1'77^«- ROUND THE WORLD. 85 



point, which at this time bore N. 82° West, distant 

 five miles. Latitude observed, 14° 39' SO"* 



Some of our gentlemen were doubtful of this being 

 the bay of St. Philip and St. Jago, as there was no 

 place which they thought could mean the port of 

 Vera Cruz. For my part, I found general points to 

 agree so well with Quiros's description, that I had not 

 the least doubt about it. As to what he calls the port 

 of Vera Cruz, I understand that to be the anchorage 

 at the head of the bay, which in some places may 

 extend farther off than where our boats landed. There 

 is nothing in his account of the port which contra- 

 dicts this supposition. * It was but natural for his 

 people to give a name to the place, independent of 

 so large a bay, where they lay so long at anchor. A 

 port is a vague term, like many others in geography,' 

 and has been very often applied to places far less shel- 

 tered than this. 



Our officers observed that grass and other plants 

 grew on the beach close to high- water mark ; which 

 is always a sure sign of pacific anchorage, and an un- 

 deniable proof that there never is a great surf on the 

 shore. They judged that the tide rose about four or 

 five feet, and that boats and such craft might, at 

 high water, enter the river, which seemed to be pretty 

 deep and broad within ; so that this, probably, is one 

 of those mentioned by Quiros ; and, if we were not 

 deceived, we saw the other. 



The bay hath twenty leagues sea-coast ; six on the 

 east side, which lies in the direction of S. \ West 

 and N. \ East ; two at the head, and twelve on 

 the west side, the direction of which is S. by E. and 

 N. by W. from the head down to two-thirds of its 

 length, and then N. W. by N. to the N. W. point. 

 The two points which form the entrance lie in the 

 direction of S. 53° East, and N. 55° West, from each 



* See Quiros's Voyage, in Dalrymple's Collection, vol.i. p-136. 

 137. 



G 3 



