of 12 ° : 50', but on that day it fhifted. to the weftward of the
North : This change we imputed to our having haled up tod foon,
though we then efteemed ourfelves full feventy leagues from the
coaft; whence, and by our former experience, we were fully fa-
tisfied, that the trade-wind doth not take place, but at a confrder-
able diftance from the Continent. After this, the wind was:not
fo favourable to us-as it had been : However, we d ill continued to
advance, and, on the 26th of 'January, being then to the northward
of Acapulco, we tacked and flood , to the eaftward, with a
view of making the land.
In the preceding: fortnight we caught fome turtle on the furface
of the water, and feveral dolphins, bonitos, and albicores. One
day, as one of the fail-makers mates was (hiring from the end of
the gib-boom, he loft his hold and dropped into the fea; and the
(hip, which was then going at the rate of fix or,(even knots, went
diredtly over him : But as we had the Carmelo in tow, we inftant-
ly called out to the people on board her, who threw him over feveral
ends of ropes, one of which he fortunately caught hold
of, and twitting it round his arm, he was thereby haled into the
fhip without having received any other injury than a wrench in
his arm, of which he foon recovered.
When, on the 26th of January, we flood to the eaftward, we
expedted by our reckonings, to have fallen in with the land on the
28th; yet though the weather was perfedtly clear, we had no
fight of it at fun-fet, and therefore we continued our courfe, not
doubting but we (hould fee it by the next morning. About ten at
night we difcovered a light on the larboard bow, bearing from us
N. N. E. The ‘Tryal’s prize too, who was about a mile a-head of
us, made a fignal at the fame time for feeing a fa il: As we had
none of us any doubt but what we faw was a (hip’s light, we
were all extremely animated with a firm perfuafion, that it was
the Manila galeon, which had been fo long the objedt of our
wifties : And what added to our alacrity, was our expedtation of
meeting with two of them inftead of one; for we took it for granted,
that the light in view was carried in the top of one (hip for a
diredlion
SI
r o u n d t h e w o r l d . 227
diredlion to her confort. We immediately caft off the Carmelo,
and prefled forward with all our canvas, making a fignal for the
Ghuccfter to do the fame. Thus we chafed the light, keeping all
our hands at their refpedHve quarters, under an expedation of engaging
within half an hour, as we fometimes conceived the chace
to be about a mile diftance, and at other times to be within reach
of our gunss for fome on board us pofitively averred, that befides
the light, they could plainly difcern her fails. The Commodore
himfelf was fo fully perfuaded that we (hould be foon along fide
of her, that he fent for his firft Lieutenant, who commanded between
decks, and diredted him to fee all the great guns loaded
with two round-fhot for the firft broadfide, and after that with one
round-diot and one grape, ftriftly charging him, at the fame time,
not to fuffer a gun to be fired, till he, the Commodore, (hould give
orders which he informed the Lieutenant would not be till we
arrived within piftol (hot of the enemy. In this conftant and eager
attention we continued all night, always prefuming that another
nuarter of an hour would bring us up with this Manila aup, whofe-
wealth, and that of her, fuppofed .confort, we now eft,mated by
round millions. But when the morning broke and_day-light came
on, we were mod ftrangely and vexatioufly disappointed, by finding
that the light which had occafioned all this buftle and expectancy,
was only a fire on the (hore. It muft be owned, the circumftances
of this deception were fo extraordinary as to be fcarcely
credible ; for, by our run during the night, and the diftance of the
m ^ the morning, there was no doubt to be made but this fire,
when we firft difcovered it, was above twenty-five leagues fo r a u i .
And yet, I believe, there was no perfon on board who doubted o f
its being a (hip’s light, or of its being near at hand. It was indeed
upon a very high mountain, and continued burning for feveral days
afterwards- however, it was not a volcano, butrather as I fuppofe,
a track of ftubble or heath fet on fire for fome purpofe of agriculture.
At fun-rifing, after this mortifying delufion, we found ourfelves
about nine leagues off the land, which extended- from the N. W.
G g 2 10