uence
to us than that of all the world besides. Not only as the commerce we
have formerly carried on with them, and perhaps may again hereafter,
is so extremely valuable, but also as its transacting so immediately
depends upon the honour and good faith of those who are entrusted with
its management. Even if no national conveniences were likely to flow
from this honourable conduct of our commodore, his own equity and good
dispositions would not the less have prevented him from the exercise
of tyranny and oppression on those whom the chance of war had put into
his hands. I shall only add, that, by his constant practice of this
humane and prudent conduct, he acquired a distinguished character
among the Spanish Creoles over all their settlements in America, so
that his name was universally mentioned with honour and applause by
most of the Spanish inhabitants of that vast empire.

SECTION XVII.

_Occurrences from our Departure from Payta to our Arrival at Quibo._

Setting sail from the road of Payta about midnight of the 16th
November, we stood to the westward, and next morning the commodore
caused the squadron to spread, on purpose to look out for the
Gloucester, as we drew near the station where Captain Mitchell had
been directed to cruise, and we hourly expected to get sight of him,
yet the whole day passed without seeing him.

At this time a jealousy between those who had gone ashore to the
attack of Payta, and those who had continued on board, grew to such a
height, that the commodore became acquainted with it, and thought
it necessary to interpose his authority for its abatement. This was
occasioned by the plunder taken at Payta, which those who acted on
shore had appropriated to themselves, considering it as due to the
risks they had run, and the resolution they had shewn on that service.
But those who had remained on board, deemed this a very partial and
unjust procedure; urging, that they also would have preferred acting
on shore if it had been left to their choice; that their duty on
board was extremely fatiguing while their comrades were on shore; for,
besides the labour of the day, they were forced to remain all night
under arms to secure the prisoners, who were more numerous than
themselves, and of whom it was then necessary to be extremely
watchful, to prevent any attempts they might have planned at that
critical conjuncture. They insisted, also, that it was undeniably as
necessary to the success of th