At sun-rising, after this mortifying delusion, we found ourselves about nine leagues off the land, which extended from the N.W. to E. 1/2 N. On this land we observed two remarkable hummocks, such as are usually called paps, which bore north from us:  These, a Spanish pilot and two Indians, who were the only persons amongst us that pretended to have traded in this part of the world, affirmed to be over the harbour of Acapulco.  Indeed, we very much doubted their knowledge of the coast; for we found these paps to be in the latitude of 17 deg.56’, whereas those over Acapulco are said to be in 17 deg. only; and we afterwards found our suspicions of their skill to be well grounded:  However, they were very confident, and assured us, that the height of the mountains was itself an infallible mark of the harbour; the coast, as they pretended, (though falsely) being generally low to the eastward and westward of it.

And now being in the track of the Manilla galleon, it was a great doubt with us (as it was near the end of January,) whether she was or was not arrived:  But examining our prisoners about it, they assured us, that she was sometimes known to come in after the middle of February; and they endeavoured to persuade us, that the fire we had seen on shore was a proof that she was as yet at sea, it being customary, as they said, to make use of these fires as signals for her direction, when she continued longer out than ordinary.  On this information, strengthened by our propensity to believe them in a matter which so pleasingly flattered our wishes, we resolved to cruise for her for some days; and we accordingly spread our ships at the distance of twelve leagues from the coast, in such a manner, that it was impossible she should pass us unobserved:  However, not seeing her soon, we were at intervals inclined to suspect that she had gained her port already; and as we now began to want a harbour to refresh our people, the uncertainty of our present situation gave us great uneasiness, and we were very solicitous to get some positive intelligence, which might either set us at liberty to consult our necessities, if the galleon was arrived, or might animate us to continue our present cruise with cheerfulness, if she was not.  With this view the commodore, after examining our prisoners very particularly, resolved to send a boat, under night, into the harbour of Acapulco, to see if the Manilla ship was there or not, one of the Indians being very positive that this might be done without the boat itself being discovered.  To execute this project, the barge was dispatched the 6th of February, with a sufficient crew and two officers, who took with them a Spanish pilot, and the Indian who had insisted on the practicability of this measure, and had undertaken to conduct it.  Our barge did not return to us again till the eleventh, when the officers acquainted Mr Anson, that, agreeable to our suspicion, there was nothing like a harbour in the place where the Spanish pilots had at first asserted