Page:Narrative of a Voyage around the World - 1843.djvu/89

 1837.] hundred miles eastward of Cape Corrientes. Continued to ply close in shore, taking advantage of land and sea breezes — the latter never holding longer than six hours — viz. coming in about ten and ceasing at four. Current strong, easterly. The land breezes, when close in shore, helped us from eleven p.m. until eight, but were never sufficiently strong to impel us beyond three knots, — seldom two.

On the morning of the 14th, saw the Starling about ten miles to the E. S. E.; kept sight of her from the mast head until the evening of the 19th, when she again parted.

On the evening of the 17th, when tacking very close in, apparently at the mouth of a large river or estuary, observed a vast crowd of men, women, and children, waving to us. This, Ave afterwards found, was some superstitious ablution which had collected thousands from the interior. I have witnessed a very similar exhibition at Lytham in Lancashire, in the month of August, at the highest spring tide.

On the evening of the 20th we anchored off Manzanilla, and dispatched a boat to seek for water. On her return, we learned that the Leonora barque, having some English amongst her crew, was at anchor inside, and that water might be obtained close to the beach. On the following morning, we beat in, and anchored in a snug berth in twelve fathoms. We determined the position; obtained