The correct figure was about two hundred, which proved to be enough to take the town in a rush when negotiations broke down on 24 April.
While they took the town with scarcely any loss, Guayaquil produced apart from provisions and liquor since the negotiations had given the Spaniards enough time to spirit away the town's valuables.
Continuing negotiations saw the ransom for the prizes beaten down from 50,000 to 30,000 pesos, of which under 27,000 were paid.
From Guayaquil, the privateers sailed to the Galapagos, via Puna, but failed to find water on the islands. They moved on to Gorgona where they found water and an opportunity to careen.
After a two month stay there, they took a few prizes and engaged in trading on the coast before revisiting the Galapagos, to stock up on turtles before setting out to intercept the incoming Acapulco Galleon.
Seven weeks cruising off Cape San Lucar failed to produce a sighting, and with provisions for an ocean crossing perilously low, on 20 December they decided to make for Guam.
However, a sail sighted the following day proved to be a 450-ton frigate, the Nuestra Senora de la Disengano which proved to be no match for the privateers and yielded a precious cargo of goods from China.