11' S. having passed the three famous
ports of Arica, Ylo, and Arequipa. The 22d March we were off the
harbour of Callao de Lima, when we saw two ships steering for that port,
to which we gave chase, and soon came up with the sternmost, which
proved to be the ship we had fought with off the island of Juan
Fernandez. We were very eager to stop her from going in, to prevent the
Spaniards from having intelligence of us, and hindering their merchant
ships from putting to sea, and did not question our taking her, being
all now in health; whereas on the former occasion, between twenty and
thirty of our men were very sick and weak. But Captain Dampier was
averse to attack her; and while the matter was disputing, both ships got
into the port of Lima, from whence twenty ships such as ours could not
have forced them out. This proceeding gave great offence to most of the
crew, and might have proved of bad consequence, had we not taken two
very considerable prizes a few days afterwards, one of 150 and the other
of 200 tons. We took out of these every thing that we thought useful,
and then dismissed them.
The 5th of April, we began to prepare for the great exploit our captain
meditated, of landing on the coast and plundering some rich city; for
which purpose our carpenters were ordered to fit up the launches or long
boats we had taken from our prizes, so as to land our men in safety, and
to fit two swivels in each launch.
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