s stations at which the
ships of the squadron were to rendezvous, had considered that it was
possible his own ship might be disabled from getting round Cape Horn, or
might be lost; and had given proper directions that even in that case the
expedition should not be abandoned. For the orders delivered to the
captains the day before we sailed for St. Catherine's were that in case
of separation--which they were with the utmost care to endeavour to
avoid--the first place of rendezvous should be the Bay of Port St.
Julian. If after a stay there of ten days, they were not joined by the
Commodore, they were then to proceed through Straits le Maire round Cape
Horn into the South Seas, where the next place of rendezvous was to be
the island of Nuestra Senora del Socoro.* They were to bring this island
to bear east-north-east, and to cruise from five to twelve leagues'
distance from it, as long as their store of wood and water would permit,
both which they were to expend with the utmost frugality. And when they
were under an absolute necessity of a fresh supply, they were to stand
in, and endeavour to find out an anchoring-place; and in case they could
not, and the weather made it dangerous to supply their ships by standing
off and on, they were then to make the best of their way to the island of
Juan Fernandez. And as soon as they had recruited their wood and water,
they were to continue cruising off the anchoring-place of that island for
fifty-six days, in which time, if they were not joined by the Commodore,
they might conclude that some accident had befallen him; and they were
forthwith to put themselves under the command of the senior officer, who
was to use his utmost endeavours to annoy the enemy both by sea and land.
With these views their new Commodore was to continue in those seas as
long as his provisions lasted, or as long as they were recruited by what
he should take from the enemy, reserving only a sufficient quantity to
carry him and the ships under his command to Macao at the entrance of the
River Tigris, near Canton, on the coast of China, where, having supplied
himself with a new stock of provisions he was thence without delay to
make the best of his way to England.

(*Note. Nuestra Senora del Socoro is one of the smaller outer islands of
the Chonos Archipelago on the western coast of Patagonia.)

The next day we had very squally weather, attended with rain, lightning,
and thunder; but it soon became fair again,