long voyage from Boston, in New-England, in so distressed a situation, that you found yourself under the indispensable necessity, for want of provisions, wood and water, as the said governor advises in his official letters, that he could not excuse admitting you to anchor; and I have desired him to assist you with all the necessaries you should require, in your present situation, so as to enable you to return to sea, resuming the course of your intended voyage, north of California; where, it seems, something considerable, as you express, may be added to general discoveries, and the better improvement of navigation. These, no doubt, are laudable objects; and by what I see, (through the sincerity of your sentiments,) hope to see you enrolled among the order of illustrious circum-navigators of our time, especially if you are so conspicuously successful as to fall into the north-west passage, so often spoken of, searched for through the Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. A late certain navigator, Mr. Meares, whose voyage you were so good as to send me, and I return the two volumes by the bearer, with this letter through the hands of Don Louis De Olava, governor of Valparaiso, has been so ingenuous as to say, that his system of discoveries on the N. W. coast, were directed more properly to a lucrative fur-trade; but he is, at the same time, a writer of much merit; and to say the truth, there are some pieces, in his observations on the probability of a north-west passage, that must revive the old notion of Mr. Dobb's, and will so subsist until the world is entirely undeceived by some demonstration; which, at least, must be the case, for it is hard to believe, that, excepting through Behring's straits, there be any direct communication, by water, from the North Pacific to Hudson's bay, or any other part of the Atlantic or North Seas. In a land officer, like me, it is high presumption to give my opinion so decisively; but should you be so happy as to convince the world to the contrary, I shall have the honour to congratulate you most heartily on so glorious an enterprize. You will also receive, from the governor, the credential letter given in behalf of your expedition, at Philadelphia, by his Catholic majesty's envoy, or charge des affaires, Don Joseph Ignacius De Viar, which I return. Also the passport of the United States of North America, authorised with the signature of his excellency General WASHINGTON, whose immortal name I have had infinite satisfaction satisfaction to see stamped for the first time by his own hand; a hand and arm so dexterously strong and fatal to the British empire, and no less beneficent to the happy country that gave him birth. I wish you a happy voyage, with my compliments to your second, Capt. Magee and command. Gentlemen, your affectionate, humble servant, St. Jago, De Chili, 15 June, 1792. 、 To Josiah Roberts, Esq. commander of the ship Jefferson, Valparaiso: The 24th, we got all our supplies on board, consisting of the following articles, viz. 30 bushels of potatoes, for one dollar per bushel; 10 dozen fowls; 2 fat bullocks, at 9 dollars each; 8 large hogs; 2000 onions, weighing, on an average, one pound and a half each; a number of pumpkins, and cabbages, a quantity of lemmons, oranges, and nuts. The above articles this country abounds with, and produces them in the greatest perfection. The lands are fertile, and capable of as great improvement as any country on the globe; they raise the best of wheat, and other grains, in great abundance. The next day was disagreeable weather; but on the 26th, the weather having a settled appearance, at 4, P. M. unmoored ship, having all our business settled, and the governor's permission to put to sea; hove out to the best bower, tripped it, the wind then got light and baffling, dropped it again, and run out a hauser to the Spanish ship in shore, until a breeze would favour us. During the night, the wind was light and baffling, though a fine clear moon and star light. At day-light, in the morning, sprung up a light breeze from the southward: Got under way, the wind continuing light; got both boats ahead, and towed the ship out of the harbour. At 8 o'clock, A. M. the custom-house boat left us, with the officer and guard, who had been on board us since we came into port. When out clear of the harbour, we rounded to, to get our boats in. At noon, Valparaiso bore S. E. by S. 3 or 4 leagues distance, whose latitude we observed to be 32° 56' S. long. 72° 19' W. of Greenwich. Our stay in the above port was from the 4th to the 26th of June; in which time, none of us had permission to go on shore, shore, excepting the boat's crew, when filling our water, with a soldier along with them; and then they objected to an officer going in the boat. One day, the governor gave permission to land the forge, to get a palm to, and straighten the small bower anchor; which accordingly was landed on the beach, near the custom-house. The captain and second officer being on shore, attending the work, were visited by a number of gentlemen and ladies in the course of the day, some of whom belonged to St. Jago, the capital of Chili. The gentlemen and ladies were very polite, and seemed to feel much for us in not having the liberty of recreating ourselves on shore; if we had, they should be happy to entertain us in their different families; but the restrictions of the Spanish government deprived us of these pleasing enjoyments, while in this port, which we stood greatly in need of, after so long confinement on ship-board. In the afternoon, when the ladies and gentlemen made their second visit, they brought tea with them in silver pots and cups; and their manner of drinking it was through silver tubes. Some of the ladies presented the captain with some curious pocket pieces of silver and other metals. They were very agreeable all the afternoon, asking many questions in regard to how we liked the place, and the manner of their dress, which appeared very odd to us; or if the Boston ladies dressed different; and such like discourse. In the evening, the governor came to the works on the beach, and seemed much displeased with the company for having any communication with us; besides, he did not allow the captain, or any officer, to be on shore, though he did not give any orders to the contrary, when he gave liberty to land the forge. The ladies here, are extremely handsome; but their manner of dress did not seem pleasing to us. They wear large hoops, which extend 10 or 12 inches from the waist, all round; and the outside petticoat in large plaits all the way down, which must contain as much as 20 yards of silk, or any other cloth; it comes down a little below the knees; and from the hoop upward, they are laced tight, and wear a garment, similar to a cloak, round their shoulders. We had pleasant gales, from the S. E. quarter, as far as the long. 77° 30′ W. and the latitude 26° S. we then had the wind baffling, with light airs, for some days. July the 5th, we made the island St. Felix, bearing S. W. * Mr. Burling. about about 10 leagues. We observed the variation of the magnetic needle in our way from the continent to these islands, to be from 9 to 10 degrees east. At 6 o'clock, the morning of the 6th, we made the island St. Ambrose. It lies due west of St. Felix, about 4 or 5 leagues; and at first making, appears like two small islands, which we afterwards found to join by a reef. The smallest makes in the form of a shoe, for which we gave it the name of Shoe-island. These islands lie in the latitude 26° 13' south; and the longitude of the island St. Ambrose we make, by several good sights of the sun and moon, to be 80° 55′ W. of Greenwich. There is a large rock, about 4 miles to the northward of the island, which, at first making, appears like a sail, which we called Sail Rock. At 7 o'clock in the morning, we dispatched the pinnace, with the second officer and six hands, to examine St. Felix island, and found it inaccessible. They then proceeded to St. Ambrose, to examine it. At the same time, we stood on for it, with a light breeze from the eastward. At 5 in the evening, got abreast of St. Ambrose, bearing then south of us: Saw the pinnace, from 2 to 4 o'clock, examining the shore and inlets; hoisted a signal for her to return to the ship, but they did not perceive it. At half past 5, saw the pinnace, as it appeared to us, going into a creek; and at 7, they had a light on shore, from which we concluded they would remain all night. We kept a light at our mast-head, all the night, for the boat; but they did not return. At 7 o'clock, the next morning, we discovered the pinnace hauled up on the beach, with the people around her; we then supposed her stove, or that some accident had happened to them. immediately dispached the jolly-boat, with the third officer,* and three hands, to know the cause of their detention; and about ten o'clock she returned. The third officer, who went in her, informed us, the boat and crew were all safe on the beach, but could not get off through the turf. We immediately sent her back again with an anchor and lines, to haul the pinnace off the beach; at the same time, we could discover, with our glasses, numbers of seals on the shore; and the third officer informed us, that the rocks and beaches were covered with them. At two, P. M. being then the 8th of July, saw both boats coming off from the shore, and at four o'clock got along-side; the pinnace had in her 128 skins, and some seals, superior in quality to any I ever saw. They VOL. IV. informed Mr. Kendrick. G g We informed us, that there was no end to the quantity of seals on shore. We immediately got out the long-boat, prepared her for going on shore, the next morning, with stores and a crew. Accordingly, the next morning got the stores and sealing gear, with twelve hands, the second officer and myself, in the long and jolly-boats; and at 8 o'clock, we put off from the ship, equipped for work; they gave us three cheers, which we returned, and proceeded for the shore, which was then about three leagues S. W. of us. At noon, we got in with the shore; found it impossible to land, on account of the surf, it being much higher than we discovered it since we made the islands. We immediately returned to the ship, got along-side at one o'clock, took all the stores out of the boats, and veered them astern, the weather having a threatening, unsettled appearance. The weather continued unsettled until the 13th, during which time we kept between and about the islands, as near as the weather would admit; when, on that day, having a favourable appearance, we made the second attempt. At 8, A. M. left the ship, with both boats manned and stored as before; and at 10 o'clock got in with the shore, and anchored at the outside of the surf, landed in the jolly-boat myself and four hands, through a dangerous surf; took on shore with us, a hauling line from the long-boat, to haul the casks of water, and other stores, out of her. We launched the jolly-boat off a second time, and got all the people out of the long-boat, excepting the second officer and two hands, who remained to discharge her. The surf was then rising very fast; and when we got about half the stores on shore, the hauling line gave way; but by means of Thomas Kilby, who was an extraordinary good swimmer, brought it out again through a surf, that, at moderate calculation, ran from 12 to 18 feet high. This person we always found to be very serviceable, as oftentimes, when the boat came with supplies, we should find it impossible to land them, were it not for his exertions, who always would carry out a line to the boat, when it would be impossible for us to launch the jolly-boat. Got all the stores out of the boat, the surf rising to a prodigious height, and the weather having an unfavour able appearance; and finding it impossible to launch the jollyboat again, to take the remainder of the people out of the long-boat, |