Ch. I. SOUTH AMERICA. 203 



imagined at that time that this proceeding was in 

 confequence of any orders iffued by the commander, 

 and it was afterwards known that he was nnder great 

 concern for fuch unjurtinable behaviour. 



The corregidor of Piura, as he had been very 

 aclive in the defence of Paita, fo he loft no time 

 in fending advice of the defcent to the corregidor 

 of Guayaquil, that he might put that x:ity in a polture 

 of defence it being natural to fappofe, that the 

 Englidi would alfo make an attempt there, a<-; it had 

 always been attacked by every enemy who before in- 

 felled thole feas. Accordingly the inhabitants, of 

 Guayaquil were foon in arms, and the bed meafures 

 taken with the utmiofl expedition. But the force pf 

 the enemjy heing uncertain, no other fh'ip having been 

 fecn at Paita than that which entered the port, the 

 corregidor and magiftrates applied for affiftance to 

 the prefident and audience of Qiiito who among 

 other meafures for feruring Guayaquil from the rage 

 of the Engliih, required us, in his Majefly's name, to 

 repair immediately to that city, and take upon us 

 the comnjand of the troops, all the jurifdiclions hav- 

 ing; received orders to fend their contino-encies; and 

 to direct the works to be raifed, and the trenches ne- 

 ceffary to be throv/n up in the places mofl advan- 

 tas;eous and moft exoofed. 



As affairs of this nature admit of no delay, we 

 immediately prepared for the journey, and leaving 

 Quito the i6th of December, arrived at Guayaquil 

 on the night of the 24th. But the paffage of the 

 mountains was inconceivably fatiguing ; the natural 

 difficulty and badnefs of the roads, it being the be- 

 ginning of winter, having been greatly increafed by 

 the violent rains. 



Having gone through all the necelTary opera- 

 tions, and taken the moft proper meafures to defeat 

 the attempts of an enemy, and fuch as v/e had the 

 pieafure of feeing approved by the council of war 



held 



