Introduction
I hope, eventually, to have a full transcription of the 'Log' of The Commerce here. This is years away, but I may have further 'extracts' available here before too long. For now, there is just the first chapter: 'Taken Prisoner', and the preceding content.
The text here is an OCR generated copy of the 1930s typewritten transcription of Welham's longhand by Alexander South Clarke (1886-1975). Errors are possible. I have converted his numbered footnote references into hyperlinks, but these are still tagged 'A.S.C.'. You may notice an archaism or two with them. Explicit page numbers are omitted from this transcription but, if you need to link to a specific one, then you can find ID attributes like "p123" throughout the HTML.
March 2023
Capt. WELHAM CLARKE.
Frontispiece
LIST OF MAPS AND
ILLUSTRATIONS
- Captain Welham Clarke.
- Frontespiece.
- Robert Sparrow Esquire.
- Page 41.
- The Port of Baldivia.
- Page 60.
- The Bay of Guiaquil.
- Page 100.
- The Lima Passport.
- Page 133.
- The Mexican Passport.
- Page 213.
- The Vera Cruiz Passport.
- Page 234.
- A Map of South America or New Spain.
- At the End.
CONTENTS
- Preface
- Page
- Taken Prisoner
- Page 1.
- Sent to Lima
- Page 7.
- Don Juan José Ayuta
- Page 15.
- Back to Prison
- Page 21.
- The Story of Tucama the Cacique
- Page 25.
- The Execution
- Page 33.
- The Vice Roy, Don Ambrose O'Higgins
- Page 38.
- Out of Prison
- Page 45.
- To the Silver Mine
- Page 56.
- The Return to Lima
- Page 73.
- The Port of Callao
- Page 85.
- Escape
- Page 92.
- At Guayaquil
- Page 98.
- The Fisheries
- Page 104.
- We Sail for Spain
- Page 111.
- Back in Lima
- Page 124.
- A Description of Lima
- Page 139.
- The Inquisition
- Page 153.
- The Bull Fight
- Page 171.
- The Voyage to Acapulco
- Page 185.
- Mexico City
- Page 197.
- To Vera Cruiz
- Page 211.
- At Vera Cruiz
- Page 225.
- The Bahamas
- Page 235.
- We Sail for Home
- Page 240.
PREFACE
THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE BY CAPTAIN WELHAM CLARKE IS PERHAPS
the most interesting of his Diaries and Logs in my possession.
It is considerably longer than this transcription, but I thought it more suitable to omit various lengthy quotations from Stephenson, Humboldt, and Ulloa's Travels, chiefly concerning the Flora of the Country, and confine this transcription to his personal experiences. In one or two cases of more than usual interest the extracts from other writers have been retained, as for instance in the description of the Inquisition at Lima, but in every case of a quotation I have shewn, so far as I can tell, the source from which it was obtained, as marked in the Diary.
The remainder of the transcription is identical with the original text in other respects, with two exceptions. Firstly, the diary continues from the commencement to the end without a break of any kind, and it seemed to me more convenient and agreeable to the reader, if it were divided into chapters under appropriate headings. The reader will therefore understand, that in the original, the text carries on from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next without any extraneous title, as in this transcription. Secondly, in one or two cases I have re-arranged or omitted certain paragraphs to prevent repetition. The illustrations, index, translations of the Passports, and foot notes have of course been added by me.
Taken Prisoner
17 June 1796
I SAILED FROM LONDON JUNE 17th 1796, IN THE SHIP
"COMMERCE", 250 Tons burden, on a voyage round Cape Horn
to the Coast of South America on the Southern Spermaceti
Whale Fishery, with a Crew of 26 Men and Boys, armed with
8 Six Pounder Guns. This was before Bonaparte took
possession of Spaine.[nps]
I stopped at Rio de Janeiro to get Refreshments and other Necessaries, passed round Cape Horn and began my Fishery of the Islands of Santa Maria in Lat. 36° 25' S. I was very successful and in the Month of April, 1797, I had killed to my boat 15 Spermaceti Whales, my Mate had killed 13, and my Second Mate 8, which yielded us 75 Tons of oil, about half the quantity we had Casks for. Spermaceti oil when I sailed was £80 a ton.
The Weather now became too boisterous to continue so far to the Southward, and being the time Ships in general leave this part of the Coast for the Galapagos Isles on the Equator, I stood way to the Northward, with the intent of going to complete my Voyage at those Islands.
I owned one-eighth of the "COMMERCE" and had on board £1000 of Goods for Trade on the Coast; this sum was advanced by my good Friend Mr. Sparrow of Worlingham Hall,[spw] Suffolk, and I was to have half the Profits for my trouble. When off the small Port of Iquiqui, I stood into the Bay and came to an Anchor. I perceived the Inhabitants leaving the small Town and running up the side of the Hill. For all this (I was blind) I went on Shore in my boat and was received very friendly by the Governor. He excused the Inhabitants leaving the Town, by saying an English Ship, a Privateer, had been in the Port and conducted themselves in a very bad manner. (No doubt, they knowing of the war, had been plundering.) Even this did not open my eyes! The Governor was very civil, and permitted me to purchase Provisions. I then weighed Anchor and proceeded to Pisco, stood into the Bay there and anchored. Here a Portuguese that spoke English came on board, and told me the news of several whalers and their Captains, who had been here and afterwards sailed for the Galapgos Isle. A lie, they were all taken possession of here.
The next Morning, taking my Ship's Papers, and having took out a brace of pocket Pistoles which I laid on the table loaded to take with me, but going away in hurry, I forgot to take them, and after charging my Mate not to let a Boat leave the Ship until I returned, I got into my Boat and went on Shore.
I was received very friendly by the Governor, and as invited to stay and dine with him. This, I had been informed, was customary.
The Cloth was laid and all was ready. The Governor sat looking out of the door into a Courtyard before the House, I sat fronting the Governor with my back to the Yard. Suddenly I heard a great Noise and Uproar outside, and looking round I saw ten or twelve Men, armed, who rushed in upon me, and in an instant I had a Pistole to my Head, and the point of a Sword at my Breast, they crying out "You are a Prisoner"!
The thought of the moment was to shoot the Governor for his Treachery, and my hand went to my Trouser Pocket for my Pistole, but by an overacting Power, - a kind Providence - my Pistoles were left behind, and were on the Cabin Table, if they had not by now been removed by the renegade Portuguese who had made out that he was the English Interpreter.
He had learned the Language, but was deficient in the Principle! He said he was sent by the Governor to invite me on Shore the next morning, and to dine; he offered to remain on board all night and did so. He told me of several Whalers, their names and Captains, all of them I knew were on the Coast, and added they were all gone to fish at the Galapagos Islands, when the Truth was they had all been taken by the Deceit of this Rascal, and sent to Lima, through their not knowing of the war. He was very fond of Porter, and I gave him his fill, hoping to intoxicate him, knowing men when drunk mostly speak the Truth, but he was too cunning for me. When I was on Shore at the Governor's house, he took a boat - after getting my boats crew into a Grogshop with people to watch them - and went on board and told my Chief Mate, an American who I took for his being a good Whaler, that I was going to dine with the Governor, and that after Dinner he (the Governor) wished to come on board with a party of Ladies and Gentlemen to see the Ship, and that I wished the Mate to send two more boats on Shore to bring them all on board. My Mate had made free with the Rum Bottle, and was not able to recollect my particular orders, and so obstinate when the Second and Third Mates told him they heard me say no boat was to go on Shore in my absence, that he - not in his senses - would send the two boats on Shore. That was 18 of my Crew absent from the Ship, leaving only 8 on board. As soon as the two boats were landed the Crews were enticed to different Grogshops, made Prisoner, and put in Irons. After all this it was that I was taken Prisoner, and my not having my Pistoles saved the Governor's life, and in all probability mine as well.
I was put into a room with my Surgeon and three Mates, none of us were ironed, but an armed officer with us. Here those of us who could sleep, did so, my feelings prevented me!
In the morning I had the heartrending sight of seeing all my Crew in irons, some chained two and two. The Renegade had gone on board, taken possession of the Ship, and brought the remaining part of the crew on Shore. Here was a sudden change from being Captain and part Owner of fine Ship, and now Prisoner, many thousands of miles from Home.
One of my Mates, Mr. Le Breton,[brn] was permitted to go on board to get what had not been plundered of my Clothes, Books etc. I had two Flutes on board, and I requested the Governor to let me have one, but the Rascal of a Portuguese had got them both, and he had the impudence to pass the door where I was
standing with them I caught hold of him and took one of the Flutes, but he got the Key Joint, and I could never get it. Then next day I was told his Children were fed with my Silver Spoon, but I could get no redress, for they were all, Governor and all, "catch as catch can and hold fast".
We were all treated very well, and many of the Inhabitants appeared to feel for us. There was a Gentleman from Lima, - a Limarian, that is one born in the Country - he came and condoled with me. He told the Interpreter to tell me not to be downcast, and that when we got to Lima he would be a Friend to me, and as the sequel of this Narative will tell, he was the most Sincere and Disinterested Friend I ever had, excepting my long tryed Friend Mr. Sparrow.