This trade from Manila to Acapulco and back again is usually carried on in one or at most two annual ships, which set sail from Manila about July, and arrive at Acapulco in {222} the December, January, or February following; and having there disposed of their effects, return for Manila some time in March, where they generally arrive in June; so that the whole voyage takes up very near an entire year. For this reason, though there is often no more than one ship freighted at a time, yet there is always one ready for the sea when the other arrives; and therefore the commerce at Manila is provided with three or four stout ships, that in case of any accident the trade may not be suspended. The largest of these ships, whose name I have not learnt, is described as little less than one of our first-rate men-of-war; and indeed she must be of an enormous size, as it is known that when she was employed with other ships from the same port to cruise for our China trade, she had no less than twelve hundred men on board. Their other ships, though far inferior in bulk to this, are yet stout large vessels, of the burthen of twelve hundred tun and upwards, and usually carry from three hundred and fifty to six hundred hands, passengers included, with fifty odd guns. As these are all king's ships, commissioned and paid by him, there is usually one amongst the captains stiled the general, and he carries the royal standard of Spain at the main topgallant mast-head, as we shall more particularly observe hereafter. And now having described the city and port of Manila, and the shipping employed by its inhabitants, it is necessary to give a more circumstantial detail of the navigation from thence to Acapulco. The ship having received her cargo on board, and being fitted for the sea, generally weighs from the mole of Cabite about the middle of July, taking the advantage of the westerly monsoon, which then sets in. It appears that the getting through the channel called the Boccadero, to the eastward, must be a troublesome navigation, and in fact it is sometimes the end of August before they compleat it. When they have cleared this passage, and are disintangled from the islands, they stand to the northward of the east, till they arrive in the latitude of thirty degrees or upwards, where they expect to meet with westerly winds, before which they stretch away for the coast of California.