When she arrived off Mona Island, she was attacked, and compelled to surrender to a French vessel. The enemy boarded her, possessed themselves of all her papers, read the plans for the conquest of Florida, took off all the other things they saw fit to take, and then told the ship's company to go as fast as they could to St. Domingo to notify their countrymen.

We learned at St. John's of Porto Rico that our dispatch-boat had been captured. This fact, and that of the ten vessels which left Cadiz only four remained, all this made it evident to our captain-general that the French would likely be waiting for him near the harbors a little farther on, and precisely on our route to Florida.

The general decided to take a northerly course, and pursue a new route through the Bahama Channel, leaving the enemy to the windward.

On Thursday, August 9, about noon, we came in sight of Porto Rico. In the port of St. John's of Porto Rico the Admiral purchased twenty-four horses and a ship to transport fifty men, whom the King had commanded to be taken from this island. The very day we set sail, this ship sprung a leak, and the danger of foundering was so imminent that, in order to save the men, it became necessary to lighten her by throwing overboard a large quantity of merchandise. Seeing that this produced but little effect, it became necessary also to throw over the horses. Twenty-three were either lost in this way or died during the voyage, so that but one arrived in Florida.

On Monday, August 27, while we were near the entrance to the Bahama Channel, God showed to us a miracle from heaven. About nine o'clock in the evening a comet appeared, which showed itself directly above us. It went towards the west, that is, towards Florida. According to the sailors, this was a good omen. On Tuesday, the 28th, we had the pleasure of seeing land. We steered in that direction, anchored near a point of land, and found ourselves actually in Florida, and not very far distant from the enemy, which was for us an occasion of great joy.