ower, as interfering with their cherished
monoplies, out of which they contrived to extract individual profit.

The necessity for a speedy pursuit of the enemy's frigates, precluded
more than a temporary repair of the ships; nothing, indeed, had been
done to remedy the leak in the hull of the flag-ship, as, from the
rotten state of her masts, we durst not venture to heave her down, so
that when we got in a sea-way she made six feet of water a day.

We quitted the Guayaquil river on the 3rd of December, coasting along
the shore, and examining every bay for the objects of our search. On the
5th we reached Salango, where we again watered the ships, there being
only twenty-three tons of water casks on board the flag-ship. On the
11th we reached Cocos Island, when we found and took possession of an
English pirate, commanded by a man, named Blair. On the following day we
captured a _felucca_, which turned out to be a deserter from Callao.
From the men on board we learned that, after my departure, San Martin
had refused to fulfil the promises by which they had been induced to
remain, though he had thus allured nearly the whole of the foreign
seamen, who comprised the only skilled portion of the Chilian squadron,
into the service of Peru. The _felucca_ thus manned, and sent as a
_guarda costa_ to Chorillas, the men took advantage of the absence of
their captain on shore, and seized the vessel, which they named the
_Retaliation_, having put to sea, no doubt with the intention of turning
pirates. As they had committed no depredations, and I had no wish to be
encumbered with them, they were suffered to escape.

On the 14th we made the coast of Mexico, the leak of the flag-ship daily
increasing, and on the 19th we anchored in the bay of Fonseca, with five
feet of water in the hold, the chain pumps being so worn as to be
useless, there being no artificers on board to repair them, the ship was
only kept afloat by the greatest possible exertions, in which my
personal skill in smiths' work had to be called into requisition.

After three days' constant baling at the hatchways, we got two pumps
from the _Valdivia_; but these proving too short, I ordered holes to be
cut through the ships' sides, on a level with the berth deck, and thus
managed to keep her clear till the old pumps could be refitted. Nearly
all our ammunition was spoiled, and, in order to preserve the dry
provisions, we were compelled to stow them in the hammock-nettings.