He Had Farther The Vast Advantage Over Us Of
Being In Perfect Readiness, While We Were In The Utmost Confusion;
And
in the middle of the engagement, a third of my people, instead of
fighting, were hard at work in
Preparing for an obstinate resistance;
particularly the carpenter and his crew, who were busy in making
port-holes for stern-chase guns, which, as it happened, we made no use
of. Yet were we not unhurt, as the loss of my boat and anchor were
irreparable, and may be said to have been the cause of that scene of
trouble which fell upon us soon after; as we had now only one anchor
remaining, that lost at Payta being the third, and we had not now a boat
of any kind. I have since learnt that some of our shots in the
engagement were well directed, and that we killed and wounded several of
the enemy.
Having thus got away from the Peregrine, I slipped off in the evening
with much ado from the Brilliant, her consort, on board of which Betagh
now was, and even desired to be the first to board me. I was now in a
very uncomfortable situation, not having the smallest hope of meeting
with the Success; and I had learned at Payta, that the Spaniards had
laid on an embargo for six months, so that we had nothing to expect in
the way of prizes; and, having seen our prize taken, we had reason to
expect that all our designs were discovered by the enemy. Having now
only one anchor and no boat, it is not to be wondered that I gave up all
idea of making an attempt on Guayaquil, which I at first proposed,
having intelligence that there were several ships of considerable value
in that river, in consequence of the embargo, which might have done me
some service, if I had been better provided. In this situation, it was
resolved, in a committee of my officers, to return to the southwards, or
to windward, as the Spaniards must necessarily continue their trade with
Chili, in spite of their embargo; after which we proposed to water at
Juan Fernandez, and then to cruize on the coast of Conception,
Valparaiso, and Coquimbo, for the coasting traders, among whom we might
supply ourselves with anchors, cables, and boats, and a vessel to fit
out as a fire-ship. I also proposed, before leaving the coast of Chili,
to make an attempt on La Serena or Coquimbo. After all this, I proposed
to proceed for the coast of Mexico, and thence to the Tres Marias and
California, as the most likely means of meeting with the Success;
besides which, the former of these places might be commodious for
salting turtle, to serve as sea stores, and the latter for laying in a
stock of wood and water; after which we might lie in the track of the
Manilla ship. But if we could not succeed in that attempt, we might then
satisfy ourselves with cruizing for the Peruvian ships, which bring
silver to Acapulco for purchasing the Indian and Chinese commodities.
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