A Voyage to the South Atlantic and round Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, etc./Chapter 5
1793.Mr. Dalrymple conjectures, that, to the West of the Isles Saint Felix and Saint Ambrose, there are others, of the same name, which were called Saint Felix and Ambrose Rocks. To ascertain the truth of this opinion, I ran as far to the Westward, as 84°, when seeing neither land, birds or seals, to justify a belief that any such isles existed near this situation, I hauled on a wind for the coast of Peru, intending to make it, in Latitude 17° South; but, the wind hanging to the Eastward, I did not get on the fishing ground, until I was in the Latitude of 15° 30′.
There was now so large an extent of coast, in every part of which, I might meet with those British ships, employed in spermaceti whaling, to whom, I was instructed, to communicate, the circumstances and situation of Europe, when I quitted it, that I did not think it necessary to beat again to the Southward. I was indeed, persuaded, that the greatest body of fishermen was to the Northward; as they would find the best season there, and might then return with the Sun, without being liable to the uncertainty of getting fish to the Southward, in the winter season; from whence, if they were not successful, they would be obliged to proceed to the Northward, and thus have two winters to encounter.
June 3.On the third of June, P. M. we were, within six or seven leagues of the Isle Lobas or Seals, near the port of Pisco, where we saw great numbers of that animal, and we had even fallen in with them, as far as fifty or sixty leagues from the land. Mr. Fresier says, that this isle is only one league and an half from the main land; but to me, it appeared to be twice that distance. He also adds, that the channel. between it, and the main land, is dangerous; but that, to the Northward of the isles, there is a smooth flat bank of sand, which forms a creek, where the sea is so still, that a ship can anchor there, in eight fathoms water, and might careen in safety. This island is of a moderate height, but, from the best observations I could make, in hazy weather, its coast appeared to be altogether barren to the Westward. This place offers a good port for whalers, or in time of war, for vessels of small force, to lay at, in order to watch an enemy; the land, being of sufficient height, to afford security and concealment.
I continued my route along the coast to the Northward, running under an easy sail, or standing off and on in the day, and laying to at night. I never distanced the land, more than fourteen or fifteen leagues, and was sometimes as near it, as two or three leagues. I cruized several days off Lima, at a small distance from the Isle Saint Lawrence, which forms the road of Callo[1]. I kept near this situation, in hopes of meeting some vessel, which might afford me information, whether any English fishermen were in the road, and without any apprehension, of being known by the Spaniards, as the superior sailing of my ship, always left it to my own option, to speak with whom I pleased.
June 6.On the sixth of June, at sun-set, I saw the dangerous rocks and shoals of Ormigas, appearing like a sail, and laying nearly East and West of Isle Saint Lawrence. At noon our Latitude observed was 11° 48′, the Isle Saint Lawrence East, 80° North, and the rocks of Ormigas, North 28° West, at the distance of seven or eight miles. These rocks are very dangerous; the loftiest part being little higher than the hull of a small ship; and the sea breaks, for several leagues, around, and off, them. They are quite barren, and I observed with my glass, two crosses erected on them, which in a short time disappeared. I concluded, therefore, that they were placed by fishermen, who are said to resort here from Lima, as signals, to engage in some kind of contraband trade: but I had taken the necessary precautions, at the outfit of my vessel, that no commodities should be put on board which could promote such a design, being determined, to adhere strictly to the articles, entered into by the courts of Great-Britain and Spain, respecting vessels, voyaging round Cape Horn. I accordingly shewed no colours, and as I kept my course, the fishermen, I presume, removed their signals.
June 11.On the eleventh day of June, at noon, I had got up the main, as high as the Isles Lobas le Mar[2]. I accordingly stood close in, within a mile or two of the shore, and then bore up for the isle, which we soon made, and got well in with it before it was quite dark, and then brought to, with our head to the Southward.
This isle, by my log, is sixteen leagues from the main, which, is a much greater distance, than is laid down, in most of the charts. My expectation was enlivened, in common with every one on board, by the opinion, that we should see some of our countrymen in the morning; and when we bore up at of day, a considerable quantity of tar was seen floating on the surface of the water; a circumstance, which strengthened our hope, that we should find a vessel refitting there.
I had some intention of anchoring here myself, and having hove to, off the South West part of the isle, I sent the chief mate to sound for a dangerous rock under water, over which, the seas seldom or never breaks. It lays somewhere, in the middle of the roads, and several whalers had struck on it; but I had not been able to procure the bearings of it. There was but little wind throughout the day, and the ship set considerably to the Northward and Westward, which opened the bay to us, when we were greatly disappointed, at not perceiving any ship at anchor in it. However, before the boat returned in the evening, we saw a sail standing down on us, and it being hazy, as it generally is on this coast, the boat had at one time mistaken her for the Rattler.
The chief mate returned on board by seven in the evening, and informed me, that he had not been able to discover the rock, or to catch any thing but one turtle; but from the fresh carcasses of seals which he had seen, he very reasonably supposed, that a vessel could not have left the island more than four or five days.
The sail, already mentioned, kept standing towards us, and, as night advanced, showed a light; at eight, being within a couple of miles of us, the whaling-master set out to board her, but, discovering on a near approach, that she was a Spanish vessel, he thought it right to return; I hauled on a wind for the night, as did the Spaniard, with a view of continuing together till morning; but the thick weather, which was not dispersed on the return of day, prevented us from seeing each other again; nor did we perceive the land till ten A. M. when we found ourselves set, during the night, within a few leagues of the Isles of Lobas le Terra, which, in certain positions, bear such a resemblance to each other, that it was difficult to distinguish any difference between them: while, from the uncertainty of the currents on this coast, it might have been as naturally conjectured, that the current had set us as much one way as the other. As I had no inducement to beat back again nor any probability of accomplishing it, without taking a great offing, I continued on my course, but never failed to consult with the whaling-master before I shifted my ground.
The Isle Lobas le Mar, is divided into two parts, by a small channel, which will only admit the passage of boats, and where the tide is very rapid.
The Isle Lobas le Terra, appears, towards the Eastern point, to be much broken into small hillocks, while the land, or main near it, is low and visible, only on a near approach.
During the short time I remained off these isles, the weather was so hazy, as to prevent my making any accurate observations concerning them.
June 16.On the sixteenth of June, I reached Cape Blanco, the South Cape of the Gulf of Guaiaquil, which is level land, of a moderate height, and, by several observations taken off it, I make it in Latitude 4° 8′ South, and Longitude 82° 20′ West. Off this cape, there is a strong, westerly current, making out of the Gulf of Guaiaquil; and afterwards, in crossing the gulf, I was in twenty-four hours, set forty miles to the Westward.
19.On the nineteenth, I saw Point Saint Helena and Isle Plata, where Admiral Sir Francis Drake divided his plunder. By several observations taken off the isle, I place it in Latitude 1° 16′ South, and Longitude 82° 42′ West; and Point Saint Helena in Latitude 2° 0′ South, and Longitude 82° 20′ West.
The winds had now begun to Western on me, and knowing it, to be an object of the board of Admiralty, that I should visit the Gallipagoes Isles, it became me to exert my best endeavours to do so, before I got further to the Northward; when, if the wind should Western more upon us, which it frequently does in this Latitude, I should not have been able to fetch them.
On the same day I took my departure from Cape Saint Helena for Gallipagoes Isles, for the reasons already mentioned, the wind westing on us; but, at thirty leagues distance from the coast, it returned to the South East quarter, and continued there, till we made the isles. On the second day, after we had left the coast, we fell in with a large flinched whale, which could not have been killed more than three days. June 24.On the twenty-fourth, at four A. M., we made one of the Gallipagoe Isles, bearing West by North, six or seven leagues.
In the course of our passage, we fell in frequently with streams of current, at least a mile in breadth, and of which there was no apparent termination. They frequently, changed the ship's course, against her helm, half the compass, although running, at the rate of three and a half miles an hour. I never experienced a similar current, but on the coast of Norway. The froth, and boil, of these streams appear, at a very small distance, like heavy breakers; we sounded in several of them, and found no bottom with two hundred fathoms of line. I also tried the rate, and course of the stream, which was South West by West, two miles and an half an hour. These streams are very partial, and we avoided them, whenever it was in our power. Birds, fish, turtles, seals, sun-fish, and other marine animals kept constantly on the edge of them, and they were often seen, to contain large beds of cream-colored blubber, of the same kind as those of a red hue, which are observable on the coast of Peru. The only seals we saw were in herds fishing, or in their passage, between the Gallipagoes, and the main. I do not affirm it as a fact, but as we saw no seals in my route back, and as the few, we killed there, were with young, I am disposed to conjecture, that the herds of them, just mentioned, were on their passage to whelp.