Chap. 1. 
Captain William FunSeil. 
cau fe they think them Spaniards . It is a high Ifland, four 
Leagues in Length, and has many Sholes on the Weft Side, 
which run a League or more into the Sea. It is diftant 
from the Port Valdivia twenty-five Leagues Northward. 
February 5. we found the Variation to be 7 0 20' Eafterly 
Latitude, by Obfervation South 35 0 33' Longitude, from 
London 8o° 19k February 7. we faw the Ifland Juan Fer- 
nandez, and fo flood off-and-on ; but, drawing pretty near 
it, our Captain thought it not to be the right Ifland ; fo we 
tacked, and flood to the Eaftward ; but, on February 10. 
after we had flood about thirty Leagues to the Eaftward, 
not feeing any Land, we flood back again to the fame 
Ifland 5 and, paffing by the great Bay, we faw our Con- 
fort Captain Stradling in the Cinque-ports, who had ar- 
rived here three Days before : So we anchored in the lit- 
tle Bay, in twelve Fathom Water, oufy Ground-, but, 
finding it not convenient lying here, we weighed, and went 
to the meat Bay, where We anchored in thirty-five Fathom 
Water, 0 the Variation there being 6° J Eafterly. 
7. At this Ifland we wooded, watered, heeled, and re- 
fitted our Ships, the doing of which took us up a great 
deal of Time, and obliged both Ships Company to be much 
afhore during which time, a Difference happened between 
Captain Str adding and his Men, which rofe at laft to fuch 
an Height, that the Crew abfolutely refufed to go on board ; 
but, at laft, the Matter Was compromifed by the Media- 
tion of Captain D ampler, and the Men returned on board 
their Ship. On February 29. 1704. our People defcried a 
Sail, on which we all hurried aboard* flipped our Cables, 
and flood to Sea. The Frenchman, for fo he afterwards 
proved, feeing us get under Sail, tacked, and flood from 
us, and we made the beft of our Way after him, our Con- 
fort making what Hafte he could after us ; and* about 
eleven at Night, we came clofe up with him, but did not 
think convenient to engage till Day. In this Chace our 
Pinnace towed under Water * fo we cut her loofe -, Captain 
Stradling s Boat got alfo loofe, and in her were a Man and a 
Dog. At Sun-rife the next Morning, being March 1. we 
began to engage the faid VefTel, which was a French Ship* 
of about 400 Tons and 30 Gulls, well manned. We 
fought her very clofe. Broad fide and Broadfide, . for feven 
Hours; and then, a finall Gale fpringing up, die dieered 
off. As for our Confort, he fired about ten or twelve 
Guns, and then fell a-ftern, and never came up again during 
the Fight. We had nine of our Men killed in the Difpute, 
and feveral wounded : We were defiroiis to have had an- 
other Trial with him, knowing it would be of dangerous 
Confequence to let him go ; for, if we did, we were fure 
he 'would difcover us to the Spaniards, which would de- 
ftroy our whole Proceedings. But our Captain was againft 
it ; faying, that, at the worft, if the Spaniards fhould know 
of our being in thofe Seas, and fo fhould hinder their Mer- 
chant Ships from coming out, yet that he knew whither to go, 
and not fail of taking to the Value of 500,000 /. any Day 
in the Year. Upon this, we lay by for our Confort, who 
foon came up ; and it was quickly agreed between the two 
Captains to let her go -, fo the Enemy flood from us, and 
We concluded to return to Juan Fernandez to get our An- 
chors, Long-boats, and feveral Tons of Water cafked, 
with a Ton of Sea-lions Oil, which we had left here; and 
Captain Stradling had left five of his Men, who were gone 
to the Weft Part of the Ifland, and knew nothing of our 
going out after the Enemy ; he had alfo left behind him 
all his Sails, except thofe at the Yard, with a great many 
other Stores. We had then the Wind at South, right off 
another, that towards the W ater loweft, and that far the ft 
within Land higheft. We were then in the Latitude of 24 0 
53 / South ; from thence we coafted along Shore to thd 
Northward ; and, on the 14th, paffed the Port of CopiapOi 
This is faid to be a very good Port, and to be fenced from 
aimoft all Winds. Near to the Port are four or five Rocks $ 
and within Land it is inhabited by Indians , who make good. 
Wine ; here are faid alfo to be good Meat, Corn, and other 
Neceffaries. In this Port they load Wine, Money, and 
other Goods, for Coquimbo : We would very wiliinglyhaW 
gone afhore here to have got fome Refrefhments, but could 
not for want of Boats : The Land continues very high and 
mountainous ; fo that, I think, it is the higheft Land I ever 
faw. 
8. We were furprifed, on the 19th of the fame Month, 
by feeing the Colour of the Waves of the Sea changed into 
red for feven or eight Leagues ; though, upon founding, 
we found ho Ground for 1 70 Fathom ; but, upon drawing 
up the Water, and examining it clofely, this Accident ap- 
peared to be owing to a vaft Quantity of Fifh-fpawn fwim- 
ming on the Surface. W e were now in the Latitude cf 1 6° 
1 1 "South, and had only forty-eight Minutes Variation to the 
Eaftward, having failed by the three famous Ports of Arica$ 
Tlo, and Arequipa. On March 22. we foufid ourfelves off 
the Port of Tima, the Capital of Peru, where we law two 
Sail of Ships fleering for that Port : We prefently gave 
Chace, and foon came up with the fternmoft ; fhe proved 
to be the Ship we fought with off the Ifland of Juan Fer- 
nandez. We v/ere very eager to flop her going in ; for, 
if we could have done it, it would have hindered the Spa- 
niards from having Intelligence of us : Befides, we did not 
queftion the taking of her, becaufe now our Men were in 
Health whereas, when we fought her before, we had be- 
tween twenty and thirty very fick and weak ; but, being 
willing to fhew themfelves, they had dohe what they could; 
We confidered alfo, her Guns, Ammunition, and Provi- 
fions, would be very welcome to us ; fo we concluded to 
engage her ourfelves, and to fend Captain Stradling after 
the other, which feemed not fo big ; but Captain I) ampler 
did not think advifeable to attack her; and, whilft the 
Matter was difputing, both the Ships got into Lima, from 
whence twehty fuch as ours could not have forced them 
out. This kind of Proceeding gave great Offence to moft 
of the Crew, and bad Confequences might have followed 
it, if we had not, in the Space of a few Days, taken two 
Very confiderable Prizes ; the firft of 1 50, the fecond of 
200 Ton, out of which we took what we thought would 
prove moft ferviceable, and then clifmiffed our Prizes. On 
April 5. we began to prepare for the great Stroke our Cap- 
tain had in his Head, viz. that of landing oh the Coaft* 
and plundering fome rich City ; with which View our Car- 
penters Were ordered to fit up our Launches, or Spanifh 
Long-boats, fo as to land our Men with Safety, and to fix 
two Patereroes in each Launch. On the 1 ith of the fame 
Month, we took, as if fhe had been fent on purpofe for 
our Service, a Bark of about fifty Tons, laden with Plank 
and Cordage. This Bark we took in Sight of the Iile of 
Gallo, under which we anchored the next Day with our 
Prize, which we refolved to keep, in order to make ufe of 
her in the intended Expedition * 
q. This Ifland of Gallo is in 2 0 45' Latitude, Longi- 
tude from London Weft 76° 38", diftant from the Main 
about five Leagues, in Length two Leagues, in Breadth 
one : When you are to the Southward of it, it appears in 
three Hummocks, which, at a Diftance, look like three 
it ; but it falling calm 
the Land, fo that we found it very difficult to get up with Iflands ; and the Land between each is very low ; but when 
the Cinque-ports put out her Oars, you are to the North-weft of it, at the South End, you 
will fee a fmall Elahd, or rather Rock, which looks much 
like a Ship under Sail ; and, when you are at the North 
End, you will fo open the Land, as that you will fee Part 
of it does not join to the Hand, as it feems to do when you 
are to the Weftward of it. At the North-eaft End of this 
Hand are three fmall Hands, or rather Rocks ; one is pretty 
big, and at a Diftance looks like a Barn, and the other like 
two Sail of Ships. At this Hand you may fee the Main- 
land, which is very low near the Water-fide, but prodi- 
gious high up in the Country. Here we anchored in 
and rowed towards the Ifland : Prefently after which, we 
faw two Sail ; the Cinque-ports was pretty near them, and 
they fired feveral Shot ; but flie rowed away to us, and 
gave us an Account, that they were two French Ships, 
each of about thirty-fix Guns : So the two Captains 
thought it convenient not to go in, but to go away for the 
Coaft of Peru , leaving behind Captain Stradling* s five 
Men, with other Neceffaries that we could very ill fpare ; 
for now we had neither of u.s any Boats : However, ac- 
cording to their Agreement on March 6 . we flood away 
for the Coaft of Peru ; and, on the 1 ith, fell in with the 
Land, it being very high, three Rows of Hills one within 
NUM E* X; 
thirty-five Fathom Water, two Cables Length from the 
Shore, hard Sand, We anchored in the North- weft Part 
Mm' ’ of 
