The 15th April they came to Moro Moreno, in lat. 23 deg. 30’ S. under the tropic of Capricorn, where there is an excellent harbour, made by means of an island, having an entrance for ships at either end.  The admiral went ashore here with thirty men, and was met by the Indians, who brought them water and wood on their backs.  These are a simple sort of people, living in a wild and savage manner, in great dread of the Spaniards.  They brought the admiral and his company to their houses, about two miles from the harbour.  These were only constructed of a few rafters laid across upon forked sticks stuck in the ground, having a few boughs laid over them by way of a roof.  Their beds were the skins of wild beasts laid on the ground; and their food little else than raw stinking fish.  When any of them dies, he is buried with all his arms and goods, as bows and arrows, and even his canoe is laid in the earth along with him.  Their canoes, if such they may be called, consist of two skin bags, like large bladders, blown up with quills at one end, and fastened together by the sinews of some wild beast; yet in these they think nothing of venturing to sea, loading them even with great quantities of fish, part of which they have to give in tribute to the Spaniards, the rest being kept to stink for their own eating.

On the 3d May, they came into a bay on which were three small towns, Paracca, Chincha, and Pisco, which latter is in lat. 13 deg. 20’ S.[51] They landed here, and took some provisions, as wine, bread, poultry and figs, from the houses, but could not get ashore at the best of these towns, owing to the sea running too high.  By this time; they had made two valuable prizes, laden with sugar, melasses, maiz, cordovan leather, montego de porco, packs of painted calicoes, Indian coats, marmalade, hens, and other articles, which would have yielded L20,000, if there had been any opportunity for selling their cargoes.  That not being the case, they took out as much as could be conveniently stowed in their own ships, burning their two prizes with the rest of their contents.

[Footnote 51:  Pisco, the principal of these towns, is in lat. 16 deg. 43’ S.]

The 26th May, they came into the road Payta, in lat. 5 deg. 4’ S. the town being very neat and clean, and containing about 200 houses.  Landing here with sixty or seventy men, Candish had a skirmish with the inhabitants, whom he beat out of the town, forcing them to take refuge in the hills, whence they continued to fire at the English, but would not venture a fair battle on the plain ground.  Having possessed themselves of the town, the English marched after the enemy on the hill, and put them completely to the rout, seizing all their baggage, which they brought back with them to the town.  They here found all sort of household stuff, together with warehouses well filled with various kinds of goods, and twenty-five pound weight of silver in pieces of eight.  After taking away what plunder they found convenient, they set fire to the town, which was burnt to the ground, and destroyed likewise a bark at anchor in the roads; after which they set sail for Puna.