where we were with the ship, we had no soundings with a hundred and seventy
fathoms line. Before the boats got on board, the wind had shifted to the
S.S.E. As we were in want of nothing, and had no time to spare, I took the
advantage of this shift of wind, and steered down the bay. During the fore-
part of the night, the country was illuminated with fires, from the sea-
shore to the summits of the mountains; but this was only on the west side
of the shore. I cannot pretend to say what was the occasion of these fires,
but have no idea of their being on our account. Probably, they were burning
or clearing the ground for new plantations. At day-break on the 27th, we
found ourselves two-thirds down the bay, and, as we had but little wind, it
was noon before we were the length of the N.W. point, which at this time
bore N. 82 deg. W., distant five miles. Latitude observed 14 deg. 39' 30".

Some of our gentlemen were doubtful of this being the bay of St Philip and
St Jago, as there was no place which they thought could mean the port of
Vera Cruz. For my part I found general points to agree so well with
Quiros's description, that I had not the least doubt about it. As to what
he calls the Port of Vera Cruz, I understand that to be the anchorage at
the head of the bay, which in some places may extend farther off than where
our boats landed. There is nothing in his account of the port which
contradicts this supposition. It was but natural for his people to give a
name to the place, independent of so large a bay, where they lay so long at
anchor. A port is a vague term, like many others in geography, and has been
very often applied to places far less sheltered than this.

Our officers observed that grass and other plants grew on the beach close
to high water-mark, which is always a sure sign of pacific anchorage, and
an undeniable proof that there never is a great surf on the shore. They
judged that the tide rose about four or five feet, and that boats and such
craft might, at high-water, enter the river, which seemed to be pretty deep
and broad within; so that this, probably, is one of those mentioned by
Quiros; and if we were not deceived, we saw the other.

The bay hath twenty leagues sea-coast, six on the east side, which lies in
the direction of S. half W. and N. half E., two at the head, and twelve on
the west side, the direction of which is S. by E. and N. by W., from the
head down to two-thirds of its length, and then N.W.