, y 6 L O R D A N S O N ’ S V O Y A G E
• fuccefs we all had, and our certainty, that had any ftlips been
ftirring in thefe feas, for fome time,part, we muft have met with
them, made us believe, that the enemy at Valparaifo, on miffing
the two fhips we had taken, had fufpected us to be in the
; neighbourhood, and had confequently laid an embargo on all the
trade in the fouthem parts. We likewife apprehended, that they
might, by this time, be fitting out the men o f war at Callao ; as
we knew that it was no uncommon thing for an exprefs -from V d -
paraifo to reach Lima in twenty-nine or thirty days, and it was
now more than fifty fince we had taken our firft prize. Thefe ap-
prèh'énfibnS of an embargo along the coaft, and of the equipment
of the Spanijh fquadron at Callao; determined the Commodore to
haften down to the leeward of Callao, and to join Captain Mitchel
(who was ftationed off Fait a) as foon as poffible, that, our ftrength
being united, we might be prepared to give the (hips from Callao
a warm reception, i f they dared to put to fea. With this view we
bore away the fame afternoon, taking particular care to keep at
fuch a diftance from the ffiore, that there might be no danger of
our beingdifcovered from thence; for we knew that all the country
ffiips were commanded, under the fevereft penalty, not to fail
by the port o f Callao without flopping ; and, as this order was con-
ftantly complied with, we ffiould undoubtedly be known for enemies,
i f we were feen to a£t contrary to it. In this new navigation,
not being certain whether we might not meet the Spanijh fquadron
in our route, the Commodore took on board the Centurion part o f
his crew, with which he had formerly manned the Carmelo. And
now, Handing to the northward, we, before night came on, had
a view o f the fmall Ifland called St. Gallan, which bore from us
N. N. E. -l E , about feven leagues diftant. This Ifland lies in the
latitude o/about fourteen degrees South, and about five miles to the
northward of a highland, called Morro Veijo, or the Old Man's Head.
I mention this Ifland, and the highland near it, more particularly,
becaufe between them is the molt eligible flation on that
coaft for cruifing upon the enemy; as hereabouts all fhips hound
to
to Callao, whether from the northward or the fouthward, run well
>h the land. By the 5th of November, at three m the after
f W we W6te advanced within view of the highland of Barranca,
“ 00B’ . h iat,itude o f 10° : 36' South, bearing from us N. E. by
Ê ^diftant eight or nine leagues; and *0 hour and an half after-
wards we had the fatisfadion, fo long wiffied for of feeing a fart.
She firft appeared to leeward, and we all immediately gave her
chace- butPthe Centurion fo much outfailed the two prizes, that
we foon ran them out of fight, and gained confiderably on the
chace- however, night coming on before we came up with her,
chace. no ’ & lo ftfw h tQ fh e r .an dw e re in lbm ep e r -
we, about feven o cl , g refolved, as
H g h . S H an h i . ■ » « ° « » tw iw f f iw li though w . h,d
would alter her courfe in the night; yet, as it was uncertain what
tack fhe would go upon, it was thought prudent to keep on our
courfe, as we muft by this means unavoidably near
than change 1 on conjedure ; when, if we ffiould miftake, We
muft infallibly lofe her. Thus then we 'continued the chace about
1 hour H half in the dark, fome one or other on board us conftanfly
imagining they ffifcerned her fails nght a-head of us . but
a t length Mr. Brett, our fécond Lieutenant, did really d.fcover
her about four points on the larboard-bow, fleering off to thefea-
war’d we immediately clapped the helm a-wcaiher and flood fo:
her and in lefs than an hour came up with her ; and, hawng fire
fourteen ffiot at her, fte ftruck. Our third Lieutenan^Mr. Denthe
prize, and to return the pnfonersto our ffi.p. This veflel w as
named the Santa Terefa de JeJus, built at GuataqutL, o f about three
hundred tuns burthen, and was commanded by ^ C a T a o h Z
mKa, a Bifcayer, She was bound from Gua^qud to Callao , her
loading confifted o f timber, cocao, cocao-nuts tobacco, hides, Ptto
thread8(which is very ftrong, and is made of
. . . .... »T’v.a ii/=>c on Knard her wasiuconuder«ib]e,