Tlze Scare/, for Lt1 Salle, 1685-1689
wanderings, he had left St. Jean to return to London to sell some property . It was while on his way back from England that he had been captured and unjustly accused of piracy at Havana. He assured the Spaniards that he could lead them to the settlement and went so far as to wager his head if he failed. 18 Although inclined to doubt the garrulous Englishman, the viceroy decided, after hearing his detailed declaration, to send out a new expe- dition to make certain that the colony no longer existed. Captain Andres de Pez, who had already won the confidence of the viceroy , and the capable Juan Enriquez Barroto, were ordered to undertake a new reconnoissance of the coast, taking along as a guide the mendacious Wilkinson. They were to take one of the ships of the Windward Squadron and explore again only that section of the coast which lay within latitude 30° , where, according to the English declarant, the entrance to the river that led to the town of St. Jean was to be found. Early in March, 1688, Pez and Barroto left Veracruz and made their way directly to Mobile Bay. Here a small boat was made ready tu explore the many . inlets and shallow streams along the coast. While on the way out Wilkinson had regaled his interested listeners with many additional details concerning the fictitious town. When the small boat was ready, the real task of exploration was undertaken. Slowly and carefully, the men followed the coast back from Mobile Bay, examining every point. In this fashion they arrived at Caho Lodo (Mud Cape). As the exploration continued, the doubts concerning the veracity of their informer grew. When Mud Cape was reached, the exasperated Spaniards derisively asked Wilkinson to show them the great river, unaware of the fact that they were at its very entrance. The Englishman broke down and confessed that he did not know, that he had never been in the river or the town of St. Jean; that he had only heard it from some Frenchmen while off the coast of Yucatan. The Spaniards were thoroughly disgusted and forced Wilkinson to sign a sworn statement admitting that he had lied. Satisfied that they had been sent on a wild goose chase, they spread their sails and started back for Veracruz where they arrived on April 24, 1688. 19 For the fourth time the Spaniards had been at the very mouth of the 1 8 £1 Virrey Conde de la l\fonclova da qta a V. M. de hauer embiado al Capn. Dn. Andres de Pez . .. a repetir el reconozimiento de! Seno Mexno . . . in A. G. /., Audie11cia de 11/exico, 61-6-20 (Dunn Transcripts, 1685-1688). 19 El Virrey Cde de la Monclova da qta a V. M. de lo que resulto del viage q hiso Dn. Andres de Pez calificando ser el ings. un embustero . . . ; Pez to the Viceroy, April 24, 1688; Viceroy to the King, May 27, 1688, all in Ibid.
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