George Anson, 
•and for Expence *, and as rich Merchants frequently dye 
■during the Time of the Fair, or in their Paffage from Peru , 
or from Manilla , their Funerals are folemnized with great 
Magnificence, and large Alms are then given to the Ho- 
ipital, and to the Monafleries, the Curate of the Place be- 
ing feldom contented with lefs than 500 Pieces of Eight for 
iiis extraordinary Trouble ; by which Inflance we may guefs 
at the reft. 
Befides all this, there is a prodigious Trade carried on a 
little after the Fair is over, at Porto del Marquefs , a very 
fine Harbour, lying about two Miles Eaft from Acapulco, 
where there is very good Anchoring, and Wood and Wa- 
ter in Abundance. The Peru Ships generally refort hither, 
to difpofe of their contraband Commodities to the Merchants 
of New Spain *, and tho’ this is prohibited under very fe- 
vere Penalties, and both the Governor of Acapulco and the 
Contador are in drafted to ufe their utmoft Diligence to fup- 
prefs it •, yet fuch Magic there is in a Purfe of Double 
Dubloons, properly applied, that the Officers fent to in- 
fpeft this Port, are never able to fee any Ships in it. When 
the Fair is intirely over, Acapulco finks into its primitive 
State of a Fiffiing-town *, the Governor himfelf, the 
Contador, and the reft of the King’s Officers, retiring to 
Places of more Health, and greater Conveniency ; which 
is the lefs regarded by the Government, becaufe there 
is little or nothing left in the Town, to tempt Foreigners 
to attack it at any other Seafon. 
All the Indian Commodities that are not fold to the Mer- 
chants of Peru at the Fair, are carried over Land either by 
Horfes or Mules, but chiefly by the latter, to Mexico ; and 
from thence, if they are intended for Europe , are tranfported 
in the fame Manner, that is, by Land, from thence to La Vera 
Cruz , where they wait the Arrival of the Galleons. In this 
manner the Spaniards unite, and, as it were, engrofs 
the Trade of both Indies \ and hence, whenever any Eng- 
UJh Ships are in thefe Seas, they are apt to fpend fo much 
Time in the Neighbourhood of a Place fo famous for its 
Riches, from a Prefumption that if they have but Patience, 
they muft fooner or later meet with fomething that will re- 
ward their Labour. This at prefent was the Cafe of the 
Centurion and the Gloucejier , who continued plying on the 
Coaft, and endeavouring to obtain the beft Intelligence they 
were able, but to very little Purpofe * becaufe the Fair was 
now over, and little or nothing to be done in thofe Parts. 
On the 20th, they had Sight of an high Point of Land, 
called by the Spaniards , Cheque tan : On the firft of March 
the Ship’s Company were put to the Allowance of two 
Quarts of W ater a Man per Diem. During the reft of that 
Month they cruifed ftill upon the fame Coaft, exercifing 
the Men duly, fending their Boats from time to time on 
the Coaft, to make Difcoveries, and at the fame time make- 
ing Preparations for their long Stretch to the Eajt-Indies. 
On the 6th of April the Commodore fent his Boat to fearch 
the Coaft, for fome Harbour where they might anchor in 
Safety ; and on the 7th the Boat returned, and on the 8th 
condufted the Commodore, the Gloucejier , and the Trial , 
into a convenient Bay, where they moored in eleven Fathom 
Water. On the 9th the Gloucejier s Second Lieutenant, 
with fifteen Men, and the Second Lieutenant of the Centu- 
rion, with four Men, were fent to make Difcoveries. 
On the 10th the Lieutenant of the Centurion returned, 
and reported, that they had marched feven Leagues thro* 
the Woods, without meeting with any thing worth Notice 
except a Man afleep on the Ground, with an Horfe and Guff 
by him ; who, awaking at their Approach, leaped upon his 
Horfe, and fled as fall as he was able, leaving his Gun behind 
him, which they brought on board with them. The Lieu- 
tenant, being apprehenfive, that the People under his Com- 
mand might be furprifed, if they attempted to penetrate 
farther into the Country, thought proper to return ; but to 
render his Expedition as ufeful as poffible, he wrote a kind 
of Advertifement in Spanijh , promifing the Inhabitants 
ample Satisfaftion for any Provifions they ffiould bring or 
fend to their Ships •, and having nailed feveral of thefe Pa- 
pers to the Trees, he returned back to the Coaft. This 
Was certainly a very well judged, and a very prudent Con- 
trivance •, but, however, it produced no Effeft * and there- 
fore the Commodore Very wifely judged, that no more 
Time was to be loft in preparing for their Departure 1 and 
Numb. 24* 
therefore gave Orders for burning the Trial s Prize, and 
the other two Prizes, that he might be able to reinforce 
the two Ships with the Men that were on board them * 
which was the more neceffary, fince the Crew of both Ships, 
after this was done, fell ftiort of the full Complement of a 
Fourth Rate, fo much were they reduced by Sicknefs and 
Fatigue ; and on the 29th, having taken in Water, and 
other Refreffiments, they unmoored, and prepared to 
fail. 
19. On the 30th they failed for Acapulco Jo order to crane 
near that Port for their Boat, which was ftill abfent, and had 
been fo above a Month ; and the Gloucejier was ordered to 
keep in clofe to Land, and make falfe Fires *, but thefe Pre- 
cautions proved vain, though continued for three Days to- 
gether. The Commodore therefore thought proper, on the 
third of May , to fend a Flag of Truce to the Governor of 
Acapulco , with a Propofal of releafing three for one, in cafe 
the Boat and Crew were fallen into his Hands : But the Go- 
vernor returned Anfwer, that he had not feen either Boat 
or Men. The next Day the Commodore fent affiore nine 
Prifoners to Port Marquis, that in cafe his Men fell into the 
Spaniards Hands, they might be the better treated, for the 
fake of thofe who were thus difmififed. On the 5th, about 
two in the Afternoon, the Gloucejier, being neareft the Land, 
faw a Boat coming off, which they judged at firft to be i 
Boat from the Governor of Acapulco ; but as it drew nearer, 
they difcovered it to be the Boat belonging to the Centurion . 
When the poor People that were in it, came to the Side of 
their own Ship, they were fcarce known by any of the Crew, 
being mere Skeletons, and fo weak that they could not get 
up the Ship-fide, fo that they were forced to hoift them 
in. During the Time they were leparated from the Ship, 
they were driven to the laft Extremity for want of Water, 
being glad to drink Turtle’s Blood to quench their Thirft 
which they had done for twelve Days. They never expeft- 
ed to fee the Ship again, and had given themfelves over 
for loft, knowing they muft either be ftarved to Death in 
their Boat, or become Prifoners and Slaves under cruel Ma- 
ilers, which to them was as dreadful as Death * but this Day 
proving fine and clear, they happily faw the Ship, and put 
off. At eight the next Morning they fent alliore a Spanijh 
Launch with forty Prifoners, and at the fame time the 
Gloucejier fent another with eighteen ; each having a fuffi- 
cient Quantity of Provifions and Water to ferve them till 
their Arrival at Acapulco , which was now diftant about 
thirty Leagues. On the 7th they fprung their Fore-maft : 
The Remainder of the Month there happened nothing ex- 
traordinary, the Weather being moderate* and the Wind 
fair : On the 1 5 th the Gloucejier fired a Gun, as a Signal of 
Diftrefs, having fprung her Main-maft ; upon which the 
Centurion fent her Boat and a Carpenter on board ; the next 
Day they fent two Carpenters more, who on the 23d cut 
the Main-maft within twenty-fix Foot of the Deck. On 
the 26th the Gloucejier reared her Main-top-maft for a 
Main-maft, and on the 27th the Trials, Fore-top-maft for 
a Main-top-maft. 
On the 29th they fixed the Trial’s Main-top-maft for a 
Jury-maft, and rigged it. July the 12th they were diftant 
from Acapulco 1464 Leagues ; On the 29th, about ten iff 
the Morning, the Gloucejier fired a Gun, as a Signal of Di- 
ftrefs, having her Fore-top-maft rolled to the Board, and 
the Cap fplit in two being rotten : The Fore-top-maft fprung 
iff three Places by the Fall, and broke the Fore-yard in the 
Slings, Which was likewife decayed. The Foretop-gallant- 
maft fprung, and the Fore-fail, Fore-top-fail, and the Top- 
gallant-fail, fplit all to Pieces •, half the Top broke, and alfd 
the Crofs-trees : Whereupon they fent to their Affiftance a 
Lieutenant, with fome Carpenters and Men, who flung both 
the Yard-arms of the Fore-yard, and the Remainder of the 
Fore-top-maft, that was not fit for Ufe, overboard* and 
aflifted in fixing and rigging another Fore-yard. The 
next Day the Centurion was forced to take the Gloucejier 
in Tow, and continued Towing her* till oh the tenth of 
Augujl fhe flipped the Cable by which they towed her, to- 
gether With her Fore-top-maft and jib. The next Day iff 
the Evening her Top-maft and Jury-maft were carried away. 
On the 1 2th, her Mail came again by the Board, and 
her Mizeii was fplit, and blown from the Yard : Part of 
it took the Gompaft Clieft 2 in which were two Azimuth 
4 U CdmpafTes| 
