PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
19§ 
along shore, and I had expected, in the morning, to be up with the 
Island of La Plata, and as the haziness of the weather gave this 
the appearance of an island, I was fully impressed with a belief 
of this being La Plata, made every preparation for anchoring, and 
stood boldly in, keeping the lead going, having regular sounding^ 
and muddy bottom, our first cast of the lead giving us 45, which 
gradually shoaled to 25 fathoms, without any material change in 
the quality of the bottom. At break of day, we were not more 
than two and a half miles from the shore, and standing in for a 
white sandy beach, on which I saw some fishermen hauling their 
nets ; and as it grew light, I discovered the steeple of a church, 
and shortly afterwards a town in the mountains. The haze now 
cleared off, and enabled me to see a great extent of coast, and I 
soon perceived that we had mistaken Cape Lorenzo for the Island 
of Plata, and had been set by the current, which had changed du¬ 
ring the night, into the deep bay formed by that and Cape Pasado, 
in which is the convenient port of Manta, which takes its name 
from a fish of that name, caught there in great abundance. I had 
made the signal to prepare to anchor; but, on discovering my 
mistake, soon changed my determination, although I perceived no 
danger, and indeed sent a boat in to sound, wdthin a quarter of a 
mile of the shore, where good anchorage was to be had in 15 fa¬ 
thoms, well sheltered from the prevalent winds, and smooth land¬ 
ing ; but I could perceive no rivulet of water, though it is not im¬ 
probable one is to be found there, as the land was very much cut 
up by deep ravines. This place afforded convenient anchorage ; 
but my object was to touch at the Island of Plata, which I had un¬ 
derstood furnished both wood and water, as well as good anchor¬ 
age on the east side, in twenty fathoms, opposite to a small sandy 
bay. At this place, it is said, admiral Drake anchored, and divi¬ 
ded his plunder ; and as it was said to be a place little frequented, 
and furnished both hogs and goats, I believed (should it answer 
the description given of it) that it would be an admirable place for 
a rendezvous, as all British, and indeed other vessels, bound ei¬ 
ther from the Gallapagos to Tumbez, as weil as those from Mex¬ 
ico, Panama, &c. &c. and bound to the south, all pass within sight 
of this island, as indeed do those bound to the north from Lima 
