Being off the Bay of Guayaquil on the 21st June, we saw a ship, and came up with her next day, being one of the Spanish men of war fitted out to take us, carrying thirty-two guns.  We did all we could to gain the weather-gage, but carrying away our fore-top-mast, were obliged to come to action from the leeward, so that she kept a good distance from us, and we could not use our small arms.  Dividing our crew into two equal parts, one managed the guns while the other looked on, and when those at the guns were weary, the others took their places, alternately refreshing those who were not employed, by which means we fired much faster than the enemy, making about 560 discharges, while they only made 110 or 115.  We thus fought from noon till half past six, though at such distance that our shot would hardly reach him, while his flew over us.  Growing dusk, both ceased firing, none of our men being either killed or wounded, and only two through carelessness had their hands and faces scorched.  We lay-to all night, expecting in the morning to renew the fight; but he had made sail from us in the night.

We now returned to the Bay of Atacames in search of provisions, for which purpose we sent our boat ashore with twenty men, who soon returned, saying they had found an Indian village of fifty houses, but the inhabitants were all fled and had left nothing behind.  In the river we found a fine bark of about fifty tons, with as much new plank in her as would have built another of equal size; and we took another of about ten tons, laden with plantains.  This we resolved to retain, instead of a long-boat.  She had two masts and two square-sails, and having fitted her for our purpose, we called her the Dragon.  The country in the neighbourhood of this bay is very pleasant, being well wooded and watered.  About seven leagues to the N.E. is the Bay of St Mattheo, the land about it being very high, and there are many shoals about it, running two leagues out to sea.  For three or four leagues the water is only from four fathoms to six, and this bay has white cliffs both to the north and south.  In the bottom of the bay there are two rivers running into the sea, both of which are what the seamen call alligator water, that is, white and musky as before described.  On each side of these rivers there are shoals of sand; and near their mouths are fine groves of tall spreading green trees, which are the marks by which they may be found, as their mouths are narrow, and not discernible at a distance.  These rivers are seldom frequented by the Spaniards, except for refreshments, for which they are well adapted, as all the adjoining country abounds with every kind of provisions that this part of the world produces.  About two leagues up these rivers there are several Indian villages, who furnish the Spanish ships which come here with cocoa-nuts, plantains, bananas, and other kinds of fruit.