solved not to attack it, but to devote all his means
to capturing the Manilla galleon as soon as she should come out of port.
For this purpose he stationed his squadron of six ships over a long
distance, but sufficiently near to each other to keep up communication.
Besides these, two boats were sent in every night to watch the entrance
of the harbour.

A good many negroes had been taken at different times, and these were
promised their freedom if they would enter on board as seamen and be
trained to the management of the guns. It was supposed that the galleon
would sail on the 3rd of March from Acapulco, and every one was looking
out for her; but the days went by and she did not appear. At last it
was necessary to obtain water, and Anson steered for the harbour of
Chequetan, about thirty leagues from Acapulco. He hoped, when it was
known that the ships were there, the galleon might attempt to slip out
and try to escape. He therefore left Lieutenant Hughes to cruise off
the port of Acapulco twenty days longer, that, should the galleon sail,
he might easily be informed of it.

To protect the watering-place, which was at some distance from the
beach, a strong barricade was erected across the only path leading into
the country, a little way beyond it, and here a guard was always
stationed. As the whole of the crews together were scarcely sufficient
to man even the _Centurion_, three of the prizes, having their cargoes
and stores removed, were carried out and sunk. These and many other
arrangements having been concluded, preparations were made for sailing
across the Pacific. It was necessary first to pick up the boat off
Acapulco, which ought long before that time to have returned.

Having got to within three leagues of Acapulco, and nothing of the boat
being seen, it was feared that she had been wrecked or captured by the
Spaniards. Under the supposition that she had been taken, Captain Anson
sent in a Spanish officer, one of his many prisoners, and a boat manned
by Spaniards, to offer an exchange of prisoners. Some time after she
had gone the missing boat appeared, the wan countenances of her crew
showing the sufferings they had gone through.

They had been about to return when a strong current carried them away to
leeward, and they had to run still farther to look out for some place
where they might land and obtain water. As they had not now to wait to
hear from the shore, the prisoners were put on board two