Page 280
An.1686
The Tediousness of this Voyage.
niards, who have the greatest reason to know best, make it to be between 2300 and 2400 leagues; our Books also reckon it differently, between 90 and 100 degrees, which all comes short indeed of 2000 leagues, but even that was a Voyage enough to frighten us, considering our scanty Provisions. Captain Swan to encourage his men to go with him, persuaded them that the English Books did give the best account of the distance; his rea- sons were many, although but weak. He urged among the rest, that Sir Thomas Candish and Sir Francis Drake, did run it in less than 50 days, and that he did not question but that our Ships were better failers, than those which were built in that age, and that he did not doubt to get there in little more than 40 days: This being the best time in the year for breezes, which undoubtedly is the reason that the Spaniards set out from Acapul- co about this time; and that although they are 60 days in their Voyage, it is because they are great Ships, deep laden, and very heavy failers; besides, they wanting nothing are in no great haste in their way, but sail with a great deal of their usual cau- tion. And when they come near the Island Guam, they lye by in the night for a week, before they make Land. In prudence we also should have contriv'd to lye by in the night when we came near Land, for otherwise we might have run ashore , or have outsailed the Islands, and lost sight of them before morning. But our bold adventurers seldom pro- ceed with such wariness when in any freights.
But of all Captain Swan's arguments, that which prevailed most with them, has his promising them, as I have said, to cruise off the Manila's. So he and his men being now agreed, and they incouraged with the hope of gain, which works its way thro all difficulties, we set out from Cape Corrientes March the 31st, 1686. We were 2 Ships in Company, Captain