he water, and was lifted on board half
dead from fright. It appeared that having taken too much brandy he had
fallen asleep, when on awakening, seeing some Spaniards approaching, and
finding himself surrounded by smoke, he started up, and dashing through
the flames, fortunately directed his course towards the beach.

This affair at Paita, though well executed, inflicted a cruel injury,
not on the Spanish Government so much as on an unoffending and
industrious community, and Anson has justly been blamed for the act.

Having scuttled and sunk all the vessels found in the harbour, with the
exception of five, which were fitted out as men-of-war, he sailed away
from the place with his booty, the value of which amounted to upwards of
thirty thousand pounds.

Notwithstanding the severe loss they had suffered, the prisoners
expressed their gratitude to the commodore for the considerate way they
had been treated. An ecclesiastic of some distinction especially was
most warm in his expressions of thankfulness for the civilities he and
his countrymen had received. He could never forget the way the men had
been treated, but he said that the commodore's behaviour to the women
was so extraordinary and so extremely honourable that he doubted whether
all the regard to his ecclesiastical character would be sufficient to
render it credible.

Having rejoined the _Gloucester_, which had taken only two small
vessels, Anson steered for the southern part of California, there to
watch for a Spanish galleon annually dispatched with treasure from the
port of Acapulco to Manilla. On arriving at their destination, after
cruising for some time, during the night a light was seen, when they
were about twenty-five leagues from the shore. Chase was immediately
made, it being supposed it was the galleon's light. Great was their
disappointment when morning broke to discover that it was underwood or
stubble burning on the side of a lofty mountain, which, seen at the
immense distance at which it was discovered, appeared no larger than an
ordinary ship's light. On arriving in the neighbourhood of Acapulco, a
boat was sent into the harbour at night to ascertain the state of its
defences. Three negroes were captured on board a fishing canoe, and
were taken to the commodore. They gave the information that means had
been energetically taken to defend the place, and that a garrison had
been stationed on an island at the entrance.

Anson therefore re