But if after the first fire on shore the
captain observes that two others only are made by the sentinels, he is
then to conclude that there is nothing to fear, and he is to pursue his
course without interruption, and to make the best of his way to the port
of Cabite, which is the port to the city of Manila, and the constant
station for all the ships employed in this commerce to Acapulco.
(*Note. Samal or Samar is an island about the centre of the Philippines,
north of Mindanao.)
CHAPTER 23.
WAITING FOR THE GALLEON--DISAPPOINTMENT--CHEQUETAN.
On the 1st of March we made the highlands over Acapulco, and got with all
possible expedition into the situation prescribed by the Commodore's
orders.*
(*Note. The two men-of-war and the three prizes were arranged out of
sight of the land in "a circular line," the two extremities of which were
thirty-six miles apart. Within this line, and much nearer to the port,
especially at night, were two cutters, whose duty it was to watch the
mouth of the harbour and signal to the ships outside them.)
And now we expected with the utmost impatience the 3rd of March, the day
fixed for her departure. And on that day we were all of us most eagerly
engaged in looking out towards Acapulco; and we were so strangely
prepossessed with the certainty of our intelligence, and with an
assurance of her coming out of port, that some or other on board us were
constantly imagining that they discovered one of our cutters returning
with a signal.
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