Ship logs of 1770 voyage of Captain Don Felipe González

These are the logs of the voyage of Spanish Don Felipe González by orders of His Excellency Señor Don Emanuel de Amat, viceroy of Peru. The voyage left Lima, Peru, with H.M. (Her Majesty's) ship San Lorenzo, under command of Commodore Don Felipe González, and the frigate Santa Rosalia, under Captain Don Antonio Domonte. Rapa Nui, at that time called Island of David, was during this expedition annexed to Spain. This annexation was quickly forgotten by Spain because of Rapa Nuis distant location, as well as because Spain couldn't see any gain from owning this island.

Officer Don Francisco Antonio de Agüera y Infanzon, Chief Pilot

Transcribed, translated, and edited by Bolton Glanvill Corney. Published in 1908.

Source file (.pdf): The voyage of Captain Don Felipe González to Easter Island 1770-1 p. 181 - 196

Old map (1770) of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) by officer Don Francisco Antonio de Agüera y Infanzon

Map of Rapa Nui drawn by officer Don Francisco in 1770.

Thursday, 15th. At five o'clock in the morning we made sail, getting all the canvas on her, en vuelta de uno, the horizon being cloudy; but at half-past seven it cleared up, and we sighted land ahead.

Being at this position the eastern point of the island bore West, true bearing; and on working out the distance run since the observation at noon I found myself in lat. 27° 2', and that should be the true position of the east point of David's Island, as far as the latitude is concerned2; and in respect of longitude, inasmuch as I found myself at noon to-day to be in 267° 2' from Tenerife, and as we had been sailing with very slight deviation on the same meridian there remained but one mile difference, allowing for our being that much off the land. I therefore say that according to my calculations as worked out during the passage, the most eastern point of David's Island is placed in 27° 2' of latitude S. and in 267° 1' longitude from Tenerife, thus bearing with the Isle of San Lorenzo off the Callao W.S. W. 6° S. and E.N.E. 6° N.E., distant 625 leagues of 20 to the degree; and being 38° West from the meridian of Copiapo, and consequently 680 leagues distant from the Chilian continent. The profile of the island facing eastward extends about 14 to 16 miles, and the southern and northern points lie E.N.E. and W.S.W.2

1) The actual position is 4 ½ miles more southerly and 22 miles more easterly, taking Cape O'Higgins as the point referred to.

2) These bearings should probably be reversed, or the words 'Southern' and 'Northern' interchanged.

Having sailed past the northernmost point we came into view of another bay which indented to the W.N.W., which seemed more convenient than the first: we laid the yards aback and the Commodore lowered his boat, sending her in armed to the said bay and signalling us to do the same. At half-past four in the afternoon our boat went away with Don Juan Bentuza1 Moreno, Captain of Batallones, and the midshipman Don Joseph Morales, escorted by twelve soldiers, one serjeant, and two corporals equipped with ammunition. The coastal pilot of the frigate and a pilots mate also embarked, with the instruments of their craft and headed for the bay, where the boat from the Commodore was already taking soundings. We remained under reduced canvas, making short boards off and on, awaiting the return of the exploring party, who, at sunset withdrew, we on board reaching in beyond the centre of the bay to meet them. We saw numbers of natives on the beach. The anchorage they found is wholly unprotected, and the bottom is of bad quality. We passed the night under easy sail, and at times hove to, keeping abreast of the bay.

1) 'Juan Bentuza' is evidently a copyist's error for Buenaventura.

Friday, 16th. At sunrise I observed the variation of the needle, and noted 2° 30' to the N.E.

I began to take soundings of the bay this afternoon, and the bottom we met with is not of the best for ensuring the safety of the ships.

1) An estadalox estada is equivalent to four varas of about 33 inches each, i.e. 11 feet.

Saturday, 17th. The wind held light from N.E. to N. Today great numbers of natives of both sexes came on board of the two vessels; we found them very straight forward and agreeable, most of them brought plantains, roots, chickens, &c, and readily offered the wretched scraps of clothing and other goods they had about them, until reduced to a miserable loin-cloth of fibre or cotton or some such stuff, with a diadem or crown or plume of cock's feathers or dried sea-weed. The women use the same garments, and, by way of distinguishing their sex, cover the head with a curious construction of palm-leaf [ojas] or fine rushes. They are, like the men, importunate at begging; but they all of them yield with the same frankness whatever they possess, and the women go to the length of offering with inviting demonstrations all the homage that an impassioned man can desire. Nor do they appear to transgress, in this, in the opinion of their men; for the latter even tender them by way of paying us attention. As we had no opportunity of enquiring into the methods they observe in regard to marital affairs [propagation] it can only be inferred that the women whom we saw are held in common among them, although we noticed that the older and more important men retain some preference in the matter, as these are always the ones who accompany and make offer of them, and to whom the women render obedience, and not to the younger men, with whom we have never seen them in company. So that one notices a more modest behaviour among the youths and young women than among the elders.

The girls are by temperament modest, since with all their nudity they always manage to cover the breasts &c. as much as possible.

1) The Castilian palmo or span is equal to 8 1/3 inches.

We never saw their bravery put to the test, but I suspect they are faint-hearted; they possess no arms, and although in some we observed sundry wounds on the body, which we thought to have been inflicted by cutting instruments of iron or steel, we found that they proceeded from stones, which are their only [weapons of] defence and offence, and as most of these are sharp edged1 they produce the injury referred to.

1) Obsidian.

I made a bow and arrow, duly strung, by way of experiment, and on handing it to one of those with the scars he instantly stuck it on his head as an ornament, and then hung it round his neck with much joy, being totally ignorant of its use and effect. They did the same with a knife and with a cutlass, which they took hold of indifferently by the point or by the hilt.

They seem to me to have ministers or priests for their idols; because I observed that on the day which we erected the crosses, when our chaplains went accompanying the holy images, clothed in their cassocks and pelliz, chanting the litanies, numbers of natives stepped forward on to the path and offered their cloaks, while the women presented hens and pullets, and all cried Maca Maca, treating them with much veneration until they had passed beyond the rocks by which the track they were following was encumbered.

1) The Castilian palmo or span is equal to 8 1/3 inches. 8 ½ palmos therefore express 6 feet, less an inch.

2) 6 ft. 5 ins.

3) 6 ft. 6 ½ ins.

Sunday, 18th. The natives continued to gather on board in greater number than on the preceding days, so that on this day there have been more than 400 in the frigate. What with men and women they collected in such crowds that it became necessary to send away some in order to make room for others, as we could not contain them on board. To-day at noon I observed the latitude of this bay with the greatest care, which I found to be 27 26'; and I began on this same day to make a sketch of it, with an outline and views and exact soundings, in order to construct as accurate a chart of it as possible, and one that might serve as a guide and record for the future; though it must be stated that, on account of certain impediments, it was not possible to fix a base-line on shore for trigonometric operations.

Monday, 19th. At 10 in the forenoon our launches came in sight from the eastern part of the island, and our long-boat was told off to give ours a tow, as she had the wind ahead. The Commodore did the same for his. Our launch arrived alongside at one o'clock in the afternoon, with all her people, after having sailed entirely round the island; and the following account was by this means obtained.

On the afternoon of this day during a rain squall with little wind from the S.W. our cable parted, having chafed completely through against a coral rock, fragments of which came up embedded among the strands of the two broken ends. We spent the evening in making ready for the succeeding day, on which we were to formally disembark and take possession of the island, and to erect upon it three crosses which had been got ready for the purpose on board the Commodore.

Tuesday, 20th. The day dawned with the horizon overcast, the wind light from E.S.E. with occasional gusts; but the Commodore decided to carry into effect the projected expedition notwithstanding, and to this end 250 men, troops and seamen, were detached to go ashore, well armed and under the command of Don Alberto Olaondo, senior lieutenant and captain of marines, with other officers and subalterns, and instructions to pass inland towards the western side of the island in order to make a reconnaissance of the country-side thereabouts, and to draw the attention of the natives in that direction while the three aforementioned crosses were being set up on three hillocks which are at the eastern end.

This precaution was not taken through any fear that the natives might offer opposition to the execution [of our project] but only in order to avoid the tumult with which they proceed about all their operations, as they would have been so much in our way as to considerably retard us. While the launches and boats conveyed the first section of people to the shore, the second batch was being got ready, consisting of a similar number, and commanded by Don Buenaventura Moreno, senior lieutenant and captain of marines, with the necessary officers, amongst whom I was included by the Commodore's order, for the purpose of establishing proper marks and bases for the construction of the most exact plan and truest coast-line of this bay, and for fixing the positions of the most noticeable heights of the island.

When the boats of the first party returned we set out in the same order, escorted by troops from this frigate, accompanying the three crosses with colours flying and drums beating. In this manner, and in excellent order, we arrived at a small bay which lies to the eastward, and had i>een selected for the disembarkation as possessing the only convenient expanse of beach in all the roadstead. We landed here without meeting with any obstacle, and were received by a considerable gathering of natives, who manifested much merriment, with a great deal of yelling. On the party forming up, together with those bearing arms, we set out on the march, accompanied by the natives, who lent a willing hand in carrying the crosses, singing and dancing in their fashion as they went. We made the whole circuit of the bay with some pains, for the ground was rough and rugged, although level, a great retinue of natives collecting round us all the while as far as the foot of the rise, where the most part of them quitted us on account of the troublesome and protracted nature of the ascent. At half-past one we arrived at the place at which the crosses were to be set up, and this was concluded with full rejoicings, after the benediction and adoration of the holy images, by the whole concourse of people, on seeing which the natives went through the same ceremony. On the crosses being planted on their respective hilltops the Spanish ensign was hoisted, and the troops being brought to ' Attention ! ' under arms, D n Joseph Bustillo, junior Captain, took possession of the island of San Carlos with the accustomed ceremonies in the name of the King of Spain, our lord and master Don Carlos the Third, this day, the 20th of November, 1770. The procedure was duly witnessed with the proper formalities; and for the greater confirmation of so serious an act some of the natives present signed or attested the official document by marking upon it certain characters in their own form of script. Then we cheered the king seven times, next to which followed a triple volley of musketry from the whole party, and, lastly, our ships saluted with 21 guns. The function being concluded, and all hands mustered up in marching order, we returned to the same place where we disembarked, and where our launches and boats were in attendance. In these we were conveyed on board, and all the officers in succession thereupon offered their felicitations and congratulations to the Commodore, who then fixed the following day for their departure from the bay, in consequence of his mission there being now happily concluded.

It need not be said that the islanders were terrified at the noise of the gunfire and musketry: that must happen to people who have not used or seen such inventions.

I fancy that the cloaks or wraps of the said islanders are made from the fibres of stems of the banana plant, which, when dry, they put together as may suit their purpose1: it is not woven, but is joined together by strands of the same material which they thread on bone needles of the size of a cloak-maker's needle. They make fishinglines of this same fibre, as well as nets after the fashion of our small nets; but of little strength.

They have very little wood; but if they were to plant trees there would be no lack of it; and I believe that even the cotton plant would yield, as the country is very temperate: and wheat, garden plants, pot-herbs, &c. They dye their cloaks yellow.

On the 21st at noon we put to sea from this Island of David: we sailed some 70 leagues to the Westward to see whether any more land lay in that direction.

Sub-Lt. Don Juan Hervé, First Pilot, or senior Navigating Officer, of San Lorenzo

Transcribed, translated, and edited by Bolton Glanvill Corney. Published in 1908.

Source file (.pdf): The voyage of Captain Don Felipe González to Easter Island 1770-1 p. 208 - 218

On the 15th at five in the morning we made all sail, and at seven o'clock we sighted an island to the N. W. of us, from 8 to 10 leagues distant. We headed for it, and upon finding ourselves within some three leagues of its Eastern coast we saw it to be all bold and rock-bound, on account of which at noon we decided to bear up for the Northern side and see whether we might find any harbour round there. At this time our position was ascertained by observation to be in lat. 27° 15' S. and long. 264° 20', so that the other point1 should be in 27° 06' of lat. South, and therefore 34 10' to the westward of the meridian of Callao, measured by the arc, or the equivalent of a chord of 30° 30'. On this island we bestowed the name of San Carlos, being that of the reigning king.

From the 6th of November 82, which was the day on which we sighted the petrels, until we reached the island of San Carlos, we steered W. a distance of 86 leagues, and the terns were seen for the same distance at the same time.

1) i.e. the N.E. point of the island.

2) This may be a copyist's error. The day on which the petrels were recorded was the 10th. Agüera mentions them on the 12th as having been met with on the previous day, in his journal. Gonzalez himself does not mention them in his log.

From the 13th of the said month, when we saw so many birds, and amongst them the white ones and the first of these, we continued sailing W. for a distance of 32 leagues; and from the time we saw the sandpipers [chorlitos] as far as the island we sailed 10 leagues, so that when we saw them the island lay to the N.W. of us, 13 ½ leagues off, for which reason we sailed on that course after having sighted the sandpipers and the island: these remarks are interesting only for navigators.

On the 16th at half-past five in the morning I started away from the ship's side in the cutter, and proceeded to take up a position where the boat anchorage was, to serve as a mark for the ship, which came in and let go in 35 £ fathoms, coarse sand; and having laid out another anchor in 50 fathoms, she swung to with 28 under the keel, same bottom. The leading marks for this position are the small saddle-shaped hill bearing S. 3° W., with Cape San Lorenzo E. 1/4 S.E. 3° E. by the needle, which in this locality has 3° of variation N.E.

While acting as a beacon as above stated and awaiting the arrival of the ship, three of the natives swam off, [their bodies] painted in various colours, and keeping near the boat, shouting constantly, until one of them came at last so close as to present me with a morsel of yam: I gave him some biscuit and. tobacco, all of which he accepted. He carried his provisions in a satchel neatly plaited of fine straw. When the ship came to an anchor these three went off ashore again, but returned with another swimming and making straight for the ship, on board of which they climbed with much agility, shouting all the while and exhibiting much gayness of spirit. They ran about freely from stem to stern, and full of mirth, climbing about the rigging like' sailormen. [Our people] played the coxa and fife to them, and they began to dance, evincing great pleasure. They were given ribbons, shirts, trousers, seamen's jumpers, and small gilt metal crosses: they accepted them all with gladness, the biscuit they received without remark until they saw our people eat some. It pleased them well and then they asked for it, and applied themselves freely to the consumption of salt pork and rice, &c.

On the said 16th of November we embarked at one o'clock in the day, Don Cayetano Lángara, senior lieutenant, Don Pedro Obregon, midshipman, a serjeant, a corporal of marines, a gunner, some marines and myself, in the launch, fully armed and equipped for service, with orders to make a complete circuit of the island in company with the Rosalia's launch, with her officer Don Demetrio Ezeta, senior lieutenant, each one fitted with a swivel gun in the bows. We set to work to take soundings, giving names to the points, bays, &c, as shown on the plan of the island. At half-past six in the evening we brought to in a cove which we called after Lángara: we tried to effect a landing but this was not practicable as the sea was breaking with such force all along the shore, which was rocky at all points; and during the remainder of the day the only place we found fit to land at was the cove of San Juan, as it had a sandy beach. We did not disclose our presence there, in order not to lose time. We considered that it must have a plentiful supply of fresh water, because we saw there more gravel [chacaras] than in any other part of the island. We also found the best anchorage for ships.

On the 17th of the said [month], day dawned with the horizon clear, and a moderate breeze from the Eastward. At five in the morning we got under way in both launches and made sail towards the Cape of San Antonio. Half a league before reaching the cape we came abreast of a point, off which were a quantity of rocks or boulders sticking up out of the water; and saw that two little canoes were coming out from among them with two men in each, making for the Santa Rosalia's launch; so we waited for them in order that they might join our party. They gave the people of the said launch plantains, Chili peppers, sweet potatoes and fowls; and in return our men gave them hats, chamorretas, &c, and they went off contentedly with these to the shore. These canoes are constructed of five extremely narrow boards (on account of there being no thick timber in the country) about a cuarta1 in width; they are consequently so crank that they are provided with an outrigger to prevent them from capsizing; and I think that these are the only ones in the whole of the island. They are fitted together with wooden pegs in place of nails. Then we passed on to examine the rocky islets to which we gave the name of 'Lángara': they lie S.W. 1/4 S. from the cape of San Cristoval, the seaward one being about a mile off that headland, and the inshore one in between. They are about half a cable apart the one from the other, and we found 26 fathoms there, rocky bottom. The middle one resembles a high church tower; we attempted to gain a footing on it, but found it little accessible. We passed on to the outer one, where we succeeded in landing, and on which we found two large masses of seaweed, many black flints, some sea urchins and small crabs, eggs of sea-gulls and their fledgelings. On these rocks alone did we see any sea-gulls, and excepting fowls we saw no other kind of birds on either of the other islets, nor on the island of San Carlos, either small or large, wild or domesticated. The islanders breed these fowls in little runs scraped out in the ground and thatched over.

1) A cuarta is a quarter of a vara or yard, and may be roughly translated a 'span'.

Having made an investigation of these islets we pursued our course along the coast, at times under sail, at other times under oars; and, the wind holding contrary, at three o'clock in the afternoon we stood in towards a smooth patch of foreshore about a league away to the N.E. of Cape San Francisco. Here we decided to bring up for the night in a small bay which appeared to us to be a suitable place for the purpose, and to which we gave the appellation of the Cave, because there was one adjoining the beach at this place with furrows in it of various tints, from which the natives gave us to understand by signs they obtained the pigments with which they paint themselves. This bay is only suitable for launches. We all went ashore to eat our dinner, which we carried with us for that purpose, and some hundred or so natives came to look on, offering us fruits and hens. The officer, Don Cayetano de Ldngara, issued orders to our people that no one, under pain of a severe flogging, should accept any article from the islanders without giving some equivalent in return, or something of greater value than that which they received, since it was known there was a disposition to exchange articles; and such in fact was put into practice.

1) Un 'xeme' i.e. jeme, the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the forefinger.

2) No doubt this refers to turmeric — a common plant in most Pacific islands.

The morning of the 18th broke fine, with the wind from North: we continued along the coast, which is all surfbound, sounding as we went. At 8 o'clock the frigate's launch, not being able to make any headway against the wind, put into a small bay to wait for it to calm down; and we ourselves reached the Bell Cove1 under oars at 5 in the afternoon, in order to stay there the night. We stepped ashore there and some islanders came to receive us, but a shower of rain made us turn back to our launch for the night. On that side of this cove towards the headland of San Felipe a rock shaped like a bell juts out from the shore, and from this the cove derives its name.

1) i.e. Bell Cove = Caleta de la Campana.

We made sail at daybreak on the 19th with the wind at N. and fine weather, for the headland of San Felipe, where we were joined by the other launch, who reported that they had no news. At this time we were battling with the current, against which we were not able to make any headway with the oars, and which was running to the eastward. The frigate's. launch, being smaller than ours, was able to get along better than we, and those on board seeing us contending against the persistence of the current, sent us the cutter with a fresh crew to relieve our men, who were done up. Yet the current made itself felt with such force that after pulling from 9 a.m. until 6 o'clock in the evening we had scarcely made one league of distance from Cape San Felipe. At this hour, however, God favoured us with a thunder squall accompanied by rain and a change of wind from N.W. to S.E., which brought us alongside at half-past seven o'clock, thus terminating our expedition without other adventures than already related.

We were satisfied that the roadstead in which we lay at anchor is the best the whole island affords, excepting that of San Juan, to which we did not remove, as we should so soon be leaving this country again, inasmuch as there only remained for us to take possession of it in the name of the King.

1) 'Leonda' in the MS.; evidently Capt. Olaondo is again meant.

On the 20th, at daybreak, all the seamen bearing arms embarked in the launches and cutters of both vessels, under Don Alberto Olaondo1 , Captain of Marines, with his party of marines and those from the frigate, who together made up 250 men. All these proceeded towards the interior of the island to survey the country. Our Commander [segundo capitan] Don José Bustillos2 , went with another body of marines and seamen, and the two chaplains, who conveyed with them three crosses to be erected on three hill-tops which, as may be seen on the Plan, exist at the N.E. point of the island.

2) 'Jose Gustillo' in the MS.; evidently Josef Bustillos is intended.

A great number of the native inhabitants received them on landing, and offered to assist our officers in the disembarkation, which, in fact, they did; and took charge of the three crosses, which they carried up to the said hills: the chaplains chanting Litanies, and the islanders joining with our people in the responses, ora pro nobis. At the moment of digging the hole on the centre hill, a fine spring of fresh water broke out, very good and abundant The crosses being planted the party fired three volleys of musketry, and the ships replied with twenty-one guns each to the joyful shout of Viva el Rey. The islanders responded with our own people; they pronounce with such ease that they repeat whatever is said to them just like ourselves. This undertaking being achieved we all returned on board.

The women made use of wraps or cloaks: one which covers them from the waist downwards, and another about the breasts. There are others also who wear only a rag or strip of some root, which they place in front like the men. They have several very low and small huts, and some like the one first mentioned.

Throughout the island, but especially near the seabeach, there are certain huge blocks of stone in the form of the human figure. They are some twelve yards in height, and I think they are their idols. They could not bear to see us smoke cigars: they begged our sailors to extinguish them and they did so. I asked one of them the reason, and he made signs that the smoke went upwards; but I do not know what this meant or what he wished to say.

1) The material was really the white inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (Broussonettia papyrifera) and the thread used for attaching the segments together was probably made from the Hibiscus tiliaceus bark. A Spanish naval officer may well be excused for falling into this error, as the employment of the fibre of Musa textilis, known to him as abacá and to ourselves as 'Manila hemp' would doubtless have come under his observation in the Philippine Islands; and perhaps his running rigging may have been made of it even in those days.

The number of the inhabitants, including both sexes, will be from about nine hundred to a thousand souls: and of these very few indeed are women, — I do not believe they amount to seventy — and but few boys. They are in hue like a quadroon, with smooth hair and short beards, and they in no way resemble the Indians of the South American continent; and if they wore clothing like ourselves they might very well pass for Europeans. They eat very little, and have few needs: they do altogether without liquor of any kind.

On the 21st at noon we put to sea from this Island of David: we sailed some 70 leagues to the Westward to see whether any more land lay in that direction.

From the longitude of 263° 31' we stood away East as far as 281° along the parallel of 38 ½°, without meeting with any sign; and from that position we proceeded to Chiloe.