e again spread on the look-out, and saw a sail
at 10 a.m. to which we gave chase, and which we came near enough by
two p.m. to observe to be the Gloucester, having a small vessel in
tow. We joined her in about an hour after, when we learnt that Captain
Mitchell had only taken two small prizes during the whole of his
cruise. One was a small snow, the cargo of which consisted chiefly
of wine, brandy, and olives in jars, with about 7000l. in specie. The
other was a large boat or launch, taken near shore by the Gloucester's
barge. The prisoners on board this boat alleged that they were very
poor, and that their loading consisted only of cotton; though the
circumstances under which they were surprized, seemed to insinuate
that they were more opulent than they pretended; for they were found
at dinner on a pigeon-pye, served up in silver dishes. The officer who
commanded the barge, having opened several of the jars in the prize,
to satisfy his curiosity, found nothing as he thought but cotton,
which inclined him to believe the account given by the prisoners; but
when these jars were examined more strictly in the Gloucester, they
were agreeably surprised to find the whole a very extraordinary piece
of deception; as in every jar there was a considerable quantity of
double doubloons and dollars, artfully concealed among the cotton, to
the amount in all of near 12,000l. This treasure was going to Payta,
and belonged to the same merchants who were proprietors of most of
the money we had taken there; so that, if this boat had escaped the
Gloucester, her cargo would probably have fallen into our hands.
Besides these two prizes, the Gloucester had been in sight of two or
three other ships, which had escaped them; and one of them, from some
of our intelligence, we had reason to believe was of immense value.

It was now resolved to stand to the northwards, and to make the best
of our way either for Cape St Lucas, in California, or Cape Corientes
on the coast of Mexico. When at Juan Fernandez, the commodore had
resolved to touch somewhere in the neighbourhood of Panama, to
endeavour to get some correspondence overland with the fleet under
Admiral Vernon. For, on our departure from England, we left a fleet
at Portsmouth intended for the West Indies, to be employed there in
an expedition against some of the Spanish settlements. Taking for
granted, therefore, that this enterprise had succeeded, and that
Portobello might then be garrisoned b