68 



APPENDIX, No. I. 



up at an instant's warning. At other places 

 we backed and filled, and at some made shore 

 tacks. We were always obliged, however, to 

 anchor when the flood tide made. 



This is the period at which the rains are ex- 

 pected to set in, and the heavy threatening aspect 

 of clouds over the hills gave us reason to expect 

 that we should not escape ; but none fell during 

 our stay, between the 23d and the 30th of Decem- 

 ber. 



The passage from Guayaquil back to Lima 

 requires ^attention, as may be seen from the 

 following directions, which I obtained from Don 

 Manuel Luzurragui, captain of the port of Guaya- 

 quil. 



" The average passage, in a well-found and 

 well-managed ship, is twenty days ; eighteen is 

 not uncommon ; and there is an instance of a 

 schooner doing it in twelve. From the entrance 

 of the river as far as Punta de Aguja, (in latitude 

 6° south,) the shore must be hugged as close as 

 possible, in order to take advantage of the changes 

 of wind, which take place only near the shore. In 

 this way, by due vigilance, slants may be made 

 every day and night. On reaching Punta de 

 Aguja, work to the southward, as nearly on the me- 

 ridian of that point as may be, as far as 11^° lati- 

 tude, and then strike in-shore for Callao, and if it 

 is not fetched, creep along-shore, as formerly 

 directed." 



Persons accustomed to the navigation between 

 Lima and Valparaiso are tempted to stand boldly 

 out in hopes of making their southing with ease, 

 and then running in upon a parallel. But this is 

 not found to be practicable ; and, indeed, the cases 

 have no resemblance, since the passage to Valpa- 

 raiso is made by passing quite through the trade- 

 wind, and getting into the variables ; whereas 

 Lima lies in the heart of the trade ; accordingly, 

 a ship that stretches off from Guayaquil comes 

 gradually up as she stands out, and finally makes 

 about a south course ; when she tacks again, the 

 wind shifts as she draws in, and the ship will be 

 fortunate if she can retrace her first course ; very 

 often, indeed, she does not fetch the point left in 

 the first instance. 



To work along-shore with effect, the land must 

 be kept well on board, and constant vigilance be 

 bestowed upon the navigation, otherwise a ship 

 will make little progress. 



GUAYAQUIL TO THE GALAPAGOS. 



30th of December 1821 to 5th of January 1822. 



(G Bays.) 



As the winds between the Galapagos and the 

 main are always from south or S.S.E., there is 

 nothing to be particularly attended to in this 

 passage, except the currents, which generally set 

 t<> tin' northward, and increase in strength near 

 the islands. On getting amongst them the greatest 

 care is necessary, to avoid being carried to leeward 

 of (lie anchorage where it is proposed to stop. Jn 

 the Conway we were drifted to leeward of .James's 

 [eland, and could never afterwards regain it. We 

 lay upwards of a week at Abingdon Island, the 



most northern of the large ones, in a bay at the 

 south end, where we were disagreeably exposed 

 to the S.S.E. winds. 



It appeared as if the bad season was about to 

 set in, for several nights we had rain and 

 squalls. 



It is to be regretted, that the true geographical 

 position of these islands is still uncertain, and the 

 hydrographical knowledge respecting them so ex- 

 ceedingly scanty. Several of the islands have, it 

 is said, some safe ports, but these are little known, 

 and their resources still less so. We know that 

 an ample supply of terrapins, or land-tortoises, 

 may be procured at some of the islands, and water 

 is probably to be found at most of them, if diligent 

 search were made. They offer at all seasons a 

 most valuable asylum to the South-Sea whalers. 



GALAPAGOS TO PANAMA. 



16th of January to 2d of February 1822. 

 (17 Days.) 



This passage, at all times in the year is tedious 

 and uncertain, in consequence of the light baffling 

 winds and calms which belong to the great bight, 

 known under the name of the Bay of Panama ; 

 and these winds being also uncertain in direction, 

 the best method seems to be to steer for the port 

 whenever that can be done. 



For the two first days of our passage, the 17th 

 and 18th of January, we had a fresh breeze from 

 the southward, after which we were much retarded 

 by calms, light winds, and squalls ; and it was not 

 till the 29th that we made the Morro de Puercos, 

 the high land of the promontory forming the west- 

 ern limit of the Bay of Panama. On steering to 

 the eastward, we met a fresh breeze from north 

 immediately on our opening the point. This 

 carried us across the bay in the parallel of 7° north. 

 As we closed with the eastern coast, the wind 

 drew more to the westward, and enabled us to 

 make the land about Point Escondida, in 7° 40' 

 north. From hence we took advantage of the 

 shifts of wind between the night and the day, and 

 beat up till abreast of the island of Galera, lying 

 between the south end of the Isla del Rey and 

 Point Garachine, forming the south side of the 

 Gulf of San Michael. There, in latitude 8° 1 1' 

 north, it was thought prudent to anchor till' the 

 morning, as there is a shoal laid down in this neigh- 

 bourhood, but which, we afterwards learned, has 

 eight fathoms on its shallowest part. Next morn- 

 ing, the 1st, we were employed working against 

 light winds from the northward, with a slight 

 current in our favour : towards sunset the breeze 

 freshened considerably, and when we tacked close 

 to the island of Petado, on the N.E. shore of the 

 bay, the breeze was so fresh that we could hardly 

 carry the top-gallant sails. This breeze blew from 

 N.N.E. to N.E. by North, enabling us to clear, at 

 a proper distance, the long line of small islands 

 which stretch to the N.N.W. of the Isla del Rey, 

 and thence to proceed, in a straight line, a little to 

 windward of W.N.W. by compass, directly for the 

 anchorage of Panama. But towards the morning 

 of tin- 2d of February, the wind drew to the N.N. 



