We
First Tried Narborough Island, But Finding The Road Unsafe, Sailed For
The Mouth Of St Domingo River On The Continent, Where We Had
Twenty-Eight Fathoms, Shoaling As We Advanced From Eighteen To Less Than
Five As Fast As A Man Could Heave The Lead.
Finding this place too
hazardous, we stood out to sea, and were blown farther north than we
designed.
Being greatly at a loss where to procure wood and water, one
Joseph de la Fontaine, a Frenchman, proposed going to the island of
Chiloe, assuring us that the towns of Chaiao and Calibuco, the
former on the island and the latter on the continent, were rich places,
where we could not fail of procuring whatever we wanted. Cliacao was, he
said, the usual residence of the governor, and at Calibuco was a wealthy
college of Jesuits, having considerable magazines, always well stocked
with provisions of all kinds. This person at the same time insinuated
among the people, that our expedition would probably turn out
unfortunate, if we passed this place, as Captain Clipperton must by this
time have alarmed the coast, in consequence of which there would be an
embargo on all ships trading to leeward.
My chief inducement for making an attempt on Chiloe was to procure such
additional supply of provisions, as might enable us, in case the coast
were already alarmed, to retire to some unfrequented island, to remain
till the Spaniards should suppose we had abandoned the South Sea; after
which we could resume our cruize, when they were under no apprehensions
of being molested. Accordingly, on the 30th November, we entered the
channel which divides the island of Chiloe from the main land of Chili,
and stood in for the harbour of Chacao under French colours, intending
to have attacked the towns of Chacao and Calibuco by surprise. Our
pilot, however, seemed as much a stranger to the navigation here as I
was, and as the wind began to blow fresh with thick weather, I came to
anchor in thirteen fathoms, at ten in the morning, between the point of
Carelampo and the small island of Pedro Nunez. Soon after coming to
anchor, the tide made outwards with prodigious rapidity, and the wind
increased greatly, between which the sea became very boisterous, all the
channel in which we lay appearing one continued breach or surf. Our ship
consequently made a vast strain on her cable, which parted at two in the
afternoon, and we could have no hopes to recover our anchor, as the buoy
had been staved and sunk about an hour before we were thus set adrift. I
did not think it adviseable to risk another anchor, and therefore
immediately crossed over for the island of Chiloe, in a boisterous gale
with thick rainy weather, surrounded on all hands with seeming shoals,
and in a manner bewildered in an unknown navigation. When within a mile
of Chiloe, we ranged along shore to the southward,[257] in hope of
discovering the town of Chacao.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 371 of 431
Words from 193185 to 193689
of 224764
