LOSS OF A SPANISH FRIGATE. 229 
eut in what latitude we were; but, notwithstanding all the ob« 
servations he took, according to the rules of his art, he could 
not even form a conjecture. I sent for him into my cabin, and 
asked him if we should not do better to seek on the coast some 
situation sheltered from the wind, and secured from the vio- 
Aence of the waves, to which we might retire until the weather 
became fair, rather than to continue to beat about at a venture, 
m uncertainty, and liable to be overtaken by another storm, 
which might involve us in destruction. The poor man, with 
tears in his eyes, was unable to make me any answer, except- 
ing that his sins were doubtless the cause of the ill success of 
our voyage, and that he knew not what to do, because the 
sailors would not longer obey him. I ordered them to be 
tailed, and having questioned them, they replied they be- 
lieved we were near Caldera, and that we should be able to 
see it when the weather cleared off 
In this hope we continued cruising about in the same lati- 
tude for five days. On the 6th the weather was serene, and 
appeared perfectly favorable : the pilot took an observation, 
and assured us that we were certainly not more than ten 
leagues from the port, and that we should soon discover land. 
We immediately set all our sails ; nevertheless we continued 
our course till night, without perceiving it. The next morn- 
ing he still persisted in his opinion, till about noon he disco- 
vered some lofty mountains, but it was nearly tAvo hours be- 
fore he could tell what land it was. At length, after having 
minutely examined them, he declared, with the greatest mor- 
tification and chagrin that they were the mountains of Chiri- 
qui, to which place we were again driven back by the force of 
the currents. 
It is impossible to conceive the disappointment of all the 
passengers when they learned this disagreeable intelligence. 
They vented imprecations against the pilot and me, and we 
had the greatest difficulty to appease them. I again propos- 
ed to return to Panama, which place we might have reached 
in five days ; but the passengers, most of whom had business 
of importance to transact in the province of Costa Rica, re- 
presented that we ought not to be discouraged, that we had 
only to rest four or five daj^s at Chiriqui, which, notwithstand- 
ing the number of mosquetoes, was a very pleasant place, and 
then we might proceed on our voyage with better fortune. 
This proposal was supported by the pilot, who, with greater 
boldness and effrontery than ever, swore that he would carry 
the ship into the port of Caldera in five days, or burn all hiz 
20 
