for our purpofe ; and which, by the defcription they gave of it,-
appeared to be the port o f Chequetan, mentioned by Dumpier.
The fuccefs o f our boats was highly agreeable to us, and they
were ordered out again the next day, to found the harbour and
its entrance, which they had reprefented as very narrow. A t their
return they reported the place to be free from any danger; fo
that on the 7th we flood for it, and that evening came to an anchor
in eleven fathom. The Gloucejier caft anchor at the fame
time with us; but the Carmelo and the Carmin having fallen to the
leeward, the Tryal's Prize was ordered to join them, and to bring
them up, which in two or three days (he effebted.
Thus, after a four months continuance at fea from the leaving
of Quibo, and having but fix days water on board, we arrived in
the harbour of Chequetan; the defcription of which, and of the
adjacent coaft, fhall be the bufinefs o f the enfuing chapter.
C H A P .
C H A P . XII.
D e f c r ip tio n o f th e h a r b o u r o f Chequetan, a n d o f th e
a d ja c e n t c o a ft a n d c o u n try .
TH E harbour o f Chequetan, which we here propofe to de-
fcribe, lies in the latitude of 17® : 36' North, and is about
thirty leagues to the weft ward o f Acapulco. It is eaiy to
be difcovered by any (hip that will keep well in with the land,
efpecially by fuch as range down the coaft from Acapulco, and will
attend to the following particulars.
There is a beach of fand, which extends eighteen leagues from
the harbour of Acapulco to the weftward, againft which the fea
breaks fo violently, that with our boats it would be impoffible to
land on any part of i t : But yet the ground is fo clean, that during
the fair feafon, (hips may anchor in great fafety at the diftance of
a mile or two from the (hore. The land adjacent to this beach
is generally low, full of villages, and planted with a great number
o f trees; and on the tops o f fome fmall eminen'cies there are feve-
ral look-out towers ; fo that the face of the country affords a very
agreeable profped: For the cultivated part, which is the part
here defcribed, extends fome leagues back from the (hore, where
Lt feems to be bounded by a chain o f mountains, which ftretch
to a confiderable diftance on either fide of Acapulco. It is a mod
remarkable particularity, that in this whole extent, containing, in
appearance, the moft populous and beft planted diftrid o f the
whole coaft, there (hould be neither canoes, boats, nor any other
embarkations, either for fi&ing, coafting, or for pleafure. This
cannot be imputed to the difficulty of landing; becaufe in many
parts of Africa and Afia, where the fame inconvenience occurs,
the inhabitants have provided againft it by veffels of a peculiar
fabric. I therefore conceive, that the Government, to prevent
L I 2 fmuggling,