porter's JOURrfALe 



121 



<»f the utmost importance to us, they informed me that an En- 



flish frigate had been for some time expected at Callao from 

 /adiz, for the purpose of taking in money ; and that the money 

 which was to compose her cargo was nearly all collected. 

 He also informed me that an English armed ship had put 

 in there in distress a few days since, having sprung a-leak ; 

 that two English whale-ships had, within a few days, sailed 

 from thence ; that they had been sent in for adjudication by 

 the corsairs of Peru, and on examination had been libera- 

 ted. On inquiry respecting the disposition of the govern- 

 ment of Peru towards those of the United States and Great 

 Britain, they informed me that the latter was held in high 

 repute, and its vessels treated with great civility, in conse- 

 quence of being the allies of Spain ; but that the former 

 were held in very little estimation ; and that, although war 

 had not actually taken place between Spain and the United 

 States, it was momentarily expected, and every preparation 

 was made in Peru to meet it ; that the Americans were noto- 

 rious violators of their revenue laws, (grandes contrahandis- 

 tas,) and neither received nor expected much civility; 

 however, it was the policy of the government of Peru to 

 hold out ideas and the appearance of a strict neutrality, and 

 therefore British vessels were not allowed to dispose of 

 their prizes at Callao. The supercargo of this vessel appear- 

 ed to be a man of considerable intelligence ; and when I in- 

 quired where was the most suitable place to proceed to give 

 protection to British vessels, and annoy those of the United 

 States, he advised me to go to leeward, observing that the 

 Gallipagos Islands were much frequented by the British 

 whale-ships, and between that and the latitude of the Lobos 

 Islands, I should most likely find many Americans, as the 

 sea thereabouts was full of them. The Barclay was now a 

 great distance astern ; but as we ran to the northward un- 

 der easy sail after leaving the Spaniard, and made flashes 

 at intervals, she was enabled to join us by midnight. 



At daylight in the morning, we stretched away to the 

 westward, leaving the Barclay to steer to the northward, 

 and spread to such a distance as just to see her signals, and 

 closed again at night. This course we pursued until our 

 arrival off Cape Ajugia, where we arrived on the morning 

 of the 10th, and in the course of our run saw but two ves- 

 sels, only one of which we spoke, knowing them to be Spa- 



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