Ch. IV. SOUTH AMERICA. 97 



with much greater propriety, be applied to thofe of* 

 other nations who vifit it. This remark was fiifHci- 

 ently confirmed by the havock made among the Eng- 

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

 port, with a view of making themfelves mailers, of the 

 treafure, brought thither 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 by Don Francifco Cornejo, one of thofe great 

 officers whofe conduct and refolution have done ho- 

 nour to the navy of Spain. He ordered the fhips un- 

 der his command to be moored in a line within the 

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

 care of which he committed to the officers of the 

 fhips ; or rather, indeed, fuperintended it himfelf^ 

 omitting no precaution, but vifited every part in per- 

 fon. Thefe preparatives flruck fuch a confternation 

 into the Englifh fleet, though of confiderable force, 

 that, inftead of making any attempt, they formed only 

 a blockade, depending on being fupplied with pro- 

 viiions from Carthagena, and that famine would at 

 length oblige the Spaniards to give up what they at 

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

 miral thought himfelf near the point of obtaining his 

 ends, the inclemency of the feafon declared itfelf 

 among his fhips companies, fweeping away fuch num- 

 bers, that within a fliort 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 Porto Bello, and its general fatality to the 

 Europeans, the fquadron of 1730 enjoyed there a 

 good ftate of health, though the fatigues and irregu- 

 larities among the feamen were the fame: nor was 

 there any perceivable change in the air. This happy 

 fingularity v^ras attributed to the flay of the fquadron 

 at Carthagena, where they paffed the time of the 

 epidemia, by which their confl:itutions were better 

 adapted to this climate j and hence it appears^ that 



Vol. I. H the 



