attacked by a party of Cavaliers and Portuguese
hidalgoes, who have, I fear, got hold of Lieutenant Blake. If we bring
up the men quickly, we may rescue him before he is carried off," he
answered.

Calling our people together, some of whom were rolling the casks down to
the boats, Lancelot and I led them in the direction we had heard the
shots. We had not gone far when we caught sight of our party warmly
engaged with a number of persons in hunting dresses, some being English,
others Portuguese, among whom we distinguished our lieutenant, held by
two Portuguese, while others were pointing their swords at his breast.
Almost before they discovered us, uttering a loud shout we were upon
them. The lieutenant on seeing us, shaking off the grasp of the two men
who held him, knocked up the blade of another, and seizing the sword of
a fourth, sprang towards us. At that moment, however, a strong
reinforcement arriving we had to retreat, with our faces to the foe.
Several of our men fell dead, and others were wounded. An attack also
was made on six of our people who had been separated from us, when, with
the exception of one who cut his way out from among those surrounding
the party, the rest were made prisoners. We showed so bold a front
that, notwithstanding our heavy losses, the Cavaliers and their allies
did not venture to follow us, though they fired a volley which killed
one more of our men and wounded another. We at length reached the
boats, and