Ch. IV. SOUTH AMERICA. ^'j 



with much greater propriety, be applied to thofe of 

 other nations who viiit it This remark was fuifici- 

 ently confirmed by the havoc made among the Eng- 

 lifh, wlien their fleet, in 1726, appeared before the 

 port, with a view of making themlelves mafters of the 

 treafure brought 1 hither from all parts to the fair 

 held at the arrival of the galleons, which, at that 

 time, by the death of the marquis Grillo, were com- 

 manded b)' Don Francilco Cornejo, one of thofe great 

 ofjiccrs whofe conduél and rcfolution have done ho- 

 nour to the navy of Spain. Reordered the fhips un- 

 •der his command to be moored in a line within the 

 harbour ; and creeled, on the entrance, a battery, the 

 care of which he committed to the officers of the 

 fhips ; or rather, indeed, luperintended it himfclf, 

 omitting no precaution, but vifiting every part in per- 

 ion. Thcfe preparatives firuck fuch a confternatioti 

 into the Englifh fleet, tliough of confiderable force, 

 that, infiead of making any attempt, they formed only 

 a blockade, depending on being fupplied with pro- 

 viflons from Carthagena, and that, famine would at 

 length oblige the Spaniards to give up what they at 

 firft intended to acquire by force; but when the ad- 

 miral thouglit himfclf on the point of obtaining his 

 ends, the inctcmency of* the Icafon declared itfeif 

 among his fliips' companies, fwcepingaway fuch num- 

 bers, that in a ihort time he was obliged to return to 

 Jamaica, with the lofs of above half his people. 



But, notwithftanding the known inclemency of the 

 climate of I'orto Bello, and its general fatality to 

 Europeans, the fquadron of 1730 enjoyed tnere a 

 good ilatc of health, though the fatigues and irregu- 

 larities amono; the feamen were the fame : nor was 

 there any perceivable change in the air. This happy 

 Angularity was attributed to the flay of the fquadroa 

 at Carthagena, where they paffed the time of the 

 epidemia, by which their conltitutions were better 

 adapted to this climate ; and hence it appear?, that 



Vol. L H the 



