, 9o L O R D A N S O NN-S V 0 Y A C E
Piura, a town which lies about fourteen leagues up in the country.
The water fetched from Colan is wbitifh, and of a difagree-
able appearance ; but is faid to fee very wholelome : for it is pretended
by the inhabitants, that it runs, through large woods of lar-
laparilla,! and is- fenfibly impregnated therewith, This port of
Pa it a, befides furnifliing' the “northern trade bound to Callao with
water and.neccftafies,, is the ufual place where paflengers from Acapulco
or Panama, bound .to Lima, difembark ; for, as it.ia.two hunt
deed leagues from hence .to Callao,' the port qf Lima,, and as! the
wind is generally contrary, the 'p tillage by lea is v,ery. tediqus and
fatiguing ; but by land there is a tolerable good road parallel to
the coafl, with many ftations and villages for the accommodation
of travellers.
I t appears, by the plan, that the town of Paita is itlelf an open
place; fo that its foie protection and defence is the fort there
marked (B). It was o f confcquence to us to be well informed o f
the fabriek and ftrength of this fort; and, from the examination
o f our prifoners, we found, that there were eight pieces, o f cannon
mounted in it, but that it had neither ditch nor outworit, being
furrqunded by a plain brick w a ll; and that the garrifon confifted
o f only one weak company, though the town itlelf might poffibly
arm three hundred men more.
Mr. Anjen, having informed himfelf of the ftrength of the place,,
refolved (as hath been faid ip the preceding chapter) to attempt it
that very night. We were then about twelve leagues diftant .from
thelhore, far enough to prevent our being difeavered; yet not fo
far, but that, by making all the fail we could, we might arrivein'
the bay with our Ihips long before day-break. However, the Commodore
prudently confidered, that this would be an improper method
of proceeding, as our Ihips, being fuch large bodies, might
be eafily feen at a diftance, even in the night, and might thereby
alarm the inhabitants, and give them an opportunity o f removing
their valuable effefts. He therefore, as the ftrength o f the place
did not require our whole force, relblved to attempt it with our
boats
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . f|lt
boats only, ordering the eighteen-oared barge, and our own and
the PryaPs pinnaces, on that lervice; and, having picked out fifty-
eight men toman them, well furniftied with arms and ammunition,
he entrufted the command o f the expedition to Lieutenant
Brett, and gave him his neceflary orders. And, the better to prevent
the diftippointment and confufion which might arife from
the darknefs of the night, and from the ignorance o f the ftreets
and paflages of the place, two of the Spaniß Pilots were ordered:
to attend the Lieutenant, who were to conduft him to the moft
convenient landing place; and were afterwards to be his guides,
on fliore ; and, that we might have the greater fecurity for their
behaviour on this occafion, the Commodore took care to affure:
our prifoners, that they (hould all of them be releafed, and fet on-
fhore at this place, provided the Pilots afted faithfully; but, ill
cafe of any mifconduCt or treachery, he threatened that the Pilots-
{hould be inftantly {hot, and that he would early the reft of the-
Spaniards, who- were- on board him, prifoners to England. So that
the prifoners themfelves were interefted in our fuccefs, and therefore
we had no reafon to fufpefl: our conductors either of negligence
or perfidy.
On this-occafion, I cannot but remark a Angular circumft'ancer
of one of the Pilots employed by uS in this bufinels» It feems,
(as we afterwards learnt) he had been taken by Captain Clipperton-
above twenty years before, and had been obliged to lead Clipperton-
and his people to the furprize of Truxillo, a town within land to
the fouthward of Paita, where, however, he contrived to alarm
his countrymen, and to fave them, though the place was carried
and pillaged. Now, that the only two attempts on ftiore, which
were made at fo long an interval from each other,, (hould be guided?
by the fame perfon, and he too a prifoner both times,1 and forced:
upon the employ contrary to his inclination, is an incident fo very
extraordinary, that I could not help mentioning it.. But to return
to the matter in hand.
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During