We were forty miles from the mainland, the brig and schooner being both
out of sight. The first impulse both of officers and crew was to abandon
the ship, but as we had six hundred men on board, whilst not more than a
hundred and fifty could have entered the boats, this would have been but
a scramble for life. Pointing out to the men that those who escaped
could only reach the coast of Arauco, where they would meet nothing but
torture and inevitable death at the hands of the Indians, I with some
difficulty got them to adopt the alternative of attempting to save the
ship.

The first sounding gave five feet water in the hold, and the pumps were
entirely out of order. Our carpenter, who was only one by name, was
incompetent to repair them; but having myself some skill in carpentry I
took off my coat, and by midnight got them into working order, the water
meanwhile gaining on us, though the whole crew were engaged in bailing
it out with buckets.

To our great delight the leak did not increase, upon which I got out
the stream anchor, and commenced heaving off the ship, the officers
clamouring first to ascertain the extent of the leak. This I expressly
forbade, as calculated to damp the energy of the men, whilst as we now
gained on the leak, there was no doubt the ship would swim as far as
Valdivia, which was the chief point to be regarded, the capture of the
fortress being my object, after which the ship might be repaired at
leisure. As there was no lack of physical force on board, she was at
length floated; but the powder magazine having been under water, the
ammunition of every kind--except a little upon deck and in the cartouch
boxes of the troops--was rendered unserviceable; though about this I
cared little, as it involved the necessity of using the bayonet in our