We found nothing of value in Realejo, except 500 sacks of flour, with some pitch, tar, and cordage.  We also received here the 150 oxen promised by the gentleman who was released at Leon; which, together with sugar, and other cattle we procured in the country, were very welcome and useful to us.  We remained in Realejo from the 17th to the 24th of August, when we re-embarked.  On the 25th Captains Davis and Swan agreed to separate, the former being inclined to return to the coast of Peru, and the latter to proceed farther to the north-west; and as I was curious to become better acquainted with the north-western parts of Mexico, I left Captain Davis and joined Captain Swan.  Captain Townley joined us with his two barks, but Captains Harris and Knight went along with Swan.  On the 27th Davis went out of the harbour with his ship, but we staid behind for some time, to provide ourselves with wood and water.  By this time our men began to be much afflicted with fevers, which we attributed to the remains of a contagious distemper that lately raged at Realejo, as the men belonging to Captain Davis were similarly infected.

We sailed from Realejo on the 3d September, steering to the north-west along the coast, having tornadoes from the N.W. accompanied with much thunder and lightning, which obliged us to keep out to sea, so that we saw no land till the 14th, when we were in lat. 13 deg. 51’ N. We then came in sight of the volcano of Guatimala.  This presents a double peak like two sugar-loaves, between which fire and smoke sometimes burst forth, especially before bad weather.  The city of Guatimala stands near the foot of this high mountain, eight leagues from the South Sea, and forty or fifty from the gulf of Amatique, at the bottom of the bay of Honduras.[178] This city is reputed to be rich, as the country around abounds in several commodities peculiar to it, especially four noted dyes, indigo, otta or anotto, cochineal, and silvestre.[179] Having in vain endeavoured to land on this part of the coast, we proceeded to the small isle of Tangola. a league from the continent, where we found good anchorage, with plenty of wood and water.

[Footnote 178:  This description agrees with the situation of St Jago de Guatemala, in lat. 14 deg. 25’ N. long. 31 deg. 18’ W., which is about thirty statute miles from the South Sea.  The modern city of Guatemala, standing nine miles to the S.E., is only about sixteen miles from the sea at the head of a bay of the same name.—­E]

[Footnote 179:  This last is an inferior species of cochineal, gathered from the uncultivated opuntia, while the true cochineal is carefully attended to in regular plantations.  Both are the bodies of certain insects gathered by the Indians and dried for preservation, constituting the most valuable scarlet dye.—­E]