3 ^6 The V O Y 
which they have fince retained, even in the beft Maps ; 
and it is really wonderful, that, confidering fo much No- 
tice has been taken of his Defcription, no Attempt has been 
hitherto made, either to fettle in them, or trade with their 
Inhabitants. They had, towards the Middle of the Month 
®f May, very ftormy Weather, with much Rain. On 
the 2 1 ft they faw Cape Spiritu Santo , on the liland of 
Samar , which is one of the Philippines , and lies to the 
South-eaft of Manilla . They exercifed their Small-arms 
on board conftantly, when the W eather would permit ; and 
keptcruifmg in the Way of the Acapulco Ship to the i8th 
of June , without meeting with any remarkable Accident. 
29. On the 2 ift in the Morning they faw the Land, 
bearing South-weft, at the Diftance of about feven Leagues; 
and about feven o’clock they firft difcerned a Ship, bear- 
ing South-eaft, which proved to be the Galleon they had 
fo long expedited. As foon as the Commodore was in- 
formed of it, he came upon Deck, and the firft Glimpfe 
through his Perfpedlive, fhewing like two Ships, he faid, 
very coolly, to the Sailors who were near him, My Lads, 
we will fight them both. As fhe drew nearer, they faw 
their Miftake ; and that, in reality, there was but one 
Ship. The Commodore then gave Orders for making all 
Things clear, that they might be in a better Condition to 
chafe and fight. The Spanijh Commander, however, did 
not give them much Trouble in this refpedt, but bore 
down upon them before the Wind ; and, when fire was 
come within a Mile of the Centurion , brought-to, in 
order to engage. In a little time after fine fired a Gun, 
which was anfwered from the Centurion , by firing a Gun 
to the Leeward. At about half an Hour after ten the 
Enemy hoifted Spanijh Colours, and a red Flag, with the 
Arms of Spain at her Main-top-maft-head •, and then they 
began to fire random Shots, before they came to a clofe 
Engagement. At half an Hour after twelve o’ Clock the 
Centurion hoifted her Colours, and fired a Shot at the 
Chace, which fhe returned. They then came clofe a long- 
fide of each other. Yard-arm and Yard arm, when the 
Attack began with all the Fury imaginable. 
The Commodore remained, during the whole Adtion, 
Upon the Quarter-deck, with his Sword drawn, and gave 
his Diredtions with the greateft Calmnefs imaginable. 
The Honourable Mr. van Kepple , Son to the Earl ol Albe- 
marle^ gave his Orders between Decks ; which were exe- 
cuted punctually, and without the leaft Confufion. As 
they had not a very large Stock of Ammunition, In- 
ftrudtions were given not to wafte it by firing any Guns 
without Probability of doing Execution ; and therefore 
they fired but four Guns at a time, which generally went 
through and through the Enemy’s Ship ; and, as the Spa- 
niards had near fix hundred Men on board, there was 
hardly a Shot that miffed them. They made ufe, during 
the Engagement, of an excellent Feint; which was, making 
the ufual Signal to board, by lalhing their Sprit-fail-yard 
fore-and-aft, which made the Spaniard imagine the Com- 
modore had his full Complement of Men ; and, what con- 
firmed them in this Opinion, was his fhewing his whole 
Force, confifting of 227 Men, on one Side, which he had 
an Opportunity of doing by their engaging Yard-arm and 
Yard-arm ; whereas, if they had fought Broadfide and 
Broadfide, he would have wanted Men to have managed 
his Guns. This furprifed and intimidated the Enemy, 
who, being informed of the Condition they were in at 
Tinian, thought themfelves fure of taking them; which was 
what induced them to bear down as they did before the 
Engagement. The Commander of the Spanijh Ship, 
Don Hieronimo Montero , a Portuguefe , behaved very 
bravely ; and, for the firft Hour, fired very brifkly ; 
but afterwards the Ship lay like a Log in the Sea, and 
fired only now-and-then. The Adtion lafted an Hour and 
twenty Minutes. A Spanijh Officer, who was ordered to 
ftrike the Colours, and who flood very near them, refufed 
to do it for fome time ; but at laft they were ftruck. 
Upon this the Commodore ordered his Cutter to be 
hoifted, the reft of the Boats being rendered unferviceable 
in the Engagement, and fent on board Lieutenant Sum- 
rnare to take Poffeffion of her ; but, there being little 
Wind, flie fell on board the Centurion , but, in a little time, 
they got clear. When the Cutter returned, fhe brought 
AGES of Book I. 
the Governor of Guam , the Pilot of the Spanijh. Ship, and 
fome of the principal Officers and Paffengers : As for the 
Commander, he had received two Wounds, and it was 
not thought fafe to remove him ; but Orders were given 
for taking all imaginable Care of him on board his own 
Ship. 
In this Adtion the Centurion had only two Men killed ; 
viz. Thomas Richmond , who had his Head iliot off, and 
George Walton : Lieutenant Pretty and fifteen Men, 
wounded. They had fifteen Shot through the Hull of 
the Ship ; their Fore-maft, Main-maft, and Bowfprit, 
wounded, and their Rigging very much fluttered. In 
taking the Prize, they expended fifty hundred Weight of 
Round-fhot, four Rounds of Grape, and four of Double- 
headed, and twenty-four Barrels of Powder. The Spanijh 
Galleon was called Nuejira Signora del Cabo Dongo: She could 
mount fixty Guns, but had only forty-two adtually mounted, 
feventeen of which were Brafs, and twenty-eight Pa- 
tereroes ; each of which, that is of the Patereroes, was 
loaded with feventy Mufquet-balls, or what was equivalent 
to them, rufty Nails, Flint-ftones, and Slugs ; they likewife 
fired abundance of Chain-fhot, fome Double-headed, with 
barbed Points, which with us are efteemed unlawful. She 
had fifty-eight Men killed, and eighty-three wounded. To 
prevent their being intimidated by fo great a Lofs, the 
Commander ordered twenty Men to be employed, during 
the whole Action, in throwing the Dead over-board, and 
in wafhing the Deck, that the Blood might not be per- 
ceived. She had 1 50 Shot through her Hull, many of 
which were between Wind and Water, which made her 
very leaky ; her Mails were in a very bad Condition, and 
her Rigging tore all to-pieces, fo that they were obliged 
to fend Blocks and Cails of Ropes on board, to repair it 
as foon as fhe was taken. The Cutter and the Long-boat 
of the Prize were for fome time employed in bringing on 
board the Prifoners, to the Number of three hundred ; and 
Lieutenant Summare , with fifty Men, were left in Pof- 
feffion of the Prize, together with two Surgeons, to aftift 
the Wounded. They found, on the firft Search, on 
board the Ship, one hundred and twelve Bags and fix 
Chefts of Dollars, and one Bag of Plate. 
On the .2 2d five of the Prifoners died, on board the 
Centurion, of their Wounds ; the two next Days were em- 
ployed in bringing on board great Part of their Riches. 
On the 25th one hundred of the Prifoners were put into 
the Hold of the Spanijh Ship. The fame Day Don Hie- 
ronimo Montero came on board the Centurion ; and, when 
he faw how inconfiderable their force was, he could not 
help expreffing the greateft Fury andPaffion at being taken 
by fuch an Plandful of Men, and thofe too in fuch Con- 
dition ; for many, though they had Spirit enough to 
fight, were almoft eat up with the Scurvy, and a great 
Part of the Crew were, in a manner, perfedt Boys. On 
the 26th more Money was brought on board ; fo that it 
was now computed they had had a Million two hundred 
thoufand Pieces of Eight from on board the Prize, and a 
great deal more was brought on board the next Day. 
On the 29th Mr. Philip Summare was appointed Cap- 
tain of the Prize, his Commiffion bearing Date from the 
Day fhe was taken ; and, as foon as he received it, the 
new Captain fainted the Commodore with eleven Guns, 
which was anfwered by three ; but the Prize was in fo bad 
a Condition, that they were obliged to take her in Tow. 
The fame Day they removed fifteen Bags or Dollars, fome 
Plate, and three fmall Cafks of Yirgin-filver, on board 
the Centurion , fo that they had now every thing of Value 
out of the Prize, amounting, in the Whole, to 1,313,843 
Pieces of Eight, and 35,682 Ounces of Plate and Virgin- 
filver. On the firft of July they had Sight of the Bajhee 
Iflands, and the next Day found themfeives oil the Eland 
of Manila , for which their Prize was bound. 
The proper Name of this Eland is Luconia , but it is 
frequently called Manila , from its Metropolis or tnat 
Name. It is the largeft of the Philippines , and one of 
the very beft Countries fubjedt to the Crown of Spain . . It 
affords all Sorts of Corn, Fruits, and Roots, in prodigious 
Plenty, and Flelh and Fiffi, in as great Abundance as can 
be wiftied; befides all thefe Advantages, which make 
it a delightful Country to live in, it may be juftty con- 
} 
