m by the vessels which come for the guana.

[Footnote 271: There is no island on the coast of Peru in that latitude.
Iquique is a town on the main land, about thirty miles from the sea. The
islands called _los Patillos_, or the Claws, are near the coast, in lat.
20 deg. 45' S. and probably one of these may have got the name of _Iquique_,
as being under the jurisdiction of that town. The mountain Carapacha of
the text, is probably the hills of Tarapaca of our maps.--E.]

We were informed by two Indian prisoners, that the lieutenant of Iquique
had a boat at Pisagua for water, of which we began to be in need, for
which reason I sent Mr Randal in search of her. He failed in this
object, but brought off a few bladders full of water, and three or four
_balsas_, very artificially sewed and filled with wind, which are used
for landing on this dangerous coast. On these the rower sits across,
using a double paddle; and as the wind escapes from the skin bags, he
has a contrivance for supplying the deficiency. These are the chief
embarkations used by the fishermen, and are found very serviceable for
landing on this coast, which has hardly a smooth beach from one end of
it to the other. We intended to have looked into the port of Arica, but
heard there was a ship there of force, on which we continued our course
to the northwards to La Nasca. Off that port we met a large ship about
two hours before day, and though we rowed very hard, it was ten o'clock
before we got up with her. After a brisk dispute of six or seven hours,
we were obliged to leave her, in consequence of the sea-breeze coming in
very strong. She was called the Francisco Palacio, of 700 tons, 8 guns,
and 10 patereroes, with a great number of men, and well provided with
small arms; but was so deeply laden that, in rolling, the water ran over
her deck and out at her scuppers; indeed she had more the appearance of
an ill-contrived floating castle, than of a ship, according to the
present fashion of Europe. Thus we had the misfortune, on this forlorn
voyage, to meet with the two best equipped and armed private ships at
that time in the South Sea. In this action we had not above twenty
fire-arms that were of any use, owing to the improvidence of our people
at Juan Fernandez; yet were they so impatient of this disappointment,
that some of them were for immediately surrendering to the enemy. To
prevent this, I ordered four men whom I thought I could trust to take
the charge o