When
we discovered them, we usually sent out our boat with a man in the bow,
who was a dexterous diver, and when the boat came within a few yards of
the turtle, the diver plunged into the water, and took care to rise close
upon it, seizing the shell near the tail, and pressing down the hinder
parts. The turtle, when awakened, began to strike with its claws, which
motion supported both it and the diver, till the boat came up and took
them in. By this management we never wanted turtle for the succeeding
four months in which we continued at sea.
CHAPTER 21.
DELAY AND DISAPPOINTMENT--CHASING A HEATH FIRE--ACAPULCO--THE Manila
GALLEON--FRESH HOPES.
On the 12th of December we stood from Quibo to the westward. We had
little doubt of arriving soon upon our intended station,* as we expected,
upon increasing our offing from Quibo, to fall in with the regular trade
wind. But, to our extreme vexation, we were baffled for near a month,
either with tempestuous weather from the western quarter, or with dead
calms and heavy rains, attended with a sultry air. As our hopes were so
long baffled, and our patience quite exhausted, we began at length to
despair of succeeding in the great purpose we had in view, that of
intercepting the Manila galleon; and this produced a general dejection
amongst us, as we had at first considered this project as almost
infallible, and had indulged ourselves in the most boundless hopes of the
advantages we should thence receive. However, our despondency was at last
somewhat alleviated by a favourable change of the wind; for on the 9th of
January a gale for the first time sprang up from the north-east.
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