ABSTRACT
1. We had a House hir’d for us at Acapulco ever since the last Year, against the Season came to go to Sea. It is usually hired for the eighteen days that the Religious stay there and a Place is also rented for the two months previous for the two Religious who go before to buy Necessaries for the Voyage. The Houses are all low, without any upper Floor at all; the best of them are Mud-wall’d and all thatch’d; nevertheless they made us pay 400 Pieces of Eight for ours; this seems incredible, but to me who paid, it is most certain. Our Landlady was a good antient Widow, whose Name was Mary de Esquibel; she had a Son a Priest of a most Exemplary Life. He was excellent company for us: The Parish Curat’s Name was Añejo, born near Osorno, above 70 Years of Age; he was something poor in Salary yet the report went that he had hoarded over 20000 Pieces of Eight. He once own’d to me that one Year his Benefice had been worth to him 14000 Pieces of Eight. 1 The Governor of the Fort was Don John de Bracamonte Santiestevan, born at Avila de los Cavalleros, an affable, meek, courteous and accomplish’d Gentleman. 2 He held not that Post as Proprietor. The Port is the best and safest in the World, as they who had seen many others affirm’d. Of all I ever saw, and they are not a few, none can compare to it. The Fort is good, has a Battery of excellent Cannon; no Ship can come into the Harbour, but 39they can sink her. 1 The Temperature of the Air is Hellish, according to the name it bears; and therefore in the rainy Season, which is the Summer in Spain, all Persons retire up the Country for better Air, excepting the Blacks, some poor People and the Souldiers. Whilst I was there my two Companions fell sick, and I continued in Health to attend them, and do our other Business. That is such a Country, that if a Man will keep a Servant, it will cost him at least a Crown a day, besides his Diet, and if there is a Ship in the Harbour, three pieces of Eight will not do. I never saw a dearer Country in all my Travels. I was fbrc’d to do all our business myself, because our Money would not reach to Servants, and therefore I took care of the Poultry, and fed them. The drinking Water was brought from a little Spring, about a Musket-shot from our House; they call it ‘Chorrillo’, the little Stream. Every earthen Vessel cost me two Ryals.
