A little while after this transport the surgeon came into the birth,
under pretence of taking something out of the medicine chest, and,
with a smiling aspect, wished us joy 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.
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