hat some
accidental delay might lengthen her passage beyond its usual limits.

When we got into the trade-wind, we found no alteration in it till the
17th of January, when we were advanced to the latitude of 12 deg.50', but
on that day it shifted to the westward of the north: This change
we imputed to our having haled up too soon, though we then esteemed
ourselves full seventy leagues from the coast, which plainly shows,
that the trade-wind doth not take place, but at a considerable
distance from the continent. After this, the wind was not so
favourable to us as it had been: However, we still continued to
advance, and, on the 26th of January, being then to the northward of
Acapulco, we tacked and stood to the eastward, with a view of making
the land.

In the preceding fortnight we caught some turtle on the surface of the
water, and several dolphins, bonitos, and albicores. One day, as one
of the sail-makers mates was fishing from the end of the gib-boom, he
lost his hold, and dropped into the sea; and the ship, which was then
going at the rate of six or seven knots, went directly over him: But
as we had the Carmelo in tow, we instantly called out to the people on
board her, who threw him over several ends of ropes, one of which he
fortunately caught hold of, and twisting it round his arm, was hauled
into the ship, without having received any other injury than a wrench
in his arm, of which he soon recovered.

On the 26th of January, we stood to the eastward, expecting, by our
reckonings, to have fallen in with the land on the 28th; but though
the weather was perfectly clear, we had no sight of it at sun-set, and
therefore continued our course, not doubting but we should see it
by the next morning. About ten at night we discovered a light on the
larboard-bow, bearing from us N.N.E. The Tryal's prize too, about a
mile a-head of us, made a signal at the same time for seeing a sail;
and as we had no doubt that what we saw was a ship's light, we were
extremely animated with a firm persuasion, that it was the Manilla
galleon, which had been so long the object of our wishes: And what
added to our alacrity, was our expectation of meeting with two of them
instead of one, for we took it for granted, that the light in view
was carried in the top of one ship for a direction to her consort.
We immediately cast off the Carmelo and pressed forward with all our
canvass, making a signal for the Gloucester to do the same. Thus we
chas