The V. O Y 
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ftxift Search, they found, under the Bags which were filled 
with that Commodity, feveral Jars fluffed with Rags, 
amongft which was a Parcel of Gold, which fell very little 
fhort of 120,000 Pieces of Eight, a very confiderable 
Purchace, confidering the Veffel was no better than a 
Bark of the Burden of about four Tons. On the 26th 
they took another Prize, which was larger, laden chiefly 
with Fife ay a Wine ; but Hie likewife had fome Plate on 
board: On the 10th of November they chafed a third 
Ship, but loft Sight of it the next Day. They likewife 
affirmed, that, in palling by Pay ta, they law a great Smoke; 
but there being fome Doubt, whether this might not be a 
Fidlion contrived to give them a Title to Part of the 
Plunder, the Commodore thought fit to order the Officers 
journals to be brought onboard, and feaied up, directing 
them to keep their Journals for the future in other 
Books. 
On the 19th in the Evening they paffed Cape Blanco , 
in the Latitude of 4 0 22' South. On the 20th they burned 
one of their Prizes, and on the 21ft another. On the 
22cl in the Morning they law the Ifland La Plata , which 
lies in the Latitude of i° ft South. This Bland is at the 
Diftance of four Leagues from Cape St. Laurence , 
on the Main ; and, when feen at a Diftance,, looks like 
two Elands. It is about two Leagues in Compafs, 
very rocky, fprinkled here^and-there with Trees, and 
affording no other Refrefhments, fave Water and Wild- 
fowl. On the 2 2d, it was refolved to difeharge the Spa- 
nijh Prifoners, being then about feven Leagues from Land. 
They were, therefore, to the N umber of twenty, put on 
board a Spanijh Launch, with an Hogfhead of Water, and 
twelve Species of Beef and Pork. The fame Day they 
paffed the Line the fecond time. On the 27th, thefecond 
Lieutenant of the Gloucejler , and the reft of the Crew 
which were on board the Prize, returned, after having taken 
every thing out of her that was of any Value, and after- 
wards, fettmg her on fire, left her burning. 
17. On the 3d of December they paffed by the Iiland of 
§)uibo, fo often vifited by the Privateers, when in thefe 
Seas. On the twelfth in the Afternoon they faw a Sail, 
and gave Chace •, but, upon coming up with her, found 
her the Gloucejler ; at this time they lived pretty much upon 
Turtle and Bonitos. On the 6th of January they faw the 
Eland of Cocos, fo called by the Spaniards from its abound- 
ing with Cocoa-trees, bearing North by Weft about feven 
or eight Leagues. On the 29th they found themfelves off 
the Vulcano of Colima ; it appears with two fharp Peaks, 
that are conftantly frnoking : The Country about it is 
wonderfully pleafant ; and, on the Mountain itfelf, there 
are large Herds of Cattle grazing, and fine Plantations of 
Cocoa. On the 30th they had Sight of the high Land of 
Acapulco , which is very Angular, having an high round Hill 
next the Sea, and four Mountains, rifing gradually behind 
it, higher and higher ; and on the higheft, there is fome- 
times Smoke feen. 
On the 1 2th of February they faw a prodigious Number 
of Water-fnakes, with black Backs, and yellow Bellies ; 
and the fame Day obferved a great Fire on ffiore, bearing 
North-eaft by Raft, in the Latitude of 17 0 37'' North. 
The Commodore ordered his Boat out feveral times to 
make Difcoveries, but without meeting with any thing 
remarkable till the 20th, when fhe returned with three 
Spanijh Prifoners, that ffie had furprifed in the Night, as 
they were fi flung off the Harbour of Acapulco. After 
examining thefe Prifoners, it was refolved to cruife for 
fome time in that Neighbourhood, in hopes of meeting 
with fomething of Confequence. They were now on the 
Spot where Drake, Candijh , and, of late Years, Rogers , 
had fignalized themfelves by taking the famous annual 
Ship which paffes between this Port and the Manilas ; 
fulLfraught with Expectation, and exceedingly defirous of 
Hewing, that, jn point of induftry or Courage, they fell 
nothing fhort of thofe fortunate Commanders. While they 
eruifed here, their Boats fupplied them plentifully with 
Turtle, of which, and of the beft Kinds too, there is 
always abundance in thefe Seas. It appears to have been 
a very wholfome, as well as pleafant Food; for we do not 
now meet with any Complaints of Sicknefs, or Scurvy : 
And hence l am led to. believe^ that Captain Rogers was 
AGES of Book I. 
under fome particular Prejudice againft this kind of Diet, 
fince he tells us, that, while his Sailors fed on it here, they 
were faint and weak, though their Spirits were good. 
18. There is no Port in the Spanijh Weft Indies more 
famous than this of Acapulco ; and, to fay the Truth, 
confidered as a Port, there are very few better ; for it is 
inclofed, in a manner, all round by high Mountains,, which 
defend them from Winds ; and the Water being every- 
where alike deep, the Veffels, when they are once in, are 
fattened to the- Trees on fliore. At the very Mouth of. 
the Harbour there lies an Hand, about a Mile and an half 
in Length ; and beyond it another fmaller Ifland, called 
by the Inhabitants El Grifo , which is feldom taken notice 
of by our Writers of Voyages : The Pofition of the great 
Ifland leaves two Chanels, by which Ships enter the Port ; 
one, which is the fmalleft, at North-weft ; and another, 
which is much larger, at South-eaft ; but both Chanels are 
deep, and free from Sholes, fo that with a proper Wind 
Ships enter the Harbour with the utmoft Safety. They 
enter with a Sea-wind, and go out with a Land-wind ; 
but as thefe regularly fucceed each other every Day and 
Night, this creates no Inconvenience. 
The Town of Acapulco Hands in a deep Bay on the 
North- weft Side, oppofite to the Mouth of the Port ; and 
at the End of the Town is a Platform, well fupplied with 
Cannon ; and, on the Eaft Side, between two Hills, Hands 
the Caftle or Fort, which is a Square, regularly fortified 
with forty-two Pieces of Brafs Cannon, carrying Balls of 
35 Pounds Weight. The Governor of this Fortrefs is at 
the fame time Jufticia Major , or firft civil Magiftrate in 
the Place, fo that his Employment is thought to produce 
him 20,000 Pieces of Eight a Year ; and the Contador , 
who is in the Nature of a Director of the Cuftoms, has as- 
good a Place, After all this, the Town of Acapulco is a 
very poor one, confifting of between two and three hun- 
dred low thatched Houfes, inhabited moftly by Mulattoes 
and Negroes ; for the Spantfh Merchants feldom, or indeed 
never, refide there but at the Fair; becaufe from the Be- 
ginning of November ; to the End of May , this Place is 
very unwholfome. This is generally attributed to its Si- 
tuation ; for, being intirely furrounded by high Mountains on 
the Eaft, the Air is pent in ; and, lying as it does, in 17° 
South Latitude, it is extremely hot and dole, fo that 
what contributes to the Safety of the Port, renders the 
Town unhealthy. 
Wood and Water are plenty here; but, in other refpetfts, 
the Country is barren, fo that it is very dear living at Aca- 
pulco ; or at leaft it would be thought fo, if it was not for 
the immenfe Sums that are dealt for during the fhort time 
the Fair lafts, which feldom exceeds a Fortnight or three 
Weeks. This Place is likewife very fubject to Earthquakes, 
which is the Reafon that the Houfes are fo low, and fo ' 
(lightly built, being compofed of Mud, Wood, and Straw. 
There are, however, two Monafteries, which make a 
tolerable Figure ; and an Hofpital, which is very rich. 
The Fair is held from the latter End of the Month of 
January, when the Manila Ship arrives, to the Middle of 
February. We have already given a large Account of the 
Nature of that Commerce and Navigation, and therefore 
we fhall confine ourfelves at prefent to what immediately 
concerns the Place. 
It is not eafy to conceive how ftrange an Alteration the 
Fair makes at Acapulco ; for, as foon as it begins, the 
Place, from an inconfiderable Fifhing-town, becomes as 
confiderable a Mart as any in the World ; which will be 
eafily conceived, when we confider, that all the rich Com- 
modities of the Eaft Indies are landed there: from on board 
the Manila Ship ; the Duties of which feldom amount to 
lefs than an hundred thoufand Pieces of Eight ; and that, 
to purchafe thefe, there are not only brought all the valua- 
ble Commodities of New Spain, but an immenfe Sum, in 
ready Money, by the Lima Ship, which rarely falls fhort 
of two Millions. There are, at this time, all Sorts of Di- 
verfions, and every thing wears the Face of Magnificence, 
or rather of Profufion. The meaneft Porter gets at leaft. 
a Piece of Eight per Day ; many of them, three or four: 
Every Hovel Is filled with rich Goods, and thofe who own 
them, pay extravagantly for Warehoufe-room : Even the 
moft melancholy Subjects furmfli Occafion here for Pomp, 
