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CRUIZE (f the O.YTARIO.
We arc indebted to a gentleman of this place
for permission to lay before our readers a copy
of the folllowing letter received by him from an
officer, on board the United States’ ship Ontario,
a native of this place. This letter will we doubt
not be read with interest by every one: it is re
plete with good sense and evinces that the writer,
who left this place an inexperienced youth a few
years ago,lias made good use of his time, ilis ex
ample is worthy of imitation.— IVinchcatcr (luz.
Cop) of a Utter from an officer onboard the United
States’ ship Ontario, to his friend in this place, dated
United States’ shift Ontario, Annapolis,
April 25, 1819.
Once more, my dear sir, I have safely re
turned to “the land of the free, and the home of
the brave.”
Nineteen months have rapidly passed away
since 1 took leave of my dear country for a cruise
in the Pacific ocean. When I look hack it ap
pears as hut a day—yet during that day I have
sailed in all my zigzag rambles over nearly
fifty thousand miles of old Neptune’s em
pire. The many strange places I have seen,
and the great variety of interesting objects pre
sented to the eye may in some degree account
for the apparent rapidity of old Time’s ilight—
but it is nevertheless a melancholy truth, that as
our years increase in number, they seem greatly
to decrease in length.
I wished very much for an opportunity to write
you from the Pacific,but met w ith none that pre
sented a reasonable prospect of your ever getting
the letter—l could there have given you much
interesting news if you feel, as I presume every
American docs, interested in the great cause
now pending in South America.
The period of our arrival in Chili was perhaps
the most eventful one in the history of that coun
try since the conquest —but as you have long
since been made acquainted, through the medi
um of newspapers, with the important occur
rences of that day, I shall not here trouble you
with a repetition of them, but, pursuing the inten
tion with w hich 1 sat down, shall proceed to give
you a sketch of the movements of the Ontario
during her absence from the United States. In
doing so I shall make, principally, plain extracts
from my journal—and avoid as much as possible
entering into particulars, which would perhaps
tire more than amuse you. I must here, howev
er, observe, that should you feel no relish for the
dry remarks of a sailor’s journal, the papers are
in your hands and may easily be committed to
the flaitics.
The first port we put into was Rio Janeiro
(Brazil) where we spent hut ten days refitting,
Sec. Sec. Thence directed our course towards
Cape I lorn—we passed that dreadful point of
terrors about the Ist of January, 1818. 1 have
never been in a clime so boisterous and disagreea
ble as that about the Cape—rains and storms pre
vail almost incessantly—the sea rolling in moun
tain waves; your trembling bark one moment
soars among the clouds, and the next sinks swift
ly between the foaming billow s as if never to rise
again.
It was midsummer when we passed it, and con
sequently we had almost continual day-light—
I the sun making but a small sweep below the hor
krison, where he remained only five hours and a
AmU'. left us a twilight in his absence, which, had
HVwcather been clear, would have been equal
full moon. The weather was not so cold
cn pc< H (1 to find it, even at that season,
a latitude as 6 > degrees south — the
stood ;it from to to la degrees of l’a
{MV thermometer. After buffeting the
|||||||Hfor fifty five days, during which we lost
Han overboard, and carried aw av some of
HHBlit spars we cist auehot in the ba\ of Yak
(Chili.) F
is a small, ill contrived, dirty town,
the side of a red clay hill that scarce
Wfbrds nerbage for a goat. The houses arc gen
erally vei%Mnall, meanly built, w ittarbrick floors
and tile population is jjQjrimour to five
thousand souls—they are very e&symYheir man
ners and hospitable to strapgers. mltkr a stay
there of six weeks 1
where we arrived in ISkye days—\% gave the ‘
vice king of Peru the li fuam.aliui||u fthe de
feat of his army at the fainorr* batucßMllajpo,
w hich so humbred the that lie
not only received us with a
which he, is not in the habit of
but, at \jfß request of captain B. he
order Addressed to the commodore of his squad
ron, off’ Valparaiso, lo permit all the American
merchant vessels then in that port to proceed to
ksea without intei vuption. This very important
“order rendered it necessary for the Ontario to re
turn immediately to Valparaiso, as there were
■five valuable vessels then preparing to sail for
Bovina. Captain B. consented to take on board
from the v ice king, to negociatc
Hrth the Chili government for an exchange of pri
soners, and to act himself in the capacity of me
diator. On our return to Valparaiso, I had the
pleasure to accompany those gentlemen to Santi
ago, (the capital, about one hundred miles in the
interior.) On our arrival in the suburbs we
were met by an officer of distinction at the head
of a corps of dragoons, which paid captain B. mi
litary honors and escorted us to quarters that
had been prepared for captain B. and most splen
didly fitted up by order’of the supreme director;
during our stay there, our table was every day
supplied in the most sumptuous manner—the
wines, fruits and delicacies of every dc-
were crowded upon it in the greatest
short every respect and ad-, ntion
&
SirTV\ *“ i)As.
H ‘ V-
guard of honor that escorted us back to the port,
stole my sword, epaulette and the chapeau do
bras which had been given him to carry.
Santiago is a handsome, regular and well built
city—has from thirty to forty thousand inhabit
ants—it has several very rich churches, and some
other elegant public buildings, particularly a
mint, which, I think, is not surpassed, if equall
ed, by any building on the whole continent of A
inerica; it is four hundred and eighty feet in front,
two stories high, and every way large in due pro
portion, and is built of a very fine w hite free
stone. We spent six days in the city—no ar
rangement for exchange of prisoners could be
agreed on. On our return to the port we imme
diately put to sea for the river Columbia, (N. W.
coast) touching at Lima to land the Spanish com
missioner. On the 19th August we anchored
off the entrance of that river. The bar being
too intricate and dangerous for a vessel of the
()ntario’s draft of water to pass in, we manned
three boats with lilty well armed seamen and
rowed up the river to the establishment founded
there by a Mr. Astor, of New-York, but then in
the possession of the British N. W. company—
you may recollect that the post was taken from
Mr. Astor during the late war with Kngland; by
the treaty of Ghent it must be restored to us,
and I understood it has been actually given up,
since we left there to the United States’ agent
appointed to receive it. It is situated on what is
called point George, about 18 miles from the en
trance of the l iver: consists of one large frame
house, five or six small ones, some store houses,
shops, See. Around the whole is a strong
high picket to protect them from the Indians,
who are sometimes disposed to be troublesome,
l'wenty-five whites, the same number of Sand
wich Islanders, w ith three six pounders, consti
tutes the whole force of the settlement. Captain
Biddle was not authorised by his instructions to
haul down the English flag and place in its stead
the American stripes; we how ever took formal
possession of the country on lioth of ffver,
in the name and on the beXlPofmc United States,
with all the ceremony usual on such occasions.
We passed the night uncomfortable enough in
our boats, which we anchored near an Indian
village. The Indians came amongst us in con
siderable numbers with great familiarity, were
very merry and friendly, offering us their dried
salmon to eat. Their first inquiries were wheth
er we were king George’s men or Boston men;
on being told Boston men, they repeated several
times “Boston men Kiosk” which signifies good-,
so you see they understand at least one part of
the policy of civilized nations, The greater part
of the men were entirely naked, and the women
were as little covered as the most relaxed laws
of decency would admit of. They have, in com
mon, flat heads and distorted features; the latter
is no doubt, caused by the operation of flattening
the head, which is done by confining it in infancy,
between two boards, and keeping it in that situa
tion till, as the head grows, it assumes the admir
ed form. Take them “all in all” they arc, in
my opinion, the most ill-looking, dirty, disgujg|
ing objects of the human race, and I hope nqjfer
to look upon their like again.”
The country as far as we could see,hf#ars no
signs of cultivation. The natives livaby fishing
antLhunting. The English raise spine cattie,
ancrreccive flour and salt provision twice a year
fronwGanada by way of Cape 11
On me morning of the 20thJ(he sea broke so
heavy orfffie bar, that we wgrypll very near being
drowned nuattempting to ggf oil board oiw ship.
I think 1 nfflfcer was so nesgjrthe lenge of eternity
before; for boat in JPiith tie re was twenty
men, was half ru 11 of wjper alongside.
We however got all j*afe on boartfi M|*4giied our
anchor, and under a press ui, sail stood awav to
the southward five days after'TOMamr to an an
chor in the bay oLMoutery, (California.) —The
Spaniards have there a small fortress with a gar
rison perhaps apn ft y menvwho are |lacjpd there,
they say, entiwly for the p%tectiont>f siprae two
or three religious missions established in the vi
cinity for the purpose of converting the wild chil
dren of thdforest to the catholic faith—but I am
inclined think that their object quite so
humaneJtnd disinterested as they would wish one
so beliejpe; for where mild persuasion, {which is,
I thipfflthe only weapon that should ever be used
in sutfl cases) fails to effect their purposb, they
do not hesitate to use the most arbitrary and un
feeling means to accomplish it; as an evidence of
this, I mention the following circumstance. Ram
bling in the woods one day wktßMßgrm
of parftid ges, (which by the bya arcvery j
plenty,) I fell in with two Indiapafwjio were em
ployed cutting wqg*k witlreach heavy pair of
irons onjiivlegf; Tasked them iiwSjiamsh, (for
vuu-’rtffist know I have learnt to%iake myself
understood in that language,) why mtey were in
irons; they said they had attempted t<7 run away
and return to their nation in the interior,Vnd were
caught and shackled as I saw. 1 advised them
to beat oft’their disgraceful fetters with their axe,
and shewed them how it might be done; they
looked so significantly at each other, that I am
convinced trrey had never thought of such aj
thing before, but I have no doubt they very soon
followed my advice.
As the Spanish force is much too small to cope
with the Indians in the field, they have adopted
the following singular stratagem to keep them
under, which has had, so far the desired effect.
The priests collect all the young females, and
put them into a strong building erected for that
purpose, where they are taught to spin, weave,
sew, Sic. They are strictly guarded, and never
suffered to leave their prison, until the holy fa
ther gives them away in marriage, at which time
he always stipulates for the female children that
may make their appearance on the stage of life.
By thus keeping the women in their power, the
men are restrained from acts of violence.
As Monterey and \ irginia lay in the same par-
the climate ant} productions, oft
, I and all the fruits of Virginia are there in the
highest perfection. We remained but a few
days to refresh ourselves, lay in a supply of wood,
. water, Scr. and on the 23d of October, anchored
for the third time in the harbor of Lima.
If you do not expect a particular description
of Lima, I shall be glad of it, for you will not then
he disappointed, when you see how briefly I pass
it over. You may remember that it was found
ed by the famous Pizarro, who built himself a
great palace, and was murdered in it bv a gang
of conspirators. It is situated two leagues from
the sea, in a beautiful vale called the Rinac, on
the hank of a river of the same name; is sur
rounded by a wall 20 feet high; has about 65,000
inhabitants, of whom there may be 20,000 whites;
is crowded with public buildings; among which
are upwards of 40 churches, all immensely rich;
in every one may be seen at least one Virgin
Mary, with a crown upon her head of pure gold,
ornamented with the richest gems. Large col
umns supporting images, tables, candle-sticks,
and v arious other affairs, all of massy silver, may
be seen in any of them. There is, as fmi may
suppose, no want of monasteries, convents and
nunneries, and if you like you may go and make
love through their iron grates, to a pretty nun at
lioon day. The women are generally handsome,
but so extremely ignorant, that their first inqui
ries were almost always about the fashions in
London, believing that all who speak English
must of course belong to that place. They are
utterly without modesty in either manners or con
versation.* ****************
I will here then do the Limanians the justice to
say that they are polite ahd hospitable to stran
gers, at least they were so to us, though it is very
evident that they have no love for the North Am
ericans, for viewing them as republicans, they
naturally consider them as decided friends to the
patriot cause; (had we been more so than *ve
have, we should have been more respected by
both parties.) We were suffered to live at no
expense in their city; were lodged and hand
somely entertained in the first private families,
and always invited to the vice king’s dinners.
You must observe, that, so far, I have spoken
of their private character only.—The govern
ment must be viewed in a very different light.
There is no law for any but officers and soldiers;
a fljain coat seldom finds its way through the yk
kimffiLar uards; and if on a foreigner’s
withbribes. —Foret alone
but; sir, they are thfnfcßgkff the
A mere an navy, ar.d the
wind that there. 1 Ifigger
ship to themadEw; we hinted a
line of rifatue ship in the Pacific—for it
is, that the little Ontario was looked upon witVa
great deal more respect than contempt, and the
demands of her commander promptly attended
to. We found two of our merchant vessels
there that had been captured and condemned
some months before, for having on board some
contraband articles, supposed to be for the pa
triots of Chili:—they were valued together at
near seven hundred thousand dollars:—their
commanders had been for some time petitirfing
for anew trial, but with very little hopespiff suc
cess whfcu vve arrived. At capt. I>’sj(l > equcst a
new trial ordered, the fermerJfcision was
reversed, and the vessels restontfrro their com
manders. iiUqujpmrty American
seamen confined in prisyoT Lima; on the
demand, pf ,B- ffiey.afire all given up tons,
though mn taken in arms
against the king of * • .
Having accoirm|Rhijd the different objects of
our visit to hhsufin their fullest extent, we took
a last i.i eviprfn of that place, ahd shaped our
course fcwJFalparaiso. On our passage we pas
sed c’osuplSboard the celebrated island of Robin
son ifir ® c ’ ( a 'i as Juan Fernandez,) I thought of
okl mdbinson and his man Friday, and licit a
strong desire to land and search for the spot
where his hut stood; but a fresh and favoring
gale soon put an end to that idea by carrying us
in view of the coast of Chili.
Me found on our arrival in the bay of Valpa
raiso, a patriot squadron of one ship of 64 guns,
two of 44 , one of which had lately been captured, ,
together with five transports, part of an expedi
tion sent out from Spain to reinforce the vice-roy ;
of Peru,) one of 22 guns, and two or three small
er vessels, all under command of the English
lord Cochrane, as high admiral. * * * ;; * * *
1 he squadron and several transports were fil
ling out for an expedition against Lima; they have
probably made the attack before this, and if
have managed decently they no iloubt have been
successful; as they would joined by
all the colored people rat<?rVmcti compose
at least two thirds ilie'fvo^plafMf l Ad the vice
roy hasnofc’ more than sevefi soldiers,
mmwtifwhom cannot safely be lvlifwm. San
Martin, the patriot general, is a deep Icheriftng
fellow, and 1 think a very great scoundrel, and
am of opinion if he takes Lima he will establish
himself there, with what title he pleases, and poor
i Chili may whistle for her ships and soldiers, and
protect herself as well as she can, against her old
frietids the Spaniards. Time, they say, shews
all things.
I feel really half inclined to tell you a long
| story about Chili, its climate, productions, inhab
itants, &c. Sic. and believe I could do so without
mentioning a single circumstance that was unin
teresting to myself; but I dare not in conscience
trespass so long on your time, which may be
much better employed in almost any other way
than reading these dull sheets—besides, if you
have any curiosity that way, Molina’s history of
Chili will satisfy it much more to your heart’s
content than I can.
M e stayed in Valparaiso only long enough to
take in supplies of provisions, wood, water, Sic.
and repassed Cape Horn in January with rather !
more .pleasant weather than before. After anas- 1
| port oi Pio Janeiro—i wrote vou ircm that
place on cur passage out, I shah trouble you
with no farther account of it. There were, in
Rio, from fifteen to twenty American merchant
vessels, making most dismal voyages; the mar
ket so glutted with wheat and flour that they were
actually selling their cargoes below first cost, and
glad to get any thing near it.
On our passage along the coast of Brazil, we
touched at the city of Pernambuco—crossed the
equinoctial line for the fourth time, April ],
and on the 2 Ist inst. the blue hills of Columbia
once more reared their lofty summits above the
watery waste. I now ride sale at auchoi in mv
native land, and when I take a retrospective v low
of all the different countries I hav seen in this
and former voyages, my own stands so exaited
by the comparison, that wbile life lasts, I shall
continue to say toil in the words of apod,
“Where e’er I go, whatever realms l ser,
My heart untrav ell’d stiff shall turn to thee.”
DEFEAT OF MACGREGOR.
Baltimore, June 2.
Captain Fleetwood of the schooner Sam, ar
rived here yesterday in 25 days from Porto Bel
lo, reports that general MacGregor made his ap
pearance off the harbour of Porto Bello on the
7th of April. On the Bth he landed his forces,
amounting to upwards of one thousand men, and
on the day following entered and took possession
of the place. He remained in possession 21 days
without succeeding in gaining any of the inhabit
ants over to Iris standard. The depredations and
robberies of his party on private property com
pelled the inhabitants to abandon their houses
and fly to the mountains for refuge.
At the last of April general If ore (Royalist)
entered Porto Bello at 6 in the morning, and sur
prised MacGregor and and his followers, who
were asleep. MacGregor and 50r6 of Lis men
escaped with difficulty by leaping from a window
20 feet high and swimming on board of one of
his vessels.
Five hundred prisoners have been sent to Pa
nama. There were 60 men killed and 40 wound
ed, the greatest part of whom were officers.—
Stragglers were daily brought in from the neigh
boring mountains. The loyalists lost two men
I killed and four wounded.— American.
Extract of a letter from Porto Bello, dated the
4th May.
“On the night of the 30th ult. the Spanish
forces from Panama, commanded by general
Hore, marched into the neighborhood of this
city, intending to make an attack at day-light on
the town, in conjunction with colonel Santacruz’s
division, according to previous arrangements. —
This division, however, did not arrive as soon as
was expected, and general Hore was in conse
quence about retiring when it appeared—and at
six in the morning he entered the town without
the smallest opposition. The Spanish troopsoc-
at the same time, all the different
the mlMJgents who were exercising in the square,
were irmijyMlialely attacked, and the greater part
of them compelled to surrender—colonel O’Hai a
received two his groins as he was going
into the fort, taken prisoner—he died
the second day into the hospital,
MacGregor was in IxxrUttlie time of attack, and
to escape leapntkfMfci into the street,
ran to the shotjfalid swafflNujJioard the brig
Hero. Govma<fr Lopez, who slept in the next
room, wmJdfled in bfy. Colonel Rafter, with a
few retired to a fort on the beach,
whcjdf; being attacked by the royalists lie was
compelled to surrender.—The loss of ihc insur
gents amounts to 80 killed, and about 50 wound
ed. The Spaniards lost only 4 men, which must
he attributed to MacGregor’s having been com
pletely surprised, on account of not having a
single centinel or piquet stationed out of town.
Seventy-three officers were marched off’ to Pa
nama, and general Hore, after making all neces
sary arrangements respecting the disposal of his
forces, and the security of the prisoners, return
ed to Panama by way of Chagres. The greatest
care has been taken of the wounded and sick
After the capture of Porto Bello, general Hore
issued a proclamation, promising to provide those
of the prisoners who were mechanics, with the
means of following their respective trades; and
all of them have been treated with great hu
manity.”
Prom the Ghtsgoiv JFerahl, of March 22
IMPROVED STEAM NAVIGATION.
As every tiling relating to the navigation is of the ut
most importance to the trade and interests of this coun
try, we announce with the greatest satisfaction, and a
considerable degree of confidence, an important dis
covery in anew method of propelling ships or vessels
of any description by steam. We are happy to say that
Glasgow has the honor of that discovery, and that James
Jaftray, i.T. 1). professor of anatomy in our college, is
the inventor, for which he has lately obtained a patent,
extending to Great Rriiain and Ireland and the colonies
thereunto belonging. The principle which wifi soon
be laid before tlie public, we have seen, audit is so ex
tremely simple, that without wading into the principles
of mechanics, or the laws of fluids, we have little hesi
tation in saying that it is likely to succeed beyond any
thing at present anticipated or calculated upon. Les
sening every expense connected with the building and
outfit of ships; durability, expedition, and, above all,
certainty and safety in its movements, in comparison of
the present system are combined, and stand forward in
such a commanding and conspicuous point of view, that
it cannot fail to conic into general use amongst all com
mercial nations.—The simple but powerful machinery,
will be so placed, that unless tlieve ssel is dashed to
pieces it cannot be injured, and scarcely any thing can
go wrong but what may be repaired in a short period.
It will work unaffected by any surge. The fiercest
storms, and the loftiest billows, cannot injure its powers,
nor though directed against her course, materially re
tard the sliip that is propelled by it. The deeper in
the vessel it is placed, and the greater resistance it
meets with from the surrounding fluid, so much great
er in degree, will its powers he increased, and accord
ing to the force of the engine on board.—lt can also be
| constructed so as to he
■ ‘