lution. The prisoners who were first sent on board the Centurion,
informed us, that the prize was called _Neustra Lenora del Monte
Carmelo_, and her commander Don Manuel Zamorra. Her cargo consisted
chiefly of sugar, and a great quantity of blue cloth, made in the
province of Quito, somewhat resembling our coarse English broad cloth,
but inferior. They had also several bales of a coarser cloth, of
different colours, somewhat like Colchester baize, called by them
_Panniada Tierra_; with a few bales of cotton, and some tolerably
well-flavoured tobacco, though strong. These were her principal goods;
but we found besides, what was much more valuable than the rest of
her cargo, some trunks full of wrought silver plate, and twenty-three
serons of dollars, each weighing upwards of two hundred pounds.[2]
This ship was of about 450 tons burden, having on board 53 sailors,
including whites and blacks. She came from Calao, bound for
Valparaiso, and had been twenty-seven days at sea. Her return cargo
from Chili was to have been corn and Chili wine, with some gold, dried
beef, and small cordage, which is afterwards converted at Calao into
larger rope. This vessel had been built thirty years before; yet,
as they lie in harbour all winter, and the climate is remarkably
favourable, she was not considered as very old. Her rigging and sails
were very indifferent, the latter being of cotton. She had only three
four-pounders, which were quite unserviceable, as their carriages
could scarcely support them; and they had no small arms on board,
except a few pistols belonging to the passengers. They had sailed from
Callao in company with two other ships, which they had parted from
a few days before, and had at first taken our ship for one of their
consorts; and, by the description we gave of the ship we had chased
from Juan Fernandez, they assured us that she was one of their number;
although the coming in sight of that island is directly contrary to
the merchant's instructions, as knowing, if any English ships should
be in these seas, that this island is most likely to be their place of
rendezvous.

[Footnote 2: A seron is a species of package made and used in Spanish
America, consisting of a piece of raw bullock's hide with the hair on,
formed while wet into the shape of a small trunk, and sewed together.
The quantity of dollars taken on this occasion may have been between
seventy and eighty thousand.--E.]

We met with very important intell