KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 57. NIO 4. 125 



the .start should be made, even if it had to be postponed till 15 or 18 May; nor does he 

 seem to ha ve allowed himself to be affected by the representations of a new junta, which, 

 after a thorough survey of the ship, further emphasized the risks to which they were 

 exposed. The departure from Acapulco would seem to ha ve taken place on 2 May 1740, 

 and the extent of the dangers that were anticipated is shown by the fact that on the same 

 day a proclamation was published that all the people on board should confess and go to 

 holy commimion. The voyage, however, seems to ha ve gone more fortunately than they 

 believed; but the fear of enemies remained, as they had undoubtedly been informed that 

 war had broken out between Spain and Great Britain in October 1739. On the open sea 

 they thought they had nothing to fear, and accordingly, shortly after the departure from 

 Acapulco, the artillery was stowed away in the hold, as usual. When they were approaching 

 the Mariannes, the question arose as to whether they should arm the galleon again, but 

 they had now before them the stormiest part of the passage: accordingly a junta of 4 

 July 1740 resolved that only the guns on the lower deck should be mounted, and that the 

 rest should be kept in readiness so that they could be placed in position with the greatest 

 speed in case of need. However, there arose no occasion for the use of the artillery. Finally, 

 a junta of 11 August 1740 informs us that it was resolved to put in at Puerto de Palapag, 

 and that afterwards they should seek out some other harbour where the galleon could 

 winter, and that the silver on board should be sent to Manila över land. 



1740. The patache "Nuestra Sehora de Cobadonga", General and Piloto Mayor 

 Don Geronimo Montero, leaves Cavite on 23 July; Embocadero, 12 August; Volcan 

 Grande, 10 September. On 4 October, in 33° 8' N. lat., and 37° 26' long., a lookout was 

 posted during the night, because they were in the neighbourhood of Rica de Platå, 

 "although, as far as known, there is no such island". The senas, 2 December (35° 1' N. 

 lat., 102° 13' long.); Cape San Lucas, 5 January; Acapulco, 27 January. — Before their 

 departure from there, on 1 April 1741, the General had received a letter from the Viceroy 

 of Mexico with information that some British warships had penetrated into the South 

 Sea, and that they were possibly in the neighbourhood of the Mariannes. When they 

 were approaching these islands, therefore, a junta was held on 3 June, which, after ascer- 

 taining that the supply of water was sufficient, resolved that the course should be set 

 direct for the Embocadero, which was safely reached on 7 July; and the voyage was ended 

 at Cavite on 2 August 1741. 



1741. As the manuscript that we ha ve so far followed ends with the voyage last 

 summarized, we have no detailed statements for the years that follow. It is indisputable, 

 however, that a ship sailed from the Philippines in 1741, and reached Acapulco on 9 

 January 1742. We have this information from Captain Anson, the commander of the 

 above-mentioned British squadron. One of the chief means of inflicting damage on 

 Spain during the war that was then going on, was the capture of the Manila galleon. 

 Anson had long been cruising about for it off Acapulco; but when it failed to appear, he 

 began to suspect that it had already got into port. In order to obtain certainty on this 

 point, he sent there by mght a barge, which succeeded in surprising some negroes who 



