204 The V O Y 
by this I (land, our Expedition might probably end without 
doing any thing ; fince it was likely, that Captain Clip - 
pert on had already alarmed the Coaft, the natural Confe- 
quence of which muft be, an Embargo laid on all Ships 
trading to Leeward. Yet it was not without mature 
Deliberation, that I formed a Refolution of going to Chiloe , 
and could not but think myfelf happy in having fo good a 
Profpecl, in this Exigence, of preventing fuch Evils as 
might, in all Likelihood, have enfued. The chief Thing 
that encouraged me to make an Attempt at Chiloe , was to 
get fuch an additional Supply of Provifions, as fhould (in 
cafe the Coafts were already alarmed) enable us to retire 
to Tome obfcure unfrequented Eland, there to remain till 
the Spaniards fhould imagine we had abandoned their Seas ; 
and then to come upon them again, where they had not 
the leaft Apprehenfions of being molefted by us. On the 
30th, we entered the Chanel that divides the Eland of 
Chiloe , and the Continent of Chili , and flood in for the 
Harbour, under French Colours, with Intent to lurprife 
and attack the Towns of Chacao and Calibuco ; but, when 
we came into the Chanel, our Pilot feemed to be as much 
a Stranger to it as myfelf •, and the Wind beginning to 
blow frefh, and thick Weather coming on, I anchored at 
ten in the Morning in thirteen Fathom,, between the Point 
of Care lamp 0, and a fmall Eland called Pedto Nunez. Irrr- 
mediately after we had come to the Windward, the Tide 
made out with a prodigious Rapidity, which inftantly 
caufed a great Sea •, and the Wind increafing, made the 
Chanel all about us appear like one continual Breach. In 
the mean time our Ship laid a great Strain on her Cable, 
which parted at two in the Afternoon. We could have 
no Hopes of recovering our Anchor, becaufethe Buoy had 
been ftaved and funk an Hour or two before we had been 
thus forcibly fet adrift. In fhort, I did not think it fafe, 
or prudent, to hazard the Lofs of another Anchor, where 
there was nothing to be looked for but Misfortunes ; and 
therefore direcftly croffed the Chanel for the Eland of Chiloe , 
in a boiflerous Gale, thick rainy W eather, all furrounded 
with Teeming Sholes, and in a manner loft in a Navigation 
unknown to any of us : When we had advanced within a 
Mile of Chiloe , we ranged along- Ihore to the Southward, 
in hopes to difeover the Town of Chacao: We paffed by 
two commodious Bays, but had nothing like a Town ap- 
pearing near them -, and at length came about a Point of 
Land, which is to be known by an high Rock, like a Py- 
ramid, which almoft joins to it. Having rounded this 
Point, I found myfelf intirely out of the Tide, and com- 
modioully fhekered from all other Inconveniencies •, and 
therefore anchored over-againft a Crofs which was fixed on 
the Northern Side of the Harbour, and had juft Day-light 
enough to dired us to a Retreat from the Dangers we 
might have been expofed to amongft fuch Y ariety of vio- 
lent Tides, unfrequented Chanels, and foul Weather. In 
order to execute my Defign effectually, I fent the next 
Morning my fecond Lieutenant in my Pinnace, well 
manned and armed, to look for thefe two Towns ; and, at 
the fame time. Captain Hatley went in the Launch, to find 
out, if he could, a Watering-place ; nor was it long before 
he returned with an Indian , who had Ihewn him as con- 
venient a Place as he could defire, where he might at 
once get both Wood and Water without any great 
Trouble, even under the Command of our Cannon, and 
out of all Danger of being furprifed ; upon which I fent 
feme Hands into the Launch with Casks immediately to be 
filled, and People to cut Wood, well armed, with an 
Officer of Marines, and ten Men, to be on the Guard. 
The Indian gave us Hopes of a fufficient Supply, but came 
in the Evening to my People who were alhore, to acquaint 
them, that the Country was forbidden to bring any thing 
to us. The Pinnace not being yet returned, this Inform- 
ation made me apprehend, that the Enemy had taken her, 
and had by that means learnt what we were. This gave 
me inexpreffible Concern, inafmuch as I knew not which 
way to add ; for, being in an abfolute State of Uncertainty, 
I was more at a Lofs, and more confounded, than if I had 
been fare that the Pinnace had been in the Enemies Hands, 
for then there had been but one Way left for me to take •, 
which was to have proceeded by Force, and to have been 
Contented with what, by this means, we could have ob- 
AGE S of Book I 
tained. On the 3d of December , about feven in the Evening, 
a Spanijh Officer, in a Boat rowed by eight Indians , came, 
on board from the Governor, to know what we were. As 
I intended to pafs upon him for a French Captain, who was 
well enough known in thofe Seas, at leaft by Name, I 
ordered, that none fhould appear upon Deck but fuch as 
Ipoke either French or Spanijh , that this Officer might fee 
or hear nothing which might give him juft Grounds to 
fufpedl the Truth of that Account which I thought proper 
to give him. This Precaution was taken as Toon as the 
Spanijh Boat appeared in Sight : As it drew near, I hoifted 
French Colours ; and, when the Officer came on board, 
I told him, that my Ship was the St. Roje , homeward- 
bound ; that my Name was Janis le Breton ; and that all the 
Bufinefs I had upon this Coaft, was to in treat the Governor 
to {pare me what Provifions he could with Coiweniency 
afford. The Officer heard me with great Civility, and 
feemed to yield an implicit Credit to all I faid ; ftaid on 
board all Night, and went off the next Morning, in all 
Appearance, very well pleafed. On the 5th in the Morn- 
ing, two Boats lay towards us, full of armed Men ; who, 
after taking a View of us, went to a fmall Eland in the 
Mouth of the Harbour ; upon which, I ordered all my 
Men to put on their Grenadiers Caps, and fpread them- 
felves Upon the Deck, in order to appear as terrible to them 
as poffible. On the 6th, we faw a white Flag flying on 
Shore ; on which I fent away my Launch, completely 
manned and armed, to the Place where the Flag was ; 
but they found none to treat with them, nor any thing 
there except a Letter, which was made faft to the Flag- 
ftaff, and a Dozen of Hams lying clofe by. This Letter 
was from Don Nicolas Salvo , Governor of the Iflarid, who 
firft intimated, that he much doubted, whether the Ship 
was the St. RoJej next, he complained of the Behaviour of 
the People in the Pinnace *, and, laftly, he defired me to 
quit the Coaft. To this Letter I returned an Anfwer in 
the propereft Terms I could devife. Early the next Morn- 
ing the white Flag was hoifted again •, and, on fending 
aftiore, I obtained an Anfwer, couched in civil Terms in- 
deed ; but, at the fame time, refufing me abfolutely any 
Refrefhments, which was what I wanted ; and infilling, 
that I fhould reftore the Indians taken by my Pinnace; when, 
in Fa< 5 l, I knew lefs of the Pinnace than he did, and was 
really of Opinion, that he had the People in his Hands, of 
whom he pretended to complain. As I was now in De- 
fpair of ever feeing my People, which were abfent in the 
Pinnace, and being as much at a Lofs to know how or 
whereabouts Chacao was fituated, as I was the firft Day I 
came here, becaufe we had no Draught of this Eland that 
I could depend on, I determined to alter the Style of my 
Letters, and try what could be done by breaking with 
him, being determined, by fome means or other, to make 
Amends for my Lofs of Time in coming hither, by fuch a 
Recruit of Provifions as could be got, though even in the 
moft hazardous Manner, fince it was impoffible I fhould 
proceed without it. In purfuance of this Refolution, I 
wrote him a very brifk Letter ; in which I told him. That 
Provifions I was determined to have; by fair Means, if I 
could ; but by other Means, if they could not be had that 
Way; adding, in order to ftrike a Terror, that if they 
brought down all the Forces of the Country upon the 
Coaft, it fhould not deter me from the Profecution of my 
Defign ; and this Letter was conveyed in the fame manner 
with°the former. But, by this time, beginning to doubt, 
whether much was to be got by a Negotiation with the 
Governor, I the next Day dilpatched my firft Lieutenant, 
Mr. Brooks , in the Launch, with nine-and-twenty Men, 
completely armed, and ordered him to bring on board all 
the Provifions he could meet with. In a fhort time after 
he was gone, there came a Boat, with a Meffage from 
the Governor, fignifying, that, if I would fend an Officer 
to Chacao , he would treat with me. But, I gave him for 
Anfwer, That I would treat no-where except on board my 
own Ship ; and farther gave him to underftand, that it was 
now too late, fince I had already difpatched eighty Men 
to take all they could find. In the Evening the Launch 
returned, and brought with her a large Piragua ffie had 
taken, and were both laden with Sheep, Hogs, howls, 
Bariev, and green Peafe and Beans ; and, foon after, the 
J 6 Pinnace 
