(the prize keeping a-head) and it was found) that the agitation o f
the fea, which had alarmed them, had been occafioned only by a
flrong tide. I mu-ft here fobierve, that though the Baßtee Ifltmds
are ufually reckoned to be no more than five, yet there are many
mote lying about them to the weftward, which, feeing the channels
amongft them are not at all known, makes it advifeäble for .foips,
rather to pals to the northward or fouthward than through them ;
as indeed the Commodore propeled to have gone to the northward,
between them and Formofa, bad it been poffible for him
to have weathered them. From hence the Centurion fleering the
proper courfe for the river o i Canton, foe on the "8th of July, discovered
the Ifland of Supata, the weftermoft of the Lema Iflands,
being the double-peaked rock, particularly delineated id the view
of them, formerly infected. This Ifland of-:Supata they made to
be a hundred and thirty-nine leagues diftant from G/vr/ia/is Ifland,
and to bear from it North 82° 37' Weft : And, on the | 1 th, haying
taken on board two Chin Je Pilots, one for the Centurion, and the
other for the prize, they came to an anchor off the city of Macao-.
. By this time the particulars of the cargo of the .gales» were Well
afcertained, and it was .found that foe had onboard 1,313,84.3 pieces
of eight, and 35,682 oz-, of virgin fiber, befideS feme .cochineal,
and a few other commodities, which, however, were bu.t of final!
account, in comparifon of the fpecie. And this being the Commodore’s
laft prize, it hence appears, that all the Ereafure taken by the
Centurion was not much foort of -400,000! ihde.pendentof the foips
and merchandife, which foe either burnt or deftreyed, and which,
by the mod reafonable eftimation, could not amount to fo little as
600,000/. more; fo that the whole damage done the enemy, by
our fquadron, did doubtlefs exceed a million fteriing. To which,
i f there be added the great expence of the Court o f Spain,, in fitting
out Pizarro, and in paying the additional charges in America,
incurred on our account, together with the lofs of their men o f war,
the total of all thefe articles will be a ffioft exorbitant firm, and
is the ftrongeft conviflion of the utility of this expedition, which,
with