day, Shelvocke sent on board the Success six chests of pitch and dammer, two barrels of tar, and six slabs of copper; and Captain Clipperton gave him twenty-four quarter deck guns,[242] some round shot, a compass, and a few other necessaries.  Shelvocke’s people laid out a great deal of money with the crew of the Success, in the purchase of clothes, shoes, hats, and other necessaries; and there remained with them two of Shelvocke’s officers, Mr Hendric the purser, and Mr Dod the lieutenant of marines.

[Footnote 242:  This must be a gross error, as the Success originally carried only twenty-four guns; and accordingly, in the subsequent account of the circumnavigation of Shelvocke, only two quarter-deck guns are mentioned.—­E.]

Still keeping to the northward on the coast of Mexico, the Success afterwards saw the Jesu Maria several times; and at length, in the beginning of March, it was resolved to propose a conjunct attempt on the Manilla ship on her way to Acapulco.  Accordingly on the 13th March, in a general consultation by the officers of both ships, it was agreed to make the attempt jointly, both ships boarding her at once, as the only chance of taking her.  On the 15th, in another consultation, Captain Clipperton and his officers agreed to certain articles, which were sent to Captain Shelvocke, proposing, if he and his crew would refund all the money they had shared among themselves, contrary to the articles agreed upon with the owners, and put the whole into a joint stock, thus all their faults should be forgiven, both companies uniting, and should then proceed together to cruise for the Acapulco ship.  This proposal was very indifferently received by Shelvocke and his men, who did not care to part with what they possessed, and declined to give any answer to this proposal.  Perceiving, therefore, that nothing good was to be expected from their quondam consort, considering also that the usual time of the Manilla ship arriving at Acapulco was already elapsed, that most of their remaining men were weak and sickly, and that they were only victualled for five months at their present short allowance, Captain Clipperton and his men thought it was now proper for them to proceed for the East Indies without loss of time, in order to preserve what little they had got for their owners and themselves.  It was therefore resolved upon to put this plan into immediate execution, without any farther consultation with Shelvocke, and to leave the coast of America directly.  They were now to the S.S.E. of Port Marquis, in lat. 16 deg.50’N. and accordingly on the 18th March shaped their course for crossing the Pacific ocean towards the Ladrone islands.

The Manilla ships usually leave the Philippine islands about the beginning of July, and arrive at the Ladrones about the beginning of September, whence they proceed for Acapulco, where they are expected to arrive about the middle of January.  They generally remain at Acapulco, till towards the latter end of April, and then sail for Manilla.  This, though the general rule, is liable to some alterations, according as the trade-winds set in earlier or later.  From this account, it is plain that the ship they had now proposed to wait for must have been the galleon on her passage from Acapulco for Manilla, which always has a prodigious quantity of silver on board.