herefore made all necessary preparations for receiving them. All this
time, too, he was very solicitous to keep at such a distance from the
cape as not to be discovered; but it has been since learned that
notwithstanding his care, he was seen from the land, and advice of him
was sent to Manila, where it was at first disbelieved; but on reiterated
intelligence (for it seems he was seen more than once) the merchants were
alarmed, and the Governor was applied to, who undertook (the commerce
supplying the necessary sums) to fit out a force consisting of two ships
of 32 guns, one of 20 guns, and two sloops of 10 guns each, to attack the
Centurion on her station. And some of these vessels did actually weigh
with this view, but the principal ship not being ready, and the monsoon
being against them, the commerce and the Government disagreed, and the
enterprise was laid aside. This frequent discovery of the Centurion from
the shore was somewhat extraordinary, for the pitch of the cape is not
high, and she usually kept from ten to fifteen leagues distant, though
once, indeed, by an indraught of the tide, as was supposed, they found
themselves in the morning within seven leagues of the land.

CHAPTER 34.
THE CAPTURE OF THE GALLEON.

As the month of June advanced, the expectancy and impatience of the
Commodore's people each day increased, and I think no better idea can be
given of their great eagerness on this occasion than by copying a few
paragraphs from the journal of an officer who was then on board, as it
will, I presume, be a more natural picture of the full attachment of
their thoughts to the business of their cruise than can be given by any
other means. The paragraphs I have selected, as they occur in order of
time are as follows:

May 31. Exercising our men at their quarters, in great expectation of
meeting with the galleons very soon, this being the 11th of June, their
style.

June 3. Keeping in our stations and looking out for the galleons.

June 5. Begin now to be in great expectations, this being the middle of
June, their style.

June 11. Begin to grow impatient at not seeing the galleons.

June 13. The wind having blown fresh easterly for the forty-eight hours
past, gives us great expectations of seeing the galleons soon.

June 15. Cruising on and off and looking out strictly.

June 19. This being the last day of June, New Style, the galleons, if
they arrive at all, must appear soon.

...

From these