This Is At First Green, But
Becomes Yellow When Ripe, Having Black Seeds.
When gathered they are
laid in the sun, which makes them soft and of a chesnut colour, when
they are squeezed flat by the Indians.
The Spaniards buy this commodity
at a cheap rate from the Indians, and afterwards preserve it in oil.
The 10th we sent four of our canoes to wait for us at the port of
Angelos, about ten miles W. from Guataico, and on the 12th we sailed
from Guataico. The 23d we landed 100 men at Angelos, where they got salt
beef, maize, salt, hogs, and poultry but could bring little on board,
being at a distance from the shore. Hearing of a stout ship lately
arrived at Acapulco from Lima, and as Captain Townley was much in need
of a better ship, it was agreed to endeavour to cut that ship out of the
harbour. Acapulco is a town and harbour in lat. 16 deg. 50' N. long. 99 deg.
44' W. on the western coast of New Spain, and belonging to the city of
Mexico, being the only place of commerce on this coast, and yet there
are only three ships that come to it annually. Two of these go every
year between this port and Manilla in Luconia, one of the Philippines,
and the third goes once a year to and from Lima in Peru. This last comes
to Acapulco about Christmas, laden with quicksilver, cacao, and dollars,
and waits the arrival of the Manilla ships, from which she takes in a
cargo of spices, calicos, muslins, and other goods of India and China,
and then returns to Lima. This is only a vessel of moderate size; but
the two Manilla ships are each of about 1000 tons burden.
These Manilla ships arrange their voyages in such a way that one or the
other is always at Manilla. One of them sails from Acapulco about the
beginning of April; and after sixty days passage across the Pacific
Ocean, touches at Guam, one of the Ladrones, to procure refreshments.
She remains here only three days, and pursues her voyage for Manilla,
where she arrives in the mouth of June. The other ship, being ready
laden at Manilla with India commodities, sets sail soon after for
Acapulco. From Manilla she steers a course to the latitude of 36 deg. or 40 deg.
N. before she can fall in with a wind to carry her to America, and falls
in first with the coast of California, and then is sure of a wind to
carry her down the coast to Acapulco. After making Cape Lucas, the S.
point of California, she runs over to Cape Corientes, in lat. 20 deg. 26'
N. whence she proceeds along the coast to Selagua, where the
passengers for Mexico are landed, and then continues along the coast to
Acapulco, where she usually arrives about Christmas.
This port of Acapulco is very safe and convenient, and of sufficient
capacity to contain some hundred ships without danger.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 218 of 431
Words from 113395 to 113903
of 224764
