ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 653 



to fail from Callao to Panama, for the defence of that place, which touched at Paita, 

 in order to gain intelligence of the enemy's fhips, having orders to attack them if pof- 

 fible ; but, as we have already obferved, they were failed to the coaft of Acapulco. 

 On our arrival, the viceroy was pleafed to exprefs great fatisfaftion at our difpatch, and 

 to honour us with feveral commiffions fuitable to the exigence of affairs ; giving us the 

 command of two frigates which he had ordered to be fitted out for the fecurity of the 

 coaft of Chili, and the ifland of Juan Fernandes, againft any reinforcement coming to 

 the enemy. For though Commodor^ 7^nfon had made no fecret of his intentions to 

 the prifoners, and they had eagerly publifhed them, no dependance could be had on 

 informations given out by the enemy himfelf, and which were the more fufpicious as he 

 told them openly. Befides, it was well known, that this fquadron originally confifted . 

 of more fhips ; and we were apprehenfive, that though the remainder had failed of 

 reaching thefe feas, yet by perfeverance, and a fecond effort, they might fucceed. 



Commodore Don Jofeph Pizarro had alfo been difappointed in getting into thefe feas 

 this year, though he had attempted it in a fmgle fhip called the Afia ; but was .obliged 

 to put back to Buenos Ayres with the lofs of one of his mafts, and another was carried 

 away juft at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. Thefe difappointments rendered it the 

 more neceffary for the viceroy to provide for the defence of the coaft of Chili, as all 

 fhips muft pafs near it in their courfe to Peru. 



CHAP, III. — Voyage to the Ifland of Juan Fernandes ; ivith an Account of the Seas and 



Winds in that Fa//age, 



AMONG other precautions taken by the vigilaAt viceroy of Lima for the defence 



of the South Sea, he fitted out, as we have juft mentioned, two frigates for cruizing on 



the coaft of Chili ; and gave the command of one, called Nueftra Senora de Belen, to 



^ Don George Juan, and appointed me for the other, called the Rofa : they had been both 



I" merchant fhips employed in thefe feas, all the King's fhips being fent in the Panama 



fquadron. They were between fix and feven hundred tons : each carried thirty guns on 



one deck, and three hundred and fifty men, all picked and expert failors. The fhips 



were alfo prime failors : fo that our force was, in all refpefts, fufficient for the fervice 



on which it was employed ; and, with the alfiftance of Providence, would doubtlefs 



* have anfwered the viceroy's expectations. 



On the fourth of December 1742 we got under fail, intending to fteer firft to the 

 j ifland of Juan Fernandes. Our courfe was from fouth-weft one quarter wefterly, to 



' fouth one quarter wefterly, according as the winds permitted, which were continually 



between the eaft-fouth-eaft and fouth-fouth-eaft, but not always of the fame ftrenglh ; 

 fometimes fhort calms intervened,, and, at others, fudden fqualls, but did us na 

 great damage. This courfe was continued till the 27th of the fame month, when, be- 

 ing in the latitude of 30", and a little more than 15^ weft of Callao harbour, and the 

 wind at north-weft, we altered our courfe, fteering eaft-fouth-eaft, and eaft, till we 

 made the ifland without that of Juan Fernandes. This happened on the 7th of January 

 1743, at three in the evening ; the fouth point of the ifland bearing north-eaft, one 

 quarter eafterly, and the north- weft point north-eaft. We now continued fteering eaft, 

 one quarter northerly, and the next day, at eleven in the morning, we had fight of the 

 other ifland, called De Tierra, bearing eaft-north-eaft. And in the following night, 

 having weathered the north point, we the next day came to an anchor in the bay. 



During 



