(*Note. A full account of the Manila ship will be found in Chapter 22
below.)
The character they gave us of this vessel, on which the money was to be
shipped, left us little reason to believe that our ship, which had been
in the water near two years, could have any chance of coming up with her,
if we once suffered her to escape out of the port. And therefore, as we
were now discovered, and the coast would be soon alarmed, and as our
cruising in these parts any longer would answer no purpose, the Commodore
resolved to surprise the place, having first minutely informed himself of
its strength and condition, and being fully satisfied that there was
little danger of losing many of our men in the attempt.
CHAPTER 18.
THE ATTACK ON PAITA.
The town of Paita is situated in the latitude of 5 degrees 12 minutes
south, in a most barren soil, composed only of sand and slate; the extent
of it is but small, containing in all less than two hundred families. The
houses are only ground floors, the walls built of split cane and mud, and
the roofs thatched with leaves. These edifices, though extremely slight,
are abundantly sufficient for a climate where rain is considered as a
prodigy, and is not seen in many years; so that it is said that a small
quantity of rain falling in this country in the year 1728, it ruined a
great number of buildings, which mouldered away, and, as it were, melted
before it. The inhabitants of Paita are principally Indians and black
slaves, or at least a mixed breed, the whites being very few.
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