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Discovery Valpariso Chili
March 26th - 1795-
Sir Joseph
My last letter to you was from Monterrey in California dated in November last which as it went by the way of Mexico I trust you will receive long before this comes to hand. We left Monterrey the second of December and in our way to the Southward, made the coast of California in two or three places, from the south point of which we directed our course to the Maria's Islands off St. Blas where we anchored a few hours, but not finding any water, we left them, & after passing Cape Corientes [Corrientes] on the Coast of Mexico we steered for Cocco's Island Lat: 5º-33' North Long: 273º-28'. and a most tedious sultry passage we had of it ; - here we stayed four days & got plenty of wood, water & Cocco-nuts. After we left the Coccos which is only about four leagues in circumference we in crossing the Equator passed what we took to be the westernmost of the Gallapagoes, a large dreary barren Island with some high Mountains whose sides were here & there covered with tufts of dry shriveled grass & a few scattering bushes, but the lower ground was strewed over with black rugged lava & scoria without the least soil or Vegetation or any fresh water - its shores were inhabited by vast numbers of Seals, Penguins, Guanas [Iguanas], Lizards & Snakes, the westernmost point is in latitude 0º - 2'N.
[In different hand] June 30 1795.