POKTER^S JOURNAL. 



117 



with me, they might return to the Barclay, if they were 

 disposed to do so. But as they expressed their determina- 

 tion not to return to that ship, the captain informed me he 

 was entirely at a loss what course to pursue, and asked my 

 advice. I at the moment felt as much embarrassment as 

 he ; for he was without hands, except two or three who 

 were down with the scurvy, having been constantly at sea 

 for seven months without refreshments. No port on the 

 coast of Peru could afford him a shelter, as our destruction 

 of the armamemt of the Nereyda, in consequence of the 

 capture of the Barclay, would render the condemnation of 

 that vessel highly probable, if she should again be in the 

 power of the Peruvians ; and if the remainder of his crew 

 were all healthy, they would not be strong enough to take 

 her to Valparaiso, or any other port of Chili, even if there 

 was nothing to be apprehended from capture by British and 

 Peruvian vessels. I however concluded to give him all 

 the protection in my power, and advised him to remain by 

 me, olfering to put on board hands enough to work his ves- 

 sel, and promised not to leave him until I had put him in a 

 place of safety. With this promise he appeared much 

 pleased, and offered his services to me in any way he could 

 prove useful, giving me assurances that he could take me 

 where the British whale-vessels most frequented, advising 

 me, by all means, to proceed to the islands of Gallipagos, 

 keeping at the distance of from thirty to fifty leagues from 

 the land, and on my way looking into Payta. He confirm- 

 ed, in every respect, the information respecting the British 

 whalers that I had formerly received, and assured me that 

 there were many other vessels of that description, and 

 others engaged in contraband trade, now on the coast ; he 

 had no doubt we could find as many as we could conve- 

 niently man, among the islands, as well as the American 

 vessels they might have captured. After putting on board 

 the Barclay midshipman Cowan and eight men, and fixing on 

 Payta and the Gallipagos as the places of rendezvous, in 

 case of separation, also furnishing him with suitable signals, 

 and giving him instructions to steer such courses as would 

 enable us to spread over as much ground as possible in our 

 track, I shaped my course to the W. N. W., to run between 

 the rocks of Pelado and the Ilormigas, which lies about 

 thirty miles from Callao. 



