of our deliverance, which, he said, he
had been at great pains to obtain of the captain, who was very justly
incensed at our behaviour; but he, the doctor, had passed his word for
our future conduct, and he hoped we should give him no cause to repent
of his kindness. He expected, no doubt, an acknowledgment from us for
this pretended piece of service, as well as a general amnesty of what
was past; but he had to do with people who were not quite so apt to
forgive injuries as he imagined, or to forget that, if our deliverance
was owing to his mediation, our calamity was occasioned by his malice;
I therefore sat silent, while my companion answered, "Ay, ay, 'tis no
matter, Cot knows the heart; there is a time for all things, as the wise
man saith; there is a time for throwing away stones, and to gather them
up." He seemed to be disconcerted at this reply, and went away in a pet,
muttering something about "Ingratitude," and "Fellows," of which we did
not think fit to take any notice.

Our fleet, having joined another that waited for us, lay at anchor
about a month in the harbour of Port Royal in Jamaica, during which time
something of consequence was certainly transacted; notwithstanding the
insinuations of some, who affirmed we had no business at all in that
place; that, in order to take the advantage of the season proper for our
enterprise, the West India squadron, which had previous notice of our
coming, ought to have joined us at the west end of Hispaniola, with
necessary stores and refreshments, from whence we could have sailed
directly for Carthagena, before the enemy could put themselves in a good
posture of defence, or, indeed, have an inkling of our design. Be this
as it will, we sailed from Jamaica, and, in ten days or a fortnight,
beat up against the wind as far as the Isle of Vache, with an intention,
as was said, to attack the French fleet, then supposed to be lying near
that place; but before we arrived, they had sailed for Europe, having
first dispatched an advice-boat to Carthagena, with an account of
our being in those seas, as also of our strength and destination. We
loitered here some days longer, taking in wood and brackish water, in
the use whereof, however, our admiral seemed to consult the health of
the men, by restricting each to a quart a day.

At length we set sail, and arrived in a bay to the windward of
Carthagena, where we came to an anchor, and lay at our ease ten days
longer. Here, again, cer