s 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.]

The 29th, 200 men were sent in canoes to attempt to land, and if
possible to find a road to the town of _Selagua_, seated, as we were
told by the Spaniards, at the N.W. end of the vale of Colima, but they
were unable to land, owing to the violence of the waves. We came in
sight of the port of _Selagua_ on the 1st December. This is a bay in
lat. 19 deg. 8' N. parted in the middle by a rocky point, so that it appears
like two havens, in either of which there is safe anchorage in ten or
twelve fathoms, though the western harbour is the best, and has besides
the advantage of a fresh-water rivulet. We saw a considerable number of
armed Spaniards on the land, to whom we made a visit next morning with
200 men, but they soon fled. In the pursuit our people found a broad
road, leading through a wooded and rocky country, which they followed
for four leagues, but found not the least appearance of any
inhabitants, and therefore turned back. On their return they took two
straggling mulattoes, who said the broad road led to the city of
_Oarrah_,[182] four long days journey into the country, and that these
men came from that city to protect the Manilla ship, which was expected
to set her passengers ashore at this place. The Spanish maps place a
town called Selagua hereabouts, but we could not find any appearance of
it.

[Footnote 182: Guadalaxara, the latter part of which is pronounced
_achara_, is probably here meant. It is 160 miles inland from the port
of Selagua.--E.]

We pursued our voyage on the 6th December towards Cape Corientes, in
hopes of meeting the Manilla ship. The land on the coast was moderately
high, sprinkled with many rugged points, and full of wood, having
several apparently good ports between Selagua and Cape Corientes, but we
did not touch at any of them. Cape Corientes, of which we came in sight
on the 11th, in lat. 20 deg. 28' N. is pretty high, being very steep and
rocky towards the sea, but flat on the top. I found its longitude from
the Lizard in England, by our reckoning, 121 deg. 41' W.[183] As the Manilla
ship is obliged to make this point on her voyage to Acapulco, we took up
a station here with our four ships in such a manner that we judged she
could hardly escape us; but as we we