ed to be the Bashees, and they had afterwards a sight of Botel
Tobago Xima. After getting a sight of the Bashee Islands, they stood
between the south and south-west for Cape Espiritu Santo, and the 20th of
May at noon they first discovered that cape, which about four o'clock
they brought to bear south-south-west, about eleven leagues distant. It
appeared to be of a moderate height, with several round hummocks on it.
As it was known that there were sentinels placed upon this cape to make
signals to the Acapulco ship when she first falls in with the land, the
Commodore immediately tacked, and ordered the top-gallant sails to be
taken in to prevent being discovered; and this being the station in which
it was resolved to cruise for the galleons, they kept the cape between
the south and west, and endeavoured to confine themselves between the
latitude of 12 degrees 50 minutes and 13 degrees 5 minutes.

It was the last of May, by the foreign style, when they arrived off this
cape; and the month of June, by the same style, being that in which the
Manila ships are usually expected, the Centurion's people were now
waiting each hour with the utmost impatience for the happy crisis which
was to balance the account of all their past calamities. As from this
time there was but small employment for the crew, the Commodore ordered
them almost every day to be exercised in the management of the great guns
and in the use of their small arms. This had been his practice, more or
less, at all convenient seasons during the whole course of his voyage,
and the advantages which he received from it in his engagement with the
galleon were an ample recompense for all his care and attention. The men
were taught the shortest method of loading with cartridges, and were
constantly trained to fire at a mark, which was usually hung at the
yard-arm, and some little reward was given to the most expert. The whole
crew, by this management, were rendered extremely skilful, quick in
loading, all of them good marksmen, and some of them most extraordinary
ones, so that I doubt not but, in the use of small arms, they were more
than a match for double their number who had not been habituated to the
same kind of exercise.

AN ILL-TIMED DISAGREEMENT.

It was the last of May, New Style, as has been already said, when the
Centurion arrived off Cape Espiritu Santo, and consequently the next day
began the month in which the galleons were to be expected. The Commodore
t