On The 25th Captains Davis And Swan Agreed
To Separate, The Former Being Inclined To Return To The Coast Of
Peru,
and the latter to proceed farther to the north-west; and as I was
curious to become better acquainted
With the north-western parts of
Mexico, I left Captain Davis and joined Captain Swan. Captain Townley
joined us with his two barks, but Captains Harris and Knight went along
with Swan. On the 27th Davis went out of the harbour with his ship, but
we staid behind for some time, to provide ourselves with wood and water.
By this time our men began to be much afflicted with fevers, which we
attributed to the remains of a contagious distemper that lately raged at
Realejo, as the men belonging to Captain Davis were similarly infected.
We sailed from Realejo on the 3d September, steering to the north-west
along the coast, having tornadoes from the N.W. accompanied with much
thunder and lightning, which obliged us to keep out to sea, so that we
saw no land till the 14th, when we were in lat. 13 deg. 51' N. We then came
in sight of the volcano of Guatimala. This presents a double peak like
two sugar-loaves, between which fire and smoke sometimes burst forth,
especially before bad weather. The city of Guatimala stands near the
foot of this high mountain, eight leagues from the South Sea, and forty
or fifty from the gulf of Amatique, at the bottom of the bay of
Honduras.[178] This city is reputed to be rich, as the country around
abounds in several commodities peculiar to it, especially four noted
dyes, indigo, otta or anotto, cochineal, and silvestre.[179] Having in
vain endeavoured to land on this part of the coast, we proceeded to the
small isle of Tangola.
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