porter's journal. 



123 



which did not show themselves above the surface, might 

 also have been concerned in the pursuit, and occasioned 

 the agitation that so much surprised us 5 for I cannot think 

 it possible that the seals and bonetas, numerous as they 

 were, could have produced so violent a commotion. 



A breeze springing up, we stood away for Payta, with a 

 view of looking into that port, and at sunset were in sight 

 of the island of Lobos, which lies a short distance to the 

 southward, where we hove to for the Barclay to come up, 

 as we had nearly run her out of sight ; and, after speaking 

 her, stretched olf under easy sail, and at two o'clock in the 

 morning made sail in shore. The weather at sunrise was 

 hazy, and prevented us for some time from seeing the sad- 

 dle of Payta, which is a remarkably irregular mountain to 

 the south of Payta, and when once seen cannot be mista- 

 ken, the highest part making something like a saddle, and 

 running away to a low point to the northward, which is the 

 point forming the harbour of Payta. As we stood in shore 

 we discovered two small sail coming out, and as we ap- 

 proached them were at a loss to know what to make of 

 them ; but at last discovered them to be rafts or catama- 

 rans, steering by the wind, having each six men to work 

 them. I had at first believed them to be fishing rafts from 

 Payta, but was surprised they should hav^ ventured so great 

 a distance from the land, as we were, when we spoke them, 

 about seven leagues off shore, and was induced, from their 

 strange appearance, to visit them. On going along side, 

 I learnt, to my astonishment, that they were from Guya- 

 quil, with cargoes of cocoa, bound to Guacho, a port to lee- 

 ward of Lima, and had already been out thirty days. They 

 were destitute of water, and had no other provisions on 

 board than a few rotten plantains. We, however, perceived 

 a number of fish bones and pieces of fish scattered about 

 the rafts, which induced us to believe that they were ena- 

 bled to catch an abundance of fish, which no doubt follow 

 them to get the small barnacles and grass with which the 

 logs were plentifully supplied. Nothing can exceed the 

 miserable construction of these floats. Eight logs of from 

 twenty-five to thirty feet in length, with the bark scarcely ta- 

 ken off, and three pieces lashed across with a kind of grass 

 rope, to form the floor ; each side is formed of two logs, 

 laid one on another, and the deck is composed of rough 



