This probably means battatas or potatoes, a native
production of Chili.
- E.]
From thence they went to the island of St Mary, in lat. 37 deg. S. eighteen
miles [ninety-five English] from Mocha, where they fell in with a
Spanish ship carrying lard and meal from Conception to Valdivia in
Araucania, which they chased and took. The pilot of this ship informed
them that they would not be able to return to the island of St Mary,
owing to the south wind, and that two Spanish ships of war were waiting
for them at Arica. Upon this information they resolved to sail for
Valparaiso, and by that means quite lost all chance of being rejoined by
the Henry Frederick, which might otherwise have got up with them.
Besides, they concluded that the missing ship had failed to find St
Mary's isle, owing to its being wrong placed in the map of Plancius, in
lat. 38 deg. S. which error they themselves had fallen into, had they not
been set right by the observations of Mr Mellish. They were farther
confirmed in the resolution of not returning to the island of St Mary,
by hearing of the misfortune which had there befallen Simon de Cordes,
who was there butchered with twenty-three of his men, after being
invited on shore in a friendly manner by the Indians, owing to the
treachery of the Spaniards endeavouring to get possession of his two
ships, and sending intelligence to Lima and all about the country of the
arrival of the Dutch in these seas, with a list of their ships, and the
names of all their commanders.
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