202 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
couched in such terms as to be understood only by those belong¬ 
ing to the expedition. 
I did not get back to the ship until twelve o’clock. The Green" 
wich and Atlantic had returned from their chace of the strange 
sail, which proved to be a small Spanish brig from Panama bound 
to Payta; and, on enquiring the news, they informed the com¬ 
manders of the prizes (supposing them to be English), that a Pe¬ 
ruvian privateer, called the Nereyda, had attacked a large Ameri¬ 
can frigate, and shot away her main mast, and that the Nereyda 
had suffered much in the action; but finding the frigate too pow¬ 
erful, and at the same time to outsail the Nereyda, she found it 
necessary to endeavour to make her escape, to effect which she 
was compelled to lighten ship, by throwing all her guns over- 
board I 
This small brig had run in and anchored in a spacious bay, to 
avoid our vessels, where she was followed by them. It was repre¬ 
sented by lieutenants M‘ Knight and Gamble as affording good 
shelter, anchorage, and landing ; and they were informed by the 
commander of the brig that an abundance of fresh water was to 
be conveniently obtained from a well near the sea shore. The 
Spaniards called it the Bay of Cable. 
On the 19th, made the island of St.'Close, or Deadman’s Isl¬ 
and. It lies in the mouth of the Bay or Gulph of Guyaquil, 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 ap¬ 
pearance 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 gulph extend out of sight of land, where 
you have from 40 to 45 fathoms, soft muddy bottom. 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 bot¬ 
tom. The outermost breaker, at the mouth of the river, then 
bore S.W. of us, distant about one mile ; Deadman’s Island N.|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 an¬ 
choring I saw but little prospect of succeeding in supplying our 
wants. 
