The length of time employed in this paflage, fo much beyond:
what ufually occurs in any other known navigation, is perhaps in
part to be imputed to the indolence and unikilfulnefs o f the Spanijh
bailors, and to an unneeefiary degree of caution, on pretence of the
great riches of the veflel r For it is laid, that they rarely fet their
main-fail in the night, and often lie by unneceffarily. Thus much
is certain» that the inft'ruftions given to their Captains,, (which I
have feen) feem to have- been drawn up by fuch as were more,
apprehenfive of too ftrong a gale, though favourable, than of the
inconvenieneies and mortality attending a lingering and tedious,
voyage. For the Captain is particularly ordered to make his pat*
fage in the latitude o f 30, degrees, i f poffible, and to be.extremely
careful to Hand no farther to the northward than is abiolutely.
neceflary for the getting a wefterly wind.. This, according to our
conceptions, appears to be a. very ab-furd reflriftion ; fince it can
fcarcely be doubted, but that in the higher latitudes the wefterly
winds are much Headier and brilker than in the latitude of 30 degrees.
Indeed the whole conduct o f this navigation feems liable
to very great cenfure. Since, i f inftead of fleering E. N. E. into.
the latitude o f 3.0 degrees, they at firft flood N. E. or even (till
more northerly,, into the latitude o f 40 or 45 degrees,, in part of
which courfe the trade-winds would greatly aflift them, I doubt
not but by this management they might conliderably,contrail their
voyage, and perhaps perform it in half the time, which,is now
allotted for it. This may in fome meafure, be-deduced from their
own journals, fince in thole I have feen, it appears, that they are -
often a month or fix weeks after their laying the land, before they
get into the latitude of 30 degrees, whereas, with a more northerly
courfe, it might eafily be done in lefs than a fortnight. Now
when they were once well advanced to the northward, the w efterly
winds would foon-.blow them over to the coaft of California, .
and they would be thereby freed from the other embaraffmehts, to
which they are at prefent fubjedted, only at the expence of a rough.
fea and a-ftiff gale. This is not merely matter of,lpeculation j for.
2- 1 am-,
I am credibly informed, that about the year 1721, a French (hip,
by purfuing this courfe, ran from the coaft of China to the valley
o f Vanderas on the coaft of Mexico, in lefs than fifty days : But it
was faid, that notwithftanding the (hortnefs of her paflage, (he
differed prodigioufly by the fcurvy, fo that (he had only four or
five of her crew remaining alive when (he arrived in America.
However, I (hall defcant no longer on the probability of performing
this voyage in a much (hotter time, but (hall content my-
(elf with reciting the adtual occurrences of the prefent navigation.
The Manila (hip having flood fo far to the northward as to meet
with a wefterly wind, ftretches away nearly in the fame latitude
for the coaft of California : And when (he has run into the longitude
of about 100 degrees from Cape pfpiritu Santo, (he generally
finds a plant floating on the fea, which, being called Porra
by 'Coo Spaniards, is, I prefume, a (pecies o f (ea-leek. On the
fight of this plant they efteem themfelves fufficiently near the
Californian (hore, and immediately (land to the fouthward; and
they rely fo much on this circumftance, that on the firft difcovery
o f the plant, the whole (hip’s company chaunt a folemn Pe Deum,
efteeming the difficulties and hazards o f their paflage to be now at
an end j and they conftantly correft their longitude thereby, without
ever coming within fight of land. After falling in with thefe
Signs, as they denominate them, they fleer to the fouthward,
without endeavouring to approach the coaft, till they have run
into a lower latitude; for as there are many iflands, and fome
(hoals adjacent to California, the extreme caution of the Spanijh
Navigators renders them very, apprehenfive o f being engaged with
the land : However, when they draw near its fouthern extremity,
they venture to hale in, both for the fake o f making Cape St. Lucas
to afceftain their reckoning, and al(o to receive intelligence from
the Indian inhabitants, whether or no there are any enemies on the
coaft ; and this Taft circumftance, which is a particular- article in
the Captain’s inftruaions, obliges us to mention the late proceedings
of the Jefiiits amongft the Californian Indians.
I i 2 Since