1741.] 1 THE ISLAND OF QUIBO. ing us considerably, the Commodore ordered them both to be cleared of everything that might prove useful to the rest of the ships, and then to be burned. Having given proper instructions, and a rendezvous to the Gloucester and the other prizes, we proceeded in our course for Quibo; and on the 22d, in the morning, saw the Island of Plata, bearing E., distant four leagues. Here one of our prizes was ordered to stand close in with it, both to discover if there were any ships between that island and the continent, and likewise to look out for a stream of fresh water which was reported to be there, and which would have saved us the trouble of going to Quibo; but she returned without having seen any ship or finding any water. At three in the afternoon, Point Manta bore SE. by E., seven miles distant; and there being a town of the same name in the neighbourhood, Captain Mitchel took this opportunity of sending away several of his prisoners from the Gloucester in the Spanish launch. The boats were now daily employed in distributing provisions on board the Trial and other prizes to complete their stock for six months; and that the Centurion might be the better prepared to give the Manilla ship (one of which we were told was of an immense size) a warm reception, the carpenters were ordered to fix eight stocks in the main and fore tops, which were properly fitted for the mounting of swivel guns. On the 25th we had a sight of the Island of Gallo, bearing ESE. half E., four leagues distant; and hence we crossed the Bay of Panama with a NW. course, hoping that this would have carried us in a direct line to the Island of Quibo. But we afterwards found that we ought to have stood more to the westward; for the winds in a short time began to incline to that quarter, and made it difficult for us to gain the island. 1 So called, it is said, because here Sir Francis Drake divided the treasure he had captured in the South Seas. 407 On the 27th, Captain Mitchel having finished the clearing of his largest prize, she was scuttled and set on fire; but we still consisted of five ships and were fortunate enough to find them all good sailers, so that we never occasioned any delay to each other. Being now in a rainy climate, which we had been long disused to, we found it necessary to calk the sides of the Centurion, to prevent the rain-water from running into her. On the 3d of December we had a view of the Island of Quibo; the east end of which then bore from us NNW., four leagues distant, and the Island of Quicara WNW., at about the same distance. Here we struck ground with sixty-five fathoms of line, and found the bottom to consist of grey sand with black specks. When we had thus got sight of the land, we found the wind to hang westerly; and therefore, night coming on, we thought it advisable to stand off till morning, as there are said to be some shoals in the entrance of the channel. At six the next morning, Point Mariato bore NE. half N., three or four leagues distant. In weathering this point all the squadron, except the Centurion, were very near it; and the Gloucester, being the leewardmost ship, was forced to tack and stand to the southward, so that we lost sight of her. At nine, the Island Sebaco bore NW. by N., four leagues distant; but the wind still proving unfavourable, we were obliged to ply on and off for the succeeding twenty-four hours, and were frequently taken aback. However, at eleven the next morning the wind happily settled in the SSW., and we bore away for the SSE. end of the island, and about three in the afternoon entered Canal Bueno, passing round a shoal which stretches off about two miles from the south point of the island. This Canal Bueno, or Good Channel, is at least six miles in breadth; and as we had the wind large, we kept in a good depth of water, generally from twenty-eight to thirty-three fathoms, and came not within a mile and a half distance of the breakers; though in all proba bility, if it had been necessary, we might have ventured much nearer without incurring the least danger. At seven in the evening we came to an anchor in thirty-three fathoms muddy ground; the south point of the island bearing SE. by S., a remarkable high part of the Island W. by N., and the Island Sebaco E. by N. CHAPTER VIII. THE next morning, after our coming to an anchor, an officer was despatched on shore to discover the wateringplace, who having found it, returned before noon; and then we sent the long-boat for a load of water, and at the same time we weighed and stood farther in with our ships. At two we came again to an anchor in twentytwo fathoms, with a bottom of rough gravel intermixed with broken shells, the watering-place now bearing from us NW. half N., only three quarters of a mile distant. This Island of Quibo is extremely convenient for wooding and watering; for the trees grow close to the high-water mark, and a large rapid stream of fresh water runs over the sandy beach into the sea so that we were little more than two days in laying in all the wood and water we wanted. Whilst the ship continued here at anchor, the Commodore, attended by some of his officers, went in a boat to examine a bay which lay to the northward; and they afterwards ranged all along the eastern side of the island. And in the places where they put on shore in the course of his expedition, they generally found the soil to be extremely rich, and met with great plenty of excellent water. In particular, near the NE. point of the island they discovered a natural cascade which surpassed, as they conceived, everything of this kind which human art or industry has hitherto produced. It was a river of transparent water, about forty yards wide, which ran down a declivity of near 150 yards in length. The channel it ran in was very irreg ular; for it was entirely formed of rock, both its sides and bottom being made up of large detached blocks; and by these the course of the water was frequently interrupted: for in some places it ran sloping with a rapid but uniform motion, while in other parts it tumbled over the ledges of rocks with a perpendicular descent. All the neighbourhood of this stream was a fine wood; and even the huge masses of rock which overhung the water, and which, by their various projections, formed the inequalities of the channel, were covered with lofty forest trees. Whilst the Commodore, and those who were with him, were attentively viewing this place, and remarking the different blendings of the water, the rocks, and the wood, there came in sight (as it were with an intent still to heighten and animate the prospect) a prodigious flight of macaws, which, hovering over this spot, and often wheeling and playing on the wing about it, afforded a most brilliant appearance by the glittering of the sun on their variegated plumage; so that some of the spectators cannot refrain from a kind of transport when they recount the complicated beauties which occurred in this extraordinary water-fall. In this expedition, which the boat made along the eastern side of the island, though they met with no inhabitants, yet they saw many huts upon the shore, and great heaps of shells of fine mother-of-pearl scattered up and down in different places. These were the remains left by the pearl fishers from Panama, who often frequent this place in the summer season; for the pearl oysters, which are to be met with everywhere in the Bay of Panama, are so plenty at Quibo, that by advancing a very little way into the sea, you might stoop down and reach them from the bottom. They are usually very large, and out of curiosity we opened some of them with a view of tasting them, but we found them extremely tough and unpalatable. Though the pearl oyster was in 1741.] capable of being eaten, yet the sea at | this place furnished us with another dainty in the greatest plenty and perfection. This was the turtle, of which we took here what quantity we pleased. There are generally reckoned four species of turtle, that is, the trunk turtle, the loggerhead, the hawksbill, The two first and the green turtle. are rank and unwholesome; the hawksbill (which furnishes the tortoise-shell) is but indifferent food, though better than the other two; but the green turtle is generally esteemed, by the greatest part of those who are acquainted with its taste, to be the most delicious of all eatables; and that it is a most wholesome food we are amply convinced by our own experience. For we fed on this last species, or the green turtle, for near four months, and consequently, had it been in any degree noxious, its ill effects could not possibly have escaped FROM QUIBO TO THE COAST OF MEXICO. us. In three days' time we had completed our business at this place, and were extremely impatient to put to sea, that we might arrive in time enough on the coast of Mexico to intercept But the wind the Manilla galleon. being contrary detained us a night, and the next day, when we got into the offing (which we did through the same channel by which we entered) we 409 money intended for purchasing a car- On the 12th of December we were CHAPTER IX. ON the 12th of December we stood from Quibo to the westward; and the same day the Commodore delivered fresh instructions to the captains of the men-of-war, and the commanders of our prizes, appointing them the rendezvous they were to make, and the courses they were to steer in case of a separation. And first they were were obliged to keep hovering directed to use all possible despatch about the island in hopes of getting in getting to the northward of the sight of the Gloucester, which, as I harbour of Acapulco, where they were to endeavour to fall in with the land have in the last Chapter mentioned, was separated from us on our first between the Latitudes of 18° and 19°; arrival. It was the 9th of December, thence they were to beat up the coast, at eight or ten leagues' distance from in the morning, when we put to sea; and continuing to the southward of the shore, till they came abreast of the island, looking out for the Glou- Cape Corrientes, in the Latitude of cester, we, on the 10th, at five in the 20° 20'. When they arrived there, afternoon, discerned a small sail to they were to continue cruising on that station till the 14th of February; the northward of us, to which we gave chase, and coming up with her and then they were to proceed to the took her. She proved to be a bark middle island of the Tres Marias, in the Latitude of 21° 25', bearing from from Panama, bound to Cheripe, an And if at this inconsiderable village on the contin- Cape Corrientes NW. by N., twentyent, and was called the Jesu Nazer- five leagues distant. eno. She had nothing on board but island they did not meet the Comsome oakum, about a ton of rock salt,modore, they were there to recruit and between £30 and £40 in specie, their wood and water, and then to most of it consisting of small silver make the best of their way to the Island of Macao, on the coast of China. These orders being distributed to all the ships, we had little doubt of arriving soon upon our intended station, as we expected, upon increasing our offing from Quibo, to fall in with the regular trade-wind. But, to our extreme vexation, we were baffled for near a month, either with tempestuous weather from the western quarter, or with dead calms and heavy rains, attended with a sultry air; so that it was the 25th of December before we got a sight of the Island of Cocos, which, by our reckoning was only 100 leagues from the continent; and we had the mortification to make so little way that we did not lose sight of it again in five days. This island we found to be in the Latitude of 5° 20′ N. It has a high hummock towards the western part, which descends gradually, and at last terminates in a low point to the eastward. From the Island of Cocos we stood W. by N., and were till the 9th of January in running 100 leagues more. We had at first flattered ourselves that the uncertain weather and western gales we met with were owing to the neighbourhood of the continent, from which, as we got more distant, we expected every day to be relieved by falling in with the eastern tradewind. But as our hopes were so long baffled, and our patience quite exhausted, we began at length to despair of succeeding in the great purpose we had in view, that of intercepting the Manilla galleon; and this produced a general dejection amongst us, as we had at first considered this project as almost infallible, and had indulged ourselves in the most boundless hopes of the advantages we should thence receive. However, our despondency was at last somewhat alleviated by a favourable change of the wind; for on the 9th of January a gale for the first time sprung up from the NE., and on this we took the Carmelo in tow, as the Gloucester did the Carmen, making all the sail we could to improve the advantage, for we still suspected that it was only a temporary gale, which would not last long; but the next day we had the satisfaction to find that the wind did not only continue in the same quarter, but blew with so much briskness and steadiness, that we now no longer doubted of its being the true trade-wind. And as we advanced apace towards our station, our hopes began to revive, and our former despair by degrees gave place to more sanguine prejudices; for though the customary season of the arrival of the galleon at Acapulco was already elapsed, yet we were by this time unreasonable enough to flatter ourselves that some accidental delay | might, for our advantage, lengthen out her passage beyond its usual limits. When we got into the trade-wind, we found no alteration in it till the 17th of January, when we were advanced to the Latitude of 12° 50′; but on that day it shifted to the westward of N. This change we imputed to our having hauled up too soon, though we then esteemed ourselves full seventy leagues from the coast, which plainly shows that the tradewind does not take place but at a considerable distance from the continent. After this the wind was not so favourable to us as it had been; however, we still continued to advance, and on the 26th of January, being then to the northward of Acapulco, we tacked and stood to the eastward, with a view of making the land. In the preceding fortnight we caught some turtle on the surface of the water, and several dolphins, bonitos, and albicores. One day, as one of the sail-makers' mates was fishing from the end of the jib-boom, he lost his hold, and dropped into the sea; and the ship, which was then going at the rate of six or seven knots, went directly over him. But, as we had the Carmelo in tow, we instantly called out to the people on board her, who threw him over several ends of ropes, one of which he fortunately caught hold of, and twisting it round his arm, they hauled him into the ship without his having received any other injury than a wrench in his arm, of which he soon recovered. 1742.] MISLED BY A LIGHT ON SHORE. When, on the 26th of January, we stood to the eastward, we expected by our reckonings to have fallen in with the land on the 28th; but though the weather was perfectly clear, we had no sight of it at sunset, and therefore we continued on our course, not doubting but we should see it by the next morning. About ten at night we discovered a light on the larboard-bow, bearing from us NNE. The Trial's prize, too, which was about a mile ahead of us, made a signal at the same time for seeing a sail; and as we had none of us any doubt but what we saw was a ship's light, we were all extremely animated with a firm persuasion that it was the Manilla galleon, which had been so long the object of our wishes. And what added to our alacrity was our expectation of meeting with two of them instead of one, for we took it for granted that the light in view was carried in the top of one ship for a direction to her consort. We immediately cast off the Carmelo, and pressed forward with all our canvas, making a signal for the Gloucester to do the same. Thus we chased the light, keeping all our hands at their respective quarters, under an expectation of engaging in the next half hour, as we sometimes conceived the chase to be about a mile distant, and at other times to be within reach of our guns; and some on board us positively averred that besides the light they could plainly discern her sails. The Commodore himself was so fully persuaded that we should be soon alongside of her, that he sent for his first lieutenant, who commanded between decks, and directed him to see all the great guns loaded with two roundshot for the first broadside, and after that with one round-shot and one grape; strictly charging him, at the same time, not to suffer a gun to be fired till he, the Commodore, should give orders, which he informed the lieutenant would not be till we arrived within pistol-shot of the enemy. In this constant and eager attention we continued all night, always presuming that another quarter of an hour would bring us up with this Manilla ship, whose wealth, with 411 that of her supposed consort, we now estimated by round millions. But when the morning broke, and daylight came on, we were most strangely and vexatiously disappointed by finding that the light which had occasioned all this bustle and expectancy was only a fire on the shore. Indeed, the circumstances of this deception are so extraordinary as to be scarcely credible; for by our run during the night, and the distance of the land in the morning, there was no doubt to be made but this fire, when we first discovered it, was about twenty-five leagues from us and yet I believe there was no person on board who doubted of its being a ship's light, or of its being near at hand. It was, indeed, upon a very high mountain, and continued burning for several days afterwards; it was not a volcano, but rather, as I suppose, stubble or heath set on fire for some purpose of agriculture. At sun-rising, after this mortifying delusion, we found ourselves about nine leagues off the land, which extended from the NW. to E. half N. On this land we observed two remarkable hummocks, such as are usually called paps, which bore N. from us; these a Spanish pilot and two Indians, who were the only persons amongst us that pretended to have traded in this part of the world, affirmed to be over the harbour of Acapulco. Indeed, we very much doubted their knowledge of the coast; for we found these paps to be in the Latitude of 17° 56', whereas those over Acapulco are said to be in 17° only; and we afterwards found our suspicions of their skill to be wellgrounded. However, they were very confident, and assured us that the height of the mountains was itself an infallible_mark of the harbour; the coast, as they pretended (though falsely) being generally low to the eastward and westward of it. And now, being in the track of the Manilla galleon, it was a great doubt with us (as it was near the end of January) whether she was or was not 1 See Dampier's description of the place, Chapter IX., page 209. |
