190 porter's journal. 



I did not get back to the ship until twelve o'clock. The 

 Greenwich and Atlantic had returned from their chase o£ 

 the strange sail, which proved to be a small Spanish brig, 

 from Panama bound to Payta. On enquiring the news, 

 they informed the commanders of the prizes (supposing 

 them to be English) that a Peruvian privateer, called the 

 Nereyda, had attacked a large American frigate, and shot 

 away her mainmast, and that the Nereyda had suffered 

 much in the action. But finding the frigate too powerful, 

 and at the same time to outsail the Nereyda, she thought it 

 necessary to endeavour to make her escape, to elfect which 

 she was compelled to lighten ship, by throwing all her guns 

 overboard. 



This small brig had run in and anchored in a spacious 

 bay, to avoid our vessels, but she was followed by them. It 

 was represented by lieutenants M'Knight and Gamble as 

 afibrding good ^belter, anchorage, and landing ; and they 

 were informed nj the commander of the brig, that an abun- 

 dance of fresh water was to be conveniently obtained from 

 a well near the sea-shore. The Spaniards called it the Bay 

 of Cablo. 



On the 19th, made the island of St. Close, or Deadman's 

 Island. It lies in the mouth of the Bay or Gulf of Guya- 

 quil, and owes its last name to the strong resemblance it 

 bears to a corpse, the head lying to the westward. It is 

 equally desolate in its appearance with the island of La 

 Plata, is about three miles in length, extremely narrow, 

 and is said to have anchorage on the north side. The 

 soundings off this gulf extend out of sight of land, w^here 

 you have from forty to forty-five fathoms, soft muddy bot- 

 tom. We all ran in for the river Tumbez, which lies on 

 the south side of the gulf, and anchored in a depth of five 

 fathoms and a half water, soft bottom. The outermost 

 breaker, at the mouth of the river, then bore S. W. of us, 

 distant about one mile ; Deadman's Island N. half E. The 

 surf broke with great violence on the bar which runs across 

 the mouth of the river, as well as on the beach, and on first 

 anchoring I saw but little prospect of succeeding in supply- 

 ing our wants. 



I had here to lament the death of the best seaman in my 

 ship. John Rodgers, one of the gunner's crew, had, from 

 too great a fondness for rum, become somewhat inebria- 



