we were certain of, from the information of our prisoners, that whatever
our success might be as to the prizes we might light on, we had nothing
to fear, weak as we were, from the Spanish force in this part of the
world; though we discovered that we had been in most imminent peril from
the enemy when we least apprehended it, and when our other distresses
were at the greatest height. For we learned from the letters on board
that Pizarro, in the express he dispatched to the Viceroy of Peru after
his return to the River of Plate, had intimated to him that it was
possible some part at least of the English squadron might get round, but
that, as he was certain from his own experience that if they did arrive
in those seas it must be in a very weak and defenceless condition, he
advised the Viceroy, in order to be secure at all events, to fit out what
ships of force he had, and send them to the southward, where in all
probability they would intercept us singly and before we had an
opportunity of touching anywhere for refreshment, in which case he
doubted not but we should prove an easy conquest. The Viceroy of Peru
approved of this advice, and immediately fitted out four ships of force
from Callao, one of 50 guns, two of 40 guns, and one of 24 guns. Three of
them were stationed off the port of Concepcion,* and one of them at the
Island of Juan Fernandez; and in these stations they continued cruising
for us till the 6th of June, when, not seeing anything of us, and
conceiving it to be impossible that we could have kept the seas so long,
they quitted their cruise and returned to Callao, fully satisfied that we
had either perished or at least had been driven back. As the time of
their quitting their station was but a few days before our arrival at the
island of Fernandez, it is evident that had we made that island on our
first search for it on the 28th of May, when we first expected to see it,
and were in reality very near it, we had doubtless fallen in with some
part of the Spanish squadron; and in the distressed condition we were
then in the meeting with a healthy, well-provided enemy was an incident