A league from thence is the port of Guataico, in lat. 15 deg. 52’ N. long. 36 deg. 20’ W. one of the best in Mexico.  On the east side of the entrance, and about a mile from it, there is a small isle near the shore, and on the west side a great hollow rock, open at top, through which the waves force a passage with a great noise to a great height even in the calmest weather, which affords an excellent mark for seamen.  This port runs into the land about three miles in a N.W. direction, and is about one mile broad.  The west side affords the securest anchorage, the other being exposed to S.W. winds, which are frequent on this coast.  We landed here to the number of 140 men, of whom I was one, on the 8th September, and marched about fourteen miles to an Indian village, where we found nothing but vanillas drying in the sun.  The vanilla grows on a small vine, or bindwood shrub, which winds about the stems of trees, producing a yellow flower, which changes to a pod of four or five inches long, about the the size of a tobacco-pipe stem.  This is at first green, but becomes yellow when ripe, having black seeds.  When gathered they are laid in the sun, which makes them soft and of a chesnut colour, when they are squeezed flat by the Indians.  The Spaniards buy this commodity at a cheap rate from the Indians, and afterwards preserve it in oil.

The 10th we sent four of our canoes to wait for us at the port of Angelos, about ten miles W. from Guataico, and on the 12th we sailed from Guataico.  The 23d we landed 100 men at Angelos, where they got salt beef, maize, salt, hogs, and poultry but could bring little on board, being at a distance from the shore.  Hearing of a stout ship lately arrived at Acapulco from Lima, and as Captain Townley was much in need of a better ship, it was agreed to endeavour to cut that ship out of the harbour. Acapulco is a town and harbour in lat. 16 deg. 50’ N. long. 99 deg. 44’ W. on the western coast of New Spain, and belonging to the city of Mexico, being the only place of commerce on this coast, and yet there are only three ships that come to it annually.  Two of these go every year between this port and Manilla in Luconia, one of the Philippines, and the third goes once a year to and from Lima in Peru.  This last comes to Acapulco about Christmas, laden with quicksilver, cacao, and dollars, and waits the arrival of the Manilla ships, from which she takes in a cargo of spices, calicos, muslins, and other goods of India and China, and then returns to Lima.  This is only a vessel of moderate size; but the two Manilla ships are each of about 1000 tons burden.