" The bread barrels were soon roused off, and the gentleman hauled out; and although he was a large and powerful man, he had stowed himself away in a place hardly big enough for a man half his size- He was bleeding profusely, as the sword had gone through his thigh. The captain ordered him in double irons, and to be placed under the sentinel's charge until the measure of his punishment should be determined. Next day, I went on board the Archimedes with my carpenters, to finish the repairs on her deck; and when the two ships came near each other, a gang of these desperate piratical villains rushed aft, with an intention of jumping on board the whaleship, to take my life; and as the distance was rather too great for a jump, they did not attempt it, but shook their fists and knives at me, calling me by every horrid name they could think of, swearing with tremendous oaths, that if they could get near me, they would have my heart's blood.
Adding also, " If we don't get on board that ship, we will have your life on the beach." They knew that I had given information of the discovery of Foster. Notwithstanding these threats, I was not in the least alarmed. The mate of the Archimedes, a fine, stalwart fellow, something over six feet in height, assured me that with himself and fifteen Nantucket whalemen with whale spades and lances, and myself with a good broad axe, and my three carpenters also well armed, we could put every man to death that would dare to put his foot on our deck. And had they made the attempt, there would not only have been a scene of bloodshed, but the world would have been rid of some of the greatest villains that it ever bore; and it would not have ended here.
Our frigate would have hauled alongside and blown her to atoms. In all probability, had not Foster been just what I knew him to be, a consummate villain, I should not have exposed him, even at the risk of not doing my duty as an officer. Valparaiso at this time was infested with a set of runaway Botany Bay convicts, and it was dangerous to be on shore after sundown. Mr. Lewis, our sail-maker, in company with the gunner, had been out on a walk towards Ville de Mar, one Sunday afternoon; they had walked too far to get back before sundown. Night overtook them two miles from the landing. All at once they were assailed by a gang of these fellows, and were both knocked down.
Lewis was stripped of all his clothes, stabbed, and as they thought, killed; he feigned dead, which saved his life. They dug a hole in the sand and buried him, and as he was nigh smothering, ventured to raise himself up. The robbers were now at some distance; he, however, ventured to crawl out of his grave, and though weak from the loss of blood, and much bruised, succeeded in reaching the shanty of a Spaniard, who took him in and covered him with mats. He urged the Spaniard to get on board the frigate in some way, and report his condition. The gunner had succeeded in getting on board with the loss of his coat and hat.
He was a very large and powerful man, and was successful in fighting his way to the beach, where there were plenty of boat's crews to assist him. When he got on board, he reported Mr. Lewis killed. A short time after, the Spaniard came off; telling the story of Lewis' rescue, a boat was immediately sent for him: he was brought on board, his wounds dressed, and soon recovered. These fellows were a sample of the Eose's crew. During the time we were refitting the ship, Capt. Downes was often at the Capital, Santiago, where he was introduced to, and became intimately acquainted with a German Baron, apparently of high respectability, who was making a tour through South America, but unfortunately, while at Santiago, was taken quite ill, and at the time of his introduction to Captain Downes, so far convalescent as to walk out.
He accompanied our captain to Valparaiso, was invited on board the ship, and treated with much attention. He suggested that he thought a trip at sea would be extremely beneficial to his health. Captain Downes, with his usual courtesy, offered him a part of his cabin, and it was now arranged that the Baron was to be the captain's guest during our cruise down the coast. Some small alterations were made in the cabin, and the idea of having so great a personage as the Baron, for a companion, as he would doubtless be, among the wardroom officers, was quite pleasing. The Chilian government had given Lord Cochrane the large building, formerly occupied as the Custom House, for his residence.