Ch.II. south AMERICA. 205 



covered, (he was fent out on a cruize ; and this being 

 in the common tra6t of fhips bound from Callao to 

 the coaft of Chiil, they had the good fortune to take 

 two or three, all of them richly laden, particularly 

 the Aranzaza, one of the largeil employed in thele 

 feas. Great numbers of men died on the ifland of 

 Juan Fernandes, but on the recovery of the remain- 

 der, and the fhips being careened, they funk the 

 vi(ftualier, and fome time after the frigate, putting 

 the guns and provifions on board the Aranzaza. 

 After this the whole fquadron put to fea upon 

 frefh enterprizes, and about eight or nine vefTels fell 

 into their hands ; and betvv^een Paita and the ifland of 

 Lobos, they took a coaft fhip of great value. The 

 facking of Paita was the lafl a6l of hoftilicy they com- 

 mitted in thefe parts for the Englifh commodore hav- 

 ing procured intelligence of the Ihort time requifite to 

 alarm Guayaquil, and finding that there had been a- 

 bundantiy mor^ than fufHcient, prudently abandoned 

 a defign, againfl which he judged infuperable precau- 

 tions had been taken and indeed had he made an 

 attempt, in all probability thofe fpirits would have 

 been depreffed, which were fo greatly elevated at their 

 fuccefs at Paita. 



After leaving Paita they fleered for the coaft 

 of Manta, where they put the prifoners they had 

 taken in the merchant fhips on board a long-boat, 

 to make the befl of their way to the land the fliips 

 keeping ten or twelve leagues from the fhore ; but 

 many of the failofs, negroes, and muiattoes, who 

 had nothing to lofe, voluntarily entered with them. 

 They now determined to fail for the Philippines, in 

 order to intercept the galleon in her return to thofe 

 iflands, and which was to fail from Acapulco fome 

 time in January. This was doubtlefs the moll ad- 

 vantageous fcheme that could be formed in their 

 circumftances. But in this they were difappointed 

 by the Vice-roy of Mexico who, from the intelli- 

 gence 



