The Griffin Joined The
Fleet In The Evening, Not Having Been Seen Since The 2d February.
She
had been in the lat.
Of 60 deg. S. and had got into the South Sea without
seeing Cape Horn. The Orange arrived on the 7th, having twice seen the
southern continent on her passage, once in lat. 50 deg., and the other time
in lat. 41 deg. S.[138] The David came in on the 7th, bringing advice of the
Maurice, both vessels having been five or six days beating about the
island, but hindered from getting in by contrary winds.
[Footnote 138: No land whatever could be seen in these latitudes in the
eastern Pacific, so that they must have been deceived by fog, banks, or
islands of ice. - E.]
The larger and more easterly of the two islands of Juan Fernandez is in
the latitude of 30 deg. 40' S. five degrees west from the coast of Chili;
this island being called by the Spaniards Isla de Tierra, and the
smaller or more westerly island Isla de Fuera, which is a degree and
a half farther east.[139]
[Footnote 139: Isola de Tierra, the eastermost of these islands of Juan
Fernandez, in lat. 33 deg. 42' S. and long. 79 deg. 5' E. is about 15 English
miles from E. to W. by 5-1/2 miles in its greatest breadth from N. to S.
Besides this and Isola de Fuera, mentioned in the text, there is still a
third, or smallest island, a mile and a half south from the S.W. end of
the Isola de Tierra, called Isola de Cabras or Conejos, Goat or Rabbit
island, three English miles from N.W. to S.E. and a mile in
breadth. - E.]
The more easterly and larger island, at which the Nassau fleet anchored,
is about six leagues in circuit, and is about two leagues and a half
long, from east to west. The road is on the N.E. part of the island,
from whence there is a beautiful prospect of valleys covered with
clover. The ground of this bay is in some places rocky, and in others a
fine black sand, and it affords good anchorage in thirty to thirty-five
fathoms. The island produces excellent water, and fish are to be had in
abundance in the bay, and of various kinds. Many thousand seals and
sea-lions come daily on shore to bask in the sun, of which the seamen
killed great numbers, both for food and amusement. Some of the Dutch
fancied that the flesh of these animals tasted as if twice cooked, while
others thought, after the grease and tallow were carefully taken out,
that it was as good as mutton. There were many goats in the island, but
difficult to be taken, and neither so fat nor so well tasted as those of
St Vincents. There were plenty of palm-trees in the interior, and three
large quince-trees near the bay, the fruit of which was very refreshing.
They found also plenty of timber for all kinds of uses, but none fit for
masts. Formerly, ten or twelve Indians used to reside here, for the sake
of fishing and making oil from the seals and sea-lions, but it was now
quite uninhabited. Three gunners and three soldiers belonging to the
vice-admiral, were so sick of the voyage, that they asked and obtained
leave to remain here.
Every thing being in readiness, the fleet departed from Isla de Tierra
on the 13th April. On the 8th May, being near the coast of Peru, they
took a Spanish bark, in which, besides the captain, there were four
Spaniards, and six or seven Indians and Negroes. From these, they learnt
that the Plate fleet had sailed on the 3d of the month from Calao de
Lima for Panama, consisting of five treasure ships, three rich
merchantmen, and two men of war. They were also informed that the
Spanish admiral was still at Calao, his ship being of 800 tons burden,
and mounting 40 brass cannon; besides which, there were two pataches
of 14 guns each, and forty or fifty unarmed merchant vessels. All these
vessels were said to have been hauled on shore, and secured by three
strong batteries and other works, furnished with upwards of fifty pieces
of cannon, all ready prepared for the reception of the Dutch, of whose
motions the Spaniards had received early and certain intelligence. The
viceroy had likewise formed four companies of foot, of eighty men each,
but the two best companies had gone with the ships to Panama; and,
having just learnt the approach of the Dutch fleet, the viceroy had
summoned the whole military force of Peru, so that many thousand men
must soon be expected at Lima for its defence.
After several consultations, the vice-admiral made an attempt to land at
Calao with the soldiers on the morning of the 10th May, but finding it
impossible with any chance of success, was obliged to return to the
fleet. On the 12th about midnight, three of the Dutch captains, with
twelve armed boats, each provided with a small cannon and a considerable
quantity of fire-works, made an attack on the port, while a false attack
was made at the same time in another part, to draw off the attention of
the Spaniards. The twelve boats entered the port, and distributed their
fire-works plentifully among the Spanish merchant ships, by which thirty
or forty of them were set on fire and consumed, some of them very large.
In this hardy enterprise, the Dutch had seven men killed, and fifteen
wounded, mostly in the vice-admiral's boat, which had attempted to board
one of the pataches and was beaten off. About the dawn of day, nine of
the flaming ships drifted towards the Dutch fleet, which was therefore
obliged to weigh and take shelter behind the island of Lima. On the 13th
this island was taken possession of, and a strong intrenchment thrown up
for its defence, under cover of which the Dutch laid their shallops on
shore to careen them.
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