ated that they might easily be fortified, and defended
by a slender force against a powerful army, being inaccessible from the
west, by reason of the high mountains. Five Englishmen, left by Captain
Davies, secured themselves here against a great number of Spaniards.

After remaining fourteen days at this island, they left it on the 8th
April, 1684, steering N.N.E. till off the bay of Arica, whence they
sailed to Cape Blanco, in hopes of meeting the Spanish Plate fleet from
Panama; but if they had gone into the bay of Arica, they must have taken
a Spanish ship which lay there, having 300 tons of silver on board. In
lat. 10 deg. S. on the 3d May, they were forced to capture a ship laden with
timber, much against their inclination, lest they should be known
through her means to be on the coast. They then sailed to the southern
island of _Lobos_, in lat. 70 deg. S. about forty-three English miles from
the coast of Peru, where they landed their sick for refreshment, heeled
their ships, and scraped their bottoms, to render them fitter for
action.

This island is named _Lobos del Mar_, to distinguish it from another
which is nearer the continent, and called therefore _Lobos de la Tierra.
Lobos del Mar_ is properly a double island, each a mile in circuit,
separated by a small channel which will not admit ships of burden. A
little way from shore, on the north side, there are several scattered
rocks in the sea, and at the west end of the eastermost isle is a small
sandy creek, in which ships are secure from the winds, all the rest of
the shore being rocky cliffs. The whole of both islands is rocky and
sandy, having neither wood, water, nor land animals; but it has many
fowls, such as boobies, and above all penguins, about the size of a
duck, and with similar feet; but their bills are pointed, their wings
are mere stumps, which serve them as fins when in the water, and their
bodies are covered with down instead of feathers. As they feed on fish,
they are but indifferent eating, but their eggs are very good. Penguins
are found all over the South Sea, and at the Cape of Good Hope. The road
for ships is between the before-mentioned rock and the eastmost island.

They were now very eager to make some capture, as their provisions,
especially water, were very scanty, so that the subsistence of their
prisoners, as well as themselves, gave them much anxiety. By information
of their prisoners, they were also convinced that their being in