e city of Manilla, in which voyage the trade-wind
continually favoured them; so that notwithstanding these places were
distant between three and four thousand leagues, yet the voyage was
often made in little more than two months: But then the return from
Manilla was extremely troublesome and tedious, and is said to have
sometimes taken them up above a twelvemonth, which, if they pretended
to ply up within the limits of the trade-wind, is not at all to be
wondered at; and it is asserted, that in their first voyages they were
so imprudent and unskilful as to attempt this course. However, that
route Was soon laid aside by the advice, as it is said, of a Jesuit,
who persuaded them to steer to the northward till they got clear of
the trade-winds, and then by the favour of the westerly winds, which
generally prevail in high latitudes, to stretch away for the coast
of California. This has been the practice for at least a hundred and
sixty years past, (1740-4:) For Sir Thomas Cavendish, in the year
1586, engaged off the south end of California a vessel bound from
Manilla to the American coast. And it was in compliance with this
new plan of navigation, and to shorten the run both backwards and
forwards, that the staple of this commerce to and from Manilla was
removed from Callao, on the coast of Peru, to the port of Acapulco, on
the coast of Mexico, where it continues fixed at this time.

This trade to Acapulco is not laid open to all the inhabitants of
Manilla, but is confined by very particular regulations, somewhat
analogous to those by which the trade of the register ships from Cadiz
to the West-Indies is restrained.

The trade is limited to a certain value, which the annual cargo ought
not to exceed. Some Spanish manuscripts', I have seen, mention this
limitation to be 600,000 dollars; but the annual cargo does certainly
surpass this sum; and though it may be difficult to fix its exact
value, yet from many comparisons I conclude, that the return cannot be
greatly short of three millions of dollars.

This trade from Manilla to Acapulco and back again, is usually carried
on in one or at most two annual ships, which set sail from Manilla
about July, and arrive at Acapulco in the December, January, or
February following, and having there disposed of their effects, return
for Manilla some time in March, where they generally arrive in June;
so that the whole voyage takes up very near an entire year: For this
reason, though the