Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

SO proper was his Behaviour, that the best Noble Men in the Kingdom, now admitted him into their ⟨p. 11⟩Conversation; but yet he was opposed by powerful Enemies, that Clogged his Affairs with such Demurrages, and such Disappointments, as would have wholly Discouraged his Designs, if his Patience had not bin Invincible. He who can wait, hath what he desireth. This his Indefatigable Patience, with a proportionable Diligence, at length overcame the Difficulties that had bin thrown in his way; and prevailing with the Duke of Albemarle, and some other Persons of Quality, to fit him out, he set Sail for the Fishing-Ground, which had bin so well baited, half an Hundred Years before: And as he had already discovered his Capacity for business, in many considerable Actions, he now added unto those Discoveries, by not only providing all, but also by inventing many of the Instruments necessary to the prosecution of his intended Fishery. Captain Phips arriving with a Ship and a Tender, at Port de la Plata, made a stout Canoe of a stately Cotton Tree, so large as to carry Eight or Ten Oars, for the making of which Periaga (as they call it) he did, with the same industry that he did every thing else, employ his own Hand and Adze, and endure no little hardship, lying abroad in the Woods many Nights together. This Periaga, with the Tender, being Anchored at a place convenient, the Periaga kept Busking to and again, but could only discover a Reef of Rising Shoals thereabouts, called The Boilers, which Rising to be within Two or Three Foot of the Surface of the Sea, were yet so steep, that a Ship striking on them, would immediately sink down, who could say, how many Fathom? into the Ocean. Here they could get no other Pay for their long peeping among the Boilers, but only such as caused them to think upon returning to their Captain, with the bad News of their total Disappointment. Nevertheless, as they were upon the Return, one of the Men looking over the side of the Periaga, into the calm Water, he spied a Sea Feather, growing as he judged, out of a Rock; whereupon they bad one of their Indians to Dive, and fetch this Feather, that they might however carry home something with