_From Quibo to the Coast of Mexico._
On the 12th of December we left Quibo, and the same day the commodore
delivered fresh instructions to the captains of the men of war, and
the commanders of our prizes, appointing them the rendezvouses
they were to make, and the courses they were to steer in case of a
separation. And first, they were directed to use all possible dispatch
in getting to the northward of the harbour of Acapulco, where they
were to endeavour to fall in with the land, between the latitudes of
18 and 19°; from thence, they were to beat up the coast at eight or
ten leagues distance from the shore, till they came a-breast of Cape
Corientes, in the latitude of 20°20'. When they arrived there, they
were to continue cruising on that station till the 14th of February;
and then they were to proceed to the middle island of the Tres Marias,
in the latitude of 21°25', bearing from Cape Corientes N.W. by N.,
twenty-five leagues distant. And if at this island they did not meet
the commodore, they were there to recruit their wood and water, and
then to make the best of their way to the island of Macao, on the
coast of China. These orders being distributed, we had little doubt
of arriving soon upon our intended station; as we expected, upon
the increasing our offing from Quibo, to fall in with the regular
trade-wind. But, to our extreme vexation, we were baffled for near a
month, either with tempestuous weather from the western quarter, or
with dead calms and heavy rains, attended with a sultry air; so that
it was the 25th of December before we got a sight of the island of
Cocos, which by our reckoning was only a hundred leagues from the
continent; and we had the mortification to make so little way, that we
did not lose sight of it again in five days. This island we found to
be in the latitude of 5°20' north. It has a high hummock towards the
western part, which descends gradually, and at last terminates in a
low point to the eastward. From the island of Cocos we stood W. by N.,
and were till the 9th of January in running an hundred leagues more.
We had at first flattered ourselves, that the uncertain weather and
western gales we met with were owing to the neighbourhood of the
continent, from which, as we got more distant, we expected every day
to be relieved, by falling in with the eastern trade-wind: But as our
hopes were so long baffled, and our patience quite exhausted, we began
at length to despair of succeeding in the great purpose we had in
view, that of intercepting the Manilla galleon; and this produced
a general dejection amongst us, as we had at first considered this
project as almost infallible, and had indulged ourselves in the most
boundless hopes of the advantages we should thence receive. However,
our despondency was at last somewhat alleviated, by a favourable
change of the wind; for, on the 9th of January, a gale for the first
time sprang up from the N.E., and on this we took the Carmelo in tow,
as the Gloucester did the Carmin, making all the sail we could to
improve the advantage, for we still suspected that it was only a
temporary gale, which would not last long; but the next day we had the
satisfaction to find, that the wind did not only continue in the same
quarter, but blew with so much briskness and steadiness, that we now
no longer doubted of its being the true trade-wind. And as we advanced
apace towards our station, our hopes began to revive, and our despair
by degrees gave place to pleasing prejudices: For though the customary
season of the arrival of the galleon at Acapulco was already elapsed,
yet we were unreasonable enough to flatter ourselves, that some
accidental delay might lengthen her passage beyond its usual limits.
When we got into the trade-wind, we found no alteration in it till the
17th of January, when we were advanced to the latitude of 12°50', but
on that day it shifted to the westward of the north: This change
we imputed to our having haled up too soon, though we then esteemed
ourselves full seventy leagues from the coast, which plainly shows,
that the trade-wind doth not take place, but at a considerable
distance from the continent. After this, the wind was not so
favourable to us as it had been: However, we still continued to
advance, and, on the 26th of January, being then to the northward of
Acapulco, we tacked and stood to the eastward, with a view of making
the land.
In the preceding fortnight we caught some turtle on the surface of the
water, and several dolphins, bonitos, and albicores. One day, as one
of the sail-makers mates was fishing from the end of the gib-boom, he
lost his hold, and dropped into the sea; and the ship, which was then
going at the rate of six or seven knots, went directly over him: But
as we had the Carmelo in tow, we instantly called out to the people on
board her, who threw him over several ends of ropes, one of which he
fortunately caught hold of, and twisting it round his arm, was hauled
into the ship, without having received any other injury than a wrench
in his arm, of which he soon recovered.
On the 26th of January, we stood to the eastward, expecting, by our
reckonings, to have fallen in with the land on the 28th; but though
the weather was perfectly clear, we had no sight of it at sun-set, and
therefore continued our course, not doubting but we should see it
by the next morning. About ten at night we discovered a light on the
larboard-bow, bearing from us N.N.E. The Tryal's prize too, about a
mile a-head of us, made a signal at the same time for seeing a sail;
and as we had no doubt that what we saw was a ship's light, we were
extremely animated with a firm persuasion, that it was the Manilla
galleon, which had been so long the object of our wishes: And what
added to our alacrity, was our expectation of meeting with two of them
instead of one, for we took it for granted, that the light in view
was carried in the top of one ship for a direction to her consort.
We immediately cast off the Carmelo and pressed forward with all our
canvass, making a signal for the Gloucester to do the same. Thus we
chased the light, keeping all our hands at their respective quarters,
under an expectation of engaging in the next half hour, as we
sometimes conceived the chase to be about a mile distant, and at other
times to be within reach of our guns; and some positively averred,
that besides the light, they could plainly discern her sails. The
commodore himself was so fully persuaded that we should be soon
along-side of her, that he sent for his first lieutenant, who
commanded between decks, and directed him to see all the great guns
loaded with two round-shot for the first broadside, and after that
with one round-shot and one grape, strictly charging him, at the same
time, not to suffer a gun to be fired, till he, the commodore, should
give orders, which he informed the lieutenant would not be till we
arrived within pistol-shot of the enemy. In this constant and eager
attention we continued all night, always presuming that another
quarter of an hour would bring us up with this Manilla ship, whose
wealth, with that of her supposed consort, we now estimated by round
millions. But when the morning broke, and day-light came on, we were
most strangely and vexatiously disappointed, by finding that the light
which had occasioned all this bustle and expectancy was only a fire
on the shore. Indeed the circumstances of this deception are so
extraordinary as to be scarcely credible; for, by our run during the
night, and the distance of the land in the morning, this fire, when we
first discovered it, must have been above twenty-five leagues from
us. It was indeed upon a very high mountain, and continued burning
for several days afterwards; it was not a volcano, but rather, as
I suppose, stubble, or heath, set on fire for some purpose of
agriculture.[1]
[Footnote 1: The reasons for this supposition ought to have been
adduced. It is not improbable that the volcanic mountain in the
neighbourhood of Acapulco did furnish this vexatious light.--E.]
At sun-rising, after this mortifying delusion, we found ourselves
about nine leagues off the land, which extended from the N.W. to E.
1/2 N. On this land we observed two remarkable hummocks, such as are
usually called paps, which bore north from us: These, a Spanish pilot
and two Indians, who were the only persons amongst us that pretended
to have traded in this part of the world, affirmed to be over the
harbour of Acapulco. Indeed, we very much doubted their knowledge of
the coast; for we found these paps to be in the latitude of 17°56',
whereas those over Acapulco are said to be in 17° only; and we
afterwards found our suspicions of their skill to be well grounded:
However, they were very confident, and assured us, that the height of
the mountains was itself an infallible mark of the harbour; the
coast, as they pretended, (though falsely) being generally low to the
eastward and westward of it.
And now being in the track of the Manilla galleon, it was a great
doubt with us (as it was near the end of January,) whether she was or
was not arrived: But examining our prisoners about it, they assured
us, that she was sometimes known to come in after the middle of
February; and they endeavoured to persuade us, that the fire we
had seen on shore was a proof that she was as yet at sea, it being
customary, as they said, to make use of these fires as signals for
her direction, when she continued longer out than ordinary. On this
information, strengthened by our propensity to believe them in a
matter which so pleasingly flattered our wishes, we resolved to cruise
for her for some days; and we accordingly spread our ships at the
distance of twelve leagues from the coast, in such a manner, that it
was impossible she should pass us unobserved: However, not seeing her
soon, we were at intervals inclined to suspect that she had gained
her port already; and as we now began to want a harbour to refresh
our people, the uncertainty of our present situation gave us
great uneasiness, and we were very solicitous to get some positive
intelligence, which might either set us at liberty to consult our
necessities, if the galleon was arrived, or might animate us to
continue our present cruise with cheerfulness, if she was not.
With this view the commodore, after examining our prisoners very
particularly, resolved to send a boat, under night, into the harbour
of Acapulco, to see if the Manilla ship was there or not, one of the
Indians being very positive that this might be done without the
boat itself being discovered. To execute this project, the barge
was dispatched the 6th of February, with a sufficient crew and two
officers, who took with them a Spanish pilot, and the Indian who had
insisted on the practicability of this measure, and had undertaken to
conduct it. Our barge did not return to us again till the eleventh,
when the officers acquainted Mr Anson, that, agreeable to our
suspicion, there was nothing like a harbour in the place where the
Spanish pilots had at first asserted Acapulco to lie; that when they
had satisfied themselves in this particular, they steered to the
eastward, in hopes of discovering it, and had coasted along shore
thirty-two leagues; that in this whole range they met chiefly with
sandy beaches of a great length, over which the sea broke with so much
violence, that it was impossible for a boat to land; that at the
end of their run they could just discover two paps at a very great
distance to the eastward, which from their appearance and their
latitude, they concluded to be those in the neighbourhood of Acapulco;
but that not having a sufficient quantity of fresh water and provision
for their passage thither and back again, they were obliged to return
to the commodore, to acquaint him with their disappointment. On this
intelligence we all made sail to the eastward, in order to get into
the neighbourhood of that port, the commodore resolving to send the
barge a second time upon the same enterprize, when we were arrived
within a moderate distance. And the next day, which was the 12th of
February, we being by that time considerably advanced, the barge was
again dispatched, and particular instructions given to the officers
to preserve themselves from being seen from the shore. On the 13th we
espied a high land to the eastward, which we first imagined to be that
over the harbour of Acapulco; but we afterwards found that it was the
high land of Seguateneo, where there is a small harbour, of which we
shall have occasion to make more ample mention hereafter. And now,
having waited six days without any news of our barge, we began to be
uneasy for her safety; but, on the 7th day, that is, on the 19th of
February, she returned. The officers informed the commodore, that they
had discovered the harbour of Acapulco, which they esteemed to bear
from us E.S.E. at least fifty leagues distant: That on the 17th, about
two in the morning, they were got within the island that lies at
the mouth of the harbour, and yet neither the Spanish pilot, nor the
Indian who were with them, could give them any information where they
then were; but that while they were lying upon their oars in suspence
what to do, being ignorant that they were then at the very place
they sought for, they discerned a small light upon the surface of
the water, on which they instantly plied their paddles, and moving
as silently as possible towards it, they found it to be in a fishing
canoe, which they surprised, with three negroes that belonged to it.
It seems the negroes at first attempted to jump overboard; and being
so near the land, they would easily have swam on shore; but they
were prevented by presenting a piece at them, on which they readily
submitted, and were taken into the barge. The officers further added,
that they had immediately turned the canoe adrift against the face of
a rock, where it would inevitably be dashed to pieces by the fury of
the sea: This they did to deceive those who perhaps might be sent from
the town to search after the canoe; for upon seeing several pieces of
a wreck, they would immediately conclude that the people on board her
had been drowned, and would have no suspicion of their having fallen
into our hands. When the crew of the barge had taken this precaution,
they exerted their utmost strength in pulling out to sea, and by dawn
of day had gained such an offing, as rendered it impossible for them
to be seen from the coast.
And now having got the three negroes in our possession, who were not
ignorant of the transactions at Acapulco, we were soon satisfied about
the most material points which had long kept us in suspense: And
on examination we found, that we were indeed disappointed in our
expectation of intercepting the galleon before her arrival at
Acapulco; but we learnt other circumstances which still revived our
hopes, and which, we then conceived, would more than balance the
opportunity we had already lost: For though our negro prisoners
informed us that the galleon arrived at Acapulco on our 9th of
January, which was about twenty days before we fell in with this
coast, yet they at the same time told us, that the galleon had
delivered her cargo, and was taking in water and provisions for her
return, and that the viceroy of Mexico had by proclamation fixed her
departure from Acapulco to the 14th of March, N.S. This last news
was most joyfully received by us, as we had no doubt but she must
certainly fall into our hands, and as it was much more eligible to
seize her on her return, than it would have been to have taken her
before her arrival, as the specie for which she had sold her cargo,
and which she would now have on board, was prodigiously more to be
esteemed by us than the cargo itself; great part of which would have
perished on our hands, and no part of it could have been disposed of
by us at so advantageous a mart as Acapulco.
Thus we were a second time engaged in an eager expectation of meeting
with this Manilla ship, which, by the fame of its wealth, we had been
taught to consider as the most desirable prize that was to be met with
in any part of the globe. As all our future projects will be in
some sort regulated with a view to the possession of this celebrated
galleon, and as the commerce which is carried on by means of these
vessels between the city of Manilla and the port of Acapulco is
perhaps the most valuable, in proportion to its quantity, of any in
the known world, I shall endeavour, in the ensuing chapter, to give as
distinct an account as I can of all the particulars relating thereto,
both as it is a matter in which I conceive the public to be in some
degree interested, and as I flatter myself, that from the materials
which have fallen into my hands, I am enabled to describe it with more
distinctness than has hitherto been done, at least in our language.