Ch.IV. south AMERICA. 233 



tion in the pilots in obferving the dire6lion of the cur- 

 rents ; and as thefe carry the fhip towards the S. W, 

 the pilots, when in the offing, begin to compute their 

 diftance from the coaft. But this being in reality much 

 greater than that given by the rhumb, they are after- 

 wards under a necelTity of fteering towards the E. and 

 thence their reckoning makes the port farther to the 

 eaftward than it really is ; and the currents running 

 fometimes with a greater velocity than at others, pilots 

 often differ in placing the meridian of Conception, fo 

 that very few at firfl make the cape, tho' affiHed by 

 that chart, v/hich they confider are the befl. For all 

 thefe draughts are laid down from the falfe conclufions 

 of erroneous journals, no allowance having been made 

 for the fetting of the currents. The difference of lati- 

 tude proves beyond contradi6lion the reality of the 

 currents, and the degree of their velocity as I have al- 

 iready noticed. 



On the 26th of January the Efperanza, a Spanifh fri- 

 gatq^ commanded by Don Pedro de Mendinueta, came 

 to an anchor in the harbour of Talcaguano, after her 

 voyage from Monte-video in the river of Buenos Ayres, 

 round Cape Horn, which fne had performed in fixty- 

 fix days. On our arrival at Puerto Tome, an officer 

 came on board the Belin, the very fame night we came 

 to an: anchor j and the day following, being the fixth of 

 February, our tv/o frigates joined the Efperanza, at 

 Talcaguano, and form.ed a little fquadron under the 

 command of Don Pedro de Mendinueta, according- to 

 orders from the Vice-roy, who had received an account 

 that the Efperanza lay ready at Monte-video, to pro- 

 ceed on her voyage that fummer into the fouth-fea, and 

 that commodore Don Jofeph Pizarro, with other offi- 

 cers were travelling over land to Santiago de Chili ; 

 which he had reached at the time of our arrival. 



C H A E. 



