and mounting 40 brass cannon; besides which, there were two _pataches_
of 14 guns each, and forty or fifty unarmed merchant vessels. All these
vessels were said to have been hauled on shore, and secured by three
strong batteries and other works, furnished with upwards of fifty pieces
of cannon, all ready prepared for the reception of the Dutch, of whose
motions the Spaniards had received early and certain intelligence. The
viceroy had likewise formed four companies of foot, of eighty men each,
but the two best companies had gone with the ships to Panama; and,
having just learnt the approach of the Dutch fleet, the viceroy had
summoned the whole military force of Peru, so that many thousand men
must soon be expected at Lima for its defence.

After several consultations, the vice-admiral made an attempt to land at
Calao with the soldiers on the morning of the 10th May, but finding it
impossible with any chance of success, was obliged to return to the
fleet. On the 12th about midnight, three of the Dutch captains, with
twelve armed boats, each provided with a small cannon and a considerable
quantity of fire-works, made an attack on the port, while a false attack
was made at the same time in another part, to draw off the attention of
the Spaniards. The twelve boats entered the port, and distributed their
fire-works plentifully among the Spanish merchant ships, by which thirty
or forty of them were set on fire and consumed, some of them very large.
In this hardy enterprise, the Dutch had seven men killed, and fifteen
wounded, mostly in the vice-admiral's boat, which had attempted to board
one of the _pataches_ and was beaten off. About the dawn of day, nine of
the flaming ships drifted towards the Dutch fleet, which was therefore
obliged to weigh and take shelter behind the island of Lima. On the 13th
this island was taken possession of, and a strong intrenchment thrown up
for its defence, under cover of which the Dutch laid their shallops on
shore to careen them.