fertile.  The hill of Petaplan, or Petatlan, sends out a round point into the sea, called Cape Jequena, in lat. 17 deg. 27’ N. which appears from sea like an island, and a little farther west there is a knot of round hills, having an intervening bay, in which we anchored in eleven fathoms.  We here landed 170 men, who marched fourteen miles into the country, when they reached a wretched Indian village, deserted by the inhabitants, so that we only found one mulatto-woman and four young children.

Proceeding on the 18th about two leagues farther to the N.W. we came to a pretty good harbour named Chequetan, having the convenience of a good fresh-wafer river and plenty of wood.  On the 19th we landed ninety-five men, having the mulatto-woman for their guide, at Estapa,[180] a league west from Chequetan.  The guide now conducted them through a pathless wood along a river, and coming to a farm-house in a plain, they found a caravan of sixty mules, laden with flour, chocolate, cheese, and earthenware, intended for Acapulco, and of which this woman had given them intelligence.  All this they carried off, except the earthenware, and brought aboard in their canoes, together with some beeves they killed in the plain.  Captain Swan went afterwards on shore, and killed other eighteen beeves, without any opposition.  We found the country woody but fertile, and watered by many rivers and rivulets.

[Footnote 180:  Istapha is to the eastward of Petatlan, but Chequetan is not delineated in modern maps, neither are any rivers noticed for a great way either N.W. or S.E. from Petatlan.—­E.]

Sailing on the 21st to the N.W. the land appeared full of rugged hills, with frightful intervening vallies.  On the 25th we passed a high hill having several peaks, in lat. 18 deg. 8’ N. near which there is a town named Cupan,[181] but we could not find the way to it.  The 26th, 200 men were sent to find out the way to Colima, said to be a rich place, but after rowing twenty leagues along shore they could not find any place fit for landing, and saw not the least sign of any inhabitants, so that they returned to the ships on the 28th.  Soon after we got sight of the volcano of Colima, remarkable for its height, six leagues from the sea, in lat. 19 deg. 5’ N. It shewed two peaks or summits, both of which always emit either fire or smoke.  The valley at the foot of this mountain is said to be fertile and delightful, abounding in cacao, corn, and plantains, and is said to be ten or twelve leagues wide towards the sea, and to reach far into the country.  It is watered by a deep river named Colima, but which is so obstructed by a sand-bank at its mouth, as not even to allow admission to canoes; but there is no landing on this part of the coast, owing to the impetuosity of the surf.  The town of Colima is the chief place of this part of the country.

[Footnote 181:  Probably Texupan, in lat. 18 deg. 17’ N. is here meant.—­E.]