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Captain Eaton in the Nicholas having separated from the Revenge, left the Gulf of Amapalla on the 2d September, 1684, as formerly mentioned, which place we also left next day, directing our course for the coast of Peru.  Tornadoes, with thunder, lightning, and rain, are very frequent on these coasts from June to November, mostly from the S.E. of which we had our share.  The wind afterwards veered to W. and so continued till we came in sight of Cape St Francisco, where we met with fair weather and the wind at S.

Cape St Francisco, in lat. 0 deg. 50’ N. is a high full point of land, covered with lofty trees.  In passing from the N. a low point may be easily mistaken for the cape, but soon after passing this point the cape is seen with three distinct points.  The land in its neighbourhood is high, and the mountains appear black.  The 20th September we came to anchor in sixteen fathoms near the island of Plata, in lat. 1 deg. 15’ S. This island is about four miles long and a mile and half broad, being of some considerable height, and environed with rocky cliffs, except in one place at the east end, where the only fresh-water torrent of the isle falls down from the rocks into the sea.  The top of the island is nearly flat, with a sandy soil, which produces three or four kinds of low small trees, not known in Europe, and these trees are much overgrown with moss.  Among these trees the surface is covered with pretty good grass, especially in the beginning of the year, but there are no land animals to feed upon it, the great number of goats that used to be found here formerly being all destroyed.  Is has, however, a great number of the birds named Boobies and Man-of-war birds.  Some say that this island got the name Isola de Plata from the Spaniards, from the circumstance of Sir Francis Drake having carried to this place their ship the Cacafoga, richly laden with silver, which they name Plata.

The anchorage is on the east side, about the middle of the island, close to the shore, within two cables length of the sandy bay, in eighteen or twenty fathoms, fast ooze, and smooth water, the S.E. point of the island keeping off the force of the south wind which usually blows here.  In this sandy bay there is good landing, and indeed it is the only place which leads into the island.  A small shoal runs out about a quarter of a mile from the east point of the island, on which shoal there is a great rippling of the sea when the tide flows.  The tide here has a strong current, setting to the south with the flood, and to the north when it ebbs.  At this east point also there are three small high rocks, about a cable’s length from the shore; and three much larger rocks at the N.E. point.  All round the isle the water is very deep, except at the before-mentioned anchorage.  Near the shoal there are great numbers of small sea-tortoises, or turtle, formerly mentioned as found at the Gallapagos.  This island of Plata is four or five leagues W.S.W. from Cape San Lorenzo.