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Les diagrammes suivants illuatrent la mAthode. y errata }d to nt ne pelure, ipon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ! i-^ "TZ'iJT- l''i-j5gJ j»"'»«».. i »:1 f! n on T z/i; ^■'~JUa-','/iiny Sri ! 4 o u T H b: f'.' ^i^ '/■••..-■■ R N '^ StMtll f.iVlJ n I: i' ! i ! INTRODUCTION. by their mifinformation, they have no apprehcn- fions of being detc(5led j and therefore, when they intrude their fuppofititious produdions on the Public, they make no confcience of boafting at the fame time, with how much fkill and care they are performed. But let not thofe who are unacquainted with naval affairs imagine, that impofitions of this kind are of an innocent nature; for as exadt views of land are the fureft guide to a feaman, on a coaft where he has never been before, all fidions in [o interefting a matter muft be attended with nu- merous dangers, and fomctimes with the deilruc- tion of thofe who are thus \inhappily deceived. Befides thefe draughts of fuch places as Mr. /In- fan or the fliips under his command have touched at in the courfe of this expedition, and the de- fcriptions and dircdlions relating thereto, there is inferted, in the enfuing Work, an ample account, with a chart annexed to it, of a particular naviga- tion, of which hitherto little more than the name has been known, except to thofe immediately em- ployed in it: I mean the track defcribed by the Manila fhip, in her pafTage to Acnpulco, through the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. This ma- terial article is colleded from the draughts and journals met with on board the Manila galeon, founded on the experience of more than a hundred and fifty years pra<5lice, and corroborated in its principal circumftances by the concurrent evi- dence of all the Spanijh prifoners taken in that veffel. And as many of their journals, which I have examined, appear to have been not ill kept j I prefume, the chart of that northern Ocean, and the particulars of their route through it, may be very 5 1 1i INTRODUCTION. very fafely relied on by future Navigators. The advantages which may be drawn from an exa6t knowledge of this navigation, and the beneficial projects that may be forr :d thereon, both in war and peace, are by no means proper to be difcuflcd in this place : But they will eafily offer themfelves to the fkilful in maritime affairs. However, as the Manila (hips are the only ones which have ever traverfed this vaft ocean, except a French ftraggler or two, which have been afterwards feized on the coaft of Mexico j and as, during near two ages, in which this trade has been carried on, the Spaniards have, with the grcateft care, fecreted all accounts of their voyages from the reft of the world -, thcfc reafons alone would authorife the infertion of thole papers, and would recommend them to the in- quifitive, as a very great improvement in Geo- graphy, and worthy of attention from the fingu- larity of many circumftances therein recited. I muft add too (what in my opinion is far from being the leaft recommendation of thefe ma- terials), that the' obfervations of the variation of the compafs in that Ocean, which are laid down in the chart from thefe Spanijh journals, tend greatly to complete the general fyftem of the magnetic variation, of infinite import to the com- mercial and fea-faring part of mankind. Thefe obfervations were, though in vain, often publicly called for by our learned countryman the late Dr. Halley ; and to his immortal reputation they con- firm, as far as they extend, the wonderful hypo- thefis he had entertained on this head, and very nearly correfpond, in their quantity, to the pre- dictions he publilhed above fifty years fince, long before •^'•^miKfmm \: INTRODUCTION. before he was acquainted with any one obfervation made in thofe feas. The afcertaining the variation in that part of the world is juft now too of more than ordinary confequence, as the Editors of a new va- riation-chart lately publilhed, have, for want of proper information, been mifled by an erroneous analogy, and have miftaken the very fpecies of variation in that northern ocean j for they make it wefterly where it is eafterly, and have laid it down 1 2** or 13° different from its real quantity. Thus much it has been thought neceflary to pre- mife, with regard to the Hydrographical and Geo- graphical part of the enfuing Work; which it is hoped the reader will, on perufal, find much am- pler and more important than this flight Iketch can well explain. But as there are hereafter oc- cafionally interfperfed feme accounts of Spanijh tranfadlions, and many obfervations relating to the difpofition of the /Itnerican Spaniards y and to the condition of the countries bordering on the South Seas t and as herein I may appear to differ greatly from the opinions generally eftabliflied ; I think it behoves me particularly to recite the authorities I have been guided by in thefc mat- ters, that I may not be cenfured, as having given way either to a thoughtlefs credulity on one hand, or, what would be a much more criminal im- putation, to a wilful and deliberate mifrcprefent- ation on the other. Mr. JnfoKy before he fet fail upon this expedi- tion, befides the printed journals to thofe parts, took care to furniih himfelf with tlie belt manu- fcript accounts he could procure of all the SpaniJJj fcttlements upon the coafts oi Chili, P^ru, and Mexi- co: INTRODUCTION. to: Thefe he carefully compared with the exami- nations of his prifoners, and the informations of fe- veral intelligent perfons, who fell into his hands in the South Seas, He had likewife the good fortune, in fome of his captures, to poflefs himfclf of a great number of letters and papers of a public nature, many of them written by the Viceroy o( Peru to the Viceroy of Santa Fee, to the Prefidents of Panama and Chili, to Don Blafs de Lezo, admiral of the galeons, and to divers other perfons in confiderable employments ; and in thcfc letters there /as ufually inferted a recital of thofe thev were intended to an- fweri fo that they contained no fmall part of the correfpondence betvveen thofe officers for fome time previous to our arrival on that coaft: We took, be- fides, many letters fent from perfons entrulled by the SpaniJJj Government to their friends and cor- refpondcnts, which were frequently filled with nar- rations of public bufincfs, and fometimcs contained undifguifcd animadvcrfions on the views and con- duct of their fuperiors. From thefe materials thofe accounts of the S-panifo affairs are drawn, which may at firft fight appear the moil exceptionable. In particular, the hiflory of the various cafuakies which befel Pizarro's fquadron, is for the mod part compofed from interctptcd letters. Though indeed the relation of the infunedion of Orellana and his followers, is founded on rather a lefs dif- putable authority ; for it was niken from the mouth of an EngliJJj Gentleman then on board Pizarro, who often converled with Orellaua j and it was, upon inquiry, confirmed in its principal circum- ilances by others who were in the fliip at the fame B time : 1: i I i \s ' i I >fi ^1 INTRODUCTION. time : fo that the fa6l, however extraordinary, is, I conceive, not to be contcfted. And on this occafion I cannot but mention, that though I have endeavoured, with myutmoft care, to adhere ftriftly to truth in every article of the cnfuing narration j yet I am apprehcnfive, that in fo complicated a work, feme overfights muft have been committed, by the inattention to which at times all mankind are liable. However, i a:^ as yet confcious of none but literal and infignificant miftakes : And if there are others more confider- able, which have efcaped me, I flatter myfelf they are not of moment enough to afFe6l any material tranfaflion, and therefore I hope they may jullly claim the reader's indulgence. After this general account of the enfuing work, it might be expefted, perhaps, that I (hould proceed to the work itfelf j but I cannot finifh this Intro- duction, without adding a few refledions on a mat- ter very nearly connedled with the prefent fubjedl, and, as I conceive, neither deftitutc of utility, nor unworthy the attention of the public j I mean, the animating my countrymen, both in their public and private ftations, to the encouragement and purfuit of all kinds of geographical and nautical obfervations, and of every fpecies of mechanical and commercial information. It is by a fettled attachment to thefe feemingly minute particulars, that our ambitious neighbours have cftabliflied Tome part of that power with which we are now fttuggling: And as we have the means in our hands of purfuing thefe fubjefts more efi^edually than they can, it would be a difhonour to us longer to negleft •y» ^*» , that care. ■ )f the hat in thave ich at a:>^ as I. i iticant ifider- If they !■ aterial 1 r juftly rork, it 7 iroceed 1 Intro- •',' amat- s fubjefl, :< ity, nor an, the ■■ public I ;nt and ' I nautical :hanical ^ I fettled [iculars. abliHied . \ ire now ar hands : illy than 1 Dnger to •i negleft V JNTROD UCTION. negletfl fo eafy and beneficial a pradlice. For, at we have a navy much more numerous than theirs, great part of which is always employed in very dif- tant nations, either in the protedlion of our colonies and commerce, or in afTilting our allies againft the common enemy ; this gives us frequent opportu- nities of furnifliingourfelves with fuch kind of ma- terials as are here recommended, and fuch as might turn greatly to our advantage either in warorpeace. Since, not to mention what might be expe that 1 the M INTRODUCTION. the perfection of Sea-officers confided in a turn of mind and temper refcmbling the boifterous ele- ment they had to deal with, and have condemned all literature and fcience as effeminate and derogatory to that ferocity, which, they would falfely perfuadti us, was the moil unerring charaderiftic of courage; yet it is to be hoped, that fuch abfurdities as thefe have at no time been authorifed by the public opi- nion, and that the belief of them daily diminifhes. If thole who adhere to thefe mifchievous pofitions were capable of being influenced by reafon, or fwayed by example, I fhould think it fufficient for their convi6lion, toobferve, that the mod valuable drawings referred to in the following work, though done with fuch a degree of fkill, that even profeiT- ed artifls can with difficult imitate them, were talcen by Mr. Piercy Breit, one of Mr. AnforCs Lieutenants, and fince captain of the Lion man of war ; who, in his memorable engagement with the Elizabeth (for the importance of the fervice, or the refolution with which it was conduced, inferior to none this age has feen), has given ample proof, that a proficiency in the arts I have been here recom- mending, is extremely confident with the mod ex- emplary bravery, and the mod didinguifhed fkill in every funflion belonging to the duty of a Sea- officer. Indeed, when the many branches of fcience are attended to, of which even the common prac- tice of navigation is compofed, and the many im- provements which men of fkill have added to this pratbice within thefe few years j it would induce one to believe, that the advantages of reflexion and fpeculative knowledge were in no profeffion Cnore eminent than in that of a Sea-officer : For, B 4 not INTRODUCTION. not to mention fonne expertncfs in geography, geo-^ metry, and aftronoiny, which it would be diflio- nourable for him to be without (as his journal and his eftimate of the daily pofition of the (hip are founded on particular branches of thefe arts), it may be well luppofed, that the management and working of a fhip, the difcovery of her moft eli- gible pofition in tlie water (ufually (liled her Trim), and the difpofition of her fails in the moft advan- tageous manner, are articles, wherein the know- ledge of mechanics cannot but be greatly alTift- ant. And perhaps the application of this kind of knowledge to naval fubjefts, may produce as great improvements in failing and working a lliip, as it has already done in many other matters conducive to the eafc and convenience of human life. Since, when the fabric of a ftiip, and the variety of her fails are confidered, together with the artificial contrivances for adapting them to her different motions, it cannot be doubted, but thefe things have been brought about by more than ordinary fagacity and invention, fo neither can it be doubt- ed, but that in fome conjunftures a fpeculative and fcientific turn of mind may find out the means of dire6ling and difpofing this complicated mecha- nifm, much more advantageoufly than can be done by mere habit, or by a fcrvile copying of what others may perhaps have erroneoufly praftifcd in fimilar emergencies. But it is time to ftnifh this di- gre(ilon,and to leave the reader to the perufal of the cnfuing workj which, with how little art foever it may be executed, will yet, from the importance of the fubjeft, and the utility and excellence of the materials, merit fome fhare of the public attention. ¥ F-'l ^ gco^ ''■4 difho- lal and hip are •ts), it ;nt and oft eli- Frim), ''^'^ advan- know- \f affift- cind of IS great p, as it iducive Since, of her rtificial ifferent : things rdinary doubt- ive and cans of mecha- 36 done >f what ifcd in this di- ll of the 1 )ever it ' I ance of of the ention, l^^ *■■' f A rt-rr- I ' ' ?^?.-?,t,fe ,ir .' ' I t WW i: if ifl I ;^ I '■' I 1 ► ! :| < %i INTRODUCTION. r^ M.. M ».«»»»««^t% •To in. #»<»r»nrr«r»Kv. afCtm 1\ l^ys/ 128 i^p A30 til m t^xK'3^ 'S^^^ '37 -C?^ -(t^ 'A' S.p}-J'fu/<- Ky:'r V e hn« A -i^ V O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD. B Y GEORGE ANSON, Efq; Now LORD ANSON, Commander in Chief of a Squadron of his majesty's Ships. BOOK I. CHAP. L Of the equipment of tke fquadron : The incidents relating thereto, from its lirft appointment, to its fetting fail from St, Helms. THE fquadron under the command of Mr. Anfon (of which I here propofe to recite the moft material proceedings) having undergone many changes in its deftination, its force and its equipment, during tlie ten months between ^Ptsfiuttti' los Picas- 1. # ~Sf^ 'P/uJrnas >-'*fJra —if-—i ■ iS Saf/anorJiuliii ttltat ^Luitiw ■,.fi Guam * ■>.:.-•-'_" "T y ^ liiito / o JrJf Giin -? ^ .7 . f J ^ ■ ' ■ 10 u 2'i Jjr'4- K'i i^ '7 i8 ip 'iO 'u -z-i. ■ ' ■ ' ■ '4- /5 iO in lb M '. ' ■ ' ■ ' ' ' I ' ' ■> ' ■ ' ■ ' ■ r I 1 I r 1 I 1 I ■ !<■ Til 1 I I I 1 > I I inr<^i i i n ■ > ■ r i i i -i i i / i i i ■ i g i^^i v i i i 4 \^ ■/ \ / y /. /\ \ Equinoc.tia] 1^ ' J'^ ■S'i :5.iy^ ^ b? 14^ Jf^ '\ '•■v / -.-gs^ ■ii-Lr I J — I— 1_ ^ I T O F C ALir O RNIA tJa /cf liriH'K'>>' "JVCarttrt lU S!^Frani!s^ PART \r"^^ M E X I c o ' 1 I n .< n 4 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE intended to pafs round Cape Horft, into the South- Seas, to range along that coaftj and after criiifing upon the enemy in thofe parts, and attempting their fettlements, this fquadron in its return was to rendezvous at Manilay there to join the fqua- dron under Mr. Anfon, where they were to refrefh their men, and refit their fhips, and perhaps re- ceive orders for other confiderable enterprizes. This fcheme was doubtlefs extremely well pro- jcded, and could not but greatly advance the Public Service, and the reputation and fortune of thofe concerned in its execution j for had Mr, An- fon proceeded for Manila at the time and in the manner propofed by S\x Charles fVager, he would, in all probability, have arrived there before they had received any advice of the war between us and Spain, and confcquently before they had been in the leaft prepared for the reception of an enemy,, or had any apprehenfions of their danger. The city of Manila might be well fuppofed to have been at that time in the fame defencelefs condition with all the other Spanijh fettlements, juft at the breaking out of the war : That is to fay, <-heir fortifications negledled, and in many places uf- cayed; their cannon difmountcd, or rendered ufelefs by the mouldering of their carriages j their magazines, whether of military flores or provifion, all empty j their garrifons unpaid, and confe- quently thin, ill afFcfled, and difpirited ; and the royal chefts in Peru, whence alone all thcfe dif- orders could receive their redrefs, drained to the very bottom : This, from the intercepted letters of their Viceroys and Governors, is well known CO ROUND THE WORLD. J to have been the dcfencclcfs ftate of Panama, and the other Spanijh places on the coaft of the South- Sea, for near a twelvemonth after our declaration of war. And it cannot be luppofcd that the city of Manilay removed ftlll farther by almoft half the circumference of the globe, Ihould have ex- ptrrienced from the Spayiijh Government a greater llure of attention and concern for its fccurity, than Panama y and tiie other important ports in Peru and Chilly on which their poireflion of that im- menfe empire depends. Indeed, it is well known, that Manila was at that time incapable of mak- ing any confidcrable defence, and in all probabi- lity would have lurrcndered only on the appear- ance of our fquadron before it. Theconfcquencc of this city, and the ifland it (lands on, may be in Ibnic meafure eftimarcd, from the known healthi- ncfs of its air, the excellency of its port and bay, the number and wealth of its inhabitants, and the very extenfive and beneficial commerce which it carries on to the principal Ports in the Eajllndies, and China, and its exclufive trade to Aca-pulcoy the returns for which, being made in filver, are, upon the lowed valuation, not lefs than three millions of dollars per annum. On this fcheme Sir Charles fFager was fo intent, that in a few days after this firft conference, that is, on November i8, Mr. /f;///« received an order to rake under his command the /n'gyley Severn, Pearl, U^ager, and Tryd Sloop \ and other orders were . iflued to him in the fiune month, and in the De- cember following, relating to the victualling of this fquadron. But Mr. /infon attending the Ad- * ^ ; miralty I- S ho. ANSON'S VOYAGE nmnky the beginning ofyanuary, he was inform- ed by Sir Charles Wager ^ that for reafons with which he. Sir Charles, was not acquainted, the expedition to Manila was laid aHde. It may be conceived, that Mr. yiufon was extremely cha- grined at lofing the command of fo infallible, fb hono-^ 'able, and in every refpeft, fo defirablc an cnterprize, efpecially too as he had already, at a very great expence, made the neceflary provi- -fion for his own accommodation in this voyage, which he had reafon to expe<5t would prove a very long one. However, Sir Charles, to render this difappointmcnt in fome degree more tolerable, informed him that the expedition to the South-Seas was ftill intended, and that he, Mr. /^nfon, and his fquadron, as their firft dcilination was now countermanded, ihould be employed in that fer- vice. And on the loth o{ January he received his commiflion, appointing him Commander in Chief of the forementioned fquadron, which (the Argyle being in the courfe of their preparation changed for the Gloucejler) was the fame he failed with above eight months after from Si. Helens. On this change of defti nation, the equipment of the fquadron was ftill profecuted with as much vigour as ever, and the vidtualling, and whatever depend- ed on the Commodore, was foon fo far advan- ced, that he conceived the (hips might be capable of putting to fea the inftant he Ihould receive his final orders, of which he was in daily ex- peftation. And atlaft, on the 28th oH June 1740, the Duke of Newcajlk, Principal Secretary of . State, delivered to him his Majefty's inftrudlions, 6 dated IS inform- fons with nted, the t may be lely cha- lUible, fo firable an ready, at ry provi- s voyage, ►ve a very ^nder this tolerable. South' Seus fn/ofi, and was now I that fer- peived his r in Chief the Argyle I changed liled with lens. On nt of the ch vigour r depend- ir advan- e capable i receive daily ex- me 1740, retary of :rudions, dated ROUND THE WORLD. ^ dated January 31, 1739, with an additional in'- ftrudtion from the Lords Juftices, dated Jtme 19, 1740. On the receipt of thefe, Mr. Jnfon im- mediately repaired to Spitbead, with a rcfolation to fail with the firft fair wind, flattering himfelf that all his difficulties were now at an end. For though he knew by the mufters that his fquadron wanted three hundred feamen of their comple- ment (a deficiency which, with all his afTiduicy, he had not been able to get fupplied), yet, as Sir Charles Wager informed him, that an order from the board of Admiralty was difpatched to Sir John Norris to fpare him the numbers which he wanted^ he doubted not of its being complied with. But on his arrival at Potijmouth, he found himfelf greatly miflaken, and difappointed in this perfuafion: for on his application, Sir jfchn Norris told him, he could fpare him none, for he wanted men for his own fleet. This oc- cafioned an inevitable and a very confiderable delay: for it was the end of July before this deficiency was by any means fupplied, and all rhat was then done was extremely Ihort of his neccfllties and expedlation. For Admiral Balcben^ who fucceeded to the command at SpitJbeaJ, af- ter Sir John Norris had failed to the weftward, inftead of three hundred able failors, which Mr. Jnfon wanted of his complement, ordered on board the fquadron a hundred and feventy men onlyj of which thirty-two were from the hofpital -and fick quarter, thirty-fcven from the Salijburyt with three officers of Colonel Lowther*^ regiment, and ninety-eight marines, and thefe were s Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE : « ^N; h ^1 I. I ■ir were all that were ever granted to make up the forementioned deficiency. But the Commodore's mortification did not end here. It has been already obferved, that i: was at firfl: intended that Colonel Bland's regiment, and three independent companies of a hundred men each, fhould embark as land forces on board the fquadron. But this difpofition was now chang- ed, and all the land-forces that were to be allowed, were five hundred invalids to be colleded from the out-penfioners of Chelfea college. ' As thefe out-penfioners confift of foidiers, who from their age, wounds, or other infirmities, are incapable of fervice in marching r jgiments, Mr. Anfon was greatly chagrined at having fuch a decrepid de- tachment allotted him j for he was fully perfuad- cd that the greateft part of them would perifli long before they arrived at the fcene of adtion, fince the delays he had already encountered, ne- ceffarily confined his paflage round Cape Horn to the moft: rigorous feafon of the year. Sir Charles Wager too joined in opinion with the Commodore, that invalids v;ere no v/ays proper for this fervice, and folicited ftrenuoufly to have them exchanged : but he was told tiiat perfons, who were fuppofed to be better judges of foidiers than he or Mr. An- fon^ thought them the propereft men that could be employed on this occafion. And upon this determination they were ordered on board the fquad'-on on the 5th 0^ Augtifi : But inflead of five hundred, there came en board no more than two hundred and fifty-nine ; for all thofe who had limbs and ftrength to walk out of Portfmouth de- -,- . \- lerted. x V M i I ROUND THE WORLD. 9 ferted, leaving behind therri only fuch as were li- terally invalids, moft of them being fixty years of age, and fome of them upwards of feventy. In- deed it is difficult to conceive a mote moving fcene than the embarkation of thefe unhappy veterans : they were themfelves extremely averfe to the fer- vicc they were engaged in, and fully apprifed of all thedifafters they were afterwards expofed to 3 the apprehenfions of which were ftrongly marked by the concern that appeared in their counte- nances, which was mixed witS no fmall degre;:: of indignation^ to be thus hurried from their repofe into a fatiguing employ, to which neither the ftrcngth of their bodies, nor the vigour of their minds, were any ways proportioned, and where^ without feeing the face of an enemy, or in the lead promoting the fuccefs of the enterprize, they would, in all probability, ufelefsly perifli by lingering and painful difeafes j and this too, after they had fpent the adivity and ftrength of their youth in their country's fervice. I cannot but obferve, on this melancholy inci- dent, how extremely unfortunate it was, both to this aged and difcafed detachment, and to the expedition they were employed in ; that amongfl all the out-penfioners of Chelfea Hofpital, which were fuppofed to amount to two thoufand men, the moft crazy and infirm only fhould be culled out for fo laborious and perilous an undertaking. For it was well known, that however unfit in- valids in general might be for this fervice, yet by a prudent choice, there might have been found amongft them five hundred men who had fome . C; . :. . remains 10 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 1 if i 1 !»^ H I 1- I 1 r h I remains of vigour left : ai)d Mr. y^n/on fully ex- pe(fted, that the beft of them would have been allotted himj whereas the whole detachment that was fent to him, feemed to be made up of the moft decrepid and miferable objects that could be coUedled out of the whole body ; and by the dc- fertion above mentioned, thefe were a fecond time cleared of that little health and ftrength which were to be found amongft them, and he was to take up with fuch as were much fitter for an in- firmary, than for any military duty. And here it is nece^ ry to mention another ma- terial particular in t equipment of this fqua- dron. It was propofe to Mr. Jn/on, after it was refolvcd that he (hould be fent to the Souih-Seas, to take with him two perfons under the deno- mination of Agent Viduallers. Thofe who were mentioned for this employment had formerly been in the Spanijh Weft-Indies, in the Souih Sea Com- pany's fervice ; and it was fuppofed that by their knowledge and intelligence on that coaft, they might often procure provifions for him by com- padt with the inhabitants, when it was not to be got by force of arms: Thefe Agent Viftuallers were, for this purpofe, to be allowed to carry to the value of 15,000/. in merchandize on board the fquadron j for they had reprefented, that it would be much cafier for them to procure provi- fions with goods, than with the value of the fame goods in money. Whatever colours were given to this fcheme, it was difficult to perfuade the generality of mankind, that it was not principal- ly intended for the enrichment of the Agents, by 4 • the i kOUND THE WORLD. II the beneficial commerce they propofed to carry on upon that coaft. Mr. Anfon, from the begin- ning, objected both to the appointment of Agent Victuallers, and the allowing them to carry a c?rgo on board the fquadron ; For he conceived, that in thofe few amicable ports where the fqua- dron might touch, he needed not their afTiftance to contract for any provifions the place afforded j and on the enemy's coaft, he did not imagine that they could ever procure him the neceffaries he Ihould want, unlefs (which he was refolved not to comply with) the military operations of his fquadron were to be regulated by the ridiculous views of their trading projefts. All that he thought the government ought to have done on this occafioii, was to put on board to the value of a or 3000 /. only of fuch goods, as the Indians or the Spaniflj Pla iters in the lefs cultivated part of the coaft, might be tempted with j 'fince it was in fuch places only that he imagined it would be worth while to truck with the enemy for provi- fions : And in thefe places it v/as fufficiently evi- d »nt, a very fmall cargo would fuffice. But though the Commodore objected both to the appointment of thefe officers, and to their project, of the fuccefs of which he had no opi- yet, as they had infinuated that their nion fcheme, befides victualling their fquadron, might contribute to fettling a trade upon that coaft, which might be afterwards carried on without difficulty, and might thereby prove a very con- fiderable national advantage, they wc e much liftencd to by fome confiderable perfons : And of C 2 the jHI Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE f I f H i ' K ii i I i ■ k 1 the 15,000/. which was to be the amount of thefr cargo, the Government agreed to advance them 10,000/. upon impreft, and the remaining 5000/. they raifed on bottomry bonds j and the goods purchafed by this fum, were all that were taken to fea by the fquadron, how much foever the amount of them might be afterwards magnified by common report. This cargo was at firft Ihipped on board the Wager Store-fhip, and one of the viduallers; no part of it being admitted on board the men of war. But whcii the Commodore was at St, CathartKe's, he confidered, that in cafe the fquadron Ihould be feparated, it might be pretended that fome of the fhips were difappointcd of provifions for want of a cargo to truck with, and therefore he diftri- buted fome of the leaft bulky commodities on board the men of war, leaving the remainder principally on board the Wager, where it was loft : And more of the goods perilhing by various ac- cidents to be recited hereafter, and no part of them being difpofed of upon the coaft, the few that came home to England, did not produce, when fold, above a fourth purt of the original price. So true was the Commodore's judgment of the event of this projedt, which had been by many con- fidered as infallibly produftive of immenfe gains. But to return to the tranfadlions at Portfmoutb, To fupply the place of the two hundred and forty invalids which had dcferted, as is mentioned above, there were ordered on board two hundred and ten marines detached from different regiments : Thefe were raw and undifciplined men, for they were ROUND THE WORLD. IJ were juft raifed, and had fcarcely any thing more of the foldier than their regimentals, none of them having been fo far trained, as to be permitted to fire. The laft detachment of thefe marines came on board the 8 th of /lugufti and on the loth the fquadron failed from Spithead to Sf. He- len's, there to wait for a wind to proceed on the expedition. But the delays we had already fuffered had not yet fpent all their influence, for we were now ad- vanced into a feafon of the year, when the wefter- ly winds are ufually very conftant, and very vio- lent; and it was thought proper that we fliould put to fca in company with the fleet commanded by Admiral Balchen, and the expedition under Lord Cathcart. As we made up in all twenty-one men of war, and a hundred and twenty-four fail of merchant-men and tranfports, we had no hopes of getting out of the Channel with fo large a number of fhips without the continuance of a fair wind, for feme confiderable time. This was what we had every day lefs and lefs reafon to ex- peft, as the time of the equinox drew near; fo that our golden dreams and our ideal poflefllon of the Peruvian treafures, grew eacli day more faint, and the difficulties and dangers of the paf- fage round Cape Horn in the winter feafon filled our imaginations in their room. Fo^ it was forty days from our arrival at St. Helen's, to our final departure from thence: And even then (having orders to proceed without Lord Cathcart) we tided it down the Channel with a contrary wind. But this interval of forty days was not free from the dif- C 3 pleafing 14 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE pleafing fatigue of often fetting fail, and being as often obliged to return i nor exempt from dan- gers, greater than have been fbmetimes under- gone in furrounuing the globe. For the wind coming fair for the firll time, on the ajd o{ Auguft, we got under fail, and Mr. Balchen fhewed him- felf truly folicitous to have proceeded to fea j but the wind foon returning to its old quarter, obliged us to put back to St. Helenas, not without confi- derable hazard, and fome damage received by two of the tranfports, who, in tacicing, ran foul of each other. Befides this, we made two or three more attempts to fail, but without any better fucccfs. And, on the 6th of September ^ being re- turned to an anchor at St. Helen's, after one of thefe fruitlefs efforts, the wind blew fo frefh, that the whole fleet ftruck their yards and topmafts to prevent driving : Yet notwithftanding this pre-? caution, the Centurion drove the next evening, and brought both cables a-hcad, and we were in no fmall danger of driving foul of the Prince Frede- rick, a feventy-gun ibip, moored at a fmall diftance under our ftern ; though we happily efcaped, by her driving at the fame time, andfo preferving her diftance : But we did not think ourfelves fecure, till we at laft let go the fheet anchor, which fortunately brought us up. How- ever, on the 9th of September, we were in fome degree relieved from this lingering vexatious fitua- tion, by an order which Mr. Anfon received from the Lords Juftices, to pat to fea the firft oppor- tunity with his own fquadron only, if Lord C.'/i&- cari fliould not be ready. Being thus freed from • ^'- ■" • '■ ;•'■ ' ■ th? eing as "n dan- undcr- e wind Auguft, d him- :a i but obliged t confi- ved by an foul )r three better ;ing re- one of h, that nafts to lis pre-! ig, and : in na Frede^ fmall appily and fo : think ; Iheet How- fome s fitua- d from Dppor- i C ith' i from the RPUND THE WORLD. 15 the troublefome company of fo large a fleet, our Commodore refolved to weigh and tide it down the Channel, afibon as the weather fhould become fufficiently moderate i and this might eafily have been done with our own fquadron alone full two months fooner, had the orders of the Admiralty, for fupplying us with feamen, been pundlually complied with, and had we met with none of thofc other delays mentioned in this arration. It is true, our hopes of a fpeedy departure were even now fomewhat damped, by a fubfequent order which Mr. Anfon received on the 1 2th of Stptem- her-, for by that he was required to take under his. convoy the St» Albans with the Turky fleci:, and to join the Dragon, and the Winchejier, with the Streights and the American trade at Torbay or Ply- mouthy and to proceed with them to fea as far as their way and ours lay together. This incum- brance of a convoy gave us fomc unealinefs, as we feared it might prove the means of lengthen- ing our paflage to the Maderas, However, Mr, An/on, now having the command himfelf, refolv- ed to adhere to his former determination, and to tide it down the Channel with the firft moderate weather ; and that the junction of his Convoy might occafion as little lofs of time as poflible, he immediately fent directions to Torbay, that the fleets he was there to take under his care, might be in readinefs to join him inftantly on his ap- proach. And at lafl:, on the i8th of September, he weighed from Sl Helen's j and though the wind was at firfl: contrary, had the good fortune to get clear qf the Channel in four days, as will ■ ;i , C 4 be ■^' " I m ■! f \ k ill ( m f ¥ d I m I t n If ' i6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE be more particularly related in the enfuing chapter. Having thus gone through the refpe(5tive fteps taken in the equipment of this fquadron, it is fuf- ficiently obvious how different an afpeft this ex- pedition bore at its firft appointment in the begin- ning of January, from what it had in the latter end of September^ when it left the Channel j and how much its numl srs, its ftrength, and the probabi- lity of its fuccefs were diminifhed, by the various incidents which took place in that interval. For inftead of having all our old and ordinary feamen exchanged for fuch as were young and able (which tiie Commodore was at firft promifcd), and hav- ing our numbers completed to their full com- plement, we were obliged to retain our firft crews, which were very indifi^erent j and a deficiency of three hundred men in our numbers was no other- wife made up to us, than by fending us on board a hundred and feventy men, the grea£eft part com- pofed of fuch as were difcharged from holpitals, or new raifed marines, who had never been at fea before. And in the land-forces allotted to us, the change was ftill more difadvantageous; for there, inftead of three independent companies of a hun- dred men each, and Bland's regiment of foot, which was an old one, we had only four hundred and feventy invalids and marines, one part of them incapable of adion by their age and infir- mities, and the other part ufelefs by their igno- rance of their duty. But the diminifliing the ftrength of the fquadron was not the greateft in- con veniency which attended thefe alterations ; for , the ROUND THE WORLD. 17 the contefts, reprefentations, and difficulties which theycont niially produced (as we have above I'een, that in thcfe cafes the authority of the Admiralty was not always fubmitted to), occafioned a delay and wafte of time, which in its confequences was the fource of all the difs.-'^ers to which this enter- prize was afterwards cxpofed : For by this means we were obliged to make our paflage round Cape Horn in the mod tempeftuous feafon of the year; whence proceeded the feparation of our fquadron, tne lofs of numbers of our men, and the imminent hazard of our total deftruftion. By this delay, too, the enemy had been fo well informed of our defigns, that a perfon who had been employed in the Soutk'Sea Company's fervice, and arrived from Panama thrpe or four days before we left Port/" mouth, was able to relate to Mr. An/on moft of the particulars of the deftination and ftrength of our fquadron, from what he had learnt amongft the Spaniards before he left them. And this was af- terwards confirmed by a more extraordinary cir- cumftance: For we (hall find, that, when the Spaniards (fully fatisfied that our expedition was intended for the South Seas) had fitted out a fqua-* dron to oppofe us, which had fo far got the ftart of us, as to arrive before us off the Ifland of Ma- dera, the Commander of this fquadron was fo well inftruded in the form and make of Mr. Anfon\ broad pendant, and had imitated it fo exadtly, that he thereby decoyed the PearU one of our fquadron, within gun-(hot of him, before the Captain of the Pearl was able to difcover his miftake. CHAP. x8 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE -/ a .'•• CHAP. II. The Paflage from St» Helen s to the Ifland of Madera; with a Ihort account of that Ifland, and of our ftay there. -^ " ■I •'■(■■..',' ' >^,- >, ■ ON the 1 8th of SepUmher 1740, the fquadron, as we have obferved in the preceding chap- ter, weighed from St. Helen's with a contrary wind, the Commodore propofing to tide it down the Channel, as he dreaded lefs the inconveniences he Ihould thereby have to ftruggle with, than the rifle he fhoiild run of ruining the enterprize, by an uncertain, and, in all probability, a tedious attendance for a fair wind. ' ■''• ''*'- - "• • •».^. The fquadron allotted to this fervice confided of five men of war, a floop of war, and two vic- tualling fhips. They were the Centurion of fixty guns, four hundred men, George Anfon, Efqj Com- mander i the Gkucejler of fifty guns, three hundred men, Richard Norris Commander j the Severn of fifty guns, three hundred men, the Honourable Edward Legg Commander j the Pearl of forty guns, two hundred and fifty men, Matthew Mit- cbel Commander j the Wager of twenty-eight guns, one hundred and fixty men, Handy Kidd Commander j and the Tryall Sloop of eight guns, one hundred men, the Honourable John Murray Commander; the two Viftuallers were Pinks, the largeft of about four hundred, and the other of about two hundred tons burthen* Thefe were to attend -^'^ V ROUND THE WORLD. 19 attend us, till the provifions we had taken on boar d were fo far confumed, as to make room for the additional quantity they carried with them, which when we had taken into our fhips, they were to be difcharged. Befides the complement of men borne by the above mentioned fhips as their crews, there were embarked on board the fquadron about four hundred and feventy invalids and marines, under the denomination of land-forces (as has been particularly mentioned in the preceding chapter), which were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Cracberode. With this fquadron, together with the St, Alban's and the Larky and the trade under their convoy, Mr. Anfoiti after weighing from St, Helen*Si tided it down the Channel for the firft forty-eight hours j and, on the 2 th, in the morning, we difcovered off the Ram-head tK^ Dragon^ Winchefter^ South Sea Caftle, and Rye^ with a number of merchantmen under their Con- voy : Thefe we joined about noon the fame day, our Commodore having orders to fee them (to- gether with the St. Alban*s and Lark) as far into the fea as their courfe and ours lay together. When we came in fight of this laft-mentioned fleet, Mr. Anfon firft hoifted his broad pendant, and was faluted by all the men of war in com- pany. When we had joined this laft Convoy, we made pp eleven men of war, and about one hundred and fifty fail of merchantmen, confifting of the Turky, the StreightSy and the American trade. Mr. Anfotiy the fame day, made a fignal for all the Captains of the men of war to come on board him, where he \ ♦ 20 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE he delivered them their fighting and failing in- ftrudions, and then, with a fair 'rind, we all flood towards the fouth-wefl ; and the next day at noon, being the 2ifl, we had run forty leagues from the Ram-Head, Being now clear of the land, our Commodore, to render our view more extenfivs, ordered Captain Mitchel, in the Pearl, to make fail two leagues a-head of the fleet every morning, and to repair to his flation every evening. Thus we proceeded till the 25th, when the Winchefter and the American Convoy made the concerted fig- nal for leave to feparate, which being anfwered by the Commodore, they left us : As the 5/. Al- ian*s and the Dragon, with the Turkey and Streigbts Convoy, did on the 29th. After which fepara- tion, there remained in company only our own fquadron and our twc vi6buallers, with which we kept on our courfe for the Ifland of Madera, But the winds were fo contrary, that we had the mor- tification to be forty days in our paffage thither from St, Helen's, though it is known to be often done in ten or twelve, This delay was a mofl unpleafing circumflapce, produdlive of much dif- content and ill-humour amongft our people, of which thofe only can have a tolerable idea, who have had the experience of a like fituation. For befides the peeviihnefs and defpondency which foul and " 'ntrary winds, and a lingering voyage, ne- ver fail to create on all occafions, we, in parti- cular, had very fubflantial reafons to be greatly alarmed at this unexpefted impediiiient. Since as we had departed from England much later than we ought to have done, we had placed ahnoil all u 2 our ROUND THE WORLD,. It our hopes of fuccefs in the chance of retrieving in fome meafure at fea, the time we had fo unhap- pily wafted at Spithead and St, Helens. However, at laft, on Monday, O£fober the 25th, at five in the morning, we, to our great joy, made the land, and in the afternoon came to an anchor in Madera Road, in forty fathom water; the Brazen-Head bearing from us E. by S. the Loo N. N. W. and great church N. N. E. We had hardly let go our anchor, when an Englijh privateer floop ran under our ftern, and faluted the Commodore with nine guns, which we returned with five. And, the next day, the Conful of the Ifland vifiting the Commodore, we faluted him with nine guns on his coming on board. This Ifland of Madera, where we are now arri* ved, is famous through all our Amei'ican fettlements for its excellent wines, which feem to be defigned by Providence for the refrefliment of the inhabi- tants of the Torrid Zone. It is fituated in a fine climate, in the latitude of 32 : 27 North j and in the longitude from London (by our different rec- konings), of 18° 1 to 19^ 1 Weft, though laid down in the Charts in 17°. It is compofed of one continued hill, of a confiderable height, ex- tending itfelf from Eaft to Weft : The declivity of which, on the South-fide, is cultivated and in- terfperfed with vineyards : And in the midft of this flope the merchants have fixed their country- feats, which help to form a very agreeable pro- fpeft. There is but one confiderable town in the whole Ifland -, it is named FcKchiak, and is Ibatcd on the fourh part of the Illar.d, at the bottom of . .a large 22 Ld. anson»s voyage a large bay. Towards the fea, it is defended by a high wall, with a battery of cannon, befides a caftle on the Loo-t which is a rock (landing in the water at a fmall diftance from the fhore. Foncbiak is the only place of trade, and indeed the only place where it is poflible for a boat to land. And even here the beach is covered with large flones, and a violent furf continually beats upon itj fo that the Commodore did not care to venture the Ihips long- boats to fetch the water off, there was fo much danger of their being loft j and therefore ordered the Captains of the fcuadron to employ Portuguefe boats on that fervice. We continued about a week at this Ifland, wa- tering our fhips, and providing the fquadron with wine and other refrefhments. Here, on the 3d of November, Captain Richard iV^rm fignified by a letter to the Commodore, his defire to quit his command on board the Gloucejier, in order to re- turn to England for the recovery of his health. This requell the Commodore complied with ; and thereupon was pleafed to appoint Captain Matthew Mitchel to command the Gloucejier in his room, and to remove Captain Kidd from the Wager to the Pearly and Captain Murray from the Tryall Sloop tc the IVagery giving the command of the Tryall to Lieutenant Cheap. Thefe Promotions being fet- tled, with other changes in the Lieutenancies, the Commodore, on the following day, gave to the Captains their orders, appointing St. JagOy one of the Cape de Verd Iflands, to be the firft place of rendezvous in cafe of feparation ; and diredling them, if they did not meet the Centurion there, to ended by befides a ng in the Foncbiale the only nd. And je ftones, on iti fo inture the there was I therefore to employ fland, wa- idron with on the 3d ignified by to quit his rder to re lis health, with ; and n Matthew his room, ager to the yyall Sloop le 'Tryall to jeing i'et- ancies, the ive to the igOf one of place of i direfting irion there, to ROUND THE WORLD. 23 to make the bed of their way to the Ifland of St, Catbanne\ on the coaft of Brazil. The water for the fquadron being the fame day com- pleted, and each Ihip fupplied with as much wine and other refrelhmcnts as they could take in, we weighed anchor in the afternoon, and took our leave of the Ifland of Madera. But before I go on with the narration of our own tranfadions, I think it neceflary to give fome ac- count of the proceedings of the enemy, and of the meafures they had taken to render all our de- figns abortive. When Mr. Anfon vifited the Governor of Ma- dera, he received information from him, that for three or four days, in the latter end of O£ioher, there had appeared to the weftward of that Ifland, feven or eight fliips of the line, and a Patache, which lad was fent every day clofe in to make the land. The Governor aflured the Commodore, upon his honour, that none upon the Ifland had either given them intelligence, or had in any fort communicated with them, but that he believed them to be txthtrFrench or Spanijhj but was rather inclined to think them Spanijh, On this intelli- gence, Mr. Anfon fent an officer in a clean floop, eight leagues to the weftward, to reconnoitre them, and, ifpoflible, to difcover what they were : But the Officer returned without being able to get a fight of them, fo that we ftill remained in uncer- tainty. However, we could not but conjedlure, that this fleet was intended to put a ftop to our expedition, which, had they cruifed to the eaftward ' .:■ ■ of 24 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE of the idand inftead of the wcftward, they could not but have executed with great facility. For as, in that cafe, they muft have certainly fallen in with i|s, we fhould have been obliged to throw over- board vaft quantities of provifion to clear our (hips for an engagement j and this alone, without a.iy regard to the event of the adion, would have ef- feftuaUy prevented our progrefs. This was fo ob- vious a meafure, that we could not help imagining reafons which might have prevented them from purfuing it. And we therefore fuppofed, that this French or Sfanijh fquadron was fent out, upon ad- vice of our failing in company with Admiral Bal- chen and Lord Cathcari's expedition : And thence, from an apprehenfion of being overmatched, they might not think it advifeable to meet with us, till we had parted company, which they might judge would not happen before our arrival at this ifland. Thefe were our fpeculations at that time j and from hence we had reafon to fuppofe, that we might ftill fall in with them in our way to the Cape de Verd IJlands, We afterwards, in the courfe of our expedition, were perfuaded, that this was the Spanijh fquadron, commanded by Don Jo^ fepb Pizarro, which was fent out purpofely to tra- verfe the views and enterprizes of our fquadron, to which in ftrength they were greatly fupcrior* As this Spanijh armament then was fo nearly con- nefted with our expedition, and as the cataftrophe it underwent, though not affeded by our force, was yet a confiderable advantage to this Nation, produced in confequence of our equipment, I . ^ have ROUND THE WORLD. «* have, in the following chapter, given a fummary account of their proceedings, from their firft fet- ting out from Spain in the year 1740, till the J^a, the only (hip of the whole fquadron which return- ed to Europey arrived at the Grcrfne in the begin* ning of the year 1746. CHAP, ^6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE :h :■ CHAP. m. The Hiftory of the Spant/h fquadron com- manded by Don Jofepb Fizarro, TH E fquadron fitted out by the Court of Spain to attend our motions, and traverfe Our projcfts, we fuppofed to have been the Ihips feen off Madera, as mentioned in the preceding chapter. As this force was fent out particularly againd our expedition, I cannot but imagine, that the following hiftory of the cafualties it met with, as far as by intercepted letters and other in- formation the fame ha» come to my knowledge^ is a very effential part of the prefent work. For hence it will appear that we were the occafion, that a conliderable part of the naval power of Spain, was diverted from the profecution of the ambitious views of that Court in Europe, And whatever men and fhips were loft by the enemy in this undertaking, were loft in confcquence of the precautions they took to fecure themfelves againft our enterprizes* This fquadron (befides two (hips intended for the Pf^eft Indies, which did not part company till after they had left the Maderas), was compofcd of the following men of war, commanded by Don Jofepb Pizarro, The 4fi^ o^ fixty-fix guns, and fevcn hundred men -, this was the Admiral's (hip. The ti com- » [^ourt of traverfe the Ihips >receding rticularly imagine, :s it met other in- lowledge, irk. For occa(ion> power of »n of the pe. And le enemy uence of emfelves tended for ipany till ipofcd of by Don hundred ROUND THE WORLD. 27 The Guipufcoa of fcventy-four guns, and feven hundred men. The Hermkna of fifty-four guns, and five hun- dred men. The Efperanza of fifty guns, and four hundred and fifty men. The St. Eftevan of forty guns, and three hun- dred and fifty men. And a Patache of twenty guns, Thefe fhips, over and above their complement of failors and marines, had on board an old Spanijh regiment of foot, intended to reinforce the garri- fons on the coaft of the South Seas. When this fleet had cruifed for fome days to the leeward of the Ma- deraSi as is mentioned in the preceding chapter, they left that ftation in the beginning of November , and fleered for the river of Plate^ where they ar- rived the 5th of January 0. S. and coming to an anchor in the bay of Maldonado, at the mouth of that river, their Admiral Pizarro fent immediately to Buenos Ayres for a fupply of provifions j for they had departed from Spain with only four months provifions on board. While they lay here expefting this fupply, they received intelligence, by the treachery of the Portuguefe Governor of St. Catharine's, of Mr. Anfon's having arrived at that ifland on the 2 ifl: of December preceding, and of his preparing to put to Tea again with the utmoft expedition. Pizarro, nouwithftanding his fupe- rior force, had his reafons (and as fome fay, his D 2 orders Jt Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE orders likewife) for avoiding our fquadron any where Ihort of the South Seas. He was befides extremely defirous of getting round Capt Horn before us, as he imagined that ftep alone would effeftually baffle all our defigns ; and therefore, on hearing that we were in his neighbourhood, and that we fhould foon be ready to proceed for Cape Horn, he weighed anchor with the five large fhips, (the Patache being difabled and condemned, and the men taken out of her) after a ftay of feventccn days only, and got under fail without his provifions, which arrived at MaldoHado within a day or two after his departure. But notwithftanding the pre- cipitation with which he departed, we put to fea from St, Catharine's four days before him, and in fome part of our paflage to Cape HornCy the two fquadrons were fo near together, that the Pearly one of our (hips, being feparated from the reft, fell in with the Spanijh fleet, and miftaking the jijia for the Centurion, had got within gun-lhot of Pizarro, before flie difcovered her error, and nar- rowly elcaped being taken. ; ^^ ,4 <-; /- • ^.r y It being the a 2d o^ January when the Spaniards weighed from Maldonado (as has been already mentioned), tliey could not exped to get into the latitude of Cape Horn before the equinox j and as they had reafon to apprehend very tempeftuous weather, in doubling it at that feafon, and as the SpaniJJj failors, being for the mod part accuftomed to a fair weather country, might be expetfled to be very avcrfe to lb dangerous and fatiguing a navi- gation, the better to encourage them, fome part ROUND THE WORLD. 29 of their pay was advanced to them in European goods, which they were to be permitted to dif- pofe of in the South Seas, that lb the hopes of the great profit each man was to make on his venture, might animate him in his duty, and ren- der him lefs difpofed to repine at the labour, the jiardfhips, and the perils he would in all probabi- lity meet with before his arrival on the coaft of Peru. Pizarro with his fquadron having, towards the latter end of February, run the length of Cape Horn, he then flood to the weftward, in order to double it j but in the night of the la(l day of February, O, S. while with this view they were turning to wim' /ard, the Guipufcoa, the Hertniona, and the E/peranza, were feparated from the Ad- miral i and, on tiie 6th of March following, the Guipufcoa was feparated from the other two ', and on the 7th (being the day after we had paflcd Sireights le Maire) there came on a mod furious florm at N. V7. which, in dcfpite of all their cf- foi-rs, drove the whole fquadron to the eaftward, and after feveral fruitlefs attempts, obliged them to bear away for the river of Plate, where Pizarro in the /ifia arrived about the middle of May, and a few days after him the Efperanza and the EftC' van. The Hermiona was fuppolcd to founder at fea, for fhe was never heard of more -, and the Guipufcoa was run on fhore, and funk on the coaft of Brazil, Tl.e calamities of all kinds, which this fquadron underwent in this unfuccefsful na- vigation, can only be paralleled by what we our- felves experienced in the fame climate, when buf- D 3 feted •"-^'V;l,«> i:i i ii 30 ■ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE feted by the fame ftorniS. There vvas indeed fome, divcrfity in our diftreflcs, which lendercd it diffi- cult to decide whofe fituatioa was moft worthy of commiferation. For to all the misfortunes we had in common with each other, as 11 attered rigging, leaky fliips, and the fatigues and dcfpondency which neceflarily attend thefe diftVefles, there wa? fuperadded on board our fquadron the ravage of a moft defcrudive and incuiabl , difeafe, and on board the Spanijh fquadron the devaftation of fa- mine. For this fquadron, either from the hurry of their outfet, their prefumption of a fupply at Buenos Ayrcs^ or from other lefs obvious motives, departed from 5/> Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Staten-^Land, and plying to the wellward ; that in the night after, it blew a furious dorm at N. W. which, at half an hour after ten, fplit his main-fail, and obliged him to bear away with his fore-fail i that the (hip went ten knots an hour with a prodi- gious fea, and often run her gangway under water ; that he likewile fprung his main-mad ; and the ihip made fo much water, that with four pumps and bailing he could not free her. That on the 9th it was calm, but the fea continued fo high, that the fhip in rolling opened all her upper works and fcams, and darted the butt-ends of her plank- ing, and the greated part of her top timbers, the bolts being drawn by the violence of her roll : That in this condition, with other additional dif- aders to the hull and rigging, they continued beating to the wedward till the 12th : That they were then in fixty degrees of fouth latitude, in great want of provifions, numbers every day pe- rifhing by the fatigue of pumping, and thofc who furvived, being quite difpirited by labour, hunger, and the feverity of the weather, they having two fpans of fnow upon the decks: That then finding the wind fixed in the wedern quar- ter, and blowing drong, and confequently their paflage to the wedward impofTible, they refolved to bear away for the river of Plate : That on the a2d, they were obliged to throw over-board all the upper-deck guns, and an anchor, and to take fix turns ot the cable round the fliip to pre- vent her opening : That, on the 4th of Jprt'lj it being calm, but a very high fea, the d'.p rolled fo much, that the main-mad came by the board, and ROUND THE WORLD. 33 in a few hours after fhe loft, in like manner, her fore-maft and her mizen-maft: And that, to ac- cumulate their misfortunes, they were foon oblig- ed to cut away their bowfprit, to diminilh, if pofliblc, the leakage at her head; that by this timo he had loft two hundred and fifty men by hunger and fatigue j for thofe who were capable of work- ing at the pumps (at which every officer without exception took his turn) were allowed only an ounce and half of bifcuit per diem; and thofe who were fo fick or fo weak, that they could not afTift in this neccflary labour, had no more than an ounce of wheat -, fo that it was common for the men to fall down dead at the pumps : That, including the Officers, they could only mufter from eighty to a hundred perfons capable of duty: That the South-Weft winds blew fa frefti after they had loft their mafts, that they could not im- mediately fet up jury-mafts, but were obliged to drive like a wreck, between the latitudes of 32 and 28, till the 24th of April, when they made the coaft of Brazil at Rio de Patas^ ten leagues to the fouthward of the Ifland of St. Catharine\ ; that here they came to an anchor, and that the Captain was very defirous of proceeding to St. Ca^ tbarine'sj if poffible, in order to fave the hull of the fliip, and the guns and ftores on board herj but the crew inftantly left off pumping, and being en- raged at the hardfliips they had luffcred, and the numbers they had loft (there being at that time no lefs than thirty dead bodies lying on the deck), they all with one voice cried out, on shore, on SHORE, and obliged the Captain to run the Ihip i in ■) i- M Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 'kt I* in direftly for the land, where, the 5th day after, Ihe funk with her (lores and all her furniture on board her 5 but the remainder of the crew, whom hunger and fatigue had fpared, to the number of four hundred, got fafe on fhore. From this account of the adventures and cata- ftrophc of the Guipufcoa, we may form fome con- je(5tr.i ? of the manner in which the Hermiona was loft, and of the diftreflrs endured by the three re- maining fhips of the fquadron, which got into the river of Plate, Thefe laft being in great want of mafts, yards, rigging, and all kinds of naval ilores, and haying no fupply at Buenos Ayres, nor in any of their neighbouring fettlements, Pizarro difpatchcd an advice-boat with a letter of credit to Rio Janeircy to purchafe what was wanting from the Portuguefe, He, at the fame time, fent an cxprefs acrofs the continent to St, Jago in Chili, to be thence forwarded p the Viceroy of Peru, informing him of the difaftprs that had befallen his fquadron, and deliring a remittance of 200,000 dollars from the royaj chcfts at Lima, to enable him to vidual and reHt hjs remaining ihrps, that he might be again in a condition to attempt the paflage to the South- Seas, as fpon as the feafon of the year fhould be more favourable. It is mentioned by the Spaniards as a moft extra- ordinary circumftance, that the Indian charged with thisexprefs (though it was then the depth of winter, when the Cordilleras are efteemed impaffa- ble on account of the fnow) was only thirteen days in hii journey from Buenos Ayres to St, Jago in Chili; though thefe places are diftant three - hundred S;*.' ROUND THE WORLD. 3S hundred Spanijh leagues, near forty of which arc amongfl: the fnows and precipices of the Cordilleras* The return to this d'lpatch of Pizarro's from ^he Viceroy of Peru was no ways favourable i in- ftead of 2QO,ooo dollars, the fum dennanded, the Viceroy remitted him only 100,000, telling him, that it was with great difficulty he was able to procure him even that : though the inhabitants at Lmciy who confidered the prefence of Pizarro as abfolutely neceffary to their fecurity, were much difcontented at this procedure, and did not fail to affert, that it was not the want of money, but the interefted views of fome of the Viceroy's con- fidents, that prevented Pizarro from having the >vhole fum he had afked for. - - The advice-boat fent to Rio Janeiro alfo exe- cuted her commiffion but imperfeftlyi for though Ihe brought back a vunfidcrable quantity of pitch, tar, and cordage, yet Ihe could not procure ei- ther niafts, or yards : and, as an additional mis- fortune, Pizarro was difappointed of fome mafts he cxpeded from Paragua j for a carpenter, whonti he had entrufled with a large fum of money, and had fent there to cut mafts, inftead t f profecut- jng the bufinefs he was employed in, had married in the country, and refufed to return. However, by removing the mafts of the Efperanza into the J/ia, and making ufe of what fpare mafts and yards they had on board, they made a ftiift to refit the A/ia and the St, Efievan, And in the OSfoher following, Pizarro was preparing to put to fea with thefe two Ihips, in order to attempt jhe paflage round Cape Horn a fecond time j but 8 the 36 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE IS the Sf, EJievarii in coming down the river Plate, ran on a Ihoal, and beat off her rudder, on which, and other damages fhe received, (he was con- demned and broke up, and Pizarro in the JJia proceeded to fea without her. Having now the fummer before him, and the winds favourable, no doubt was made of his having a fortunate and ipecdy paflagej but being off Cape Horn, and going right before the wind in very moderate weather, though in a fwelling fea, by fome mif- conduft of the officer of the watch, the Ihip rolled away her mafts, and was a fecond time obliged to put back to the river of Plaie in great diftrefs. The Jfia having confiderably fuffered in this fecond unfortunate expedition, the Efperanza, which had been left behind at Monte Vedio, was ordered to be refitted, and the command of her being given to Mindinuetta, who was Captain of the Guipufcoa when Ihe was loft j he, in the No- vember of the fucceeding year, that is, in Novent' ler 1742, failed from the river of Plate for the South Seas, and arrived fafe on the coaft of Chili', where his Commodore Pizarro puffing over land from Buenos Jyres, met him. There were great anrmofities and contefts between thefe two Gentle- men at their meeting, occafioned principally by the claim of Pizarro to command the Ejferanza, which Mindinuetta had brought round j for Min- dinuetta refufed to deliver her up to him j infifting, that as he came into the South-Seas alone, and under no fiiperior, it was not now in the power of Pizarro to relume that authority, which he had '■ i> '., ' once %i ROUND THE WORLD. 37 once parted with. However, the Prefident of Chili interpofing, and declaring for Pizarro, M'«- dinuetta, after a long and obftinate ftruggle, was obJio-ed to fubmit. jiut Pizarro had not yet completed the ferici of his adventures; for when he and Mindinuetta came back by land from Chili to Buenos AyreSt in the year 1745, they found at Monte Vedio the JJia^ which near three years before they had left there. This Ihip they refolved, if poflible, to carry to Europe; and with this view they refitted her in the beft manner they could : But their great dif- ficulty was to procure a fufficient number of hands to navigate herj for all the remaining failors of the fquadron to be met with in the neighbourhood of Buenos /^res did not amount to a hundred men. They endeavoured to fupply this defeft by prefllng many of the inhabitants of Buenos Ayres^ and putting on board befides all the Englijh prifon- ers then in their cuftody, together with a num- ber of Portuguefe fmugglers, which they had taken at difi^erent times, and fome of the Indians of the country. Among thefe laft there was a Chief and ten of his followers, which had been furprifed by a party of Spanijh foldiers about three months before. The name of this Chief was Orellana ; he belonged to a very powerful Tribe, which had committed great ravages in the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres, With this motley crew (all of them, except the European SpaniardSi extremely averfe to the voyage) Pizarro fet fail from Monte Vedio in the river of Plate, about the beginning 3« Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE m A ; of November 1745; and the native Spaniards, being no ftrangers to the diffatisfaftion of their forced men, treated both thofe, the Englijh prifon- crs and the Indians, with great infolence and bar- barity, but more particularly the Indians-, for it was common for the meaneft officers in the Ihip to beat them moft cruelly on the flighteft preten- ces, and oftentimes only to exert their fuperiority, Orellana and his followers, though in appearance fufHciently patient and fubmifllve, meditated a fe- vcre revenge for all thefe inhumanities. As he converfed very well in Spanijh^thek Indians hiving, in time of peace, a great intercourfe with Buenos Ajfres), he affeded to talk with fuch of the Englijh as undcrftood that language, and feemed very defirous of being informed how many Englijhmen there were on board, and which they were. As he knew that the Englijh were as much enemies to the Spaniards as himfclf, he had doubtlefs an in- tention of difclofing his purpofes to them, and making them partners in the fcheme he. had pro- jedled for revenging his wrongs, and recovering his liberty i but having founded them at a diftance, and not finding them fo precipitate and vindiiflive as he expedled, he proceeded no further with them, but refolved to truft alone to the refolution of his ten faithful followers. Thcfe, it fhould feem, readily engaged to obferve his diref^ions, and to execute whatever commands he gave them; and having agreed on the meafures ncceffary to be taken, they firft furnilhed themfelves with Butch knives fliarp at the point, which being common knives "t* ■.!■ ROUND THE WORLD. 39 knives ufed in the (hip, they found no difficulty in procuring : befides this, they employed their Icifure in fecretly cutting out thongs from raw hides, of which there were great numbers on board, and in fixing to each end of thefe thongs the double-headed Ihot of the fmall quarter-deck guns i this, when fwung round their heads, ac- cording to the praftice of their country, was s moft mifchievous weapon, in the ufe of which the Indians about Buenos Jyres are trained from their infancy, and confequently are extremely expert, Thefe particulars being in good forwardnefs, the execution of their fcheme was perhaps precipitated by a particular outrage committed on Orellana himfelf. For one of the Officers, who was a very brutal fellow, ordered Orellana aloft -, which being what he was incapable of performing, the Officer, under pretence of his difobedience, beat him with fuch violence, that he left him bleeding on the deck, and llupified for feme time with his bruifes and wounds. This ufage undoubtedly heighten- ed his third for revenge, and made him eager and impatient, till the means of executing it were in his power; fo that within a day or two after this incident, he and his followers opened their de- Iperate refolves in the enfuing manner. It was about nine in the evening, when many of the principal Officers were on the quarter-deck, indulging in the frelhnefs of the night air; the wafte of the Ihip was filled with live cattle, and the forecaftle was manned with its cuftomary watch. Orellana and his companions, under co- ver \ I ^ 40 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE t\d ver of the night, having prepared their weapons, and thrown off their trouzers and the more cum- brous part of their drefs, came all together on the quarter-deck, and drew towards the door of the great cabin. The boatlwain hnmcdiately repri- manded them, and ordered them to be gone. On this Orellana fpoke to his followers in his native language, when four of them drew off, two to- wards each gangway, and the Chief and the fix remaining Indians feemed to be flowly quitting the quarter-deck. When the detached Indians had taken poffeffion of the gangway, Orellana placed his hands hollow to his mouth, and bellowed out the war-cry ufed by thofe favages, which is faid to be the harlheft and mod terrifying found known in nature. This hideous yell was the fignal for beginning the maffacre : For on this they all drew their knives, and brandifhed theirprepared double- headed (hot J and the fix with their Chief, which remained on the quarter-deck, immediately fell on the Spaniards who were intermingled with them, and laid near forty of them at their feet, of which above twenty were killed on the fpot, and the reft difabled. Many of the Officers, in the beginning of the tumult, puflied into the great cabin, where they put out the lights, and barricadoed the door: Whilil of the others, who had avoided the firft fury of the Indians^ feme endeavoured to efcape along the gangways into the forecaftle, where the Indians^ placed on purpofe, {tabbed the greatelt part of them, as they attempted to pafs by, or forced them off the gangways into the wafte: fome ... - threw veapons, >re cum- er on the »r of the :ly repri- one. On. lis native , two to- ed the fix quitting 'diafts had la placed 3wed out I is faid to id known fignal for y all drew d double- ef, which iately fell nth them, of which d the reft ROUND THE WORLD. 41 threw themfelves voluntarily over the barricadoes into the wafte, and thought themfelves fortunate to lie concealed among the cattle : But the great- eft part cfcaped up the main ftjrouds, and fhel- tered themfelves either in the tops or rigging. And though the Indians attacked only the quarter- deck, yet the watch in the forecaftle finding their communication cut off, and being terrified by the wounds of the few, who, not being killed on the fpot, had ftrength fufficient to force their paffage, and not knowing either who their enemies were, or what were their numbers, they likewife gave all over for loft, and in great confufion ran up into the rigging of the fore-maft and bowfprit. > Thus thefe eleven Indians, with a refolution perhaps without example, pofTefled themfelves almoft in an inftant of the quarter-deck of a ftiip mounting fixty-fix guns, and mann'd with near five hundred hands, and continued in peaceable pofleflion of this poft a confiderable time. For the Officers in the great cabbin (amongft whom were Pizarro and Mindinuetta), the crew between decks, and thofe who had efcaped into the tops and rigging, were only anxious for their own fafe- ty, and were for a long time incapable of form- . ing any projedl for fuppreffing the infurrefbion, and recovering the pofleflion of the fliip. It is tt*ue, the yells of the Indians, the groans of the wounded, and the confufed clamours of the crew, all heightened by the obfcurity of the night, had at firft greatly magnified their danger, and had filled them with the imaginary terrors, which darkncfs, diforder, and an ignorance of the real ftrength E of hp i% M I «A 42 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE of an enemy never fail to produce. For as the Spaniards were fenfible of the difafFedtion of their preft: hands, and were alfo confcious of their bar- barity to their prifoners, they imagined the con- fpiracy was general, and confidered their own dc- ftru6tion as infallible j fo thai*, it is faid, fome of them had once taken the refolution of leaping into the fea, but wfc prev. nttd by their compa- nions. However, when th ^ Indi^^^s had entirely clear- ed the quarter-deck, ti*. turn'' in a great mea- fure fubfided j for thofe, who had efcaped, were kept filent by their fears, and the Indians were in- capable of purfuing them to renew the diforder. Orellana, when he faw himfelf matter of the quar- ter-deck, broke open the arm-cheft, which, on a flight fufpicion of mutiny, had been ordered there a few days before, as to a place of the greateft fecurity. Here he took it for granted, he fhould find cutlafTes fufficient for himfelf and his com- panions, in the ufe of which weapon they were all extremely Ikilfulj and with thefe, . it was ima- gined, they propor:d to have forced the great cab- bin : But on opening the chcft, there appeared nothing but fire-arms> which to them were of no ufe. There were indeed cutlafTes in the cheft> but they were hid by the fire-arms being laid over them* This was a fenfible difappoincment to them ; and by this time Pizarro and his compa- nions in the great cabbin were capable of con- Verfing aloud through the cabbin windows and port-holes, with thofe in the gun-room and be- tween decks J and from thence they learnt, that the Englijh ROUND THE WORLD. 43 IS com- Engiijb (whom theyprihcipally fufpefted) were all fafe below, and had not intermeddled in this mu- tiny i and by other particulars they at lad difcover- cd, that none were concerned in it but Orellana and his people. On this Pizarro and the Officers refolved to attatk them on the quartei*-deck, before any of the difcontented on board ihouid fo far re- cover their firft furprife, as to refled on the facility and certainty of feizing the Ihip by a jundion with the Indians in the prefent emergencyi With this view Pizarro got together what arms were in the cabbing and diftribuced them to thofe who were with him : But there were no other fire-arms to be met with but piftols, and for thefe they had neither powder nor ball. However, having now fettled a correfpondence with the gun-room, they lowered down a bucket out of the cabbin win- dow, into which the gunner, out of one of the gun- room ports, put a quantity of piftol-cartridgcs. When they had thus procured ammunition, and had loaded their piftols, they fet the cabbin door partly open, and fired fcveral (hot amongft ths Indians on the quarter-deck, though at firft with- out efFeft : But at laft Mindinuettat whom we have often mentioned, had the good fortune to fhoot Orellana dead on the fpot ; on which his faithful companions, abandoning all thoughts of farther refiftance, inftantly leaped into the fea, where they every man perifhed. Thus was this infurredion quelled, and the poffefTion of the qj«jrtCi-deck regained, after it had been full two hours in the power of this great an4 daring Chief, and his gal- lant unhappy countrymen. jl^ 2 Pi%arro 44 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Pizarro having efcaped this imminent peril, [leered for Eurcte, and arrived fafc on the coaft of Gallkia, in the beginning of the year 1746, after having been abfcnt between four and five years, and having, by his attendance on our expedition, diminifhed the naval power of Spain by above three thoufand hands (the flower of their failors), and by four confiderable (hips of war and a Patache. For we have feen that the Hermiona foundered at fea j the Guipufcoa was Itranded, and funk on the coaft of Brazil ; the St. Eftevan was condemned, and broke up in the river of Plate j and the Efpe- ranza, being left in tlie South Seas, is doubtlefs by this time incapable of returning to Spain, So that the //Jia only, with lefs than one hundred hands, may be regarded as ail the remains of that fquadron with which Pizarro firft put to fea. And whoever confiders the very large proportion which this fquadron bore to the whole navy of Spain, will, I believe, confefs, that, had our undertaking been attended with no other advantages than that of ruining fo great a part of the fea force of fo dangerous an enemy, this alone would be a fuffi- cient equivalent for our equipment, and an incon- teftable proof of the fervice which the nation has thence received. Having thus concluded this fummary of Pizarro*s adventures, I fhall now re- turn again to the narration of our own tranfadtions. ;»!. t'4 f- r ROUND THE WORLD. 45 CHAP. IV. From Madera to St, Catharhie\, I HAVE already mentioned, that on the 3d of November we weighed from Madera, after orders had been given to the Captains to rendez- vous at St. JagOy one of the Cape cle t^erd Iflands, in cafe the fquadron was fcparatcd. But the next day, when we were got 10 Tea, the Commodore, confidering that the feafon was far advanced, and that touching at St. Jago would create a new de- lay, he for this reafon thought proper to alter his rendezvous, and to appoint the Illand of St. Ca- tharine's on the coaft of Brazil, to be the firfl place to which the Ihips of the fquadron were ro repair in cafe of feparation. In our paflage to the Illand of St. Catharine'?,, we found the diredion of the trade-winds to differ confiderabl; from what we had reafon to expeift, both from the general hidories given of thefe winds, and the experience of former Navigators. For the learned Dr. Hal'iy^ in his account of the trade-winds, which take place in the Rthiopic and Atlantic Ocean, tells us, that from the latitude of 28° N, to the latitude of 10 N, there is gene- rally a frefh gale of N. F. wind, which towards the Jfrican fide raniy C!)nies to the eaftward of E. N. E, or palles 10 the nortliward of N. N. E : But on the American fule, the v/ind is fomewhat more eafterly, tfiough mofi commonly even there •»'• Jt 46 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ' i. \ l9u i [ 1 l' Hi it is a point or two to the northward of the Eaft : Thac from io° N. to 4" N, the calms and torna- does take place j and from 4° N. to 30" S, the winds are generally ajid perpetually between the South and the Eaft. This account wc expefted to have verified by our own experience j but we found confiderable variations from it, both in re- fped to the fteadinefs of the winds, and the quar- ter from whence they blew. For though we met with a N. E. wind about the latitude of 28'= N, yet from the latitude of 25° to the latitude of 18' N, the wind was never once to the northward of the Eaft, but, on the contrary, almoft conftant- ly to the fouthward of it. However, from thence to the latitude of 6* : 20' N, we had it ufually to the northward of the Eaft, though iiot entirely, it having for a (hort time changed to E. S. E. From hence, to about 4" : 46' N, the weather was very unfettled i fomcrimes the wind was N. E, then changed to S. E, and fometimes we had a dead calm, utendcd withfmall rain and lightning. After this, the wind continued almoft invariably between the S. and E. to the latitude of 7'* : 30' S i and then again as invariably between the N. and E. to the latitude of 15° : 30' Si then E. ^nfi S. E. to 21° : 37' S. But after this, even to the latitude of 27° : 44' S, the wind was ne- ver once between the S. and the E, though wc had it at times in all the other quarters of the compafs. But this laft circumftance may be in fome meafure accounted for, from our approach to the main continent of the Brazils. I mention pot fhefe particulars with a view of cavilling at the received ROUND THE V/ORLD. 47 ic Eaft : i torna- » S, the ecn the ixpeded but we h in re- le quar- we met 28^ N, itude of rthward Dnftant- 1 thence bally to jntirely, i. S. E. :her was N. E, had a htning. variably received accounts of thefe trade-winds, which I doubt not are in general fufficiently accurate j but 1 thought it a matter worthy of public notice, that fuch deviations from the eltablilhed rules do fometimes take place. Befidcs, this obfervation may not only be of fervice to navigators, by put- ting them on their guard againft thefe hitherto un- expeftcd irregularities, but is a circumftance necef- fary to be attended to in the folution of that great queftion about the caufes of trade-winds, and monfoons, a queftion, which, in my opinion, has not been hitherto difcufled with that clearnefs and accuracy, which its importance (whether it be con- fidered as a naval or philofophical inquiry) feems to demand. On the i6th of November, one of our Viftuallers made a fignal to fpeak with the Commodore, and we (hortened fail for her to come up with us. The Maftier came on board, and acquainted Mr. An/on, that he had complied with the terms of his charter- party, and defired to be unloaded and difmiflcd. Mr. Jnfofty on confulting the Captains of the fquadron, found all the fhips had flill fuch quan-* titles of provifions britween their decks, and were withal fo deep, that they could not, without great difficulty, take in their feveral proportions of bran-r dy from the Induftry Pinky one of the Viduallers only : Confcquently he was obliged to continue the other of them, the AnriA Pink, in the fervice of attending the fquadron. This being refolvcd on, the Commodore the next t'ay made a fignal for the Ihips to bring to, and to take on board their fharcs of the brandy fronri the Jnduftry Pink j E 4 ?n4 T »•,..- ; ...;■,..• • ' On the 20th of November ^ the Captains of the fquadron reprefented to the Commodore, that their ihips companies were very fickly, and that it was their own opinion, as well as their furgeons, that it would tend to the prefervation of the men to let in more air between decks \ but that their fhips were fo deep, they could not poflibly open their lower ports. On this reprefentation, the Com- modore ordered fix air fcuttles to be cut in each Ihip, in fuch places where they would leaft weak- en it. ' ■ ' '•• ' And on this occafion I cannot but obferve, how much it is the duty of all thofe, who either by of- fice or authority have any influence in the direc- tion of our naval affairs, to attend to this import- ant article, the prefervation of the lives and health of our feamen. If it could be fuppofed, that the motives of humanity were infufficient for this pur- pofe, yet policy, and a regard to the fuccefs of our arms, and the intereft and honour of each particular Commander, Ihould naturally lead us to a careful and impartial examination of every pro- bable method propofed for maintaining a lliip's crew i?. I' :■ n ROUND THE WORLD. 49 f?AS crew in health and vigour. But hath this been always done ? Have the late invented plain and obvious methods of keeping our fhips Iweet and clean, by a conftant fupply of frefh air, been con- fidered with that candour and temper, which the great benefits promifed hereby ought naturally to have infpired? On the contrary, have not thefe falutary fchemes been often treated with neglect and contempt ? And have not fome of thofe who . have been entrufted with experimenting their ef- fects, been guilty of the moft indefenfible par- tiality, in the accounts they have given of thefc trials? Indeed, it mull be confefled, that many diftinguilhed perfons, both in the direftion and command of our fleets, have exerted thcmfelves on thefe occafions with a judicious and difpalTionate examination, becoming the interefting nature of the inquiry; but the wonder is, that any could be found irrational enough to a6t a contrary part, in defpite of the ftrongeft dictates of prudence and humanity. I- muft however own, that I do not believe this condudt to have arifen from mo- tives fo favage, as the firft refledlion thereon does naturally fuggeft: But I rather impute it to an obftinate, and in fome degree, fuperftitious at- tachment to fuch practices as have been long cfta- blifhed, and to a fettled contempt and hatred of all kinds of innovations, efpecialiy fuch as are pro- je(5ted by landmen and perfons refiding on fliore. But let us return from this, I hope not, imperti- nent digrcflion. We crolTed theequinoxial with a fine frefh gale at S. E, on Friday the sStli oi November , at four in i4 m m I'tf m m fit! so Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 'li' '> tin ) t «■ I in the morning, being then in the longitude of 27**: 59' weft from London, And on the 2d of December, in the morning, we faw a fail in the N. W. quarter, and made the Gloucefier's and ^ryaVs fignals to chace; and half an hour after, we let out our reefs and chafed with the fquadron; and about noon a fignal was made for the Wager to take our remaining Viftualler, the Anna Pink, in tow. But at fevcn in the evening, finding we did not near the chace, and that the Wager was verv far a-ftern, we fhortened fail, and made a fignai for the cruizers to join the fquadron. The next day buc one we again difcov^red a fail, which, on a nearer approach, we judged to be the lan-.c vefTel. We chafed her the whole day, and though we rather gained upon her, yet night came On before we could overtake her, which obliged us to give over the chace, to collect our fcattered fquadron. We were much chagrined at the efcapc of this veflel, as we then apprehended her to be an advice- boat fent from 0/d Spain to Buenos Jyres, with notice of our expedition. But wc have fince learnt, that we were deceived in this conjcdure, and that it was our Eaft India Com- pany's Packet bound to St, Helena, '< On the loth of December, being by our ac- counts in the latitude of 20° S, and 2^'' • 3°' longitude Weft from London, the Tryal fired a gun to denote foundings. We immediately founded, and found fixty fathom water, the bottom coarfe ground, with broken fhells. The Tryal being a-head of us, had at one time thirty-feven fathom, which afterwards increafed to 90: And then flie found ROUND THE WORLD, St found no bottom, which happened to us too at our fccond trial, though we founded with a hun- dred and fifty fathom of line. This is the Ihoal which is laid down in moft charts by the name of the Ahrollosi and it appeared we were upon the very edge of itj perhaps farther in, it may be extremely dangerous. We were then, by our different accounts, from ninety to lixty leagues Eaft of the coafl of Brazil. The next day but one, we fpoke with a Portuguefe Brigantine, from Rio JaneirOi bound to Bahia del todos Santos y who informed us that we were thirty-four leagues from Cape St. Thomas, and forty leagues from CapeFm; which laft bore from us W. S. W. By our ac- counts we were near eighty leagues from Cape Frioi and though on the information of this Bri- gantine, we altered our courfe, and flood more to the fouthward, yet by our coming in with the land afterwards, we were fully convinced that our reckoning was much correder than our Portuguefe intelligence. We found a coniiderable current fetting to the fouthward, after we had pifTed the latitud" of 16" S. And the fame took place all along the ccaft of Brazily and even to the fouth- ward of the river o^ Plate, it amounting fometimes to thirty miles in twenty-four hours, and once to above forty miles. If this current is occafioned (as it is mofl pro- bable) by the running off of the water, accumu- lated on the coaft of Brazil by the conftant fweep- ing of the eaftern trade- wind over the Etbiopic Ocean, then it is moil natural to fuppofe, that its general courfe is determined by the bearings of the 4 adja- \{ w-'i 52 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE , 1 i. i J. .1 ... t tf'l't ■ ;' adjacent Ihore. Perhaps too, in almoft every other inftance of currents, the fame may hold true, as 1 believe no examples occur of confiderable currents being obferved at any great dillance from land. If this then could be laid down for a ge- neral principle, it would be always eafy to cor- real the reckoning by the obferved latitude. But it were much to be wifhed, for the general in- terefts of navigation, that the ad:ual fettings of the different currents which are known to take place in various parts of the world, were examin- ed more frequently and accurately than hitherto appears to have been done. We now began to grow impatient for a fight of land, both for the recovery of our fick, and for the refrefhment and fecurity of thofe who as yet continued healthy. When we departed from SL Helen's, we were in ib good a condition, that we loft but two men on board the Centuriotiy in our long pafiage to Madera. But in this prefent run between Madera and St. Catharine's we were re- markably fickly, fo that many died, and great numbers were confined to their hammocks, both in our own ihip, and in the reft of the fquadron, and feveral of thefe paft all hopes of recovery. The diforders they in general laboured under were fuch as are common to the hot climates, and what moft ftiips bound to the fouthward experience in a greater or lefs degree,. Thefe are thofe kind of fevers, which they ufually call Calentures : a dif- eafe, "'hich was not only terrible in its firft inftance, but ever, t'lt remains of it often proved fatal to thofe wh(> :onfidercd tliemfelves as recovered from . it. every d true, lerable e from r age- :o cor- V- But ral in- ings of to take icamin- itherto a fight k, and who as d from n, that ROUND THE WORLD. 53 it. For it always left them in a very weak and helplefs condition, and ufually afflifted cither with fluxes or tenefmus's. By our continuance at fea all thefe complaints were every day increafing, ib that it was with greit joy we difcovcred the coail: of Brazil on the i6th of December, at feven in the morning. ' ^ ^ ' -^ • *' The coaft of Brazil appeared high and moun- tainous land, extending from W. to W. S. W, and when we firft faw it, it was about feventeen leagues diftant. At noon we perceived a low double land, bearing W. S. W. about ten leagues diftant, which we took to be the ifland of St. Ca- tharine's. That afternoon and the next morning, the wind being N. N. W, wc gained very little to windward, and were apprehenfive of being driven to the leeward of the Illand i but a little before noon, the next day, the wind came about to the fouthward, and enabled us to fteer in between the North point of St. Catharine's, and the neigh- bouring luand of Alvoredo. As we ftood in for the land, we had regular foundings gradually de- creafing, from thirty-fix to rwdve fathom, all muddy ground. In this laft depth of water, we let go our anchor at five o'clock m the evening of the 1 8th, the north-weil point of the Ifland of St. Catherine'' s bearing S. S. W, diftant three rKik";j and the Ifland Alvoredo N. N. E, diftant two leagues. Here we found the tide to fct S. S. E, and N. N. W, at the rate of two knots, the tide of flood coming from the fouthward. We could from our fliips obferve two fortifications at a confiderable diftance within us, which feemed deCgned 16*1 Lb; Ai^SON's VOYAGE defigncd to present the pafTage of an enemy be- tween the Ifland of St, Catharine's and the main. And we could foon perceive that our fquadron had alarmed the coaft, for we faw the two forts hoifl: ^eir colours, and fire feveral guns, which we fup- pofed were fignals for aflembling the inhabitants. To prevent any confufion, the Commodore im- mediately fent a boat with an Officer on fhore, to compliment the Governor, and to defire a Pilot to carry us into the road. The Governor returned a very civil anfwer, and ordered us a Pilot. On the morning of the aoth we weighed and flood in, and towards noon the Pilot came on board us, who, the fame afternoon, brought us to an anchor in five fadiom and an half, in a large commodious bay on the continent fide, called by the French Bon Port, In ftanding from our laft anchorage to this placCj we every v/here found an ouzy bottom, with a depth of water firft regularly decreafing to five fathom, and then increafing to feven, after which we had fix and five fathom alternately. The next morning we weighed again with the fquadron, in order to run above thi iwo fortifications we have mentioned, which are called the caftles of Santa Cruiz and St, Juan. Our foundings now between the Ifland and the main, were four, five, and fix fathom, with muddy ground. As we pafled by the cafile of Santa CruiZf we faluted it with eleven guns, and were anfwered by an equal number j and at one in the afternoon the fquadron came to am anchor in five fathom and a half, the Governor's IQ^ind bearing N. N. W, St. Juan's Caftle N. E. ^ E, and xhf lOand of St. A7itonio South. In this pofition ROUND THE WORLD. S$ poficion we moored at the Ifland of St. Catharine's on Sunday the 21ft of December f the whole fqua- dron being, as I have already mentioned, fickly, and in great want of refreihments ; Both which in- conveniencies we hoped to hi^ve foon removed at this fettlement, celebrated by former Navigators for its healthinefs, and the plenty of its provi- fions, and for the freedom, indulgence, and friend- ly afliftance there given to the {hips of all Euro- pean Nations, in amity with the Crown of For- tu^al, '. ,•** 7t , ■■; rA': -■V;>'', ,.■■ -^ .m- V{i ■S)'; 4,^ • ■ ' 1 - . '; - » '' .<; ^ 1 , 1 1 > 1: ' 'J ' 1.' ' '■ ,. " ■ - ■:. * ■ -■ f .':f;i7... il.'.'.- 11,1 :jn ..: f> .V' i ,»'ri1 ;.■• •vuC 5^ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE -^ C'i- , ^: .-.i ■. 1 .«j .Hs ■y IZ'-.-f CHAP. V. lA' Proceedings at 6"/. Catharmt%^ and a defcrip- tion of the place, with 2, Ihort account of '\>: OUR firfl care, after having moored ogr (hips, was to get our fick men on fhore, preparatory to which, each fhip was ordered by the Commodore to ered two tents : one of them for the reception of the difeafed, and the other for the accommodation of the furgeon and his alTiftants. We fent about eighty fick from the Centurion; and the other fhips, I believe, fent near- ly as many, in proportion to the number of their hands. As foon as we had performed this necef- fary duty, we ffxped our decks, and gave our Ihip a thorough cleanfing; then fmoked it between decks, and after all waflied every part well with vinegar. Thefe operations w<^re extremely necef- fary for correfting the noifome ftench on board, and deftroying the vermin ; for from the number of our men, and the heat of the climate, both thefe nuifances had increafed upon us to a veryloathfome degree ; and befides being mod intolerably offen- five, they were doubtlefs in fbme fort produtflive of the ficknefs we had laboured under for a confi- derable time before our arrival at this ifland. a Our ROUND THE WORLD. 57 Our next employment waswoodinT; and water- ing our fquadron, caulking our fliips fides and decks, overhauling our rigging, and fecuring our mafts againft the tempeftuous weather we were, in all probability, to meet with in our pafiage round Cape Horrty in fo advanced and inconve- nient a feafon. But before I engage in the par- ticulars of thefe tranfa6bions, it will not be im- proper to give fome account of the prefent ftatc of this Iflandof 5/. Caibarine'St and of the neigh- bouring country J both as the circumftances of this place are now greatly changed from what they were in the time of former writers, and as thefe changes laid us under many more difficulties and perplexities than we had reafon to expe<5t, or than other hritijh Ihips, hereafter bound to the South' Seas, may perhaps think it prudent to ftruggle with. This ifland is efteemed by the natives to be no where above two leagues in breadth, though about nine in length j it lies in 49® : 45' of Weft lon- gitude q( London, and extends from the fouth la- titude of 27° : 35', to that of 28°. Although it be of a confiderable height, yet it is fcarce dif- cernible at the diftance of ten leagues, being then obfcured under the continent of Brazil, whofe mountains are exceeding high ; but on a nearer' approach it is eafy to be diftinguilhed, and may be readily known by a number of fmall Iflands,' lying at each end, and fcattered along the Eaft fide of it. In the annexed plate there is exhibited a very exaft view of the N. E. end of the Ifland, where («) is its N. E. point, as it appears when it F beufs %r m'^ W^ I (' .'h Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE bears N. W. And {b) is the fmall Ifland o^ Alvo- redOi bearing N. N. W. at the diftance of fevcn leagues. The bell entrance to the harbour is be- tween the point («) and the Ifland of Jlvoredo, where fliips may pafs under the guidance of their lead, without the leafl: apprehenfions of danger. The view of this north entrance of the harbour is reprefented in the fccond plate, where (a) is the N. W. end of St. Catharir.e's Ifland, {b) Parrot Ifland, (f ) a battery on St, Catharine' &, and {^d) a bat- tery on a fmall Ifland near the continent. Frezier has given a draught of this Ifland of St.Catbarine's^ and of the neighbouring coafl:, and the minuter Ifles adjacent; but he has, by mifl:ake, called the Ifland q( Ahoredo the Ifle de Gal, whereas the true Ifle de Gal lies feven or eight miles to the North- wefliward of it, and is much fmaller. He has alfo called an Ifland, to the fouthward of i9/. Catharine's, Ahoredo, and has omitted the Ifland Mafaqura j in other refpecls his plan is fufficiently exa6t. The North entrance of the harbour is in breadth about five miles, and the difl:ance from thence to the Ifland of St. Antonio is eight miles, and the courfe from the entrance to St. Antonio is S. S. W. \ W. About the middle of the Ifland the harbour is contradled by two points of land to a narrow channel, no more than a quarter of a mile broad j and to defend this paflfage, a battery was erecting on the point of land on the Ifland fide. But this fcems to be a very ufelefs work, as the channel has no more than two fathom water, and confequently is navigable only for barks and boats, and therefore feema to be a paflage that an enemy could ROUKD THE WORLD. $9 tould have no inducement to attempt, efpecially as the common palfage at the North end of the Ifland is fo broad and fafe, that no fquadron can be prevented from coming in by any of their for- tifications, when the fea breeze is made. How- ever, the Brigadier Don Jofe Sylva de Paz, the Governor of this l^ttlemcnt, is efteemed an expert Engineer, and he doubtlefs underftands one branch of his bufinefs very well, which is the advantages' which new works brihg to thofe who are entrufted with the care of creating them : for befides the battery mentioned above, there are three other forts carrying on for the defence of the harbour, none of which are yet completed. The firft: of thefe, called St. Juan, is built on a point of St, Catharines, near Parrot Ifland j the fecond, in form of a half-moon, is on the Ifland of 67. /Intonio ; and the third, which feems to be the chief, and has fomc appearance of a regular fortification, is on an Ifland near the continent, where the Governor refides. The foil of the Ifland is truly luxuriant, pro- ducing fruits of many kinds fpontaneoufly j and the ground is covered over with one continued foreft of trees of a perpetual verdure, which, from the exuberance of the foil, arc fo entangled with briars, thorns, and underwood, as to form a thicket abfolutely impenetrable, except by fome narrow pathways which the inhabitants have made for their own convenience. Thefe, with a few fpots cleared for plantations along the fliore facing the continent, are the only uncovered parts of the Ifland. The woods are extremely fragrant, fron> the many aromatic trees and Ihrubs with which F 2 they -I ♦ • 1 if { ^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 UitM ITS lis ^^ ■■■ ■tt Uii 12.2 ■UUu V V »* 'i i! 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRf ET WfBSTU,N.Y. 14SS0 (716)«72-4S03 1^ y 6o Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ft iUM filii'l! 1 y 1 f'jii i r||:j 1 fiw. mi' f r W''->^ m ^M- : mM^\i they abound j and the fruits and vegetables of all climates thrive here, almoft without culture, and are to be procured in great plenty i fo that here is no want of pine-apples, peaches, grapes, oranges* lemons, citrons, melons, apricots, nor plantains. There are, befides, great abundance of two other produdlions of no fmall confideration for a fca- ftore, I mean onions and potatoes. The flelh pro- vifions are however much inferior to the vegetables: There are indeed fmall wild cattle to be purchafed, fomewhat like buffaloes ; but thefe are very indif- ferent food, their flefh being of a loofe contexture, and generally of a difagreeable flavour, which is probably owing to the wild calabafti on which they feed. There are likewife great plenty of pheafants^ but they are not to be compared in tafte to thoic we have in England. The other provifions of the place are monkeys, parrots, and above all, filh of various forts i thefe abound in the harbour, are ex- ceeding good, and are eafily catched, for there are a great number of fmall fandy bays very convenient for haling the feyne. The water both on the Ifland and the oppofitc continent is excellent, and preferves at fea as well as that of the Thames, For after it has been in the cafk a day or two it begins to purge itfdf, and (links mofl: intolerably, and is foon covered over with a green fkum : But this, in a few days, fub- fides to the bottom, and leaves the water as clear as chryftal, and perfeflly fweet. The French (who, during their South-Sea trade in Queen Anne's r^ign, firft brought this place into repute) ufually wooded and watered in Bon Port, on the continent v.ii . . fide. ROUND THE WORLD. 6t fide, where they anchored with great fafety in fi* fathom water ; and this is doubtlefs the moft com-, modioiis road for fuch fhips as intend to make only a fliort ftay. But we watered on the St. Catha- rine* s fide, at a plantation oppofitc the I (land of St. /Intonio, Thefe are the advantages of this Ifland of St,' Catharine's; but there are many inconveniences at- tending it, partly from its climate, but more from its new regulations, and the late form of govern- ment eftablifhed there. With regard to the cli- mate, it mud be remembered, that the woods and hills which furround the harbour, prevent a free circulation of the air. And the visrorous veoreta- o o tion which conflantly takes place there, furnifhes^ fuch a prodigious quantity of vapour, that all the night, and a great part of the morning, a thick' fog covers the whole country, and continues till' either the fun gathers ftrcngth to difllpate it, or it' is difperfed by a brifk fea-brccze. This renders the- place clofe and humid, and probably occafioned the' many fevers and fluxes we were there affiifted with.'. To thefe exceptions I mufl: not omit to add, thac*^ all the day we were peftcred with great numbers of mufcatos, which arc not much unlike the gnats- in England^ but more venomous in their (tings. And at fun-fet, when the mufcatos retired, they were fucceeded by an infinity of fand-flies, which, though fcarce difcernible to the naked eye, make a mighty buzzing, and wherever they bite, raife a fmall bump in the flelh, vhich is foon attended-' with a painful itching, like that arifing from the^ bite of an Englijh harvcfl: bug. But as the only F 3 light 6i Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE light in which t^'s place dcfcrves our conHdera- tion, is its favourable fituation for fupplying and rcfrefhing our cruizers intended for the Soutb-Seas ; in this view its greateft inconveniences remain ftill to be related : And to do this more diftinftly, it will not be amifs to confider the changes which it has lately undergone, both in its inhabitants, its police, and its Governor. In the time of Frezier and Shcli-f^cke, this place ferveu only as a retreat to vagabonds and outlaws, who fled thith -r from all parts of Brazil. They did indeed acknowledge a fubjeftion to the Crown of Portugal^ and had a perfon among them whom they called their Captain, who was confidered in fome fort as their Governor i but both their allegiance to their King, and their obedience to their Captain, feemed to be little more than verbal. For as they had plenty of provifions, but no money, they were in a condition to fupport themfelves without the afliftance of any neighbouring fettlements, and had not amongft them the means of tempting any ad- jacent Governor to bufy his authority about them. In this fituation they were extremely hofpitable and friendly to fuch foreign fliipsas came amongft them. For thefe fliips wanting only provifions, of which the natives had great ftore; and the natives wanting clothes (for they often defpifed money, and refufcd to take it), which the (hips furnifhed them with in exchange for iheir provifions, both fides found their account in this trafiick j and their Captain or Go- vernor had neither power nor intereft to reftrain it, or to tax it. But of late (for reafons which (hall be nerc after mentioned) thefe honeft vagabonds have r ' ! > ; been ROUND THE WORLD. 63 been obliged to receive amongft them a new colony, and to fubmir to new laws and newforms of govern- ment. Inftead of their former ragged bare-legged Captain (whom however they took care to keep in- nocent), they have now the honour to be governed by Don J^y^ Sylvade Paz^ a Brigadier of the armies of Portugal. This Gentleman has with him a gar- rifon of foldiers, and has confcquently a more ex- tenfive and better fupported power than any of his predeccflbrs -, and as he wears better clothes, and lives more fplendidly, and has befides a much bet • ter knowledge of the importance of money than they could ever pretend to, fo he puts in praftice certain methods of procuring ir, with which they were ut- terly unacquainted. But it may be much doubted, if the inhabitants confider thefe methods as tending to promote either their interefts or that of their So- vereign the King of Portugal, This is certain, that his behaviour cannot but be extremely embarrafling to fuch Britijh Ihips as touch there in their way to the South-Seas. For one of his pradices was, placing centinels at all the avenues, to prevent the people from felling us any rcfrefhments, except at fuch ex- orbitant rates as we could not afford to give. His pretence for this extraordinary ftrctch of power was, that he was obliged to preferve their provifions for upwards of an hundred families, vtrhich they daily expefled to reinforce their colony. Hence he ap- pears to be no novice in his profeflion, by his rea^ dinefs at inventing a plaufiblc pretence for his in- terefted management. However^ this, though fufFi- ciently provoking, was far from being the moft ex- ceptionable part of his condudb. For by the neigh- ''" F 4 bourhood 64 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Pi:,^| bourhood of the river Plate ^ a confidcrab!^ ^mug- jgling traffick is carried on between the Piyriuguefe and the SpaniardSftfytc\d\\y in the exchanging gold tor filver, by which both Princes are defrauded c/ their fifths j and in this prohibited commerce, Don ^ofe was fo deeply engaged, that in order to ingra- tiate himfelf with his Spanifl) correfpondents (for no other reafon caji be given for his procedure), he treacheroufly difpatched an exprefs to Buenos Ayres^ in the river o{ Plate ^ where Pizarro then lay, with kn account of our arrival, and of the ftrength of bur fquadroni particularly mentioning the number of fhips, guns, and men, and every circumftancc which he could fuppofe our enemy defirous of be- ing acquainted with. And the fame perfidy '^very Britip truizer may expedl, who touches at St. Ca- tharine's while it is under the government of Don Jofe Sylva de Paz. Thus much, wi'h what we fliall be neceflltated to relate in the courfe of our own proceedings, may fufBce as to the prefent ftate of 6"/. Catharine's^ and the character of its Governor. But as the reader may be defirous of knowing to what caufes the late hew modelling of this fcttlement is owing j to fa- tisfy him in this particular, it will be neceffary to give a fhort account of the adjacent continent of Brazil, and of the wonderful difcoverics whicl^ have been made there within thefc laft forty years, which, from a country of but mean eftimation, has rendered it now perhaps the mod confidcrable colony on the face of the globe. _„ , , ' ^ i.^^, !,^ .j This country was firft difcovered by Jmericu^ Vefputio a Florentine, who had the good fortune t^ lK>0 .1 ROUND THE WORLD. 65 be honoured with giving his name to the immenfe continent, fome time before found out by Column kus, Vefputio being in the fcrvice of the Portuguefe, it was fettled and planted by that Nation, and with the other dominions of Portugal, devolved to the Crown of Spairiy when that Kingdom became fubjeft to it. During the long war between Spdin nod the States of Holland, the Dutch pofleffcd themfelves of the northernmoft part of Brazil, and >vere mafters of it for fome years. But when the , Portugueje revolted from the Sfan'tfo government, this country took part in the revolt, and foon re- pofleffed themfelves of the places the Butch had taken i fince which time it has continued without interruption under the Crown of Portugal, being, till the beginning of the prefeiit century, 0J1I3B produdive of fugar, and tobacco, and a few other commodities of very little account. But this country, which for many years was only confidered for the produce of its plantations; has been lately difcovered to abound with the twoF minerals, which mankind hold in the greatcft cfteem, and which they exert ^heir utmoft art and induftry in acquiring, I mean gold and. diamarw:!^;* . Gold was firft found in the mountains, which He adjacent to the city of Rio Janeiro, The occafion of its difcovery is varioufly related j but the moft common account is, that the Indians, Ivins: on the back of the Portuguefe fcttlements, were obfcrvcd by the foldiers employed in an expedition againft them, to make ufe of this metal for their fifh-' hooks ; and their manner of procuring it being enquired into, it appeared that great cuantities of - •*"» it \. i ■\ I 66 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE "I »il '1.. it were annually wafhed from the hills, and left amongft the fand and gravel, which remained in the vallies after the running off, or evaporation of the water. It is now little more than forty years Crcc any quantities ofgold worth notice have been imported to Europe from Brazil ^ but fince that time the annual imports from thence have been continually augmented by the difcovery of places in other provinces, where it is to be met with as plentifully as at firft about Rio Janeiro, And it is now faid, that there is a fmall (lender vein of it fpread through all the country, at about twenty- four feet from the furface, but that this vein is too thin and poor to anfwer the expence of digging ; however, where the rivers or rains have had any courfe for a confiderable time, there gold is always to be collected, the water having feparated the me- tal from the earth, and depofited it in the fands, thereby faving the expences of digging: lb that it is efteemed an infallible gain to be able to di- vert a ftream from its channel, and to ranfack its bed. From this account of gathering this metal, it fhould follow, that there are properly no gold mines in Brazil, and this the Governor of Kio Grande (who being at Sf. Caibarine*s, frequently vifited Mr. Anfon) did moft confidently affirm, affuring us, that the gold was all colleded either from rivers, or from the beds of torrents after floods. It is indeed aflferted, that in the moun- tains, large rocks are found abounding with this metal -, and I myfelf have fecn the fragment of one of thefc rocks, with a confiderable lump of gold intangled in it -, but even u\ this cafe the work- ROUND THE WORLD. 67 ■workmen break off the rocks, and do not proper- ly mine into them; and the great expencc in fub- fifting among thefe mountains, and afterwards in feparating the metal from the ftone, makes this method of procuring gold to be but rarely put in praflice. The examining the bottoms of rivers, and the gullies of torrents, andthe wafhingthe gold found therein from the fand and dirt, with which it is always mixed, are works performed by flaves, who are principally Negroes, kept in great num- bers by the Portuguefe for thefe purpofes. The regulation of the duty of thefe flaves is Angular: For they are each of them obliged to furnilh their mafter with the eighth part of an ounce of gold per diem \ and if they are either fo fortunate or in- duftrious as to colleft a greater quantity, the fur- plus is confidered as their own property, and they have the liberty of difpofing of it as they think fit. So that it is faid, fome Negroes who have ac- cidentally fallen upon rich wafliing places have themfelves purchafed flaves, and have lived after- ward? in great fplendor, their original mafter hav- ing no other demand on them than the daily fup- ply of the forementioned eighth j which, as the Portuguefe ounce is fomewhat lighter than our troy ounce, may amount to about nine {hillings fter- »ling. •fci -vHVit The quantity of gold thus colle6led in the Bra- zilSj and returned annually to Lijhortt may be in fome degree eftimated from the amount of the King's fifth. This hath of late been efteemed, one year with another, to be one hundred and fifty ar- r roves «• Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGtt roves of 32 lb, Portugutfe weight each, which at 4/. the troy ounce, makes very near 300,000/. )1erlingj and confcquently, the capital, of which this is the fifth, is about a million and a half fter- ling. It is obvious that the annual return of gold to LiJIjon cannot be Icfs than this, though it be dif- ficult to determine how much it exceeds itj per- haps we iray not be very much miftaken in our conjeflure, if we fuppofe the gold ey hanged for filver with the Spaniards at Buaics /yres, and what is brought privily to Europe^ and efcapes the duty, amounts to near half a million more, which will make the whole annual produce of the Brazilian gold near two millions fterling; a prodigious fum to be found in a country, which a few years fincc was not known to furniih a fingle grain. I have already mentioned, that befides gold, this country docs likewife produce diamonds. The difcovery of thefe valuable ftones is nmich more recent than that of gold, it being as yet fcarcc twenty years fince the firft were brought to Europe, They are found in the fame manner as the gold in the gullies of torrents and beds of rivers, but only in particular places, and not fo univerfally Ipread through the country. They were often found in wafhing the gold before they were known to be diamonds, and were confequently thrown away with the fand and gravel feparated from it. And it is very well remembered, that numbers of very large ftones, which would have made the fortunes of the pofleflbrs, have pafled unregarded through the hands of thofe, who now with im- patience fupport the njortifying reflection. How- "im: ROUND THE WORLD. [69 ever, about twenty years fincc, a perfon acquaint- ed with the appearance of rough diamonds, con- ceived that thcfe pebbles, as they were then ef- teemed, were of the fame kind : but it is faid, that there was a confiderable interval between the firft ftarting of this opinion, and the confirmation of it by proper trials and examination, it proving dif- ficult to perfuade the inhabitants, that what they had been long accuftomed todefpife, could be of the importance reprefented by this difcovery j and I have been informed, that in this interval, a Go- vernor of one of their places procured a good num- ber of thefe ftones, which he pretended to make ufe of at cards to mark with, inftead of counters. But it was at laft confirmed by fkilful Jewellers in Europe, confulted on this occafion, that th^ ftones thus found in Brazil were truly diamonds, many of which were not inferior, either in luftre, or any other quality, to thofc of the Eaji-hdies. On this determination, the Portugusfcy in the neigh- bourhood of thofe places where they had firft been obferved, (tt. thenifelves to fearch for them with great afliduity. And they were not without great hopes of difcovering confiderable maftes of them, as they found large rocks of chryftal in many of the mountains, from whence the ftreams came which wafhed down the diamonds. But it was foon reprefented to the King of PoV" tugaly that if fuch plenty of diamonds fhould be met with, as their fanguine conjeflures feemed to indicate, this would fo debafe their value, and di- minifti their eftimation, that beMes ruining all the Europeans, who had any quantity of Indian - _- . diamonds ■^: 70 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE y diamonds in their pofTcflion, it would render the difcovcry itfelfofno importance, and would pre- vent his Majclly from receiving any advantages from it. And on thefe confiderations his Majefty has thought proper to rcftrain the general Tcarch of diamonds, and has cre(5tcd a Diamond Com- pany, for that purpofe, with an exclufivc charter. This Company, in confideration of a fum paid to the King, is veiled with the property of all dia- monds found in Brazil: But to hinder their col- ledling too large quantities, and thereby reducing their value, they are prohibited from employing above eight hundred flaves in fearching after them. And to prevent any of his other fubjefts from acling the fame part, and likewife to fecure the Company from being defrauded by the interfering of interlopers in their trade and property, he has depopulated a large town, and a confiderable dif- trid: round it, and has obliged the inhabitants, who are faid to amount to fix thoufand, to remove to another part of the country j for this f'-vn be- ing in the neighbourhood of the diamonds, it was thought impoffible to prevent fuch a number of people, who were on the fpot, from frequently fmuggling. In confequence of thcfe important difcovcrics in Brazil, new laws, new governments, and new regulations have been eftablilhed in many parts of the country. For not long fince a confiderable tradt, poflelfed by a fet of inhabitants, who from their principal fettlement were called PauUJis, was almofl: independent of the Crown of Portugal, to which it fcarccly acknowledged more than a nominal allegiance. Thefe Paulijis are faid to be defcend" ROUND THE WORLD. 7« dcfccndants of iholc Portuguefe, who retired from the northern part of Brazil, when it was invaded and polTciled by the Dutch. As from the confu- fion of the times they were long neglcd d by their fiipcriors, and were obliged to provide for their own fccurity and defence, tiic neceflfity of their affairs produced a kind of government amongft them, which they found fufficient for the confined manner of life to which they were inured. And being thus habituated to their own regulations, they at length grew fond of their independency: So that rejeding and defpifing the mandates of the Court of Lijhon, they were often engaged in a ftatc of downright rebellion : And the moun- tains furrounding their country, and the difficulty of clearing the few paflages that open into it, ge- nerally put it in their power to make their own terms before they fubmitted. But as gold was found to abound in this country of the Paulifls, the prefent King of Portugal (during whofe reign almoll the whole difcoveries I have mentioned were begun and completed) thought it incum- bent on him to reduce this province, which now became of great confequence, to the fame depend- ency and obedience with the reft of the country, which, I am told, he has at laft, though with great difficulty, happily effedted. And the fame motives which induced his Majefty to undertake the redu6lion of the Paulifts, has alfo occafioned the changes I have mentioned to have taken place at the Ifland of St. Catharine*^, For the Governor of Rio Grande, of whom I have already fpoken, aiTured us, that in the neighbourhood of this Idand there f «. ' I m\ ft Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE there were confiderablc rivers which were found to be exrremely rich, and that this was the reafort that a garrifon, a military Governor, and a new colony were fettled there. And as the harbour at this Ifland is by much the fecureft and the moft ca- pacious of any on the coaft, it is not improbable, if the riches of the neighbourhood anfwer their cxpedlarion, but it may become, in time, the principal fettlement in Brazil, and the moft con- fiderablc port in all South /America, .. ..; Thus much I have thought neceflary to infert, in relation to the prefent ftate of Brazily and of the Ifland of St. Catherine's. For as this laft place has been generally recommended as the moft eli- gible port for our cruifers to refrefli at, which are bound to the South Seas, I believed it to be my duty to inftrudt my countrymen in the hitherto unfufpecfled inconveniencies which attend that place. And as the Brazilian gold and diamonds' are fubjefts, about which, from their novelty, very* few particulars have been hitherto publifhed, I conceived this account I had colleded of them, would appear to the reader to be neither a trifling' nor an ufelefs digreflion. Thefe fubjeds being thus difpatched, I fliall now return to the feries' of our own proceedings. When we firft arrived at St. Catharine's we were employed in refrefliing our lick on ftiore, in wooding and watering the fquadron, cleanfing our ftiipSj and examining and fecuring our mafts and rigging, as I have already obferved in the foregoing chapter. At the fame time Mr. Anfon gave direflions, that the (hips companies ihould ^ . . be RDUND THE WORLD: |i ioc fupplied with frefh meat, and thit they fliould be vidualled with whole allowance of all the kinds of provifion. In confequence of thefe orders, wc had frefh beef fent on board us continually for our daily expence, and what was wanting to nnake up oUr allowance, we received froni our viftualler the Anna Pink, in order to preferve the provifions on board our fquadron entire for bur future fer- vice. The feafon of thfc year growing each day lefs favourable for our paffage round Cape Horn, Mr. Jnfon was very defirous of leaving this place as foon as pofliblci and we were at firft in hopes that our whole bufinefs would be done> and we fhould be in a readinefs to fail in about a fortnight from our arrival: But, on examining the Tryal's mafts, we, to our no fmall vexationi found inevitable employment for twice that time; For, on a furvey, it was founds that the main- maft was fprung at the upper woulding, though it was thought capable of being fecured by a couple of filhes j but the foremaft was reported to be unfit for fervices and thereupon the Carpen- ters were fent into the woods> to endeavour td find a ftick proper for a fcre-m^(t. But after a fearch of four days, they returned without hav- ing been able to meet with any tree fit for the purpofe* This obliged them to conrie to a fecond confultation about the old fbre-tniaft, when it was agreed to endeavour to fecure it, by cafing it with three fifhes : And in this work the Carpenters were employed, till within a day or two of our failing. In the mean time, the Commodore, think- ing k necefTary to have a clean veflfel on our ar- .^^ G ^ rival MCi ■■>,y ■■: 74 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE rival in the South Seas, ordered the Tryal to be hove down, as this would not occafion any lofs of time, but might be conmpleted while the Carpen- ters were refitting her mads, which was done on fhore. On the 27th oi December we di^ overed a fail in the Offing, and not knowing but ihe might be a Spaniard, the eighteen oared-boat was manned and armed, and fent under the command of our fe- cond Lieutenant, to examine her, before Ihe ar- rived within the protection of the forts. She proved to be a Portuguefe Brigantine from Rio Grande, And though our Officer, as it appeared on inquiry, had behaved with the utmoft civility to the Mailer, and had refufed to accept a calf, which the Mailer would have forced on him as a prefent j yet the Governor took great offence at our fending our boat j and talked of it in a high ftrain, as a violation of the peace fubfilling between the Crowns of Great Britain and Portugal, We at firll imputed this ridiculous blullering to no deeper a caufe, than Don Jofe^s infolence ; but as we found he proceeded fo far as to charge our Officer with behaving rudely, and opening letters, and particu- larly with an attempt to take out of the veffel, by violence, the very calf which we knew he had re- fufed to receive as a prefent (a circumftance which we were fatisfied the Governor was well acquainted with), we had thence reafon to fufpeft, that he pur- pofely fought'this quarrel, and had more important motives for engaging in it, than the mere captious bias of his temper. What thefe motives were, it was not fo eafy for us to determine at that time j L.wii \.- but ROUND THE WORLD. 75 but as we after^vards found by letters, which fell .into our hands in the South SeaSy that he had dif- patched an exprefs to Buenos Jyres, where Pizarro then lay, with an account of our fquadron's arrival at St. Catbarine'sy together with the mod ample and circumftantial intelligence of our force and con- dition, we thence conjedlured that Don Jcfe had raifed thisgroundlefs clamour, only to prevent our vifiting the Brigantine when llie Ihould put to fea again, left we might there find proofs of his perfi- dious behaviour, and perhaps, at the fame tirne, difcover the fecrct of his fmuggling cbrrefpond- ence with his neighbouring Governors, and the Spaniards at Buenos Ayres. But to proceed. ■ ^"* ••' It was near a month before the "Iryal was refit- ted } for not only her lower mafts were defe<5tive, as hath been already mentioned, but her main top- maft and fore-yard were likewife decayed and rot- ten. While this work was carrying on, the other fliips of the fquadron fixed new ftanding rigging, and fet up a fufficient number of preventer fhrouds to each maft, to fecure them in the moft effecbual manner. And in order to render the fhips ftitFcr^ and to enable them to carry more fail abroad, and to prevent their {training their upper works in hard gales of wind, each Captain had orders given him to ftrike down fome of their great guns into the hold. Thefe precautions being complied with, and each (hip having taken in as mu>.h wood and ■water as there was room for, the Tryc^l was at la ft completed, and the whole fquadron was ready for the fea : On which the tents on Ihore were llruck, and all the fick were received on board. And here G 2 we X. ml t% W mt 76 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE wc had a melancholy proof how much the healthi- nefs of this place had been over- rated by former writers j for we found that though the Centurion alone had buried no lefs than twenty-eight men fince our arrival, yet the number of her fick was in the fame interval increafed from eighty to ninety-fix. When our crews were embarked, and every thing was prepared for our departure, the Commodore made a fignal for all Captains, and delivered them theit orders> containing the fuc- ceflive places of rendezvous from hence to the coaft of China. And then, on the next day, be- ing the 1 8th of January, the fignal was made for •weighing, and the fqi adron put to fea, leaving, without regret, this ifiand of St, Catharine* s-, where we had been fo extremely difappointed in our re- frelhmcnts, in our accommodations, and in the humane and friendly offices which we had been taught to expeft in a place, which hath been fo much celebrated for its hofpitality, freedom, and conveniency.- . ,u ) '>j 'i-\: i;i;.* 4-' I. u> .Jll'j » ■•'Hni .j_i ' iq Li ••nt'tii"':? ^"1-riT' \tIo.'i ' Art sr,-^i\, >' ->'<^H>.'J f * « ■ ' » / ' t -^ ■t* **■ * • 6^it»ii til/, .likfii iia * "n . -jt^w :b^ ^:!, Its bn^ rtA)\ '.\^-> ■ I %1 *>r^; c^o s. ROUND THE WORLD. 77 '/. J CHAP. VI. The run from St, Catharines to port St, Ju^ iiaftj with fomc account of that port, and of the country to the fouthward of the river of Plate, IN leaving St. Catbarine*Sy we left the laft ami-: cable port we propofed to touch at, and were now proceeding to an hoftilp^ or at beft, a defert and inhofpitable coaft. And as we were to expeft a more boifterous climate to the fouthward than any we had yet experienced, not only our danger of reparation would by this means be much greater than it had been hitherto, but other accidents of a more mifchievous nature were likewife to be ap- prehended, and as much as poflible to be provided againft. Mr. An/on, therefore, in appointing the various ftations at which the fhipsof the fquadron were to rendezvous, had confidered, that it was poflible his own fhip might be difabled from get-» ting round Cape Horn, or might be loft, and had given proper diredion, that even in that cafe the expedition Ihould not be abandoned. For the or- ders delivered to the Captains the day before we failed from St. Catharine' s, were, that in cafe of fe- paration, which they were with the utmoft care to endeavour to avoid, the firft place of rendezvous ihould be the bay of port St. Julian j dcfcribing the place from Sir John Narborougb'% account of i ^3 . it\ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE it : There they were to fupply themfelvcs with as much fait as they could take in, both for their own life, and for the ufe of the fquadron j and if, after a flay of ten days, they were not joined by the Commodore, they were then to proceed through Streights k Maire round Ccpe Horny into the Souths Seas, where the next place of rendezvous was to be the I Hand of Nojira Senora del Socoro, in the latitude of 45= South, and longitude from theL/- ^^ardji" : 12' Weft. They were to bring this Illand to bear E, N, E, ai)d to cruize from five to twelve leagues diftance from it, as long as their ftore of wood and water would permit, both which they were to expend with the utmoft frugality. And when they were under an abfolute neceflity of a frefh fupply, they were to ftand in, and endeavour to find out an anchoring place ; and in cafe they could not, and the weather made it dangerous to fupply their fhips by ftanding off and on, they were then to make the beft of their way to the Ifland of Juan Fernandes, in the lati- tude of 2Z° '• 3l' South. At this Ifland, as foon as they had recruited their wood and water, they yrcre to continue cruizing off the anchoring place for fifty-fix days j in which time, if they were not joined by the Commodore, they might conclude that feme accident had befallen him, and they were forthwith to put themfelves under the com- mand of the fenior officer, who was to ufe his ut- moft endeavours to annoy the enemy both by fea and land. With thefe views their new Commodore >yas to continue in thofe Teas as long as his provi- • ". ■ " .■ :;; lions <'^r • ROUND THE WORLD. 79 fions lafted, or as long as they were recruited by what he fliould take from the enemy, referving only a fufficicnt quakidty to carry him and the (hips under his command to Maeea, at the entrance of the river of Canton on the Coaft of China, where having fupplied himfclf with a new ftock of provi- fions, he was thence, without delay, to make the bcft of his way to England, And as it was found impofllble as yet to unload our Vidlualler the Anna Pink, the Commodore gave the Mailer of her the fame rendezvous, and the fame orders to put him- fclf under the command of the remaining fenior Officer. Under thefe orders the fquadron failed from St. Catharine's on Sunday the i8th of January, as hath been already mentioned in the preceding chapter. The next day we had very fqually wea- ther, attended with rain, lightning, and thunder, but it foon became fair again with light breezes,- and continued thus till Wednefday evening, when it blew frefh again ; and increafing all night, by eight the next morning it became a mod violent ftorm, and we had with it fo thick a fog, that it was impofllble to fee at the diftance of two Ihips length, fo that the whole fquadron difappeared* On this a fignal was made, by firing guns, to bring to with the larboard tacks, the wind being then V due Eaft. We ourfelves immediately handed the top-fails, bunted the main-fail, and lay to under a reefed mizen till noon, when the fog difperfed, and we foon difcovered all the (hips of the fqua- dron, except the Pearl, who did not join us till near a month afterwards. Indeed the Tryal Sloop ' G 4 was :^:! 8o Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE was a great way to the leeward, having loft hcif main-maft in the Iquall, and having been obliged^ for fear of bilging, to cut away the raft. We there- fore bpre down with the fquadron to her relief, and the Glouce/ier was ordered to take her in tow; for the weather did not entirely abate till the day after, and even then, a great fwell continued from the eaftward, in confequencc of the preceding ftorin. ; . > v>^<- . .»v ..i After this accident we ftood to the fouthward with little interruption, and here we experienced the fame fetting of the current, which we had ob- ferved before our arrival at St. Catharine's j that is, we generally found ourfelves to the fouthward of our reckoning, by about twenty miles each day. This deviation, with a little inequality, lafted till we had pafled the latitude of the river of Plate; and even then, we difcovered that the fame cur- rent, however difficult to be accounted for, did yet undoubtedly take places for we were not fatif- fied in deducing it from the error in our reckon- ing, but we aftually tried it more than once, when a calm made it practicable. - — ^ '' ' '^ • •• • • As foon as we had palfed the latitude of the river of P/a/f, we had foundings which continued all along the coaft of Patagonia. Thefe found- ings, when well afcertjined, being of great ufe in determining the pofition of the fhip, and we hav- ing tried them more frequently, and in greater depths, and with more attention, than I believe hath been done before us j I fhall recite our obfer- vations as fuccinftly as I can, referring to the phart hereafter infer ted in the ninth chapter of this book. ROUND THE WORLD. I»t t)ook, for a general view of the whole. In the latitude of 2^° • 52', we had fixty fathom of water, with a bottom of fine black and grey fandj from thence to 39" : 55', we varied our depths from fifty to eighty fathom, though we had conftantly the fame bottom as before j between the laft: mentioned latitude, and 43° : i6', we had only fine grey fand, with the fame variation of depths, except that we once or twice leflened our water to forty fathom. After this we continued in forty fai om for about half a degree, having a bottom of coarfe fand and broken (hells, at which time we were in fight of land, and not above kvi^n leagues from it : As we edged from the land, we met with variety of found- ings: firft black fand, then muddy, and foon after rough ground with ftonesj but when we had in- creafed our water to forty-eight fathom, we had a muddy bottom to the latitude of 46" : 10'. Hence drawing towards the Ihore, we had firft thirty-fix fathom, and ftill kept fhoaling our water, till at length we came into twelve fathom, having con- ftantly fmall ftones and pebbles at the bottom. Part of this time we had a view of Cape Blanco^ which lies in about the latitude of 47° : 10', and longi- tude Weft from London 69°. This is the moft re- markable land upon the coaft : Two very exaft views of it are exhibited in the third plate, where (h) reprefcnts the Cape itfelf j thefe draughts will fully enable future Voyagers to diftin_,uilh it. Steering from hence S. by E. nearly, we, in a run of about thirty leagues, deepened our water to pfty fathom, without once altering the bottom; 6 and i m 82 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE t\' l^-rl^f' 1}'S' 1. Jj.i and then drawing towards the fhore with a S. W. courfc, varying rather to the weft ward, we had con- ilantly a Tandy bottom, till our coming into thirty fathom, where we had again a Hght of land diftant from us about eight leagues, lying in the latitude of 48** : 31'. We made this land on the 17th of February, and at five that afternoon we came to an anchor, having the fame foundings as before, in the latitude of 48° : 58', the fouthernmoft land then in view bearing S. S. W, the northernmoft N. I E, a fmall Iftand N. W, and the weftcrnmoft hummock W. S. W. In this ftation we found the tide to fet S. by W. i and ./eighing again at five the next morning, we an hour afterwards dif- covered a fail, upon which the Severn and Gloucefter were both directed to give chaccj but we foon perceived it to be the Pearl, which feparated from ns a few days afttr we left St, Catharine^ j and on this we made a fignal for the Severn to rejoin the fquadron, leaving the Gloucefter alone in the pur- fuit. And now we were furprifed to fee, that on the GlouceJler*s approach, the people on board the Pearl increafed their fail, and flood from her. However, the Gloucefter came up with them, but found them with their hammocks in their nettings, and every thing ready for an engagement. At two in the afternoon the P^tfr/ joined us, and run- ning up under our ftern. Lieutenant Sail haled the Commodore, and acquainted him, that Cap- tain Kidd died on the 31ft oi January, He like- wife infornied us, that he had feen five large (hips the loth inftant, which he for fome time imagined ROUND THE WORLD. «3 imagined to be our fquadron : So that he fuffcrcd the commanding (hip, which wore a red broad pendant, exaflly rcfembling that of the Commo- dore, at the main top-maft head, to come within gun-(hot of him before he difcovered his miftakej but then, finding it not to be the Centurion, he hal- ed clofe upon the wind, and crowded from them with all his fail, and (landing crofs a ripling, where they hcfitated to follow him, he happily efcaped. He made them to be five Spanijh men of war, one of them exceedingly like the Gloucefter^ which was the occafion of his apprehenfions,-when the G'oucejler chafed him. By their appearance he thought they confided of two (hips of feventy guns, two of fifty, and one of forty guns. It fcems the whole fquadron continued in chace of him ail that day j but at night finding they could not get near him, they gave over the chace, and directed their courfe to the fouthward. Had it not been for the neceflity we were un- der of refitting theTry*/, this piece of intelligence would have prevented our making any ftay at St. jMlian^ii but as it was impolTible for that floop to proceed round the Cape in her prefent con- dition, fome ftay there was inevitable, and there- fore the fame evening we came to an anchor again in twenty-five fathom water ; the bottom a mix- ture of mud and fand, and the high hummock bearing S. W. by W. And weighing at nine in the morning, we fent the two Cutters belonging to the Centurion and Severn in fliore, to difcover ;hc harbour of St, Julian^ while the Ihips kept : •'*^v'•^ I itanding W i M m. »4 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE : *-^ flanding along the coafl, about the didance of a league from the land. At fix o'clock we anchor- ed in the bay of St. Juliatit in nineteen fathom, the bottom muddy ground with fand, the northern- moft land in fight bearing N. and by E, the fouthernmoft S. f E, and the high hummock, to which Sir John Narborougb formerly gave the name of Wood's Mount, W, S. W. Soon after, the Cutter returned on board, having difcovered the harbour, which did not appear to us in our fitua- tion, the northernmoft point ihutting in upon the fouthernmoft, and in appearance clofing the en- trance. To facilitate the knowledge of this coaft to future Navigators, there are two views in the 4th and 5 th plates ; the firft of the land of P at ago- ma, to the northward of port St. Julian, where {w) is Wood's Mount, and the bay of St. Julian lies round the poir" (c). The fecond view is of the bay itfclf i and here again {w) is Wood's Mount, (a) is Cape St. Julian, and (^) the port or river's mouth. Being come to an anchor in this bay of St, Ju- lian, principally with a view of refitting the tryal, the Carpenters were immediately employed in that bufinefs, and continued fo during our whole ftay at the place. The TryaVs main maft having been carried away about twelve feet below the cap, they contrived to make the remaining part of the maft ferve again ; and the Wager was or- dered to fupply her with a fpare main top-maft, which the Carpenters converted into a new forc- maft. And I cannot help obferving, that this accident -^:..-.. ROUND THE WORLD. «5 accident to the TryaP^ mad, which gave us fo much uneafinefs at that time, on accoOnt bf the delay it occafioned, was, in all probability, the means of prefcrving the Sloop, and all her crew. For before this, her mafts, how well focver pro- portioned to a better climate, were much too lofty for thefe high fouthcrn latitudes: So that, had they weathered the preceding ftorm, it would have been impofTible for them to have flood againft thofe feas and tempefts we afterwards encounter- ed in palTing round Cape Horn\ and the lofs of mafts in that boifterous climate, would fcarcely have been attended with lefs than the lofs of the veflel, and of every man on board herj fince it would have been imprafticable for the other (hips to have given them any relief, during the coni tinuance of thofe impetuous ftorms. ' v>ti cufju*'; While we ftayed at this place, the Cohnmodore appointed the Honourable Captain Murray to fuc- ceed to the Pearlj and Captain Cheap to the Wa" gen and he promoted Mr. Charles Saunders, his firft Lieutenant, to the command of the Tryal Sloop. But Captain Saunders lying dangeroully ill of a fe- ver on board the Centurion, and it being the opi- nion of the Surgeons, that the removing him on board his own fhip, in his prefent condition, might tend to the hazard of his life; Mr. y^nfott gave an order to Mr. Saumarez, firft Lieutenant of the Centurion, to a(5t as Mafter and Commander of the Tryal, during the illnefs of Captain SaunderSi) . Here the Commodore too, in order to eafe tht expedition of all unneceFary expence, held a far- ther confultation with his Captains about unloads 86 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE I [.ill.' 1$].,. • 'tM ing and difcharging the yffina Pink; but they re- prefented to him, that they were fo far from beino- in a condition of taking any part of her loading on board, that they had ftill great quantities of provi- fions in the way of their guns between decks, and that their Ihips were withal fo very deep, that they lyere not fit for acftion without being cleared. This put the Commodore under a neceffity of retaining the Pink in the fervice j and as it was apprehend- ed we fhould certainly meet with the Spanijh fqua- dron, in pafling the Cape, Mr, Anfon thought it advifeable to give orders to the Captains, to put all their provifions, which were in the way of their guns, on board the Anna Pinkj and to remount fuch of their guns as had formerly, for the eafe of their fhips, been ordered into the hold. This bay of St. Julian, where we are now at anchor, being a convenient rendezvous, in cafe of reparation, for all cruizers bound to the fouth- ward, and the whole coaft of Patagonia^ from the river of Plate to the Streights of Magellan^ lying nearly parallel to their ufual route, a fhort account of the fingularity of this country, with a particular defcription of port 5/. Julian, may, perhaps, be neither unacceptable to the curious, nor unworthy the attention of future Navigators, as fome of them, by unforefeen accidents, may be obliged to run in with the land, and to make fome (lay on this coaft i in which cafe, the knowledge of the country, its produce and inhabitants, cannot but be of the utmoft confequence to them. ,^^i.r To begin then with the tra^l of country ufually ftyled Patagonia, This is tht; name often given to the us. \;i' ROUND THE WORLD. 87 the fouthernmoft part of South AmerUch which i$ unpoflefTed by the Spaniards, extending from their fettlements to the Streights of Magellan. This country, on the eaft fide, is extremely remarkable, for a peculiarity not to be paralleled in any other known part of the globe ; for though the whole territory to the northward of the river of Plate is full of wood, and ftored with immenfe quantities of large timber trees, yet to the fouthward of the river no trees of any kind are to be met with, ex- cept a few peach trees, firft planted and cultivated by the Spaniards in the neighbourhood of Buenos Jyres : So that on the whole eaftern coaft of Pata* gonia, extending near '"mr hundred leagues in length, and reaching so. far back as any difco- veries have yet been made, no other wood has been found than a few infignificant fhrubs. Sir Jchn Narborough in particular, who was fent out by King Charles the Second, exprefsly to examine this country, and the Streights of Magellan, and who, in purfuance of his orders, wintered upon this coaft in port St. Julian, and port Defire, in the year 1670; S'lv John Narborough, I fay, tells us, that he never faw a ftick of wood in the coun- try, large enough to make the handle of an hatchet, "• But though the country be fo deftitute of wood, it abounds with pafture. For the land appears in general to be made up of downs, of a light dry gravelly foil, and produces great quantities of long coarfe grafs, which grows in tufts interfperled with large barren fpots of gravel between them. This grafs, in many places, feeds immenfe herds of cattle: For the Spaniards at Buenos Ajres having, foon :./.*>* I Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ^vj f foon after their firft fettling there, brought ovei^ a few black cattle from EurdpCt they have thriven prodigioufly, by the plenty of herbage which they every where met with, and are now increafed to that degree, and are extended fo far into dif- ferent parts of Patagonia, that they arc not con- fidered as private property; but many thoufands at a time, are (laughtered every year by the Hun- ters, only for their hides and tallow. The man- ner of killing thefe cattle, being a pradlice pecu- liar to that part of the world, merits a more cir- cumftantial defcription. The Hunters employed on this occafion, being all of them mounted on horfeback (and both the Spaniards and Indians in that part of the world are ufually mod excellent horfemen), they arm themfelves with a kind of a Ipear, which, at its end, inftead of a blade fixed in the fame line with the wood in the ufual man- ner, has its blade fixed a-crofs j with this inftru- ment they ride at a beaft, and furround him ; when the Hunter that comes behind him hamftrings him : And as after this operation the beaft foon tumbles, without being able to raife himfelf again, they leave him on the ground, and purfue others, whom they ferve in the fame manner. Some- times there is a fccond party, who attend the Hunters, to fkin the cattle as they fall: But it is faid, at other times the Hunters chufe to let them languifh in torment till the next day, from an opinion that the anguilh, which the animal in the mean time endures, may burft the lym- phatics, and thereby facilitate the feparation of the Ikin from the carcafe : And though their Priefts nwct • have '»]▼* T ROUND THE WORLD. 89 have loudly condemned this moH: barbarous prac- tice, and have gone Co far, if my memory does not fail me, as to excommunicate iliofc who fol- low it, yet all their efforts to put -xii entire flop to it have hitherto proved inefFe;!l:iial. Befides the numbers of cattle which are every year flaughtered for their hides and tallow, in the manner already defcribed, it is often neceffary for the ufes of agriculture, and for other purpofes, to take them alive, without wouadinfi: them : This is performed with a mod wonderful and almoft incredible dexterity, and piin; jpidly by the ufe of a machine, which the rn^lijh^ who have refided at Buenos Ayres^ generally Jciiominate a lafh. It is made of a thong of fever il I'achoins in length, and very ftrong, with a ru: ling noofe at one end of it: This the Hunters (who in this cafe are alfo mounted on horfc back) take in their rig!ic hands, it being firfl properly coiled up, and having its end oppofite to t'^L- noofe fastened to the faddle ; and thus prepai-^1 they ride at a herd of cattle. When they arrive within a certain diftance of a bead', they throw their thong at him with fuch ex- adlnefs, that they never fail of fixing the noofe about his horns, liie bead:, when he finds him- felf entangled, generally runs, but the horfe, be* ing fwifter, attends him, and pr( vents the thong from being too much ilrained, till a fecond Hun- ter, who follows the game, throws another noofe about one of its hind legsj and this being done, both horfes (for they are trained to this practice) indantly turn dilferejit ways, in order to Itrain the two thongs in contrary directions, on vyhich the .- •■ n beaiK U^ 90 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE i'«i beaflr, by their oppofitc pulls, is prefcntly over» thrown, and then the horfes Itop, keeping the thongs ftill upon the ftretch : being thus on the ground, and incapable of refiftance (for he is extended between the two horfts), the Hunters alight, and fecure hinn in fuch a manner, that they afterwards eafily convey him to whatever place they pleafe. They in like manner noofe horfes, and, as it is faid, even tigers ; and however ftrange this lafl: circumftance may appear, there are not wanting perfons of credit who aflert it. Indeed, it muft be owned, that the addrefs both of the Spaniards and Indians in that part of the world in the ufe of this lafh or noofe, and the certainty, with which they throw it, and fix it on any intend- ed part of the beaft at a confiderable diftance, are matters only to be believed, from the repeated and concurrent teftimony of all who have fre- quented that country, and might reafonably be qucftioned, did it rely on a frngle report, or had it been ever contradi(5ted or denied by any bne who had refided at Buenos Jyres, The cattle which are killed in the manner I have already obferved, are flaughtered only for their hides and tallow, to which fometimes are added their tongues •, but the reft of their flefh is left to putrify, or to be devoured by the birds and wild beafts, The greateft part of this carrion falls to the fhare of the wild dogs, of which there i e im-? menfe numbers to be found in that country. Thefe are fuppofed to have been originally pro- duced by Spanijh dogs from Buenos Jyres, who, fillured by the great quantity of carrion, and the . . . facility ROUND THE WORLD. 9« facility they had by that means of fubfifting, left their mafters, and ran wild amongft the cattle i fof they are plainly of the breed of European dogs, an animal not originally found in America, But though thefe dogs are faid t'^ be fome thoufands in a company, they hitherto neither diminilh nor prevent the increafe of the cattle, not daring to attack the herds, by reafon of the numbers, which conftantly feed together; but contenting them- felves with the carrion left them by the Hunters, and perhaps now and then with a few ftragglers, who, by accidents, are feparated from the main body they belong to. Befides the wild cattle which have fpread them- felves in fuch vaft herds from Buenos Jyres towards the Ibuthward, the fame country is in like man- ner furniflied with horfes. Thefe too were firft brought from Spain, and are alfo prodigioufly in- creafed, and run wild to a much greater diftance than the black cattle : and though many of them are excellent, yet their number makes them of very little value; the bed of them being often fold, in the neighbouring fettlements, where mo- ney is plenty and commodities very dear, for not more than a dollar a-picce. It is not as yet certain how far to the fouthvvard thefe herds of wild cattle and horfes have extended themfelvesj but there is fome reafon to conjechire, that ftragglers of both kinds are to be met with very near the ftrcights of Alavellan-y and they will in time doubtlefs fill all the fouthern part of this continent with their breed, which cannot fail of proving of confider- able advantage to fuch fnips as may touch upon '^■■■' . l^ ^ the i I 92 Ld. ANSON's voyage the coaft ; for the horfes themfelvcs are faid to be very good eating, and as fuch, are preferred by fome of the Indiiins even before the black cattle. But whatever plenty of flefh provifions may be hereafter found here, there is one material refrefli- incnt which this eaftern fide of Patagonia feems to be very defedtive in, and that is frefh water j for the land being generally of a nilrous and faline nature, the ponJs and flreams are frequently brack iili. However, as good water has been found there, though in fmall quantities, it is not improbable, but on a further fearch, this incon- venience mav be removed. . - . • •• To the account already given, I rrufl: add, that there are in all parts of this country a good nunfi- berof Vicmtnas or Peruvian flieepj but thefe, by reafon of their fhynefs and fwiftnefs, are killed with difficulty. On the eaftern coad too, there are found immenfe quantities of feals, and a vaft variety of fea-fov/1, amongfl; which the moft re- markable are the Penguins; they are in fize and fliape like a goofe, but inftead of y/ings, they have Ihort ftumps like fins, which are of no ufe to them, except in the water; their bills are narrow, like that of an Albitrofst and they ftand and walk }n an ereft pofture. From this and their white, bellies. Sir John Narborcugh has whimfically likened them to little children (landing up in white aprons. The inhabitants of this eaftern coaft (to whicl^ I have all along hitherto confined my relation) appear to be but few, and have rarely been i^zxi more than two or three at a time, by any fhips . that ROUiSTD THE WORLD. 93 tliat have touched here. We, during our Hay at the port of St. Julian, law none. However, to- wards Buenos Ayres they are fufRciently nunnerous, and oftentimes very troublefome to the Spaniards^ but there the greater breadth and variety of the countr/, and a milder climate, yield them a better proteflion} for in that place the Continent is be- tween three and four hundred leagues in breadth, whereas, at port St. Julian it is little more than a hundred : So that I conceive the fame Indians who frequent the weftern coaft of Patagonia and the Streights of Magellan, often ramble to this fide. As the hdians near Buenos Ayres exceed thefe fouthern Indians in number^ fo they greatly fur- pafs them in aiftivity and fpirit, and feem in their inanners to be nearly allied to thofe gallant Chilian Indians, who have long fet the whole Spamjh power at defiance, hu/e often ravaged their coun- try, and remain to this hour independent. For the Indians about Buenos Ayres have learnt to be excellent horfemen, and are extremely expert in the management of all cutting weapons, though ignorant of the ufe of nic-arms, which the Spa- niards are very folicitous to keep out of their hands. And of the vigour and refolution of thefe Indians, the behaviour of Orellana and his follow- ers, whom we have formerly mentioned, is a me- morable inftance. Indeed^ were we difpofed to aim at the utter fubverfion of the Sfanijh power in America, no means feem more probable to efFecfl: it, than due encouragement and afliftance given tQ thefe Indians and thofe of Chilis t 5 -' •'=iV .. IJt- 111 n H3 Thu^ 94 to. ANSON'S VOYAGE Thus much may fufficc in relation to the caft- cm coaft of Patagonia, The weftern coaft is of lefs extentj and by reafon of the Andes which (kirt it, and ftretch quite down to the water, is a very rocky and dangerous Ihore, However, I (hall be hereafter neceflitated to make further mention of it, and therefore (hall not enlarge thereon at this time, but fliall conclude this account with a fiiort defcription of the harbour of St, 'Julian, the general form of which may be conceived from the iketch in the 6th plate. But it mud be remem- bered, that the bar, which is there marked at the entrance, is often Ihifting, and has many holes in it. The tide flows here N. and S, and, at full and change, rifes four fathom. We, on our firfl: arrival here, fent an officer on fliore to the fait pond, marked (D) in the plan, in order to procure a quantity of fait for the ufe of the fquadron. Sir John Narborough having ob- ferved when he was here, that the fair produced in that place was very white and good, and that in February there was enough of it to fill a thoufand fhipsj but our Officer returned with a fample which was very bad, and he told us, that even of this there was but little to be got i I fuppofc the weather had been more rainy than ordinary, and had deftroyed it. To give the reader a bet- ter idea of this port, and of the adjacent country, to which the whole coaft I have defcribed bears a great refemblance, I have inferted two very ac- curate views (which may be feen in the 7th and 8th Plates), one of them reprefenting the appear- ance of the country, when looking up the river ; ROUND THE WORLD. 9S the other, being a v'cw taken from the fame fpct; but the obfcrver is now fuppofed to turn round oppofite to his former fituation ; and confequentl/ this is a reprefentarion of the appearance of the country down the river, betwixt the flation of the obferver, and the river's mouth. ^1 .i f. ,1.. J-. -■„( ! ; j.:'T' ,\'i .■A-'_' Ai\\ H + CHAP* '■'" ''4 96 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGfi ,), CHAP. VII. ', ."I ; • ■.V.- Departure from the bay of Si, ynlian^ and the pafTage from thence to Strcights Lc Maire, TH E 'Tryal being nearly refitted, which was our principal occupation at this bay of Sf. Julian, and the fole occafion of our (lay, the Commodore thought it neceflary, as we were now dire(fi:ly bound for the South- Seas and the enemy's coafts, to fix the plan of his firll operations: And therefore, on the 24111 of February, a fignal was inade for all Ca[)tains, and a Council of war was held on board the Centurion^ at wliich were prefent the Honourable Edward Leggy Captain Matihew Mile' ell i the Honourable George Murray, Cap- tain David Cheap, together with Colonel Mor- daunt Cracherode, Commander of the land-forces. At this council Mr. Jnfon propofed, that their firft attempt, after their arrival in the South-Seas, Ihould be the attack of the town and harbour of Baldivia, the principal frontier of the diftricl of Chili J Mr. Jnfon informing them, at the fame time, that it was an article contained in his Majeily's in- ftrudlions to him, to endeavour to fecure fomc port in the South-Seas, where the fhips of the fqua- dron might be careened and refitted. To this pro- pofition made by the Commodore, the Council wnanimouily and readily agreedi and in confequence of ROUND THE WORLD. 97 of this refolution, new inftruftions were given to the Captains of the fquadron, by which, though they were Hill direfted, in cafe of fepafation, to make the beft of their way to the I (land of NueJIra Sencra del Socoro (yet notwithftanding the orders they had formerly given them at St. Catharine's)^ they were to cruize off* that Ifiand only ten days; from whence, if not joined by the Commodore, they were to proceed, and cruize off" the harbour of Baldhia, making the land between the lati- tudes of 40=, and 40' : 30', and taking care to keep to the fouthward of the portj and, if in fourteen days they were not joined by the rell of the fquadron, they were then to quit this ffation, and to dired their courfe to the Ifland of Juan FernandeSf after which they were to regulate their further proceedings by their former orders. The fame diredtions were aifo given to the maft:er of the jinna Pinky who was not to fail in anfwering the fignals made by any fhip of the fquadron, and was to be very careful to deftroy his papers and or- ders, if he (hould be fo unfortunate as to fall into the hands of the enemy. And as the feparation of the fquadron might prove of the utmoft pre- judice to his Majefty's fervice, each Captain was ordered to give it in charge to the refpe<5live Offi- cers of the watch, not to keep their fliip at a greater diftance from the Centurion than two miles, as they would anfwer it at their peril ; and if any Captain ffiould find his fhip beyond the diftance fpecified, he was to acquaint the Commodore with the name of the Officer who had thus neglefled his duty. ^ -- . Thefc ,i 1 Vi" m . {! ,;- 1 va^ iV»1 9t Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE WiM Thcfe nccefl*ary regulations being cflabliflicd, anil the I'ryal Sloop completed, the fquadron wci<;hcd on Friday the 27th of Felruaryy at fevcn in tlie morning, and flood to the leaj the GUu^ ccjler indeed found a difHculty in purchafing her anchor, and was left a confidcrable way a-ftern, {o that in the night wc fired feveral guns as a fig- nal to her Captain to make fail i but he did not come up to us till the next morning, when wc found that they had been obliged to cut their cable, and leave their beft bower behind them. Ac ten in tiie morning, the day after our departure. Wood's Moiinty the high land over S,t, Julian, bore from us N. by W, diftant ten leagues, and wc had fifty- two fathom of water. And now (landing to the fouthward, we had great expectation of falling in with Pizarro's fquadron i for, during our fiay at port 6"/. Julian, there had generally been hard gales between the W. N. W. and S. W, fo that we had reafon to conclude the Spaniards had gained no ground upon us in that interval. In- deed it was the profped of meeting with them, that had occafioned our Commodo * ♦'o be fo very folicitous to prevent the feparatiou of our fbips : For, had we been folely intent upon getting round Cape Horn in the Ihortcll time, the propereft me- thod for this purpole would have been, to have ordered each fhip to have made the beft of her way to the rendezvous, without waiting for the reft. , : ■: ;, . .;,■ ■.-.■: :> u>y.\ - j From our departure from Si. Julian to the 4th of March, we had little wind, with thick hazy weather, and fome rain -, and our foundings were ROUND THE WORLD. 99 YTcrc generally from forty to fifty fathom, with a bottom of black and grey fand, fometimes inter- mixed with pebble ftones. On the 4th oi March we were in fight of Cape Virgin Mary, and not more than fix or fevcn leagues diftant from it : This Cape is the northern boundary of the en- trance of the Streights of Magdlarii it lies in the latitude of 52": 21 South, and longitude from London 71° : 44' Weft, and ilems to be a low flat land, ending in a point. And for a direflion to fuch fiiips as may, by particular reafons, be in- duced hereafter to pafs through thofe Streights into the Soulh SeaSy there is in the ninth Plate a very accurate draught of its appearance, where (a) reprefents the Cape itfclf. Of this Cape our depth of water was from thirty-five to forty-eight fathom. The afternoon of this day was very bright and clear, with fmall breezes of wind, in- clinable to a calm, and mofi: of the Captains took the opportunity of this favourable weather to pay a vifit to the Commodore j but while they were in company together, they were all greatly alarm- ed by a fudden flame, which burft out on board the Gkucejier, and which was fucceeded by a cloud of fmoke. However, they were foon relieved from their aj^jprehenfions, by receiving informa- tion, that the blafl: was occafioned by a fpark of fire from the forge, lighting on fome gun- powder and other combuftibles, which an Offi- cer on board was preparing for ufe, in cafe we fiiould fall in with the Spanijh fleet ; and that it had been extinguiflied, without any damage to the fliip. * . Wc loo Ld. ANSON'S voyage! »)■♦ We here found, what was conftantly verified by all our obfervations in thefe high latitudes, that fair weather was always of an exceeding fhort du- ration, and that when it was remarkably rine, it was a certain prefage of a fucceeding ftorrn, for the calm and funfliine of our afternoon ended in a moft turbulent night, the wind frefhening from the S. W. as the night came on, and increafing its violence continually till nine in the morning the next day, when it blew fo hard, that we were obliged to bring- to with the fquadron, and to continue under a reefed mizen till eleven at night, having in that time from forty-three to fifty-feven fathom water, with black fand and gravel j and by an obfervaiion we had at noon, we concluded a current had fet us twelve miles to the fouthward of our reckoning. Tow: rds midnight, the v/ind abating, we made fail again j and (leering South, we difcovered in the morning, for the firft time, the land called Terra del FuegOy ftretching from the S* by W, to the S. E. ^ E. This indeed afforded us but a very uncomfortable profped, it appear- ing of a faipendous height, covered every where with fnow. And though the drearinefs of this fcene can be but imperfectly reprefented by any Drawing, yet the tenth Plate contains fo exadl a delineation of the form of the country, that it may greatly afiift the reader in framing fome idea of this uncouth and rugged coaft. In this Draw- ing {a) is the opening of Streights Le Maire^ (h) Cape Si. Diego, (i) (2) (3) the three hillsy c iicd the three Brothers, and (4) Mcntegorda, an highland which IIls up in the country, and appears . / over ROUND THE WORLD. lOf pver the three Brothers. We (leered along this ^lore all day, having foundings from forty to fifty fathom, with ftones and gravel. And as we in- tended to pafs through Streights Le Maire next: day, we lay-tc at night, that we might rjot ovcr- llioot them, and took this opportunity to prepare ourfelves for the teinpeftuous climate we were foon to be engaged in j with which view, we employed ourfelves good part of the night in bending an entire new fuit of fails to the yards. At four the next morning, being the 7th oi March, we made fail, and at eight fuw the land, and Ibori after we began to open the Streighis, at \.hich time Cape St. James bore from us E. S. E, Cape b(. l^int cent S. E. -'■ E, the middiemoll of the three Bro- thers S. and by W, Montegorda South, and Cape St. Bartholomew, whicli is the ibuthernmofl: point of Statcn-land, E. S. E. The appearance of the Streights in this fituation, is reprcicjiced in the eleventh Plate, where (rt) is part o^ Staten-land, ( of the Ihip. And though we were extremely care- ful td fecure ouf*felVes from thefe Ihocks, by grafp- ing fortie fixed body, yet many of otir people were forced from their hold j fame of whom were killed, and others greatly injured ; in particular, one of our beft feamen was canted over- board and drowned, another diflocated his neck, a third was thrown into the main hold and broke his thigh, and one of our Boatfwain's Mates broke his collar-bone twice j not to mention many other accidents of the fame kind. Thefe tempefts, fo dreadful in themfelves, though unattended by any other unfavourable circunlftance,were yet rendered more mifchievous to us by their inequality, and the deceitful intervals which they at fome times afforded \ for though we were oftentimes obliged to lie-tOj for days togetherj under a reefed mizen^ ^ and were frequently reduced to lie at the mercy of the waves under our bare polesj yet now and > then we ventured to make fail with our courfes double reefed} and the weather proving more tolerable^ would perhaps encourage us to fet our top-fails i after which, the wind, without any previous notice, would retP'n upon us with re- doubled forces and would in an inflant tear our fails from the yards. And that no circumflancef might be wanting which could aggrandize our diftrefs, thefe blafts generauy brought with them a great quantity of fnow and fleet, which eafcd I 2 our > 1 loS Ld. an SON'S VOYAGE >:3 I our rigging, and froze our fails, thereby render- ing them and our cordage brittle^ and apt to fnap upon the flighteft ftrain, adding great difficulty and labour to the working of the fliip, benumb- ing the limbs of our people, and making them incapable of exerting themfelves with their ufual adlivity, and even difabling many of them by mortifying their toes and fingers. It were indeed cndlefs to enumerate the various difafters of dif- ferent kinds which befel us j and I fhall only mention the moft material, which will fuffici- cntly evince the calamitous condition of the whole fquadron, during the courfe of this navi- gation. H It was on the 7th o( March y as hath been alrea- dy obferved, that we paffed Streights Le Mairt\. and were immediately afterwards driven to the eailward by a violent ftorm, and the force of the current which fet that way. For the four or five fucceeding days we had hard gales of wind from the fame quarter, with a moft prodigious fweli ; fo that though we ftood, during all that time, to- wards the S. W, yet we had no reafon to ima- gine we had made any way to the weft ward. In this interval we had frequent fqualls of rain and fnow, and ftiipped great quantities of water; af- ter which, for three or four days, though the feas ran mountains high, yet the weather was rather more moderate : But on the 18th, we had again ftrong gales of wind, with extreme cold, and at midnight the main top-fail fplit, and one of the ftraps of the main dead-eyes broke. From hence CO the 23d, the weather was more favourable. though ROUND THE WORLD. 109 though often intermixed with rain and fleet, and fome hard gales i but as the waves did not lubfide, the fliip, by labouring in this lofty fea, was now grown fo loofe in her upper works, that fhe let in the water at every feam, fo that every part within board was conftantly expofed to the fea-water, and fcarcely any of the OfHcers ever lay in dry beds. Indeed it was very rar ', that two nights ever palTed without many of them being driven from their beds, by the deluge of water that came in upon them. On the 23d, we had a mod violent ftorm of wind, hail, and rain, with a very great fea j and though we handed the main top-fail before the height of the (quail, yet we found the yard fprung ; and foon after the foot-rope or the main-fail breaking, the main-fail itfelf fplit inftantly to rags, and, in fpite of our endeavours to fave it, much the greater part of it was blown over board. On this, the Commodore made the fignal for the fquadron to bring-to -, and the ftorm at length flattening to a calm, we had an opportunity of getting down our main top-fail yard to put the Carpenters to work upon it, and of repairing our rigging j after which, having bent a new main- fail, we got under fail again with a moderate breeze^, but in lefs than twenty-four hours we were attacked by another ftorm ftill more furious than the former j for it proved a perfeft hurri- cane, and reduced us to the necefTity of lying-to under ou. bare poles. As our ftiip kept the wind better than any of the reft, we were obliged, in the afternoon, to wear ftiip, in order to join the # I 3 fquadron :'^ 110 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fquadron to the leeward, which othcrwifc wc ihould have been in danger of lofing in the night : And as we dared not venture any fail abroad, we were obliged to make ufe of an expedient, which anfwered our purpofe j this was putting the helm a-weather, and manning?; the fore-fhrouds : But though this method proved fuccefsful for the end intended, yet in the execution of it, one of our ableft feamen was canted over-board j we per- ceived that, notwithftanding the prodigious agita-^ tion of the waves, he fwam very ftrong, and it was with the utmpA; concern that we found our- felves incapable of aflfiiting him ; indeed we were the more grieved at his unhappy fate, as we loft, fight of him ftruggling with the waves, and con- ceived from the manner in which he fwam, that he might continue fenfible, for a confiderable time longer., of the horror attending his irre- trievable fituation. . ^ : Before this lali i^entioned ftorm wa$ quite abated, we found two of our main-lhrouds and one mizen-fhroud broke, all which we knotted, and fet up immediately. From hence we had an interval of three or four days lefs tempeftuous thaq ufual, but accompanied with a thick fog, in which we were obliged to fire guns almoft every half-hour, to keep our fquadron together. Oi\ the 31ft, we were alarmed by a gun fired from the Gloucefter, and a fignal made by her to fpeak with the fommodorci we immediately bore down to her, and were prepared to hear of fome ter- rible difafter j but we were apprized of it before we joined her j for we faw that her main- yard was broke ROUND THE WORLD. in broke in the (lings. This was a grievous misfor- tune to us all at this juncture ; as it was obvious it would prove an hindrance to our failing, and would detain us the longer in thefe inhofpitable latitudes. But our future fuccefs and fafcty were not to be prorroted by repining, but by refolu- tion and adlivity ; and therefore, that this unhappy incident might delay us as little as pofTible, the Commodore ordered feveral Carpenters to be put on board the Gloucejler from the other (hips of the fquadron, in order to repair her damage with the utmoft expedition. And the Captain of the Tryal complaining at the fame time, that his pumps were fo bad, and the floop made fo great a quan- tity of water, that he was fcarcely able to keep her free, the Commodore ordered him a pump ready fitted from his own (hip. It was very fortu- nate for the Gloucejler and the Tryaly that the weather proved more favourable this day than for many days, both before and after j fince by this means they were enabled to receive the a(ri(lance which feemed eiTential to their prefervation, and which they could fcarcely have had at any other time, as it would have been extremely hazardous to have ventured a boat on board. The next day, that is, on the ift o^ April, the weather returned again to its curtomary bias, the (ky looked 4ark and gloomy, and the wind be- gan to freflien and to blow in fqualls j however, it was not yet fo boifterous, as to prevent our car- rying our top-fails clofe reefed ; but its appear-* ance wastfuch, as plainly prognodicated that a ftill feverer temped was at hand : and accord- > ■ I 4 ingly. 112 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ingly, on the 3d of /Ipril, there came on a ftorm, yrhich both in its violence and continuation (for it lafted three days) exceeded all that we had hi- therto encountered. In its firft onfet we received a furious fhock from a fea which broke upon our larboard quarter, where it ftove in the quarter gallery, and ruHied into the Ihip like a deluge ; our rigging too fufFercd extremely from the blow j amongfl the reft, one of the ftraps of the main dead-eyes was broke, as was alfo a main-(hroud and puttock-fhroud ; fo that to eafe the ftrefs up- on the mafls and fhrouds, we lowered both our main and fore yards, and furled all our fails, and in this pofture wc lay-to for three days, when the ftorm fomcwhat abating, we ventured to make fail under our courfes only j but even this wc could not do long j for, the next day, which was the 7th, we had another hard gale of wind, with lightning and rain, which obliged us to lie-to again till night. It was wonderful, that notwith- ftanding the hard weather we had endured, no extraordinary accident had happened to any of the fquadron fince the breaking of the Gloucefter'& main-yard : But this good fortune now no longer attended usj for at three the next morning, fe- verai guns were fired to leeward as fignals of dif- trefs : And the Commodore making a fignal for the fquadron to bring-to, we, at day-break, faw the IVager a confiderable way to leeward of any of the other Ihips ; and we foon perceived that Ihe had loft her mizen-maft, and main top-fail yard. We immediately bore down to»her, and found this difafter had arifen fr-m the badnefs of ■ Vi'-'i'""-' her ROUND THE WORLD. 113 her iron work j for all the chain-plates to wind* ward had given way, upon the (hip's fetching a deep roll. This proved the more unfortunate to the JVager^ as her Carpenter had been on board the GloHcejier ever fince the jifl: of March, and the weather was now too fcveie to permit him to return. Nor was the Wager the only fhip of the fquadron that fuffcred in this tcmpefti for, the next day, a fignal of diftrtfs was made by the Anna Pinky and, upon fpeaking widi the Mafter, we learnt that they Iiud broke their fore-ftay and the gammon of the bowfprit, aud were in no fmall danger of having all their mafts come by the board j fo that we were obliged to bear away until they had made all fall, after which we haled upon a wind again. ; •-. . -, ,; And now after all our folicitude, and the nu- merous ills of every kind, to which we had been inceflintly expoftd for near forty days, we had great confclation in the flattering hopes we enter- tained, that our fatigues were drawing to a period, and that we fhould foon arrive in a more hofpi- table climate, where we fhould be amply repaid for all our pad fufFerings. For, towards the lat- ter end of March, we were advanced, by our reckoning, near 10° to the weftward of the weit- crnmoft point o^ Terra del Fuego; and this allow- ance being double what former Navigatois have thought neceffary to be taken, in order to com- penfate the drift of the weftern current, we efteem- cd ourfelves to be well advanced within the limits of the Southern Ocean, and had therefore been ever fince Handing to the northward with as much expedition til m '< 1 t i!4 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE expedition as the turbulence of the weather, and our frequent difafters permitted. And, on the 13th o( April, we were but a degree in latitude to the fouthward of the weft entrance of the Streights o( Magellan \ fo that we fully expeded, in a very few days, to have experienced the celebrated tran- quillity of the Pacific Ocean. But thefe were delufions which only fervcd to render our difappointment more terrible j for the next morning, between one and two, as we were ftanding to the northward, and the weather, which had till then been hazy, accidentally cleared up, the Pink made a fignal for feeing land right a- head ; and it being but two miles diilant, we were all under the moft dreadful apprehenfions of running on Ihore : which, had either the wind blown from its ufual quarter with its wonted vi- gour, or had not the moon fuddenly Ihone out, not a fhip amongft us could poffibly have avoid- ed : But the wind, which fome few hours be- fore blew in fqualls from the S. W, having for- tunately fhifced to W. N. W, we were enabled to ftand to the fouthward, and to clear ourfelves of this unexpeded danger; and were fortunate enough by noon to have gained an offing of near twenty leagues. • ''»- ' ' " f • . . i^r-. ' By the latitude of this land we fell in with, it was agreed to be a part of Terra del Fuego, near the fouthern outlet defcribed in Frezier^s Chart of the Streights o( Magellan, and was fuppofed to be that point called by him Cape Noir. It was indeed moft wonderful, that the currents Ihould have driven us to the eaftward with fuch ftrength j for .)>^'^:u- ■ ' ^ ■ ' ' - the r, and on the ;ude to reights a very d tran- vcd to for the /e were , which red up, ight a- int, we fions of le wind ited vi- ne out, avoid- jrs bC' ng for- .bled to ilves of enough twenty with, it w. near I!hart of :d to be s indeed Id have rthi for the kOUND THE WORLD. 115 the whole fquadron efteemed themfelves upwards often degrees more wefterly than this landj fo that in running down, by our account, about nineteen degrees of longitude, we had not really advanced half that diftance. And now, inftead of having our labours and anxieties relieved by approaching a warmer climate and more tranquil fcas, we were to (leer again to the fouthward, and v/ere again to combat thofe weftern blafts, which had fo of- ten terrified us j and this too, when we were greatly enfeebled by our men falling lick, and dying apace, and when our fpirits, dejeded by a long continuance at fea, and by our late difap- pointment, were much lefs capable of fupporting us in the various difficulties, which we could not but expeft in this new undertaking. Add to all this too, the difcouragement we received by the diminution of the ftrength of the fquadron j for, three days before this, we loft fight of the Severn and the Pearl in the morning; and though we fprtad our fliips, and beat about for them fome time, yet we never faw them more; whence we had apprehenfions that they too might have fallen in with this land in the night, and by being lefs fa- voured by the wind and the moon than we were, might have run on fhore and have periflied. Full of thefe defponding thoughts and gloomy prefages, we ftood away to the S. W, prepared by our late difafter to fufpedl, that how large foever an al- lowance we made in our welling for the drift of f he weftern current, we might ftill, upon a fecond trial, perhaps find it infufficient. ,.* ,, ,-'„,'. CHAP. it ■I; T IliH ^fl Mie U>. ANSON'S VOYAGE CHAP. IX. ■1,1 Obfervations and diredlions for facilitating the paflage of our future Cruifers round Cape Horn, (UOl ;"■?»>) htii'> XH E improper feafon of the year in which >^we attempted to double Cape Horfjj and to which is to be imputed the difappointmcnt (reci- ted in the foregoing chapter) of falling in with Terra del Fuego, when we reckoned ourfelves above a hundred leagues to the weftv/ard of that whole coaft, and confequently well advanced into the Pacific Ocean j this unfeafonable navigation, I iay, to which we were neceflitated by our too late departure from Englandj was the fatal fource of all the misfortunes we afterwards encountered. For from hence proceeded the feparation of our Ihips, the dcftruftion of our people, the ruin of our projeft on Baldivia, and of all our other views on the Spanijh places, and the reduftion of our fquadron from the formidable condition in which it pafled Streights Le Mairej to a couple of (bat- tered half-manned cruifers, and a floop, fo far diHibled, that in many climates they fcarcely durft have put to fea. To prevent therefore, as much as in me lies, all fliips hereafter bound to the Souib-Seas from fufFering the fame calamities, I think, it my duty to infcrt, in this place, fuch di- -^^ / , i '- re^tions -! ,n. ROUND THE WORLD, 117 reflions and obfervations, as either my own expe- rience and refleftion, or the converfation of the mod flcilful Navigators on board the fquadron, could furnifli me with, in relation to the moft eli- gible manner of doubling Cape Horny whether in regard to the feafon of the year, the courfe proper to be fteercd, or the places of refrefliment both on the Eaft and Weft fide o( Souih-Jmerica, And firft, with regard to the proper place for refrefliment on the Eaft fide of South- /America, For this purpofe the Ifland of 5"/. Caiharineh has been iifually recommended by former writers, and on their faith we put in there, as has been formerly mentioned : But the treatment we met with, and the fmail ftore of refrelhments we could procure there, are fufficient reafons to render all fl^ips for the future cautious, how they truft themfelves in the government of Don Jofe fylva de Paz j for they may certainly depend on having their ftrength, condition, and defigns betrayed to the Spaniards^ as far as the knowledge the governor can procure of thefe particulars will give him leave. And as this treacherous condu6l is infpired by the views of private gain, in the illicit commerce carried on to the river of Platey rather than by any national affeftion which the Pcrtuguefe bear the Spafiiards, the fame perfidy may perhaps be expeded from moft of the Governors of the Brazil coaft j fince thefe fmuggling engagements are doubtlefs very extenfive and general. And though the Gover- nors fliould themfelves deteft fo faithleis a proce- ' dure, yet as fliips are perpetually pafllng from fome or other of the Brazil ports to the river of 6 Plate, It vi4mii ii3 Lb. ANSON'S VOYAGE Plate, the Spaniards could fcarccly fail of rcccf^- ing, by this mcanSj cafual intelligence of any Bri- tijh fiiips upon the coaft j which, however imper- fc6t fuch intelligence might be^ would prove of dangerous import to the views and intereftsof thofe cruifers who were thus difcovered. For the Spanijh trade in the South-Seas running all in one track from North to South, with very little deviation to the eaftward or weftward, it is in the pov/er of two or three crurfers, properly ftatiorted in different parts of this track, to pofleft themfelves of every Ihip that puts to iea : But this is only fo long as they can continue concealed from the neighbouring coaft j for the inftant an enemy is known to be in thofe feas, all navigation is prohibited, and confequently all captures are at an end \ fince the Spaniat ds, well apprized of thefc advantages of the enemy, fend expreffes along the coaft, and lay a general embargo on all their trade; a meafure which, they prudentially forefee, will not only prevent their veffels being taken, but will foon lay any cruifers, who have not ftrengt!. fufficient to attempt their places, under neceflity of returning home. Hence then appears the great importance of concealing all expeditions of this kind ; and hence too it follows, how extremely prejudicial that intelligence may prove, which is given by the Portu^uefe Governors to the Spani- ardsy in relation to the defigns of Ihips touching at the ports of Brazil, However, notwithftanding the inconveniencies we have mentioned, of touching on the coaft of Brazi', it will oftentimes happen, thatfhips bound round iimi ROUND THE WORLD* ii^ round Cape Horn will be obliged to call there for a fupply of wood and water, and other refrelh- ments. In this cafe, St, Caiharineh is the lad place I would recommend, both as the proper animals for a live (lock at fea, as hogs, Iheep, and fowls, cannot be procured there (for want of which we found ourfelves greatly diftrelfed, by being redu- ced to live almoft entirely on fait provifions), and alfo becaufe, from its being nearer the river of Plate than many of their other fettlements, the inducements and conveniencies of betraying us are much ftronger. The place I would reconm-f mend is Rio Janeiro, where two of our fquadron put in after they were feparated from us in paffing Cape Horn', for here, as I have been informed by one of the Gentlemen on board thofe Ihips, any quantity of hogs and poultry may be procured ; and this place being more diftant from the river of Plate, the difficulty of intelligence is fome-; what inhanced, and confequently the chance of continuing there undifcovered, in fome degree augmented. Other meafures, which may effec- tually obviate all thefe emba..*affments, fhall be confidered more at large hereafter. I next proceed to the confideration of the pro- per courfe to be fteered for doubling Cape Horn, And here, 1 think, I am fufficiently authorifed by our own fat^l experience, and by a careful comparifon and examination of the journals of former Navigators, to give this piece of advice, which in prudence I think ought never to be de- parted from: That is, that all Ihips bound to the South'SeaSy inftead of palling through Streights ' Le 1 J 120 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Le Mairey fhould conftantly pafs to the eaftward of Staten-landy and ihould be invariably bent on running to the fouthward, as far as the latitude of 6 1 or 62 degrees, before they endeavour to ftand to the weftward ; and that when they are got into that latitude, they fhould then make fure of fuf- ficient wefting, before they once think .of (leering to the northward. But as directions diametrically oppofite to thefe have been formerly given by other writers, it is incumbent on me to produce my reafons for each part of this maxim. And firfl, as to the pafTing to the eaftward of Staten-land, Thofe who have attended to the rifque we ran in pafling Streights Le Mairey the danger we were in of being driven upon Staten-land by the current, when, though we happily efcaped being put on fhore, we were yet carried to the eaftward of that Ifland : Thofe who refle6t on this, and the like accidents which have happened to other fhips, will furely not efteem it prudent to pafs through Streights Le Maire, and run the rifque of fhipwreck, and after all find themfelves no farther to the weftward (the only reafon hitherto given for this praftice) than they might have been in the fame time, by a fecure navigation in an open lea. And next, as to the directions I have given for running into the latitude of 61 or 62 South, before any endeavour is made to ftand to the weft- ward : The reafons for this precept are, that in all probability the violence of the currents will be hereby avoided, and the weather will prove lefs tempt'ftuous and uncertain. This laft circum- ftance ROUND THE WORLD. ill ftance we ourfelves experienced mod remarkably: for after we had unexpedledly fallen in with the lind; as has been mentioned in the preceding chapter, we flood away to the fouthward to run clear of it, and were no fooner advanced into fixty degrees or upwards, but we met with much better weather, and fmoother water than in any other part of the whole paflage : The air indeed was very cold and Iharp, and we had (Irong gales, but they v/ere fteady and uniform, and we had at the fame time funfhine and a clear Iky; whereas in the lower latitudes, the winds every now and then intermittedi as it were, to recover new ftrength, and then returned fuddenly, in the mod violent guftsi threatening at each blaft the lofs of our mafts, which muft have ended in our certain de- ftruftion. And that the currents in this high la- titude would be of much lels efficacy than nearer the land, feems to be evinced from thefe confi- derations, that all currents run with greater vio- lence near the Ihore than at fea, and that at great diftances from fhore they are fcarcely perceptible : Indeed thereafon of this feems fufficiently obvious, if we confider, that conftant currents are, in all probability, produced by conftant winds, the wind driving before it, though with a flow and imperceptible motion, a large body of water, which being accumulated upon any coafl that it meets with, muft efcape along the fhore by the endeavours of its furface to reduce itfelf to the fame level with the reft of the Ocean. And it is reafonable to fuppofe, that thofe violent gufts of wind which we,^|:pcrienced near the fliore, fo very K different "#i 122 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE difFerent from what we found in the latitude of' fixty degrees and upwards, may be owing to a fimilar caufe ; for a wefterly wind almoft perpe- tually prevails in the fouthern part of the Pacific Ocean : And this current of air being interrupted by thofe immenfe hills called the Andes, and by the mountains on Terra del Fuego, which together bar up the whole country to the fouthward as far as Cape Horn, a part of it only can force its way over the tops of thofe prodigious prec'pices, whilfl: the reft muft naturally follow the diredt'^n of the coaft, and muft range down the land to the fouthward, and fweep with an impetuous and ir- regular blaft round Cape Horn, and the fouthern- moft part of Terra del Fuego. However, not to rely on thefe fpeculations, we may, I believe, efta- blifti as inconteftible thefe matters of fadb, that both the rapidity of the currents, and the violence of the weftern gales, are lefs fenfible in the lati- tude of 6 1 or 62 degrees, than nearer the fhore of Terra del Fuego. But though I am fatisficd from both our own experience, and the relations of other Navigators, of the importance of the precept I here infift on, that of runnins: into the latitude of 61 or 62 de- grees, before any endeavours are made to ftand to the weftward j yet I would advife no ftiips here- after to truft fo far to this management, as to ne- glect another moft elTential maxim, which is the making this palfage in the height of fummer, that is, in the months of December and January ; and the more diftant the time of pafling is taken from this feafon, the more difaftpous it may be % -■ reafonably ROUND THE WORLD. i2:j rcafonably expetfled to prove. Indeed, if the mere violence of the wcftcrn winds be confidered, the time of our pafluge, which was about the Equinox, was perhaps the mod unfavourable of the whole year ; bur then it muft be remembered, that independent of the winds, there are in the depth of winter many other inconveniencies to be appre- hended, which are almofl infuperable : For the feverity of the cold, and the fliortnefs of the days, would render it impradiicable at that feafon to run fo far to the fouthward as is here recommended ; and the fame reafons would greatly augment the alarms of failing in the neighbourhood of an un- known Ihore, dreadful in its appearance in the midft of fummer, and would make a winter navi- gation on this coaft to be, , of all others, the mod difmayinp; and terrible. As I would therefore ad- vife all Ihips to make their paflTage in December and January J if poffible j fo I would warn them never to attempt the doubling Cape Horrit from the eaftward, after the month of March, And now, as to the remaining confideration, that is, the propereft port for cruizers to refrefh at on their firft arrival in the South Seas : On this head there is fcarcely any choice, the Ifland of Juan Ferr.andes being the only place that can be prudently recommended for this purpofe. For though there are many ports on the weftern fide ofPaiagonia, between the Strc'ights oi^ Magellan and the Spanijh fettlements (a plan of one of which will be referred to in the courfe of this work), where fhips might ride in great fafety, might re- cruit their wood and water, and might procure K 2 fome '^;i| i n \m \l |l .;. 1' \'j-\ I; +^ i •»>.V!, 124 Ld. AiVSON's VOYAGE fome few rcfrernments j \\.'t that coaft is in itfelf lb dangerous from its numerous rocks and break- ers, and from the viulenre of the weftern winds, which blow conllantly full upon it, that it is by no means advifeable lo ftJl in with that land, at icaR till the loads, channels, and anchorage, in each part of it, are acurrtely furveycd, and both the perils and Ihelt^r it abounds with are more c'iithidlly known. Thus having given the beft diredions in my power for the fuccefs of our cruizers, who may be hereafter bound to tlje Soalb Seas ; it might be cx- pefted that I lliould again refume the thread of my narration. Yet as both ir the preceding and fub- fequent parts of this work, I have thought it my duty, not only to recite all fucK facts, and to in- culcate fuch maxims as had the lead appearance of proving beneficial to future Navigators, but alfo occafionally to recommend fuch meafures to the Public, as I conceive are adapted to promote the fame laudable purpofe ; I cannot defifl from the prefent fubjefl, without befeechinf^ thofe to whom the conduct of our naval affairs ii committed, to endeavour to remove the many perplexities and cmbarrafTments with which ♦ihe navigation to the South Seas is, at prefent, necefiarily encumbered. An effort of this kind could not fail of proving highly honourable to themfelves, and extremely beneficial to their country. For it feems to be fuffciently evident, that whatever improvements navigation fliall receive, either by the invention of methods that fhall render its practice iefs ha- zardous, or by the more accurate delineation of '- the ROUND THE WORLD. 125 the coafts, roads, and ports, already knov.n, or by the difcovery of new nations, or new i'pecics of commerce ; it feems, I fay, fufficiently evident, that by whatever means navigation is prcmo'^ed, the convcniencies hence arifing ahnoft uhiniatcly redound to the emolument of Great Bvitain, Since as our fleets are at prefent fuperior to thofe of the whole world united j it mull be a macchlefs degree of fupinenefs or mean-fpiricednefs, if we permitted any of the advantages which new difco- verics, or a more extended navigation, may pro- duce to mankind, to be raviflied from us. As therefore it appears that all our future expe- ditions to the South Seas muft: run a confidcrable rifque of proving abortive, whilll in our pafTage thither, we are under the necelfity of touching at Brazil i the difcovery of fome place more to the fouthward, where ihips might refrelh and fupply themfelves with the neceflary fea-ftock for their voyage round Cape //c?r«, would be an expedient which would relieve us from this embarrafilr.enr^ land would furely be a matter worthy of the at- tention of the public. Nor does this feem difti- cult to be effected. For we have already the imperftcl knowledge of two places, which might perhaps, on examination, prove extremely con- venient for this purpofe : One of them is iV- pys\ Ifland, in the latitude of 47° South, and laid down by Dr. Halley^ about eighty leagues to the eallward of Cape Blanco j on the coafi; of Pa- tagonia \ the other is Falkland's Ifles, in the lati- tude of 51°-'-, lying nearly South of Pepys's Ifland. f he firit of thefe was difcovered by Captain ,, " K 3 ^ ' tQivUy^ il4: ii|2 ! \\^ \i ii; ^ 126 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Cowleyy in his Voyage round the World in the year 1686 i who reprefcnts it as a commodious place for ihips to wood and water at, and fays, it is provided with a very gooa and capacious harbour, where a thoufand fail of fhips might ride at an- chor in great fafety i that it abounds with fowls, and that as the fhore is either rocks or fands, it feems to promife great plenty of filh. The fe- cond place, or Falkland'^ Ifles, have been feen by many fhips, both French and Englijhy being the land laid down by Frezier, in his Chart of the ex- tremity of South Americay under the title of the New IJlands. IVoods Rogers, who run along the N. E. coaft of thefe Ifles in the year 1708, tells us, that they extended about two degrees in length, and appeared with gentle defcents from hill to hill, and feemed to be good ground, in- terfperfed with woods, and not deftitute of har- bours. Either of thefe places, as they are Iflands, at a confiderable diftance from the Continent, may be fuppofed, from their latitude, to lie in a climate fufFicicntly temperate. It is true, they are too little known to be at prefent recommended as the mod eligible places of refrelhment for fhips bound to the fouthward : But if the Admiralty fhould think it advifeable to order them to be furveyed, which may be done at a very fmall expence, by a velTel fitted out on purpofe j and if, on this examination, one or both of thefe places fhould appear proper for the purpofe in- tended, it is fcarcely to be conceived, of what pro- digious import a convenient flation might prove, fituated fo far to the fouthward, and fo near Cape Horn, ROUND THE WORLD. 127 Horn. The Duke and Duchefs of Brijlol were but thirty-five days from their lofing fight of Falk- land\ Ifles to their arrival at 'Juan Fernandes in the South Seas : and as the returning back is much facilitated by the weftcrn winds, I doubt not but a voyage might be made from Falkland's Ifles to Juan Fernandcs and back again, in little more than two months. This, even in time of peace, might be of great c«. ifequence to this nation -, and, in time of war, would make us mafters of thofe feas. And as all difcoveries of this kind, though ex- tremely honourable to thofe who dire(5t and pro- mote them, may yet be carried on at an incon- fiderable expence, fince fmall veflels are much the propereft to be employed in this fervice: It were to be wiflied, that the whole coaft of Pata- gonia, terra del Fuego, and Staten-land, were care- fully furveyed, and the numerous channels, roads, and harbours with which they abound, were ac- curately examined. This might open to us fa- cilities of pairing into the Pacific Ocean, which as yet we may be unacquainted with, and would render all that fouthern navigation infinitely fe- curer than at prefent ; particularly an exaft draught of the Weft coaft of Patagonia, from the Streights of Magellan to the Spanijh fettle- ments, might perhaps furnifh us with better and more convenient ports for refrefliment, and better fituated for the purpofes either of war or commerce, and above a fortnight's fail nearer to Falkland's Ifland, than the Ifland of Juan Fer- nandes, The difcovery of this coaft hath for- .' ' 1 K ^ , merly lit L6. ANSON'S VOYAGE merly been thought of fuch confequencc, by reafon of its neighbourhood to the Araucos and Other Chilian Indians^ who are generally at war, or at leaft on ill terms vyith their Spanijh neigh- bours, that Sir John Narborotigb was purpofely fitted out in the reign of King Charles II. to fur- yey tJie Streights of Magellan^ the neighbouring coall of Patagonia J and the SpaniJJj ports on th^t frontier, with directions, if pofllble^ to procure feme intercQurfe with the Chilian Indians, and to eflablifli a commerce and a lafling correfpondence with them. His Majefty's views in employing Sir John Narborough in this expedition, were not folely the advantage he might hope to receive from the alliance of thpfe favages, in feftraining and intimidating the Crown of Spain i but he conceived, that, independent of thofe motives, the immediate traffic with thefe Indians might prove extremely advantageous to the Englijh Na- tion. For it is well known, that at the firll dif- covery of Chili by the Spaniards^ it abounded with vail quantities of gold, much beyond what it has at any time produced, fince it has been in their poflelTion. And hence it has been generally believed, that the richeft mines are carefully con- cealed by the Indians^ as well knowing that the difcovery of them would only excite in the Spa^ niards a greater thirft for conqueft and tyranny, and v/ould render their own independence more precarious. But with refpcft to their commerce witl: rhe EngliJJjy thefe reafons would no longer influence them. ; fmce it would be in our power to furnilh them with arms and ammunition of all ■: -.in kindsj ROUND THE WORLD. 129 kinds, of which they are extremely deljrous, together with many other conveniencies which their intercourfe with the Spaniards has taught them to rclilh. They would then, in all pro- bability, open their mines, and gladly embrace a traffic of fuch mutual convenience to both Na- tions; for then their gold, inflead of proving an incitement to enilave them, would procure them weapons to aflert their liberty, to chaftife their tyrants, and to fecure tliemlelves for ever from the Spanijij yoke ; whilft with our afli (lance, and under our proteflion, they might become a confiderable people, and might fecure to us that wealth, which formerly by the Iloufe of Aufiriay and lately by the Houfe of Bourhon^ has been mofl: mifchieyoufly lavilhed in the purfuit of univerfal Monarchy. It is true, Sir 'John Narhrct'.gh did not fucceed in opening this commerce, which, in appearance, promifed fo many advantages to this Nation,. However, his difappointment was merely acci- dental, and his tranfadions upon that coafl: (be- fides the many valuable improvements he furnilh- ed to geography and navigation) are rather an en- couragement for future trials of this kind, than any objedlion againd themj his principal misfor- tune being the lofmg company of a fmall bark which attended him, and having fome of his peo- ple trepanned at BalMvia. However, it appeared, by the precautions and fears of the Spaniards, that they were fully convinced of the praclicabi- Jity of the fcheme he was fent to execute, anci ptremely alarmed with the apprehenfion of its m m\ I •IK U I30 Id. ANSON'S VOYAGE confequences. It is faid that his Majefty King Charles the Second was fo far prepoffefled with the belief of the emolunnents with might re- dound to the public from this expedition, and was fo eager to be informed of the event of it, that having intelligence of Sir John Narborough*s pafling through the Downs on his return, he had not patience to attend his arrival at court, but went hifiifelf in his barge to Grave/end to meet him. To facilitate as much as pofllble any attempts of this kind, which may be hereafter undertaken, I have in the thirteenth plate, given a chart of that part of the world, as far as it is hitherto known, which I flatter myfelf is, in fome refpe6ls, much correfter than any which has been yet publifhed. To evince which, it may be neceflary to mention what materials I have principally made ufe of, and what changes I have introduced different from other authors. / . The two moft celebrated charts hitherto pub- liflied of the fouthernmoft part of South /Imerica, are thofe of Dr. Halley, In his general chart of the magnetic variation, and of Frezier in his voyage to the South-Seas, But befides thefe, there is a chart of the Streights of Magellan, and of fome part of the adjacent coaft, by Sir John Nar- lorougb, above mentioned, which is doubtlefs in- finitely exadler in that part than Frezier's, and in fome refpeds fuperior to Halley's, particularly in what relates to the longitudes of the different parts of thofe Streights. The coafi: from Cape Blanco to Terra del Fuego, and thence to Streights ROUND THE WORLD. 131 y Kin d with S rht re- )n, and t of it, orough's he had irt, but :o meet ttempts irtaken, : of that known, i, much blilhed. mention ufe of, :nt from to pub- Americay chart of " in his e, there and of ^hn Nar- tlefs in- r's, and ticularly different )m Cape kreights Le MairCy we were in fome meafure capable of corredling by our own obfervations, as we ranged that fliore generally in fight of land. The pofition of the land, to the northward of the Strciehts of Magellan, on the Weft fide, is doubtlefs laid down in our chart but very imperfecfllyj and yet I be- lieve it to be much nearer the truth than what has hitherto been done : As it is drawn from the in- formation of fome of the Wager''?, crew, v;ho were Jhipwrecked on that fhore, and afterwards coafted it down i and as it agrees pretty nearly with the defcription of fome Spanijh manufcripts I have feen. The channel dividinq; Terra del Fiie^o is drawn from Frezier; but Sir F^^ancis Drake, who firft difcovered Cape Horn, and the S. W. part of Terra del Fuego, obferved that whole coaft to be divided by a great number of inlets, all which he conceived did communicate with the Streights of Magellan, And I doubt not, that whenever this country is thoroughly examined, this circumftance will be verified, and Terra del Fuego will be found to confift of feveral Iflancis. •'* - And having mentioned Frezier fo often, I mufi: not omit warnino; all future Navigators a^ainft re- lying on the longitude of Streights Le Maire, or of any part of that coaft, laid down in his chart; the whole being from 8 to 10 degrees too far to the eaftward, if any faith can be given to the con- current evidences of a great number of journals, verified in fome particulars by aftronomical ob- fervation. For inftance. Sir John Narborough places Cape Virgin Mary in 65° : 42' of Weft longitude from the Lizard^ that is, in about 7i°t from 13? Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE from London, And the fhips of our fquadron, who took their .departure from St, Caiharine\ ([where the longitude was rectified by an obfer-^ vation of the eclipfe of the moon), found Cape Virgin Mary to be from 70"!, to ']i°^ from London, according to their different reckonings ; And fince there were no circumftances in our run that could render it confiderably erroneous, it can- not be efteemed in lefs than 7 1 degrees of Weft longitude; whereas Frezier lays it down in lefs* than 66 degrees from PariSt that is, little more than 63 degrees from London, which is doubtlefs 8 degrees (hort of its true quantity. Again, our fquadron found Cape Virgin Mary and Streights Le Maire to be not more than 2°4- different in Jongitude, which in Frezier are diftant near 4 de- grees ; fo that not only the longitude of Cape SL Baribohnew is laid down in him near 10 degrees too little, but the coaft from the Streights of Ma- gellan to Streights Le MairCj is enlarged to near double its real extent. But to have done with Frezier, whofe errors^, the importance of the fubjeft, and not a fondnefs for cavilling, has obliged me to remark (though his treatment of Dr. Halley mighty on the prefent occaiion, authorife much feyerer ufage), I muft, in the next place, relate wherein the chart I have here inferteu differs from that of our learned coun- tryman laft mentioned. ^ It is well known that this gendeman was fent abroad by the public, to make fuch geographical nnd altronomical obfervations, as might facilitate the future practice of navigation, and particu- Ma- near kOUND THE WORLD. 13J larly to determine the variation of the compafs in fuch places as he fliould touch at, and, if poflible, to afcertain its general laws and affeftions. Thefe things Dr. Hdkyy to his immortal reputation, and the honour of our nation, in good meafure ac- complifhed, efpecially vv'ith regard to the variation of the compafs, a fubjeft, of all others, the moft interefting to thofe employed in the art of navi- gation. He likewife corredted the pofition of the coaft of Brazilj which had been very erro- neoufly laid down by all former Hydrographers ; and from a judicious comparifon of the obferva- tions of others, he happily fucceeded in fettling the geography of many confiderable places, where he had not himfelf been. So that the chart he compofed, with the variation of the needle mark- ed thereon, being the refult of his labours on this fubjedl, was allov/cd by all Europe to be far com- pleter in its geography than any that had till then been publifhed, whilft it was at the fame time moft furprifingly exnfl in the quantity of variation af- figned to the different parts of the globe j a fub- je6t fo very intricate and perplexing, that all ge- neral determinations about it had been ufually deemed impoffible. But as the only means he had of correal] ng the fituation of thofe coafts, where he did not touch himfelf, were the obfervations of others j when thofe obfervations were wanting, or were inaccu- rate, it was no imputation on his fkill, that his decifions were defedive. And this, upon the beft comparifon I have been able to make, is the cafe with regard to that part of his chart, which 3 " contains 134 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE contains the South coaft of South America, For though the coafl: of Brazil, and the oppofite coaft of I'eru on the South-Seas, are laid down, I pre- fume, with the greateft accuracy; yet from about the river of Plate on the Eaft fide, and its oppofite point on the Weft, the coaft gradual' - declines too much to tht weilward, fo as at the Streights of Magellan to be, as I conceive, about fifty leagues removed from its true pofition : At leaft, this is the rcfult of the obfervations of our fqua- dron, which agree extremely well with thofe of Sir John Narborough. I muft add, that Dr. f (alley has, in the Philofbphical Tranfaftions, given the foundation on which he has proceeded, in fixing Port St. Julian in 76° 4- of Weft longitude; which the concurrent Journals of our fquadron place from 70°-]: to 71° V. This, he tells us, was an obfervation of an eclipfe of the moon, made at that place by Mr. IFood, then Sir John Narborough'^ Lieutenant, and which is faid to have happened there at eight in the evening, on the 1 8th of Sep- tember, 1670. But Captain PFood's journal of this whole voyage under Sir John Narborough is fmce publiftied, together with this obfervation, in which he determines the longitude of Port St. Julian to be 73 degrees from London, and the time of the eclipfe to have been different from Dr. Halley^s account. But the numbers he has given are fo faultily printed, that nothing can be determined from them. To what I have already mentioned with regard to the chart hereunto annexed, I ftiall only add, that to render it more complete, I have inferted -•- • " therein ,1 ' ROUND THE WORLD. 135 therein the route of our fquadron, and have deli- neated, in the pafTage round Cape Horn, both the real track which we defcribed, and the imaginary track exhibited by our reckoning; whence the violence of the currents in that part of the world, and the enormous deviations which they produce, will app<^ar by infpeflion. And that no material; article might be omitted in this important affair, the foundings on the coaft: of Patagonia, ana the variation of the magnetic needle, are annexed to thofe parts of this track, where, by our obferva- tions, we found them to be of the quantity there fpecified. ■■UJi ; ; '''■.' I? ■ . r- '1 . •' ' •' ' i ' ' ■■ , ■ -*4' '!\ .' . ' ^i'i^'J' ^' ., r- ^^M-i n. ■'..,.. •- r.. ■;? ij6 Ld. Ai^SON*a V(5YAGE' . If. G H A P. X. trom Cape Noir to the Ifland of Juan Fer- nundes* - ^ w. AFTER lae itj -tifying difapfjointment of falling in vith th? coafl: of Terra del Fuegoi when we efleemed ouriei res ten degrees to the weftward of it j as hath been at large recited in the eighth chapter j we Itood away to the S. W. till the 22d of Jprily when we were in upwards of 6oP of South latitude, and by our account near 6° to the wellward of Cape Noir-, in this run, we had a feries of as favourable weather, as could well be expected in that part of the worldj even in a better feafon : So that this interval, fet- ting the inquietude of our thoughts afide, was by far the moft eligible of any we enjoyed from Streights Le Maire to the Weft coaft of Jmerica, This moderate weather continued with little va- riation, till the 24th i but on the 24th, in the evening the wind began to blow frefh, and foon increafed to a prodigious ftorm j and the weather being extremely thick, about midnight we loft fight of the other four fhips of the fquadrcnj which, rtotwithftanding the violence of the pre- ceding ftorms, had hitherto kept in company with us. Nor was this our fole misfortune 5 for the next morning, endeavouring to hand the top- fails^ to . (,■>> k6UND THE WORLD* 137 fails, the clew-lines and bunt-lines broke, and the Iheets being half- flown, every feam in the top- fails was foon fplit from top to bottom, and the main top-fail Ihook fo ftrongly in the wind, that it carried away the top lanthorn, and endangered the head of the maft ; however, at length, fome of the moft daring of our men ventured upon the yard, and cut the fail away clofc to the reefs, though with the utmofl: hazard of their lives ; whilft at the fame time the fore top-fail beat about the yard with fo much fury, that it was foon blown to pieces. Nor was our attention to our top-fails our fole employment; for the main-fail blew loofe, which obliged us to lower down the yard to iccure the fail, and the fore-yard being likewife lowered, we lay-to under a mizen : In this ftorm, befides the lofs of our top-fails, we had much of our rigging broke, and loft a main- ftudding-fail-boom out of the chains. On the 25th, about noon, the weather became more moderate, which enabled us to fway up our yards, and to repair, in the beft manner we could, our Ihattered rigging ; but ftill we had no fight of the reft of our fquadron, nor indeed were we joined by any of them again, till after our arrival at Juan Fernandes ; nor did any two of them, as we have fince learned, continue in company to- gether : This total, and almoft inftantaneous fepa- ration was the more wonderful, as we had hitherto kept togetner for feven weeks, through all the reiterated tempefts of this lUibulent climate. It muft indeed be owned, that we had hencjp room to expert, that we might make our paffage in a L fhorter i 1/ ■ ' (' 'H'i IJ ■Mw 138 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE • fhorter ♦■mtic, than if we had continued togethci^j becaufe we could now niake the beft of our way, without being retarded by the misfortunes of the other iliips } but then we had the melancholy re- flcdlion, that we ourfelves were hereby deprived of the afTiftance of others, and our fafety would depend upon our fingle Ihip : fo that if a plank ftarted, or any other accident of the fame nature Ihould take place, we muft all irrecoverably pc- rifh : Or Ihould we be driven on fhore, we had the uncomfortable profpeft of ending our days on fome defolate coaft, without any reafonable hope of ever getting off again : Whereas with another fliip in company, all thefe calamities are much lefs formidable, fince, in every kind of danger, there would be fomc probability that one (hip at leaft might efcape, and might be capable of preferving or relieving the crew of the other. The remaining part of this month of y^pril we had generally hard gales, although we had been every day, fince the 22d, edging to the north- ward } however, on the laft day of the month, we flattered ourfelves with the expecflation of foon terminating all our fufferin^s, for we that day found ourfelves in the latitude of 52° : 13', which being to the northward of the Streights of Ma- gellan, we were affured that we had completed our paffage, and had arrived in the confines of the fouthern Ocean j and this Ocean being deno- minated Pacific, from the equability of the feafons which are faid to prevail there, and the facility and fecurity with which navigation is there carried on, we doubted not but we lliould be fpeedily i- Or ■ ■ cheered ROUND THE WORLD. 139 cheered with the moderate gales, the fmooth wa- ter, and the temperate air for which that tradt of the globe has been fo renowned. And under the influence of thefe pleafing circumftances, we hoped to experience fome kind Of compenfation for the complicated miferies which had to conftantly at- tended us for the lalt eight weeks. But here we were again difappointed j for, in the fuccecding month of Mayy our fufFerings rofe to a much higher pitch than they had ever yet done, whe- ther we confider the violence of the ftorms, the Mattering of our fails and rigging, or the dimi- niihing and weakening of our crew by deaths and ficknefs, and the probable profpcft of our total deftruction. All this will be fufficiently evident, from the following circumflantial account of our diverfified misfortunes, : > *- Soon after our pafTing Streights Le Maire, the fcurvy began to make its appearance amongft us ; and our long continuance at fea, the fatigue we underwent, and the various difappointmerts we met with, had occafioned its fpreading to fuch a degree, that at the latter end of y^pril there were but few on board, who were not in fome degree afflided with it, and in that month no lefs than forty-three died of it on board the Centurion- ?3ut though we thought that the diftemper had then rifen to an extraordinary height, and were willing to hope, that as we advanced to the northward its malignity would abate j yet we found, to the con- trary, that in the month of May we loft near double that number : And as we did not get to land till the middle of Jufje, the mortality went on in- L 2 creafing. , jia.f» / , III 140 Lt>. AKSOM's voyage crcaflng, and the difcafc extended itfelf Co prodi- gioufly, that after the lofs of above two hundred men, we could not at laft muftcr more than fix fore-maft men in a watch capable of duty. This difeafe, fo frequently attending long voy- ages, and fu particularly deftruftive to us, is furely the moft fingular and unaccountable of any that affefts the human body : Its fymptoms are incon- ftant and innumerable, and its progrefs and effefts extremely irregular ; for fcarcely any two perfons have complaints exaftly refcmbling each other, and where there hath been found fome conformity in the fymptoms, the order of their appearance has been totally different. However, though it fre- cfuently puts on the form of many other difeafes, and is therefore not to be defcribed by any exclu- five and infallible criterions j yet there are fome fymptoms which are more general than the reft, and occurring the ofteneft, deferve a more parti- cular enumeration. Thefe common appearances are ^arge difcoloured fpots difperfed over the whole furface of the body, fwelled legs, putrid gums, ind, above all, an extraordinary laflitude of the whole body, efpecially after any exercife, however inconfiderable j and this laflitude at laft degene- rates into a pronenefs to fwoon, and even die on the Icaft exertion of ftrength, or even on the leaft motion. This difeafe is likewife ufually attended with a ftrange dejeftion of the fpirits, and with ihiver- ings, tremblings, and a difpofition to be feized with the moft dreadful terrors on the flighteft ac- cident. Indeed it was moft remarkable, in all our ' ' '" § reiterated ROUND THE WORLD. 141 reiterated experience of this malady, that whatever difcouraged our people, or at any time dampe4 their hopes, never failed to add new vigour to the diftemper ; for it ufually killed thofe who were in the laft ftages of it, and confined thofe to their hammocks who were before capable of fome kind of duty ; fo that it feemed as if alacrity of mind, and fanguine thoughts, were no contemptible prC" fervatives from its fatal malignity. But it is not eafy to complete the long roll of the various concomitants of this difeale j for it often produced putrid fevers, pleurifies, the jaun- dice, and violent rheumatic pains, and fomctimes it occafioncd an obftinate coftivenefs, which was generally attended with a difficulty of breathing j and this was efteemed the mofl deadly of all the fcorbutic fymptoms ; at other times tiie whole body, but more elpecially the legs, were fubjedl to ulcers of the word kind, attended with rotten bones, and fuch a luxuriancy of fungous flefti, as yielded to no remedy. But a moft extraordinary circum- ftanct, and what would be fcarcely credible upon any fingle evidence, is, that the fears of wounds which had been for many years healed, were forced open again by this virulent diftemper : Of this there was a remarkable inftance in one of the invalids on board the Centurion, who had, been wounded above fifty years before at the battle of the Boyne j for though he was cured foon after, and had continu d well for a great number of years paft, yet on his being attacked by the fcurvy, his wounds, in the progrefs of his difeafe, broke out afrefii, and appeared as if they had never been L3 ' healed: r i t 142 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE healed : Na/j what is ftill more aftonifhing, the callus of a broken bone, which had been com- pletely formed for a long time, was found to be hereby diflbived, and the fradture feemed as if it had never been confolidated. Indeed, the efFedls of this difeafe were in almoft every inliance won- derful i for many of our people, though confined to their hammocks, appeared to have no inconfi- derable fhare of health, for they eat and drank heartily, were cheerful, and talked with much feeming vigour, and with a loud ftrong tone of voice ; and yet, on their being the leaft moved, though it was from only one part of the Ihip to the other, and that too in their hammocks, they have immediately expired i and others, who have confided in their feeming ftrength, and have re- folved to get out of their hammocks, have died before they could well reach the deck j nor was it an uncommon thing for thofe who were able to walk the deck, and to do fome kind of duty, to drop down dead in an inftant, on any endeavours to aft with their utmoft effort, many of our people having peri(hed in this manner during the courfe of this voyage. With this terrible difeafe we ftruggled the greateft part of the time of ou/ beating round Cape Horm and though it did not then rage with its utmoft violence, yet we buried no lefs than forty-three men on board the Centurion, in the month of Jprily as hath been already obferved ; however, we ftill entertained hopes, that when we Ihould have once fecured our palTage round the Cape, we Ihould put a period to this, and all the other ROUND THE WORLD, Ha other evils which had fd conftantly purfued us. But it was our misfortune to find, that the Paci^ fie Ocean was to us lefs hofpitable than the tur- bulent neighbourhood of Terra del Fuego, and Cape Horn, For being arrived, on the 8th of May, off the Ifland of SocorQ, which was the firft rendezvous appointed for the fquadron, and where we hoped to have met with fome of our compa- nions, we cruifed for them in that ftation feveral days. But here we were not only difappointed in our expeftations of being joined by our friendsj, and were thereby induced to favour the gloomy fuggeftions of their having all periflied j but we were likewife perpetually alarmed with the fears of being driven on Ihore upon this coa(l, which appeared too craggy and irregular to give us the leaft profpedl, that in fuch a cafe any of us could poffibly efcape immediate deftrudtion. For the land had indeed a moft tremendous afpedl ; The mod diftant part of it, and which appeared far within the country, being the mountains ufually called the Andis or Cordilleras, was ex-? tremely high, and covered with fnow j and the coaft itfelf feemed quite rocky and barren, and the water's edge Ikirted with precipices. In fome places indeed we dilberned feveral deep bays run-f ning into the land, but the entrance into them was generally blocked up by numbers of little iflands j and though it was not improbable but there might be convenient flielter in fome of thofe bays, and proper channels leading thereto j yet, as we were utterly ignorant of the coaft, had we been driven afliorc by the weftern winds which L, 4 blew ii. fi I < 144 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE )bjcw almoft conftantly there, we did not expedfe to have avoided the lofs of our Ihip, and of our lives, ■■ ■ '■■: -■. > ' '^-'^^■'■i'\ This Gontinvied peril, which lafted for above a fortnight, was greatly aggravated by the difficul- ties we found in working the fhip i as the fcurvy had by this time deftroyed fo great a part of our hands, and had in feme degree affefted almoft the whole crew. Nor did we, as we hoped, find the winds lefs violent, as we advanced to the porthward -, for we had often prodigious fqualls which fplit our fails, greatly damaged our rigging, and endangered our mafts. Indeed, during the greateft part of the time we were upon this coaft, the wind blew fo hard, that in another fituation, where we had fufficient fea-room, we fhould cer- tainly have lain-to ; but in the prefent exigency, yre were neceflitated to carry both our courfes and top fails, in order to keep clear of this lee-fhore. In one of thefe fqualls, which was attended by feveral violent claps of thunder, a fudden flafh of fire darted along our decks, which, dividing, ex- ploded with a report like that of feveral piftols, and wounded many of our men and officers as it pafled, marking them in different parts of the body : This flame was attended with a ftrong ful- phureous flench, and was doubtlefs of the fame pature with the larger and more violent blaft:s of lightning which then filled the air. -?: ; -f ^ It were endlefs to recite minutely the various difafl:ers, fatigues, and terrors, which we encoun- tered on this coaft: ; all thefe went on increafing till the 2 2d of May, at which time, the fury of all V ' • ' .•; •' the ROUND THE WORLD. H5 the ftorms which we had hitherto encountered, feemed to be combined, and to have confpired our deftrudlion. In this hurricane ahnoft all our fails were fplit, and great part of our (landing rig- ging broken; and, about eight in the evening, a mountainous over-grown fea took us upon our (larboard- quarter, and gave us {o prodigious a fhock, that feveral of our fhrouds broke with the jerk, by which our mafts were greatly endan- gered } our ballaft and (lores too were fo (Irangely ihifted, that the (liip heeled afterwards two flreaks to port. Indeed it was a mod tremendous blow, and we were thrown into the utmoft confternation from the apprehenfion of inflantly foundering; and though the wind abated in a few hours, yet, as we had no more fails left in a condition to bend to our yards, the (hip laboured very much in a hollow fea, rolling gunwale to, for want of fail ta fteady her: So that we expe6ted our mads, which were now very flenderiy fupported, to come by^ the board everv moment. However, we exerted ourfelves the bed we could to dirrup our Qirouds, to reeve new lanyards, and to mend our fails; but while thefe necelTary operations were carrying on, we ran great rifque of being driven on (hore on, the Ifland of ChiloCi which was not far didant from us ; but in the midd of our peril the wind happily fnifced to the fouthward, and we deered off the land with the main-fail only, the Mader and myfelf undertaking the management of the helm, while every oneelfe on board was buficd in fecuring the mads, and bending the fails as fad as they could be repaired. This was the lad effort of that I -1 m !' \ !!■ 146 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE that ftormy climate ', for in a day or two after we got clear of the land, and found the weather more moderate than we had yet experienced fnce our pafling Streights Le Maire. And now hav- ing cruized in vain for more than a fortnight in queft of the other Ihips of the fquadfon, it was refolved to take the advantage of the prefcnt fa^ vourable fcaibn, and the offing we had made from this terrible coaft, and to make the beft of our way for the Ifland of Juan Fernandes, For though our next rendezvous was appointed off the harbour of BaldiviCy yet as we had hitherto feen none of our companions at this firft rendezvous, it was not to be fuppofed that any of them would be found at the lecond: Indeed we had the greateft reafon to fufpt;(5b, that all but ourfelves had perifhed. Befides, we were by this time reduced to fo low a condition, that inftead of attempting to attack the places of the enemy, our utmoft hopes could only fugged to us the poffibility of faving the fhip, and fome part of the remaining enfeebled crew, by our fpeedy arrival at Juan Fernandes -, for this was the only road in that part of the world where there was any probability of pur recovering our ^ck, or refitting our veffel, and confequently our t'letting thither was the only chance we had left to avoid perilling at fea. Our deplorable fituation then allowing no room for deliberation, we ftood for the Ifland of Juan Fernandes j and to fave time, which was now ex- tremely precious (our men dying four, five, and fix in a day), and likewife to avoid being enpraged again y'th a lee-lhore, we refolved, if poifibl^, to ROUND THE WORLD. 147 hit the Ifland upon a meridian. And, on the 28th of My, being nearly in the parallel upon which it is laid down, we had great expeftations of feeing it : But not finding it in the pofition in which the charts had taught us to exped it, we began to fear that we had gone too far to the weftward j and therefore, though the Commodore himfelf was flrongly perfuaded, that he faw it on the morn- ing of the 28th, yet his Officers believing it to , be only a cloud, to which opinion the hazinefs of the weather gave fome kind of countenance, it was, on a confultation, refolvcd to Hand to the eaftward, in the parallel of the Ifland j as it was. certain, that by this courfe we fliould either fall in with the Ifland, if we were already to the wefl:ward of it 5 or fliould at leaft make the main land of Chili, from whence we might take a new departure, and aflure ourfelves, by running to the wefl:ward af- terwards, of not mining the Ifland a fecond time. On the 30th of May we had a view of the Con- tinent of Cbiliy diflant about twelve or thirteen leagues i the land made exceeding high, and un- even, and appt^itred quite white; what we faw being doubtlefs a part of the Cordilleras, which are always covered with fnow. Though by this view of the land we afcertained our pofition, yet it gave us great uneafinefs to find that we had fo needlefsly altered our courfe, when we were, in all probability, juft: upon the point of making the Ifland i for the mortality amongft us was now in- creafed to a mofl: dreadful degree, and thofe who remained alive were utterly difpirited by this new difappointment, and the profpedt of their longer con- I! 'I 148 Ld. ANSON'S VOYilGE, &c. continuance a*- fea: Our water too began to grow fcarce J fothatageneraldejecStion prevailed amongft us, which added much to the virulence of the difeafcj and deftroyed numbers of our bell men ; and to all thefe calamities there was added this vexatious circumftance, that when, after having got a fight of the Main, we tacked and ftood to the weftward in queft of the Ifland, we were fo much delayed by calms and contrary winds, that it cod us nine days to regain the wefting, which, when we ftood to the eaftward, we ran down in two. In this defponding condition, with a crazy ihip, a great fcarcity of frefh water, and a crew fo univerfally d'feafed, that there were not above ten fore-maft men in a watch capable of doing duty, and even fome of thefe lame, and unable to go aloft : Under thefe dilheartening circum- ftances, we ftood to the weftward j and, on the 9th of 'jiine^ at day-break, we at laft difcovered the long-wi(hed-for Ifland o^Juan Fernandes.Vf iih this difcovery I fhall clofe this chapter and the firft book, after obferving (which will furnifh a very ftrong image of our unparalleled diftreffes) that by our fufpeding .)urftlves to be to the weftward of the Illand on the 28th of Mu^ , and in confequence of this, ftanding in for the Main, we loft between feventy and eighty of our men, whom we fhould doubtlefs have faved had we made the Ifland that dav, which, had we kept on our courfe for a few hours longer, we could not have failed to have done, , , . END of BOOK L . { £ 149 ] ' • ' ' '\ ROUND THE '-..,!{/. V O Y A G 8 WORLD, ^c. . BOOK H. > v> Jrl jf\ F» i« , The arrival of the Ce?Hurion at the Illand of yuan Fei'fjandes^ with a defcriptioii of that liland. ON the ^t\io( June, at day-break, as is men- tioned in the preceding chapterj we lirft de~ fcried the Ifland of Juan FernandeSy bearing N. by E. 4 E, at eleven or twelve leagues diftance. And though, on this firft view, it appeared to be a very mountainous place, extremely ragged and irregular; yet as it was land, and the land we fought for, it was to us a moil agreeable fight : Bccaufe at this place only we could hope ro put a period to thofe terrible calamities we had fo long •I nt 150 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE long ftruggled with, which had already fwept away above half our crew, and which, had we continued a few days longer at fea, would inevi- tably have completed our deflruftion. For wc were by this time reduced to fo helplefs a condi- tion, that out of two hundred and odd men which remained alive, we could not, taking all our watches together mufter hands enough to work the fhipon an eme-gency, though we included the officers, their fervants, and the boys. The wind being northerly when wc firft made the Ifland, we kept plying all that day> and the next night, in order to get in with the land ; and wearing the ftiip in the middle watch, we had a melancholy inftance of the almoft incredible de- bility of our people; for the Lieutenant could mufter no more than two Quarter-mafters, and lix Fore-maft men capable of working; fo that without the affiftince of the officers, fervants, and the boys, it might have proved impoffible for Us to have reached the Ifland, after we had got fight of \t. ; and even with this afllftance they were two hours in trimming the fails : To fo wretched a condition was afixty gun Ihip reduced, which had paired Streights L*? Mairehut three months before, with between four and five hundred men, almoft all of them in health and vigour. ,; , However, on the loth in the afternoon, we got under the lee of the Ifland, and kept ranging along it, at about two miles diftance, in order to look out for the proper anchorage, w'hich was defcribed to be in a bay on the North-fide. Be- ing now nearer in with the ftiorc, we could difco- / ver ROUND THE WORLD. M« fight we I was Be- lifco- ver ver that the broken craggy precipices, which had appeared fo unpromifing at a diftance, were far from barren, being in moll places covered with woods, and that between them there were every where interfperfed the fined vallies, clothed with a moft beautiful verdure, and watered with numerous ftreams and cafcades, no valley, of any extent, being unprovided of its proper rill. The water too, as we afterwards found, was not in- ferior to any we had ever tailed, and was con- ftantly clear. The afpeft of this country, thus diverfified, would, at all times, have been ex- tremely delightful ; but in our diP-reffed fituation, languilhing as we were for the land and its vege- table produdtions (an inclination conftantly at- tending every ftage of the fea-fcurvy), it is fcarce- ly credible with what eagernefs and tranfport we viewed the fhore, and with how much impatience we longed for the greens and other rcfrcfliments which were then in fight j and particularly the water, for of this we had been confined to a very fparing allowance a confiderable time, and had then but five ton remaining on board. Thofe only who have endured a long feries of thirft, and who can readily recal the defire and agitatioa which the ideas alone of fprings and brooks have at that time raifed in them, can judge of the emo- tion with which we eyed a large cafcade of the moft tranfparent water, which poured itfelf from a rock near a hundred feet high into the fea, at a fmall diftance from the fhip. Even thofe amongft the difeafed who were not in the very laft ftages of the diftemper, though they had been long ■; i •1 S 1 1^2 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Jong confined to their hammocks, exerted the fmall remains of ftrength that were left them, and crawled up to the deck to feaft themfelves with this reviving profped. Thus we coafted the fliore, fully employed in the contemplation of this enchanting landfkip, which ftill improved upon us the farther we advanced. But at laft the night clofcd upon us, before we had fatisfied our- felves which was the proper bay to anchor in ; and therefore we rcfolved to keep in foundings all night (we having then from fixty-four to feventy fathom), and to fend our boat next morn- ing to difcovcr the road : However, the cur- rent fhifted in the night, and fet us lb near the land, that we were obliged to let go the beft bower in fifty-fix fathom, not half a mile from the fhore. At four in the morning, the cutter was difpatched with our third Lieutenant to find out the bay we were in fearch of, who returned again at noon with the boat laden with feals and grafsj for though the Ifland abounded with bet- ter vegetables, yet the boat's- crew, in their Ihort flay, had no^: met with them j and they well knew, that even grafs would prove a dainty, as indeed it was all foon and eagerly devoured. The feals too were confidered as frelh provifion, but as yet were not much admired, though they grew afterwards into more repute: For what rendered them lefs valuable at this juncture, was the prodigious quantity of excellent fifli, which the people on board had taken, during the ab- fence of the boat. ' ' . w ;,"v The kOUND THE WORLD. ts3 The Cutter, in this expedition, had difcovered the bay where we intended to anchor, which wc found was to the wcftward of our prefcnt ftation j and, the next morning, the weather proving favourable, we endeavoured to weigh, in order to proceed thither ; but though, on this occa- fion, we muftered all the ftrength we could, oblig- ing even the fick, who were fcarce able to keep on their legs, to afTift usj yjt the capftan was fo weakly manned, that it was near four hours be- fore we hove the cable riglit up and down : Af- ter which, with our utmoft eiibrts, and with ma- ny furges and fome purchafcs we made ufe of to increafe our power, we found ourfclves incapable of ftarting the anchor from the ground. How- ever, at noon, as a frefh gale blew towards the bay, we were induced to fet the fails, which for- tunately tripped the anchor j and then we fteered along fhore, till we came abreaft of the point that forms the eaftern part of the bay. On the opening of the bay, the wind that had befriended us thus far, Ihifted, and blew from thence in fqualls i but by means of the head way we had got, we loofed clofe in, till the anchor brought lis up in fixty-fix fathom. Soon after we had thus got to our new birth, we difcovered a fail, which we made no doubt was one of our fquadron ; and on its nearer approach, we found it to be the tryal Sloop. We immediately fent fome of our hands on board her, by whofe aiTiftance fhe was brought to an anchor between us and the land. We foon found that the Sloop had not been ex- empted from the fame calamities which we had M - ■ fo I t 59 « le n y it h n colIe«5led by this means, at laft forces its paf- fage through the narrow vallies, which, like fo many funnels, both facilitate its efcape, and in- creafd its violence. Thefe frequent and fudden gufts make it difficult for fhips to work in with the wind off fhore, or to keep a clear hawfe when anchored. . ., , The northern part of this Ifland is compofed of high craggy hills, many of them inacceflible, though generally covered with trees. The foil of this part is loofe and (hallow, fo that very large trees on the hills foon perilh for want of root, and are then eafily overturned j which occafioned the unfortunate death of one of our failors, who be- ing upon the hills in fearch of goats, caught hold of a tree upon a declivity to affill him in his af- cent, and this giving way, he immediately rolled down the hill j and though in his fall he faftened on another tree of confiderable bulk, yet that too gave way, and he fell amongft the rocks, and was daflied to pieces. Mr. Breii likewife met with an accident only by refting his back againft a tree, near as large about as himfelf, which ftood on a flope ; for rlie tre^ giving way, he fell to a confiderable diftance, thougli without receiving any injury. Our prifoners (whom, as will be related in the fequcl, v/e afterwards brought in here) remarked, that the appearance of the hills in fome part of the Ifiand refcmbled that of the mountains in Cbilij where the gold is found : So that it is not impoITible but mines might be dif* covered here. We obferved, in fome places, feve- ral bills of a peculiar fort of red earth, exceeding M ^ vermilioa i6o Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE vermilion in colour, which perhaps, on examina. tion, might prove ufeful for many piirpofes. The fouthern, or rather the S. W. part of the Ifland, as diftinguifhed in the plan, is widely different from the red, being dry, flony, and deftitute of trees, and very flat and low, compared with the hills on the northern part. This part of the Ifland is never frequented by fliips, being furrounded by a fteep fliore, and having little or no frefli water j and befidcs, it is expofcd to the foutherly wind, which generally blows here the whole year round, and in the winter folflice very hard. " ' The trees of which the woods on the northern fide of the Ifland are compofed, are mofl: of them aromatics, and of many different forts : There are none of them of a fize to yield any confider* able timber, except the myrtle-trees, which are the largefl: on the ifland, and fupplied us with all the timber we made ufe of j but even thefe would not work to a greater length than forty feet. The top of the myrtle-tree is circular, and appears as uniform and regular, as if it had been clipped by art i it bears on its bark an excrefcence like mofs, which in tafte and fmell refembles garlic, and was ufed by our people inftead of it. We found here too the piemcnto-tree, and likewife the cab- bage-tree, though in no great plenty. And be- fides a great number of plants of various kinds, which we were not botaniflis enough either to de- fer i be, or attend to, we found here almoft all the vegetables, which are ufually efteemed to be par- ticulrrly adapted to the cure of thofe fcorbutic diforders, which are contradled by fait diet and long ROUND THE WORLD. i6i e u |y i 1 lo For here we had voyages, ror nere we naa great quantities of warer-crt*nres and purflain, with excellent wild forrel^ and a vaft profufion of turnips and Sicilian radiflies: Thefc two laft, having fome rcfemblancc to each other, were confounded by our people un- der the general name of turnips. We ufually pre- ferred the tops of the turnips to the roots, which were often ftringyj though foine of them were free from that exception, and remarkably good. Thefe vegetables, with the fifli and flefli we got here, and which I (hall more particularly defcribe hereaf[cr, were not only exfemely grateful to our palates, after the long courfe of fait diet which we had been confined to, but were likewife of the molt falutary confequence to our fick, in re- covering and invigorating them, and of no mean fervice to us who were well, in deftroying the lurking feeds of the fcurvy, from which perhaps none of us were totally exempt, and in refrefh- ing and reftoring us to our wonted ftrength and adtivity. To the vegetables I have already mentioned, of which we made perpetual ufe, I muft add, that we found many acres of ground covered with oats apd clover. There were alfo fome few cab- bage-trees upon the Ifland, as was obferved be- fore} but as they generally grew on the precipices, and in dangerous fituarions, and as it was neccf- fary to cut down a large tree for every fingle cab- bage, this was a dainty that we were able but rare- ly to indulge in. The excellence of the climate and the loofenefs of the foil render this place extremely proper for all l62 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE all kinds of vegetation j for if the ground be any where accidentally turned up, it is immediately overgrown with turnips and Sicilian radilhcs; Mr. Afifon therefore having with him garden -feeds of all kinds, and ilones of difR-rent fjrts of fruits, he, for the better accommodation of his country-, men who fliould hereafter touch here, fowed both lettuces, carrots, and other garden plants, and fet in the woods a great variety of plum, apricot, and peach Hones : And thefe laft he has been in- formed have fince thriven to a very remarkable degree i for fome Gentlemen, who in their paf- fdge from Lima to Old Spain were taken and brought to England, having procured leave to wait upon Mr. Anfon, to thank him for his gcnerofity and humanity to his prifoners, fome of whom were their relations, they, in cafual difcourfe with him about his rranfaciions in the South-SeaSi particular- ly afked him, if he nad not planted a great num- ber oi fruit-ftones on the Illand of Juan Fer- itandcs ; for they told him, their late Navigators had difcovered there numbers of peach-trees and apricot-trees, which being fruits before unobfcrv- cd in iliat place, they concluded them to have been produced from kernels fet by him. This may in general luffice as to the foil and vegt :.-.:)le productions of this place : But the face of tiie country, at lead of the North part of the Ifland, is fo extremely fingular, that I cannot avoid giving it a particular confideration. I have already taken notice of the wild, inhofpitable air with which it firft appeared to us, and the gra- dual improvement of this uncouth landlkip as we drew ROUND THE WC^LD. i^^ ilrew nearer, till wc were at laft captivated by the numerous beauties we difcovercd on the fliore. And 1 mud now add, that we found, during the time of our rcfidence there, .that the inhmd parts of the Ifland did noways fall ihortof the Hinguine prcpoflelTions which we firfl entertained in their favour. For the woods, which covered mod of the Ileepcft hills, were free from all bu flies and underwood, and afforded an eafy pafTage through every part of them j and the irregularities of the hills and precipices, in the northern part of the Ifland, necefliarily traced out by their various combinations a great number of romantic vallies; mod of which had a ftream of the cleared water running through them, that tumbled in cafcades from rock to rock, as the bottom of the vaiiey, by the courfe of the neighbouring hills, was at any time broken into a fudden fliarp defcent: Some particular fpots occurred in thefe vallies, where the fliade and fragrance of the contiguous woods, the loftinefs of the overhanging rocks, and the tranfparency and frequent falls of the neighbouring dreams, prefented fcenes of fuch elegance and dignity, as would with difliculty be rivalled in any other part of the globe. It is in this place, perhaps, that the fimple produflions of unaflldcd nature may be faid to excel all the fi6ti- tious defcriptions of the mod animated imagina- tion. I fliall finifli this article with a fliort ac- count of that fpot where the Commodore pitched his tent, and which he made choice of for his own refidence, though I defpair of conveying an gdequate idea of its beauty. The piece of I ground i6.^ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ground which he chofe was a fmall lawn, tliat lay on a little afcent, at the diftance of about half a mile from the fea. In the front of his tent there was a large avenue cut through the woods to the lea-fide, which floping to the water with a gentle dcfcent, opened a profped of the bay and the fliips at anchor. This lawn was fcreened behind by a tall wood of myrtle fwceping round it, in the form of a theatre, the flope on which the wood flood, rifing with a mucii fharper afcent than the lawn itfelf, though not fo much but that the hills and precipices within land towered up con- fiderably above the tops of the trees, and added to the grandeur of the view. There were, be- lides, two ftreams of cryftal water, which ran on the right and left of the tent, within an hun- dred yards diftance, and were fluided by the trees which Ikirted the lawn on cither fide, and com- pleted the fynimetry of the whole. Some faint conceptions of the elegance of this fituation may perhaps be better deduced from the draught of it in the eighteenth plate. It remains now only that we fpeak of the ani- mals and provinons which we met v.ith at this place. Former writers have related, that this Ifland abounded with vaft numbers of floats, and their accounts are nor to be queftioned, this place being theufual haunt of the buccaneers, and pri- vateers, who formerly frequented tuofe feas. And there are two inftances j one of a Alufquiio Indiafty and the other of Alexander Selkirk a Scotchman, who were left here by their refpe6live Ihips, and lived alone upon this Ifland for fome years, and . . con- ROUND THE WORLD. 16^ confeqiiently w(.*rc no ftrangcrs to its produce. Selkirk, who was the lafl:, after a Hay of between four and five years, was taken ort'tlie place by tlie Duke and Duchefs privateers of Brijlol^ as nay be feen at l?rge in the jouinal of their voyage; His manner of life, during his folitude, was in moll particulars very remarkable i but there is one circumdance he relatcF, which was fo Ilrange- ly verified by our own obfervation, tliat I cannot help reciting it. He tells us, amoni^fl; other things, that as lie often caught more goars than he wanted, he fometimes marked their ears and Jet them go. This was about thirty-two years be- fore our arrival at the Ifland. Now it happened, that the firfl: goat that was killed by our people at their ' .nding had his ears flit, whence we con- cludea, that he had doubtlefs been formerly under the power of Selkirk. This was indeed an animal of a mod venerable afpefl, dignified with an ex- ceeding majeftic beard, and with many other fymptoms of antiquity. During our ftay on the Ifland, we met with others marked in the fame manner, all the males being difl:inguiflied by an exuberance of beard, and every other charafterif- lic of extreme age. But the great numbers of goats, which former writers defcribe to have been found upon this Ifland, are at prefent very much diminiihed : As the Spaniards being informed of the advantages which the buccaneers and privateers drew from the provifions which goat's flefli here furniflied them with, have endeavoured to extirpate the breed, thereby to deprive their enemies of this re- " 5 lief. A iC6 Ld. A^f§oN*s Voyage lief. For this purpofe, they have put on itioftf great numbers of large dogs, who have increafed apace, and have deftroyed all the goats in the ac- ceflible part of the country j fo that there now rennain only a few amongft the craggs and preci- pices, where the dogs cannot follow them. Thefe are divided into feparate herds of twenty or thirty each, which inhabit diflinfl faftnefles, and never mingle with each other : By this means we found it extremely difficult to kill them; and yet we were fo defirous of their flefh, which we all agreed much refembled venifon, that we got knowledge, I believe, of ali their herds j and ic was conceived, by comparing their numbers to- gether, that they fcarcely exceeded two hundred upon the whole Ifland. I remember we had once an opportunity of obferving a remarkable difpute betwixt a herd of thefe animals, and a number of dogS} for going in our boat into the eaftern bay, we perceived fome dogs running very eagerly upon the foot, and being willing to difcover what game they were after, we lay upon our oars fome time to view them, and at lad law them take to a hill, where, looking a little further, we obferved upon the ridge of it an herd of goats, which feemed drawn up for their reception. There was a very narrow path jfkirted on each fide by preci- pices, on which the Mailer of the herd pofted himfelf fronting the enemy, the reft of the goats being all behind him, where the ground was more open : As this fpot was inacceffible by any other path, excepting where this champion had placed himfelf, the dogs, though they ran up-hill with great ROUND THE WORLD. i6y great alacrity, yet when they came within about twenty yards of him, they found they durfl: not encounter him (for he would infallibly have dri- ven them down the precipice), but gave over the chace, and quietly laid theinfclves down panting at a great rate. Thefe dogs, who are maftcra of all the acccfTible parts of the IQand, are of various kinds, fome of them very large, and are multiplied to a prodigious degree. They fome- times came down to our habitations at night, and dole our provifionj and once or twice they fet upon fingle perfons ; but ainilance being at hand, they were driven off without doing any mifchief- As at prefent it is rare for goats to fall in their way, we conceived that they lived principally upon young feals j and indeed fome of our people had the curiofity to kill dogs fometimes and drefs them, and it feemed to be agreed that they had a fifliy tafte. Goat's flcfh, as I have mentioned, being fcarcc, we rarely being able to kill above one aday j and our people growing tired of fifh (which, as I Jfhall hereafter obferve, abound at this place), they at laft condefcended to eat feals, which by de- grees they came to relifh, and called it lamb. The feal, numbers of which haunt this IHand, hath been fo often mentioned by former writers, that it is unneceflary to fay any thing particular about them in tiiis place. But there is another amphibious creature to be met with here, called a fea-lion, that bears fome refemblance to a feal, though it is much larger. This too we eat under the denomination of beef j and as it is fo extraor- dinary i5S Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE In fi dinary an animal, I conceive it well merits a particular defcription. They are in fize, when arrived at their full growth, from twelve to twenty feet in length, and from eight to fifteen in cir- cumference : They are extremely fat, fo that af- ter having cut through the fkin, which is ab >ut ar inch in thicknefs, there, is at leait a foot of tat before you can come at either lean or bones; and we experienced more than once, that the fat of fome of the largeft afforded us a butt of oil. They are like wife very full of blood ; for if they are deeply wounded in a dozen places, there will inflantly gufh out as many fountains of blood, fpouting to a confiderable diftance; and to try ■what quantity of blood they contained, we ibot one firft, and then cut its throat; and meafuring the blood that came from him, we found, tliat befides what remained in the veflels, which to be fure was confiderable, we got at leaft two hogf- heads. Their Ikins are covered wir!i Ihort hair, of a light dun colour; but their tails and their fins, which ferve them for feet on fliore, are al- moft black ; their fins or feet are divided at the ends like fingers, the web which joins them not reaching to the extremities, and each of thefe fingers is furnifhed with a nail. They have a diflant refemblance to an overgrown feal, though in fome particulars there is a manifeft difierence between them, efpecially in the males. Thefe have a large fnout or trunk hanging down, five or fix inches below the end of the upper jaw, which the females have not; and this renders the countenance of the male and female eafy to be diftin- an a is ROUND THE WORLD. i5^ diftinguifhcd from each other, and befider, the males are of a much larger fi2e. The form and appearance both of the male and female are very exadly reprefehted in the nineteenth pkte, only the difproportion of their fize is hot ufually fo great as is there exhibited j for the male was drawn from the life, after the largeft of thefe animals which was found upon the Ifland : He was the mailer of the flock, and from his driving off the other nrialefe, and keeping a great number of females to himfelf, he was by the feamen lu- dicroufly ftyled the Balhaw. Thefe animals divide their tinie equally between the land and fea, con- tinuing at fea all the Tummer, and coming on ihore at the fetting in of the winter, where they refide during that whole feafon. In this interval they engender and bring forth their young, and have generally two at a birth ; which they fuckle With their milk, they being at firfl about the fize of a full-grown feal. During the time thefe fea- lions continue on Ihore, they feed on the grafs and verdure which grows near the banks of the frelh- water ftreams j and, when not employed on feed- ing, fleep in herds in the moft miry places they can find out. As they feem to be of a very le- thargic difpofition, and are not eafily awakened, each herd was obferved to place fome of their males at a diftance, in the nature of centin^.' , who never failed to alarm them, whenever any one at- tempted to moleft, or even to approach them i and they were very capable of alarming, even at a confidcrablc diftance ; for the noife they make is very loud, and of different kinds, fometimes N . gruntin^i ^n i to be our refidence for three months i I fhall now proceed in the next chapter, to relate all that occurred to us in that interval, refuming my nar- ration from the iSth day of June, being the day in which the Tryal Sloop, having by a fquall been driven out to fea three days before, came again to her moorings, the day in which we finilhed the fending our fick on fhore, and about eight day* after our firft anchoring at this Ifland. ; ,•• • CHAP. I ROUND THE WORLD. 173 « 'r -4 ■ - CHAP. II. The arrival of the Gloiicefler and the jinna Phii at the Ifland of yuan Fernandes^ and the tranfadions at that place during this interval. TH E arrival of the 7Vj«/ Sloop at: this Ifl;\nd fo foon after we came there our! elves, gave us great hopes of being fpeedily joined by the reft of our fquadron j and we were for fome days continually looking out, in expeftation of their coming in fight. But near a fortnight being clapfed, without any of them having appeared, we began to defpair of ever meeting them again ; as we knew, that had our fhip continued fo nauch longer at fea, we Ihould every man of us have periihed, and the vefTel, occupied by dead bodies only, would have been left to the caprice of the winds and waves : And this we had great reafon to fear was the fate of our con'forts, as each hour added to the probability of thefe defponding fu.g- geftions. "" But on the 21ft of Ji^nt^ fome of our people, from an eminence on Ihore, difcerncd a Ihip to leeward, with her courfes even with the horizon ; and they, at the fame time, particularly obfcrved, that Ihe had no fail abroad except her courfes and her main top-fail. This circumftance made them conclude that it was one of our fquadron, which N3 ha4 174 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ■ k. had probably fiifFered in her fails and rigging as feverely as we had done : But they were prevented from forming more definitive conjectures about her ; for, after viewing her for a fhort time, the weather grew thick and hazy, and they loft fight of her. On this report, and no Ihip appearing for fomc days, we were all under the greateft concern, fufpeding that her people were in the utmoft diftrefs for want of water, and fo dimi- nifl:ied and weakened by ficknefs, as not to be able to ply up to windward j fo that we feared that, after having been in fight of the Ifland, her whole crew wouki notwithftanding perifli at fea. How- ever, on the 26th, towards noon, we difcerned a fail in the North- Eaft quarter, which we conceived to be the very fame Ihip that had been feen be- fore, and our conjeiflures proved true : And about one o'clock flie approached fo near, that We could diftinguifh her to be the Cloucefter, As \ve had no doubt of her being in great diftrefs, 'the Commodore immediately ordered his boat to her alTiftancej laden with frefh water, fifli and vege- tables, which was a very feafonable relief to them j for our apprehenfions of their calamities appeared to be but too well grounded, as perhaps there never was a crew in a more diftrelfed fituation. They had already thrown over-board two thirds of their complement, and of thofe which remained alive, fcarcely any were capable of doing duty, except the officers and their fervants. They had been a confiderable time at the fmall allowance of a pint of frefli water to each man for twenty-four hours, and yet they had fo little left, that, had it .'.a not \ \\ % ^ i. ROUND THE WORLD. 175 not been for the fupply we fent them, they mure foon have died of thini; The (hip plied in with- in three miles of the bayj but, the winds and currcits being contrary, fhe could not reach the road. However, jfhc continued in the offing the next day j but as fhe had no chance of coming to an anchor, unlefs the winds and currents fliift- ed, the Commodore repeated his afiiftancc, fcnd- ino- to her the Tryal's boat manned with the Cea- turion'% people, and a farther fupply of water and other refrefliments. Captain Mitchell the Cap- tain of the Gloucejier, was under the necelTity of detaining both this boat and that fent the pre- ceding day J for without the help of their crews, he had no longer flrength enough to navigate the fliip. In this tantalizing fituation the Glcticejier continued for near a fortnight, without being able to fetch the road, though frequently attempt- ing it, and at fome times bidding very fair for it. On the 9th of July, vre obferved her ftrctching away to the eaftward at a confiderable diftance, which we fuppofed was with a defign to get to the fouthward of the Ifland ; but as we foon loft fight of her, and flie did not appear for near a week, we were prodigioufly concerned, knowing that fhe mufl be again in extreme diftrefs for want of water. After great impatience abqnt her, we difcovered her again on the i6th, en- deavouring to come round the eaftern point of the Ifland : but the wind, flill blowing dircftly from the bay, prevented her getting nearer than within four leagues of the land. On this, Captain Michel made fignals of diftrefs, and our long-boat was ^ N 4 fent 176 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 11 1 Mi ient to him with a (lore of water, and plenty of filh and other refrcflinnents. And the Ipng- boat being not to be fpared, the Cockfwain. had pofitive orders from the Commodore to return again immediately j but the weather proving ftormy the next day, and the boat not appearing, we much feared (he was loft, which would havq proved an irretrievable misfortune to us all : However, the third day after, we were relieved from this anxiety, by the joyful fight of the long- boat's fails upon the water j on which we fent the Cutter immediately to her affiftancc, wha towed her along-fide in a few hours j wher^. we found that the crew of our long-boat had taken in fix of the Gloucefter's fick men to bring them. on iliore, two of which had died in the boat*. We now learnt that the Gloucejier was in a moft dreadful condition, having fcarcely a man in health on board, except thofe they received from us : and, numbers of their fick dying daily, it ap- peared that, had it not been ^r the laft fupply fent by our long-boat, bo^th the healthy and dif- cafed muft have all periflied together for u^ant of water. Thefe calamities were the more terrifying, as they appeared to be without remedy : for the Gloucejier had already fpent a month in her en- deavours to fetch the bay, and fhe was now no farther advanced than at the firft moment fhe made the Ifland j on the contrary, the people on board her had worn out all their hopes of ever fucceeding in it, by the many experiments they had made of its difficulty. Indeed, the fame day her fituation grew more defperate than ever, for af- X ter 1 m if- ter ROUND THE WORl,D. 177 ter Ihc had received our laft fupply of refrefhmcnts, we again loft fight of her j fo that we in general dcfpaired of her ever coming to an anchor. Thus was this unhappy veflel bandied about within a few leagues of her intended harbour, whilft the neighbourhood of that place and of thofe circumftances, which could alone put an end to the calamities they laboured under, i'erved only to aggravate their diftrefs, by torturing them with a view of the relief it was not in their power to reach. But (he was at lafl: delivered from this dreadful fituation, at a time when we lead ex- pected it i for after having loft fight of her for feveral days, we were pleafingly furprifed, on the morning of the 23d of July^ to fee her open the N. W. point of the bay with a flowing fail ; when we immediately difpatched what boats we had to her afliftance, and in an hour's time from our firft perceiving her, fiie anchored fafe within us in the bay. And now we were more particularly convinced of the importance of the afliftance and refrefliments we fo often fent them, and how im- poflible it would have been for a man of them to have furvived, had we given lefs attention to their wants; for notwithftanding the water, the greens, and frelli provifions which we fupplied them with, and the hands we fent them to navigate the Ihip, by which the fatigue of their own peo- ple was diminifiied, their fick relieved, and the mortality abated j notwithftanding this indulgent care o.f the Commodore, they yet buried above three-fourths of their crew, and a very fmall pro- portion of the remainder were ciipable of afililin ^ i ! 178 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE in the duty of the fliip. On their doming to an anchor, our firft endeavours were to afllft them in nnooring, and our next to lend their fick on Ihorc : Thele were now reduced by deaths to lefs than fourfcore, of which wie expe(5led to lofe the greateft: part ; but whether it was, that thofc far- theft advanced in the diftcmper were all dead, or that the greens and frefli provifions we had fent on board had prepared thofe which remained for a more fpcedy recovery, it happened, contrary to our expe6lations, that their fick were in general relieved and reftored to their (trength, in a much fliorter time than our own had been when we firft came to the Ifland, and very few of them died on Ihore. I have thus given an account of the principal events, relating to the arrival of the Gloucejlery in one continued narration. I fliall only add, that we never were joined by any other of our Ihips, except our Vidualler, the /Inna Pink, who came in about the middle of /iu^ufiy and whofe hiftory I ftiall defer for the prefcnti as it is now high time to return to the account of our own tranf- adlions on board and on ftiorc, during the inter- val of the Gloucejicr's frequent and ineiFeclual at- tempts to reach the Ifiand. Our next employment, after fending bur fick on fliore from the Centurion, was cle.anfing our fnip and filling our water. The firft of thefe meafures was indifpenfably neceflary to our future health ; as the numbers of fick, and the unavoid- aole negligence arifing from our deplorable fitua- tion at feci, had rendered the decks rnoft intole- rably ROUND THE WORLD. 179 rably loathfomc. And the filling our water was a caution that appeared not lefs eflential to our fc- curity, as wc had rcafon to apprehend that acci- dents might intervene, which would oblige us to quit the Ifland at a very Ihcrt warning j for fomc appearances wc had difcovered on fliore upon our firft landing, gave us grounds to believe, that there were Spanijb cruifcrs in thcfe Teas, which had left the Ifland but a Ihort time before our ar- rival, and might pofiibly return thither again, either for a recruit of water, or in fcarch of us; fmce we could not doubt, but that the fole bufi- ncfs they had at fca was to intercept us, and wc knew that this Illand was the likdicft place, in their own opinion, to meet with us. The cir- cumftances which gave rife to thefe refledlions (in part of which we were not miflaken, as Ihall be obferved more at large hereafter) were, our finding on Ihore fevcral pieces of earthen jars^, made ufe of in thofe feas for water and other li- quids, which appeared to be frefh broken : Wc faw, too, many heaps of aOies, and near them fifh- bones and pieces of fifh, bcfides whole fifh feat- tered here and there, which plainly ajipeared to have been but a fhort time out of the water, a* they were but jiift beginning to decay. Thefe were certain indications th it there had been fhips at this place but a fliorr time before wc came there; and as all Span.Jh merchant-men are indrucled to avoid the IQand, on account of its beins the com^ mon rendezvous of their enemies, we concluded thole who had touchtd here to be Ihips of force ; and not knowing that Pizarro was returned to Buenos X i iSo Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE H 1 1 I Buenos Ayres, and ignorant what ftrength might have been fitted out at Callao, we were under fomc concern for our fafety, being in fo wretched and enfeebled a condition, that notwithftanding the rank of our fhip, and the fixty guns fhe carried on board, which would only have aggravated our difhonour, there was fcarcely a privateer fent to fea, that was not an over-match for us. How- ever, our fears on this head proved imaginary, and we were not expofed to the difgrace, which might have been expedled to have befallen us, had we been neceffitated (as we muft have been, had the enemy appeared) to fight our fixty gun fhip with no more than thirty hands. Whilft the cleaning our fiiip and the filling our water went on, we fet up a large copper-oven on ihore near the fick tents, in which we baked bread every day for the fhip's company ; for being ex- tremely defirous of recovering our fick as foon as poflible, we conceived that new bread, added to their greens and frefh fifh, might prove a power- ful article in their relief. Indeed we had all ima- ginable reafon to endeavour at the augmenting our prefent ftrength, as every little accident, which to a full crew would be infignificant, was extremely alarming in our prefent helplefs fituation : Of this, we had a troublefome inftance on the 30th of jfunei for at five in the morning, we were afto- nillied by a violent guft of wind diredly ofi^ fiiore, which inftantly parted our fmall bower cable about t^n fathom from the ring of the anchor: The fliip at once fwung off to the beft bower, which hap- pily ftopd the Yiolenc? of the jerk, and brought ROUND THE WORLD. i8i us up with two cables an end in eighty fathom. At this time we had not above a dozen feamcn in the fhip, and we were apprehenfive, if the fquali continued, that we Ihould be driven to fea in this wretched condition. However, we fent the boat on ihore, to bring off all who were capable of aftingi and the wind, foon abating of its fury, gave us an opportunity of receiving the boat back again with a reinforcement. "With this additional ftrength we immediately went to work, to heave in what remained of the cable, which we fufpefted had received fome damage from the foulnefs of the ground before it parted; and agreeable to our conjefture, we found that fe* en fathom and a half of the outer end had been i ^bbed, and rendered unlferviceable. In the afternoon, we bent the cable to the fpare anchor, and got it over the fliip's fide J and the next morning, July i, being fa- voured with the wind in gentle breezes, we warped the Ihip in again, and let go the anchor in forty- one fathom J the eaflernmoft point now bearing from us E. f S; the wefternmoft N. W. by W; and the bay as before, S. S. W j a fituation in which we remained fecure for the future. However, we were much concerned for the lofs of our anchor, and fwept frequently for it, in hopes to have re- covered It i but the buoy having funk at the very inftant that the cable parted, we were never able to find it. And now as we advanced in July, fome of our men being tolerably recovered, the flrongcft of them were put upon cutting down trees, and fplitting them into billets: while others, who were t i i H ilih 182 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE were too weak for this employ, undertook to car- ry the billets by one at a time to the water-fide 1 This they performed, fome of them with the lielp of crutches, and others fupported by a fingle flick. We next fent the forge on fhore, and em- ployed our fmiths, who were but juft capable of working, in miCnding our chain-plates, and our other broken and decayed iron-work. We began too the repairs of our rigging j but as we had not junk enough to make fpun-yarn, we deferred the general overhale, in hopes of the daily arrival of the Gloucefter, who we knew had a great quantity of junk on board. Flowever, that we might dif- patch as faft as pofllble in our refitting, we fet up a large tent on the beach for the fail-makers j and they were immediately employed in repairing our old fails, and making us new ones. Thefe occu- pations, with our cleanfing and watering the fhip Cwhich was by this time pretty well completed), the attendance on our fick, and the frequent relief fent to the Gloucejlery were the principal tranfac- tions of our infirm crew, till the arriyal of the Gloucejler at a,n anchor in the bay. And then Captain' Mitchel waiting on the Commodore, in- formed him, that he had been forced by the winds, , in his laft abfence, as far as the fmall Ifland called Mafa Fueroy lying about twenty-two leagues to the weftward of Juan-Fernandcs i and that he en- deavoured to fend his boat on Ihore there for water, of which he could obferve feve.ral ftreams, but the wind blew fo ftrong upon the fhore, and occafioned fuch a furf, that it was impofTible for the boat to landi though the attempt was not al- S together ROUND THE WORLD. 183 together ufelefs, for his people returned with a boat-load of fifh. This Ifland had been reprefented • by fornner Navigators as a barren rockj but Cap- tain Mitchel aflured the Cominodore, that it was almoft every where covered with trees and verdure, and was near four miles in length; and added, that it appeared to him far from impoffible, but fome fmall bay might be found on it, which might afford fufficient fnelter for any fhip defirous of refrefhing there. ,,. . As four fhips of our fquadron were mifling, this defcription of the Ifland o{ Maja Fuero gave rife to a conjeflure, that fome of them might pof- fibly have fallen in with that Ifiand, and might have miftaken it for the true place of our rendez- vous. This fufpicion was the more plaufible, as we had no draught of either Ifland that could be relied on : And therefore, Mr. Anfon determined to fend the 'Tryal Sloop thither, as foon as fhe could be fitted for the fea, in order to examine all its bays and creeks, that we might be fatisfied whether any of our miiring fhips were there or not. For this purpofe, fome of our beft hands were fent on board the Tryal the next morning, to overhale and fix her rigging j and our long boat was employed in completing her water; and whatever flores and neceffaries fhe wanted, were immediately fupplied either from the Centurion or the GloUceJler. But ir was the 4th of Juguft be- fore the Tryal was in readinefs to fail, when hav- ing weighed, it foon after fell calm, and the tide fet her very near the eaftern fhore : Captain Saun- ders hung out lights, and fired feveral guns to ac- quaint (/ i84 t.b. ANSON'S VOYAGE quaint us with his danger i upon which all the boats were fent to his relief, who towed the Sloop into the bay ; where flie anchored until the next morning, and then weighing again, proceeded on her cruize with a fair breeze. And now, after the Gloucejier's arrival, we were employed in earneft in examining and repairing our rigging : but in the dripping our foremaft, we were alarmed by difcovering it was fprung juft above the partners of the upper deck. The fpring was two inches in depth, and twelve in circumference j however, the Carpenters, on in- fpefting it, gave it as their opinion, that fifhing it with two leaves of an anchor-flock, would render it as fecure as ever. But, befides this de- fed in our mail, we had other difficulties in re- fitting, from the want of cordage and canvas j for though we had taken to fea much greater quantities of both, than had ever been done be- fore, yet the continued bad weather we met with had occafioned fuch a confumption of thefe flores, that we were driven to great flraits : As after working up all our junk and oid flirouds, to make twice-laid cordage, we were at laft obliged to unlay a cable to work into running rigging. And with all the canvas, and remnants of old fails that could be muRered, we could only make up one complete fuit. Towards the middle of /^uguji our men being indifferently recovered, they were permitted to quit their fick tents, and to build feparate huts for themfelves, as it was imagined, that by living apart, the/ would be much cleanlier, and confe-. quently to up ng tly ROUND THE WORLD. 185 tjuently likely to recover their (Irength the fooner; but at the fame time particular orders were given, that, on the firing of a gun from the {hip, they Ihould inftantly repair to the water-fide. Their lemployment on (hore was now cither the procur- ing o f refrelhmenls, the cutting of wood, or th making of oil from the blubber of the fea-iions. This oil ferved us for feveral purpofes, as burning in lamps, or mixing with pitch to pay the Ihip's fides, or, when worked up with wood alhes, to fupply the ufe of tallow (of which we had none left) to give the fliip boot-hofe tops. Some of the men too were occupied in faking of cod j for there being two Newfoundland filhermen in the Centuriotiy the Commodore fet them about laying in a confiderable quantity of faked cod for a ica- ftore, though very little of it was ufed, as it was afterwards thought to be as produci:ive of the fcurvy, as any other kind of fait proviiions. ' • I have before mentioned, that we had a cop- per-oven on fhore to bake bread for the fick j but it happened that the greateft part of the flour, for the ufe of the fquadron, was embarked on board our Vidtualler the Anna Pink : And I fliould have mentioned, that the Tryal Sloop, at her ar- rival, had informed us, that on the 9th of May fhe had fallen in with our Vidlualler, not far dif- tant from the Continent of CM" ; and had kept company with her for four days, when they were parted in a hard gale of wind. This afforded us fome room to hope that llie was fafc, and that flie might join us j but zW June Sind July being paft, without any news of her, we then gave her over O for i86 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGfi for loft J and at the end of July^ the Commodof* ordered all the fhips to a ihort allowance of breads Nor was it in our bread only^ that we feared a deficiency ; for fince our arrival at this Ifland^ we difcovered that our former Purler had negletfted to take on board large quantities of feveral kindi of provifions, which the Commodore had exprefsly ordered him to receive j fo that the fuppofed lofs of our Vidlualler was on all accounts a mortifying confidcration. However, on Sunday, the i6th of Augufiy about noon> we efpied a fail in the norths ern quarter, and a gun was immediately fired from the CentMrion; to call off the people from fhore i who readily obeyed the fummons, repair- ing to the beach> where the boats waited to carry them on board. And being now prepared for the reception of this (hip in view, whether friend or enemy, we had various fpeculations about her ; at firft) many imagined^ it to be the Tryal Sloop returned from her cruize ; though as flie drew nearer, this opinion was confuted, by obferving flie was a veflTel with three mafts. Then other conjectures were eagerly canvafled, fome judging it to be the Severn, others the Pearl, and feveral affirming that it did not belong to our fquadron : But about three in the afternoon i>ur difputes were ended, by an unanimous perfuaiion that it was our Victualler the /ifwa Pink, This (hip, though, like the Gloucejier, (he had fallen in to the northward of the Ifland, had yet the good fortune to come ttr an anchor in the bay, at five in the afternoon. Her arrival gave us all the fincereft joy j for each (hip's company was immediately rcftored to their full ROUND THE WORLD. 187 full allowance of bread, and we were now freed from the apprehenfions of our provifions falling Ihort, before we could reach fome amicable portj a calamity, which in thefe feas is of all others the noft irretrievable. This was the laft fhip that joined us j and the dangers Ihe encountered, and the good fortune which fhe afterwards met with, being matters worthy of a feparate narration, I Ihall refer them, together with a fliort account of the other miffing Ihips of the fquadron, to the enfuing chapter. T u "■ ,.it ,V''' * - ■"-« O 12 CHAP. fv, t ■.. .*■■ I ■'I I ! II i88 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ■ :r^ ' .V CHAP. III. A fliort narrative of what befel the ^nna Pink before fhe joined us, with an account of the lols of the Wager, and of the putting back of the Severn and Pearl, the two remaining fliips of the fqiiadron. ON the fir ft appearance of the Jnna Pink, it feemed wonderful to us how the crew of a Veflel, which came to this rendezvous two months after usj fhould be capable of working their fliip in the manner they did, with fo little appearance of debility and diftrefs : But this difficulty was foon folved when fhe came to an anchor; for we then found that they had been in harbour fince the middle of May, which was near a month before we arrived at Juan Fernandes : So that their fuf- ferings (the rifk they had run of fhipwreck only excepted) were greatly fhort of what had been un- dergone by the reft of the fquadron. It feems, on the 1 6th of May, they fell in with the land> which was then but four leagues diftant, in the latitude of 45= : 15' South. On the firft fight of it they wore fhip and ftood to the fouthv/ard i but their fore top-fail fplitting, and the wind being W.S.W, they drove towards the ftiorej and the Captain at J aft, either unable to clear the land ; or, as others fay, refolved to keep the fca no longer, fteered 5 for ROUND THE WORLD. 189 (6t the coaft, with a view of difcovering fome flielter amongft the many Iflands which then ap- peared in fight : And about four hours after the firft view of the land, the Pi)ik had the good for- tune to come to an anchor, to the eaftward of the Ifland of 7»^/6/«i but as they did not run fufHci- ently near to the Eaft-ihore of that Ifland, and had not hands enough to veer away the cable brilkly, they were foon driven to the eaftward, deepening their water from twenty-five fathom to thirty-five j and ftill continuing to drive, they, the next day, the 17th of May, let go their fheet- anchor. This, though it brought them up for a fhort time, yet, on the i8th, they drove again, till they came into fixty-five fathom water, and were now within a mile of the land, and expe<5led to be forced on fhore every moment, in a place where the coaft was fo very high and ftetp too, that there was not the leaft profpe^l of faving the ftiip or cargo : As their boats were very leaky, and there was no appearance of a landing-place, the whole crew, confifting of fixteen men and boys, gave themfelves over for loft, apprehend- ing, that if any of them by fome extraordinary chance fhould get on ftiore, they would, in all probability, be maffacred by the Savages on dig coaft: For thefe knowing no other Europsam but Spaniards, it might be expefted they would treat all ftrangers with the fame cr jelty which they had fo often and fo fignally exerted again ft their Spanifi) neighbours. Under thefe terrifying cir- curiftances, the Pink drove nearer and nearer to the rocks which formed the fhore j but at laft, O 3 when '4 I 190 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE when the crew cxpefted each inftant to ftrike, they perceived a fmall opening in the land, which raifed their hopes j and immediately cutting away their two anchors, they fleered for it, and found it to be a fmall channel betwixt an Ifland and the Main, that led them into a moft excellent har- bour, which for its fecurity againft all winds and fwells, and the fmoothnefs of its water, may per- haps compare with any in the known world. And this place being fcarcely two miles diftant from the fpot where they deemed their deftruftion in- evitable, the horrors of Ihipwreck and of imme- diate death, which had fo long and fo ftrongly pofleffed them, vanilhed almoft inftantaneoufly, and gave place to the more joyous ideas of fecu- rity, refrefhment, and repofe. In this harbour, dlfcovered in this almoft mira- culous manner, the Pink came to an anchor in twenty-five fathom water, with only a hawfer, and a fmall anchor of about three hundred weight. Here Ihc continued for near two months, and here her people, who were many of them ill of the fcurvy, were foon reftored to perfect health by the frefli provifions, of which they procured good (lore, and the excellent water with which the ad- jacent fhore abounded. As this place may prove of the greateft importance to future Navigators, who may be forced upon this coaft by the wefterly winds, which are almoft perpetual in that part of the world, I (hall, before I enter into any farther particulars of the adventures of the Pink, give the beft account I coukl colled of this port, its fitua- tion^ conveniencies, and produftions. To ROUND THE WORLD. i^i To facilitate the knowledge of this place to thofe who may hereafter be defirous of making life of it, there is in the twentieth plate a plan both of the harbour itfclf, and of the large bay before it, through which the Pink drove. This plan is not perhaps in all refpefts fo accurate as might be wilhed, it being compofed from the memorandums and rude (ketches of the mafter and furgeon, who were not, I prefume, the ablcft draughtfmen, But as the principal parts were laid down by their eftimated diftances from each other, in which kind of eftimations it is well known the greateft part of the failors are v^ry dexterous, I fuppofe the errors are not very confi- derablc. Its latitude, which is indeed a material point, is not well afcertained, the Pink having no obfervation either the day before ihc came here, or within a day of her leaving it : But it is fup- pofed that it is not very diftant frorn 45* 30' South, and the large extent of the bay before the harbour renders this uncertainty of lefs moment. The Ifland of Incbin lying before the bay is thought to be one of the Idands of Chonos, which are mentioned in the Spanijh accounts, as fpreading ^11 along that coaft ; and are faid by them to be inhabited by a barbarous people, famous for their hatred of the Spaniards, and for their cruelties to fuch of that Nation as have fallen into their hands : And it is pofTible too that the land, on which the harbour itfelf lies, may be another of thofe Iflands, and that the Continent may be con- fiderably farther to the eaftward. The depths of water in the different parts of the Port, and the Q 4 channels. u 192 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE channels, by which it communicates with the bay, are fufficiently marked in the plan. But it muft be remembered, that there are two coves in it» where Ihips may conveniently heave down, the water being conftantly fmooth j and there are feveral fine runs of excellent frefli water, which fall into the haibour, fome of them fo luckily fituatcd, that the cafks may be filled in the long- boat with an hofe : The mod remarkable of thcfe is the ftream drawn in the N. E. part of the Port. This is a frelh water river, where the Pink's people gpt fome few mullets of an excellent fla- vour J and they were perfuaded that, in a proper feafon (it being winter when they were there), it abounded with firti. The principal refrefliments they met with in this port were greens, as wild celery, nettle-tops, £ffr. (which, after fo long a *.ontinuance at fea, they devoured with great eager- nefsj fliell-filh, as cockles and muicles of an ex- traordinary fize, and extremely delicious j and good ftore of geefe, fliags, and penguins. The climate, though it was the depth of winter, was not remarkably rigorous j nor the trees, and .ne face of the country, dcftitute of verdure j whence in the fummer many other fpecies of frefh provi- fion, befides thefe here enumerated, might d©ubt- lefs be found there. Notwithftanding the tales of the Spanijh Hiftorians, in relation to the vio- lence and barbarity of the 'inhabitants, it doth not appear that their numbers are fufficient to give the leaft jealoufy to any (hip of ordinary force, or that their difpofition is by any means fo inif- chicvous or mercilefs at hath hitherto been rep^e- fented. ROUND THE WORLD. spj fented. With all thefe advantages, this place is fo far removed from the Spanijh frontier, and fo little known to the Spaniards thcnrifelves, thai- there is rcafon to fuppofe, that by proper pre- cautions a Ihip might continue here iindifcovered a lon^ time. It is moreover a port of great de- fence ; for by poflefrmg the Ifland that doles up the harbour, and which is acceflible in very few places ; a Irnall force might fecure this Port againft all the ftrength the Spaniards could muftcr in that part of the world ; fince this Ifland towards the harbour is fl:eep too, and has fix faiiiom water clofc to the fliore, fo that the Pink anchored within forty yards of it : Whence it is obvious how im- pofTible it would prove, either to board or to cut out any veflel protedted by a force ported on ihore within piftol-fliot, and where thole who were thus polled could not themfclves be attack- ed. All thefe circumftances feem to render this port worthy of a more accurate examination j and it is to be hoped, that the important ufes which this rude account of it feems to fuggefl, may hereafter recommend it to the confideration of the public, and to the attention of thofe who arc; more immediately entrufled with the conduct of our naval affairs. After this defcription of the placie Where' the Pink lay for two months, it may be expe<5bed that I Ihould relate the difcoveries made by the crew on the adjacent coafl, and the principal incidents during their ftay there : But here I mufl: obferve, that, being only a few in number, they did not dare to detach any of their f)eopIe on diflrant ' -• " ' - fearchesj i94 Li>- ANSON'S VOYAGE fearches ; for they were perpetually terrified with the apprehenfion that they fhould be attacked cither by the Spaniards or the Indians', fo that their excurfions were generally confined to that traft of land which furrounded the Port, and where ^' ey were never out of view of the Ihip, Though had they at firft known how little foun- dation there was for thefe fears, yet the country in the neighbourhood was fo grown up with wood, and traverfed with mountains, that it ap- peared imprafticable to penetrate it : Whence no account of the inland parts could be expedled from them. Indeed they were able to difprove the relations given by Spanijh writers, who have reprefen'ed this coaft as inhabited by a fierce and powerful people : For they were certain, that no fuch inhabitants were there to be ^ound, at Icail during the winter feafon ; fmce all the time they continued there, they faw no more than one /«- Stan family, which canie into the harbour in a periagua, about a month after the arrival qf the Pinky and confided of an Indian near forty years old, his wife, and two children, one three years of age, and the other ftill at the breaft. They feemed to have with them all their property, which was a dog, and a cat, a fiihing-net, a hatchet, a knife, a cradle, fome bark of trees intended for the covering of a hut, a reel, fome worfted, a Hint and fteel, and a few roots of a yi^low hue and a very difagreeable tafte, which ferved them for bread. The mafter of the Pinky 9S foon as he perceived them, fent his yawl, who brought them on board > and fearing leil they might ROUND THE WORLD. 195 might difcover him, if they were permitted to go away, he took, as he conceived, proper precau- tions for fecuring them, but without uny mixture of ill ufage or violence ; For in the day-time they were permitted to go where they pleafcd about the Ihip, but at night were locked up in the fore- caftle. As they were fed in the fame manner with the reft of the crew, and were often indulged with brandy, which they feemed greatly to relifh, it did not at firft appear that they were much dif- fatisfied with their fituation, efpecially as the mafter took the Indian on fliore when he went a ihooting (who always feemed extremely delighted when the mafter killed his game), and as all the crew treated them with great humanity: But it was foon perceived, that though the woman continued eafy and cheerful, yet the man grew penfive and reftlefs at his confinement. He feem- ed to be a perfon of good natural parts, and thouo-h not capable of converfing with the Pink*s people, otherwife than by figns, was yet very curious and inquifitive, and Ihewed great dexterity in the manner of making himfelf underftood. In parti- cular, feeing fo few people on board fuch a large ftiip, he let them know, that he fuppofed they were once more numerous : And to reprefent to them what he imagined was become of their com^ panions, he laid himfelf down on the deck, do- ling his eyes, and ftretching himfelf out morion- lefs, to imitate the appearance of a dead body. But the ftrongeft proof of his fagacity was the manner of his getting away j for, after being in cuf^ody on board the Pink eight days, the fcuttle ■ a' i ' ff) ill HI 196 Ld. A N S O N*s VOYA G E of the fore-caftle, where he and his family were locked up every night, happened to be unnailed, and the following night being extremely dark and ftormy, he contrived to convey his wife and chil- dren through the unnailed fcuttle, and then over the Ihip's fide into the yawl j and to prevent be- ing purfued, he cut away the long-boat and his own periagua, which were towing a-ftern, and immediately rowed a-lhore. All this he conduced with {o much diligence and fecrecy, that though there was a watch on the quarter-deck with load- ed arms, yet he was not difcovered by them., till the noife of his oars in the water, after he had put off from the fhip, gave them notice of his cfcape i and then it was too late either to prevent him, or to purfue him ; for, their boats being all a-drift, it was a confiderable time before they could contrive the means of getting on fhore them- felves to fearch for their boats. The Indian too, by this effort, befides the recovery of his liberty, was in fome fort revenged on thofe who had con- fined him, both by the perplexity they were in- volved in from the loia of their boats, and by the terror he threw them in at his departure j for on the fir/l alarm of the watch, who cried out^ ihe Indians, the whole fhip was in the utmoft confu- fion, believing themfelves to be boarded by a fleet of armed periaguas. The refolution and fagacity with which the /»- dian behaved upon this occafion, had it beei> exerted on a more extenfive obje<5b than the re- trieving the freedom of a fingle family, might perhaps have immortalized the exploit, and have given ROUND THE WORLD. »9? 1%^ given him a rank amongft the illuftrious names of antiquity. Indeed his late mailers did fo much juftice to his meriti as to own that it was a molt g&llant enterprize, and that they were grieved they had ever been negeflitated, by their attention to their own fafety, to abridge the liberty of a per- fon, of whofe prudence and courage they had now fuch a diftinguifhed proof. As it was fup- pofed by fome of them that he ftill continued in the woods in the neighbourhood of the port* where it was feared he might luffer for want of provifions, they eafily prevailed upon the Mailer to leave a quantity of fuch food, as they thought would be moll agreeable to him, in a particular part where they imagined he would be likely to find it : And there was reafon to conjecture, that this piece of humanity was not altogether ufelefs to him i for, on vifiting the place fome time after, it was found that the provilion was gone, and in a manner that made them conclude it had fallen into his hands. But however, though many of them were fatif- fied that this Indian llill continued near them ; yet others would needs conclude, that he was gone to the Ifland of Chiloe, where they feared he would alarm the Spaniards, and would foon re- turn with a for'-c fufficient to furprife the Pink : On this occafion the Mailer of the Pink was pre- vailed on to omit firing the evening gun ; for it mull be remembered (and there is a particular reafon hereafter for attending to this circumftance), that the Mailer, from an ollentatious imitatioa of the pradlicc of men of war, had hitherto fired a gun I k98 Ld. AKSON^s VOYAGE a gun every evening at the fetring of the watch* This he pretended was to awe the enemy, if there was any wrthin hearing, and to convince thprn that the Pink was always on her guard i l)ut it being now reprefented to him, that his grtat recu- rity was his concealment, and that the evening gun might polTibly difcover him, and ferve to guide the enemy to him, he was prevailed on to omit it for the future : And his crew being now well refrefhed, and their wood and water fuffici- cntly replenilhed, he, in - "jw days after the efcape of the Indian, put to 1 , and had a fortunate paflage to the rendezvoi at the Ifland of Juan Fernandes, where he arrived on the i6th oi Augufly as hath been already mentioned in the preceding chapter. This veffel, the Mna Pink, was, as I have ob- ferved, the laft that joined the Commodore at Juan Fernandes» The remaining fliips of the fquadron were the Severn, the Pearl, and the Wa- ger ftore-fhip : The Severn and Pearl parted com- pany with the fquadron off Cape Noir, and, as we afterwards learnt, put back to the Brazils : So that of all the fhips which came into the South- Seas, the Wager, Captain Cheap, was the only one that was miffing. This Ihip had on board a few field-pieces mounted for land-fervice, together with fome cohorn mortars, and feveral kinds of artillery ftores, and pioneers tools, in- tended for the operations on Ihore : Therefore, as the enterprize on Baldivia had bec^i refolved on for the firll undertaking of the fquadron. Captain Cheap was extremely felicitous that thefe mate- rials. ROUND THE WORLD. 19^ tials, which were in his cuftodjr, might be ready before Baldivia } that if the fquadron fhould pof^ fibly rendezvous there (as he knew not the con- dition they were then re luced to), no delay nor difappointnient might be imputtd to him. But whilft the JVager, with thefe views, was making the beft of her way to her firft rendezvous off the Ifland of Socoro, whence (as there was little probability of meeting any of the fquadron there) Ihe propofed to fteer directly for Baidhia, fhe made the land on the 14th of Miy, about the la- titude of 47° South J and the Captain exerting himfelf on this occafion, in order to get clear of it, he had the misfortune to fall down the after- ladder, and diflocated his flioulder, which ren- dered him incapable of afting. This accident, together "'ith the crazy condition of the Ihip, which was little better than a wreck, prevented her from getting off to fea, and entangled her more and more with the land j infomuch that the next morning, at day-break, (he ftruck on a funken rock, and foon after bilged, and ground- ed between two fmall Iflands, at about a mufket- Ihot from the fhore. In this fituation the (hip continued entire a long time, fo that all the crew had it in their power to get fafe on Ihore j but a general confufion taking place, numbers of them, inftead of con- fulting their fafety, or reflefting on their calami- tous condition, fell to pillaging the (hip, arming themfclves with the firft weaponi that came to hand, and threatening to murder all who (hould oppofe them. This frenzy was greatly heightened * "^ by 200 Ld. AlSrSON*s VOYAGE m «i ' by the liquors they found on board, with which they got fo extremely drunk, tha^; fome of them falling down between decks, were drowned, as the water flowed into the wreck, being incapable of i-aifing themfelvcs up and retreating from it. The Captain therefore having done his utmoft <-o get the whole crew on Ihore, was at lafl: obliged to leave the mutineers behind him, and to follow his officers, and fuch as he had been able to prevail on ; but he did not fail to fend back the boats, to perfuadi. thofe who remained, to. have fome regard to their prefervation \ though all his efforts were for fome time without fuccefs. However, the weather next day proving ftormy, and there being great danger of the fhip's parting, they began to be alarmed with the fears of perifliing, and were defirous of getting to land ; but it feems their mad- nefs had not yet left them, for the boat not ap- pearing to fetch them off" fo foon as they expe6ted, they at laft pointed a four-pounder, which was on the quarter-deck, againft the hut, where they knew the captain refided on fl^ore, and fired two ihot, which pafifed but jufl: over it. From this fpecimen of the behaviour of part of the crew, it will not be difficult to frame fome conjedlure of the diforder and anarchy which took place, when they at laft got all on fhore. For the men conceived, that by the lofs of the fhip, the authority of the officers was at an end j and they being now on a defolate coaft, where fcarce- . ly any other provifions could be got, except what Ihould be faved out of the wreck, this was an- ptlwjr unfurmountable fourcc of difcord : Since the ROUND THE WORLD. %oj. the working upon the wredv, and the fecuring the. provifions, fo that they might be preferved for future exigences as much as pofilble, and the taking care that what was necefTary for their pre- fent fubfiltence, might be Sparingly and equally diftributed, were matters not to bt brought about but by difcipline and fubordination : And the mutinous difpofition of the people, ftimulated by theimpulfesof immediate hunger, rendered every regulation made for this purpofe ineffectual : So that there were continual concealments, frauds, and thefts, which animated each man againft his fellow, and produced infinite feuds and contefts. And hence there was aperverfe and malevolent difpofi- tion conltantly kept up amongft them, which ren- dered them utterly ungovernable. ' " Befides thefe heart-burnings occafioned by pe- tulance and hunger, there was another important point, which fet the greatefl: part of the people at variance with the Captain. This was their dif- fering with him in opinion, on the meafures to be purfued in the prefent exigency : For the Cap- tain v/as determined, if poflible, to fit up thp boats in the beft manner he could, and to pro- ceed with them to the northward. Since having with him above an hundred men in health, and •having gotten fome fire-arms and ammunition from the wreck, he did not doulyt but they could mailer zny Spamjh veflel they fliould encounter v/ith in thofe feas : And he thought he could . not fail of meeting with one in the neighbourhood of Chiloe or Baldivia, in which, when he had taken her, he intended to proceed to the rendez- P vous 202 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE vous at 'Juan Fernandes ; and he farther infiftcd, that fhould they light on no prize by the way, yet the boats alone would eafily carry them thither. But this was a fcheme that, however prudent, was no ways relifhed by the generality of his people; for, being quite jaded with the diftrefTes and dan- gers they had already run through, they could not think of profecuting an enterprize farther, which had hitherto proved fo difaftrous. The common refolution therefore was to lengthen the long-boat, and with that and the reft of the boats to fteer to the fouthward, to pafs through the Streights of Magellan^ and to range along the Eaft fide of South Jmericay till they fiiould arrive at Brazil, where they doubted not to be well received, and to procure a paflage to Great Britain, This proje»r ■ ii ROUND THE WORLD. 203 appear incapable of fo long a navigation, as that to the coaft of Brazil. But the Captain, by his. fteady oppofition at firit to this favourite proj-ft, had much embittered the people againft him j to which likewife the following unhappy accident greatly contributed. There was a Midlhipman whofe name was Cozens, who had appeared the for. noft in all the refraftory proceedings of the crew. He had involved himfelf in brawls with moft of the officers who had ad- hered to the Captain's authority, and had even treated the Captain himfelf with great abufe and infolence. As his turbulence and jrutality grew every day more and more intolerable, it was not in the lead doubted, but there were fome violent meafures in agitation, in which Cozens was engaged as the ringleader : For which reafon the Captain, and thofe about him, conftantly kept themfelves on their guard. One day the Purfcr, having, by the Captain's order, flopped the allowance of a fellow who would not work. Cozens, though the man did not complain to him, intermeddled in the affair with great bitternefs 5 and grofsly in- fulted the Purfer, who was then delivering out provifions juft by the Captain's tent, and was him- felf fufficiently violent : The Purfer, enraged by his fcurrility, and perhaps piqued by former quar- rels, cried out a mutiny, adding, the dog has PISTOLS, and then himfelf fired a piftol at Cozens, which however mifled him : But the Captain, oa this outcry and the report of the piftol, rulhed out of his tent J and, not doubting but it had been fired by Cozsns as the commencement of a mutiny, P 2 ' » -lie t Ml H . . m\l 1 1 !! Hi io4 Ld. AN50N»s VOtAGfi he immediately fliot him in the head without far- ther deliberation, and though he did not kill him on the fpot, yet the wound proved mortal, and he died about fourteen days after. However, this incident, though fufficiently dif- pleafing to the people, ^1 id yet, for a confiderablc time, awe them to their duty, and rendered them more fubmiTivc to the Captain's authority ; but, at lafl:, when towards the middle of O£iober the long-boat was nearly completed, and they were preparing to put to fea, the additional provocation he gave them, by covertly traverfing their projeft of proceeding through the Streightsof M7g-^/A2»> and their fears that he might at length engage a party ifufficient to overturn this favourite meafure, made them refolve to make ufe of the death o{ Cozens ias a reafon for depriving him of his command, under pretence of carrying him prifoner to Eng" tandy to be tried for murder ; and he was accord- ingly confined under a guard. But they never in- tended to carry him with them, as they too well knew what they had to apprehend on their return to Enghndy if their Commander fhould be prefent to confront them : And therefore, when they were juft ready to put to fea, they fet him at li- berty, leaving him and the few who chofe to take their fortunes with him, no other embarkation but the yawl, to which the barge was afterwards added, by the people on board her being prevailed on to return back. • When the fhip was wrecked, there were alive on board the PFager near an hundred and thirty per- fo-.: , of thefe above thirty died during their (lay J upon \ - ROUND THE WORLD. 70$ upon the place, and near eighty went off in the long-boat and the cutter to the Ibuthward: So that there remained with the Captain, after their departure, no more than nineteen perfons, which ho\^ever were as many as the barge and the yawl, thf only embarkcions left them, could well carry off. It was the 13th o{ OoJohr, five months after the Hiipv/reck, that the long-boat, converted into a fchooner, weighed, and Hood to the fouthward, giving the Captain, who, with Lieuttnant Hamil- ton of the land-forces, and the Surgeon, were then on the beach, three cheers at their dtjparturc : And on the 29th of January following they arrived at Rio Grande, on the coaft of Brazil : But hav- ing, by various accidents, left about twenty of their people on ihore at the different places they touched at, and a great number having periflied by hunger during the courfe of their navigation, there were no m.ore than thirty of them remaining, when they arrived in that port. Indeed, the un-^ dertaking of itfelf was a moft extraordinary one; for (not to mention the length of the run) the vef- fel was fcarcely able to contain the number that 6rft put to fea in herj and their ftock of provi- fions (being only what they had faved out of the ihip) was extremely flender : They had this addi- tional misfortune befides, that the cutter, the only boat they had with them, foon broke away from the ftern, and was ftaved to pieces i fo that when their provifion and their water failed them, they had frequently no means of getting on fhore tQ learch fpr ^ frefh fupply, • P 3 After i io6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE After the long-boat and cutter were gone, the Captain, and thofe who were left with him, pro- pofed to pafs to the northward in the barge and yawl i but the weather was fo bad, and the difli- culty of fubfiiling lb great, that it was two months from the departure of the long-boat before he was able to put to fea. It feems, tlie place, where the Wager was caft away, was not a part of the conti- nent, as was firH; imagined, but an Ifland at fome diftance from the main, which afforded no other forts of provifions but fhcll-fifti and a few herbs j and as the greateft part of what they had gotten from the fhip was carried off in the long-boat, the Captain and his people were often in extreme want of food, cfpecially as they chofe to prefervc what little fea provifions remained, for their ftore when they (hould go to the northward. During their refidence at this Ifland, which was by the feamen denominated Wager's JJland, they had now and then a draggling canoe or two of Indians, which came and bartered their fifh and other provifions with our people. This was fome little relief to their neceffities, and at another fcafon might per- haps have been greater : for as there were feveral Indian huts on the fhorc, it was fuppofed that in fome years, during the height of fummer, many of thefe favages might refort thither to fifli : In- deed, from what has been related in the .account of the Jnna Pink, it (hould feem to be the general practice of thofe Indians to frequent this coafl: in the fummer time for the benefit of fifhing, and to retire in the winter into a better climate, more to the northward. . • I On ROUND THE WORLD. ap7 On this mention of the Anna Pink, I cannot but obfcrve, how much it is to be lamented, that the tracer's people had no knowledge of her being fo near them on the coafl ; for as fhe was not above thirty leagues diftant from them, and came into their neighbourhood about the fame time the /Ftf- ger was loft, and was a fine roomy fhip, fhe could cafily have taken them all on board, and have car- ried them to Juan Fernandes, Indeed, I fufped: flie was ftill nearer to them than what is here efli- mated \ for feveral of the Prager's people, at dif- ferent times, heard the report of a cannon, which I conceive could be no other than the evening gun fired from the Anna Pink, efpecially as what was heard at IVager^s IJland was about the fame time of the day. But to return to Captain Cheap. Upon the 14th of December, tiie Captain and his people embarked in the barge and the yawl, in order to proceed to the northward, taking on board with them all the provifions they could amafs from the wreck of the fhip j but they had Icarcely been an hour at fea, when the wind began to blow hard, and the fea ran fo high, that they were obliged to throw the greaceft part of their provifions overboard, to avoid immediate deftruc- tion. This was a terrible misfortune, in a part of the world where food is fo difficult to be got : However, they perfifted in their defign, putting on fhore as often as they could to feek fubfiflence. But about a fortnight after, another dreadful ac- cident befel them, for the yawl funk at an anchor, and one of the men in her was drowned j and as the barge was incapable of carrying the whole P 4 company, ^ ' ' ^*i I !--fl JO"^ Ld, ANSON'S VOYAGE company, they were now reduced to the hard ne-^ cefllty of leaving four marines behind them on that defolate fliore. Notwithftanding thefe difaf- ters, they ftlU kept on their courfe to the north- ward ; though greatly delayed by the perverfenefi; of the winds, and the frequent interruptions which their fearch after food occafioned, and conftantly Itruggling with a feries of the moft finifter events : Till at laft, about the end of January^ having made three unfuccefsful attempts to double a head- land, which they fuppofed to be what the Spaniards called Cape Tres MojiteSy it was unanimoufly re- folved, finding the difficulties infurmountable, to give over this expedition, and to return again to Wager TJland, where they got back about the middle. of February y quite dilheartened and de- jected with their reiterated difappointments, and almoft periiliing with hunger and fatigue. However, on their return, they had the good luck to meet with feveral pieces.of beef, which had been wafiicd out of the wreck, and were fwimming jn the lea. This was a moft feafonable relief to them after the hardlhips they had endured : And to complete their good fortune, there came, in a Ihort time, two canoes of Indians^ amongft which was a native of Cbiloe^ who fpoke a little Spani/h; and the Surgeon, who was with Captain Cheap, unaerllanding that language, he made a bargain with the Indian^ that if he would carry the Captain and his people to Chiioe in the barge, he fhould |iave her, and all that belonged to her, for his pains. Accordingly, on the 6th of March the ^Icy^n perfons p which the company was now're- • • vJucedj ROUND THE WORLD. 10^ duced, embarked in the barge on this new expe- dition i but after having proceeded for a few days, the Captain and four of his principal officers being on (bore, the fix, who together with an Indian re- mained in the barge, put off with her to fca, and did not return again. By this means there were left on Ihore Captain Chedpy Mr. Hamilton, Lieutenant of rnarines, the Honourable Mr. Byron and Mr. Campbell, Mid- Jliipmen, and Mr. Elliot the Surgeon. One would have thought that their diftreflcs had long before this time been incapable of augmentation ; but they found, on refiedion, that their prefent fitua- tion was much more difmaying than any thing they had yet gone through, being left on a defo- late coaft without any provifion, or the means of procuring any j for their arms, ammunition, and every conveniency they were mafters of, except the tattered habits they had on, were all carried away in the barge. But when they had fufficiently revolved in their own minds the various circumftances of this un- expefted calamity, and were perfuaded that they had no relief to hope for ; they perceived a canoe at a diftance, which proved to be that of the /»- dian, who had undertaken to carry them to Chiloe^ he and his family being then on board ir. He made no difficulty of coming to themj for it feems he had left Captain Cheap and his people a little before to go a fifhing, and had in the mean time committed them to the care of the other Indian^ whom the failors had carried to fea in the barge, ."Wliefi he CJ^me on Ihore, and found the barge gone I' ''«' i' 1 ;i : '■ i f j i J 1 i 1 1 1 aio Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE gone and his companion miffing, he was extremely concerned, and could with difficulty be perfuaded that the other hdian was not murdered j yet being at laft fatisfied with the account that was given him, he ftill undertook to carry them to the Spa- tiijh fettlemcnts, and (as the Indians are well fkilled in filhing and fowling) to procure them provifions by the way. -. . ,, \t About the middle of March Captain Cheap and the four who were left with him fet out for Chiloe, the Indian having provided a number of canoes, and gotten many of his neighbours together for that purpofe. Soon after they embarked, Mr. El- liot the Surgeon died, fo that there now remained only four of the whole company. At laft, after a very complicated paflfage by land and water. Cap- tain Cheap, Mr. Byron, and Mr. Campbell, arrived in the beginning of June at the Ifland of Chiloe, where they were received by the Spaniards with great humanity j but, on account of fome quarrel among the Indians, Mr. Hamilton did not get there till two months later. Thus was it above a twelve- month from the lofs of the Wager, before this fatiguing peregrination ended: And not till by a variety of misfortunes the company was dimi- niflied from twenty to no more than four, and thofe too brought fo low, that, had their di- ftrefles continued but a few days longer, in all probability none of them would have furvived. For the Captain himfelf was with difficulty recovered ; and the reft were fo reduced by the feverity of the •weather, their labour, their want of food, and of all kinds of neccffaries, that it was wonderful how ROUND THE WORLD. an how they fupported themfelves fo long. After fomc flay at Chiloe, the Captain and the three who were with him were fent to Valparoifoy and thence to St. JagOi the Capital ofChilit where they conti- nued above a year: But on the advice of a cartel being fettled betwixt Great Britain and Spain, Capt. Cheapj Mr. ByroNj and Mr. Hamiltony were permitted to return to Europe on board a French fhip. The other Midfliipman, Mr. Campbell, having changed his religion, whilft at St. Jago, chofe to go back to Buenos Ayres with Pizarro and his officers, with whom he went afterwards to Spain on board the Afia ; but having there failed in his endeavours to procure a commifTion from the Court of Spain, he returned to England, and attempted to get reinflated in the Britijh Navy. He has fince publifhed a narration of his adven- tures, in which he complains of the injuftice that had been done him, and flrongly difavows his ever being in the Spaniflo fervice: But as the change of his religion, and his offering himfelf to the court oi Spain (though he was not accepted) are matters which, he is confcious, are capable of being inconteflably proved ; on thefe two heads, he has been entirely filent. And now, after this account of the accidents which befel the Anna Pink, and the cataflrophe of the Wager, I Ihall again refui?ie the thread of ourownftory. ' ■ ^ ■ V . CHAP. %}Z Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE C H A P. IV. Conclufion of our proceedings at j^uan Fer^ nandes^ from the arrival of the Anna Pinky to our final departure from thence. A:\ I ABOUT a week after the arrival of our Vic-t tualler, the TVy^/ Sloop, that had been fent to the Ifland of Mafa-Fuero^ returned to an an- chor at Juan Fernandes, having been round that Ifland, without meeting any part of our fquadron. As upon this occafion, the Illand of Mafa-Fuer9 was more particularly examined, than I dare fay it had ever been before, or perhaps ever will be again J and as the knowledge of it may, in certain circumftances, be of great confequence hereafter, I think it incumbent on me to infert the accounts given of this place, by the officers of the Tryal 31oop. The Spaniards have generally mentioned two Jflands under the name of Juan Firnande!, ftyling them the greater and the lefs : The greater being that Ifland where we anchored, and the Ifefs being the Ifland we are now defcribing, which, becaufe jt is more diftant from the Continent, they have diftinguiflied by the name of Mafa-Fuero, The ^ryal Sloop found that it bore from the greater Juan Fernandes W. by S, and was about twenty- two leagues diftant. It is a much larger and bet* tcr fpot than has been generally reported i for former ROUND THE WOULD. arj former writers have reprefented it as a fmall barren rock, deftitute of wood and water, and altogether inacceffible -, whereas our people found it was co- vered with trees, and that there were fevcral fine falls of water pouring down its fides into the fca : They found too, that there was a place where a (hip might come to an anchor on the North fide of it, though indeed the anchorage is inconvenient j for the bank extends but a little way, is ftcep too, and has very deep water upon it, fo that you mult come to an anchor very near the Ihore, and there lie expofed to all the winds but a foutherly onej And befides the inconvenience of the anchorage, there is alfo a reef of rocks running off the eafteni point of the IQand, about two miles in length; though there is little danger to be feared from them, becaufe they are always to be ieen by the feas breaking over them. This place has at prc- fcnt one advantage beyond the Ifland of Juan Fer^ nandes; for it abounds with goats, who, not being accuftomed to be difturbed, were no ways Ihy or apprehenfive of danger, till the-y had been fre- quently fired at. Thefe animals refidc here in great tranquillity, the Spaniards having not thought the Ifland confiderable enough to be frequented by their enemies, and have not therefore been felicitous to deftroy the provifions upon it; fo that no dogs have been hitherto fct on Ihore there. Befides the goats, our people found there vaft numbers of feals and fea-lions : And upon the whole, they feemed to imagine, that though it was not the mod eligible place for a fhip to re- frefli at ; yet, in cafe of neccffity, it might afford fome IF i 414 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fome fort of Ihelter, and prove of confidcrable life, efpecially to a fingle fhip, who might appre- hend meeting with a fuperior force at Fernandet, The appearance of its N. E. fide, and alfo of its Weft fide, may be feen in the 21(1 and 22d plates. This may fuffice in relation to the Ifland of Mafa- Fuero. The latter part of the month of Augujt was (pent in unlading the provifions from the Anna Pink ; when we had the mortification to find that great quantities of our provifions, as bread, rice, grots, &c. were decayed, and unfit for ufe. This was owing to the water the Pink had made by her working and ftraining in bad weather; for hereby feveral of her cafks had rotted, and her bags were foaked through. And now, as we had no farther occafion for her fervice, the Commodore, purfu- ant to his orders from the board of Admiralty, fent notice to Mr. Gerard, her mafter, that he difcharged the Anna Pink from attending the fqua- dron; and gave him, at the fame time, a certifi- cate fpecifying how long fhe had been employed. In confequence of this difmiflion, her Mafter was at liberty, either to return diredlly to England, or to make the beft of his way to any Port, where he thought he could take in fuch a cargo, as would anfwer the intereft of his owners. But the Mafter being fenfible of the bad condition of the Ihip, and of her unfitnefs for any fuch voyage, wrote tlie next day an anfwer to the Commodore's 'meflfage, acquainting Mr. An/on, that from the great quantity of water the Pink had made in her paflage round Cape Horn, and fince that, in the i; 1 tern- ROUND THE WORLD. Its oyage, Ddore's Dm the in her in the tem- tempeftuous weather fhe had met with on the coaft o( Chili, he had reafon to apprehend that her bottom was very much decayed : He added, that her upper works were rotten abaft j that (he was extremely leaky j that her fore beam was broke ; and that, in his opinion, it was impofllble to pro- ceed to fca with her before fhe had been thorough- ly refitted : And he therefore requelled the Com- modore, that the Carpenters of the fquadron might be dire6led to furvey her, that their judg- ment of her condition might be known. In com- pliance with this defire, Mr. Jnfon immediately ordered the Carpenters to take a careful and ftridl furvey of the Anna Pink, and to give him a faith- ful report, under their hands, of the condition in which they found her, diredling them at the fame time to proceed herein with fuch circumfpe<^ion, that, if they Ihould be hereafter called upon, they might be able to make oath of the veracity of their proceedings. Purfuant to thefe orders, the Carpenters immediately fet about the examination^ and the next day made their report j which was, that the Pink had no lefs than fourteen knees and twelve beams broken and decayed j that one breaft hook was broken, and another rotten j that her water-ways were open and decayed; that two ftandards and feveral clamps were broken, befidcs others which were rotten -, that all her iron-work was greatly decayed ; that her fpirkiring and tim- bers were very rotten j and that, having ripped off part of her (heathing, they found her wales and outfide planks extremely defeflive, and her bows and decks very leaky; and in confequence of atfi Ld. ANSON'3 vovaoe 'lisk of thefe dcre<^s and decays they certified, that iti their opinion ihe could not depart from the Ifland without great hazard, unlefs Ihe was firll of all thoroughly refitted. The thorough refitting of the ^tina Pink, pro- pofed by the Carpenters,, was, in our prcfent fitu- ation, impolTible to be connplied with, as all the plank and iron in the fquadron was infufEcient for that purpofe. And now the Matter, finding his own fentinnents confirmed by the opinion of ?\l the Carpenters, he offered a petition to the Commodore in behalf of his Owners, defiring that, fince it appeared he was incapable of leaving the Ifland, Mr. Jnfon would pleafe to purchafe the hull and furniture of the Pink for the ufe of the fquadron. Hereupon the Commodore ordered an inventory to be taken of every particular belong- ing to the Pink, with its juft value : And as by this inventory it appeared, that there were many flores which would be ufeful in refitting the other ihips, and which were at prefent very fcarce in the fquadron, by reafon of the great quantities that had been already expended, he agreed with Mr. Gerard to purchafe the whole together for 300 /. The Pink being thus broken up, Mr. Gerard, with the hands belonging to the Pink, were fent on board the Gloucefier; as that fhip had buried the greatefl: number of men, in proportion to her complement. But afterwards, one or two of them were received on board the Centurion, on their own petition, they being extremely averfe to failing in the fame fhip with their old mafter, on account of fomc ' •' , ,' .: *■,.-.,. ^ ', particular r own ; in the Tome ROUND THE WORLD. at? particular ill ufagc they conceived they had fuffered from him. This tranfa(5ti6n brought us down to the begiri- ning of September^ and our people by this time were fo far recovered of the fcurvy, that there was little danger of burying any more at prefentj and therefore I fhall now fum up the total of our lofs fince our departure from England, the better to convey fome idea df our paft fufFerings, and of our prefent ftrength. We had buried on board the Centurion^ fince ou: leaving 67. Helen's, two hun- dred and nincty-two, and had now remaining on board t^o hundred and fourteen. This wiU doubtlefs appear a moft extraordinary mortality : But yet or board the Gloucejier it had been mUch greater j for out of a much fmaller trew than oura they had loft the fame number, and had only . eighty-two remaining alive. Jt might be exp^ded that on board the Tryal, the flaughter would have been the moft teiriblei as her decks were almoft conftantly knee-deep in water j but it happened otherwife, for fhc cfcaped rriore favoufably than the reft, fince (he only buried forty-two, and had now thirty-nine rcmairiing alive. The havoc of this difeafe had fallen ftill feverer oil th6 invalids and marines than on the failors : for on board the Centurioni out of fifty invalids and feventy-nine niarines, there renfiained only fourinvalids, includ- ing officers, and eleven marines : And on board the Gloucejier every invalid perifhed j and Out of forty-eight liiarinesj only two efcaped. From this account it appears, that the three Ihips together departed ixQtti J^ngland with nine hundred and Q^ iixty. •21 8 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 'fr fixty-one men on board, of whom fix hundred and twenty-lix were dead before this time ; fo that the whole of our r.-maifiing crew^, which were now to be diftributed amongft three fhips, amounted to no more than three hundred and thirty-five men and boys ; a number, greatly infufTicient for the mar.ning the Centurion s'one, and barely ca- pable c^ n;ivigating all the three, with the utmofl exertioh of their flrength and vigour. This pro- digious redudtion of our men was ftill the more terrifying, as we were hitherto uncertain of the fate of Pizarro*s fquadron, and had reafon to fup- pofe that fome part of it at leafl: had got round, into thele feas : Indeed, we were fatisfied from our own exper'once, that they muft have fuffered greatly in their panage ; but then .very port in "the South-Seas was open to them, and the whole power oi Chili and Peru would doubtlefs be united in refrelhing and refitting them, and recruiting the numbers they had loft. Befides, we had fome obfcure knowledge of a force to be fent out from Callao ; and, however contemptible the Ihips and failors of this part of the world may have been g-^nerally efteemed, it was fcarccly pofTible for any thing, bearing the name cf a fhip of force, to be feebler or lefs confiderable than oui.*elves. And had there been nothing to be apprehended from the naval power of the Spaniards in this part of the world, yet our enfeebled condition would nevertheltfs give us the greateft uneafinefs, as we were incapable of attempting any of their confi- derable places i for the rifquing of twenty men, wealc as we then were, was rifquing the fafety of \^ the ROUND THE WORLD. ai^ the whole : So that we conceived we fliould be ne- ccflitatcd to content ourlelves with what few prizes we could pick up at fea, before we were difco- vered ; after which, we Ihould in all probability be obliged to depart with precipitation, and eftcem ourfelves fortunate to regain our native country, leaving our enemies to triumph on the inconfiderable mifchief they had received from a fquadron, whofe equipment had filled them with fuch dreadful apprehenfions. This was a fubjeft, on which we had reafon to imagine the Spanijh oftentation would remarkably exert itfclfj though the caufes of our difappointment and their fecurity were neither to be fought for in their valour nor our mifconduft. Such were the defponding refleftions which at that time arofe on the review and comparifon of our remaining (Irength with our original numbers ; Indeed, our fears were far from being groundlefs, or difproportioned to our feeble and almoft def- perate fituation : For though the final event proved more honourable than we had foreboded j yet the intermediate calamities did likewife greatly fur- pafs our mod gloomy apprehenfions, and could they have been predicted to us at this Ifland of Juan FernandeSy they would doubtlefs have ap- peared infurmouncable. But to return to our narration. , ... • ,..,a., In the beginning of Septemhert as has been already mentioned, our men were tolerably well recovered j and now, the feafon for navigation in this climate drawing near, we exerted ourfelves in getting our ftiips in readinefs for the fea. We ■i 0^2 con- '4 It, , l2o Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE I o. converted the foremaft of the Viftualler into i main-mad for the Tryal Sloop; and ftill flattering ourfclvcs with the pofllbility of the arrival of fomc other fhips of our fquadron, w^ intended to leave the main-maft of the Viftualler, to make a mi- zen-maft for the fVager, Thus all hands being employed in forwarding our departure, we, on the 8th, about eleven in the morning, efpied a fail to the N. E, which continued to approach us, till her courfcs appeared even with the horizon. Whilft ilie advanced, we had great hopes Ihc might prove one of our own fquadron i but as at length fhe (leered away to the eaftward, without haling in for the Ifland, we thence concluded ftie muft be a Spaniard, And now great difputcs were fet on foot about the pofllbility of her having difcovered our tents on (hore, fome of us ftrongly infifting, that fhe had doubtlefs been near enough to have perceived fomething that had given her a jealoufy of an enemy, which had oc- cafloned her (landing to the eaftward without hal- ing in : However, leaving thefe contefts to be fettled afterwards, it was refolved to purfue her, and, the Centurion being in the greateft forward- nefs, we immediately got all our hands on board, fet up our rigging, bent our fails, and by five in the afternoon got under fail. We had at this time very little wind, fo that all the boats were em- ployed to tow us out of the bay ; and even what wind there was, lafted only long enough to give us an ofling of two or three le^^iies, when it flatted to a calm. The night coming on, we loft fight of the chace, and were extremely impatient for ROUND THE WORLD. 211 for the return of day-light, in hopes to find that (he had been becalmed as well as we ; though I muft confcfs that her greater diftancc from the land was a reafonable ground for fufpedling the contrary ; as we indeed found in the morning to our great mortification ; for though the weather continued perfe6lly clear, we had no fight of the ihip from the mad-head. But as we were now fatisfied that it was an enemy, and the firft we had feen in thefe feas, we refolved not to give over the fearch lightly j and, a fmall breeze fpringing up from the W. N. W, we got up our top-gallant mads and yards, fct all the fails, and fleered to the S, E, in hopes of retrieving our chace, which we imagined to be bound to Valparaifo, We con- tinued on this courfe all that day and the next, and then, not getting fight of our chace, we gave over thepurfuit, conceiving that by that time Ihe mull, in all probability, have reached hpr port. Being therefore determined to return to Juap Fernandes, we haled up to the S. W, with that view, having but very little wind till the I2th, when, at three in the morning, there fprung up a frelh gale from the W. S. W, which obliged up to tack and (land to the N. W. At day-break, we were agreeably furprifed with the fight of a fail on our weather-bow, between four and fivp leagues diftant. We immediately crouded all the fail we could, and ftood after her, and foon pcf;^ ceived it not to be the fame Ihip we originally gjivc chace to. She at firft bore down upon .us, fhew» ing Spanijh colours, and making a fignal as to her ^pnfort i but obf^rving that we did dqc ^infwer her QL3 ■ f'S- ^i il i: m .1 I trfi 1222 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fignal, (he inftantly loofed clofe to the wind, and Hood to the fouthward. Our people were now all in fpirits, and put the Ihip about with great brilk- nefs ; and as the chace appeared to be a large fhip, and had miftaken us for her confortj we conceived tiiat Ihe was a man of war, and probably one of Pi::arro*s fquadron : This induced the Commo- dore to'order all the officers cabins to be knocked down and thrown over-board, with feveral calks of water and provifions which flood between the guns J fo that we had foon a clear (hip, ready for an engagement. About nine o'clock we had thick hazy weather and a (hower of rain, during which we loft fight of the cliace i and we were appre- henfive, if this dark weather (hould continue, that by going upon the other tack, or by fome other artifice, (he might efcape us j but it clearing up in lefs than an hour, we found that we had both weathered i*nd fore-reached upon her confidera- bly, and were then near enough to difcover that (he was only a Merchantman, without fo much as a fingle tier of guns. About half an hour after twelve, being got within a reafonable diftance of her, we fired four (hot amongft her rigging j on \/hich they lowered their '■op-fails, and bore down to us, but in very great confufion, their top-gallant fails and ftayrfails all fluttering im the winds : This was owing to their having let run their (lieets and halyards juft as we fired at them ; after which, not a man amongft them had courage enough to venture aloft (for there the (hot had pafTed but juft before) to take them in. As foon ^§ the vefTel came within hale of us, the Commo- dore ROUND THE WORLD. *23 dore ordered them to bring to under his lee-quar- ter, and then hoifled out the boat, and fent Mr. S/iumurez, his fii Tc Lieutenant, to take pofTefllon of the prize, with directions to fend all the pri- foners on board the Centuriorty but firft the officers and paffengers. When Mr. Saumurez came on board them, ihey received him at the fide with the ftrongeft tokens of the moft abjeft fubmiffion ; ' for they were all of them (efpecially the paffen- gers, who were twenty-five in number) extremely terrified, and under the greateft apprehenfions of meeting with very fevere and cruel ufage j but the Lieutenant endeavoured, with great courtefy, to diffipate their fright, affuring them, that their fears were altogether groundlefs, and that they would find a generous enemy in the Commodore, who was no'' ^efs remarkable for his lenity and hu- manity, than for his refolution and courage. The prifoners, who were firft fent on board the Centu- rion, informed us that our prize was called iV«♦!-., J 5 J#H ;:>-.* tH t I ; 15':; 1 li'; ■ I'^m 22^ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE or had peridied at fea, or, at leaft, had been obliged to put back again; as it was conceived impoflible. for any lliips to continue at fea during fo long an interval : And therefore, on the application of the Merchants, and the firm perfuafion of our having mifcarriedjthe embargo had been lately taken off. This lafl: article made us flatter ourfelves, that, as the enemy was ftill a ftranger to our having got round Cape Honiy and the navigation of thefe feas was reftorcd, we might meet with fome valu- able captures, and might thereby indemnify our- felves for the incapacity we were undtr of at- tempting any of their confiderable fettlcments on fliore. And thus much we were certain of, from the information of our prifoners, that, whatever our fuccefs might be, as to the prizes we might light on, we had nothing to fear, weak as we were, from the Spanijh force in this part of the "world ; though we difcovered that we had been in moft imminent peril from the enemy, when we leaft apprehended it, and when our other dif- trefles were at the grcated height : For we learnt, from the letters on board, that Pizarro, in the exprefs he difpatched to the Viceroy of PerUy afcer his return to the river of Platen had inti- mated to him, that it was pofiible fome part at leaft of the Englifh fquadron might get round ; but that, as he w\is certain from his o\Sri. expe- rience, that if they did arrive in thofe feas, it muft be in a very weak and defencclefs condition, he advifed the Viceroy, in order to be fecure at all events, to fend what (hips of war he had, to the fouthward, where, in all probability, they would intercept ROUND THE WORLD. 227 intercept us fingly, before we had an opportunity of touching at any port for refrelhmentj in which cafe, he doubted not but we Ihould prove an eafy conqucft. The Viceroy of Peru approved of this advice : And as he had already fitted out four fhips of force from Callao ; one of fifty guns, two of forty guns, and one of twenty-four guns, which were intended to join Pizarroy when he ar- rived on the coaft of Chili : The Viceroy now fta- tioned three of thefe off the Port of Conception, and one of theip at the Ifland of Fernandes, w^ere they continued cruifing for us till the 6th o{Ju::e\ and then not feeing any thing of us, and conceiv- ing it to be impoflible that we could have kept the feas fo long, they quitted their cruife and re- turned to CallaOi fully perfuaded that we had either perilhed, or at lead had been driven back. Now as the time of their quitting their ftations was but a few days before our arrival at tlie Ifland of Fernandes, it is evident, that liad we made that Ifland on our firft fearch for it, without haling in for the main to fecure our eafting (a circumfrance, which at that time we confidered as very unfor- tunate to us, on account of the numbers which we loft by our longer continuance at Tea) -, had we, I fay, made the Ifland on the zFth of May, when we firft expeded to fee it, and were in reality very near it, we had doubtlefs fallen in with fome part of the Spanijh fquadron j and in the diftrefled condition we were then in, the meetincr with a healthy well provided enemy, was an incident that could not but have been perplexing, and might perhaps have proved fatal, not only to us, 5 ^^^ Il f 22B Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE but to the Tryali the Gloucejier, and the J»na Pink, who feparately joined us, and who were each of them lefs capable than we were of making any confiderable refiftaacc. I fhall only add, that thc(Q Spanijh fhips fent cut to intercept li, had been greatly Ihattered by a ftorm during their cruifej and that, after their arrival at Callao, they had been laid up. And our prifoners aflured us, that whenever intelligence was received at Lima, of our being in thefe Teas, it would be at lead two months before this armament could be again fit- ted out. The whole of this intelligence was as favour- able as we, in our reduced circumftances, could wifii for. And now we were no longer at a lofs as to the broken jars, afhes, and fifh -bones, which we had obferved at our firft landing at Juan Fernandes^ thefe things being doubtlefs the relics of the crui- fers ftationed off that port. Having thus fatisfied ourfelves in the material articles of our inquiry, ai)d having gotten on board the Centurion moft pf the prifoners, and all the filver, we, at eight in the fame evening, made fail to the northward, in company with our prize, and at fix the next morning djfcovered the IQand of Fernandes, where, the following day, both we and our prize came to an anchor. And here J cannot omit one remarkable inci- dent which occurred, when the prize and her crew came into the bay, where the reft of the fquadron lay. The Spaniards in the Carmelo had been fufH- ciently informed of the c^iftrcfles we had gone through, and were greatly fvirprifed that we had ever ROUND THE WORLD. 229 ever furmounted them : But when they faw the Tryal Sloop at anchor, they were (till more afto- nifhed, that after all our fatigues we had the in- duftry (befides refitting our other fhips) to com- plete fuch a vefTcl in fo fhort time, they taking it for granted that we had built her upon the fpot : Nor was it without great difficulty they were ac laft prevailed upon to believe, that fhe came from England with the reft: of the fquadron j they long infifting, that it was impoffible fuch a bauble as that could pafs round Cape Horn, when the beit Ihips of Spain were obliged to put back. By the time we arrived at Juan Fernandes, the letters found on board our prize were more mi- nutely examined : And, it appearing from them, and from the accounts of our prifoners, that feve- xal other Merchantmen were bound from Callao to Valparaifoy Mr. Anfon difpatched the Tryal Sloop the very next morning, to cruife off the laft men- tioned port, reinforcing her with ten hands from on board his own Ihip. Mr. Anfon likewife re^ folved, on the intelligence recited above, to fe- parate the fhips under his command, and employ them in diftind cruifes ; as he thought that by this means we Ihould not only increafe our chance for prizes, but that we Ihould likewife run a Icfs rifque of alarming the coaft, and of being difco- vered. And now the fpirits of our people being greatly raifed, and their defpondencydiflipated by this earneft of fuccefs, they forgot all their paft diftrefles, refumed their wonted alacrity, and laboured indefatigably in completing our water, receiving our lumber, and in preparing to take J our PB '^ "I I "t 430 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE our farewel of the Ifland : But as tliefe occitpa-* tions took us up four or five days with all our in- duftry, the Commodore, in that interval, directed that the guns belonging to the Jnfia Phtkj being four fix-pounders, four four-pounders, and two fwivels, Ihould be mounted on board the Carwelo, our prize : And having fent on board the Glou- cejier fix paflenge^s, and tw .^nty-three feamen to afiift in navigati >; t St (hip, he direfted Captain Mitcbel to leave th?- lOfri as foon as poflible, the fervice demanding t^^c utir "•• difpatch, ordering him to proceed to the latitude of five degrees South, and there to cruize off the highland of Paita, at fuch a diftance from Ihore as fhould prevent his being difcovered. On this ftation he was to continue till he fhould be joined by the Commodore, which would be whenever it fhould be known that the Viceroy had fitted out the Ihips at Callao, or. on Mr. Anfon\ receiving any other intelligence, that fhould make it necefl!ary to unite our flrength. Thefe orders being delivered to the Captain of the GlouceJleVi and all our bufinefs com- pleted, we, on the Saturday following, being the 19th of September, weighed our anchor, in com- pany with our prize, and got out of the bay, •taking our lafl leave of the Ifland oijuan Fernan- deSi and fleering to the eaflrward, with an inten- tion of joining the Tryal Sloop in her ftation off Valparaife, - , . . „ li'.- . '1 1, It CHAP. ., ROUND THE WORLD. 231 V : C II A p. V. ,. Our Cmlfe from the time of our leaving yua?i Fcrnandcs^ to the taking the town . oi Paita, , ,, r ..^. - . , ' ALTHOUGH the Ceuluric::, with her prize the Carmeioj weighed from the bay oVjuan Fernandes on the 19th oi SepiemhcTy leaving the Gloucejler at anchor behind her ; yet, by the irre- gularity and fluduation of the winds in the offing, it was tiie 2 2d of the fame month, in the even- ing, before we loft fight of the I (land : After which, we continued our courfe to the eaflward, in order to reach our ftation, and to join t\\t1'ryat oif Valparaifo. The next night, the weather proved fqually, and we fplit our main top-faiJ, v/hich we handed for the prefent, but got it re- paired, and fet it again the next morning. In the evening a little before fun-fet, we faw two fail to the eaftward j on which our prize ftood di- redly from us, to avoid giving any fufpicion of our being cruifers j whilft we, in the mean time, made ourfelves ready for an engagement, and fleered with all our canvafs towards the tv/o Ihips we had difcovered. We foon perceived that one of thefe, which had the appciirunce of being a very ftout fliip, made diredly for us, whilft the other kept at a great diftance. By feven o'clock we were within piftol-Ihot of the neareft, and had .1 a broad- 1 1 1 f^ ' , 1 232 Ld. ANSON'S V0YAG£ a broadfide ready to pour into her, the Gunncri having their matches in their hands, and only waiting for orders to fire j but, as we knew it was now impoflible for her to efcape us, Mr. An- jony before he permitted us to fire, ordered the Mafter to hale the fhip in Spanijh j on which the commanding officer on board her, who proved to be Mr. HughSy Lieutenant of the Tryaly anfwered us in Englijh, and informed us that fhe was a prize taken by the Tryal, a few days before, and that the other fail at a diftance v/as the Tryal her- felf difabled in her mafts. We were foon after joined by theT'rya/; and Captain Saunders, her Commander, came on board the Centurion. He acquaii;ted the Commodore, that he had taken this fhip the i8th inftant j that (he was a prime failer, and had coft him thirty-fix hours chace, before he could come up with her j that for fome time he gained fo little upon her, that he began to defpair of taking her j and the Spaniards j though jalarmed at firft with feeing nothing but a cloud of fail in purfuit of them, the Tryal's hull being fo low in the water that no part of it appear'd ; yet knowing the goodnefs of their Ihip, and finding how little the Tryal neared them, they at length laid afide their fears, and recommending them- felves to the blefled Virgin for prote(^ion, began to think themfelves fecure. Indeed their fuccefs was very near doing honour to their Ave Marias j for, altering their courfe in the night, and /hutting up their windows to prevent any of their lights from being feen, f hey had fome chance of efcap- ing i but a fmall crevice in one of the ihutters ren- ROUND THE WORLD. ^33 rendered all their invocations ineffeftual j for through this crevice the people on board the Tryal perceived a light, which they chafed, till they arrived within gun-lhot, and then Captain Saunders alarmed them unexpeftedly with a broad- fide, when they flattered themfelves they were got out of his reach : However, for fome tinne after they (till kept the fame fail abroad, and it was not obfcrved that this firft falute liad made any im- preflion on them ; but, juft as the T'rjy^/ was pre- paring to repeat her broadfide, the Spaniards crept from their holes, lowered their fails, and fub- mitted without any oppofition. She was one of the largeft merchantmen employed in thofe feas, being about fix hundred tuns burthen, and was called the Arrcnzazu, She was bound from Callao to Falparaifo, and had much the fame cargo with the Carmelo we had taken before, except that her filver amounted only to about 5000/. fterling. But to balance this fuccefs, we had the misfor- tune to find that the Tryal had fprung her main- maft, and that her maintop-maft had come by the board ; and as we were all of us (landing to the caftward the next morning, with a frelh gale at South, Ihe had the additional ill-luck to fpring her foremaft : So that now llie had not a maft left on which Ihe could carry fail. Thefe un- happy incidents were ftill aggravated by the im- polTibility we were juft then under of afTiRing her i for the wind blew fo hard, and raifed fuch a hollow fca, that we could not venture to lioift out our boat, and confequently could have no communication with her j fo that we were obliged R to I' I 't ^ ■; Vii^ ^34 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE to lie to for the greateft part of forty-eight hours to attend her, as we could have no thought of leaving her to herfelf in her prefent unhappy fitua- tion : It was no fmall accumulation to thcfe mif- fortunes, that we were all the while driving to the leeward of our flation, at the very time too, when, by our intelligence, we had reafon to expeft fevcral of the enemy's Ihips would appear upon the coatl, who would now gain the port of Valparaifo with- out obftru«5lion. And I am verily perfuaded, that the embarrairment we received from the difmafting of the 'Tryalt and our abfence from our intended ftation, occafioned thereby, deprived us of fome very confiderable captures. The weather proving fomewhat more moderate on the (27th, we fent our boat for the Captain of the Tryal, who, when he came on board us, pro- duced an inftrument, figned by himfelf and all his officers, reprefenting that the Sloop, befides being difmaft*!d, was fo very leaky in her hull, that even in moderate weather it was neceflary to ply the pumps conftantly, and that they were then fcarcely fufficicnt to keep her free ; fo that in the late gale, though they had all been engaged at the pumps by turns, yet the water had increafed upon them i and, upon the whole, they apprehended her at prefent to be fo very dcfedlive, that if they met with much bad weather, they mud all in- evitably perilh j and therefore they petitioned the Commodore to take fome meafures for their fu- ture fafety. But the refitting of the Tryal, ai^d the repairing of her dcfcdls, was an undenaking that in the prefent conjundure greatly exceeded our '■" Til ROUND THE WORLD. aJS our power j for we had no mafts to fpare her, wc had no (lores to complete her rigging, nor had wc any port where Ihe might be hove down, and her bottom examined : Bcfides, had a port and proper requifites for this purpofc been in our pof- fclTion, yet it would have been extreme impru- dence, in fo critical a conjundlure, to have loi- tered away fo much time, as would have been ne- ceflary for thefe operations. The Commodore therefore had no choice left him, but was under a necefllry of taking out her people, and deftroying her : However, as he conceived it expedient to keep up the appearance of our force, he appoint- ed the Tryal's Prize (which had been often em- ployed by the Viceroy of Peru as a man oi war) to be a frigate in his Majefty's fervicc, manning her with the TryaPs crew, and giving commif- fions to the Captain and all the inferior officers accordingly. This new frigate, when in the Spa- »//5& fervice, had mounted thirty -two guns j but (he was now to have only twenty, which were the twelve that were on board the 1'ryal, and eight that had belonged to the Jfina Pink. When this affair was thus refolved on, Mr. j^nfon gave or- ders to Captain Saunders to put it in execution, direfting him to take out of the Sloop the arms, ftores, ammunition, and every thing that could be of any ufe to the oi er (hips, and then to fcut- tle her and fink her. After Captain Saunders had feen her dcftroyed, he v as to proceed with his new frigate (to be called the Tryal's Prize), and to cruife off the highland of ValparaifOi keeping it from him N. N. W. at the diltance of twelve or '. . ./^i R 2 fourteen 2:^6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fourteen leagues : For as all fhips bound from Valparaifo to the northward fteer that courfe, Mr. Apfon proporcd by this means to flop any in- telligence, that might be dilpatched to Callao, of two of their Ihips being mifling, which might give them apprehenfions of the Englijh fquadron being in their neighbourhood. The -Iryal's Prize was to continue on this (lation twenty-four days, and, if not joined by the Commodore at the ex- piration of that term, (he was then to proceed down the coaft to Pifco or Nafca, where Ihe would be certain to meet with Mr. Anjcn, The Com- modore likev/ife ordered Lieutenant Saumarez, who commanded the Centurions Prize, to keep company with Captain Saunders, both to affift him in unloading the Sloop, and alfo that by fpread- ing in their cruife, there might be lefs danger of any of the enemy's fliips (lipping by unobferved. Thefe orders being difpatched, the Centurion parted from the other veflcls at eleven in the evening, on the 27th o? September, diredling her courfe to the fouthward, with a view of cruifing for fome days to the windward of Valparaifo, And now by this diftribution of our fhips, we flattered ourfelves, that we had taken all the ad-^ vantages of the enemy that we poflibly could with our fmall force, fince our difpofition was doubtlefs the mod prudent that could be projedl- ed. For, as we might fuppofe the Gloucejier by this time to be drawing near the highland of Paita, we were enabled, by our feparate (lations, to intercept all veflels employed either betwixt Piru and Chili to the fouthward, or betwixt I Panama ROUND THE WORLD. 237 Panama and Peru to the northward : Since the principal trade from Peru to Chiii being carried on to the port of Valparaifoj the Centurion cruifing to the windward of ValparaifOi would, in all proba- bility, meet with them, as it is the conftant prac- tice of thofe Ihips to fall in with the coaft, to the windward of that port : The Gloucejler would, in like manner, be in the way of the trade bound from Panama or to the northward, to any part of PerUi fince the highland off which Ihe was fta- tioned is conftantly made by every fhip in that voyage. And whilft the Centurion and Gloucejler were thus fituated for interrupting the enemy's trade, the TryaV^ Prize and Centurion s Prize were as conveniently polled for preventing all intelli- gence, by intercepting all fliips bound from Fal- paraifo to the northward ; for it was on board thefe vcflels that it was to be feared fome account of us might poflibly be fent to Prr«. . -' '- • But the moft prudent difpofitions carry with them only a probability of fuccefs, and can never cnfure its certainty : Since thofc chances, which it was reafonable to overlook in deliberation, arc fometimes of mofl: powerful influence in execu- tion. Thus, in the prefent cafe, the diftrefs of the Tryali and our quitting our ftation to aflift her (events which no degree of prudence could either forefee or obviate), gave an opportunity to all the fliips bound to Valparaifo, to reach that port without moleftation, during this unlucky interval. So that though, after leaving Captain Saunders^ we were very expeditious in regaining our Nation, where we got the 2t;th at noon, yet in plying on R 3 anU 10.'. ii 'i '\ 238 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE and off till the 6th of O^oi/er, we had not the good fortune to difcover a fail of any fort : And then having loft all hopes of meeting with better fortune by a longer ftay, we made fail to the lee- ward of the port, in order to join our prizes ; but when we arrived off the highland where they were dire6led to cruize, we did not find them, though we continued there four or five days. We fuppofed that fomc chace had occafioned their leaving their ftation, and therefore we proceeded down the coaft to the highland of Na/ca, which was the fecond rendezvous, where Captain Saun^ ders was direfled to join us. Here we got on the ?ift, and were in great expectation of falling in .with fome of the enemy's veffels, as both the ac- counts of former voyages, and the information of our prifoners affured us, that all ihips bound to Callao conftantly make this land, to prevent the danger of running to the leeward of the port. But notwithftanding the advantages of this ftation, we faw no fail till the ad of Novembert when two (hips appeared in fight together j we immediately gave them chace, and foon perceived that they were the Tryal's and Centurion's Prizes : As they had the wind of us, we brought to, and waited their coming up j when Captain Saunders came on board us, and acquainted the Commodore, that he had cleared the Tryal purfuant to his orders, and having fcuttled her, he remained by her till ihe funk, but that it was the 4th of O^ober before this was effefted j for there ran fo large and hol- low a fea, that the Sloop, having neither mafts nor fails to ftcddy her, rolled and pitched fo vio- lently, ROUND THE WORLD. 239 lently, that it was impoflible for a boat to lay a- long-fide of her, for the greatell part of the time : And during this attendance on the Sloop, they were all driven fo far to the north-well, that they were afterwards obliged to llretch a long way to the weilward to regain the ground they had loft i which was the reafon that we had not met with them on their ftation, as we expected. We found they had not been more fortunate in their cruife than we were, for they had feen no veflel fince they feparated from us. The little fuccefs we all had, and our certainty, that had any Ihips been ftirring in thefe feas for fome time paft we muil have met with them, made us believe, that the eaemy at Valparaifoy on the mifling of the two Ihips we had taken, had fufpedled us to be in the neighbourhood, and had confequently laid an embargo on all the trade in the fouthern parts. Wc likewife apprehended, that they might by this time be fitting out the men of war at Callao y as we knew that it was no uncommon thing for an exprefs from Valparaifo to reach Lima in twen- ty-nine or thirty days, and it was now more than fifty fincc we had taken our fiift prize. Thefe apprehenfions of an embargo along the coaft, and of the equipment of the Spanijh fquadron at Callaoy determined the Commodore to haften down to the leeward of Callao, and to join Cap- tain Mitchel (who was fcationed off Paita) as foon as polTible, that our ftrength being united, we might be prepared to give the ihips from Callao a warm reception, if they dared to put to fca. With this view we bore away the fume afternoon, . ' ... R 4> taking ^.1 III' m ! .LSI '. I , I ),; 240 L)5. ANSON'S VOYAGE taking particular care to keep at fuch a diftance from the fhore, that there might be no danger of our being difcovered from thence j for we knew that all the country fhips were command- ed, under the fevereft penalty, not to fail by the port of Calko without flopping ; and as this or- der was conflantly complied with, we lliould undoubtedly be known ibr enemies, if we were feen to a<5t contrary to it. In this new naviga- tion, not being certain whether we might not meet the Spanift) fquadron in our route, the Commo- dore took on board the Centurion part of his crew, with which he had formerly manned the Carmelo. And now Handing to the northward, we, before night came on, had a view of the fmall Ifland called St, Gallariy which bore from us N. N. E. I E, about feven leagues diftant. This IHand lies in the latitude of about fourteen degrees fouth, and about five miles to the northward of a high- land called Morro Veijo^ or the old man's head. I mention this Ifland and the highland near it, more particularly, becaufe between them is the moft eligible ftation on that coaft for cruifing ui- on the enemy j as hereabouts all fhips bound vo CallaOi whether from the northward or the fouth- ward, run well in with the land. By the 5th of Novembery at three in the afternoon, we were ad- vanced within view of the highland of Barratica, lying in the latitude of 10° : 2^' South, bearing from us N. E. by E, diflant eight or nine leagues j •ind an hour and an half afterwards we had the fads! -til' tion fo long wifhed for, of feeing a fail. She iiift appeared to leeward, and we all im- mediately ROUND THE WORLD. 241 mediately gave her chace ; but the Centurion fo much outfailed the two prizes, that we foon ran them out of fight, and gained confiderably on the chace: However, night coming on before we came up with her, we, about feven o'clock, loft fight of her, and were in fome perplexity what courfe to fteer : but at laft Mr. Anfon re- folved, as we were then before the wind, to keep all his fails fct, and not to change his courfe: For thousrh we had no doubt but the chace would alter her courfe in the night j yet, as it was un- certain what tack Ihe would go upon, it was thought prudent to keep on our courfe, as wx muft by this means unavoidably come near her, rather than to change it on conjeiSlure ; when, if we fiiould miftake, we muft infallibly lofe her. Thus then we continued the chace about an hour and an half in the dark, fome one or other on board us conftantly imagining they difccrned her liiils right a-head of usj but at length Mr. Brett, our fecond Lieutenant, did really difcover her about four points on the larboard-bow, fleering off to the fcaward : We immediately clapped the helm a-weathcr, and flood for hcrj and in lefs than an hour came up with her, and having fired fourteen fhot at her, fhc ftmck. Our third Lieutenant, Mr. Denms, was fent in the boat with fixtecn men to take pofleffion of the prize, and to return the prifoncrs to our (liip. This vefTcl was named the SntJla I'nefa de 'J ejus, built at GuaiaquHy of about three hundred tuns bur- then, and was commanded by Bartolome Ur- runaga, a Bifcayer : She was bound from Gum- ariuil 1 ;,<|i « w, '1 242 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE am i i'M'M aquil to Callao't her loading confided of timber, cocao, coco nuts, tobacco, hides, Pito thread (which is very ftrong, and is made of a fpecies of grafs), Sluito cloth, wax, i^c. The fpecie on board her was inconfiderable, being principally fmall filver money, and not amounting to more than 170/. fterling. It is true, her cargo was of great value, could we have difpofed of it : but, the Spaniards having ftridl orders never to ranfom their fhips, all the goods that we took in thefe Teas, except what little we had occafion for our- felves, were of no advantage to us. Indeed, though we could make no profit thereby our- felves, it was feme fatisfaflion to us to confider, that it was fo much really loft to the enemy, and that the defpoiling them was no contemptible branch of that fervice, in which we were now employed by our country. Befides our prize's crew, which i nounted to forty-five hands, there were on board her ten paffengers, confifting of four men and three women, who were natives of the country, born of Spanijh parents together with three black flaves that attended them. The women were a mother and her two daughters, the eldeft about twenty-one, and the youngeft about fourteen. It is not to be wondered at, that women of thefe years fhould be exceflively alarmed at the falling into thj hands of an enemy, whom, from the former outrages of the Buccaneers, and by the artful infinuations of their priefts, they had been taught to confider as the moft terrible and brutal of all mankind. Thefe apprehenfions too were in g tl ROUND TIllE WORLD. 243 in the prefent indance exaggerated by the fin- gular beauty of the yonngeft of the women, and the riotous difpofkion which they might well ex- pcdb to find in a fet of failors, who had not fecn a woman for near a twelvemonth. Full of thefe terrors, the women ail hid thenifelves upon our officer's coming on board, and v,-hcn they were found out, it was with great dillkuky that he could pcrfuade tiiem to approach the light : However, he foon fatibfied them, by the liuma- nity of his conduifl, and by his afiurances of their future fecurity and honourable treatment, that they had nothing to fear* Nor were thefc aflurances of the officer invalidated in the fcquel: For the Commodore being informed of t!)e mat- ter, fent directions that they (hould be continued on board their own Ihip, with theufe of the fame apartments, and with all the other conveniencies they had enjoyed before, giving ftricl orders that they fhould receive no kind of inquietude or moleftation whatever : And that thev misht be the more certain of havino; thefe orders comDJied with, or have the means of complaining, if they were not, the Commodore permitted the Pilor, v.'ho in Spanijh fhips is generally the fecond Dcr- fon on board, to Hay with them, as their guar- dian and protector. The Pilot w^as particularly chofen for this purpofe by Mr. /l"fo7iy as he Teem- ed to be extremely intereited in all that concerned the women, and had at firft declared that he was married to the youngell of them ; though it after- wards appeared, both from the infonnation of the reft of the prifoners, and other circumfcances, ta^t 'rku J! m 244 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE that he aflerted this with a view, the better to fecure them from the infiilts they expelled on their firft falling into our hands. By this com- paflionate and indulgent behaviour of the Com- modore, the confternation of our female prifoners entirely fubfided, and they continued eafy and cheerful during the whole time they were with us, as I fhall have occafica to mention more particu- larly hereafter. I have before obferved, that, at the beginning of this chace, the Centurion ran her two conforts out of fight, on which account we lay by all the night, after we had taken the prize, for Captain Saunders and Lieutenant Saumarez to join us, firing guns, and making falfe fires every half hour, to prevent their pafling by us unobfcrved j but they were fo far a-ftern, that they neither heard nor faw any of our fignals, and were not able to come up with us till broad day-light. "When they had joined us, we proceeded together to the northward, being now four fail in com- pany. Mt here found the fea, for many miles round us, of a beautiful red colour : This, upon examination, we imputed to an immenfe quan- tity of fpawn fpread upon its furface j for, taking up fome of the water in a wine glafs, it foon changed from a dirty afped to a clear cryftal, with only fome red globules of a flimy nature floating on the top. At prefent having a fupply of timber on board our new prize, the Commo- dore ordered our boats to be repaired, and a fwivel gun-flock to be fixed in the bow both of the barge and pinnace, in order to encreafe their force. ROUND THE WORLD. 245 force, in cafe we fliould be obliged to have re- courfe to them for boarding fhips, or for any pt- teinpts on Hiore. As we flood from hence to the northward, nothing remarkable occurred for two or three days i though we fpread our fhips in flich a man- ner, that it was not probable any veflel of the enemy could efcape us. In our run along this coail we generally obferved, that there was a cur- rent which fet us to the northward, at the rate of ten or twelve miles each day. And now being in about eight degrees of South latitude, w began to be attended with vaft numbers of flying fifh, and bonitos, which were the firfl we lliw after our departure from the coaft of Brazil, But it is remarkable, that on the Eafl: fide of South America they extended to a much higher latitude than they do on the Weft fidej for we did not lofe them on the coaft of Brazil^ till we ap- proached the fouthern tropic. The reafon for this diverfity is doubtlefs the different degrees of heat obtaining in the fame latitude on different fides of that Continent. And on this occafion, I muft beg leave to make a fliort digreffion on the heat and cold of different climates, and on the varieties which occur in the fame place in different parts of the year, and in different places in the fame degree of latitude. The Ancients conceived that of the five zones, into which they divided the furface of the globe, two only were habitable, fuppofing* that the heat between the tropics, and the cold within the po- lar circles, were too intenfe to be fupported by mankind. 246 Lt). ANSON'S VOYAGE mankind. The falfehood of this reafoning has been long evinced j but the particular compari- fon of the heat and cold of thcfe various cli- mates has as yet been very imperfedly confidcrec!. However, enough is known fafely to determine this polition, That all places between the tropics are far from being the hottell on the globe, as many of thofe within the polar circles are far from enduring that extreme degree of cold, to which their fituation (hould feem to fubjtvft them : That is to fay, that the temperv^ture of a place depends much more upon other circumftances, than upon its diftance from the pole, or its proximity to the equinoflial. This propofition relates to the general tempe- rature of places, taking the whole year round j and in this fenfe it cannot be denied, that the city o( London, for inftance, enjoys much warir.er feafons than the bottom of Hudfon's Bay, which is nearly in the fame latitude with itj but where the feverity of the winter is fo great, that it will fcarcely permit the hardieil of our garden plants to live. And if the comparifon be made between the coafl: of Bra-.il and the wcftern fhore of South A:nericay as, for example, betwixt Babia and Lima, the difference will be Hill more confiderablcj for though the coail of Brazil is extremely fultry, yet the coafl: of the South Se.is in the fame latitude is perhaps as temperate and tolerable as any part of the globe j fmce in ranging along it, we did not once meet with fo warm weather, as is frequent in a fummer's day in Englwd: Which was ftill the more remark- able, m ROUND THE WORLD. «47 able, as there never fell any rains to refrelh and cool the air. The caufes of this temperature in the South Seas are not difficult to be afiigned, and Ihall be hereafter mentioned. I am now only felicitous to eftablifh the truth of this aflercion, that the latitude of a place alone is no rule whereby to judge of the degree of heat and cold which ob- tains there. Perhaps this pofition might be more briefly confirmed, by obferving, that on the tops of the Jndes, though under the equinoctial, the fnow never melts the whole year round : a crite- rion of cold, ftronger than what is known to take place in many parts far removed within the polar circle. I have hitherto confidered the temperature of the air all the year through, and the grofs eftima- tions of heat and cold which every one makes from his own fenfation. If this matter be exa- mined by means of thermometers, which in refpedl to the abfolute degree of heat and cold are doubtlefs the moft unerring evidences j if this be done, the refult will be indeed moll wonder- ful : Since it will hence appear, that the heat in very high latitudes, as at Peterjhurgh for inftance, is at particular times much greater than any that has been hitherto obferved between the tropics ; and that even at London in the year 1746, there was the part of one day confiderably hotter than what was at any time felt by a fhip of Mr. An- fin's fquadron, in running from hence to Cape Horn and back again, and pafllng twice under the fun i for in the fummer of that year, the ^^ermometer ;■ ~ii,^: mm w-mA • '^ .,< ■ mm «, '*-V^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) Y / z. 1.0 ^1^ |25 2.2 S? 134 I.I 11.25 2.0 lii 6" J^ v^V ^I-^ .** x^*' > v: /A '■^ 7 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WBT MAIN STRHT WnSTM,N.Y. MSM (716) S72-4503 m 248 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE thermometer in London (being one of thofe gra- duated according to the method of Fahrenheit) flood once at 78°} and the greateft height at which a thermometer of the fame kind flood in the foregoing fhip, I find to be 76° : This was at St, Catharine's, in the latter end of Decemhr, when the fun was within about three degrees of the vertex. And as to Peterfiurgh, I find, by the a6ls of the academy cftablifhed there, that in the year 1734, on the 20th and 25 th of July, the thermometer rofe to 98" in the fliade, that is, it was twenty-two divifions higher than it was found to be at St. Catharine's j which is a degree of heat that, were it not authorifed by the regu- larity and circumfpedlion with which the obferva- tions feem to have been made, would appear al- together incredible. If it fhould be aflced, how it comes to pafs then, that the heat in many places between the tropics is efteemed fo violent and infufferable, when it appears, by thefe inflances, that it is fomctimes rivalled or exceeded in very high lati- tudes not far from the polar circle ? I fhould an- fwer, that the eflimation of heat in any particular place, ought not to be founded upon that degree of heat which may now and then obtain there, but is rather to be deduced from the medium ob- fcrved in a whole feafon, or perhaps in a whole year J and in this light it will eafily appear, how much more intenfe the fame degree of heat may prove by being long continued without remark- able variation. For inftance, in comparing toge- ther Sf, Catbarine^s and Peterjburghy we will . - . fuppofe R6UND tHE WORLD. H^ fuppofe the lummer heat at 5/. Catharine's to be 76% and the winter heat to be twenty divifions Ihort of it : I do not make ufe of this laft con- jecture upon fufficient obfervacion : but I am apt to lufpedt, that the allowance is full large. Up- on this fuppofition then, the medium heat all the year round will be 66°, and this perhaps by night as well as day, with no great variation : Now thofe who have attended to thermometers will readily own, that, a continuation of this degree of heat for a length of time would, by the generali- ty of mankind, be ftyled violent and fuffbcatingi But at Peterjburgh, though a few times in the year, the heat, by the thermometer, may be con- fiderably greater than at 6V. Catharine's, yet, as at other times the cold is immenfely (harper, the medium for a year, or even for one feafon only^ would be far fhort of 66''* For 1 find, that the thermometer at Peterjburgh is at leaft five times greater, from its highefl to its lowed point, than wliat I have fuppoled to take place at St, Ca-^ tharine's. ♦ ' " Befides this eftimation of the heat of a placej by taking the medium for a confiderable time together, there is another circumftance which will ftill augment the apparent heat of the warmer climates, and diminifh that of the colder, though I do not remember to have feen it remarked in any author. To explain myfelf more diftinfUy upon this head, I muft obrerve> that the meafure of abfolute heat, marked by the thermometer, is not the certain criterion of the fenfation of heat with which human bodies are afFedled ; For as S . , the !*; i'lai i could have any chance of coming up with her, if we once fullered her to efcapc out of the Port. Therefore, as we were now dikovered, and the coaft would be foon alarmed, and as our cruifing in thefe parts any longer would anfwer no pur- pofc; the Commodore refolv^d to endeavour to furprife the place, having firft minutely informed himfelf of its ftrength and condition, and being fully fatisfied, that there was little danger of loflng many of our men in the attempt. This attack on Paita, befides the treafure it promifed us, and its being the only enterprife it was in our power to undertake, had thefp pther advantages attending |t, that we Ihould in all probability fupply our- fclves with great quantities of live provifion, of >yc were at this time in want: And that we ■■sr: ROUND THE WORLD *57 we lliouM likewife have an opportunky of fctting our prilbncrs on fhorc, who were now very nume- rous, and made a greater conl'umption of our food than our ftock that remained was capable of fur- nifliing long. In all thefe lights the attempt was A molt eligible one, and what our necelfitits, our fituation, and every prudential confidtratiun, prompted us to. How it fuccecded, and how far it anfwered our cxpt«5lations, fliall be the fubjcft of the following chapter, ^ftt rt "•.V,'si bnz j^-ivw •wb ^Qi hmtf '*']?■'*■■■ mMff*f«u ,! . , ^l :.%'' »'fi 1, of that we .1 f.*Ji>^S3ti t; J: ^4> s fM r: TH E town of Paita is fituated in the latitude of 5° : ii' South, on a moft barren foil, compofed only of fand and flate : The extent of it (as may be feen in the plan of it) is but fmall, containing in all lefs than two hundred families. The houfes are only ground floors i the walls built of fplit cane and mud, and the roofs thatched with leaves : Thefe edifices, though ex- tremely flight, are abundantly fufficient for a cli- mate, where rain is conlidered as a prodigy, ancj is not feen for many years : So that it is laid, a fmall quantity of rain falling in this country in the year 17I8, ruined a great number of buildings, ^hich mouldered away, and as it were rqelted be- fcje ■:i'i I * • t i III fi ■:; '..*;ii rf* ;i|:;.. ill 'i it ^':i'. 458 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fore it. The inhabitants of Paifa are f)rinc}pally Indians and black flavcs, or at leall a mixed breed, the whites being very few. The port of Ptiita, though in reality little more than a bay, is efteem- ed the beft on that part of the coaft j and is in- deed a very fecure and commodious anchorage; It is greatly frequented by all veflels coming from the North j fincc here only the fhips from AcapulcOi SonfonnatCt Realetjot and Panama^ can touch and refrefh in their paflage to Calho : And the length of thefe voyages (the wind for the greateft part of the year being full againfl: them) renders it impofTible to perform them without call- ing upon the coaft for a recruit of frelh water. It is true, Paita is fituated on fo parched a fpot, that it does not itfelf furnifh a drop of frefh water, or any kind of greens or provifions, except fifh and a few goats : But there is an Indian town called Colany about two or three ler^ues diftant to the northward, from whence water, maize, greens, fowls, t^c. are conveyed to Paita on balfas or floats, for the conveniency of the Ihips that touch here j and cattle are fortietimes brought frorh Piura, a town whiciy lies about fourteen leagues up in tl\e country^ The water fetched from Colan is whitifh, and of a difagreeable appearance, but is faid tc> be very wholefome j for it is pretended by the. inhabitants, that it runs through large woods of farfaparilla, and is fenfibly impregnated therewith. This port of Paita, befides furnilhing the northern trade bound to Callao with water and neceflarics, is the ufual place where paflengers from Acnpulco or Panama, bound to Lima, dif- embark 5 i Hi ROUND THE WORLD. 259 embark ; for, as it was two hundred leagues from hence to Callao, the port of Limay and as the wind is generally contrary, the pafTage by Tea is very tedious and fatiguing, but by land there is a tolerable good road parallel to the coaft, with many Itutions and villages for the accommodation of travellers. It appears by the plan, that the town of Paita is itfelf an open place ; fo that its fole protec- tion and defence is the fort marked (B) iu the plan, plate the twenty-third. It was of con- fequence to us to be well informed of the fa- bric and ftrength of this fort ; and from the ex- amination of our prifoners we found, that there were eight pieces of cannon mounted in it, but that it nej^'xr had ditch nor outwork, being fur- rounded by a plain brick wall j and that the gar- rifon confifted of only one weak company, though the town itfelf might pofllbly arm three hundred men more. Mr. yinfift having informed himfelf of the ftrength of the place, refolved (as hath been faid in the preceding chapter) to attempt it that very night. We were then about twelve leagues di- ftant from the Ihore, far enough to prevent our being difcovered j yet not fo far, but that by making all the fail we could, we might arrive in the bay with our (hips long before day-break. However, the Commodore prudently confidered, that this would be an improper method of pro- ceeding, as our fhips, being fuch large bodies, might be eafily feen at a diftance even in the pight, and might ^hereby alarm the inhabitants, and Ml I w m t . • ^ ' H If 260 ld. anson*s voyage and .give them an opportunity of removing their valuable effedts. He therefore, as the ftrength of the place did not require our whole force, refolved to acte;-npt it with our boats only, ordering the cighteen-oared barge, and our own and the TryaPs pinnaces on that fcrvice; and having picked out fif- ty-eight men to man them, well furnifhed with arms and ammunition, he intrufted the command of the expedition to Lieutenant Brett y and gave him his neceliary orders. And the better to prevent thedirtippoinument and confufion which might arife from the darknefs of the aight, and from the ig- norance of the ftreets and palTages of the place, two of the Spanijh Pilots were ordered to attend the Lieutenant, who were to conduct him to the moll convenient landing-place, and were after- wards to be his guides on Ihorej and that we might have the greater fecurity for their behaviour on this occafion, the Commodore took care to alfure our prifoners, that they (hould all of them be re- leafed, and fet on Ihore at this place, provided the Pilots a^ted faithfully j but in cafe of any mifcon- du(^ or treachery, he threatened that the Pilots Iho'iid be inftantly fliot, and that he would carry the reit of the Spaniardsy who were on board him, prifoners to England. So that the prifoners them- felves were interefted in our fuccefs, and therefore we had no reafon to fufpe«fl our Condu6tors either of negligence or perfidy. On this occafion I cannot but remark a fingular circumllance of one of the Pilots employed by us in this bufinefs. It feems (as we afterwards learnt) he had been taken by Captain CUppertqn above twenty ROUND THE WORLD. a6i twenty years before, and had been obliged to lead Clipper ton and his people to the furprilc of Truxillo, a town within land to the fouthward of Faiia, where however he contrived to nlarm his country- men, and to fdve them, though the place was carried and pillaged. Now that the only two at- tempts on ihore, which were made at fo long an interval from each other, fhould be guided by the fame perfon, and he too a prifoner both times, and forced upon the employ contrary to his incli- nation, is an incident fo very extraordinary, that I could not help mentioning it. But to return to the matter in hand. During our preparations, the fliips themfelves flood towards the port with all the fail they could make, being fecure that we were yet at too great a diftance to be feen. But about ten o'clock at night, the Ihips being then within five leagues of the place, Lieutenant Breit, with the boats under his command, put off, and arrived at the mouth of the bay without being difcovered ; though no fooner had he entered it, than fome of the peo- ple, on board a vefTel riding at anchor there, per- ceived him, who inftantly getting into their boat, rowed towards the fort, fliouting and crying, THE English, the English dogs, (s'c. by which the whole town was fuddenly alarmed, and our people foon obferved feveral lights hurrying backwards and forwards in the fort, and other marks of the inhabitants being in great motion. Lieutenant Bretfy on this, encouraged his men to pull brifkly up, that they miglit give the enemy as little time as poiTible to prepare for their de- n fc: ace. III i^"' :?-»i{|' t6t Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fence. However, before our boats could reach the (hore, the people in the fort had got ready fome of their cannon, and pointed them towards the landing-place ; and though in the darknefs of the night it might be well fuppofed that chance had a greater fhare than fkill in their dire '^ion, vet the firfl: ihot paffed extremely near one of the boats, whiftling juft over the heads of the crew. This made our people redouble their efforts j fo that they had reached the fhore, and were in part difembarked, by the time the fecond gun fired. As foon as our men landed, they were conducted by one of the Spanijh Pilots to the entrance of a narrow ftreet, not above fifty yards diftant from the beach, where they were covered from the fire of the fort j and being formed in the befl: man- ner the Ihortnefs of the time would allow, they immediately marched for the parade, which was a large fquare at the end of this flr<=:et, the fort being one fide of the Iquare, and rhe Governor's houfe another, as may be feen more diftinftly in the plan, where likewife the road they took from their landing to the fort is marked out by a prick- ed line. In this march (though performed with tolerable regularity) the Ihouts and clamours of threefcore failors, who had been confined fo long on fhipboard, and were now for the firft time on fhore in an enemy's country, joyous as they al- ways are, when they land, and animated befides in the prefcnt cafe with the hopes of an immenfe pillage J the huzzas, I fay, of this fpirited de- tachment, joined with the noife of their drums, and favoured by the night, had augmented their numbers, ROUND THE WORLD. 263 numbers, in the opinion of the enemy, to at lead three hundred j by which perfuafion the inhabit- ants were fo greatly intimidated, that they were much more folicitous about the means of flight than of refinance : So that though upon entering the parade, our people received^ a volley from the Merchants wlio owned the treafure then in the town, and who, with a few others, had ranged themfelves in a gallery that ran round the Gover- nor's houfe, yet that pofl: was immediately aban- doned upon the firfl fire made by our people, who were thereby left in quiet poflfefiion of the parade. On this fuccefs Lieutenant Brett divided his men into two parties, ordering one of them to furround the Governor's houfe, and, if poflible, to fecure the Governor, whilft he himfelf at the head of the other marched to the fort, with an intent to force it. But, contrary to his expedta- tion, he entered without oppofition j for the enemy, on his approach, abandoned it, and made their efcape over the walls. By this means the whole place was mafiered in lefs than a quarter of an hour's time from the firft landing, and with no other lofs than that of one man killed on the fpot, and two wounded j one of which was the Spanijh Pilot of the Terefay who received a flight brnife by a ball which grazed on his wrifi: : Indeed an- other of the company, the Honourable Mr. At^/^/, fon to the Earl of Mbemarky had a very narrow efcape i for having on a jockey cap, one fide of the peak was fliaved ofi^ clofe to his temple by a ball, which however did him no other injury. Lieutenant i ^*r 1 'y'* 1 slEPf 11 ?1i f ■'; r fi 264 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Lieutenant Bretty when he had thus far happily fucceeded, placed a guard at the fort, and another at the Governor's houfe, and appointed centincls at all the avenues of the town, both to prevent any furprife from the enemy, and to fecure the effefbs in the place from being embezzled. This being done, his next care was to feizc on the Cuftom-houfe, where the treafure lay, and to exa- mine if any of the inhabitants remained in the town, that he might know what further precau- tions it was necellliry to take j but he foon found that the numbers left behind were no ways formi- dable : For the greateil part of them (being in bed when the place was furprifed) had run away with fo much precipitation, that they had not given themfelvcs time to put on their clothes. In this general rout the Governor was not the laft to fecure himfelf, for he fled betimes half naked, leaving his wife, a young Lady of about feventeen years of age, to whom he had been married but three or four days, behind him; though fhe too was afterwards carried off in her fhift by a couple of centinels, juft as the detachment, ordered to inveil the houfe, arrived before it. This efcape of the Governor was an unplcafmg circumftance, as Mr. Jnfon had particularly recommended it to Lieutenant Brett to fecure his perfon, if pofTible, in hopes that by that means we might be able to treat for the ranfom of the place : But it feems his alertnefs rendered the execution of thefe orders impradlicable. The few inhabitants who remain- ed were confined in Dne of the churches under a guard, except fome ftout Negroes which were founcJ ROUND THE WORLD. %6$ found in the town j thefe, inftead of being (hut up, were employed ihe remaining part of the night t6 aflift in carrying the treafure from the CuiLom- houfe and other places to the fort : However, there was care taken that they fhouid be always attended by a file of mufqueteers. The tranfporting the treafure from the Cuftom-^ houfe to the fort, was the principal occupation of Mr. Breti*s people, after he had got poiTelTion of the place. But the failors, while they were thus bufied, could not be prevented from entering the houfes which lay near them, in fearch of pri- vate pillage : where the firft things which occurred to them, being the clothes that the Spaniards in their flight had left behind them, and which, ac- cording to the cuftom of the countiy, were moft of them either embroidered or laced, our people eagerly feized thefe glittering habits, and put them on over their oWn dirty trowfers and jackets, not forgetting, at the fame, time, the tye or bag wig and laced hat, which were generally found with the clothes ; and when this pradice was once begun, there was no preventing the whole de- tachment from imitating it : But thofe, who came latefl: into the fafhion, not finding men*s clothes fufficient to equip themfelves, were obliged to take up with women's gowns and petticoats, which (provided there was finery enough j they made no fcruple of putting on, and blending with their own greafy drefs. So that when a party of them thus ridiculouQy metamorphofed firft appeared before Mr. Bren, he was extremely furprifed at the T gro- (166 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ll'PB grotefque fight, and could not inri mediately be fa- tisfied they were his own people. Thefe were the tranfaftions of our detachment on (hore at Paila the firft night : But to return to what was done on board the Centurion in that interval. I muft obfcrve, that after the boats were gone off, we lay by till one o'clock in the morning, and then fuppofing our detachment to Ihe near landing, we made an eafy fail for the bay. About feven in the morning we began to open the bay, and foon after had a view of the town ; and though we had no reafon to doubt of the fuccefs of the enterprize, yet it was with great j.oy that we fivll difcovered an infallible fignal of the certainty of our hopes j this was by meahs of our perfpeftives, for through them we faw an Englifh flag hoifted on the flag-ftaff of the fort, which to us was an inconteftable proof that our people were in poffelTion of the place. We plied into the bay with as much expedition as the wind, which then blew off fliore, would permit us : And at eleven the TryaFs boat came on board us, loaded with dollars and church- plate j when the officer who commanded her in- formed us of the preceding night's tranfaftions, fuch as we have already related them. About two in the afternoon we anchored in ten fathom and a half, at a mile and a half drftance from the town, and were confcquently near enough to have a more immediate intercourfe with thofe on fliore. And now we found that Mr. Breti had hitherto gone on in collefting and removing the treafure without interruption j but riiat the enemy • had fa- ROUND THp WORLD. 267 kad rendezvoufed from all parts of the country on a hill, at the back of the town, where they made no inconfiderable appearance 5 For amongfl: the reft: of their force, there were two hundred horfe, feeoiingly very well armed and mounted, «^nd, as we conceived, properly trained and regi- mented, being furniflied with trumpets, drums, and ftandards. Thefe troops paraded about the hill with great oftentation, founding their mili- tary mufic, and praflifing every art to intimi- date us (as our numbers on ftiore were by this lime not unknown to them), in hopes that we might be induced by our fears to abandon the place before the pillage was completed. But we were not fo ignorant as to believe, that this body of horfe, which feemed to be what the enemy principally depended on, would dare to venture in itreets and amongft: houfes, even had their num- bers been three times as large; and therefore, not- withilanding their menaces, we went on calmly as long as the daylight laft:ed, in fending off the treafure, and in employing the boats to carry on board the refrelhments, fuch as hogs, fowls, i^c, which we found here in great abundance. However, at night, to prevent any furprife, the Commodore fent on fliore a reinforcement, who pofl:ed themfelves in all the paffages leading to the parade i and for their further fecurity, traverfed the ft:reets with barricadoes fix feet high : But the enemy continuing quiet all night, we, at day- break, returned again to our labour of loading the boats, and fending them off. ;* u».; .: . ■;Tr?} T 2 -T'. By i6n Ld. A N S O N's VOYA G E 17 ;. ^ ^; ^ .ii By this time we were convinced of what confe- quence it would have been to us, had fortune feconded the prudent views of the Commodore, by permitting us to have fecured the Governor. For as we found in the place many ftore-houfes full of valuable cfFefts, which were ufelefs to us at prefent, and fuch as we could not Hnd room for on board : had the Governor been in our power, he would, in all probability, have treated for the ranfom of this merchandife, which would have been extremely advantageous both to him and us : Whereas, he being now at liberty, and having coUefbed all the force of the country, for many leagues round, and having even got a body of militia from Piura, which was fourteen leagues diilant, he was fo eb.ted with his numbers, and fo fond of his new military command, that he fee Tied not to trouble himfelf about the fate of his government. So that though Mr. /in/on fcnt feveral meffages to him by fome of the inhabit- ants, whom he had taken prifoners, offering to enter into a treaty for the ranfom of the town and goods, gving him, at the fame time, an intima- tion that we fhould be far from infilling on a rigorous equivalent, but perhaps might, be fatis- fied with fome live cattle, and a few neceffaries for the ufe of the fquadron, threatening too, that if he would not condefcend at leafl to treat, we would fet fire to the town, and all the ware- houfes : Yet the Governor was fo imprudent and arrogant, that he defpifed all thefe reiterated over- tures, and did not deign even to return the Icaft anfwer to them. ■ t On ^ . ROUND THE WORLD. 169 On the fecond day of our being in poflfeillon of the place, feveral negro Haves deferted from the enemy on the hill ; and coming into the town, voluntarily engaged in our fervice : One of thefe was well known to a gentleman on board, who remembered him formerly at Panama, We now learnt that the Spaniards without the town were in extreme want of water, for many of their flaves crept into the place by ftealth, and carried away feveral jars of water to their mailers on tht hill i and though fome of them were feized by our men in the attempt, yet the third among the enemy was fo prelHng, that they continued this practice till we left the place. On this fecond day wc were aflured both by the deferters and by thefe prifoners we took, . that the Spaniards on the hill, who were by this time encreafed to a formidable number, had refolved to ftorm the town and fort the fucceeding night; and that one Gordon, z Scots Papift, and Captain of a (hip in thofe feas, was to have the command of this enterprize. How- ever, we, notwithilanding, continued fending off our boats, and profecuted our work without the leaft hurry or precipitation till the evening j when a reinforcement was again fent on Ihore by the Commodore, and Lieutenant Brett doubled his guards at each of the barricadoes i and our polls being conned:ed by the means of centinels placed within call of each other, and the whole being vifited by frequent rounds, attended with a drum, thefe marks of our vigilance, which the enemy could not be ignorant of, as they could doubtlefs hear the drum> if not the calls of the centinels ; ,:. T 3 thcfc ',1 *Mi M\ ^ Mm Mm w ''iiiEif'i^iiiii;. 0,-jo Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE thefe marks, I fay, of our vigilance, and of bur readincfs to receive them, cooled their refolution, and made them forget the vaunts of the preceding day : fo that we palTed this fecond night with as little moleftation as we had done the firftt • - We had finilhed fending the treallire on board the Centurion the evening before j fo that the third morning, being the 15th o^ November ^ the boats were employed in carrying off the moft valuable par: of the effefts that remained in the town. And the Commodore intending to fail in the af- ternoon, he, about ten o'clock^ purfuarir to his promife, fent all his prifoners, amounting to eighty-eight, on Ihore, giving orders to Lieute- nant Brett to fecure them in one of the churches under a ftri^ft guard, till the men v(^ere ready to be embarked. Mr. Brett Was at the fame time ordered to burn the whole town, except the two churches (which by good fortune ftood at fomc diflance from the houlcs^, and then he was to aban- don the place, and to return on board. Thefe orders were pundually complied with j for Mr, Brett immediately fct his men to work, to diftri- bute pitch, tar, and other combuftibles (of which great quantities were found here) into houfcs fitu- ated in different ftreets of the town, fo that, the place being fired in many quarters at the fame time, the deftru6tion might be more violent and fudden, iand the enemy, after our departure; might not be able to extinguilh it, "When thefe preparations were made, he, in the next place, commanded the cannon, which he found in the fprt, to be nailed up^ and then fetting fire to *•••' ^ ' thole ROUND THp.WQRLDv 271 thofe houfes which were moft to the windward, he colle<5Ved his men and marclied tovards the beach, where the boats waited to carry them off. As that part of the beach whence he intended to embark was an open place without the town, near where the churches are marked in the toremen- tioned plan, the ypatiL-irds on the hill perceiving h: was recreating, relblvv-d to try if they could not precipitate his departure, and thereby lay fome foundation for their future boafling. To this end, a fmall fquadron of their horfe, confift- ing of about fixty, picked out, as I fuppofc, for this fervice, marched down the hill with much feeming rcfolution ^ fo that, had we not enter- tained ^n adequate opinion of their prowefs, we might hav€ imagined, that now we werp on the open b^ach widi no adv4ntage of fituation, they would certainly have charged us: But we prefum- cd (and we were not mifta(ve,n) that this was mere oftcntation. For, notwith (landing the pomp and parade they at firft came on with, Mr. BreU had no fooner ordered his men to halt and face about, than the enemy flopped their career, and never dared to advance a ftep farther. ,, .-^ , - ^, :^ When our people were arrived at their boats, and were ready to go on board, they were for fome time retarded, by miffing one of their num- ber J and being unable, on their mutual enqui- ries amohgd each other, to inform themfelvcs where he was left; or by what accident he was detained, they, after a confiderable delay, refolv- ed to get into their boats, and to depart withovt .him. But when the laft man was a-^ually em- T 4 barked. v. ' f^ ^m 1 4 ill •" 471 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE barked, and the boats were juft putting off, they heard him calling to them to take him in : The place was by this time fo thoroughly on fire, and the fmokc covered the beach fo effedlually, that they could fcarccly difcern him, though they heard his voice. However, the Lieutenant inftantly ordered one of the boats to his relief, who found him up to the chin in water, for he had waded as far as he durft, being extremely frightened with the apprehcnfions of falling into the hands of an enemy, enraged, as they doubtlcfs were, at the pillage and deftruftion of their town. On enquir- ing into the caufe of his (laying behind, it was found that he had taken that morning tooJarge a dofe of brandy, which had thrown him into fo found a deep, that he did not awake till the Hre came near enough to fcorch him. He was ftrange- ly amazed at firft openf g his eyes, to fee the houfes all in a blaze on one fide, and feveral Spa- niards and Indians not far from him on the other. The greatnefs and fuddennefs of his fright inftant- ly reduced him to a ftate of fobriety, and gave him fufficient prefence of mind to pufh through the thickeft of the fmoke, as the likelieft means to efcape the enemy j and making the beft of his way to the beach, he ran as far into the water as he durft (for he could not fwim) before he ven- tured to look back. I cannot but obfervc here, to the honour of our people, that though there were great quanti- ties of wine and fpirituous liquors found in the place, yet this man was the only one who was known to have fo far negledted his duty, as to get ROUND THE WORLD. 273 get drunk. Indeed, their whole behaviour, while they were alhore, was much more regular than could well have been expe^ed from Tailors who had been fo long confined to a (hip : And though part of this prudent demeanour mull doubclefs be imputed to the diligence of their officers, and to the excellent difcipline to which they had been conftantly inured on board the Commodore, yet it was doubtlefs no fmall reputation to the men, that tiiey fhould generally refrain from indulging themfelves in thofe intoxicating liquors, which they found ready to their hands at almoft every warehoufe. , . Having mentioned this fingle inflance of drunk- ennefs, I cannot pafs by another overfight, which was likewife the only one of its kind, and which was attended with very particular circumftances. There was an Englijhmaiti who had formerly wrought as a Ihip carpenter in the yard at Port/- mouth, but leaving his country, had afterwards entered into the Spanijh fervice, and was employed by them at the port of Guaiaquili and it being well known to his friends in England that he was then in that part of the world, they put letters on board the Centurion, direded to him. This man being then by accident amongft the Spaniards, who were retired to the hill at Paita, he was am- bitious (as it Ihould feem) of acquiring fome re- putation amongft his new matters. With this view, he came down unarmed to a centinel of ours, placed at fome diftance from the fort to- wards the enemy, to whom he pretended that he was defirous of furrendering himfelf, and of entering / i^f 'IK m f" '\<:"!>' , This ROUND THE WORLD. 279 This conduft of the Commodore to hisprifoners, which was continued without interruption crdevia- tion, gave them all the highefl: idea of his huma- nity and benevolence, and induced them likev/ife (as mankind are fond of forming general opinions) to entertain very favourable thoughts of the whole Englijh Nation. But whatever they might be dif- pofed to think of Mr. Anjon before the capture of the Terefdj their veneration for him was prodigi- oufly increafed by his condudl towards thofe wo- men, whom (as I have already mentioned) he took in that veifcl : For the leaving them in the poflef- fion of their apartments, the ftrid orders given to prevent all his people on board from approaching them, and the permitting the Pilot to ftay with them as their guardian, were meafures that feemed k) different from what might be expelled from ati enemy and an heretic, that the Spaniards on board, though they had themfelves experienced his bene- ficence, were furprifed at this new inftance of it, and the more fo, as all this v/as done without his ever feeing the women, though the two daughters were both efteemed handfome, and the youngeft was celebrated for her uncommon beauty. The women themfelves too were fo fenfible of the obli- gations they owed him, for the care and attention with which he had protedted them, that they abfo- lutely refufed to go on fnore at Paila, till they had been permitted to wait on him on board the Centu- rioMj to return him thanks in perfon. Indeed, all the prifoners left us with the ftrongeft aflurances of their grateful remembrance of his uncommon a treatment. I- ' i* '* . * ■ IP: aSo Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE treatment. A Jefuit in particular, whom the Commodore had taken, and who was an Ecclefi* aftic of fome diftindtion, could not help expreff- ing himfelf with great thankfulnefs for the civili- ties he and his countrymen had found on board, declaring, that he Ihould confider it as his duty to do Mr. Jnfon juftice at all times ; adding, that his ufage of the men prifoners was fuch as could never be forgot, and fuch as he could never fail to ac- knowledge and recite upon all occafions : But that his behaviour to the women was fo extracrdinary, and fo extremely honourable, that he doubted all the regard due to his own ecclefiaftical charafter, would be fcarcely fufficient to render it credible. Indeed we were afterwards informed, that he and the reft of our prifoners had not been filent on this head, but had, both at Lima and at other places, given the grcateft encomiums to our Commodore j the Jefuit in particular, as we were told, having, on his account, interpreted in a lax and hypothe- tical fenfe that article of his Church, which aflerts the impoflibility of heretics being faved. Nor let it be imagined, that the imprefllons which the Spaniards hence received to our advan- tage, is a matter of fmall import j for, not to mention feveral of our countrymen who have already felt the good effedbs of thefe prepofTef- fions ; the Spaniards are a nation, whofe good opinion of us is doubtlefs of more confequencc than that of all the world befides : Not only as the commerce we had formerly carried on with them, and perhaps may again hereafter, is fo ex- 6 tremely kOUND THE WORLD. a8i trdmely valuable j but alfo as the tranfading it does fo immediately depend on the honour and good faith of thofe who are intrufled with its management. However, had no national con^ veniencies attended it, the Commodore's equity and good temper would not lefs have deterred him from all tyranny and cruelty to thofe, whom the fortune of war had put into his hands, t fliall only add, that by his conftant attachment to thefe humane and prudent maxims, he has ac- quired a diftinguilhed reputation amongft the Creolian Spaniards^ which is not confined merely to the coaft of the South Seas, but is extended through all the Spanijh fettlements in America j fo that his name is frequently to be met with in the mouths of molt of the Spanijh inhabitants of that prodigious Empire. .■-..■■-■-■..■ >•,, '• ',1 ' "i.^i- , l; , , ' H A 1^. VII. '' . From our departure from Fciila to our ar- rival at ^ibo* WHEN we got under fail from the coaft: of Paita (which, as I ha/e already ob- ferved, was about midnight, on the i6th of No- member), we Hood to the weftward> and in the morning the Commodore gave orders, that the whole fquadron fhould fpread themfelves, to look out for the Gloucejier. For we then drew near U the m *!■ m W: ;'«•::■ m iZl Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE the ftation where Captain Miubelhzd been direct- ed to cruife, and we hourly expeded to get fight of him-, but the whole day pafled without feeing him. And now a jealoufy, which had taken its rife at Paita, between thofe who had been commanded on Ihore for the attack, and thofe who had con- tinued on board, grew to fuch a height, that the Commodore, being made acquainted with it, thought it neceffary to interpofe his authority to appeafe it. The ground of this animofity was the plunder gotten at Paifa, which thofe who had afled on fhore had appropriated to themfclves, confidering it as a reward lor the rifques they had run, and the refolution they had fhown in that fervice. But thofe, who had remained on board, looked on this as a very partial and unjuft proce- dure, urging, that had it been left to their choice, they Ihould have preferred the a6lion on Ihore to the continuing on board j that their duty, while their comrades were on Ihore, was extremely fa- tiguing; for befides the labour of the day, they were conftantly under arms all night to fecure the prifoners, whofe numbers exceeded their own, and of whom it was then neceffary to be extremely watchful, to prevent any attempts they might have formed in that critical conjuncture : That upQn the whole it could not be denied, but that the prefence of a fufEcient force on board was as ne- ceflary to the fuccefs of the enterprife, as the action of the others on Ihore > and therefore thofe who had continued on board maintained, that they could not be deprived of their fhare of the plun- M^.^ id ROUND tHfe WORLD. 283 der, without manifefl: injuftice. Thefe were the contefts amongft our men, which were carried on with great heat on both fides : And though the plunder in queftion was a very trifle, in compa- rifon of the treafure taken in the place (in which there was no doubt but thofe on board had an equal right), yet as the obftinacy of failors is not always regulated by the importance of the matter in difpute, the Commodore thought it neceflary to put a Hop to this ferment betimes. Accord- ingly, the morning after our leaving Paita, he ordered all hands upon the quarter-deck j where, addrefling himfelf to thofe who had been detached on Ihore, he commended their behaviour, and thanked them for their fcrvices on that occafion: But then reprefenting to them the reafons urged, by thofe who had continued on board, for an equal diftribution of the plunder, he told them, that he thought thefe reafons very conclufive, and that the expectations of their comrades were juftly founded ; and therefore he infilled, that not only the men, but all the officers likewife, who had been employed in taking the place, fhould pro- duce the whole of their plunder immediately upon the quarter-deck ; and that it Ihould be impar- tially divided among the whole crew, in propor- tion to each man's rank and commiflion : And to prevent thofe who had been in pofleffion of the plunder from murmuring at this diminution of their fliare, the Commodore added, that as an en- couragement to others who might be hereafter employed on like fervices, he would give his en- tire mare to be diitributed amonsft thofe who had 1 U 2 been I «1l ? 184 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE been detached for the attack of the place. Thus this troublefome affair, which, if permitted to have gone on, might perhaps have been attended with mifchicvous confcquenccs, was by the Com- modore's prudence foon appeafed, to the general fatisfaclion of the fhip's company: Not but th^re were fome few, whofe felfifh dlipofitions were un- influenced by the jullice of this procedure, and who were incapable of difcerning the force of equity, however glaring, when it tended to de- prive them of any part of what they had once got into their hands. t This important bufinefs employed the befl: par*: of the day, after we came from Paiia. And now, ■ at night, having no fight of the Glouce/ter, the Commodore ordered the fquadron to bring to, that we might not pafs her in the dark. The next morning we again looked out for her, and at ten we faw a fau, to which we gave chace : and at two in the afternoon we came near enough to dif- cover her to be the Gloucejisr, with a fmall veflel in tow. About an hour after, we were joined by themj and then we learnt that Captain Mitchel, in the whole time of his cruife, had only taken two prizes » one uf them being a fmall Snow, whofe cargo confifted chiefly of wine, brandy, and olives in jars, with about 7000/. in fpeciej and the other a large boat or launch, which the Gloucejler's barge came up with near the fhorc. The prifoners on board this lafl: vefTel alleged, that they were very poor, and that their loading . confifted only of cotton ; though the circum- ftances in which tne barge furprifed them, feemed to ROUND THE WORLD. 285 to infinuate that tlicy were more opulent than they pretended to be; for the Glouce/ler's people found them at dinner upon pigcon-pye, fcrvrd up in filver dilhcs. However, the Officer who com- manded the barge having opened fcvenU of the jar5 on board, to fatisfy his curiofity, and finding nothing in them but cotton, he was inclined to be- lieve the account the prifoncrs gave him : But t!ie cargo being taken into the Gloucejler, and there examined more llriftly, they were agreeably fur- prifcd to find, that the whole was a very cxtraor-. dinary piece of falfe package i and that there was concealed among the cotton, in every jar, a con- fiderable quantity of double doubloons and dol- lars, to the amount on the whole of near 12,000/. This treafure wac going to Paita, and belonged to the iame Merchants who were the proprietors of the greatell part of the money we had taken there; fo that had this boat efcaped the Gloucejierj it is probable her cargo would have fallen into our hands. Befides thefe two prizes which we have mentioned, the Gkucejler\ people told us, that they had been in fight of two or three other fliips of the enemy, which had efcaped them j and one of them we had reafon to believe, from fome of our intelligence, was of immenfe value. Being now joined by the Gloncefier and her Prize, it v/as refoived that we jfhould ftand to the northward, ar.d make the beft of our way either to Cape St. Lucas on California, or to Cape Ca- ricntcs on the coaft of Mexico. Indeed the Com- modore, when az Juan Fcruandes, had determined ^ith himfejf to touch in the neighbourhood of U 3 Pancmcii :S\; cS6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ■ it '.-ilk' Panama^ and to endeavour to get fome corrc- fpondtnce over-land with tlic fleet under the conn- mand of Admiral Vernon. For when wc depart- ed fronn England, we left a large force at Portf- mouibi which was intended to be fent to the IVeJl- Indies, there to be employed in an expedition againfl: fomc of the Spanijh fcttlements. And Mr. Anfon taking it for granted, that this enter- prife had fucceeded, and that Porto Bella perhaps might be then garrifoned by Britijh troops, he hoped, that on his arrival at the IJihmus, he Ihould eafily procure an intercourfe wi:h our countrymen on the other fide, either by the /«- diansy who were greatly difpofed in our favour, or even by the Spaniards themfelves, fome of whom, for proper rewards, might be induced tq ''arry on this intelligence, which, after it was once begun, might be continued with very little diffi- culty i fo that Mr. Anfon flattered himfelf, that he might by this means have received a reinforce- ment of men from the other fide, and that by fettling a prudent plan of operations with our Commanders in the Wefi- Indies, he might have taken even Panama itfelfj which would have given to the Britijfj Nation the poflTeflion of that IJihmus, whereby we |hould have been in efFeft mafters of all the treafures of Peru, and fhould have had in pur hands an equivalent for any demands, how- ever extraordinary, which we might have been in- duced to have made on either of the branches of the Houfe of Bourbon. • Such were the proje<5ls which the Commodore revolved in his thoughts at the Ifland of Juan Fer- ROUND THE WORLD. 287 I'ernandesy notwitliftantiing the feeble condition to which he was then reduced. And indeed, had the fuccefs of our force in tiic ll^ejl Indies beca anfwerable to the general expectation, it cannot be denied but thefc views would luive been the moft prudent that could have been thought of. But ia examining the papers which were found on board the Carmelo, the firft prize we took, we learnt (though I then omitted to mention it) that our attempt againft Carthagena had failed, and that there was no probability that our fleet, in that part of the world, would engage in any new enter- prife, that would at all facilitate this plan. Mr. Jnfon therefore gave over all hopes of being reinforced acrofs the IjlbmuSy and confequently had no inducement at prefent to proceed to Pa^ nam/j, as he was incapable of attacking the place; and there was great reafon to believe, that by this time there was a general embargD on all the coaft. The only feafible meafure then which was left us, was to fleer as focn as poflible to the fouthern parts of California, or to the adjacent coaft of Mexico, there to cruife for the Manila Galeon, which we knew was now at fea, bound to the port of Jcapulco, And we doubted not to get on that ftation, time enough to intercept her: for this fliip does not ulually arrive at Acapulco till towards the middle of January, and we were now but in the middle of iVi5i'(?w^^r, and did not conceive that our paflage thither would coft us above a month or five weeks ; fo that we imagined, we had near twice as much time as was ncceffary for our pur- pofe. Indeed there was a bufinefs which we fore- U 4 faw ; * m !!-f>l ■ t*MI !E ''* * /I 11 aSd Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE faw would occafion fome delay, but we flattered ourfelves that it would be difpatched in four or five days, and therefore could not interrupt oup projecH:. This was the recruiting of our water j for the number of prifoners we had entertained on board, '.nee our leaving the Ifland of Fernandes, had fo far exhaufted our ftock, that it was impof- fible to think of venturing upon this pafiage to the coaft of Mexico, till we had procured a frefh fupplyj efpecially as at Paita, where we had fome hopes of getting a quantity, we did not find enough for our confumption during our flay there. It was for fome time a matter of deliberation, where we fliould take in this neceifary article ; but by ronfultingthe accounts of former Naviga- tors, and examining our prifoners, we at laft re- folved for the Ifland of ^ibo, fituated at the mouth of the bay of Panama: Nor was it but on good grounds that the Commodore conceived this to be the properefl: place for watering the fqua-* dron. Indeed, there was a fmall Ifland called CccoSy which was lefs out of our way than ^ibo^ where fome of the Buccaneers have pretended they found water: but none of our prifoners knew any thing of it, and it was thought too dangerous to nfque the fafety of the fquadron, by expofing our- felves to the hazard of not meeting with water when we came there, on the mere-authority of Jiefe legendary writers, of whofe mifreprefenta- tlons and falfities we had almofl: daily experience, Befides, by going to ^ibo we were not without hopes that fome of the enemies fliips bound to or from Panama might fall into our hands, particu- •: '^ . . larly ROUND THE WORLD. 2S9 larly fuch of them as were put to fea before they had any intelligence of our fquadron. Determined therefore by thefe reafons for Qnih, we directed our courfe northward, being eight fail in company, and confequently having the appear- ance of a very formidable fleet; and on the 19th, at day- break, we difcovered Cape Blanco y bearing S. S. E. \ E, feven miles diftant. This Cape lies in the latitude of 40=^ : 15' South, and is always made by fiiips bound either to windward or to lee- ward ; fo that off this Cape is a mod excellent {Ra- tion to cruife upon the enemy. By -this time we found that our laft prize, the Solidadi was far from anfwering the charadler given her of a good faiier j and file and the Santa Terefa delaying us confide- rably, the Commodore commanded thedn both to be cleared of every thing that might prove ufeful to the reft of the fhips, and then to be burnt; and having given proper inriruflions, and a rendezvous to the Gloucefier and the other prizes, we proceeded in our courfe for ^uboi and on the 22d in the morn- ing, faw the Ifland of Platay bearing Ead, diftant four leagues. Here one of our prizes was ordered to ftand clofe in with it, both to difcovcr if there were any Ihips between that Ifland and the Conti- nent, and likewife to look out for a ftream of frefn water, whicii was reported to be there, and which would have faved us the trouble of going to i^^tiio ; but Ihe returned without having iccn any lliip, or finding any water. At three in tiie afternoon, point Manta bore S. E. by E, feven miles difiant; and there being a town of the fame name in the neigh- bourhood. Captain Mitchel took this opportunity offending av/ay feveral of his prifoners from the ' Glou^ejler '^i m r •;«. 290 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Clone ejler in the Spanijh launch. The boats were now daily employed in diftributing provifions on board our prizes, to complete their (lock for fix months : And that the Centurion might be the bet- ter prepared to give the Manila ihip (one of which we were toid was of an immenfe fize) a warm re- ception, the Carpenters were ordered to fix eight ilocks in the main and fore tops, which were pro- perly fitted for the mounting of fwivel guns. On the 25 th we had a fight of the Ifland of Calloy bearing E. S. E. 4- E> four leagues diftant j and from hence we crofl^ed the bay o( Panama with a N. W. courfe, hoping that this would have car- ried us in a direct line to the Ifland of ^ibo. But we afterwards found that we ought to have flood more to the weft ward i for the winds in a fhort time began to incline to that quarter, and made it diffi- cult to gain the Ifland. After pafiing the equinoc- tial (which we did on the 22d), and leaving the neighbourhood of the Cordilleras, and flanding more and more towards the IJlbmus, where the communi- cation of the atmofphere to the eaflward and the weftward was no longer interrupted, we found in very few days an extraordinary alteration in the climate. For inftead of that uniform temperature, where neither the excefs of heat or cold wa3 to be complained of, we had now, for feveral days toge- ther, clofe and I'ultry weather, refembling whai" we had before met with on the coaft of Brazil, and in other parts between the tropics on the eaftern fide of America. We had befides frequent calms and heavy rains j which w e at firft afcribed to the neigh- bourhood of the line, where this kind of weather is generally found to prevail at all feafons of the year i .1. 6 . but eight ROUND THE WORLD. 291 but obfer • ing that it attended us to the latitude of feven degrees North, we were at length induced to believe, that the ftormy feafon, or, as the Spaniards call it, the Vandevals, was not yet over •, though many writers, particularly Captain Shelvocke, pofi- tively aflert, that this feafon begins in Junet and is ended in November -^ and our prifoners all affirmed the fame thing. But perhaps its end may not be always conftant, and it might laft this year longer than ufual. On the 27th, Captain Mitchel having finifiied the clearing of his largeft prize, Ihe was fcuttled and fet on firei but we ftill confifted of five fhips, and were fortunate enough to find them all good failers j fo that we never occafioned any delay to each other. Being now in a rainy climate, which we had been long difufed to, we found it neceflary to caulk the decks and fides of the Cetituriony to prevent the rain water from running into her. On the 3d of December we had a view of the Ifland of ^dbo', the Eaft end of which then bore from us N. N. W, four leagues diftant, and the Ifland o{ <^icara W. N. W, about the fame dif- tance. Here we ftruck ground with fixty-five fa- thom of line, the bottom confifting of grey fand, with black fpecks. There is inferted, in the 28th plate (being contained in the fame plate with the view of the hill of Petaplan), a view of thole two Iflands, where {a) reprefents the S. E. end off:]uibo, bearing N. by W, four leagues diftant i and (b) the Ifland of ^icarat which bears from the point (a) W. S. W. i- S, and is diftant from it four leagues, the point (a) being itfelf in the latitude of 7° : 20' North. When we had thus got fight of the 'llv m ii 292 Ld, ANSON'S VOYAGE ¥ the land, we found the wind to hang wefterly ; and therefore, night coming on, we thought it advife- able to ftand off till morning, as there are faid to be fome fhoals in the entrance of the channel. At fix the next morning point Mariato bore N. E. l N, three or four leagues diftant. In weathering this point, all the fquadron except the Centurion were very near iti and the Gloucejler being the leeward- moft Ihip, was forced to tack and ftand to the fouthward, fo that we loft fight of her. At nine, the Ifland of Sebaco be N. W. by N, four leagues diftant j but the wind ill proving unfavourable, we were obliged to ply on and off for the fucceed- ing twenty-four hours, and were frequently taken aback. However, at eleven the next morning, the wind happily fettled in the S. S. W, and we bore away for the S. S. E. end of the Ifland, and about three in the afternoon entered the Canal Buenos paff- ing round a flioal which ftretches off about two miles from the South point of the Ifland. This Canal Bueno, or Good Channel, is at leaft fix miles in breadth -, and as we had the wind large, we kept in a good depth of water, generally from twenty-, eight to thirty-three fathom, and came not withirii a mile and a half diftance of the breakers i though, in all probability, if it had been neceffary,we might have ventured much nearer, without incurring the leaft danger. At feven in the evening we anchored in thirty-three fathom, muddy ground ; the South point of the Ifland bearing S. ¥.. by S, a remark- able high part of the Ifland W. by N, and the Ifland Seifaco E. by N. Being thus arrived at this Ifland o( f^iboy the account of the place, and of our tranfat5lions there, Ihall t)e referred to the enfuing chapter. ^ ROUND THE WORLD. ^^93 ; and dvife-. aid to At IN, g this were ward- :o the nine. iti^. t.'; CHAP. VIII. Our proceedings at ^ibo^ with an account of ■^ "^ the place. TH E next morning, after our anchoring, an officer was difpatched on fhore to difcover the watering-place, who having found it, returned before noon j and then we fent the long-boat for a load of water, and at the fame time we weighed and flood farther in with our (hips. At two we came again to an anchor in twenty-two fathom, with a rough bottom of gravel intermixed with broken Ihells, the watering-place now bearing from us N. W. i N, only three quarters of a mile diftant. A phn of the road where we lay, and of the Eaft end of the Ifland, is to be feen in the 20th plate, where the foundings are laid down, fuch as we found them, the latitude of the S, E. point of the Ifland being, as hath been already mentioned, '/° : 20' North. This Ifland of ^tih is extremely convenient for wooding and watering j fince the trees grow clofe to the high-water mark, and a large rapid ftream of frefli water runs over the fandy beach into the iea : So that we were little more than two days in laying in all the wood and water we wanted. The whole Ifland is of a very moderate height, excepting one part. It confift:s of a continued wood fpread all over the whole furface of the country, which nreferves its verdure the year round. Amongft the other wood, we found there abundance of caflia, and a few lime-trees. It appeared Angular to us, that ccn:i- dering r: IS ,1 • ■!■''' w t .> 'J t 294 Ld. ANSON'S VvOYAGE dering the climate and the fhclter, we Ihould fee no other birds than parrots, parroquets, and mac- kaws J indeed of thefe lafV there were prodigious flights. Next to thefe birds, the animals we found in mofl plenty were monkeys and guanos, and thefe we frequently killed for food i for nc«-with- ftanding there were many herds of deer upon the place, yet the difficulty of penetrating the woods prevented our coming near them j fo that though we faw them often, we killed only two during our ftay. Our prifoners afTured us, thfft this Ifiand abounded with tygers j and we did once difcover the print of a tyger's paw upon the beach, but the tygers themfelves we never faw. The Spaniards too informed us, that there was frequently found in the woods a moft mifchievous ferpent, called the flying fnake, which they faid darted itfelf from the boughs of trees on either man or beafl: that came within its reach j and whofe fl:ing they believed to be inevi- table death. Befides thefe dangerous land-ani- mals, the fea hereabouts is infefl:ed with great num- bers of alligators of an extraordinary fize; and we often obferved a large kind of flat fifli, jumping a confiderable height out of the water, which we fuppofed to be the filh that is faid frequently to dc- ftroy the pearl divers, by clafping them in its fins as they rife from the bottom j and we were told that the divers, for their fecurity, are now always armed with a fliarp knife, which, when they are entangled, they flick into the belly of the fifh, and thereby difcngage theinfelves from its embraces. "Whilll the fliip continued here at anchor, the Commodore, attended by fome of his officers, ., . ,. : ~ -^. went ROUND THE WORLD. *S5 no went in a boat to examine a bay which lay to the northward j and they afterwards ranged all along the eaftern fide of the Ifland, And in the pkces where they put on fhore in the courfe of this expe- dition, they generally found the foil to be extremely rich, and met with great plenty of excellent water. In particular, near the N. E. point of the Ifland, they difcovered a natural cafcade, which furpaffcd, as they conceived, every thing of this kind, which human art ir induftry hath hitherto produced. It was a river of tranfparent water, about forty yards wide, which rolled down a declivity of near a hun- dred and fifty in length. The channel it fell in was very irregular; for it was entirely compofed of rocic, both its fides and bottom being made up of large detached blocks; and by thefe the courfe of the ^ater was frequently interrupted : For in fome parts it ran Hoping with a rapid but uniform mo- tion, while in others it tumbled over the ledges of rocks with a perpendicular defcent. All the neigh- bourhood of this ftream was a fine wood ; and even the huge mafifes of rock which overhung the wa- ter, and which, by their various projedions, form- ed the inequalities of the channel, were covered with lofty foreft trees. Whilfl: the Commodore with thofe accompanying him were attentively viewing this place, and were remarking the differ- ent blendings of the water, the rocks, and the wood, there came in fight (as it were dill to height- en and animate the profpect) a prodigious flight of mackaws, which hovering over this fpot, and often wheeling and playing on the wing about it, aflbrd- cd a moft: brilliant appearance, by the glittering of the fun on their variegated plumage j lb that fome of ■I- (f 296 Lb. ANSON'S VOYAGE of the fpedators cannot refrain from a kind of tranf- port, when they recount the complicated beauties ■which occurred !n this extraordinary water-fall. In this expedition, which the boat made along the eaftern fide of the Ifland, though they difco- vered no inhabitants, yet they faw many huts upon the ftiore, and great heaps of fhclls of fine mother of pearl fcattered up and down in different places : Thefe were the remains left by the pearl-fifhers, from Panama, who often frequent this place in the fummer feafon j for the pearl-oyfters, which are to be met with every where in the bay of Panama^ do fo abound at ^ibo, that by advancing a very little way into the fea, you might (loop down and reach them from the bottom. They are ufually very large j and out of curiofity we opened fome of them with a view of tailing them, but we f9jLind them extremely tough and unpalatable. And hav- ing mentioned thefe oyfters and the pearl-fifhery, I muft beg leave to recite a few particulars relating to that fubjed. The oyft:ers moft productive of pearls are thofe found in confiderable depths ; for though what are taken up by wading near fhore are of the fame fpe- cies, yet the pearls they contain are few in num- ber, and very fmall. It is faid too, that the pearl partakes, in fome degree, of the quality of the bot- tom on which the oyfter is lodged j fo that if the bottom be muddy, the pearl is dark and ill coloured. The taking up oyfters from great depths for the fake of their pearls, is a work performed by ' J"egro flaves, of which the inhabitants of Panama r nd the neighbouring coaft formerly kept vaft numbers, which were carefully trained to this bufinefs, Thefe are ROUND THE WORLD. 297 are faid not to be eftcemed complete divers, till they have by degrees been able to prorraft their (lay under water fo long, that the blood giifliesout from their nofe, mouth, and cars. And it is the tradition of the country, that when this accident has once be- fallen them, they dive for the future with much greatcrfacility than beforej and they have no appre- henfion either that any inconvenicn'^e can attend it, the bleeding generally ftoppingofitk if, or that there is any probability rf their being ever fubjedt to it a fecond time. But to return from this digrefiion. Though the pearl oytler, as hath been faid, was incapable of being eaten, yet that defetfl was more than repaid by the turtle j a dainty which the lea at this place furnifhed us with in the greateft plenty and perfection. There are generally reckonei four fpecies of turtle-, that is, the trunk turtle, the log- gerhead, the hawkfbill, and the green turtle. The two firft are rank and unwholefome j the hawkfbill (which affords the tortoife-lhell) is but indifferent food, though better than the other two j but the green turtle is generally efteemed, by the greattft part of thofe who are acquainted with its talle, to be the moft delicious of all eatables i and that it is a moll wholefome food, we are amply convinced by ' our own experience; for we fed on this laft fpecies, or the green turtle, near four months; and confe- , quently, had it been in any degree noxious, its ill cffefts could not poffibly have efcaped us. At this ifland we caught what quantity we pleafed with great facility; for ar they are an amphibious animal, and get on fhore to lay their eggs, which they gene- rally depofit in a large hole in the fand, juft above the high-water mark, covering them up, and leav- X ing » •' . ;f: .*■ #'■ f ,; m if' m W'' mm 1 III: 1 ■ f 198 Ld. anson's voyage ing them to be hatched by the heat of the fun, we ufuallyclirperfedfcvcralofour men along the beach, whofe bufincfs it was to turn them on their backs when they came to land ; and the turtle being there- by prevented from getting away, we brought them ofFatour leifure. By this n cans we not only fecured a iiifficieiitllock for the time we flayed on the Ifland, but we carrie 1 a number of them with us to fea, which proved of great fervice both in lengthening out our (lore of provifion, and in heartening the whole crew with an alaioft conftant fupply of frefli and palatable food. For the turtle being large, they generally weighing about 200/*^. weight each, thofe we took with u:-, Jaflcd near a month : So that before our (lore was fpent, we met with a frefh recruit on the coafl: of Mexico , where in the heat of the day we often faw great numbers of them fall afleep, floating on the furface of the water. Upon difcovering them, we ufually fcnt out our boat with a man in the bow, who was a dexterous diver: And as the boat came within a few yards of the turtle, the diver plunged into the water,taking care to rife clofe upon itj when feizingthe Ihell near the tail, and prelTing down the hinder parts, the turtle was thereby awakened, and began to ftrike with i^s claws, which motion fup- ported both it and the diver till the boat came up and took them in. By this management we never wanted turtle for the fucceeding four months It which we continued at fea j and though, when at the iHand of^/^■ f*'. Ik Ml mm>i ■,.Au 304 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE advantage, becaufe we ftill lulpeded that it was only a temporary gale which would not laft long ; though the next day we had the ratisfadion to find that the winddid notonly continue in the fame quar- ter, but blew with fo much brilkneis and fteadinefs, that we no lonacr doubted of its beincr the true trade-wind. As we now advanced apace towards our ftation. our hopes began again to revive, and our former defpair by degrees gave place to more fanguine prejudices i infomuch that though the cuf- tomary feafon of the arrival of the g;ileon at ylca- pttlco was already elapfed, yet we were by this time unreafonable enough to flatter ourfelves that fome accidental delay might, for our advantage, lengthen out her paffage beyond its ufual limits. When we got into the trade-wind, we found no alteration in it till the 17th o^ January ^ when we were advanced to the latitude of 12° : 50', but on that day it Ihifted to the Weftward of the North : This change we iirputed to our having haled up too foon, though we then efteemed ourfelves full Jeventy leagues from the coaftj whence, and by our former experience, we were fully fatisfied that the trade-wind doth not take place, but at a confider- able dillance from the Continent. Afier this the wind was not fo favourable to us as it had been : However, we ftill continued to advance, and, on the 26th oijantia-yy being then to the northward of AcapiilcOj we tacked and Hood to the eaftward, with a view of making the land. '■ In the preceding fortnight we caught fome turtle on the furface of the water, and feveial dolphins, bonitos, and albicores. One day, as one of thefail- maker's niates was filhing from the end of the gib- "■■'*/- ;••■ ■ '■ v^. ? • boom. ROUND THE WORLD. 30s boom, he lofl: his hold and dropped into the fea ; and the fhip, which was then going at the rate of fix or feven knots, went diredlly over him : But as we had the Carmelo in tow, we inftantly called out to the people on board her, who threw him over fevcral ends of ropes, one of which he fortunately caught hold of, and twifting it round his arm, he was thereby haled into the lliip, without having received any other injury than a wrench in the arm, of which he foon recovered. When, on the 26th o{ January y we flood to the eailward, we expefted, by our reckonings, to have fallen in with the land on the zBthj yet though the weather was perfe-illy clear, we had no figlu of it at fun-fet, and therefore we continued our courfe, not doubting but we fhould fee it by the next morning. About ten at night v;e difcovered a light on the lar- board bow, bearing from us N. N. E. The Tryal*s Prize too, who was about a mile ahead of us, made a fignal at the fame time for feeing a fail : As we had none of us any doubt but what we faw was a fliip's light, we were all extremely animated with a firm perfuafion that it was the Manila galeon,which had been io long the objed of our wilhes : And what added to our alacrity, was our expedlation of ' meeting with two of them inftead of one ; for we took it for granted that the light in view was car- ried in the top of one fliip for adireiflion to her con- fort. We immediately call off the Carmeloy and preffed forward with all our canvafs, making a fignal for the Gloucejter to do the fame. Thus we chafed the light, keeping all our hands at their re- fpeftive quarters, under an expe6lationof engaging within half an hour, as we fometimes conceived the . . • chace m i H^p |raS> li&i m ^H) Hi f If' 3o6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE chace to be about a mile diftant, and at other times to be within reach of our guns ; for fome on board us pofitively averred, that befides the light they could plainly difcern her fails. The Commodore himfelf was fo fully perfuaded that we fhould be foon along-fide of her, that he fent for his firft Lieutenant who commanded between decks, and diretled him to fee all the great guns loaded with two round (hot for the firft broadfide, and after that •with one round fliotand one grape, (Iridtly charging him, at the fame time, not to fuffer a gun to be fired till he, the Commodore, fhould give orders, which he informed the Lieutenant, would not be till we arrived within piftol-fhot of the enemy. In this conftantand eager attention we continued all night, always prefuming that another quarter of an hour would bring us up with this Manila Ihip, whofe ■wealth, and that of her fuppofed confort, we now eftimated by round millions. But when the morn- ing broke, and day-light came on, we were moft ftrangely and vexatioufiy difappointed, by finding that the light which had occafioned all this buftle and expedtancy, was only a fire on the Ihore. It muft be owned, the circumftances of this deception were fo extraordinary as to be fcarcely credible; for, by our run during the night, and thediftance of the land in the morning, there was no doubt to be made but this fire, when we firft difcovered it, was above twenty-five leagues from us ; and y€t, I believe, there was no pcrfon on board who doubted of its beinf^ a Ilup's light, or of its being near at hand. It was indeed upon a very high mountain, and con- tinued burning for fevcral days afterwards; how- evei, it w.is not a volcano, but rather, as I fuppofe, ^ atr^6| be ROUND THE WORLD. ^07 a traft of ftiibble or heath, fet on fire for fome pur- pofe of agriculture. At fun-rifing, after this mortifying delufion, we found ourfelves about nine leagues off the land, which extended fronn the N. W, to E. f N. On this land we obferved two remarkable hummocks, fuch as are ufually called paps, which bore North from us : Thefe a Spanijh Pilot and two Indians, who were the only perfons amongfl: us that pre- tended to have traded in this pirt of the world, af- firmed to be over the harbour of acatulco. Indeed, weverymuch doubted their knowkdge of the C3aft; for we found thefe paps to be in the latitude of i y^^: 56', whereas thofe over Acapulco are faid to be 17 degrees only; and we afterwards found our fufpi- cions of their (kill to be well grounded : However, they were very confident, and affured us, that the heigh: of the mountains was itfelf an infallible mark of the harbour j the coaft, as they pretended, though falfely, being generally low to the eaflward and weflward of it. . . ^ . Being now in ihe track of the MavHa galeon, it was a great doubt with us, as it was near the end of 'January^ whether flie was or was not arrived : But examining our priloners about it, they alFurcd us, that ihe was fometimes known to come in after the middle dUehruary-y and they endeavoured to per- fuade us, that the fire we had feen on Ihore was a proof that Ihe was yet at fea \ it being cuflomary, as they faid, to make ufe of thefe fires as fignals for her dirediion when flie continued longer out than ordinary. On this reafbning of our prifoutrs, ftrengthened by our propenfity to believe rhem in a jTiatter which fo pleafingly flattered our wilhe:,, we -; relblved 3oS Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ^MM refolved to cruife for htrr f;)!Tie davs j and we ac- cordingly fprcad our fhips at the diltance oftwelve leagues from the coad, in fucb a manner that it was impoflible llie fliould pafs usunobferved : However, not feeing her foon, we were at intervals inclined to fufpedt that fhe liad gained her port already j and as we now began to want a harbour to refrefh our peo- ple, the uncertainty of our prefent fituation gave us great uneafinefs, and we were very folicitous to get fomepofitive intelligence, which might either fetus at liberty to confult our neceflities, if thegaleon was arrived, or might animate us tocontinue our prefent cruife with cheerfulnefs, if flie was not. With this view the Commodore, after examining our prifoners very particularly, refolved to fend a boat, under colour of the night, into the harbour of Acapukoy to fee if the MaKiJa fliip was there or not j one of the Indians being very pofitive that this might be done without the boat itfelf being difcovered. To execute this enterprize, the barge v^as difpatched the 6th o( lehuaryy carrying a fufficient crew and two officers, as alfj a Spam/Jj Pilot, with the Indian who had infiftcd on the facility of this projedl, and had undertaken to condu6l: it. Our barge did not return to us again till the nth, when the officers acquainted Mr. /hifou^ that, agreeable to our fufpi- cion, there was nothing like a h:irbourin the place where the SpaniJIj Pilots had at firil afferted Acapuko to lie : that after they had fitisfied themfelves in this particular, they (leered to the eaflward, in hopes of difcovering it, and had coafted along fhore thirty- two leagues j that in this whole range they met chiefly with fandy beaches of a great length, over which the fea broke with fo much violence, that it I was ROUND THE WORLD. 309 was Impoflible f')r a boat to land j that at the end of their run they could juft dilcover two paps at a very great diftance to the eaftward, which from their appearance and their latitude they conrludcd to be thofe in the nei'.ihbourhood of yjc^ouico; but that not having a fufficient quantity of frelh water and provifion for their palTage thither and back again, they were obliged to return to the Commodore, to acquaint him with tljeir difappointment. On tiiis intelligence we all made fail to the eaftward, in order to get into the neighbourhood of that port ; the Commodore being determined to fend the barge a fecond time upon the fame enterprize, when we were arrived within a moderate diftance. Accordingly the next day, which was the lath of February, we being by that time confiderably advanced, the barge was again difpacched, and particular inftruilions given to the officers to preferve themfelves from being feen from the ihore. On the i ;^th we efpied a highland to the eaftward, which was Hrft imagined to be that over the Wivhoin of Ac apuko-, but we af- terwards found that it was the high land of Seguais- neioy where there is a fmall harbour, of which we lliall have occafion to make more ample mention hereafter. We waited fix days, from the departure of our barge, without any news of her, fo that we began to be uneafy for her fafety ; but on the 7th day, that is, on the 19th of February j fae returned; when the officers informed the Commodore, that they had difcovered the harbour of ?'Ct'pulcOi which they eftecmed to bear from us E. S- E, at lead fifty leagues diftant : That on the I7tii, about two in the morning, they were got within the IP.and that lies at the mouth of the harbour, and yet neither the Ml rm 310 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE the Spanijh Pilot, nor the Indiatit could give them any information where they then were j but that while they were lying upon their oars in fufpencc what to do, being ignorant tliar they were then at thevery place they fought for, thcyclifcerncda fmall light near the furface of the water, on which they inftantly plied their paddles, and moving as filently as poflible towards it, they found it to be in a fifhing canoe, which they furprifed, with three Negroes that belonged to it. It feems the Negroes at fir^ attempted to jump overboard, and being fo near the fhore they would eafily have fwam to landj but they were prevented by prel'enting apiece at them, on which they readily fubmitted, and were taken into the barge. The officers further added, that they had immediately turned the canoe adrift againftthe face of a rock, where it would inevitably be dalhed to pieces by the fury of the fea : This they did to deceive thofe who perhaps might be fent from the town to fearch after the canoe j for upon feeing fe- veral remains of a wreck, they would immediately conclude that tlie people on board her had been drowned, and would have no fulpicion of their hav- mcr fallen into our hands. When the crew of the barge had taken this precaution, they exerted their utmoft flrength in pulling out to fea, and by dawn of the day had gained fuch an offing as rendered it impoffible for them to be feen from the coall. Having now gotten the three Negroes in our pofTelfion, who were not ignorant of the tranfadtions at AcapiilcOj we were foon fatislied about the moft material points which had long kept us in fufpence : On examining them we found, that we were indeed difappointed in our expedation of intercepting the - * galeon ROUND THE WORLD. 311 galeon before her arrival at Jcapulco; but we learnt other circumftances which Hill revived our hopes, and which, we then conceived, would more than balance the opportunity we had already loft : For though our Negro prifoners informed us that the galeon arrived at Acapulco on our 9th of January, which was about twenty days before we fell in with this coaft J yet they at the fame time told us, that the galeon had delivered her cargo, and was taking in water and provifions in order to return, and that the Viceroy of Mexico had by proclamation fixed her departure from Acapulco to the 14th oi March N. S, This laft news was moft joyfully received by us,fince we had no doubt but (he muft certainly fall into our ' ands, and it was much more eligible to feize her on her return, than it would have been to have taken her before her arrival, as the fpecics for which fhe had fold her cargo, and which fhe would now have on board, would be prodigioufly more to be efteemed by us than the cargo itielf ; great part of which would hiive periHied on our hands, and none of it could have been difpofed of by us at fo advantageous a mart as Acapulco. Thus we were a fecond time engaged in an eager expcdation of meeting with this M^«/7flfhip,which, by the fame of its wealth, we had been taught to confider as the moR defirable capture that was to be made on any part of the ocean. But fince all our future projedls will be in fomc fort regulated with a view to the poflelTion of this celebrated galeon, and fince the commerce which is carried on by means of thefe velTcls between the city oi Manila and the pore oi Acapulco is perhaps the moll valuable, in propor- tion to its quantity, of any in the known world j I (luil :Vi' \ 312 ld. anson»s voyage ftiall endeavour, in the cnfuing ciiapterj to give as circumltantial an account as I can of* all the parti- cjlars relating t'lercto, both p«; it is a matter in ■which I conceive the public to be in fome degree interelled, and as I flatter niyr^if, that fronn the materials which have fallen into my hands, I am enabled to deicribe it with iiioi'„ diRinclncfs than has hitherto been done, at leaft in our language. . - :-: c H A K X. ' '' An account of the commerce carried on be- tween the City of Man'' la on the Ifland of D'cori'iii^ cind the port of Acaptiko on the Coaft of -Mifjc/Vi?. '- I . - .J-. -,■■., , , . . '..'')..*■'■.» - " . * ABOUT the end of the 15th century, and the beginning of the i6th, the fearching af- ter new countries, and new branches of commerce, was the reigning pafTion among feveral of the Eii' ropcan Princes. Bui thofe Vvho engaged moft deep- ly and fortunately in thefe purfuits were the Kings of Spain and Portugal; the firll of them having dif- covercd the immenfe and opulcit Continent of ylmerica and its adjacent Illands, whilft the oiher, by doubling the Cape o\ Good Hope, had opened to his fleets a paflage to the Ibuthern coafl of ^fa, I fually called the Eajl Indies^ and by his lettlcments in that part of the globe, became poffeired of many of the manufaftures and natural produdions with which it abounded, and which, for fume ages, had been the wonder and delight of the more poliHied and luxurious part of mankind. ',^,, ,.:.■. In ROUND THE WORLD. 313 In the mean timcjthefe two Nations of Spain and Portugal^ who were thus profecutingthc fame views, though in different quarters of the world, gr-^w ex- tremely jealous of each Other, and became appre- henfive of mutual encroachments. And therefore to quiet their jealoufies, and to enable them with more tranquillity to purfue the propagation of the Catholic Faith in thefe diftant countries (they having both of them given diftinguilhed marks of their zeal for their mother-chui ch, by their butche- ry of innocent Pagans), Pope ^/?A'<7«i (.If . f ( 3t4 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE embroiled ; as it a and the King of Spain approving of this projeft, Magellan, m the year 15 19, fet fail from the port ofSevil, in order to carry this enterprize into execution. He had with him ^ confiderable force, confiding of five ihips, and two liundred and thirty-four men, with which he flood for the coafl: of South America, and ranging along Ihore, he at length, towards the end oi Oftoher 1520, had the good fortune to difcover thofe Streights, which have fince been denominated from him, and which opened him a paflagc into I the kotJND THfe World, ^ij the South Seas, This, which was the firft part of his fchemc, being thus happily accompliflicd, he, after fome (lay on the co^ik of Peru, fet fail again to the wcitward, with a viewof falling in with the Spice Iflands. In this extenlive run acrofs the Pacific ocean, he firft difcovercd the Ludrones or Marian \([zndiSi and continuing on his courfe, he at length reached the PAi7//>;)/»tfinands, which are the mofteaftern part ofy^tf, where, venturing on fliore in an hoftile man-^ ner, and fkirmifhing with the Indians, he Was flain. By the death of Magellan, his original projedt of fecuring fome of the Spice Iflands was defeated j for thofe who were left in command contented rhemfelves with ranging through them, and pur* chafing fome fpices from the natives ; after which they returned home round the Cape of Good HopCt being the firft (hips which had ever furrounded this terraqueous globe j and thereby demonftrated, by a palpable experiment obvious to the groflieft and moft vulgar capacity, the reality of its long dif- puted fpherical figure. But though Spain A\d. not hereby acquire the pro- perty of any of the Spice Iflands, yet the difcovery of the Philippines, made in this expedition, was thought tooconfiderabletobeneglededi fincethefe were not far diftant from thofe places which pro- duced Spices, and were very well fituated for the Chinefe trade, and for the commerce of other parts of India, A communication therefore was foon eftabliflied, and carefully fupported between thefc Iflands and the SpaniJhcoXomts on the coaftofP^rw: Whence the city of Manila (which was built on the Ifland of Luccnia, the chief of the Philippines) be- came in a fliort time the mart for all Indian com- Y a modities. if"'' 3i6 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE modities, which Were bought up by the inhabitants^ and were annually fent to the South Seas, to be there vended on their account j and the returns of this commerce to Manila being principally made in fil- ver, the place by degrees grew extremely opulent, and its trade fo far increafed, as to engage the at- tention of the Court o( Spain j and to be frequently controlled and regulated by royal edidts. In the infancy of this trade, it was carried on from the port of Callao to the city of Manila, in which navigation the trade wind continually favour- ed them J fo that notwithftanding thefe places were diftant between three and four thoufand leagues, yet the voyage was often made in little more than two months: But then the return from Manila was ex- tremely troublefome and tedious, and is laid to have fometimes lafted above a twelvemonth j which, if they pretend to ply up within the limits of the trade- wind, is not at all to be wondered at. Indeed, though it is alTerted, that in their firft voyages they were fo imprudent and unfkilful as to attempt this courfe } yet that route was foon laid afide, by the advice, as it is faid, of a Jefuit, who perfuaded them to fleer to the northward till they got clear of tiie trade-winds, and then hj the favour of the wefterly winds, which generally prevail in high la- titudes, to ftretch away for the coafi: oi California, This we know hath been the pradice for at leafl a hundred and fixty years paftj as Sir Thomas Caven- dijh, in t!.e year 1586, engaged off the South end of California a vefTel bound from Manila to the Ameri- can coaft. And it was in compliance with this new plan of navigation, and to fhorten the run both back- wards and forwards, that theflapleof this commerce to ROUND THE WORLD. 317 to and from Manila, was removed from Callao on the coaft of Peruy to the port of Acapulco on the coaft oi Mexico, where it continues fixed to this time. Such was the commencement, and fuch were the early regulations of this commerce; but its prefent condition being a much more interefting fubjed, I muft beg leave to dwell longer on this head, and to be indulged in a more particular narration, be- ginning with a defcription of the Illand of Luco' ma, and of the port and bay of Manila. The Ifland of Luconia, though fituated in the la- titude of 1 5° North, is efteemed to be in general extremely healthy, and the water that is found upon it, is faid to be the bed in the world : It produces all the fruits of the warm climates, and abounds in a moft excellent breed of horfes, fuppofed to be car- ried thither fi. '' from Spain : It is very well feated for the Indian and Chinefe trade j and the bay and port o( Manila i which lies on its weftern fide, is per- haps the moft remarkable on the whole globe, the bay being a large circular bafon, near ten leagues in diameter, great part of it entirely land-locked. On the eall fide of this bay ftands the city of Mani- la, which is large and populous j and which, at the beginning of this war, was only an open place, its principal defence confifting in a fmall fort, which was almoft furrounded on every fide by houfesj bufi they have lately made confiderablc additions to. its fortifications, though I have not yet learnt after what manner. The port, peculiar to the Gity, is called Cahite, and lies near two leagues to the fouth-» ward i and in this port all tlve (hips employed for the Acapulco trade are ufually ftationed. As I have never feen but one engraved plan of this bay, and Y 3 thj^t; $»^ H ,-t 3X8 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE that in an uncommon colledion, I have added, in^ the thirty- third plate, a plan which fell into my hands, and which differs confiderably from that already publilhed : But I cannot pretend to de- cide, >yhich of the two is moft to be relied on. The city of Manila itfclf is in a healthy fituation, is well watered, and is in the neighbourhood of a very fruitful and plentiful country; but as the principal bufinefs of this place is its trade to Jca- fulcOf it lies under fome difadvantage, from the difficulty there is in getting to fea to the eaftward ♦. For the paflage is among Illands and through channels, where the Spaniards^ by reafon of their unfkilfulnefs in marine affairs, wafle much time, and are often in great danger. Thefe inconvenien- cies will be better apprehended by the reader from the draught of the Ifland of Luconia^ and of its neighbouring ifles (Plate XXVIth), which was taken from the enemy, and had been newly drawn and corrcdcd but a fhort time before. The tr^dc carried on from this place to China jind different parts of India, is principally for fuch commodities as are intended to fupply the king- doms of Mexico and Peru, Thefe are fpices, all forts of Chinefe filks and manufaftures j particular- ly filk flockings, of which J have heard that no lefs than fifty thoufand pair were the ufual number ihipped in each cargo \ yafl quantities of Indian (luffs, as caliicoes and chints, which are much worn 'inAmericat together with other minuter ar-» ticles, as goldfmiths work, ^c, which is princi- pally wrought at the city of ^nila itfelf by the Chinefe i for it is faid there are at leafl twenty thoyfand Cbineff who conilantly reQd« there> either :...... as my that de- ROUND THE WORLD. 319 as fervants, manufacturers, or brokers. AU thefe dif- ferent commodities are coUedled at Manila, thence to be tranfported annually in one or more fhips to the port of Jcapuko, in the kingdom of Mexico, This trade to Acapulco is not laid open to all the inhabitants of Manila, but is confined by very par- ticular regulations, fomewhat analogous to thofe by which the trade of the regifter Ihips from Cadiz to the JVefi Indies is reftrained. The (hips employed herein are found by the King of Spain^ who pays the officers and crew ; and the tunnage is divided into a certain number of bales, all of the fame fize : Thefe are diftributed amongft the Convents at Ma- nila, but principally to the Jefuits, as a donation, to fupport their miflions for the propagation of the Catholic Faith j and the Convents have thereby a right to embark fuch ? quantity of goods on board the Manila fhip, as the tunnage of their bales amounts to ; or if they chufe not to be concerned in trade themfelves, they have the power of felling this privilege to others : Nor is it uncommon, when the merchant to whom they fell their (hare is unprovided of a (lock, for the Convents to lend him confiderable funis of money on bottomry. The trade is by tlie royal edifts limited ro a cer- tain value, which the annual cargo ought not to exceed. Some Spanijh manufcripts, I have feen, mention this limitation to be 600,000 dollars i but the annual cargo does certainly furpafs this fum i and though it may be difficult to fix its exa6b value, yet from many comparifons I conclude, that the re- turn cannot be much (hort of three millions ofdollars. As it is fufficientlyobvious, that the greateftlhare of the treafure returned from Acapulco to Manila, , Y 4 does ,>f!| «* 320 Ld. anson*s voyage does not remain in that place, but is again difperfed into different parts of hdia j and as all t.uropean Nations have generally efteemed it good policy to keep their American^citltmcnis^m an immediate de- pendence on their mother-country, without per- mitting them to carry on diretlly any gainful traffic with cher powers \ thefe confiderations have occa- fioned many remonllrances to be prefented to the Court of 5^^i/» againft this Indian trade allowed to the kingdom o( Mexico. It has been urged, that the filk manufadlures ofFalencia and other parts o(Spai?i, are hereby greatly prejudiced, and the linenscarried from Cadiz much injured in their fale : Since the Chinefe filks coming almoft diredlly to Acapulcoy can be afforded confiderably cheaper there than any £«- r^/>^^7»manufadlures of equal goodnefsj and the cot- ton from the Ceromandel coaft makes the European linens nearly uielefs. So that the Manila trade ren- ders both Mexico znd Peru lefs dependent upon Spain for a fypply of their neceffities than they ought to bci and exhaufts thofe countries of a confiderable quantity of filver, the greateft part of which, were this trade prohibited, would center in Spain, either in payment for Spanijh commodities, or in gains to theSpaniJh merchant: Whereas now the only advan- tage which arifesfrom it is, the enriching the Jefuits and a few particular perfons befides, at the other extremity of the world. Thefe arguments aid To far influence Don Jofepb Paiinbo, who was former- ly prime minifter, and an enemy to the Jefuits, that aboul the year 1725, he had refolved to abolifli this trade, and to have permitted no Indian com- modities to be introduced into any of the Spanijh ports in the Wejt Indies^ except fuch as were brought -.- - ': thither agam ROUND THE WORLD. fai thither by the regifter fliips from Europe, But the powerful intrigues of the Jefuits prevented this regulation from taking place. ' ^ This trade from Manila to Acapulco, and back again, is ufually carried on in one or at moil two annual fhips, which fet fail from Manila about Julyy and arrive at Acapitlco in the December, Ja- nuary , or February following; and having there difpofed of their effects, return for Manila fome time in March, where they generally arrive in June, fo that the whole voyage takes up very near an en- tire year. For this reafon, though there is often no more than one Ihip freighted at a time, yet there is always one ready for the fea when the other arrives ; and therefore the commerce at Manila is provided with three or four ftout fhips, that in cafe of any ac- cident the trade may not be fufpended. The largeft of thefe Ihips, whofe name I have not learnt, is de- fcribed as little lefs than one of our firft rate men of war ; and indeed (he muft be of an enormous fize ; as it is known, that when Ihe was employed with other fhips from the fame port, to cruift for our China trade, Ihe had no lefs than twelve hundred men on board. Their other fliips, though far infe- rior in bulk to this, arc yet llout large velTels, of the burthen of twelve hundred tun and upwards, and ufually carry from three hundred and fifty to fix hundred hands, pafTengers included, with fifty odd guns. As thefe are all King's fliips, commifTioned and paid by him, there is ufually one amongfl the Captains ftiled the General, and he carries the royal ftandard oi Spain at the main top-gallant-mafl-head, as we fhall more particularly obf-rve hereafter. And now having defcribed the city and port of 4\^anila, and the fhipping employed by its inhabit- 9 ants. ■In * J22 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ants,, it is neceflary to give a more circumflantial detail of the navigation from thence to Acapulco, The fhip having received her cargo on board, and being fitted for the fea, generally weighs from the molt o(Cabite about the miaJle of 7«/y, taking the advantage of the wefterly monfoon, which then fets in. It appears by the chart already referred to, that the getting through the channel called xhtBoc- caderoy to the eaftward, muft be a troublefome na- vigation, and in fad it is fometimes the end of Augujt before they complete it. When they have cleared this paflage, and are difentangled from the Iflands, they ftand to the northward of the eaft, till they arrive in the latitude of thirty degrees or up- wards, where they expeft to meet with wefterly winds, before which they ftretch away for the coaft of California. To give a better idea of the track which they hold in this navigation, I have inferted towards the latter end of the third book, the copy of a manufcript chart, that was taken on board one of thefe fhips, on which I have laid down the par- ticular route of this veflel, both in her pafiage from Manila to AcapuUoi and from Acapujco back again. In this chart (as it was drawn for the ufe of the Spanijk General) there are contained all the difco- veries the Manila fhips have at any time made in traverfing ths vaft Ocean between the Philippint Iflands and the coaft oi Mexico-, whence it appears how minute and inconfiderable thofe fragments of land are which lie difperfed in that prodigious fea. Itis indeed moft remarkable, that by the concurrent teftimony of all the Spanijh Navigators, there is not one port, nor even a tolerable road as yet found out betwixt the Philippine Iflands and the coaft ofCali* forma : -r.. KOUND THE WORLD. 323 fornia : So that from the time the Manila Ihip firfl; lofes fight of land, (he never lets go her anchor till Ihc arrives on the coaft of California, and very of- ten not till (he gets to its fouthernmoft extremity. As this voyage is rarely of lefs than fix months continuance, and the fhip is deep laden with mer- chandize, and crowded with people ; it may ap- pear wonderful how they can be fupplied with a ftock of frelh water for fo long a time. The me- thod of procuring it is indeed extremely fingular, and deferves a very particular recital. It is well known to thofe who are acquainted v/ith the Spanijh cuftoms in the South Seas, that their water is preferved on ihip-board not in calks but in earthen jars, which in fome fort refemble the large oil jars we often fee in Europe. When the Manila fhip firft puts to fea, (he takes on board a much greater quantity of water than can be flowed be-r tween decks, and the jars which contain it are hung all about the fhrouds and flays, fo as to exhibit at a diflance a very odd appearance. Though it is one convenience of their jars that they are much more manageable thancafks, and are liable to no leekage, unlefs they are broken ; yet it is fufficiently obvious, that a fix, or even a three months (lore of water, could never be flowed in a fhip fo loaded, by any management whatever; and therefore,withoutfome otherfupply,thisnavigation could not be performed. A fupply indeed they have, but the reliance upon itfeems at firfl fight fo extremely precarious, that it is wonderful fuch numbers (hould rifque the pe- rifhing by the moil dreadful of all deaths, on the expectation of fo cafual a relief. In fhort, their only method of recruiting their water is by the rains, which fi,, ■flrn r* 'Wu ' •AlJ'T' i -81 ' f * ff m"-m mm^^ 524 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE which thev meet with between the latitudes of 30 and 40" North, and which they are always prepar- ed to catch. For this purpofe they take to fea with them a great number of mats, which, when- ever the rain defcends, they range flopingly againft the gunwale from one end 01 the fhip to the other, their lower edges reding on a large fplit bamboej whence all the wate^- which ills on the mats, drains into the bamboe, ar • ^ >'s, as a trough, is con- veyed into a jar. A/ ! d > method of furnifhing themfelves with water, nowev accidental and ex- traordinary it may at firft fight appear, hath never been known to fail them j but it hath been common for them, when their voyage is a little longer than ufual, to fill all their water jars feveral times over. However, though their diftrefl^es for frefli water are much fhort of what might be expedled in fo te- dious a navigation j yet there are other inconveni- encies generally attendant upon a long continuance at fea, from which they are not exempted. The principal of thefe is the fcurvy, which fometimes rages with extreme violence, and deftroys great numbers of the people j but at other times their paflTage to Acapulco (of which alone I would be here underllood to fpeak) is performed with little lofs. The length of time employed in this paffage, fo much beyond what ufually occurs in any other known navigation, is perhaps in part to be imputed to the indolence and unlkilfulnefs of the^p^wZ/^fail- ors, and to an unneceflary degree of caution, on pretence of the great riches of the veffel : For it is faid,that they rarely fet their main-fail in the night, and often lie by unneceflTarily. Thus much is cer- tain, that the inftrudlions given to their Captains i^..,:;^ (which ROUND THE WORLD. 3*5 31 ' (whic'i I have fecn) feem to have been drawn up by fuch as were more apprehenfivc of tooftrong a gale, though favourable, than of the inconveniencies and mortality attending a lingering and tediousvoyage. For the Captain is particularly ordered to make his paflage in the latitude of 30 degrees, if poflible, and to be extremely careful to (land no farther to the northward than is abfolutely necefiTary for the getting a wefterly wind. This, according to our conceptions, appears to be a very abfurd reftridlionj fince it can fcarcelv be doubted, but that in the higher latitudes the weftcrly winds are much fteadi- er and brifker, than in the latitude of 30 degrees. Indeed the whole conduft of this navigation feems liable to very great cenfure. Since, if inftead of (leeringE.N.E. into the latitudeof3odegrees, they at firfl flood N. E, or even ftill more northerly, into the latitude of 40 or 45 degrees, in part of which coaft the trade-winds would greatly affift them, I doubt not but by this management they might confiderably contrafl their voyage, and per- haps perform it in half the time which is now al- lotted for it. This may in fome meafure be dedu- ced from their own journals ; fince in thofe I have feen, it appears, that they are often a month or fix weeks after their laying the land, before they get into the latitude of 30 degrees ; whereas, with a more northerly courfe, it might eafily be done in lefs than a .fortnight. Now when they were once well advanced to the northward, tnc "wcUerly winds would foon blow them over to the coafl: oi Calif or - nia, and they would be thereby freed from the other embarraflfments, to which they are at prefent fub- jefted, only at the expence of a rough fea and a ftifF ' gale. ■^u' ^ . 1 * 326 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE gale. This is not merely matter of fpeculation 1 for I am credibly informed, that about the year 1721, a French (hip, by purfuing this coiirfe, ran from tlie coaft of Ctina to the valley of Vanderas, on the coaft of Mexicoy in lefs than fifty days : But it was faid, that notwithftanding the fhortnefs of her paflfage, fhc fuffered prodigioufly by the fcurA-y, fo that Ihe had only four or five of her crew re- maining alive when fhe arrived in America, However, I Ihall defcant no longer on the pro- bability of performing this voyage in a much fhort- cr time, but fhall content myfelf with reciting the a<5tual occurrences of the prefent navigation. The Manila fhip having ftood fo far to the northward as to meet with a wefterly wind, flretches away nearly in the fame latitude for the coaft of Califcrnia : And when fhe has run into the longitude of about 100 degrees from Cape Efpiritu Santo y (lie generally finds a plant floating on the fea, which, being called Porra by the Spaniards, is, I prefume, a fpecies of fea-leek. On the fight of this plant they efteem themftlves fufficiently near the Californian Ihore, and immediately ftand to the fouthvvard ; and they rely fo much on this circumftance, that on the firft difcovery c-f the plant, the whole fhip's company chant a fol !mn Te Deum, efteeming the difficul- ties and hazji'-da of their paflfage to be now at an end J and they conftantly correft their longitude thereby, without ever coming within fight of land. After falling in with thefe Signs, as they denomi- nate them, they fteer to the fouthward, without endeavouring to approach the coaft, till they have run into a lower latitude j for as there are many Iflands, and fome llioals adjacent to Californiay the extreme ROUND THE WORLD. 327 extreme caution of the Spanijh navigators renders them very apprchenfive of being engaged with the land : However, when they draw near its fouthern extremity, they venture to hale in, both for the fake of making Cape St. Lucas to afcertain their reckoning, and alfo to receive intelligence from the Indian inhabitants, whether or no there are any enemies on the coaft j an^ this laft circumftance, which is a particular article in the Captain's in- ftruftions, obliges us to mention the late proceed- ings of the Jefuits among the Californian I^id'uins. Since the firft difcovery of C«///i>r«w, there have been various wandering Mifllonaries who have vi- fited it at different times, though to little purpofe : But of late years the Jefuits, encouraged and fup- ported by a large donation from the Marquis de Valero, a moft magnificent bigot, have fixed them- felves upon the place, and have there eftabli (bed a very confiderable miffion. Their principal fettle- ment lies juft within Cape 6'/. Lucas, where tL?y have colle«^ed a great number of favages, and have endeavoured to inure them to agriculture and other mechanic arts : Nor have their efforts been alto- gether ineffeftual j for they have planted vines at their fettlements with very good fuccefs, io that they already make a confiderable quantity of wine, which begins to be efteemed in the neighbouring kingdom of Mexico ; it refembling in flavour the inferior forts of Madera. The Jefuits then being thus firmly rooted on Ctf- lifornia, they have already extended their jurifdic- tion quite acrofs the country from fea to fea, and are endeavouring to fpread their influence farther to the northward -, with which view they have made feveral ■■ ^4 I I & '•'111 'If;'* ''i (?' 32S Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE feveral expeditions up the gulf between California and Mexico, in order to difcover the nature of the adjacent countries, all which they hope hereafter to brin^ under their power. And being thus oc- cupied in advancing the intcrcits of their fociety, it is no wonder if fome (hare of attention is cn"^a<>- ed about the fecurity of the Manila fhip, in which their Convents at Manila are fo deeply concerned. For this purpofe there are refrefhmcnts, as fruits, wine, water, tsfr. conftantly kept in readinefs for her i and there is befides care taken at Cape St^ Lucas, to look out for any (hip of the enemy, ■which might be cruifing there to intercept her ; this being a ftation where Ihe is conftantly expell- ed, and where (he has been often waited for and fought with, though generally with little fuccefs. In confequence then of the meafures mutually fet- tled between thejefuitsof Mtf«//fland their brethren ztCaliformay the Captain of the galeon is ordered to fall in with the land to the northward of Cape Si. Lucas, where the inhabitants are directed, on fight of the ve0el, to make the proper fignals with fires. On difcovering thefe fires, the Captain is to fend his launch on Ihore with twenty men well armed, who are to carry with them the letters from the Convents at Manila to the Calif ornian Mi(rion- aries, and arc to bring back the refrelhments which will be prepared for the fhip, and likewife intelli- gence whether or no there are enemies on the coaft^ If tlie Captain finds, from the account which is fent him, that he has nothing to fear, he is dired:- cd to proceed for Cape St, Lucas, and thence to Cape Ccrientes, after which he is to coaft it along fur the port q^ Acapidco, - ' ^- ' " ■ ' ^^ The ROUND THE WORLD. 329 fornid )C the eafter IS oc- my, ..^ The mod ufual time of the arrival of the galeon at AcapuLo, is towards the middle o( January : But this navigation is fo uncertain, that (he Ibmetimes gets in a month fooner, and at other times has been detained at fea above a month longer. The port of Acapulco is by much the fecurcft and fineft in all the northern part of the Pacifii Ocean, being, as it were, a bafon furrounded by very high mountains : But the rown is a mod wretched place, and extremely unhealthy, for the air about it is fo pent up by the hills that it has fcarcely any circulation. Acapulco is befides dellitute of frefh water, except what is brought from a confiderable diftance, and is in all refpcft? fo inconvenient, that except at the time of the mart, whilft the Manila galeon is in the port, it is almoft deferted. To compenfate in fome mc/ • fure for the fhortnefs of this defcription, I have inferted, in the fame plate with the bay of Manila above mentioned, a plan of this town and of its port and citadel, in which are likewifc drawn the new works which were added on their firft intelli- gence of the equipment of our fquadron. As this plan was taken from the Spaniards^ I cannot anfwer for its accuracy i but having feen two or three other Spanijb draughts of the place, I conceive, by comparing them together, that this 1 have here inferted is not very far diftant from the truth. "When the galeon arrives in this port, fhe is ge- nerally moored on its wei -rn fide to the two trees marked in the plan, and her cargo is delivered with all poflible expedition. And now the town of Acapulco, from almoft a folitude, is immediately thronged with Merchants from all parts of the king- dom of Mexico* The cargo being landed and dif- Z fofe4 ,»»« ;■ >i' 330 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE pofed of, the filver and the goods intended for Ma- nila are taken on board, together with provifions and water, and the fhip prepares to put to fea with the utmofl: expedition. There is indeed no time to be lofti for it is an exprcfs order to the Captain to be out of the port o( Jcapulco on his return, before the firft day of Afrih K S. Having mentioned the goods intended for Ma^ nila, I muft obferve, that the principal return is al- ways made in filver, and confequently the reft of the cargo is but of little account; the other articles, befides the filver, being fome cochineal and a few fweetmeats, the produce of the American fettlements, together with European millinery ware for the wo- men at Manila t and fome Spanijh wines, fucli as tent and fherry, which are intended for the ufe of their Priefts in the adminiftration of the Sacrament. And this difference in the cargo of the lliip to and from Manila, occafions a very remarkable va- riety in the manner of equipping her for thefe two different voyages. For the galeon, when fhe fets fail from Manila, being deep laden with variety of bulky goods j Ihe has not the conveniency of mounting her lower tier of guns, but carries them in her hold, till Ihe draws near Cape St. Lucas, and is apprehenfive of an enemy. Her hands too are as few as is confiftent with the fafety of the fliip, that fhe may be lefs pcllered by the ftowage of pro- vifions. But on her return from Acapulco, as her cargo lies in lefs room, her lower tier is (or ought to be) always mounted before ihe leaves the port, and her crew is augmented with a fupply of failors, and with one or two companies of foot, which are intended to reinforce the garrifon at Manila, Be- • - -. ' fides. I: ROUND THE WORLD. 33^ fides, there being many Merchants who take their paflage to Manila on board the galeon, her whole number of hands on her return is ufually little fliort of fix hundred, all which are eafily provided for by reafon of the fmall ftowage neceffary for the filver. The galeon being thus fitted in order to her re- turn, the Captain, on leaving the port of Acapuko, fteers for the latitude of 1 3^ or 1 4°, and then conti- nues on that parallel, till he gets fight of the Ifiand ofGuaniy one of the Ladrones. In this run the Cap- tain is particularly directed to be careful of the Ihoals of orders, fignals, and pofitions, to be obferved, when we fhould ?,r- rive off Jcapuko^ and the time appointed for the departure of the galeon fhould draw nigh. It was on the firft of March we made the high lands, ufually called the paps ovqt Acapulco^ and got v/ith all poPible expedition into the fituation pre- fcribcd by the Commodore's orders. The diftribu- tioiJ of ovv fquadron on this occafion, both for the intercepting ROUND THE WORLD. 335 ga- intercepting the galeon, and for avoiding a difco very from the fliore, was fo very judicious, that it well inerit« to be diilindlydefcribed. The order of it was thus : The Centurion brought the paps over the hrxrhour to bear N.N. E, at fifteen leagues diftance, wnich was a iiifTicient offing to prevent our being leen by the enemy. To the weftward of the Centu- rion there was (tationed the Carmelot and to the eaft- ward t!ie Tryal's Prize, the Gloucejiery and the Car- min : Thefc were all ranged in a circular line, and each fhip was three leagues diftant from the next; fo that the Carmelo and the Carmiriy which were the two extremes, were twelve leagues removed from each other: And as the galeon could, without doubt, be difcerned at fix leagues difcance from either ex- tremity, the whole fweep of our fquadron, within which nothing could pafs undifcovered, was at leaft twenty-four leagues in extent j and yet we were fo connefted by our fignals, as to be eafily and fpeedily informed of what was fcen in any part of the line. To render this difpofition flill more complete, and to prevent even thepoflib lity ofthegaleon'sefcap- ing us in the night, the two cutters belonging to the Centurion and the Gloucejier were both manned and lent in lliore, and commanded to lie all day at the diftance of four or five leagues from the entrance of the port, where, by reafon of their fmallnefs, they could not pofTibly be difcovered j but in the night they were directed to Hand nearer to the harbour's mouth, and as the light of the morning approached to come back again to their day-pofts. When the cutters fhould firll difccrn the Manila fhip, one qf them was to return to the Iquadron, and to make 9, fi^nal, v4i€ther the galeon ftood to the caftward ox Z 4 to ,^% t \ f 'si' ' iJ >^f if! i"). v:i\W HUPBBsnprflm^Ni 33^ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE to the weftward ; whilft the other was to follow the galeon at a diftance, and if it grew dark, to direct the fquadron in their chace, by (hewing falfe fires. The particular lituation of each (hip and of the cutters, and the bearings from each other, which they were toobfcrve in order to keep their ftations, will be better underftood by the delineation exhi- bited in the XXVIIth plate j a draught of which was delivered to each of the Commanders at the fame time with their orders. - ■--■ Befides the care we had taken to prevent the ga- leon from pafling by us unobferved, wehad not been inattentive to the means of engaging her to advan- tage when we came up with her : For confidering the thinnefs of ourcrews, and the vaunting accounts given by the Spaniards of her fize, her guns, and her ftrength, this was a confideration not to be neg- ledled. As we fuppofed that none of our Ihips but the Centurio I and Gloucefter were capable of ly- ing along-fideof her, we took on board the Ceniu- rion all the hands belonging to the Carmelo and Car- !»/», except what werejudfuiticient to navigate thofe Ihips } and Captaii; Saunders was ordered to fend from the Tryal's Prize ten Englijhmen^ and as many Negroes, to reinforce the crew of the Gloucefter. At the fame time, for the encouragement of our Negroes,of which we had a confiderable number on board, we promifed them, that on their good be- haviour they fhould have their freedom. As they had been almoft every day trained to the manage- ment of the great guns for the two pre^-ding months, they were very well qualified to be of fervice to us ; and from their hopes of liberty, »nd in return for the kind ufage they had met with V. . ' ■ ^ ■: amongft ROUND THE WORLD. 337 amongft us, they fetnied difpoied 10 exert them- fclves to ihc utmoft of their fiower, whenever we Ihould have occafion for them. Being thus prepared for rhe reception of the ga- leon, we expelled, wich the utmoit impatience, the often mentioned 3d of A'arch^ the day hxed for her departure. No fooner did that day dawn than we were all of us muH eagerly engaged in looking out towards /icapulccy froin ia hence neither the cafuai duties on board nor ihe crJLs of hunger could eafily divert our eyes j and wtr were fo iirangely prepof- fefled with thecertainty of our intcrlligence, and with an afliirance of her comina: o\it of port, that forne or other amongft us were conUaniiy iiviagininii,- that they difcovered one of our cutters returning with a fignal. But, to our extreme vexadonj both this day and the fucceeding riigl;*: palled over witliout any news of the galeon : However, we did not yet defpair, but were all heartily difpoftd to flatter ourlelves, that fome unfor'efeen accident had inter- vened, which might have put oiF her departure for a few days j and fuggellions of this kind occurred in plenty, as we knew that ihe time fixed by the Viceroy for her failing, was often prolonged on the petition of the merchants oi' Adexico. Thus we kept up our hopes, and did not abate of our vigilance; and as rhe 7th of March was Sunday^ tlic beginning of Pafiion week, which is obferved by the Papifts with great ftrictnefs, and a total ceilation from all kinds of labour, lb that no fliip is perip.irred to fir out of port, during the whole week, this quieted our apprchenHons for f Jire time, and dii'pofed us not to expe6l the galeon till the week following. On the Friday in this week our cutters returned to us, and chc officers on board them were very con- ;; L fidcnc '4' *,. f ■ r h\ & . ■.mi * ' "j.'jj" •*« 538 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ii-i fident that the galeon was ftill in port j for that flie could not pofTibly have come out but they muft have feen her. The Monday morning following, that is, on the 15th of Marchy the cutters were again difpatched to their old ftation, and our hopes were once more indulged in as languine prepoflef- •fions as before j but in a week's time our eagernefs was greatly abated, and c general dejedion and de- fpondency took place in its room. It is true, there •V. re fome few amongfl: us who ftill kept up their fpirits, and were very ingenious in finding out rea- sons to fatisfy themfelves, that the difappointment we had hitherto met with, had only been occafioned by a cafual delay of the galeon, which a few days would remove, and not by a total fufpenfion of her departure for the whole feafon : But thefe fpe- culations were not adopted by the generality of our people ; for they were perl'uaded that the enemy had, by fome accident, difcovered our being upon the coaft, and had therefore laid an embargo on the galeon till next year. And indeed this perfua- fion was bi.t too well founded s for we afterwards learnt, that our barge, when font on the difcovery of the port of Acaptilco, had been feen from the fhorc i and that this circumftance (no embarka- tions but canoes ever frequenting that coaft) was to them a fufficient proof of the neighbourhood of our fquadron j on which they ftopped the galeon till tlie fucceeding year. : •„. . :.. The Commodore himfelf, though he declared not his opinion, was yet in his own thoughts appre- henfive that we were difcovered, and that the de- parture of the galeon was put off; and he had, in confequence of this opinion, formed a plan for pofleffiiig h\mk\^ o\ Ac apulco i becaufe he had no ^ou bs. ROUND THE WORLD. 339 doubt but the treafure as yet remained in the town, even though the orders fordifpatchingof the galeoii tvere countermanded. Indeed the place was too well defended to be carried by an open attempt •, fmce, befides the garrilbn and the crew of the ga- leon, there were in it at leaft a thoufand men well armed, who had marched thither as guards to the treafure, when it was brought down from the city of Mexico : For the roads thereabouts are fo much infefted either by independent Indians or fugitives, that the Spaniards never truft the filver without an armed force to protefl it. Befides, had the Prength of the place been lefs confiderable, and fuch as might not have appeared fuperior to the efforts of our fquadron, yet a declared attack would have prevent- ed us receiving any advantages from its fuccefs; for upon the firft difcovery of our fquadron, all the treafure would have been ordered into the country, and in a few hours would have been out of our reach j fo that our conquefl would have been only a defolate town, where we fhould have found no- thing that could in the leaft have countervailed the fatigue and hazard of the undertaking. For thefe reafons, the furprifal of the place was the only method that could at all anfwer our pur- pofe; and therefore the manner in which Mr. ^nfon propofed to condudl this enterprife was, by fetting fail with the fquadron in the evening, time enough to arrive at the port in the night. As there is no danger on that coaft, he would have ftood boldly for the harbour's mouth, where he expe(fled to ar- rive, and perhaps might have entered, before the Spaniards vfcrc acquainted with his defigns: Asfoon i}s he had run into the harbour, he intended to have pufhed 'l'Vf< if ^ S . f? T-r - '■t. 340 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE pulhed two hundred of his men on fhorcinhis boats, who were immediately to attempt the fort marked (C) in the plan mentioned in the preceding chapter} whilft hf, the Commodore, with his fhips, was employed in firing upon the town and the other batteries. And theie different operations, which would have been executed with great regularity, could hardly have failed of lucceeding againlt an enemy, who would have been prevented by the fuddennefs of the attack, and by the want of day- light, from concerting any meafures for their de- fence : So that it was extremely probable that we fhould have carried the fort by ftorm j and then the other batteries, being open behind, mud have been foon abandoned j after which, the town, and its in- habitants, and all the treafure,mufl: neceflarily have fallen into our hands. For the place is lb cooped up with mountains, that it is fcarcely polTible to efcape out of it, but by the great road, marked (H. H.) in the plan, which pafles under the fort. This was the project which the Commodore had thus far fettled generally in his thoughtsj but when he began to inquire into fuch circumftances as were necelTary to be confidered in order to regulate the particulars of its execution, he found there was a difficulty, which, being infuperable, occafioned the enterprife to be laid afide : As on examining the prifoners about the winds which prevail near the Ihore, he learnt (and it was afterwards confirmed by the officers of our cutters) that nearer in fhore there was always a dead calm for the greatefl part of the night, and that towards morning, when a gale fprung up, it conflantly blew off the land j fo that the fetting fail from our prefent ftation in the evening, ROUND THE WORLD. 341 evening, and arriving at Acapuko before day-light, was impofTible. This fchcme, as hath been faid, was formed by the Commodore, upon a fuppofition that thegaleon was detained till the next year: But as this was a matter of opinion only, and not founded on intel- ligence, and there was a jxifTibility that (he might ftill put to fea in a fliort time, the Commodore thought it prudent to continue cruifing on his pre- fent ftation, as long as the neceflary attention to his ftores of wood and water, and to the convenient feafon for his future paflage to China, would give him leave. And therefore, as the cutters had been ordered to remain before Acapuko till the 23d o^ March i the fquadron did not change its pofition till that day j when the cutters not appearing, we were in fome pain for them, apprehending they might have fufFered either from the enemy or the weather j but we were relieved from our concern the next morning, when we difco vered them, though at a great diftance, and to the leeward of the fqua- dron. We bore down to them and took them up, and were informed by them, that, conformable to th^ir orders, they had left their ftation the day be- fore, without having feen any thing of the galeon j and we found, that the reafon of their being fo far to the leeward of us was a ftrong current which had driven the whole fquadron to windward. '" And here it is neceflary to mention, that, by information which was afterwards received, it ap- peared that this prolongation of our cruife was a very prudent meafure, and afforded us no con- temptible chance of feizing the treafure on which we had fo long fixed our thoughts. For after the embargo "^' U\A ■ I '■ ii li^k ,♦>,._ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 Ijo ■■■ liii >» lii 12.2 ■18- 1.25 ]|J4 |,.6 ^ 6" ► o / ^ Photograidiic Sciences Corporalion 23 WEST MAIN STRliT WEBSTiR.N.Y. 145M (716) •72-4503 '^ ^^% .** V V- 34a Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE embargo was laid on the galeon, as is before mentioned, the perfons principally intcrcfled in the cargo difpatched fcveral expreffe^ to Mexicoy to beg that fhe might ftill be permitted to depart: Jtfeems phey knew, by the accounts fent from Paita, that we had not more than three hundred men in all, whence they infifted that there was nothing to be feared j as the galeon, carrying above twice as many hands as ourwhole fqyadron, would be great- ly an overmatch for us. And though the Viceroy was inflexible, yet, on account of their reprefenta- tion, fhe was kept ready for the fea near three weeks after the firft order came to detain her. When we had taken up the cutters, all the Ihips being joined, the Commodore made a fignal to fpeak with their Commanders -, and upon inquiry into the fl:ock of frefh water remaining on board the fquadron, it was found to be fo very flender, that we were under a neceflity of quitting our ftation to procure a frefti fupply. Confulting what place was the propereft for this purpofe, it was agreed, that the harbour of Seguataneio or Cbequetan being the neareft, was, on that account, the moft eligible ; fo that it was immediately refolved to make the beft of our way thither : But that, even while we were recruiting our water, we might not totally abandon our views upon the galeon, which perhaps, from certain intelligence of our being employed at Cbequetan, might venture to flip out to fea j our cutter, under the command of Mr. Hughes^ the Lieutenant of the TryaPs Prize, was ordered to cruife off the port of Acapulco for twenty-four days; that if the galeon fliould fet fail in that interval, we might be fpeedily informed of it. In purfuance of thefc ROUND THE WORLD. 543 thefe rcfolutions we endeavoured to ply to the weft* ward, to gain our intended portj but were often interrupted in our progrefs by calms and advcrfe currents : At thefe intervals we employed ourfelves in taking out the mod valuable part of the cargoes of the Carmelo and Carmin prizes, which two fliips we intended to deftroy as foon as we had tolerably cleared them. By the i ft of April we were fo far advanced towards Seguatamioj that we thought it expedient to fend out two boats, that they might range along the coaft, to difcover the watering place; they were gone fome days, and our water being now very fhort, it was a particular felicity to us that we met with daily fupplies of turtle j for had we been entirely confined to fait provifions, we muft have fuJered extremely in fo warm a climate. Indeed our prefent circumftances were fufEciently alarm- ing, and gave the moft confiderate amongft us as much concern as any of the numerous perils we had hitherto encountered ; for our boats, as we conceived by their not returning, had not as yet found a place proper to water at, and by the leak- age of our calks, and other accidents, we had not ten days water on board the whole fquadron : So that from the known difficulty of procuring water on this coaft, and the little reliance we had on the Buccaneer writers (the only guides we had to truft to)^ we were apprehcnfive of being foon expofed to a calamity, the moft terrible of any that occurs in the long difheartening catalogue of the diftreffes of a fea-faring life. But thefe gloomy fuggeftions were at length happily ended : For our boats returned on the 5th oi April, having, about fevcn miles to the wcft- $ ward ■1BW5SPB- 344 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ward of the rocks of Se^uataneioy met with a place fit for our piirpofe j and which, by the defcription they gave of it, appeared to be the port of Che- quetany mentioned by Dampier, The fuccefs of our boats was highly agreeable to us, and they were ordered out again the next day, to found the har- bour and its entrance, which they had reprefented as very narrow. At their return, they reported the place to be fice from any danger j fo that on the 7th we flood for it, and that evening came to an anchor in eleven fathom. ThfGlouceJierciik anchor at the fame time with us j but the Carmelo and the Carmin having fallen to the leeward, the TryaPs Prize was ordered to join thcim, and to bring them up, which in two or three days fhc effefted. Thus, after a four months continuance at fea from the leaving of ^luiboy and having but fix days water on board, we arrived in the harbour of Che^ quetani the defcription of which, and of the ad- jacent coafl, Ihall be the bufinefs of the enfuing chapter. CHAP. XII. Defcription of the harbour of Chequetan^ and of the adjacent coaft and country.. TH E harbour of Chequetarti which we here propofe to defcribe, lies in the latitude of 17° : ;;^6' North, and is about thirty leagues to the weft ward of /icapidco. It is eafy to be difcovered by any fhip that will keep well in with the land, efpe- ciaily by fuch as range down the coaft from Aca* fukoi and will attend to the following particulars. There kOTJNb THE WORLti. J45 There is a beach of flmd, which extends eigh- teen leagues from the harbour of Acapulco to the weftward, againfl: which the fea breaks fo vidlently^ that with our boats it would be impofllble to land on any part of it : But yet the ground is fo clean, that, during the fair feafort, (hips may anchor iii great fafety, at the diftance of a nnilc or two from the fliore. The land adjacent to this beach is ge- nerally low, full of villages, and planted with a great number of trees i and on the tops of fome fmall eminences there are feveral look-out towers; fo that the face of the country affords a very agfee- able profpeft : For the cultivated part, which is the part here defcribed, extends fome leagues back from the iKore, where it feems to be bounded by a chain of mountains, which ftretch to a confiderablei diftance on either fide o^ Acapuko, It is a moft re- markable particularity, that in this v/hole extent, containing, in appearance, the moft populous and beft planted diftri<^ of the whole coaft, there ftiould be neither canoesj boats, nor any other embarka- tions, either for filhing, coafting, or for pleafure. This cannot b- imputed to the difficulty of land- ing J becaufe in many parts of Africa and Afia^ where the fame inconvenience occurs, the inhabit- ants have provided againft it by velfels of a peculiar fabric. I therefore conceive that the Government, to prevent fmuggling, have prohibited the ufe of all kinds of fmall craft in that diftrift* The beach hc-e defcribed is the fureii guide to thofe who are defirous of finding the harbour of Chequetan j for five miles to the weftward of the extremity of this beach there appears a hummock, which at firft makes like an iftand^ and is in fhape A a not f.j Id. ¥ M>l lllti mimmmm. w 346 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE not very unlike the hill of Petaplan, hereafter men- tioned, though much fmaller. Three miles to the weftward of this hummockj is a white rockj near the fhore, which cannot eafily be pafTcd by unob- ferved : It is about two cables length from the land, and lies in a large bay, about nine leagues over. The weft point of this bay is the hill of Petaplan, which is reprefented in the XXVIIIth plate, with the view of the Iflands of^icara and Sluibo, This hill ox PetaplaHy like the forementioned hummock, may be at firft miftaken for an Ifland, though it be in reality a Peninfula, which is joined to the Continent by a low and narrow Ifthmus, covered over with flirubs and fmall trees. The bay of Se- guaUineio extends from this hill a great way to the weftward \ and it appears by a plan of the bay of Peiaplan, which is part of that of Seguataneio, and is to be feen in the XXlXth platr that at a fmall diftance from the hill, and oppofite to the entrance of the bay, there is an aflemblage of rocks, which are white, from the excrements of boobies and tropical birds. Four of thefe rocks are high and larsrc, and, together with feveral fmaller ones, are, by the help of a little imagination, pretended to refemble the form of a crofs, and are called the H^hite Friars, Thefe rocks, as appears by the plan, bear W. by N. from Petaplan ; and about feven miles to the weftward of them lies the harbour of Chequeiatty which is ftill more minutely diftinguifh- cd by a large and fingle rock, that rifes out of the water a mile and an half diftant from the entrance, and bears S. | W. from the middle of it. The ap- pearance of this entrance is very accurately repre- fented in the XXXth plate, where {e) is the Eaft point tains ROUND THE WORLD. 347 point of the harbour, and (d) the Weft, the fore- mentioned rock being marked (f). In the fame view (a) is a large fandy bay, but where there is no landing; (^J are four remarkable white rocks; and from the point (c) there runs another bav to the weftward. To thefe directions I mufl: ad(3, that the coaft is no ways to be dreaded between the middle i^i October and the beginning oi May^ nor is there then any danger from the winds: Though in the remaining part of the year there are frequent and violent tornadoes, heavy rains, and hard gales in all diretflions of the compafs. Such are the infallible marks by which the har- bour of Chequetan may be known to thofe who keep well in with the land. Eui: as to thofe who keep at any confiderable diftance from the coaft, there is no other method to be taken for finding the place, than that of making it by the latitude : For there are fo many ranges of mountains rifing one upon the back of another within land, that no drawings of the appearance of the coaft can be at all depend- ed on when off" at fea; every little change of dif- tance or variation of pofition bringing new moun- tains in view, and producing an infinity of diffier- cnt profpcfts, which render all attempts of deli- neating the afpe(5t of the coaft impoffible. Having difcuffed the methods of difcovcring the harbour of Chequetattt it is time to infert the plan of the harbour itfelf : This is reprefented in the XXXIft plate J where it may be feen, that its entrance is buc about half a mile broad i the two points which form it, and which are faced with rocks that are almoft perpendicular, bear from each other S. E. and N. W. The harbour is invironed on all fides, ex- A a 2 ccpc j4? Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ccpt to the weftward, with high mountains over- fpread with trees. The paffage into it is very fafeon either fide of the rock that lies off the mouth of it, though we, both in coming in and going out, left it to the caftward. The ground without the har- bour is gravel mixed with ftones, but within it is a foft mud : And it mufl: be remembered, that in coming to an anchor a good allowance fliould be made for a large fwell, which frequently caufes a great fend of the feaj as likewife, for the ebbing and flowing of the tide, which we obferved to be about five feet, and that it fet nearly E. and W. The watering-place is fituated in that part of the harbour where frefli water is marked on the plan. This, during the whole time of our flay, had the appearance of a large (landing lake, without any "ifible outlet into the fea, from which it is fepa- j.ced by a part of the ftrand. The origin of this lake is a fpring, that bubbles out of the ground near half a mile within the country. We found the water a little brackifh, but more confiderably fo towards the fea-fide ; for the nearer we advanced towards the fpring-head, the fofter and freflier it proved. This laid us urider a neceffity of filling all our cafks :rom the furtheft part of the lake, and oc- cafioned us fome trouble j and would have proved • ftill more difficult, had it not been for our parti- cular management, which, on account of the con* veniency of it, deferves to be recommended to all who (hall hereafter water at this place. Our method confided in making ufc of canoes which drew but little water} for, loading them with a number of fmall cafks, they eafily got up the lake to the (pring- headi and the (mall ca(ks being there filled, were in the ROUND THE WORLD. 349 the fame manner tranfported back again to the beach, where Ibme of our hands always attended to fiart them into other ca(ks of a larger fize. Though this lake, during our continuance there, appeared to have no outlet into the fea, yet there is reafon to fuppofc that in the rainy fealbn it over- flows the (Irand, and communicates with the ocean j for Dampter, who was formerly here, fpeaks of it as a large river. Indeed, it is ncceflary that a vift body of water (hould be amaflcd before the lake can rife high enough to overflow the fl:rand ; fince the neighbouring lands are fo low, that great part of them mufl: be covered with water, before it can run out over the beach. - r As the country hereabouts, particularly the traft of coafl: contiguous to /^<:<7/)///i they formed upon the beach, and leemed rcfolyed todi.'putchis landing, firing feveraldiftant ihqt at hinra as he drew ncarj till at laft the boat being arrived within a reafonable diftance of the moft advanced fquadron, Mr. Bretf ordered his people to fire j upon which this refolute cavalry inftantly ran with great confufion into the wood, through a fmall opening which is delineated on the plan. In this precipitate flight one of their horfes fell down and threw his rider : but, whether he was wounded or not, we could not difcern, for both man and horfe foon got up again, and followed the relt into the wood. In the mean time the other two fquadfons were calm fpeftators of the rout of their comrades ; for they were drawn up at a great dif- tance behind, out of the reach of our (hot, having |ialted on our firil approach^ and never advancing aftep ROUND THE WORLD. 35J a ftcp afterwards. It v/as doubtlcfs fortunate for our people that the enemy adted with fo little pru- tlence, and exerted fo little fpirit j fince had thef concealed themfelves till our men had landed, it it fcarcely poffible but all the boat's crew mufl: have fallen into their hands; as the Spanif^rds were not much fhort of two hundred, and the whole number with Mr. Rrett only amounted to fixtcen. How- ever, the difcovery of fo confiderable a force col- lected in this bay of Fetaplarty obliged us conftantiy to keep a boat or two before it : For we were ap- prehenfive that the Cutter, which we had left to cruife off Acapulco, might, on her return, be fur- prifed by the enemy, if fhe did not receive timely information of her danger. But now to proceed with the accc nt of the harbour of C/f'.j//i?/<2;/. After our unfuccefsful attempt to engage the people ofthe country to furnifli us with thenccefla- ries we wanted, we defilted from any more endea- vours of the fame nature, and were obliged to be contented with what we could procure for ourfelves in the neighbourhood of the pore. We caught fifh here in tolerable quantities, efpecially when the fmoothnefs of the water permitted us to hale the feine. Amongft the reft, we got cavallies, breams, mullets, foles, fiddle-fifii, fca eggs, and lobfters : And we here, and in no other place, met with that extraordinary fifh called the Torpedo, or numbing fifli, which is in Ihape very like the fiddle-fifh, and is not to be known from it but by a brown cir- cular fpot about the bignefs of a crown piece near the centre of its back. Perhaps its figure will be better underftood, when I fay it is a flatfiih, much fefcmbling the thorn-back. This filh, the torpedo, 2 is , 'v5^^'' » ^pll m-'"' ■ ' i-ls R21 F^^R 11 i^HiSiill&B ^■•irl^Bi 11 354 Lp. ANSON'S VOYAGE is indeed of a moft fingular nature, produ6llve of the ftrangeft effefts on the human body : For who- ever handles it, or happens even to fet his foot up- on it, is prefcntly feized with a numbnefs all over him J but which is more diflinguifliable in thatlimb which was in immediate conta»5l with it. The fame 'efFedl too will be in fome degree produced by touching the fifh with any thing held in the hand j fince I myfelf had a confiderable degree of numb- nefs conveyed to my right arm, through a walking cane, which I refted on the body of the fiih for a fhort time only j and I make no doubt but I fhould have been much more fenfibly affcfled, had not the fifh been near expiring when I made the expe- riment J as it is obfervable that this influence ads with moft vigour upon the filh's being firft taken out of the water, and entirely ceafes as foon as it is dead, fo that it may be then handled, or even eaten, without any inconvenience. I Ihall only add, that the numbnefs of my arm upon this occa-* fion did not go off on a fudden, as the accounts of fome Naturalifts gave me reafon to expedl, but diminiflied gradually, fo that I had fome fenfation of it remaining till the next day. To the account given of the fifti we met with here, I muft add, that tliough turtle now grew fcarce, and we found none in this harbour of Che- quetaUi yet our boats, v/hich were (lationed off Ptf- taplafiy often fupplied us therewith i and though this was a food that we had been long as it were confined to (fmce it v/as the only frefli provifions which we had tailed during near fix months), yet we were far from being cloyed with it, or from finding that therelifli we had foritatall diminifhed.. The kOUND THE WORLD. 355: The animals we met with on (hore were princi- pally guanos, with which the country abounds, and which are by Ibme reckoned delicious food. We law no bead of prey here, except we fhould efteem that amphibious animal, the alligator, as fuch, fe- veral of which our people difcovered, but none of them very large. However, we were fatisfied that there were great numbers of tygers in the woods, though none of them came in fight ; for we every* morning found the beach near the watering-place imprinted very thick with their footftcps: But v;c never apprehended any mifchief from them j fincc they are by no means fo fierce as the Afiatic or Afri- can tyger, and are rarely, if ever, known to attack mankind. Birds were here in fufRcient plenty j for we had abundance of pheafantsof dificrent kinds, fome of them of an uncommon fize, but they were all very dry and tadelefs eating. And befides thefc we had a variety of fmaller birds, particularly par- rots, which we often killed for food. The fruits and vegetable rcfreOiments at this place were neither plentiful, nor of the beft kinds: There were, it is true, a few bufhes fcattered about the woods, which fupplied us with limes, but we fcarccly could procure enough for our prcl'ent ufc : And thefe, with a fmall plum, of an agreeable acid, called in 'Jamaica the Hog-Plumy togetlier with another fruit called a Papaky were the only fruits to be found in the woods. Nor is there any other ufeful vegetable hereworth mcntioning,exccpt brook lime: This indeed grew in great quantities near the frelh water banks; and as it was eftecmed an antifcorbutic, we fed upon it frequently, tliough its extreme bitternefs made it very unpalatable. Th;fb 356 Ld. ANSON*s VOYAGE Thefe are the articles moft worthy of notice in this harbour of Cbequetan. 1 Ihall only mention a particular of the coall lying to the weftward of it, that to the eaftward having been already defcribed. As Mr. , .n/on was always attentive to whatever might be of confequence to thufc who might frequent thefe fedS hereafter i and as we had obfervtd, that there was a double land to the weftward of Chequetant which ftretched out to a confiderable dillance,with a kind of opening, that appeared not unlike the in- let to fome harbour, the Commodore, foon afterwe came to an anchor, fent a boat to difcover it more accurately, and it was found, on a nearer exami- nation, that the two hills, which formed the double land, were joined together by a valley, and that there was no harbour nor fhelter between them. By all that hath been faid it will appear, that the conveniencies of this ^ort of Chequetanj particularly in the articles of refrefhment, are not altogether fuch as might bedefired: But yet, upon the '/hole, it muft be owned to be a place of confiderable confequence, and that the knowledge of it may be of great import to future cruifers. For except j^capulto, which is in the hands of the enemy, it is the *mly fecure harbour in a vaft extent of coaft. It lies at a proper diftance from Jcapulco for the convenience of fuch ihips as may have any defigns on the Manila galeonj and it is a place, where wood and water may be procured with great fecurity, in defpiteofthe efforts of the inhabitants of the ad- jatent diftrid: For there is but one narrow path which leads through the woods into the country, and this ::> eafily to be fecured by a very fmall party, agalnR ail the ftrength the Spaniards in that neigh- bourhoo4 IS ft. le !;ns od in ^ci- ROUND THE WORLD. 357 bourhood can muftcr. After this account ofCbe- quetan, and the coaft contiguous to it, we now return to the recital of our own proceedings. CHAP. XIII. Our proceedings at Chequctan and on the ad- jacent coaft, till our fetting fail for ^fia. THE next morning after our coming to an anchor in the harbour of Chequtiariy we fent about ninety of our men well armed on (bore j forty of whom were ordered to march into the country, as hath been mentioned, and the remaining fifty were employed to cover the watering-place, and to prevent any interruption from the natives. Here we completed the unloading of the Car* mslo and Carmin, which we had begun at fea j that is to fay, we took out of them the indico, cacao, and cochineal, with fome iron for ballaft, which were all the goods we intended to preferve, though they did not amount to a tenth of their cargoes. Here too it was agreed, after a mature confultation, to deftroy the TryaPs Prize, as well as the Carmelo and Carmitt, whole fare had been before refolved on. Indeed the Tryal's Prize was in good repair, and fit for the fea ; but as the whole numbers on board our fquadron did not amount to the complcmet.- of a fourth rate man of war, we found it was ini- poflibletodivide them into three fhips,withoutren- deringeach of thofc ftiips incapable of navigating in fafety through the tempeftuous weather we had reafon to expeft on the coaft of China, where we fuppofed we Ihould arrive about the time of the change of the monfoons. Thefe confiderations de- termini-d ;'r >•; m4 is 558 Ld. ansoK's voyage termined the Commodore to deftroy the Tryal's Prize, and to reinforce the Glouce/ier with the belt part of her crew. And in confequence of this re- folve, all the (lores on board the Jryal's Prize were removed into the other fhips> and the Prize herfelf, with the Carmelo and Carmin, were prepared for fcuttling with all the expedition we were matters of; but the great difficulties we were under in providing a llore of water (v/hich have been already touched on), together with the neceffary repairs of our rig- ging and other unavoidable occupations, took us up fo much time, and found us fuch unexpected employment, that it was near the end of Jpril be- fore we were in a condition to leave the place. During our ftay here, there happened an inci- dent, which, as it proved the means of convincing our friends in England of our fafety, which for fome time they had defpaired of, and were then in doubt about, 1 fhall beg leave particularly to recite. I have obferved, in the preceding chapter, that from this harbour of Chequeian there was but one path-way which led through the woods into the country. This we found much beaten, and were thence convinced, that it was well known to the inhabitants. As it palfed by the fpring-head, and was the only avenue by which the Spaniards could approach us, we, at fome diftance beyond the ipring-head, felled feveral large trees, and laid them one upon the other acrofs the path j and at this barricadoe we conftantly kept a guard. We befides ordered our men employed in watering to have their arms ready, and, in cafe of any alarm, to march inftantly to this poll. And though our principal intention herein was topreventour being dillurbed by ROUND THE WORLD. 3$9 by any fudden attack of the enemy's horfe j yet it anrwered another purpofe v/hich was not in itfelf Jefs important : Thiswas to hinderour own people from draggling fingly into the country, where we had reafon to believe they would be furprifed by the Spaniards, who would doubtlefs be extremely foli- citous to pick up fome of them, in hopes of getting intelligence of our future defigns. To avoid this inconvenience, the ftrifleft orders were given to the centinels, to le: no perfon whatever pafs beyond their poft. But notwithftanding this precaution, we miffed one Lewis Leger, who was the Commo- dore's Cook : As he wz&a. Fretichmajj, and was fuf- pedled to be a Papifl:, it was at firfl imagined that he had deferted, with a view of betraying all that he knew to the enemy ; though this appeared, by the event, to be an ill-grounded furmife j for it was afterwards known, that he had been taken by fome Indians, who carried him prifoner to Acapuko^ \ from whence he was transferred ^o Mexico, and then CO Vera Cruz, v/here he was Ihipped on board a veflcl bound to Old Spain, But the veflel being obliged by fome accident to put into Lijhon, Leger cfcaped on fhore, and was by the Briiijh Conful fcnt from thence to England-, where he brought the firft authentic account of the fafety of the Commodore, and of his principal tranfaflions in • the Scutb Seas. The relation he ffave of his own feizure was, that he rambled into the woods at fome diftance from the barricadoe, where he had firft. attempted to pafs, but had been (lopped and threatened to be puniflied; that his principal view was to get a quantity of limes for his mailer's (tore ; and that in this occupation he was furprifed una- ' ■ - ■' ■■ ' wares m 'tg n m m m m i 1 i 3^0 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE wares by four Indians , who dripped him naked, and carried hinn in that condition to Acapulcoy ex- pofcd to the fcorching heat of the fun, which at that time of the year Ihone with its greatcft vio- lence : That afterwards at Mexico his treatment in prifon was fufEciently fcvere j fo that the whole courfe of his captivity was a continued inftance of the hatred which the Spaniards bear to all thofe who endeavour to difturb them in their peaceable pofleflion of the coafts of the South Seas. Indeed Jaeger* s fortune was, upon the whole, extremely lingular j as, after the hazards he had run in the Commodore's fquadron, and the feverities he had fufFered in his long confinement amongft the ene- my, a more fatal difafter attended him on his re- turn to England: For though, when he arrived in London, fome of Mr. Anfon^ friends interefted themfelves in relieving him from the poverty to .which his captivity had reduced him j yet he did not long enjoy the bencfitof their humanity, fince he was killed in an infignificant night-brawl, the caufe of which could fcarcely be difcovered. And on occafion of this furprifal o( Leger, I muft obferve, that though the enemy never appeared in fight, during our Hay in the, harbour, yet we per- ceived that large parties of them were encamped in the woods about us -, for w-e could fee their fmokes, and could thence determine that they were polled in a circular line furrounding us at a diftance j and jult before our coming away they feemed, bv the increaie of their fires, to have received a confider- able reinforcement. But to return. Towards the latter end oi April y the unloading of cur tlxiee prizes, our wooding and watering, and in '• '3i^';<''t:: «.,y '.0 ROUND THE WORL 55» in fliort, every one of our propofed employments at the harbour of Cbequetan werf completed : So that,, on the 27 th oi y^priU the Tryal*s Prize, the Carmelo, and tlie Carmin, all which we here intend- ed to dcftroy, were towed on fliore and fcuttled, a quantity of combuftible materials having beendif- tributed in their upper works : And the next morn- ing the Centurion with the Gloucefter weighed an- chor; though as there was but little wind, and taa'c not in their favour, they v/ere obliged to warp out of the harbour. "When they had reached the offing, one of the boats was difpatched bad: again to fct fire to our prizes, which v/as accordingly executed. After this a canoe was left fixed to a grapnel in the middle of the harbour, v/lth a bottle in it well corked, inclofing a letter to Mr. Hughes, who com- manded the Cutter, which had been ordered to cruife before the port o^ JcapuicOi when w^ our- felves quitted that flation. And on this occafion I mud mention more particularly than I have yet donci the views of the Commodore in leaving the Cutter before that port. When we were necefTitated to proceed for Che- qttetan to recruit our water, Mr. Anfon confidered that our arrival in that harbour would foon be known at Acapulco j and therefore he hoped, that on the intelligence of our being employed in port> the galeon might put to fea, efpecially as Cbequetan is fo very remote from the courfe generally fteered by the galeon : He therefore ordered the Cutter to cruife twenty-four days off the port oi Acapulco, and her commander was direfted, on perceiving the galeon under fail, to make the beft of his way to the Commodore at Cbequetan. As the Ceiiturion was B b , . daubtlcfs I ' mi iii^ ;1 I' 362 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE doubtlefs a much better failer than the galcon,Mr. jlnfotti in this cafe, refolvcd to have got to fca as foon as pofTible, and to have purfued the galeon acrols the Pacrjic Ocean: Where fuppofing he /hoiild not have met with her in his paifage (which, confidering that he would have kept nearly the fame parallel, was very improbable), yet he was certain of arriving off Cape Efpiritu Santo, on the Ifland of Samal, before her; and that being the firft land fhe makes on her return to the Philippines^ we could not have failed to have fallen in with her, by cruif- ing a few days in that ftation. However, the Viceroy of Mexico ruined this projefl, by keeping the galeon in the port oi Acapulco all that year. The letter left in the canoe for Mr. Hughes, the Commander of the cutter, the time of whole return was now confiderably elapfed, diredled him to go back imn cdiately to his former ftation before Aca- pulcoy where he would find Mr. Anfon, who refolved to cruife for him there a certain number of days j after which, it was added, that the Commodore would return to the fouthward to join the reft of the fquadron. This laft article was inferted to de- ceive the Spaniards, if they got poffefTion of the canoe, as we afterwards learnt they did ; but could not impofe on Mr. Hughes, who wtll knew that the Commodore had no fquadron to join, nor any in- tention of fleering back to Peru. Being now in the offing o(Chequetan,ho\\n6. crofs the vaft: Pacific Ocean in our way to China, we were impatient to run off the coaft as foon as poffible ; fince the ftormy feafon was approaching apace. As we had no farther views in the American feas, we had hoped that nothing would have prevented us !- from ftOUND THE WORLD. 363 fi-om (leering to the weftward the moment we got out of the harbour ofChequetan: And it was no fmall mortification to us, that our neceffary employment there had detained us fo much longer than we ex- peftedj but now, when we had put to fea, we were farther detained by the abfence of the cutter, and the necefllty we were under of ftanding towards Acapuko in fearch of her. Indeed, as the time of her cruife had been expired for near a fortnv-ht, we liifpefled that (he had been difcovered from the Ihorej and that the Governor of Acapulco had thereupon fent out a force to feize her, which, as fhe carried but fix hands, was no very difficult en- terprife. However, this being only conjefture, the Commodore, as foon as he was got clear of the harbour o^ Chequetan, flood along the coaft to the caftward in fearch of her : And to prevent her from pafling by us in the dark, we brought to every night J and the Gloucejier, whofe ftation was a league within us towards the fhore, carried a light, which the cutter could not but perceive, if Ihe kept along fhore, as we fuppofed fhe would do -, befides, as a farther fecurity, the Centurion and Gloucefter alternately fhowed two falfe fires every half-hour. Indeed, had fhe efcaped us, fhe would have found orders in the canoe to have returned immediately before /Acapulco, where Mr. Jnfon propofed to cruife for her fome days. t\ By Sunday, the 2d of May, we were advanced within three leagues oi Acapuko, and having ^ttn. nothing of our boat, we gave her over as loft j which* befides the compafTionate concern for our Ihip-mates, and for what it was apprehended they might have fufFered, was in itfelf a misfortune, •^ - P b 2 . which, 3^4 Lt>. ANSON'S VOYAGE Tdiich, in our prcfcnt fcarcity of hands, we were all greatly interclUd in : Since the cr<^w of the cut- ter, confiftingof fixiTiCn and the Lieutenant, v/ere the very flower of our people, purpofely picked out for this fervicc, and known to be every one of therrv of tried and approved refoludon, and as fkilful lea- men as ever trod a deck, tlowevcr, as it was the general belief among us that they were taken and carried into /icapuho, tlie Commodore's prudence fuggeftcd a project which we hoped would recover them. This was founded on our having many SpU' nijh and Indian prifoneri in our {jolTcfllon, and a number of fick Nearoes, who could be of no fcrvicr to US in the navigating of the fhip. The Commo- dore therefore wrote a letter the fame day to the Go- vernor of AcapuUoy telling him, that he would re- leafe them all, provided the Governor returned the Cutter's crew. This letter was difpatched in the afternoon by a Spanifi officer,, of whofe honour we had a good- opinion, and who was furnifhed with a> launch belonging to one of our prizes, and a crew of fix other prifoners, who gave their parole for their return. The Spanijh officer too, befides the Commodore's letter, carried with him a joint pe- tition, figned by alt the rcfl of the prifoners> be- feeching the Governor to acquiefce in the terms propofed for their liberty. From a confideration of the number of our prifoners, amd the quality of fome of them, we did not doubt but the Governor would readily comply with Mr. ylnfin*s propofal, and therefore v/e kept plying on and off the whole night, intending to keep well in with the land, that we might receive an anfwer at the limited time, •which v/as the next day,.beingMb»'. M ' *«|. ' i?' -{\n M, I I ill II' 376 Ld. ANSON'S VOYx\GE- might h-ivc been in the Soiilb oeas ; and had they been cornplcL'jJ, yet the hatred of thelc Indians to the Spankirds was fo great, that it would have been iinpoinble for their Chiefsj how deeply Ib- ever corrupted, to have kept t'lem from joining us againfb their old detelled enemy. - .. '- — Thus then it appears, that on our arrival in the SoUib-Seas, we ndght have found the whole coafl: unprovided witJi troops, and deliitute even o( arms: For we well know, from very particular in- telligence, that there were not three hundred fire- arms, of which too the greatefl part were match- locks, in all the province of C^/7/. Whilfl; at the fiune time, the Indians were ripe for a revolt, the Spaniards difpofed to mutiny, .uid the Governors enraged with one another, and each prepared to re- joice in the difgrace of his antagonift. At this for- tunate crifis we, on the other hand, might have confiltcd of near two thoufand men, the greatefl part in health and vigour, all well armed, and united under a Chief, whofe enterprifing genius (as we have feen) could not be depreffed by a continued feries of the mofl finifter events, and whofe equable and prudent turn of temper would have remained unvaried, in the midft of the greateft degree of good fuccefs j and who befides poffelTed, in a dillinguiflied manner, the two qua- lities, the mofl: neccfTary for thefe uncommon un- dertakings; I mean that of maintaining his authori- ty, and prcferving, at the fame time, the affections of his people. Our other officers too, of every rank, appear, by the experience the public hath fince had of them, to have been equal to any at- tempt they might have been charged with by their Commander: And our men (at all times brave, if well ROUND THE WORLD. 577 Well conduced) in fuch acaufe, where treafure was the objedt, and under fuch leaders, would doubtlefs have been prepared to rival the moft celebrated at- chievementshithertoperformed by 5n7//2> mariners. It cannot then be contefted, but that Baldivia mud have furrendered on the appearance of our fquadron : After which, it nnay be prefumed, that the Arraucos, the Pulches, and PcnguincheSi inhabit- ing the banks of the river Imperial^ about twenty- five leagues to the northward of this place, would have immediately taken up arms, being difpofed thereto, as hath been already related, and encourag- ed by the arrival of fo confiderable a force in their neighbourhood. As thefe hdians can bring into the field near thirty thoufand men, the greatell part of them horfc, their firft ftep would have been the invading the province q( Chili, which they would" have found totally unprovided both of ammunition and weapons j and as its inhabitants are a luxurious and effeminate race,they would have been incapable, on fuc!' an emergency, of giving any oppofition to this rugged enemy : So that it is no ftrained con- jedlure to imagine, that t\\Q Indians would have been foon maflcrs of the whole country. Moreover, the other hdians, on the frontiers of Feru, being equally difpofed with the Arraucos to fliake off the Spanijb yoke, it is highly probable, that they likewife would have embraced this favourable occafion, and that a general infurredion would have taken pi ace through all the Spanijh territories o^ South America -y in which cafe, the only refource left to the Creolians (diffatif- fied as they were with the SpnniJJj Government) would h-ve been, to have made the befb terms they could with their Indian neighbours, and to have withdrawn themfelves from the obedience of aMaf- C c ter. u ^AM\ 378 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE li iii I 'Hi ter, who had fhown fo little regard to their fecurity.' Thislaftfuppofition may perhaps appear chimerical to thofe who meafure the poflibility of all events by the fcanty ftandard of their own experience ; but the temper of the times, and the flrong diflike of the natives to the meafiires then purfued bv the Spa ■ nijh Court, fufficiently evince at leid its poITibility* However, not to infill on the prefumption of a ge- neral revolt, it is fufficient for our purpofe to con- clude, that the Jrrattcos would fcarcely have failed of taking arms on our appearance: Since this alone would fo far have terrified the enemy, that they would no longer have employed their thoughts on the means of oppofing us j but would have turned all their care to the Indian affairs , as they ftill re- member, with the urmoft horror, the facking of their cities, the rifling of their convents, the capti- vity of their wives and daughters, and the defola- tion of their country by thefe fefolute favages, in the lull war between the two nations. For it mu(l be obferved, that the Chilian Indians have been fre- quently fuccefsful againfl the SpaniardSy and polfefs at this rime a large tradl of country, which was for- merly full of Spanijh towns and villages, whofe in- habitants were all either deftroved, or carried into captivity, by xhtArraucos and the other neighbour- ing Indiansy who, in a war againil the Spaniards, never fail to join their forces* But even independent of an Indian revolt, there were two places only, on all the coafl of the South Sea, which could be fuppofed capable of refilling our fquadron i thefe were the cities o^ Panama and Callao : As to the firft of thefe, its fortifications were fo decayed, and it was fo much in want of powder, that the Prefidcnthimfelf, in an intercepted letter. ROUND THE WORLD. 379 ktter, acknowledged it was incapable of being de- fended; whence I take it for granted, it would have given us but little trouble, efpecially if we had opened a communication acrofs the Ifl:Iiinus with our fleet on the other fide. And with regard to the city and portof C^^Z/rt^'jits condition was not much better than that of Panama j fince its walls are built upon the plain ground, without either out-work or ditch before them, and confifl: only of very flcnder feeble mafonry, without any earth behind tlicm -, fo that a battery of five or fix pieces of cannon, raifed any where within four or five hundred paces of the place, wouldhavehad afullviewof the whole rampart, and wouldhaveopeneditinafiiorttime; and the breach hereby formed, as the walls are fo extremely thin, could not have been difficult of afcent j for the ruins would have been but little higher than thefurface of the groundj and it would have yielded this particu- lar advantage to the afl^ailants, that the bullets, which grazed upon it, would have driven before them fucli fhivers of brick and ftone, as would have prevented the garrifon from forming behind it, fuppofing that the troops employed in defence of the place fhould have fo far furpafled the ufual limits of Creolian bravery, as to refolve to (land a general aflault. In- deed, fuch a refolution cannot be imputed to them j for the garrifon and people were in general diflatif- fied with the Viceroy's behaviour, and were never expeded to ad a vigorous part. On the contrary, the A^iceroy himfelf greatly apprehended that the Commodore would make him a vifit at Lima, the capital of the kingdom of Peru; to prevent which, if poflible, he had ordered twelve gallies to be built at G«tf/«j«/7and other places, which were intended to oppofethelandingof our boats, and tohinderusfrom C c 2 ^ pulhing .' t:! ^86 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE pufliing our menon fhore. Bur this was an impradli- cableprojedofdcfencej.indproccededonthcfuppo- fition that our fnips, when wc Ihould land our men, would keep at fuch a diltance, that thefe gallies, by- drawing little water, would have been out of the reach of our guns; whereas the Commodore, before he had made fuch an attempt, would doubtlefs have been poirciredoffcverai prize fliips, which he would not have hefitated to have run on fhore for the pro- teflionofhis boats; and befides, there were many placcsonthatcoafljandoneparticularlyintheneigh- bourhoodofCi/Z/^i', where there was good anchoring, though a greatdepthof water, within acablc'slength of the fhore ; confequently the cannon of the man of war would have fwept all the coaft to above a mile's di fiance from the water's edge, and would have ef- fedl' illy prevented any force from alTembling, to oppofe the landing and forming of our men : And thislanding place had the additional advantage,that it was but too leagues diftant from Lima; fo that we might have been at that city within four hours after we fhould have been firft difcovered from the fhore. The place I have in view is about two leagues; South of Callao, and jufl to the northward of the head-land called, in Frezier\ draught of that coafl, Morro Solar, Here there is feventy or eighty fa- thom of water, within two cables length of the fhore ; and here the Spaniards themfelves were fo apprehenfive of our attempting to land, that they had projefted to build a fort clofe to the water ; but as there was no money in the royal chefls, they could not complete fo confiderable a work ; and therefore they contented themfelves with keeping a guard of a hundred horfe there, that they might be fure to receive early notice of our appearance on that - . coafl. ROUND THE WORLD. jSt coaft. Indeed fome of them (as we were told) con- ceiving our management at Tea to be as pufillani- mous as their own, pretended that this was a road where the Commodore would never dare to hazard -his lliips, for fear that in Co great a depth ot' water their anchors could not hold them. And let it not be imagined, that I am proceed- ing upon groundlels antl extravagant prefumptions, when I conclude, that fifteen hundred orathoufand of our people, well conduced, would have been an over-match for any numbers the Sfamards could mufter in South .itncrica. Since, not to mention the experience we had of them at Pail a and Pelaplaff, it mud be remembered, that our Commodore was extremely folicitous to have all iiis men trained to the dexterous ufe of their fire-arms j whereas the Spani- ards, in this part of the world, were wretchedly pro- vided with arms, and were very aukward in the ma- nagement of the few they had: And though, on their repeated reprefentations, the Court of 6'/>^/« had or- dered feveral thoufand firelocks to be put on board Pizarro's fquadron ; yet thofe, it is evident, could not have been in America time enough to have been employed againft us. Hence then by our arms, and our readinefs in the ufe of them (not to infift on the timidity and fofrnefs of our enemy), we fliould in fomedegree have had the fame advantages,which the 6^tf«Mr^jthemfelveshadonthefirftdifcoveryofthis country, againlt its naked and unarmed inhabitants, Now let it in the next place be confidered, what were the events which we had to fear, or what were the circumftances which could have prevented us from giving law to all the coaft of South America ^ and thereby cutting olT from Spain the refources which fhe drew from thofe immcnfe province?. By f\ a: ' XY, ,'.;-* ' ' 382- I.D. ANSON'S VOYAGE fea there was no force capable of oppofing us ; for how foon foever we had failed, Pizarro's fquadrori ; could not have failed fooner than it did, and there- fore could not have avoided the fate it met \vith. As we (hould have been mafters of the ports of CM/, we coulr! hereby have fupplied ourfelves with the ; provifions we wanted, in the greatell plenty j and . from Baldivia to the equinoftial we ran no rifque of lofing our men by ficknefs (that being of all climates the moft temperate and healthy), nor of having our . Ihips difabled by bad weather. And had we want- ed failors to aflift in the navigating of our fquadron, whilfl a confiderabl e proportion of our men were em.- ployed on Ihore, we could not have failed of getting - whatever numbers we pleafed in the ports we Ihould have taken, and from the prizes which would have fallen into our hands. For I muft obierve that the Indians^ who are the principal mariners in that part of the world, are extremely docile, and dexterous ; and though they are not fit to ftruggle with the in- clemencies of a cold climate, yet in temperate fcas they are moft ufeful and laborious feamen. Thus then it appears, what important revolution^ might have been brought about by our fquadron, had it departed from England as early as it ought to . hav»^ done : And from hence it is eafy to conclude, what immenle advantages might have thence ac* crued to the Public. For, as on ourfuccefs it woul4 / |iave been impoflible that the kingdom of Spain iho' :]d have received any treafure from the provinces bordering on the South Seas, or fliould even have J|iad any communication with them j it is certain that , the whole attention of that Monarchy would have been immediately employed in endeavouring to re- gain thefe incftimable territories, either by force of J.. ^ arm^ ries. ROUND THE WORLD. 3^3 arms or compaft. By the firft of thefe methods it was fcarcely polTible they could fucceedj for it muft have -been at leaft a twelvemonth after our arri". al, before any Ihips from Spain could have got into the SoHib Seas, and when they had been there, they would have found themfelves without refource : Since they would probably have beienfeparatedjdif- abled, and fickly ; and would then have had no port remaining in their pofleflion, where they could ei- ther rendezvousur refit. Whilft we might have been fupplied acrofs the Ifthmus with whatever neceffa- ries, ftores, or even men we wanted j and might thereby have fupported our iquadron in as good a plight, as when it firft fet fail from St. Helens, In fhortjit required but little prudencefo to have con- du6ted this bnfinefs, as to have rendered all theefforts of Spain, feconded by the power of France, ineffec- tual, and to have maintained our conqueft in de- fiance of them both. Whence they muft either have refolved to have left Great Britain miftrefs of the wealth oi South America (the principal fupportofall their deftru6liveprojeds),or they muft have fubmit- ted to her terms, and have been contented to receive thefe provinces back again, asanequivalentforfuch reftridions to their future ambition, as fhe in her prudence ftiould have dilated to them. Having thus difcufled the prodigious weight which the ope- rations of our fquadron might have added to the national influence of this kingdom; I Ihall here end this fecond Book, referring to the next, the pafTage of the (battered remains of our force acrofs the Pacific Ocean, and all their fubfequent tranfadion% till the Commodore's arrival in England, ^ND of BOOK II. C c ^ .u--i M m JVi; if I m 2H Lp. ANSON'S VOYAGE VOYAGE ROUND THE ,/ W O R L D, efc. ';.-,;» •'4, BOOK in. CHAP. I. The run from the coaft of Mexico to the La'^ drones, or Marian Iflands. WHEN, on the 6th of May 1742, we left the coaft of America y wc ftood to the S. W. with a view of meeting theN. E. trade- wind, which the accounts of former witers taught us to expedl at feventy or eighty leagues from the land. We had befides another reafon for ftanding to the fouthward, which was the getting into the latitude of 13 or 14.^ North -f that being the parallel where the Pacific Ocean is moft ufually croiTed, and confequently where the navigation is efteemed the fafeft : This lali- purpofe we had foon anfwered, being in a day or two fufficiently advanced to the South. But though we were at the fame time more diftant from the P ore, than we had prefumed was neceflary for ^he falling in with the trade-wind j yet in this par- fipyl^r we were moft grievoufly difappointed j the ROUND THE WORLD. 385 wind ftill continuing to the weftward, or at beft va- riable. As the getting into the N. E. trade was to us a matter of the laft confequence, we flood yet more to the fouthward, and made many experiments to meet with itj but all our efforts were for a long time unfuccefsful : lb that itwasfeven weeks, from our leaving the coafl, before we got into the true trade-wind. This was an interval in which we had at firfl believed we fhould well nigh have reached the eafternmoft parts of .-^^j but we were fo baffled with the contrary and variable winds, which for all that time perplexed us, that we were not as yet ad- vanced above a fourth of the way. The delay alone would have beenafufflcientmortificationi but there were other circumftances attending it, which ren- dered this fituation not lefs terrible, and our appre- henfions perhaps ftill greater than in any of our paft calamities. For our two fhips were by this time ex- tremely crazy; and many days had not paffed be- • fore we difcovered a fpring in the fore-maft of the ' Cenluriofij which rounded about twenty-fix inches of its circumference, and which was judged to be at . leaft four inches deep. And no fooner had the Car- penters fecured this mad with fifhing it, than the Glouccfter made a fignal of diftrefs, to inform us that fhe had a fpring in her main-mafl, twelve feet be- low the truiTel-treesj which appeared fo dangerous * that fhe could not carry any fail upon it. Our Car- pentcrs, on a flritft examination of this mad, found ic ' exceffively rotten and decayed; and it beingjudged necefTary to cut itdown aslow as it was defecHiive, it was by this means reduced to nothing but a ftump, which ferved only as a ftep to the top-maft. Thcfe accidents augmented our delay, and being added fp Qiir oth?r diftrefTes occafioncd us great anxiety a()ou(; \ 386 Ld. anson*s voyage about our future fafety. For though after our depar- ture from Juan Fernandesj we had enjoyed a moft uninterrupted (late of health, till our leaving the coaft of Mexico ; yet the fcurvy now began to make frefli havock amongft our people : And we too well knew the efFedls of this difeafe, by our former fatal experience, to fuppofe that any thing except a fpeedy paffage could fecure the greater part of our crew from being deftroyed thereby. But as, after being feven weeks at fea, there did not appear any reafons that could perfuade us we were nearer the trade-wind than when w iet ' ut, there was no ground for us to imagine^ hat our paffage would not prove at lead three times as long as we at firft expeftedj and confequently we had the melancholy profpe6t either of dying by the fcurvy, or of peri th- ing with the Ihip for want of hands to navigate her. Indeed, feveral amongft us were willing to believe, that in this warm climate, fo different from what •we felt in paffing round Cape Horn, the violence of this difeafe, and its fatality, might be in fome de- gree mitigated; as it had not been unufual to fup- pofe that its particular virulence during that paf- fage was in a great meafure owing to the feverity of the weather : But the ravage of the diftemper, in our prefent circumftances, foon convinced us of the falfity of this fpeculation j as it likewife ex- ploded certain other opinions which ufually pafs current about the caufe and nature of this difeafe. For it has been generally prefumed, that fufficient fupplies ofwaterandof frefhprovifions are effedlual preventives of this malady ; but it happened that in the prefent cafe we had a confiderable ftock of frefh provifions on board, being the hogs and fowls which were taken at Paita-i we befides almoft daily caught : great were in ROUND THE WORLD. 387 great abundance of bonitos, dolphins, andalbicoresi and the unfettled fealon which deprived us of the benefit of the trade-wind, proved extremely rainy ; {o that we were enabled to fill up our water-calks, almoft as fail as they were empty i and each man had five pints of water allowed him every day dur- ing the pallaoje. But notwithftanding this plenty of water, notwithftanding that the frelh provifions were diftributed amongft the Tick, and the whole crew often fed upon fiflii yet neither were the fick hereby relieved, or the progrefs or malignity of the tiifeafe at all abated. Nor was it in thefe inftance? only that v/e found the general maxims upon this head defe6live: For tho* it has been ufually eftecm- ed a necelTliry piece of management to keep all fhips, where the crews are large, as clean and airy between decks as poftiblei and it hath been believ- ed by many, that this particular alone, if well at- tended tOjWould prevent the appearance of the fcur- vy, or at leaft mitigate its virulence; yet we obferv- ed,during the latter parfofourrun, that though wc kepi all our ports open, and took uncommon pains in cleanfingandfweetening the fhips, thedifeafeftill raged with as much violence as ever ; nor did its advancement feem to be thereby fenfibly retarded. However, I would not be underftood to aflert, t:hat frelh provifions, plenty of water, and a con- ftant fupply of fweet air between decks, are matters of no moment: I am, on the contrary, well fatif-^ fied, that they are all of them articles of great im- portance, and are doubtlefs extremely conducive to the health and vigour of a crew, and may uimany cafes prevent this fatal malady from taking place. All I have aimed at, in what I have advanced, is pnly to evince, that in fome inftances, both the cure and i.^%:\ ^''■:l; u'i ' I fim nm:M (f'l. 388 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE and prevention of this malr.dy is impoflible tobecf- fe6ted by any management, or by the application of any remedies which can be made ufe of at Tea. In- deed, I am myfelf fully perfuaded, that when it has got to a certain head, there are no other means in nature for relieving the fick, but carrying them on ihorc, or at leaft bringing them into the neighbour- hood of the land. Perhaps a diftinft and adequate knowledge of the fource of this difeafe may never bedifcoveredj but in general, there is no difficulty in conceiving, that as a continued fupply of freili air is neceflary to ail animal life, an das rhis air is (o parti- cular a fluid, that without loling icselafticity, orany of its obvious properties, it may be rendered unfit for this purpofe, by the mixing with it fome very fubtle and otherwife imperceptible efRuviai it may be eafily conceived, I hy, that the fteams ariling from the ocean may have a tendency to render the air they are fpread through lefs properly adapted to the fupport of the life of terrcdrial animals, un- lefs thefe (learns are corredted by effluvia of ano- . ther kind, which perhaps the land alone can afford. To what hath been already laid in relation to this difeafe, I ihall add, that our furgeon (who, during our paflage round Ccpe Horn) had afcribed the mor- tality we fufi'eredtothefcverityof the climate)exerted himfelf in the prefent run to the utmoft: But he at |aft declared, that all his meafures were totally in- effeftual, and did not in the leaft avail his patients, On this it was refolved by the Commodore to try the fuccefs of two medicines, which, juft before hi§ departu!-e from England^ were the fubjeft of much difcourf^ I mean the pill and drop of Mr. Ward. For however violent the operations of thefe medicines ^re faid to have fometimes proved, yet in the pre- ROUND THE WORLD. 3^9 fent inftance, where, without fome remedy, deflruc- tion fecmed inevitable, the experiment at lead was thought advifeable : and therefore, one or both oi" them at different times were administered roperlbns in every flage of the diftemper. Outof the numbers who took them, one, foon after fwallowing the pill, was feized with a violent bleeding at the nofe : He was before given over by the furgeon, and lay almoft at the point of death i but he immediately found himfelf muchbnter, and continued to recover, tho* flowly, till we arrived on fhore, which was near a fortnight after. A few others too were relieved for fome days, but the difeafe returned again with as much virulence as ever. Though neither did thefe, nor the reft, who received no benefit, appear to be reduced to a worfe condition than they would have been if they had taken nothing. The moft remark- able property of thefe medicines, and what was ob- vious in almoil every one that took them, was, that they aded in proportion to the vigour of the pati- ent J fo that thofe who were within two or three days of dying were fcarcely affecfted j and as the patient was differently advanced in the dilcafe, the operation was either a gentle perfpiration, an eafy vomit, or a moderate purge : But if they were taken by one in full ftrength, they then produced all the forementioned effedts with confiderablc violence, which fometimes continued for fix or eisrht hours together with little intermiffion. However, let us return to the profecution of our voyage. ^ ; I have already obferved, that a few days after our running off the coaft of Mexico, the Glcucejlcr had her main-mafl: cut down to a ftump, and we were obliged to fifli our fore-maftj and that thefe misfortunes were j^reatly affs:ravaced, by our meet- ing >■ i» ^'^J' :^9o Ld. AnsoN's voyage ing with contrary and variable winds for near fcvcri weeks. I ftiall now add, that when we reached the trade- wind, and it fettled between the North and the Eaft, yet it feldom blew with fo inucij ftrength, that the Centurion might not have carried all her finall fails abroad without the leafl: danger -, fo that, had we been a fingle fhip, we niight have run down our longitude apace, and have arrived at the LadroneSj foon enough to have recovered great numbers of our men, who afterwards perilhcd. But the Gloti- cefier, by the lofs of her main-mad, failed fo very heavily, that we had feldom any more than our top- fails fet, and yet were frequently obliged to lie to for her: And, I conceive, that on the whole we loft little lefs than a month by our attendance up- on her, in confequence of the various milchances (he encountered. During all this run it was re- markable, that we were rarely many days together without feeing great numbers of birds; which is a proof that there are feveral Iflands, or at leaft rocks, fcattcred all alpng, at no very confiderable diftance from our track. Some indeed there are mark'^d in the Spanijh chart, hereafter inferted : but the fre- quency of thefe birds feems to afcertain, that there are many more than have been hitherto difcoveredj for the moft part of the birds, we obferved, were fuch as are known to rooft on fhore j and the man- ner of their appearance fufficiently evinced, that they came from fome diftant haunt every morning, and returned thither again in the evening ; fince we never faw them early or late j and the hour of their arrival and departure gradually varied, which we fuppofed was occafioned by our running nearer their haunts, or getting farther from them, "' • i .The kOUND THE WORLD. 39^ ^The trade-wind continued to favour us, without any fluftuation, from the end of June till towards the end of July. But on the 26th of Jufyy being then, as weefteemed, about three hundred leagues from the LadroneSy we met with a wefterly wind, .vhich did not come about again to the eaftward in four days time. This was a mod difpiriting inci- dent, as it at once damped all our hopes of fpeedy relief; efpecially too as it was attended with a vex- atious accident to the Gloucefter: For in one part of thefe four days the wind flatted to a calm, and the ihips rolled very deep; by which means the Glou^ cejier's forecap fplitting, her fore-top maft came by the board, and broke her fore-yard diredly in the flings. As flie was hereby rendered incapable of making any fail for fome time, we were under a neceflity, as foon as a gale fprung up, to take her in tow i and near twenty of the healthiefl: and ablefl: of our feamen were removed from the duty of our own fliip,and were continued eight or ten days together on board the Gloucefter to afllfl: in repairing her da- mages: But thefe things, mortifying as we thought them, weieon^y the commencement of our difafl:ersj for fcarce had our people finiflied their bufinefs in the Gloucefter before we met with a mofl: violent ftorm from the wefl:ern board, which obliged us to lie to. At the beginning of this fliorm our fliip fprung a leak, and let in fo much water that all our people, officers included, were conflantly employed about thepumps: An i the next day we had the vex- ation to fee the Gloucefter with her fore-top mafl: once more by the board. Nor was that the whole of her calamity, {met whilil we were viewing her, with great concern for this new diilrefs, wc faw her main-top mafl:, which had hiiherto ferved her as a jury ;jii" ''pi f; i t : ! f 1 M; jgi Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE jury main mad, fhare the fame fate. This corri-' pleted our miafortunes, and rendered them without refource : For we knew the Glouce/ier's crew were fo few and feeble, that without our afiiftance they could not be relieved j whilft at the fame time our fick were now fo far increafed, and thofe who re- mained in health fo continually fatigued with the additional duty of our pumps, that it was impof- fible for us to lend them any aid. Indeed we were not as yet fully apprifed of the deplorable fituation of the Gloucefiers crewj for when the ftorm abated, whichduringitscontinuance prevented all commu- nication with them, thcGlouceJierbore up under our item ; and Captain Mitchel informed the Commo- dore, that be fides the lofs of his mafts, which was all that was vifible to us, the fhip had then no lefs than feven feet of water in her hold, although his officers and men had been kept conftantly at the pumps for the lad twenty-four hours. This newcircumftancewas indeed a mofl terrible accumulation to the other extraordinary diftrefles ef the GlouceJieVy and required, if polfible, the moft fpeedy and vigorous afiiftance j which Captain Miichel begged the Commodore to afford him : But the debility of our people, and our own imme- diate prefervation, rendered it impradicable for the Commodore to comply with his requeft. All that could be done, was to fend our boat on board for a more particular accountof the fhip's condition J asit wasfoonfufpedcdthaithe taking herpeople on board us, and then deftroying her, was the only meafure that could be profecuted in the prefent emergency, both f^r^" t!.c fecurity of their lives and of our own. Our boat fcon returned with a reprefentation of the ft ate of the Clcucejier, and of her feveral defeds, figned fignec it appi poft h ihip, a the orJ ported officer the pu fo fati^ longer feet of cafl/rovifion be got out than nve calks of flour, three of which were Ipoilcd by the Tah-water. Their fick men, amounting ting kOUND THE WORLD. 395 amounting to near fcventy, were conveyed into the boat.', with as much care as the circumftancesof that time would permit; but three or four of them ex- pired as they were hoifting them into the Centurion, It was the 1 5th of yJuguJl^ in the evening, before the Gloucejlcr was cleared of every thing that was propofed to be removed j and thougli the hold was now almoft full of water, yet, as the Carpenters were of opinion that Ihe might ftill fwim for fome timcj if the calm fhould continue and the water be- come fmooth, it was refolved fhe (hould be burnt } as we knew not hoW little diftant we might be at prefent from the Ifland of Gtiam^ which was in the poffeflion of our enemies, to whom the wreck of* fuch afhipwould have been no contemptible acqui- fition. "When (he was fet on fire, Captain Mitchet and his officers left her, and came on board the 0«- turion : And we immediately flood from the wreckj not without fome apprehenfions (as we had only a light breeze) that if (he blew up foon,the concufllon of the air might damage our rigging j but fhe for- tunately continued burning the v.-hole night, fo that though her guns fired fuccefTivelvj as the flames reachied them j yet it was fix in the morning, when we wefe about four leagues diftant, before fhe blew up. The report fhe made upon this occafion was but fmall i although the blaft produced an exceed- ing black pillar of fmoke, which fhot up into the air to a very confiderable height. Thus perifhed his Majefly's fnip the Gkucefler. And now it might have been expected, that being freed from the embarrafTments which her frequent difaflers had involved us in, we fliould have pro- ceeded on our way much brilker than we had hi- therto done, efpecially as we had received fome D d 2 fmall wm •":'\f'\m m^' i \t 396 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fmall addition to our ftrength, by the taking on board the Gloucefier*screvr. However, we were foon taught that our anxieties were not yet to be relieved; and that, notwithftanding all we had already fuffer- ed, there remained much greater diftrefles, which W€ were (till to ftruggle with. For the late dorm, which had proved (o fatal to the Gloucejiery had dri- ven us to the northward of our intended courfej and the current fetting the fame way, after the weather abated, had forced us yet a degree or two farther, fo that we were now in 17"^ of North latitude, in- ftead of being in 13°!, which was the parallel we propofed to keep, in order to reach the Ifland of Guam. As it had been a pcrfedl calm for fome days fince the ceflation of the ftorm, and we were igno- rant how near we were to the meridian of the La- droneSi though we fuppofed ourfclves not to be far from it i we apprehended that we might be driven to the leeward of them by the current, without dif- covering them. On this fuppofition, the only land we could make would be fome of the eaftern parts QtiAfia^ where if we could arrive, we fhould find the weftern monfoon in its full force, fo that it would be impoflible for the ftouteft, bell manned (hip to get in. Befides, this coaft being between four and five hundred leagues diftant from us, we, in our languilhing circumftances, could expetfl no other than to be deftroyed by the fcurvy, long before the moft favourable gale could enable us to complete fo extenfive a navigation. For Our deaths were by this time extremely alarming, no day pafling in which we did not bury eight or ten, and fometimes twelve of our men; and thofe, who had as yet continued healthy, began to fall down apace. Indeed \vc made thebcftufewe could of ourprefent calm, by employ- ing rr.adc ing ROUND THE WORLD. 397 ing our Carpenters in fearching after the leak,which, uotwithftanding the little wind we had, was now confiderable. The Carpenters at length difcovered it to be in the Gunner's fore ftore-room, where the water rulhed in under the breaft-hook, on each fide of the ftem : but though they found where it was, they agreed it was impoflible to (lop it, till i.hey could come at it on the outfide ; which was evi- dently a matter not to be attempted till we fhould arrive in port. However, they did the bed they could within board, and were fortunate enough to reduce it, which was a confiderable relief to us, Wehithertoconfidered the calm which fucceeded the ftoriij, and which had now continued for fome days, as a very great misfortune; fincc the currents were all the time driving us to the northward of our parallel, and we thereby rifqued the miffing of the LadroneSy which we at prefent conceived ourfelves to be very near. But when a gale fprung up, our condition v/as (till worfe: for it blew from the S. W, and cor lequently was directly oppofed to the courfe we wanted to iteer : And though it foon veered to the N. E, yet this ferved only to tantalize us, as it returned back again in a very fliort time to its old quarter. However, on the 22d of Auguftt we had the fatisfaflion to find that the current was fliifted ; and had fet us to the fouthward. And the 23d, at day-break, we were cheered with the difcovcry of two Idands in the weftern board. This ffave us all great joy, and raifed our drooping fpirits j for till then an univerfal dejedion had frized us, and we almoft defpaired of ever feeing land again. The neare(t of thefe Iflands, as we learnt afterwards, was Jnatacan j tliis we judged to be full fifteen leagues from usi it feemed to be hip-h land, thouirh of an 1 ■ lilTiiH' (^K-^ mBbi r* ■J^i* D' Dd3 indifferent 398 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGB H w indifferent length : The other was the Iflandof .9tf-s ri^atti which had rather the appearance of a rock, th^n of a place we could hope to anchor at. The yiew of thefe lilands is inferted at the top of the thirty-third plate. We were extremely impatient to get in with the neareft Idand, where we expected to find anchoring ground, and an opportunity of refrefliing our fick. But the wind proved fo va- riable all day, and there was To little of it, that we advanced towards it but flowly j however, by the next morning we were got fo far to the weitward, that we were in fight of a third Ifland, which was that o{ Praaros, and which is marked in the chart only as a rock. This was very fmall, and the land low, fo that we had pafied v/ithin lefs than a mile of it, in the night, without obferving it. At noon, being then not four miles from the Ifland oi Anata- ^an, the boat was fent away to examine the anchor- ing ground and the produce of the place ; and we were not a little folicitous for her return, as we con- ceived our fate to depend upon the report we fhould Receive : For the other two Iflands were obvioufly enough incapable of furnifhing us with any afTift- ance, and we knew not that there were any befides which we could reach. In the evening the boat came back, and the crew informed us that there was no road for a Ihip to anchor in, the bottom being every where foul ground, and all except one fmall fpot, not lefs than fifty fathom in depth j that on that fpot there was thirty fathom, though not above half a mile from the Ihore j and that the bank was fteep too, and could not be depended on : They farther told us, that they had landed on the Ifland, not without fome difficulty on account of the greatnefs of the fwell ; that they found the -,.v. ground ROUND THE WORLD. 399 ground was every where covered with a kind of wild cane, or rufli; but that they met with no water, and did not believe the place to be inha- bited ; though the foil was good, and abounded with groves of coco*nut trees. The account of the impoITibility of anchoring at this Ifland occafioned a general melancholy on board ; for we confidered it as little lefs than the prelude to our deftruftion j and our defpondency was increafed by a difappointment we met with the fucceeding night j when, as we were plying under top-fails, with an intention of getting nearer to the Ifland, and of fending our boat on (hore to load with coco- nuts for the refrefhment of our fick, the wind proved fqually, and blew fo ftrong off fhore, that we were driven too far to the fouthward, to venture to fend off our boat. And now the only poffible circumftance, that could fecure the few which re- mained alive from perilhing, was the accidental falling in with fome other of the Ladrone Iflands, better prepared for our accommodation ; but as our knowledge of thefe Iflands was extremely im- perfeft, we were to trull entirely to chance for our guidance i only as they are all of them ufually laid down near the fame meridian, and we conceived thofe we had already feen to be part of them, we concluded to ftand to the fouthward, as the moft probable means of difcovering the reft. Thus, with the moft gloomy perfuafion of our approach- ing deftruction, we ftood from the Ifland of yUna-r tacatij having all of us the ftrongeft apprehenfions (and thofe not ill-grounded) either of dying by the fcurvy, or of being deftroyed with the ftiip, which, for want of hands to work her pumps, might in ft fhor^ time be expe6led to founder:. ^' Pd^ CHAP, i i. ■"t; I 400 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE i\m CHAP. II. Our arrival at Tiniaft, and an account of the Ifland, and of our proceedings there till the - Centurion drove out to fea. a IT was the 26th oi Auguft 1742, in the morning, when we loft fight of the Ifland of Jnatacan, dreading that it was the laft land we fhould ever fix our eyes on. But the next morning we difcover- ed three other Iflands to the eaftward, which were between ten and fourteen leagues diftant from us. Thefe were, as we afterwards learnt, the Ifiands of Sayparti Tiniany and Jguigan, We immediately ileered towards Tinian, which was the middlemoft of the three j but we had fo much of calms and light airs, that though we were helped forwards by the currents, yet on the morrow, at day-break, we had not advanced nearer than within five leagues of it. However, we kept oi^ our courfe, and about ten o'clock we perceived a proa under fail to the fouthward between Tinian and Jguigan. As we ima- gined from hence that thefe Iflands were inhabited, and knew that the Spaniards had always a force at Catfw, we took the neceflTaryprecautionsforourown fecurity i and endeavoured to prevent the enemy as much as poflible from making an advantage of our prefent wretched circumfl:ances, of which we fear- ed they would be fufficiently informed by the man- ner of our working the fliip. We therefore muf- tercd all our hands, who were capable of ftanding to their arms, and loaded our upper and quarter- deck guns with grape fhot j and that we might the more readily procure fome intelligence of the ftate of - .'■ ^hn ■ thefe togm and to Thus land, noon, proper that a ter, we we returni thePir to brin ROUND THE WORLD. 401 thefe Iflands, we fliowed Spanijh colours, and hoifted a red flag at the fore top-maft-head, hoping thereby to give our fhipthe appearance ofthe Af^w/tf galeon, and to decoy ibme of the inhabitants on board us. Thus preparing ourfelves, and (landing towards the land, we were near enough, at three in the after- noon, to fend the cutter in fhore, to find out a proper birth for the fliip j and we foon perceived that a proa put off from the Lland to meet the cut- ter, fully perfuaded, as we afterwards found, that we were the Manila fhip. As we faw the cutter returning with the proa in tow, we inftantly fent the Pinnace to receive the proa and the prifoners, and to bring them on board, that the cutter might proceed on her errand. The Pinnace came back with a Spaniard and four Indians^ which were the people taken in the proa: And the Spaniard being immediatelyexam ined as to the produce and circum - ftances of this Ifland of Tinian, his account of it furpafled even our mod fanguine hopes. For he in- formed us, that though it was uninhabited (which in itfelf, confidering our prefent defencelefs condi- tion, was a convenience not to be defpifed), yet it wanted but fewof the accommodationsthat could be cxpeded in the moft cultivated country. In parti- cular he aflured us, that there was plenty of very good water; that there were an incredible number of cattle, hogs, and poultry running wild on the Ifland, all of them excellent in their kind ; that the woods afforded fweet and four oranges, limes, le- mons, and coco-nuts in great abundance, befides a fruit peculiar to thefe Iflands, which ferved inftead of bread J that from the quantity and goodnefs of the provifions produced here, the Spaniards ^tCuam made ufe of it as a (tore for fupplying the garrifon • and !, '■■,'(' mm 402 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 1 J 1:^* 'I 1 and that he himfelf was a Serjeant of that garrifon, who was fent hither with twenty-two Indians to jerk beef, which he was to load for Guam on board a fmall bark of about fifteen tun, which lay at an- chor near the fhore. This relation was received by us with inexprefliblc joy: Part of it we were ourfelves able to verify on the fpor, as we were by this time near enough to difcover feveral numerous herds of cattle feeding in different places of the Ifland j and we did not any ways doubt the reft of his narration j fince the ap- pearance of the fhore prejudiced us greatly in its favour, and made us hope, that not only our ne- ceffities might be there fully relieved, and our dif- eafed recovered, but that, amidft thofe pleafing fcenes which were then in view, we might procure ourfelves fome amufement and relaxation, after the numerous fatigues we had undergone. For the profpefl of the country did by no means refemble that of an uninhabited and uncultivated placej but had much more the air of a magnificent plantation, where large lawns and ftately woods had been laid out together with great (kill, and where the whole had been fo artfully combined, and fo judicioufly adapted to theflopesof the hills, and the inequalities of the ground, as to produce a mofl flriking elfed* and to do honour to the invention of the contriver. Thus (an event not unlike what we had already feen) we were forced upon the moft defirable and falutary meafures by accidents, which at firft fight we confidered as the greateftof misfortunes; for had we not been driven by the contrary winds and cur- rents to the northward of our courfe (a circum- fl:ance, which at that time gave us the moft terrible ^pprehenfions), we (hould^ in all probability, never have ROUND THE WORLD. 4C3 have arrived at this delightful Ifland, and confe- qiiently we fhould have mifled of that place, where alone all our wants could be mofl: anDply relieved, our fick recovered, and our enfeebled crew once more refrefhed, and enabled to put again to fea. The Spanijh Serjeant, from whom we received the account of the Kland, having informed us that there were fome Indians on Ihore under his com- mand, employed in jerking beef, and that there was a bark at anchor to take it on board ; we were dcfirous, if pofTible, to prevent the Indians from efcaping, fince they would certainly have given the Governor of Guam intelligence of our arrival : we therefore immediately difpatched the Pinnace to fecure the bark, as the Serjeant told us that was the only embarkation on the place; and then, about eight in the evening, we let go our anchor in twenty-two fathom. But though it was almoH: calm, and whatever vigour and fpirit v/as to be found on board was doubtlefs exerted to the utr mod on this pleafmg occafion, when, after having kept the fea for fome months, we were going to take polfeflion of this little paradife; yet we were full five hours in furling our fails. It is true, we werefomewhatweakened by the crews of theCutter and Pinnace which were fent on fhore j but it is not lefs true, that, including thofe abfent with the boats and fome Negroes and Indians prifoners, all the hands we could mufter capable of ftanding at a gun amounted to no more than feventy-onc, moft of which too were incapable of duty, except on the greateft emergencies. This, inconfidcrable as it may appear, was the whole force we could col- Jeft in our prefent enfeebled condition, from the united crews of the Ceniuricn, the Ghucyfer, and the Tt. Hi ■• '.m 'WW' AV I 404 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Tryali which, when we departed from England, confiftedall together of near a thoufand hands. When we had furled our fails, our people were al- lowed to repofe themfelvcs during the remainder of the night, to recover them from the fatigue they had undergone. But in the morning a party was fent on fliore well armed, of which I myfclf was one, to make ourfelvesmaftersot the landing-place, fincc we were not certain what oppofition might be made by the Indians on the Ifland : We landed however without difficulty : for the Indians having perceived, by our feizure of the bark the night be- fore, that we were enemies, they immediately fled into the woody parts of the Ifland. We fouijd on fhore many huts which they had inhabited, and whichfavedus both the time and trouble of ere<5lin 2 tents i one of thefe huts which the Indians made ufe of for a ftore-houfe was very large, being tv/enty yards long,and fifteen broad: This we immediately cleared of fome bales of jerked beef, which had been left in it, and converted it into an hofpital for our fick, who, as foon as the place was ready to re- ceive them, were brought on fliore, being in all a hundred and twenty-eight. Numbers of thefe were fo very helplefs, that we were obliged to carry them from the boats to the hofpital upon our fliouldero, in which humane employment (as before at Juan F^r«<3»^^j) the Commodore himfelf,and every oneof his officers, were engaged without difl:intSbion j and, notwithftanding the extreme debility and the dying afpe6ls of the greatefl: part of our fick, it is almoft incredible how foon they began to feel the falutary influence of theland: For, though we buried twenty- one men on this and the preceding day, yet we did not lofe above ten men more during the whole two months ROUND THE WORLD. 405 life months we llaid here: But oiirdifeafed in general reiped fo much benefit from chf friiirs of the Ifland, particularly thofe of the acid kind, that, in a week's lime, there were but few of them wlio were not fo far recovered, as to be able to move about v/ithout help. Being now in fomeforteftabliflied at this place, we were enabled more diftindiy to examine itsqua- lities and produdionsj and that the reader may the better judge of our manner of life here, and future Navigators be better apprifed of the conveniencies we met with, I (hall, before I proceed any farther in the hiftory of our own adventures, throw together the mofl interefting particulars that came to our knowledge, relating to the fituation, foil, produce, and ac(iommodatio: j of this Ifland ofTiman. This Ifland lies in the latitude of 15° : 8' North, and longitude from Acapulco 114°: 50' Weft. Its length is about twelve miles, and its breadth about half as much j it extending from the S. S. W. to N. N. E. The foil is every where dry and healthy, and being withal fomewhat fandy, it is thereby the lels difpofed to a rank and over luxuriant vegetation ; and hence the meadows and the bottoms of the woods are much neater and fmoother than is cuf- tomary in hot climates. The land rofe in gentle flopes from the very beach where we watered, to the middle of the Ifland, though the general courfe of its afcent was often interrupted by vallies of an ea^y defcent, many of which wind irregularly through the country. Thefe valliesand the gradual fwellings of the ground, which their different combinations gave rife to, were moft beautifully diverfified by the mutual encroachments of woods and lawns, which coafted each oth'jr,and traverfed the Ifland in large trafts. The wooJ.s conlifrcd of tall and well fpread trees. iHHi mm |'*>;„T.T ; T^ If? '^'^^r' f'} 406 ld. ansoNs voyage trees, the greateft part of them celebrated either for their afpe^t, or their fruit : Whilft the lawns were ufua)ly of a cenfiderable breadth, their turf quite clean and uniiorm, it being compofed of a very fine trefoil, which was intermixed with a va- riety of flowers. The wood: too were in inany places open, and free from all bufhes and under- wood, fo that they terminated on the lawns with a well defined out-line, where neither flirubs nor weeds v;ere to be feen j but the neatnefs of the ad- jicent turf was frequently extended to a confidera- ble diftance, under the hollow iliade formed by the trees. Hence arofc a great number of the moft elegant and entertaining profpcds, according to the different blendings of thefe woods and lawns, and their various interfeclions >vith each other, as they fpread thcmfelves dilf'^renrly through the vallies^ and over the (lopes and declivities in which the place abounded. Nor were the allurements ofTinian confined to the excellency of its landfkips only; finre the fortunate animals, which during the great- eft part of the year are the fole lords of this happy foil, partake in fom.e meafure of the romantic cait of the Ifland, and are ro fmall addition to its won- derful fctnery ; for the cattle, of which it is not un- common to fee herds of fome thoufands feeding to- gether in a large meadow, are certainly the moft remarkable in the world j is they are all of them milk-white, except their ears, which are generally brown or black. And though there are no inhabit- ants herd, yet the clamour and frequent parading of domeftic poultry, which range the woods in great numbers, perpetually excite the idea of the neighbourhood of farms and villages, and greatly contribute to the cheerfulnefs and beauty of the place. place. Icaft t liOUND THE WORLD. 4^7 place. The cattle on Tim an we computed were at lead ten thoufand ; we had no difficulty in getting near thenn, for they were not at all Hiy of us. Our firft method of killing them was (hooting them j but at laft, when, by accidents to be hereafter re- cited, we were obliged to hufband our ammunition, our men ran them down with eafe. Their flejfh was extremely well tafted, and was believed by us to be much more eafily digefted, than any we had ever met wiih. The fowls too were exceeding good, and were likewife run down with little trouble j for they could fcarce fly further than an hundred yards at a flight, and even that fatigued them to fuch a degree, that they could not readily rife again j fo that, aided by the opennefs of the woods, We could at all times furnifh ourfelves with whatever number we wanted. Befides the cattle and the poultry, we found here abundance of wild hogs : Thefe were moft excellent food j but as they were a very fierce animal, we were obliged either to fhoot them, or toi hunc them with large dogs, which v/e found upon the place at our landing, and which belonged to the! detachment which was then upon the Ifland amaf«* fing provifions for the garrifon of Guam, As thefe dogs had been purpofely trained to the killing of the wild hogs, they followed us very readily, and hunted for us i but though they were a large bold breed, the hogs fought with lb much fury, that they frequently deftroyed them, whence we by degrees loft the greateil part of them. This plaCe was not only extremely grateful to us^ from the plenty and excellence of its frelh provi- fions, but was as much perhaps to be admired on account of its fruits and vegetable productions, tvhich were rhoft fortunately adapted to the cure of the fea fcurvy, the difcufe which had io terribly re- duced m 1* ii i'•^ ■^'tl' w 408 Id. ANSON'S VOYAGE duced us. For in the woods there were incon- ceivcablequantitiesofcoco-nuts, with the cabbages growing on the fame tree : There were befidcs, guavoes, limes, fwect and four canges, and a kind of fruit peculiar to thcfe Iflands, called by the Indians Rbymay, but by us the Bread Fruity for it was conftantly eaten by us during our (lay upon the Iflanci inftead of bread, and fo univerfally preferred to it that no fh'.p's bread was expended in that whole interval. It grew upon a tree which is fomewhat lofty, and which towards the top divides into large and fpreading branches. The leaves of this tree are of a remarkable deep green, are notched about the edges, and are generally from a foot to eighteen inches in length. The fruit itfelf is found indiffe- rently on all parts of the branches; it is in fhape ra- ther elliptical than round i it is covered with a rough rind, and is ufually feven or eight inches longj each of them grows fingly, and not in clufters. This fruit is fitted to be ufed when it is full grown, but ftill green : in which (late, after it is properly pre- pared by being roafted in the embers, its talle has fome diftant refemblance to that of an artichoke's bottom, and its texture is not very different, for it is foft and fpongy. As it ripens it becomes fofter and of a yellow colour, when it contrafts a lufcious tafte and an agreeable fmell, not unlike a ripe peach J but then it is efteemed unwholfome, and is faid to produce Puxes. I fhall only add, that it is defcribed both by Dampier, and in Ray's Hijlory of Plants : And that in the view of the watering-place, Plate XXXIV, there is drawn one of the trees bear- ing this fruit, being that marked with the letter {c), Befides the fruits already enumerated, there were many oiher vegetables extremely conducive to the • . cure 4i ROUND THE WORLD. 40J cure of the malady wc had long laboured under, fuch as water-melons, dandelion, creeping purflain, mint, fcurvy-grafs and forrel i all which, together with the frefh meats of the place, we devoured with great eagernefs, prompted thereto by the ftrong inclination, which, in fcorbutic diforders, nature nev^r fails of exciting for thofe powerful fpecifics. It will eafily be conceived from what hath been already faid, that our cheer upon this Iflandwas in fame degree luxurious; but I have not yet recited all the varieties of pvovifion which we here indulged in. Indeed we thought it prudent totally to abftain from fiih, the few we caught at our firft arrival hav- ing furfeited thofe whoeat of themj but confidering how much we had been inured to that fpecies of food, we did not regard this circumftance as a dif- advantage, efpecially as the defecfl was fo amply fupplied by the beef, pork, and fowls already men- tioned, and by great plenty of wild fowl ; for it is to be remembered, that near the centreof the Idand there were two confiderable pieces of frefli water, which abounded with duck, teal, and curlew; not to mention the whittling plover, which we found there in prodigious plenty. It mly now perhaps be wondered at, that an Iflandfo exquifitelyfurnifhed with the conveniencies of life, and fo well adapted not only to the fub- fiftence butlikewife to the enjoyment of m.ankind, Ihould be entirely deftituteofinhabitants,efpecially as it is in the neighbourhood of other Iflands, which in fomemeafure depend upon this for their fupport. To obviate this difficulty, I mull obferve, that it is not fifty years fmce the IQand was depopulated. The Indians we had in our cuftody affured us, that formerly the three Iflands of Tinian, Re fa, and E e Guam, *!^lV\ '*> hi '.'<, J' ) I ^-^i; 410 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Guam, were all full of inhabitants; and that Tinian alone contained thirty thoufand fouls: Butaficknefs raging amongft thcfe Illands, which dcftroyed mul- titudes of the people, the Spaniards, to recruit their numbers at Ga^w, which were extremely diminifhed by th ; mortality, ordered all the inhabitants of 77- w^»th'theri where, languilhing for their former habitations, and their cuftomary method of life, the greateft part of them in a few years died of grief. Indeed, independent of that attachment which all mankind have ever fhown to the places of their birth and bringing up, it fhould fecm from what has been already faid, that there were few countries more worthy to be regretted than this of ^iniau, Thefe poor Indians might reafonably have ex- pected, at the great diftance from Spain where they were placed, to have efcaped the violence and cru- elty of that haughty Nation, fo fatal to a large pro- portion of the whole human race : But it feems their remote fituation could not protcft them from fliaring in the common deftruftion of the weftern world } all the advantage they received from their diftance, being only to perilh an age or two later. It may perhaps be doubted, if the number of the inhabitants oCTiman, who were banifhed to Guam, and who died there pining for their native home, was fo confiderable as what we have related above ; but, not to mention the concurrent aflertion of our prifoners, and the commodioufnefs of the Ifland, and its great fertility, there are ftill remains to be met with on the place, which Ihow it to have been once extremely populous. For there are, in all parts of the Ifland, many ruins of a very particular kind ; Thefe ufually confift of two rows of fquaie pyramidal pillars, each pillar being about fix feet ,- ^ . .. . irom ROUND THE WORLD. 411 from the next, and the diftancc between the rows being about twelve feetj the pillars themfelves arc about five feet fquare at the bafe, and about thir- teen feet high} and on the top of each of them there is a femi-globe, with the flat furface upwardsj the whole of the pillars and femi-globe is Iblid, be- ing compofcd of fand and ftone cemented together* and plaiftcred over. This odd fabric will be better underftood, by infpedting the view of the watering- place already referred to j where an aflemblage of thefe pillars is drawn, and is denoted by the letter {a). If the account our prifoners gave us of thefc ftruftures was true, the Ifland muft indeed have been mofl: extraordinarily well peopled -, fince they aflured us, that they were the foundations of parti- cular buildings fet apart for thofe Indians only, who had engaged in fome rel ^^ious vow j monaftic infti» tutions being often to be met with in many Pagan nations. However, if thefe ruins were originally the bafis of the common dwelling-houfesof the na- tives, their numbers muft have been confiderable j for in many parts of the Ifland they are extremely thick plarAted, and fufiiciently evince the great plenty of its former inhabitants. But to return to the prefent ftate of the Ifland. Having briefly recounted the conveniencles of this place, the excellency and quantity of its fruits and provifions, the neatncfs of its lawns, the ftatelinefs, freflmefs, and fragrance of its woods, the happy inequality of its furface, and the variety and ele- gance of the views it afforded} 1 muft now obfcrve, that all thefe advantages were greatly enhanced by the healthinefs of its climate, by the almoft con- ftant breezes which prevail there, and by the fre- quent ftiowers which fell there \ for thefe, inftead of Ee 2 , . the ,?: f ■■■.f! 1 ;: , ^1 < il 412 Ld. anson's voyage the heavy continued rains which in fomc countrici render great part of the year fo unpleafing, were ufually of a very (hort and alnnoft momentary du* ration. Hence they were extremely grateful and refrefhing, and were perhaps one caufe of the fa- Jubrity of the air, and of the extraordinary influence it was obferved to have upon us, in increafing knd invigorating our appetites and digeftion. This ef- fect was indeed remarkable, fince thofe amongft our officers, who were at all other times fpare and tem- perate eaters, who, befides a flight breakfafl:, ufed to make but one moderate repafl: a day, were here, in appearance, transformed into gluttons; forin- ftead of one reafonable flefli meal, they were now fcarcely fatisfied with three, each of them too fo prodigious in quantity, as would at another time have produced a fever or a furfeit. And yet our digeftion fowell correfponded to the keennefs of our appetites, that we were neither difordered nor even loaded by this uncommon repletion; for after hav- ing, according to the cuftom of the Ifland, made a large beef breakfafl:, it was not long before we be- gan to confider the approach of dinner as.,a very defirable, though fbmewhat tardy, incident. After giving thefe large encomiums to this Ifland, in which however, 1 conceive, I have not done it juftice ; it is ; eflfary I fliould fpeak of thofe cir- cumfl:ances in which it isdefeftive, whether in point of beauty or utility. And firfl, with refpe^t to its ^5(ater. I muft own, that before I had feen this fpot, 1 did not conceive that the abfence of running water, of which it is entirely deftitute, could have been fo well replaced by any other means, as it is in this Ifland; fince though there are no ftreams, yet the water of the wells and Iprings, which are to be met with ROUND THE WORLD'. 413 wi th every where near the furface, is extremely goodi and in the midft of the Ifland there are two or three confiderable pieces of excellent water, the turf of whofe banks was as clean, as even, and as regularly difpoit'd, as if they had been bafons purpofely made for the decoration of the place. It mull however be confefled, that with regard to the beauty of the pro- fpedls, the wantof rills andftreams is avery great de- feft,not to be compenfated either by large pieces of ftanding water, or by the neighbourhood of the fea, though that, from the fmallnefs of the Ifland, gene- rally makes a part of every extenfive landlkip. As to the refidence upon the Ifland, the principal inconvenience attending it is the vaft numbers of mufcatos, and various other fpecies of flies, together with an infeft called a tick; this, though principally attached to the cattle, would yet frequently fafl:en upon our limbs and bodies, and if not perceived and removed in time, would bury its head under the flcin, and raife a painful inflammation. We found here too centipedes and fcorpions, which we fup- pofed were venomous, though none of us ever re- ceived any injury from them. Butthe modimportant and formidable exception to this place remains ftill to be told. This is the inconvenience of the road, and the little fccuriry there is in fome feafons for a fliip at anchor. The only proper anchoring-placc for fliips of burthen is at the S. W. end of the Ifland, As a dire^flion for readily finding it., there is in the thirty-fifth plate a very accurate view of the S. W. fide of the Ifland, where (a) is the peak of SaypaUt feen over the nor- thern part oiTinian^ ^nd bearing N. N. E. f E. And (^) is the anchoring-place, difl:ant eight miles from tiie obferver. And as an additional aHiftance, E e 3 there '^^m III 'itv, t ait j-'l 4f4 Ld. ANSCN's voyage there is alfo added in the thirty-fixth plate, a near view of the anchoring-place itfelf, which rcprefents it fo cxaftly, that none can poflibly miftake it. Here the Centurion anchored in twenty and twenty- two fathom water, about a mile and an half diftant fronfi the fliore, oppofite to a fandy bay. The bot- tom of this road is full of Iharp-pointed coral rocks, which, during four months of the year, that is, from the middle of June to the middle of OStobeVy render it a very unfafe anchorage. This is thefeafon of the weftern monfoons, when, near the full and change of the moon, but more particularly at the change, the wind is ufually variable all round the compafs, and feldom fails to blow with fuch fury, that the ftouteft cables are not to be confided in : What adds to the danger at thefe times, is the ex- ceffivc rapidity of the tide of flood which fcts to the S.£. between this Idand and that ofJguiguan i a fmall Iflet near the fouthern extremity ofTinian, which is reprefented in the general chart, hereafter inferted, only by a dot. This tide runs at firft with a vaft head and overfall of water, occafioning fuch a hol- low and overgrown fea, as is fcarcely to be conceived j fo that (as will be more particularly recited in the fc- quel) we were under the dreadful apprehenfions of being pooped by it, though we were in a fixty gui) Jhip, In the remaining eight months of the year, that is, from the middle of O^ober to the middio&f June, there is a conllant feafon of fettled weather} when, if the cables are but well armed, there is fcarcely any danger of their being even rubbed : So that during all that interval, it is as fecure a road as could be wiflied for. I fliall only add, that the an- choring bank is very (helving, and ftretchcs along ,jthe S. Wf end of the Ifland, and is entirely free from Ihpals^ . ROUND THE WORLD. 415 Ihoals, except a reef of rocks which is vifiblc, and lies about half a mile from the fhore, affording a narrow paflage into a fmall fandy bay, which is the only place where boats can poflibly land. Having given this account of the liland, and its produce, it is neceffary to return to our own hiftory. Our firft undertaking, after our arrival, was the removal of our fick on fhore, as hath been related. Whilfl: we were thus employed, four of the Indians on the Ifland, being part of the Spanijh Serjeant's detachment, came andfurrenderedthemfelvesto us, fo that with thofe we took in the proa, we had now eight of them in our cuftody. One of the four who fubmitted undertook to fliow us the moft conveni- ent places for killing cattle, and two of our men were ordered to attend him on that fervice; but one of them unwarily trufting the Indian with his fire- lock and piftol, the Indian efcaped with them into the woods. His countrymen, who remained be- hind, were apprehenfive of fufFering for this perfidy of their comrade j and therefore begged leave to fend one of their own party into the country, who they engaged (hould both bring back the arms, and perfuade the whole detachment from Guam to fub- mit to us. The Commodore granted their rcqucft j and one of them wasdifpatched on this errand, who returned next day, and brought back the firelock and piftol, but alTured us, he had found them in a path-way in the wood, and protefted that he had not been able to meet with any one of his countrymen : This report had fo little the air of truth, that we fufpefted there was fome treachery carrying on; and therefore, to prevent any future communica- tion amongft them, we immediately ordered all the Indians who were in our pgwcr on board the E e 4 _ Ihip, #1 ^.,,>-i: m ! , 'Pi\ 'M Jii''^" ' 416 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE fhip, and did not permit theni to go any more on Ihore. When our fick were well fettled on the Ifland, wc employed all the hands that could be fpared from attending them, in arming the ''::ibles with a good rounding, feveral fathom from the anchor, to fecure them from being rubbed by the coral rocks, which here abounded. This being completed, ournext occupation was our leakj and in order to raifeit out of water, we, on, the firft of September y began to get the guns aft to bring the Ihip by the ftern j and now the Carpenters, being able to come at it on the outfide, they ripped off what was left of the old Iheathing, caulked all the feams on both fides the cut-water, and leaded them over, and then new fheathed the bows to the furface of the water. By this means we conceived the defeat was fufHciently fecuredi but upon our beginning to return the guns to their ports, we had the mortification to perceive, that the water ruflied into the Ihip in the old place with as much violence as ever. Hereupon we werfe necefiltated to begin again ; and that our fecond at- tempt might be more fuccefsful, we cleared the fore flore-rcom, and fent a hundred and thirty barrels of powder on board the fmall Spanijb bark we had feized here, by which means we raifed the Ihip about three feet out of the water forwards, The Carpentersnow ripped off thefheathinglowerdown, new caulked all the feams, and afterwards laid on new fheathingi and then, fuppofing the leak to be effeftually (lopped, we began to move the guns for- wards J but the upper deck guns were fcarcely re- placed, when, to our amazement, it burfl: out again. As we durft not cut away the lining within board, left a butt end or 9 plank might dart, and we mighc .. ^Vrb ■-;■"". ■ -" \. . ^ go ROUND THE WORLD. 417 go down immediately, we had no other refourcc left than chincing and caulking within board. In- deed by this means the leak was (lopped for fomc time i but when our guns were all fixed in their ports, and our (lores were taken on board, the wa- ter again forced its way through a hole in the (lem, where one of the bolts was driven in : We, on this, defifted from all further e(Forts, being at lad well alfured, that the dcfed was in the (lem itfelf, and that it was not to be remedied till we (hould have an opportunity of heaving down. , In the firll part of the month of September, fc- veral of our fick were tolerably recovered by their refidence on (hore j and, on the 1 2th of September^ all thofe who were fo far relieved, fmce their arrival, as to be capable of doing duty, were fent on board the (hip : And then the Commodore, who was him- fclf ill of the fcurvy, had a tent creeled for him on ihore, where he went with the view of (laying a few days to eftablidi his health, being convinced by the general experience of his people, that no other me- thod but living on the land was to be trufted to for the removal of this dreadful malady. The place, where his tent was pitched on this occafion, was near the well, whence we got all our water, and was indeed a mod elegant fpot. A view of it hath been already referred to under the title of the wa- tering-place, where {b) is the Commodore's tent, and {d) the well we watered at. ,,: .. > >• As the crew on board were now reinforced by the recovered hands returned from the IHand \ we be- gan to fend our cafks on (hore to be fitted up, v;hich till this time could not be done, for the Coopt- rs were not well enough to work. We likewife weighed our anchors, that we might examine our cables. £^■11' I V ■ ' ■■ I- ! ■ '•'■if ■-*n. 4i8 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE i! cables, which we fufpefted had by this time receiv- ed confiderable damage. And as the new moon was now approaching, when we apprehended violent gales, the Commodore, for our greater fecurity, ordered that part of the cables next to the anchors, to be armed with the chains of the fire-grapnels j befides which they were cackled twenty fathom from the anchors, and feven f ithcm from the fer- v'ce, with a good rou. ■I'.w^ i a 44- inch hauferj and, being perl'uaded tiiat uk o ingers of this road demanded our utmoft fc tiighr. we to all thefe precautions added that of lowering :he main and fore yard clofe down, that in cafe of blowing weather, the wind might have lefs power upon the |hip, to make her ride a drain. » ■ nr Thus, effecflually prepared, as we conceived, we waited till the new moon, which was the i8th of SeptemheTy when riding fafe that and the three fuc- ceeding days (though the weather proved very fqualiy and uncertain), we flattered ourfelves (fori was then on board) that the prudence of our mea- fures had lecured us from all accidents i but, on the ^2d, the wind blew from the eaftward with fuch fury, that we foon defpaired of riding out the ftorm. In this conjuncture we (hould have been extremely glad that the Commodore and the reft of our people on Ihore, which were the greateft part of our hands, had been on board us, fince our only hopes of fafe- ty feemed to depend on our putting immediately to fesi but all communication with the ihore was now abfolutely cut off], for there was no poflibility that a boat could live, fo that we were neceflitated to ride it out, till our cables parted, Indeed, we were not long expecting this dreadful event, for the fmall {jower parwd at five in the aft^rnopn^ and the Ihip fwyng ROUND THE WORLD. 419 fwung off to the beft bower j and as the night came on, the violence of the wind ftill increafed j though notwithftanding its inexpreflible fury, the tide ran with fo much rapidity, as to prevail over it : For the tidewhich fet to the northward at the beginning of the hurricane, turning fuddenly to the fouthward about fix in the evening, forced the fliip before it, in defpite of the ftorm, which blew upon the beam. The fea now broke moft furprifingly all round us, and a iaige tumbling fweil threatened to poop us ; by V. hich the long-boat, at this time moored a-ftern, was on a fudden canted fo high, that it broke the tranfon of the Commodore's gallery, whofe cabin was on the quarter-^-eck, and would doubtlefs have rifen as high as the trafferel, had it not been for the ftroke, which ftove the boat all to pieces ; and yet the poor boat-keeper, though extremely bruifed, was faved almoft by miracle. About eight, the tide flackened, but the wind not abating, the beft bower cable, by which alone we rode, parted at eleven. Our Iheet anchor, which was the only one we had left, was inftantly cut from the bow ; but before it could reach the bottpm, we were driven from twen- ty-two into thirty-five fathom j and after we had veered away one whole cable, and two-thirds of an- other, we could not find ground with fixty fathom of line: This was a plain indication, that the anchor lay near the edge of the bank, and could not hold us long. In this prefiint^ danger, Mr, SaumareZt our firft Lieutenant, who now commanded on board, ordered fcveral guns to be fired, and lights to be ihown, as a fignal to the Commodore, of our dif- trefs J and in a fliort time after, it being then about ©ne o'clock, and the night excefllvely dark, a firong guft, attended with ray? ^n4 lightning, drove us off V .. i the 'Km*' 420 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE the bank, and forced us out to fca, leaving behind us on the Ifland, Mr. Anfort, with many more of our officers, and great part of our crew, amounting in the whole to a hundred and thirteen perfons. Thus were we all, both at fea and on fliore, redu- ced to the utmoft defpair by this cataftrophe j thofe on fhore conceiving they had no means left them ever to depart from the Ifland, whilft we on board, being utterly unprepared to ftruggle with the fury of the feas and winds we were now expofed to, ex- peded each moment to be our laft. Ml:l CHAP. m. Tranfadions at 'Tinian after the departure of the Centurion, THE ftorm, which drove the Cf»/«r/o» to fea, blew with too much turbulence to permit ei- ther the Commodore or any of the people on ihore to hear the guns which flie fired as fignals of dif- trcfs ; and the frequent glare of the lightning had prevented the explofions from being obferved : So that when at day-break it was perceived from the Ihore that thelhip was miffing, there was the utmoft confte^ation imongft them : For much the great- eft part of them immediately concluded that fhe was loft, and intreated the Commodore that the boat might be fent round the Ifland to look after the wreck J and thofe who believed her fafe,hadfcarcely any expectation that fhe would ever be able to make the Ifland again: Since the wind continued to blow ftrong at Eaft, and they well knew how poorly fhe was manned and provided for ftruggling with fo tempeftiious a gale. In either of th^l'^ views their ""-'- . fituatioa ROUND THE WORLD. 421 fituation was indeed moft deplorable : For if the Centurion was loft, or fhould be incapable of return- ing, there appeared no pofllbility of their ever get- ting off the Ifland : As they were at leaft fix hun- dred leagues from Macao^ which was their neareft port : and they were mafters of no other veflel than the fmall Spanijh bark, of about fifteen tun, feized at their firft arrival, which would not even hold a fourth part of their number. And the chance of their being taken off the Ifland by the cafual arri- val of any other fliip was altogether dcfperate j .is perhaps no European Ihip had ever anchored here before, and it were madnefs to exped that like inci- dents fhould fend another here in an hundred ages to coiTie : So that their defponding thoughts could only fuggeft to them the melancholy profpedoffpending the remainder of their days on this Ifland, and bid- ding adieu for ever to their country, their friends, their families, and all their domeftic endearments. Nor was this the worft they had to fear : For they had reafon to apprehend, that the Governor of Guam, when ne fhould be informed of their circum- ftances, might fend a force fufEcient to overpower them, and to remove them to that Ifland ; and then, the moft favourable treatment they could expedl would be to be detained prifoners during lifej fince, from the known policy and cruelty of the Spaniards in their diftant fettlements, it was rather to be fup- pofed, that the Governor, if he once had them in his power, would make their want of commiffions (all of them being on board the Centurion) a pre- text for treating them as pirates, and for depriving them of their lives with infamy. In the midfl: of thefe gloomy reflexions, Mr. Anfon, though he always kept up his ufual compo- ., , ^- ■ • • fure •*n ;i 'K I 421 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE 'h 11 furc and fteadinefs, had doubtlefs his fliarc of dif- quictude. However, havingfoon projcftcd afchcme for extricating himfelf and his men from their pre- fent anxious fituacion, he firft communicated it to fome of the moft inflligent perfons about him j and having fatisfied himfelf that it was pradicable, he then endeavoured to animate his people to a fpccdy and vigorous profecution of it. With this view he reprefented to them, how little foundation there was for their apprehenfions of the Centurio»*& being loft: Thar hefhould have prefumcu, they had been all of them better acquainted with fea-affairs, than to give way to the impreflion of fo chimerical a fright; that he doubted not, but if they would ferioufly confider what fuch a (hip was capable of enduring, they would confefs there was not the leaft probability of her havingperiflied : That he was not without hopes that fhe might return in a few days ; but if fhe did not, the worft that could be imagined was, that fhe 'vas driven fo far to the leeward of the Idand that fhe could not regain it, and that fhe would confequently be obliged to bear awny for M?- cao on the coaft of China : That as it was nccefTary to be prepared againft all events, he had, in this cafe, confidered of a method of carrying them off the Ifland, and of joining their old fhip the Ceniu- rion again at Macao : That this method was to hale the Spanijh bark on fhore, to faw her afunder, and to lengthen her twelve feet, which would enlarge her to near forty tun burthen, and would enable her to carry them all to China : That he had confulted the Carpenters, and they had agreed that this propofal was very feafiblc, and that nothing was wanting to execute it, but the united refolution and induflry of (he whole body : And -having added, that for his OWI) I^ti ROUND THE WORLD. 423 own part he would (hare the fatigue and labour with them, and would expert no more from any man than what he, the Commodore himfelf, was ready to fubmit to j he concluded with reprefent- ing to them the importance of faving time ; ur- ging that, in order to be the better fecured at all events, it was expedient to fet about the work im- mediately, and to take it for granted, that the Cen- turion would not be able to put back (which was indeed the Commodore's fecret opinion) j fince if Jhe did return, they Ihould only throw away a few days application ; but if (he did not, their fitua- tion, and the feafon of the year, required their utmod: difpatch. Thefe remonftrances, though not without effe(5V, did not at firft operate fo powerfully as Mr. Anfon could have wi(hed : He indeed raifed their fpirits, by(howingthemthepo(ribilityofcheirgettingaway, of which they had before dcfpairedj but then, from their confidence in this refource, they grew lefs ap- prehenfive of their fituation, gave a greater (cope to their hopes, and flattered themfelves that thcCantu- rion would be able to regain the Ifland, and prevent the execution of the Commodore's fcheme, which they could eafily forefee would be a work of confi- derable labour: Hence it was fome days before they were all of them heartily engaged in the prqjeflj but at lad, being convinced of Tie impofTibility of the (hip's return, they betook thetnfclves zealoufly to the different talks allotted thcrr, and were as induftrious and as eager as their Commander could defire j pun(51:ually alTembling by day-break at the rendezvous, whence they werediHributed to their different employments, which they followed with unufual vigour till night came on. ' And %'■' .(•■ V ■* pi ■ m <■ ■."'?■ ^:l '.::.£i:i TlJ ml 424 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE And here I muft interrupt the courfe of this tranf- adtion to relate an incident, which for a Ihort time gave Mr. Jnj'on more concern than all the preced- ing difafters. A few days after the Ihip was driven off, fome of the people on fhore cried out, J fail. This fpread a general joy, every one fuppofing that it was the (hip returning ; but prefently, a fecond fail was defcried, which quite deftroyed their firft conjeflure, and made it difficult to guefs what they were. The Commodore eagerly turned his glafs towards them, and faw they were two boats j on which it immediately occurred to h im, that the C;;y^/, with their chefls of tools, were on fliore when the Ihip drove out to fea; the Smith too was on fliore, and had with him his forge and feveral of his tools, but unhappily his bellows had not been brought from on board: fo that he was incapable of working, and without his aififlance they could not hope to proceed with their defign. Their firfl: attention therefore was to make him a pair of bellows,but in this they were for fome time puzzled by their want of leather; however, as F f they If f * ■ J!^ ' i.'l 4116 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE they had hides in fufficicnt plenty, and they had found a hogflicad of lime, which th^ Indians or Spa- niards had prepared for their own ufe, they tanned a few hides with this lime; and though we may fuppofe the workmanfliip to be but indifferent, yet the leather they thus procured anfwered the inten- tion tolerably well, and the bellows, to which a gun- barrel ferved for a pipe, had no otherinconveniencc, than that of being fomewhat ftrong fcented from the imperfeftion of the Tanner's work. Whilft the Smith was preparing the neceflfary iron-work, others were employed in cutting down trees, and fawing them into planks j and this being the moft laborious tafk, the Commodore wrought at it himfelf for the encouragement of his people. But there being neither blocks nor cordage fuffici- ent for tackles to haul the bark on fliore, this occa- fioned a new difficulty j however, it was at length refolved to get her up on rollers, fince for thefe the body of the coco-nut tree was extremely well fitted; as its fmoothnefs and circular turn prevented much labour, and fuited it to the purpofc with very little workmanfhip. A number of thefe trees were there- fore felled, and the ends of them properly opened for the infcrtion ofhand-fpikes; and in the mean time a dry dock was dug to receive the bark, and ways were laid from thence quite into the fea to facilitate the bringing her up. Neither were thefe the whole of their occupations, fince, befides thofe who were thus bufied in preparing meafurcs towards the fu- ture enlargemcntof the bark, a party was conftantly ordered to kill and provide provifions for the reft. And though, in thefe various employments, Ibme of which demanded confiderable dexterity, it might have been expected there would have been great \?'n ■ • . j confu- ROUND THE WORLD. 4^7 confufion and delay j yet good order being once eftablifhed, and all hands engaged, their prepara- tions advanced apace. Indeed, the common men, I prefume, were not the lefs tradable for their want of fpirituous liquors : For, there being nei- ther wine nor brandy on (hore, the juice of the coco-nut was their conftant drink j and this, though extremely pleafant, was not at all intoxicating, but kept them very temperate and orderly. The main work now proceeding fuccefsfully, the officers began to confider of all the articles which would be necelfary to the fitting out the bark for the fea : On this confultation it was found, that the tents on fhore, and the fpare cordage accidentally left there by the Centurion^ together with the fails and rigging already belonging to the bark, would fervc to rig her indifferently well, when fhe was lengthened. And as they had tallow in plenty, they propofed to pay her bottom with a mixture of tal- low and lime, which it was known was not ill adapt- ed to that purpofe : So that with icfpeft to her equipment, Ihe would not have been very defedlive. There was, however, one exception, which would have proved extremely inconvenient, and that was herfize: For as they could not make her quite forty tun burthen, llie would have been incapable of con- taining half thecrew below the deck, and fhe would have been fo top-heavy, that ifthey were all at the fame time ordered upon deck, there would be no fmali hazard of her overfetting -, but this was a dif- ficulty not to be removed, as they could not aug- ment her beyond the fize already propofed. After the manner of rigging and fitting up the bark was confidered and regulated, the nexteffential point to be thought on was, how to procure afufiicientltock F f 2 of i: \ f„w, 428 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE of provifions for their voyage j and here they were greatly at a lofs what expedient to have recourfe to, as they had neither grain nor bread of any kind on {hore; their bread-fruit, which would not keep at fea, having all along fupplicd its places and though they I. ad live cattle enough, yet they had no fait to cure beef for a fea-ftore, nor would meat take fait in that climate. Indeed, they had preferved a fmall quantity ofjerked beef, which they found upon the place at their landing; but this was greatly difpro- portioned to the run of near fix hundred leagues, which they were to engage in, and to the number of hands they fliould have on board. It was at laft, however, refolved to put on board as many coco- nuts as they poffiblycould, to prolong to the utmoft their jerked beef, by a very fparing diftribution of it, and to endeavour to fupply their want of bread by rice; to furnifh themfelvcs with which, it v/as propofed, when the bark was fitted up, to make an expedition to the Ifland of Rotaj where they were told, that the Spaniards had large plantations of rice under the care of the Indian inhabitants : But as this lall meafure was to be executed by force, i, 'became neccflary to examine what ammunition had been left on fhore, and to preferve it carefully; and on this enquiry, they had the mortification to 'find that their firelocks would be of little fervice to them, fince all the powder that could be col- ledbed, by the ftricleft fearch, did not amount to 'more than ninety charges, which was confiderabiy ■fl.oit of one a piece to each of the company, and was iad'.ed a v( ry flendcr Hock of ammunition for ■fuch ^% were to eat no grain or bread, during a w!iol«". morti.s ey^r^pt wha?: they were to procure /by i'bi ce g1 arms. • > ;■•':- ..-=•■ ^' •' But ROUND THE WORLD. 4*9. But the moil alarmingclrcumftance, and which, without theprovidentialinterpofitionofvery impro- bable events, would have rendered all their fchcmes abortive, remains yet to be related. The general idea of the fabric and equipment of the veflel was fettled in a few days j and this being done, it was not difficult to frame fome eftimation of the time neceffary to complete her. After this, it was na- tural to expeft, that the officers would confider the courfe they were to fteer, and the land they were to make. Thefe refleiflions led them to the dilhearr- eningdifcovery, that there was neither compafs nor quadrant on the lOand. Indeed the Commodore had brought a pocket-compafs on Ihore for his own ufe, but Lieutenant Brett had borrowed it to determine the pofition of the neighbouring Iflands, and he had been driven to lea in the Centurion with- out returning it. And as to a quadrant, that could not be expected to be found on Ihorc; fince as it was of no ufe at land, there could be no reafon for bring- ing it from on board the Ihip. There were now eight days elapfed, fince the departure of the C>»- turion, and yet they were not in any degree relieved from this terrible perplexity: At jaft,in rummaging a cheft belonging to the Spanijh bark, they difco- vered a fmall compafs, which, though little better than the toys ufually made for the amufcment of fchoolboys,was to them an invaluable treafure. And a few days after, by a fimilar piece of good fortune, they met with a quadrant on the fea-^hore, which had been thrown overboard amongft other lumber belonging to the dead : The quadrant was eagerly feized; but on examination it unluckily wanted vanes, and therefore in its prefent ftate was altoge- rher ufelefs-, however, fortune ftill continuing in a F f 3 favourable »•> i: ■» I , ■- >l 430 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE favourable mood, it was not long before a perfon, through curiofity pulling out a drawer of an old table which had been driven on Ihore, found there- in fomc vanes which fitted the quadrant very well j and it being thus completed, it was examined by the known latitude of the place, and upon trial anfwered to a fufficient degree of exa«ftnefs. When now all thefe obftacles were in fome de- gree removed (which were always as much as pof- fible concealed from the vulgar, that they might not growremifs with the apprehenfion of labouring tonopurpofe), ihe bufinefs proceeded very fuccelT- fuliy andvigoroufly : The neceflary iron-work was in great forwardnefsi and the tirpbers and planks (which, tho' not the moft exquifite performances pf the Sawyer's art, were yet fufficient for the purpofe) were a^l prepared j fo that, on the 6th of O^ober, being the 14th day from the departure of the Ihip, they haukd the bark on fhore, and on the two fucceeding days (he was fawn afunder, though with the caution not to cut her planks : And her two parts being feparated the proper diftance frorn each other, and the roiterials being all ready be- forehand, they, the next day, being the 9th oi Oc- tober, went on with no fmall difpatch in their pro- pofed enlargement of her; whence by this time they had all their future operations fo fairly in view, and were fo much mafters of them, that they were able to determine when the whole would be finilhed, and had accordingly fixed the 5th o{ No- vember for the d-.y of their putting to fea. But their projedls and labours were now drawing to afpeedier and happier conclufivonj for on the nth ofO^ober, in the afternoon, one of the GlouceJier\ men being |jpoii a hill in the middle of the Ifland, perceived the ftOtJND THE WORLD. 431 the Centurion at a diftance, and running down with his utmoft Ipecd towards the landing-place, he, in the way, faw fome of his comrades, to whom he hallooed out with great extafy, Thefsipi the jhipl This being heard by Mr. Gordon^ a Lieutenant of marines, who was convinced by the fellow's tranf- port that his report was true j Mr. Gordon direftly haftencd towards the place where the Commodore and his people were at work, and being Ut^^ and in breath, eafily outftripped the Glouafier\ man, and got before him 10 the Commodore, whoj oij hearing this pleafing and unexpcded news, threw down his axe, with which he was then at work, and by his joy broke through, for the firft time, the eq lable and unvaried charader which he had hi- the 'to preferved: whilft the others, who were pre- fent, inftantly ran down to the fea-fide in a kind of frenzy, eager to feaft themfelves with a light they had fo ardently longed after, and of which they had now for a confiderable time defpaired. By five in the evening the Centurion was vKible ifi the offing to them all \ and, a boat being fent ofF with eighteen men to reinforce her, and with frelh meat and fruits for the refrelhment of her crew, fhe, the next afternoon, happily caft anchor in the road, where the Commodore immediately came on boa-rd her, and was received bv us with the fincerelt and hearticft acclamations : For, by the following Ihort recital of the fears, the dangers, and fatigues we in thefhip underwent, during our nineteen days abfence from Tiniany it may be eafily conceived, that a harbour, refrelhments, repofe, and the join- ing of our Commander and Shipmates, were not Ufa pleafing to us than our retura wa* tg them. :♦ t'l*' F r4 CHAP, i 1 r ' — — Ld. AN S01^J's VOYAGE ii • C HAP. IV. ■^ M'^' Proceedings on board the CeiUtirion^ when v., driven out to fea. TH E Centurion being now once more fafcly arrived at Tinian^ to the mutual refpite of the labours of our divided crtw, it is high time that the reader, after the relation already given of the projedls and employment of thofe left on Ihorc, Ihou ' be apprifed of the fatigues and diftrefles, to which we, whom the Centurion carried off to fea, were expofed during the long interval of nineteen days that we were abfent from the Ifland. - It has been already mentioned, that it was the 22d o{ September i about one o'clock, in an extreme dark night, when, by the united violence of a prodigious llorm, and an exceeding rapid tide, we were driven from our anchors and forced to fea. Our condition then was truly deplorable; we were in a leaky fhip, with three cables in our haufes, to one of which hung our only remaining anchor: we had not a gun on board lalhed,noraport barred in j our fhrouds were loofe, and our top-mafts unrigged, and we had ftruck our fore and main ya'ds clofe down, before the hurricane came on, lb that there were no fails we could fet, except our mizen. In this dreadful extremity we could mufter no more ftrcngth on board, to navigate the fhip, than an hundred and eight hands, feveral Negroes and Indians included : This was fcarcely the fourth part of our complement! and of thefe the greater number were either boys, orfuch as, beingbut lately recovered from the fcur- vy, had not yet arrived at half their former vigour. No fooner were we at fea, but by the violence of fhc ilorm, aid the working of the Ihip, ^ye made a great ROUND THE WORLD. 433 great quantity of water through our hawfe-holes, ports, and fcuppers, which, added ro 'Jie conftant eflfedl of our leak, rendered our pumps alone a I'uf-* ficientemployment fur us all : But though we knew that this leakage, by beinga fliort time ncglefted, would inevitably end in our deftru6lioni yet we had other dangers then hanging over us, which occafi- oned this to be regarded as a fccondary confidera- tion only. For we all imaQinifd, that we were driv- ing diredly on theneighbouringlHand ofj^ulgua^y which was about two leagues diilant; and as we had lowered our main and fore yards clofe down, we had no fails we could fet but the rnizcn, which was altogether infufficient to carry us clear of this im- ipinent peril. Urged therefore by this prefiingemer- gency, we immediately applied ourfclves to work, endeavouring with theutmoftofour efforts to heave up the main and foreyards, in hopes that, if we could but be enabled to make ufe of our lower canvafs, we might poflibly weather the Ifland, and thereby fave ourfelvesfroni this impending fhipwreck. But after full three hours ineffeftual labour, the jeers broke J and the men being quite jaded, we were obliged, by mere debility, todefill, and quietly to cxpeft our fate, which we then ponceived to be un- avoidable. For we foon efteemed ourfelves to be driven juft upon the fhore, and the night was lb ex- tremely dark that we expefted to difcover the Ifland no othcrwife than by ftriking upon it ; lb that the belief of our deftrudion, and the uncertainty of the point of time when it would take place, occafioned us to pafs feveral hours, under the rnoft ferious ap- prehenfions that each fucceeding moment would fend us to the bottom. Nor did theie continued terrors, of inftantly ftriking and finking, end but with 4- ■t; *■ • 1 i*5' >'\ 434 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ^'\i 1 'i ''hh with the day-break ; when we with great tranfport* perceived, that the Ifland we had thus dreaded, was at a confiderable diftance, and that a ftrong northern current had been the caufe of our prefervation. The turbulent weather which forced us froiTi7V»/- an, did not abate till three days after, and then wc fwayed up the fore yard, and began to heave up th** main-yard, but the jeers broke again and killed one of our people, and prevented us at that time from proceeding. The next day, being the 26th of 5^- tember, was a day of mod fevere fatigue to us all ; for it mufl: be remembered, that in thefe exigences no rank or office exempted any perfon from the manual application and bodily labourof a common failor. The bufinefs of this day was no lefs than an endeavour to heave up the fheet- anchor, which we had hitherto dragged at our bows with two ca- bles an end. This was a work of great importance to our future prefervation : For not to mention the impediment it would be to our navigation, and hazard to our fhip, if we attempted to make fail with the anchor in its prefent fituation, we had this moft interefting confideration to animate us, that it was the only anchor we had left, and without fecur- ing it, we fhould be under the utmoft difficulties andhazards whenever we fell in with the land again; and therefore, being all of us fully apprifed of the confequence of this enterprife, we laboured at it with the fevereft application for twelve hours, when we had indeed made a confiderable progrefs, having brought the anchor in fight j but it growing daik, and we being exceffively fatigued, we were obliged to defift, and to leave our work unfiniffied till the next morning, and then, refrelhed by the benefic of a night's reft, we completed it, and hung the anchor at our bow. \% hp ROUND THE WORLD. 435 • It was the 27th of September, that is, five days after our departure, before we had thus fecured our anchor : However, we the fame day got up our main-yard j fo that having now conquered, in fome degree, the diftrefs and diforder which we were nc- celFarily involved in at our firft driving out to fea, and being enabled to make ufe of our canvafs, we fet our rourfes, and for the firft time ftooci to the eafiward, in hopes of regaining the Ifland ofTinicfj, and joining our Commodore in a few days j fince, by our accounts, we were only forty- feven leagues diftant to the South-Weft. Hence, on the firft day DfOK ■■•'! JiOl '1^, .y ; ,», il,;; .if"'; 440 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE for the third and laft time, of the Ifland ofTimafii an ifland, which, whether we confider the excel- lence of its produdions, the beauty of its appear- ance, the elegance of its woods and lawns, the healthinefs of its air, or the adventures it gave rife to, may in all thefe views bejuftly (tiled romantic. And now, poftponing for a fhort time our run to Formofaf and thence to Caniotty I fhall interrupt the narration with a defcription of that range of Iflands, ufually called the Ladrones, or Marian Iflands, of which this ofTinian is one. Thefe Iflands were difcovered by Magellan in the year 1521J and from the account given of the two he firft fell in with, it fhould feem that they were thofe of Say pan and Tiniani for they are defcrioed as very beautiful Iflands, and as lying between 15 and 16 degrees of North latitude. Thefe charafle- riftics are particularly applicable to the two above- mentioned places } for the pleafing appearance of Tinian hath occafioned the Spaniards to give it the additional name of Buenavi/ia i and Saypany which is in the latitude of 15^: 22' North, affords no contemptible profpeft when feen at fea, as is fufR- cientlv evident from the view of its North- Weft fide, taken at three leagues diltancc, and exhibit- ed in the thirty-feventh plate. There are ufually reckoned twelveof thefe Iflands ; but it will appear, from the chart of the North part of the Pacific Ocean, hereafter inferted, that if the Imall Iflets and rocks are counted, their whole number will amount to above twenty. They were formerly moft of them well inhabited: and even not fixty years ago, the three principal Iflands, Guanty Rotay and Tinian together, are afTerted to i:ave contained above fifty thoufand people : but fince that ROUND THE WORLD. 44t .that time Tinian hath been entirely depopulated ; and no more than two or three hundred Indians have been left at Rota, to cultivate rice for the Ifland of Guam } fo that now Guam alone can properly be faid to be inhabited. This Ifland oi Guam is the only fettlement of the Spaniards j here they keep a Go- vernor and garrifon, and here the Alanila Ihip gene- rally touches for refrelhment, in her paflage from AcapulcQ to the Philippines. It is eftcemed to be about thirty leagues in circumference, and contains, by the Spanijh accounts, near four thoufand inhabit- ants, of which a thoufand are fuppofed to live in the city of San Ignatio de Jgana, where the Gover- nor generally refides, and where the houfes are re- prefentedasconfiderable, being built with ftoneand timber, and covered with tiles, a very uncommon fabric for thefe warm climates and favage countries: Befides this city, there are upon the Ifland thirteen or fourteen villages. As Guam is a pofl: of fome confe- quence, on account of the refrefliment it yields to the Manila fliip, there are two caftles on the fea- fhorci one is the caftle o( St. Angela ^ which lies near the road where the Manila fliip yfually anchors, and is but an infigniticant fortrefs, mounting only five guns, eight pounders i the other is the caftle of .9/. LewiSi which is N. E. from St. Angela, and four leagues difl:ant, and is intended to prptecft a road where a fmall veflfcl anchors, which arrives here every other year from Manila. This fort mounts the fame number of guns as the former : And be- fides thefe forts, there is a battery of five pieces of cannon on an eminence near the fea-fliore. The Spanijh troops employed at this Ifland confift of three companies of foot, betwixt forty and fifty men eachi and this is tiie principal ftrcngth the Governor G g has (! i;5i 442 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE has to depend on ; for he cannot rely on any afllft- ance from the Indian inhabitants, being generally upon ill terms with them, and fo apprehcnfive of them, that he has debarred them the ufc both of fire-arms and lances. The reft of thefe Iflands, though not inhabitcdj, do yet abound with many kinds of refrefliment and provifion j but there is no good harbour or road amongft them all : Of that ofTinian we have treated largely already j nor is the road of Guam much bet- ters fince it is not uncommon for the Manila fhip, though flie propofes to ftay there but twenty-four hours, to be forced to fea, and to leave her boat be- hind her. This is an inconvenience fo fenfibly felt by the commerce at Manila^ that it is always re- commended to &e Governor of Guam^ to ufe his bcft endeavours for the difcovery of fome fecure port in the neighbouring ocean. How induftrious he may be to comply with his inftrudtions, I know noti but this is certain, that, notwithftanding the many IQands already found out between thecoaftof Mexico and the Philippines^ there is not any one fafe port to be met with in thac.whole track j though in other parts of the world it is not uncommpn for very fmall Iflands to furnifh moft excellent harbours. From what has been faid, it appears, that the Spaniards y on the Ifland o^Guamy are extremely few, compared to the Indian inhabitants j and formerly the dlfproportion was ftill greater, as may be eaQly conceivedfrom the account given in anotherchapter, of the numbers heretofore on lininn alone. Thefe Indians are a bold, ftrong, well-limbed pe pie j and, as it fliould fcem from fome of their pradlices, are no ways defeflive in underftanding ; for their tlying proas in particular, which during ages paft have ROUND THE WORLD. 443 have been the only veflcls employed by them, are fo iingular and extraordinary an invention, that it would do honour to any nation, however dexterous and acute. Since, if we confider the aptitude of this proa to the navigation of thcfe Iflands, which lying all of them nearly under the fame meridian, and within the limits of the trade-wind, require the veflcls made ufe of in pafllng from one to the other, to be peculiarly fitted for failing with the wind upon the beam ; or, if we examine the uncommon fim* plicity and ingenuity of its fabric and contrivance, or the extraordinary velocity with which it moves, we (hall, in each of thcfe articles, find it worthy of our admiration, and dcfcrving a place amongft the mechanicalprodudlions of the moftcivilifed nations, where arts and fciences have moil eminently flou- rilhed. As former Navigators, though they have mentioned thefe veflels, have yet treated of them imperfectly j and as I conceive, that, befides their curiofity, they may furnifh both the fliip-wright and feaman with no contemptible obfervations j I fliall here infert a very cxa£l defcription of the built, rig- ging, and working of thefe veflfcls, which I am the better enabled to perform, as one of them fell into our hands on our firft arrival at Timattf and Mr. Breti took it to pieces, that he might delineate its fabric and dimcnfions with greater accuracy: Sq that the following account may be relied on. . ; The name of flying proa, appropriated to theft veflels, is owing to the fwiftne.s with which they fail. Of this the Spaniards aflfert fuch ftories, as mufl: appear altogether incredible to one who has never fcen thefe veflfels move; nor are they the only people who recount thefeextraordinarytalesof their celerity. For thofe who ftiall have the curiofity to G g 2 enquire '*. i"'. m h !'*»-; 444 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE enquire at Portfrnoutb dock, about an expcrimenr tried tht re fome years fince, with a very imperfect one built at that place, will meet with accounts not lefs wonderful than any the Spaniards have re- lated. However, from fome rude eftimations made by us, of the velocity with which they crofled the horizon at a diftance, while we lay at Tinian, I can- not help believing, that wirh a brillc trade-vind they will run near twenty miles an hour : Which, though greatly Ihort of what the Spaniards report of them, is yet a prodigious degree of fwiftnefs. But let us give a diftindt idea of its figure. The conftruftion of this proa is a direct c ontra- diftion to the practice of all the red of mankind. For as it is cuftomary to make the head of the veffel different from the ftern, but the two fides alike j the proa, on the contrary, has her head and ftern exact- ly alike; but her two fides very difi^erenti the fide, intended to be always the iee-fide, being flatj whilft the windward fide is built rounding, in the manner of other vefiels : And, to prevent her overfetting, which from her fmall breadth, and the ftrait run of her leeward fide, would, without this precaution, •infallibly happen, there is a frame laid out from her to windward, to the end of which is fattened a log, fafliioned into the (hape of a fmall boat, and jnade hollow : The weight of the frame is intended to balance the proa, and the fmall boat is by its •buoyancy (as it is always in the water) to prevent ■her overfetting to windward] and this frame is ufu- •ally called an outrigger. The body of the proa (at lead of that we took) is formed of two pieces joined ■end-ways, and fcwed together with bark, for there •is no iron ufed in her conftru6lion : She is about two inches thick at the bottom, which at the gunwale ROUND THE WORLT. 445 Is reduced to lefs than one : The dimcnfions of each part will be better known from the uprights and viewscontaincdinthethirty eighth platcjwhichwere drawn from an exaft menfuration j thefc I fhall en- deavour to explain as minutely and diftincftly as I can . Fig. I . Reprefents the proa with her fail fct, as fhe appears when feen from the leeward. . Fig. 2. Is a view of her from the head, with the outrigger to the windward. Fig. 3. Is the plan of the whole; where (AB) is the lee fide of the proaj (CD) the windward fide ; (EFGH) the outrigger or frame laid out to wind- ward i (KL) the boat at the end of it ; (MNPQ| two braces from the head and ftcrn to Heady the frame j (RS) a thin plank placed to windward, to prevent the proa from Ihipping of water j this ferves too for a feat to the /«i/tf« who bales, and fometimes goods are carried upon it. (I) is the part of the middle outrigger, on which the maft is fixed: The maft itfelf is fupported {Fig. 2.) by the Ihore (CD), and by the fhroud (EF), and by two flays, one of which may be feen, in Fig. i. marked (CD), the other is hid by the fail : The fail (EFG), in Fig. i. is of matting, and the maft, yard, boom, and out- riggers, are all made of bamboo : The heel of the yard is always lodged in one of the foekets (T) or (V), Fig, 2* according to the tack the proa goes on ; and when Ihe alters her tack, they bear away a little to bring her ftern up to the windi then by eafing the halyard, and raifing the yard, and carrying the heel of it along the lee fide of the proa, they fix it in the oppofite focket j whilft the boom at the fame time, by letting fly the fiieet (M), and haling the ftieet (N), Fig. i . Ihifts into a contrary fituation to what it had before, and that which was the ftcrn of * \ G g3 the V.?. \Ji 446 Ld. anson'i voyage the proa, now becomes the head, and (he is trimmed on the other tack. When it is ncceflary to reef or furl the fail, this isdone by rolling it round the boom. The proa generally carries fix or fcvtn Indians \ two of which are placed in the head and ftern, who ftcer the velfcl alternately with a peddle according to the tack (he goes on, he in theftern being the lleerfman; the other Indians are employed either in baling our. the water which Ihc accidentally fhips,or in fetting and trimming the fail. From the defcription of thefc veflels it is fufficicntly obvious, how dextc- roufly they arc fitted for ranging this colleflion of Iflands called the Ladrones: Since as thefe Iflands bear nearly N. and S. of each other, and are all with- in the limits of the trade- wind, the proasy by fail- ing moft excellently on a wind, and with cither end foremoft, can run from one of thefe Iflands to the other and back again, only by fhifting the fail, with- out ever putting about j and, by the flatnefs of their lec-fide, and their fmall breadth, they are capabic of lying much nearer the wind than any other veffel hitherto known, and thereby have an advantage, which no-vefl!cls that go large can ever pretend to : The advantage I mean is that of running with a ve- locity nearly as great, and perhaps fometimes great- er, than what the wind blows with. This, however paradoxical it may appear,isevident enough infimi- lar inftances on Ihorc : Since it is well known, that the fails of a wind-mill often move fafter than the wind 'y and one great fuperiority of common wind- mills over all others, that ever were, or ever will be contrived to move with an horizontal motion, is- analogous to the cafe we have mentioned of a veffel upon a wind and before the wind : For the fails of an horizontal windmill, the fafter they move, the moi5« ROUND THE WORLD. 447 . more they detract from the impulfc of the wind up- on them J whereas the common windmills, by mov- ing perpendicular to the torrent of air, are nearly a« forcibly afted on by the wind, when they are in motion, as when they are at reft. Thus much may fuffice as to the dcfcription and nature of thefa finguiar embarkations. I muft add, that vefTcls bearing fome obfcure refcmblance to thefe are to be met with in various parts of the Eaft Indies, but none of them, that I can learn> to be ccmpared with thofe of the Ladrones, either fur their conftruftion or celerity j which fhould induce one to believe, that this was originally the invention of ' fome genius of thefe IHands, and was afterwards imperfedlly copied by the neighbouring nations : For thoT ^h the Ladrones have no immediate inter- courfe w.th any other people, yet there lie to the S* and S. W. of them a great number of Iflands, which are imagined to extend to the coaft of New Guinea^ Thefe Jllands are fo near the Ladrones, that canoes from them have fomctimes, by diftref^, been driven. toGuam't and the Spaniards did once difpatch a bark for their difcovery, which left two Jefuits amongfi: them, who were afterwards murdered : Whence it may be prefumed that the inhabitants of the Ladrones, with their pfoas, may, by ftofms or ca- fualties, have been driven amongft thofe Iflands. Indeed I (hould conceive, that the fame range of Iflands ftretches to the S. E. as well as the S. W, and to a prodigious diftance : For Scbouten, who traverfed the South part of the Pacijic Ocean in the year 16 15, met with a large double canoe full of people, above a thoufandleagues from the I,adc its bngitudc above a degree more. While we were paEng by thefe rocks of Vek Rete, there was an outcry of fire on the fore-caftle ; this occafioned a general alarm, and the whole crew inftantly flocked together in the utmofl confufionj fo that the officers found it difficult for fome time to appeafe the uproar : But having at laft reduced the people to order, it was perceived that the fire proceeded from the furnace; where the bricks being over-heated, had begun to communicate the fire to the adjacent wood-work : Hence by pulling down the brick-work, it was extinguifh-ed with great fa- cility. In the evening we were furprifcd with a view of what we at firil %ht conceived to have been breakers, buc, on a ftrifter examination, wc difcerned them to be only a great number of fires on the Ifiand of Fonnofa. Thefe, we imagined, were intended by the inhabitants of that Ifiand as fignals to invite us to touch there ^ but that fuited not our views, we being inipatient to reach the port of Macao as foon as poffible. From Formofa wc ftecred W. N. W, and fometimes ftili more nor- therly, propofing to fall in with the coaft o( China j, to the eaftward of Pedro Blanco j as the rock fo called is ufually efteemed an excellent diredio*. ^or fhips bound to Macao. We continued this courfc till the following night, and then frequently brought to, to try if we were in foundings : But it was the 5th of No'vember, at nine in tlie morning, before we ftruck ground, and then wc had forty two fa- thom, and a bottom of grey fand mixed with fhcUs. When wc had run about twenty miles farther .*:ux^i--v. . -:■ W.N.W, I 45^ Lb. ANSON'S VOYAGE W. N. W, we had thirty-five fathom and the fame bottom J then our foundings gradually decreafcd from thirty-five to twenty-five fathom ; but foon after, to our great furprife, they jumped back again to thirty fathom. This was an alteration we could not very well account for, fince all the charts laid down regular foundings every where to the northward of Pedro Blanco : ,We for this reafon kept a very careful look-out, and altered our courfe to N. N. W, and having run thirty-five miles in that diredtion, our foundings again gradually di- minifhed to twenty-two fathom, and we at lad, about midnight, got fight of the main land of Chi- 7ta, bearing N. by W, four leagues diflant. We then brought the Ihip to, with her head to the fea, propofing to wait for the morning j and before fun- rife we werefurprifed to find ourfelves in the midft of an incredible number of filhing- boats, which feemed to cover the furface of the fea as far as the eye could reach, I may well ftyle their number incredible i fince I cannot believe, upon the loweft eftimate, that there were fo few as fix thoufand, mod of them manned with five hands, and none of thofe we faw with lefs than three. Nor was this (warm of fifhing-vcflels peculiar to that fpot : for, as we ran on to the weftward, we found them as abundant on every part of the coafi. We at firft doubted not but we fhould procure a Pilot from them to carry us to Macao j but though many of them came clofe to the Ibip, and we endeavoured to tempt them by ihowing them a number of dollars, 9. moft alluring bait ior Ckbiefe of all ranks and pro- fefiions, yet we could not entice them on board us, nor procure any directions from them j though, I prefume, the only difficulty was their not compre* hending ROUND THE WORLD. 45;$ hending what we wanted them to do, as we could have no communication with them butbyfigns. In- deed we often pronounced the vford Macao i b\.: this we had reafon to fuppofe they underftood in a dif- ferent fenfe ; fince in return they fometimes held up fifli to usi and we afterwards learnt, that the Chinefe name for fifli is of a fomewhat fimilar found. But what furprifed us mod was the inattention and want of curiofity, which we obferved in this herd of fiftiermen. A fhip like ours had doubtlefs never been in thofe feas before; and perhaps there might not be one, amongft all the Chinefe^ employed in that fifliery, who had ever feen any European vefleli fo that we might reafonably have expedted to have been confidered by them as a very uncommon and extraordinary objcd. But though many of their boats came clofe to the fhip, yet they did not appear to be at all interefted about us, nor did they deviate in the lead from their courfe to regard us. Which jnfenfibility, efpecially of maritime perfons, in a matter relating to their own profeflion, is fcarcely to be credited, did not the general behaviour of the ChinefCi in other inftances, furnifh us with conti- nual proofs of a fimilar turn of mind. It may per- haps be doubted, whether this caft of temper be the effed of nature or education j but, in either cafe, it is an inconteftable fymptom of a mean and contemptible difpofition, and is alone a fufficient confutation of the extravagant praifes, which many prejudiced writers have bellowed on the ingenuity and capacity of this Nation. But to return. Not being able to procure any information from the Chinefe firaermen about our proper courfe to MacaOy it was neceflary for us to rely entirely on our own judgment: And concluding from our la- titude. .W' I iJ.'ni ' 1; .f ill!! * ■i . -n. 454 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE tude, whhich was a2» : 42' North, and from our foundings, which were only feventeen or eighteen fathoms, that we were yet to the caftward oi Pedro Blanco, we ftill ftood on to the weftward. And for the aflillance of future Navigators, who may here- after doubt what part of the coaft they are upon, I muft obferve, that befldes the latitude of Pedro Blanco, which is 22* : 18', and the depth of water, which to the weftward of that rock is almoft every where twenty fathoms, there is another circun)- ftance which will be greatly afliftant in judging of the poficion of the ftiip : This is the kind of ground; for, till we came within thirty miles oi Pedro Blanco, we had conftantly a fandy bottom ; but there the bottom changed to foft and muddy, and continued fo quite to the Ifland of Macao j only while we were in fight of Pedro Blanco, and very near it, we had for a faort fpace a bottom of greenilh mud, intermixed with fand, '. ' ;. It was on the 5th of November, at midnight, when we firft made the coafi: of China, The next day, about two o'clock, as we were ftanding to the wcftvvard, within two leagues of the coaft, ftill fur- founded by fifhing-veirds in as great numbers as at firft, we perceived that a boat a-head of us waved a red flag, and blew a horn. This we confidered as a fignal made to us, either to warn us of fome ftioal, or to inform us that they would fupply us with a Pilot: We therefore immediately fent our Cutter to the boar, to know their intentions j when we were foon convinced of our miftake, and found that this boat was tlie Commodore of the whole fiftiery, and that the fignal ihe had made, was to order the n all to leave off .iftiing, and to return in ftiore, which we faw them inftantly obey. Being thus dif- *. ;f ' ■ > . v.- ■ k-fi n-ub'^^Xi^iX- HSp"!- -■■'■■- Hh . r:-As CHAP. 45S Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE CHAP. VH. 1; u, ! ' Proceedings at Macao, • '. * • M -I .. t r I THE city o{ Macao, in the road of which v/6 came to an anchor on the 1 2th of November, is a Portuguefe fettlcment, fituated in an Ifland at the entrance of the river o{ Canton. It was formerly very rich and populous, and capable of defending itfelf agaitift the power of the adjacent CI: 'neje Go- vernors : But at prefent it is much fallen from its ancient fplendor; for though it is inhabited by Por- tuguefe, and hath a Governor nominated by the King of Portugal, yet it fubfifts merely by the fuf- .ferance of the Cbinefe, who can ftarve the place, and difpoflefs the P^r/ofw^/tf whenever they pleafe: This obliges theGovernor of Af<3M0 to behave with great circumfpeflion, and carefully to avoid every circum- ftance that may give offence to the Chinefe, The river of Canton, off the mouth of which this city lies, is the only Cbinefe ^on frequented by European fhips } and is, on many accounts, a more com- modious harbour than Macao : But the peculiar cuftoms of the Cbinefe, folely adapted to the enter- tainment of trading fhips, and the apprehenfions of the Commodore, left he fliould embroil the Eaji- India Company with the Regency of Canton, if he (hould infift on being treated upon a different foot- ing than the Merchantmen, made him refolve ra- ther to go to Macao, than to venture into the river of Canton, Indeed, had not this reafon prevailed tyith him, he himfelf had nothing to fear. For it is certain that he might have entered the port of Canton, kOUND THE WORLD. 459 Cafttcn, and might have continued there as long as he pleafed, and afterwards have left it again, al- though the whole power of the Cbinefe Empire had been brought together to oppofe him. .i The Commodore, not to depart from his ufual prudence, no fooner came to an anchor in Macao road, than he difpatchcd an officer with his com- pliments to the Portugutfe Governor of Macao t re- quefting his Excellency, by the fame oificer, to advifc him in what manner it would be proper to act, to avoid offendingt he Ckinefei which, as. there werethenfour of ourlhips in their power at C<7«/d>;f, was a matter worthy of attention. The difficulty, which the Commodore principally apprehended, re- lated to the duty ufually paid by (hips in the river of Caniotty according to their tunnage. For, as men of war are exempted in every foreign harbour from all manner of port-charges, the Commodore thought it would be derogatory to the honour of his country to fubmit to this duty in Cbina : And therefore he defired the advice of the Governor of Macao, who, being an Europeariy could not be ig- norant of the privileges claimed by a Britijh man of war, and confequently might be expeAed to give us the beft lights for obviating this perplexity. Our boat returned in the evening with two officers fent by the Governor, who informed the Commodore, that it was the Governor's opinion, that if the Cen- tu-ion ventured into the river of CafUon, the duty would certainly be expe<51:ed ; and therefore, if the Commodore approved of ir, he would fend him a Pilot, who Ihould conduct us into another fafe har- bour called the T'ypay which was every way com- modious for careening the fhip (an operation we were refolved to begin upon as foon as poffible), and -4 H h 2 where. •i' •551 I ■ ,- i 460 Lu. ANSON'S VOYAGE where, in ail probability, the above-mentioned duty would never be demanded. *j This propoial the Commodore agreed to, and in the morning weighed anchor, under the dircflion of the Portuguefe Filotj and lleered for the intended harbour. As we entered between two IHands, which form the eaftern paffage to it, we found our foundings decreafed to three fathom and a half: However, the Pilot afluring us that this was the leaft depth we fliouid meet with, we continued our courfc, till at length the fhip (tuck faft in the mud, with only eighteen foot water abaft i and, the tide of ebb making, the water fewed to fixtcen feet, but the fliip remained perfedlly upright i we then founded all round us, and difcovering that the wa- ter deepened to the northward, we carried out our Imall bower with two h-^wfers an end, and at the return of the tide of flood hove tiie Ihip afloat j and a breeze fpringing up at the fame inft:ant, we let the fore- top-fail, and flipping the hawfer, ran into the harbour, where we moored in about five fathom water. This harbour of the 7ypa is form- ed by a num.ber of Iflands, and is about fix miles diftant from Macao. Here we falutcd the caflie of Afrt^tfo with eleven guns, which were returned by an equal number. The next day the Commodore paid a vifit in per- fon to the Governor, and was faluted at his landing by eleven guns, which were returned by the Cefi- turion. Mr. Anfon\ bufmeis in this viflt was to folicit the Governor to grant us a fupply both of provifions and of fuch naval (lores as were necelTary to refit the fliip. The Governor feemed really rnclined to do us all the fervice he couid j and aiTured the Commodore, in a friendly manner, that . ' . . . ' . he ROUND THE WORLD. 461 he woiiKl privately give us all the aflillancc in his power i but he, at the faine time, frankly owned, that he dared not openly fiirnifh us with any thing we demanded, unlcfs wc firft produced an order for it from the Viceroy of Canton j fince he himfclf neither received provifions for his garrifon, nor any other neccfiaries, but by pcnnillion from the Chtnefe Government ; and as they took care only to vidlual him from day to day, he was indeed no other than their vafTal, whom they could at all times compel to fubmit to their own terms, by laying an embargo on his proviOons. * On this declaration of the Governor, Mr. /Infon refolved himfelf to go to dinton, to procure a li- cence from the Viceroy; and he accordingly hired a Chtnefe boat for himleif and his attendants j but juft as he was ready to embaik, the Hoppo, or Chtnefe Cuftom-houfeofiiccr of M.'/a'(?, refufed to grant a permit to the boi\r, and ordered the watermeq not to proceed at their peril. The Commodore at firft en- deavoured to prevail with the Ihppo to withdraw his injunction, and to grant a permit; and the Gover- nor of Macao employed his ntcrelt with the Hoppa to the fame purpofe. But the officer continu- ing inflexible, Mr. Anfon lold him, tlie next day, that if the permit was any longer refufed, he would man and arm the Ctndirion'^ boats; afking the BoppOy at the lame time, v/ho h? imagined would dare to oppole them in their palVage. This threat immediately brought about what his intreaties had endeavoured at in vain : The permit was granted^ and Mr. Anfon went to Canton. On his arrival there, he confuited with the Supercargoes and OfH-r cers of the Englifb fliips, how to procure an order from the Viceroy for the necelTaries he wanted ; H h 3 B\it ¥. * ' J ir -M , I { I. »'l * (.rf-_.,i^t . .•■ ■■iwl 4^2 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE But in this he had rcafon to fuppofc, that the advice they gave him, though well intended, was yet not the mofl: prudent: For as it is the cuftonn with thefe Gentlemen, never to apply to the fupreme Ma- giftrate himfelf, whatever difficulties they labour under, bur to tranfaft all matters relating to the Government, by the mediation of the principal Chinefe Merchants, Mr. /infon was periuaded to follow the fame method upon this occafion, the Englijb promifing, in which they were doubtlefs fincere, to exert all their intereft to engage the Merchants in his favour. Indeed, when the Ckinefe Merchants were fpoke to, they readily undertook the management of this bufinefs, and promifed to ^nfwer for its fuccefs ■» but after near a month's de- lay, and reiterated excufes, during which interval they pretended to be often upon the point of com- pleting it, they at laft, when they were preflfed, and meafures >vere taken for delivering a letter to the Viceroy, threw off the mafk, and declared they lieither had made application to the Viceroy, nor could they, as he was too great a man, they faid, for them to approach on any occafion: And not contented with having themfelves thus grofsly de-. ceived the Commodore, they now u fed all their per- fuafion with the EngUJh at Canton, to prevent them from intermeddling with any thing that regarded him J reprefenting to them, that it would in all probability embroil them with the Government, and occafion them a great deal of unneceffary trouble ; which groundlefs infinuations had unluckily but too much weight with thofe they were intended to influence. It may be difficult to affign a reafon for this per- fidious conduct of the Chinefe Merchants* Intereft ind^cc^ . ROUND THE WORLD. 46;} indeed is known to exert a boundlefs influence over the inhabitants of that Empire ; but how their in- tereft could be aflccled in the prefentcafe is not eafy to difcoverj unlefs they apprehended that the pre- fence of a fhip of force might damp their Manila trade, and therefore a(fted in this manner with a view of forcing the Commodore to Batavia: Though it might be as natural in this light to fuppofe, that they would have been eager to have got him dif- patched. I therefore rather impute their behaviour to the unparalleled pufiUanimity of the Nation, and to the awe they are under of the Government : Since fuch a fliip as the Centurion, fitted for war only, having never been feen in thofe parts before, flie was the horror of thefe daftards, an the Merchants were in fome degree terrified even with the idea of her, and could not think of applying to the Vice- roy, who is doubtlefs fond of all opportunities of fleecing them, without reprefenting to themfelves the occafions which a hungry and tyrannical Ma- giftrate might pofllbly find, for cenfuring their in- termeddling with fo unufual a tranfaclion, in which he might pretend the intereft of the ftate was im- mediately concerned. However, be this as it may, the Commodore was fatisfied that nothing was to be done by the interpofition of the Merchants, as it was on his prefllng them to deliver a letter to the Vice- roy, that they had declared they durfl: not interfere in the afl^airj and had confefTed, that, notwithftand- ing all their pretences of ferving him, they had not yet taken one fl:ep towards it. Mr. Anfon therefore told them, that he would proceed to Batavia, and refit his (hip there j but informed them, at the fame time, that this was impoflible to be done, unlefs ht was fupplied with a ftock of provifions fufficient Hh4 for . « r ;:: i I . If' •m If? 464 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE for his paflage. The Merchants, on this, undcrr? took to procure him provifions, though they affur- ed him, that it was what they durft not engage in openly, but they propofed to manage it in a clan- deftine manner, by putting a quantity of bread, flour, and other provifion, on board the Englijh fhips, which were now ready to failj and thefe were to flop at the mouth of the Typa^ where the Centurion's boats were to receive it. This article, which the Merchants reprefented as a matter of ■great favour, being fettled, the Commodore, on the 1 6th oi December i came back from Canton to the fhip, feemingly refoived to proceed to Batavia to refit, as foon as he fliould get his fupplies of provifions on board. But Mr. Anfon (who never intended going to Batavia) found, on his return to the Centurion j that her main-maft was fprung in two places, and that the leak was confiderably increafed j fo that, upon the whole, he was fully fatisfied, that though he fhould lay in a fufRcient ftock of provifions, yet it would be impoffible for him to put to fea without refitting. Since, if he left the port with his fhip in her prefent condition, flie would be in the utmofl danger of foundering i and therefore, notwithfland- ing the difiiculties he had met with, he refoived at all events to have her hove down, before he de- parted from Macao. Fie was fully convinced, by v^hat he had obferved at CarJojij that his great cau- tion not to injure the Eafi India Company's affairs, and the regard he had fhown to the advice of their ofRcers, had occafioned all his perplexity. For he now faw clearly, that if he had at firfl carried his fhip into the rWer of Canton, and had immediately addrcfTed himfelf to the Mandarines^ who arc tht . ■'■ " *^^ chief chief o Merchj probabi would I loft a n fued , poflible ing th^ wrote a ing hin dron of had bet Seas agi the Kin land he confide want of to proc and he ' that he mitted being a had noi necefTa and th< to defit permit men tc provifi purfue fame ti as littl his lof from c ROUND THE WORLD. 465 chief officers of State, inftead of employing the Merchants to apply on his behalf, he would, in all probability, have had all his requefts granted, and would have been foon difpatched. He had already loft a month by the wrong meafures he had pur^ fued, but he refolved to lofe as little more time as poffible; and therefore, the 17th oi December ^ be- ing the next day after his return from Canton, he wrote a letter to the Viceroy of that place; acquaint- ing him that he was Commander in chief of a fqua- dron of his Britannic Majeity's fhips of war, which had been cruifing for two years paft in the Souihr- Seas againft the Spaniards, who were at enmity with the King his maiter; that on his way back to Eng' land he had put into the port of Macao, having a confiderable" leak in his fhip, and being in great want of provifions, fo that it was impoflible for him to proceed on his voyage till his fhip was repaired, and he was fupplied with the neceffaries he wanted; that he had been at Canton, 1 hopes of being ad- mitted to a perfonal audience of his Excellency; but being a ftranger to the cuftoms of the country, he had not been able to inform himfelf what fteps were neceflary to be taken to procure fuch an audience, and therefore was obliged to apply in this manner, to defire his Excellency to give orders for his being permitted to employ Carpenters and proper work- men to refit his (hip, and to furnifh himfelf with provifions and ftores, that he might be enabled to purfue his voyage to Great Britain. Hoping, at the fame time, that thefe orders would be iffued with as little delay as polTible, left it might occafion his lofs of the feafon, and he might be prevented from departing till the next winter, / I . « i V.-' H 11 1' w^ I''- !;[' I'. 3*^1 This 4^ Ld . AI^ON' s VOYAGE This letter was tradflatcd into the Chinefe lan- guage, and the Conriniodore delivered it himfelf to the Hoppo, or chief officer of the Ertiperor's cuf- toms at Macaoy deliring him to forward it to the Viceroy of Canton^ with as much expedition as he could. The officer at firft feemed unwilling to take charge of it, and raifcd many difficulties about it; fo that Mr. Anfon fufpefted him of being in league with the Merchants of Canton^ who had al- ways fhewn a great apprehenfion of the Commo- dore's having any immediate intercourfe with the Viceroy ox Mandarines \ and therefore the Commo- dore, not without fome refentmcnt, took back his letter from the UoppOt and told him, he would im- mediately fend it to Canton in his own boat, and would give his officer pofitive orders not to return without an anfwer from the Viceroy. The Hoppo perceiving the Commodore to be in earneft, and fearing to be called to an account for his refufal, begged to beentrufted with the letter, and promi- fcd to deliver it, and to procure an anfwer as foon as poflible. And now it was prcfently feen how juftly Mr. Anfon had at laft judged of the proper manner of dealing with the Chinefe \ for this letter was writ- ten but the 17th o{ December, as hath been already obfervedj and, on the 19th in the morning, a Mandarine of the firft rank, who was Governor of the ciiyo^Janfoni together with two Mandarines o( an inferior clafs, and a confiderable retinue of offi- cers and fervants, having with them eighteen half gallies furniffied with mufic, and decorated with a great number of ftreamefs, and full of men, came to grapnel a-head of the Centurion; whence the Mandarine fent a meflage to the Commodore, tell- ino; him that he ^the Mandarine) wa§ ordered by i-- V the ROUND THE WORLD. 467 the Viceroy of Cantoitj to ejomine the condition of the Ihipi therefore defiring the Ihip's boat might be lent to fetch him on board. The Centurion's boat was immediately difpatched, and preparations were made for receiving him j in particular a i. jndred of the moll fightly of the crew were uniformly dreflcd in the regimentals of the marines, and were drawn up under arms on the main-deck, againft his ar- rival. When he entered the fhip he was faluted by the drums, and what other military mufic there was on board j and pafling by the new-formed guard, he was met by the Commodore on the quarter-deck, who conducted him to the great cabin. Here the Mandarine explained his commilTion, declaring, that he was diredled to examine all the articles mentioned in the Commodore's letter to the Vice- roy, and to confront them with the reprefentation that had been given of them : that he v/as in the firit place inftruded to infpeft the leak, and had lor chat purpofe brought with him two Chinefe Car- penters; and that, for the more regular difpatch of his bufinefs, he had every head of enquiry feparately wrote down on a fheet of paper, with a void fpace oppofite to it, where he was to infert fuch inform- ation, and remarks thereon, as he could procure by his own obfervation. This Mandarine appeared to be a perfon of very confiderable parts, and endowed with more frank- nefs and honefty than is to be found in the gene- rality of the Chinefe. After the neceflary infpec- tions had been made, particularly about the leak, which the Chinefe Carpenters reported to be to the full as dangerous as it had been defcribed, and con- fequently that it was impoflible for the Centurion to proceed to fea without being refitted, the Man- I darifie " :1 1 t II |l; tl 46S Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE darine expreflVd himfclf fatisfied with the account given in the Commodore's letter. And this Magi- llrate, as he was more intelligent than any other perfon of his nation that came to our knowledge, fo likewife was he more curious and , inquifitive, viewing each part of the (hip with extraordinary attention, and appearing greatly furprifed at the largenefs of the lower deck guns, and at the weight and fize of the fhot. The Commodore, obferving his aftonilhment, thought this a proper opportunity to convince the Chinefe of the prudence of grant- ing him all his demands in the mod fpeedy and ample manner: He therefore told the Mandarine, and thofe who were with him, that befides the re- queft he made for a general licence, to furnilh him** fclf with whatever his prefent fituation required, he had a particular complaint to prefer againft the proceedings of the Cuftom-houfe of Macao-, that at his firft arrival the Chinefe boats had brought on board him plenty of greens, and variety of freih provifions for daily ufe: That though they had al- ways been paid to their full fatisfadlion, yet the Cuftom-houle officers at Macao had foon forbid them ; by which means he was deprived of thofe refrefhments which were of the utmoft confequence to the health of his men, after their long and fick^ ly voyage j that as they, the Mandarines, had in- formed ihemffrlves of his wants, and were eycr wi.nclles of the force and ftrength of his (hip, they might be fatisiicd it was not becaufe he had no power to fupply himfclf, that he defired the per- miirion of the Government to purchafe what pro- vifions he flood in need of j fince he prefumed they were convinced that xhc Centurion alone was capable of deflroying the whole navigation of the port of y* : ^ Canton^ ROUND THE WOPLD. 469 Canton i or of any other port in China , without running the lead rifque from all the force the Chi- nefe could colletftj that it was true, this was not the mannerof proceeding between nations in friendfliip with tach other; but it was likewife true, that it was not cuftomary for any nation to permit the fhips of their friends to ftarve and fink in their ports, when thofe friends had money to purchafc neceffaries, and only defired liberty to lay it out; that they muft confefs, he and his people had hi- therto behaved with great modefty and refervej but that, as his diftrefles were each day increafing, famine would at laft prove too ftrong for any re- ftraint,andneceffity was acknowledged in all coun- tries to be fuperior to every other law; and there- fore it could not be expefted that his crew would long continue to ftarve in the nvdft of that plenty to which their eyes were every day witnefles : To this the Commodore added (though perhaps with a lefs ferious air) that if by the delay of fupplying him with provifions, his men fliould, from the impulfes i)f hunger, be obliged to turn cannibals, and to prey upon their own fpecies, it was eafy to 1*=; forefeen, that, independent of their friendfliip to their com- rades, they would, in point of luxury, prefer the plump well-fed Chincfeto theirown emaciated fliip» mates. The firft Mandarine acquiefced in the jult- nefsof this reafoning, and told the Commodore, that he fliould that night proceed {or Cant on; that on his arrival a council o{ Mandarines \^ou\(\ befLimmoned, of which he was a member, and that, by being em- ployed in the prefent commiflion, he was ofcourfe the Commodore's Advocate; that, as he was himfdf fully convinced of the urgency of Mr. /infant ne- ceifity, he did not doubt, but on the reprefcntation he itui h ■ • ir iir 'm': I Iti !■'■.::>, I 47© Ld. ANSON's voyage he Ihould make of what he had feen, t' i Council would be of the fame opinion j and that all which was demanded would be amply and fpeedily grant- ed: That with regard to the Commodore's com- plaint of the Cuftom-houfe o(MacaOy this he would undertake to rectify immediately by his own autho- rity. And then defiring a lift to be given him of the quantity of provifion neceflary for the expence of the (hip during one day, he wrote a permit un- der it, and delivered it to one of his attendants, directing him to fee that quantity fent on board early every morning; which order, from that time forwards, was pundtually complied with. . When this weighty affair was thus in fome de- gree regulated, the Commodore invited him, and his two attendant Mar.daritieSj to dinner j telling them at the fame time, that if his provifion, either in kind or quantity, was not what they might ex- pe6l, they muft thank themfelves for having con- fined him to fo hard an allowance. One of his dilhes was beef, which the Cbinefe all diflike, tho* Mr. Anfon was not apprifed of it: This feems to be derived from the Indian fuperftition, which, for fome ages paft, has made a great prog^efs in China, However, his guefts did not entirely faftj for the three Mandarines completely finilhed the whitepart of four large fowls. Trey were indeed extremely cmbarraflfed with their knives and forks, and were quite incapable of making ufe of them : So that, after fome fruitlefs attempts to help themfelves, which were fufEcientiy aukward, one of the attend- ants was obliged to cut their meat in fmall pieces for them. But whatever difficulty they might have in complying with the European manner of eating, they fcemed not to be novices at drinking. In this I part ROUND THE WORLD. 471 part of the entertainment the Commodore excufcd himfelf, under the pretence of illnefsi but there being another Gentleman prefent, of a florid and jovial complexion, the chief Mandarine clapped him on the Ihoulder, and told him by the inter- preter, that certainly he could not plead ficknefs, and therefore infilled on his bearing him company ; and that Gentleman perceiving, that after they had difpatched four or five bottles of FrontiniaCt the Mandarine ftill continued unruffled, he ordered a bottle of citron-water to be brought up, which the Cbinefe feemed much to relifh j and this being near finifhed, they arofe from table, in appearance cool and uninfluenced by what they had drank -, and the Commodore having, according to cufiom, made the Mandarine a prefent, they all departed in the fame veflels that brought them. ' . ■ ' v" After their departure, the Commodore with great impatience expefted the refolution of the Council^ and the proper licences to enable him to refit the fhip. For it muft be obferved, as hath already ap- peared from the preceding narration, that the Chi- nefe were forbid to have any dealings with him •, fo that he could neither purchafe flores nor neceffaries, nor did any kind of workmen dare to engage them- felves in his fervice, until the permiflion of the Go- vernment WPS firft obtained. And in the execution of thefeparticular injunctions, the Magiftratesnever fail of exercifing great feverity: Since, notwith- ftanding thefuftianelogiums beftowed upon them by the Romijh Miflionaries refiding in the Eafl:, and their Riropean copiers, they are compofed of the fametragile materials with the reft of mankind, and often make ufe of the authority of the law, not to fupprefs crimes, but to enrich themfclves by the ' pillage -..il' -■ , -fe- 472 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE pillage of chofe who commit them. This is themorfl cafily efTecfled InCJbina, becaufe capital punifliments are rare in that country ; the effeminate genius of the nation, and their ftrong attachment to lucre, difpofing them rather to mal I.: ■1"' i» i,> i i 474 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE mcnt, nor with the pcrfons of fcvcral of the Magi- ftratcs, and confcquently could not be at a lofs for means of traverfing the afTiftanccdefircd by Mr. Art' fon. Indeed this oppofition of the French was not merely the effcft of national prejudice j or a contra- riety of political interefts} but v/as in good meafurc owing to vanity, a motive of much more weight with the generality of mankind, than any attach- ment to the public fervice of the community. For, the French pretending their Indiamen to be Men of War, their officers were apprehenfive, that any di- flin^lion granted to Mr. jinfon on account of his bearing the King's Commifllon, would render them lefs confiderable in the eyes of the C/&/»(?/^, and would eftablifh a prepoffeflion at Canton in favour of (hips of war, by which they, as trading veffels, would fuffer in their importance. And I wifh the affeifta- tion of endeavouring to pafs for men of war, and the fear of finking in the cftimation of the Chinefcy if the Centurion was treated in a different manner from themfelves, had been confined to the officers of the French fhipsonly. However, notwithftandi >» all thefe obftacles, it fhould feem, that the reprcfenta- lion of the Commodore to the Mandarines, of the facility with which he could right himfelf, if juftice were denied him, had at lafl: its effefl : Since, on the 6th oi 'January, in the morning, the Governor o^Janfon, the Commodore's advocate, fent down the Viceroy oi Canton's warrant for the refitment of the Centurion, and for fiipplying her people with all they wanted. Having now the neceflary licences, a number o(Chinefe Smiths and Carpenters went on board the next day to treat about the work they were to do ; all which they propofed to undertake by the great. They demandedj at firft, to the • * amount ers. ROUND THE WORLD. 475 fcmount of a thoufand pounds ftcrling for the re- pairs of the fhipi the boats, and the mads. This the Commodore fcemcd to think an unreafoiwble fum, and endeavoured to perfuade them to work by the day j but that was a method they would not hearken to j fo it was at lad agreed that the Carpen- ters fliould have to the amount of about fix hundred pounds for their work j and that the Smiths fhould be paid for their iron-work by weight, allowing them at the rate of three pounds a hundred nearly for the fmall work, and forty-fix fhillings for the large. This being regulated, the Commodore next ex- erted himfelf to get the mod important bufinefsof the whole completed j I mean, the heaving down the Centurion, and examining the (late of her bot- tom. The firft Lieutenant therefore was difpatch- ed tc Canton, to hire two country veflcls, called in their language junks, one of them being intended to heave down by, and the other to ferve as a ma- gazine for the powder and ammunition : Whilft ac the fame time theground wasfmoothedononeof the neighbouring Iflands, and a large tent was pitched for lodging the lumber and provifions, and near a hundred Chinefe Caulkers were foon fet to work on the decks and fides of the fliip. But all thefe pre- parations, and the getting ready the careening gear, too!: up a great deal of time i for the Chinefe Caulk- ers, though they worked very well, were far from being expeditious. Befides, it was the 26 th of Ja- nuary before the junks arrived ; and the neceffary materials, which were to be purchafed at Canton, came down very flowlyj partly from the diftance of the place, and partly from the delays and backward- nefs of the Chinefe Merchants. And in this interval Mr. Anfon had the additional perplexity to difcover I i 2 that '.:!; '^4 I ill 47^ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE that his fore-mafb was broken afunder above ch*^ upper-deck partners, and was only kepttogtther by the filhes which had been formerly clapt upon it. However, the Centurionh people made the moft of their time, and exerted tliemfclves the beft they could i ,.jd as, by clearrng the Ihipy the Carpenters were enabled to come at the leak, they took care to fecure that effeftualty, whilft the other preparations were going forward*. The kak was found to be be- low the fifteen foot mark, and was principally occa- fioned by one of the bolts being wore away and loofe in the joining of the ftern, where it was fcarfed. At laft, all things being prepared, they, on the 22d o^ February y in the morning, hove out the firft courfe o' the Centurions ftarboard-fide, and had the rati.sfii<5tion to find that her bo).:om appeared found and good; and, the next day (having by that time completed the new llicathingof the firfl courfe)^ they righted her again, to fet up anew the careening gear, which had ftretched miK:h* Thus they con- tinued heaving dov/n, and often righting the Ihip, from a fufpicion of their careeniag tackle, till the jd of March, wheny having completed the paying and llieathing the bottom, which proved to be every where very found, they, for the lafl: time, righted the fliip, to their great joy -, fince not only the fa- tigue of careening had been confiderable, but they had been apptehcnfive of being attacked by the Spa-* fii irds, whilft the ihip was thus incapacitated for deCcnce. Nor were their fears altogether ground- lefs; for they learnt afterwards,, by a Partuguefe vef- fel, that the Spaniards at Manila had been infornfied, that the Centurion was in the Typa^ and intended to careen there; and that thereupon the Governor had Summoned his Council, and had propofed ta them . . •■ ,., .^'-v. w - to ROUND tHE WORLD. 477 to endeavour to burn her, whilft fhe was careening, which was an enterprife, that, if pro, erly con* eluded, might have put them in great danger. It was farther reported, that this fcheme was not only propofed, but refolved on; and that a Captain of a velfeJ had actually undertaken toperfom? the bufi- nefs for forty thoufand dollars, which he was not to receive, unlefs he fucceeded -, but the Governor pretending that there was no treafure in the royal cheft, and infilling that the Merchants (hould ad» Vance the money, and they refufingto comply with the demand, the affair was droppe<;l. Perhaps the Merchanits fufpe6bed, that the whole was only a pretext to get forty thoufand dollars f*om them j and indeed this was affirmed by fome who bore the Governor no good will, but with what truth it is difficult to albertain. As foon as the Centurion was righted, they took on board her powder, and gunners ftores, and pror ceeded with getting in their guns as fad as pofiible, and then ufcd their utmoft expedition in repairing the fore-malt, and in completing the other articles of her refitment. But whilft they were thus emr ployed, they were alarmed on the loihof Marcb by a Chinefe Filherm.an, who brought them intelli-r gence,thathe had been on board a Isirge Spanijh Ihip off the g.r And LadrottCj and that there were two mor^ in company with her* He added feveral particulars to his relation 3 as that he had brought one of their officers to Macao, and that, on this, boats went off early in the morning from Macao to them ; And, the better to eftablilh the belief of his veracity, he faid, he defired no money, if his information lhoul4 not prove true. This was prefently believed to be the forenientipned expedition froipMz«.'/(Ji and the ^;j I i ^ Commodort ^ V Sifi r fM- '«^:,V'^ a m I ^u 478 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE Commodore immediately fitted his cannon and imall arms in the beft manner he could for defence} and having then his Pinnace and Cutter in the eff- ing, who had been ordered to examine a Portuguefe veflel, which was getting under fail, he fent thcni the advice he had received, and directed them to look out ftriftly. Indeed no Spanijh fhips ever ap- peared, and they were foon fatisfied, the whole of the ftory was a fidion j though it was diiHcult tq conceive what reafon could induce the fellow to be at fuch extraordinary pains to impofe on them. It was the beginning ofy^/>n7when they had new ^ rigged the fhip, (lowed their provifions and water on board, and had fitted her for the feaj and be- fore this time the Chine fi grew very uneafy, and extremely defirous that fhc Ihould be gone \ either not knowing, or pretending not to believe, that this was a point the Commodore was as eagerly fet on as they could be. At length, about the 3d of Aprils two Mandarine boats came on board from Maca^ to prefs him to leave their port ; and this having been often urged before, though there had been no pretence to fufptct Mr. An/on of any affefted delays, he at this laft meflage anfwered them in a determined tone, defiring them to give him no further trouble, for he would go when he thought proper, and not fooner. After this rebuke "ihe Chinefe (though it was not in their power to com- ' ,. pel him to depart) immediately prohibited all provifions from being carried on board him, and took fuch care their injunctions (hould be com- plied with, that from'thenceforwards nothing could be purchafed at any rate whatever. •' Tfie 6th of Aprily the Centurion weighed from the Typ^i and warped to thc.fouthward ; and, by -' ' the ROUNP THE WORLD, 479 the 15th, fl^e was got into Macao road, completing her water as Ihe pafled along, ^o that there remain- ed now very few articles more to attend to j and her whole befinefs being finilhed by the 1 9th, fhe, at three in the afternoon of that day, weighed and made fail, and ftood to fea. From Macao to Gape Efplritu 'Santo: Th^ taking of the Manila galcon, ai;d returning back agam, ' , ; r ' . ■'. ' " ■>'"i '! 1 '■• ■ ; •''■-■'-•" ■ -- ■ • - ■ 1.1 . THE Commodore was now got to fea, with his fhip well refitted, his ftores replenifhed, and an additional ftock of proyilions on board : His crew too was fomewhat reinforced j for he had en- tered twenty-three men during his ftay at Macao, the greateft part of them Lafcars or Indian failors, and the reft Dutch. He gaye out at Macao, that he was bound to Batavia, and thence to England j and though the wefterly monfoon was now fet in, when that paffage is confidered as imprafticable, yet, by the confidence he had cxprefled in the ftrength of his fhip, and the dexterity of his hands, he had perfuaded not only his own crew, but the people at Macao like wife, that he propofed to try this unufual experiment i fo that there were many letters fent on board him by the inhabitants of Canton and Macao for their friends at Batavia, But his real defign was of a very different nature. For he fuppofed, that inftead of one annual fhip from Acapulco to Manila, there would be this year, ' in all probability, two: fince, by being before ^fm- pany, that the Commodore, who had taken fome Chinefe fheep to fea with him for his own provifion, enquiring one day of his Butcher, why he had lately feen no mutton at his table, and a(king him if all the ilieep were killed; the fellow very feriouily replied, 'that there were indeed two fheep left, but that if his Honour would give him leave, he propofed to keep thofe for the entertainment of the General of the galeons. - - ^ * When the Centurion left the port of Macao, flie flood for fome days to the weftward j and, on the firft of Mjt, they faw part of the Ifland of Formofa ; and, fleering thence to the fouthward, they, on the 4th of May, were in the latitude of the Bajhee JJlands, as laid down by Dampier: But they fufpeded his account of inaccuracy, as they knew that he had been confiderably miflaken in the latitude of the South end of Formofa; and therefore they kept a good look-out, and about feven in the evening dif- covered from the mafl-head five fmall Iflands, which were judged to be the Bajhees, As they afterwards faw Hotel Tobago Xima, they by this means found an opportunity of corre6ling the pofition of the Bnfljee Iflands, which had been hitherto laid down twenty-five leagues too far to the wefhvard : For by thei' obiervations, they efteemed the middle of thefc Iflands to be in 21'' : 4' North, and to bear • ^ from "iti . ■ .■ . . ... ROUND THE WORLD. 48;^ from Betel Tobago JGma S. S. E, twenty leagues diftant, that Ifland itfelf being in 2i<» : 57' North. After getting a fight of the Bajhee IJlands, they ftood between the S. and S. W, for Cape Efpititu Santo ; and, the 20th of May at noon, they firfl: difcovered that Cape, which about four o'clock they broughtto bearS. S. W, nearelcven leagues diftant. It appeared to be of a moderate height, with feveral round hummocks on itj and isexadly reprefented in the fortieth plate. As it was known that there were Centinels placed upon this Cape to make fignala to the jlcapulco fhip, when fhe firfl: falls in with the land; the Commodore immediately tacked,*and or- dered the top-gallant fails to be taken in, to prevent being difcovered. And, this being the ftation where it was refolved to cruife for the galeons, they kept the Cape between the South and the Weft, and endeavoured to confine themfelves between the latw tudeof 12" : 50', and 13° : 5', the Cape itfelf lyings by their obfervations, in 12° : 40' North, and in 4° of Eaft longitude from Botel Tobago Xima. It was the laft of M^y, by the foreign ftilc, when they arrived ofFthis Cape j and, the month oijuneg by the fame ftile, being that in which the Manila Ihips are ufually expected, the Centurion*& people were now waiting each hour with the utmoft impa- tience for the happy crifis which was to balance the account of all their paft calamities. As from this time there was but fmall employment for the crew;, the Commodore ordered them almoft every day tQ be exercifed in the working of the great guns, and' in the ufe of their fmall arms. This had been his praftice, more or lefs, at every convenient feafon during the whole courfe of his voyage; and the ad- vantages which he received from it, in his engage- ment ^'ir f'l' I \ h» !i' m^: ftf»K^P^^ /' 4«4 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ment with the galeon, were an ample recompence for ali his care and attention. Indeed, it fhould feemthattherearefcwparticularsofa Commander's duty of more importance, how much foever it may have been fometimes overlooked or mifunderftood : Since it will, I fuppofe, be confefled, that in two . Ihips of war, equal in the number of their men and guns, the difproportion of ftrength, arifmg from a greater or lels dexterity in the ufe of their great guns and fmall arms, is what can fcarcely be balan- ced by any other circumftances whatever. For, as thefe are the weapons with which they are to engage, whatgreater inequalitycan there be betwixt two con- tending parties, than that one fide fhould perfeftly undcrftand the management of them, and (hould Have the Ikill to employ them in the moft effeftual xnanner for the annoyance of their enemy j while the other fide fhould, by their awkward handling of their t arms, render them rather terrible to themfelves, than Uiifchievous to their antagonifl ? This feems fo ob- vious. and natural a conclufion, that a perfon unac- .:,'. quainted with thefe matters would fuppofe the firft V. . care of a Commander to be the training ^is peo- ; • pie to the ready ufe of their arms. • But human affairs are not always conduced by the plain dictates of common fenfe. There are many other principles which influence our tran factions : And there is one in particular, which, tho'of a very erroneous complexion,isfcarcelyevcr excluded from our mod ferious deliberations j I mean curtom, or > the praiflice of thofe who have preceded us. Th:3 is iifually a power too mighty for reafon to gr .pple with ; and is often extremely troublefome to thofe who oppofc it, fince it has much of fuperflition in its nature, and purlues all thofe who queftion its autliority ROUND THE WORLD. 485 authority with unrelenting vehemence. However, in thefe latter ages of the world, Ibme lucky en- croachments have been made upon its prerogative; and it may furely be cxpeifled, tliat the Gentlemen oftheNavy, whofe particular profelEon hath wi hin a few years been confiJerably improved by a number of new inventions, will of all others be the readied to give up any ufage which has nothing to plead in its behalf but prefcription, and will n ': fuppofe that every branch of their bufinefs hath already received all the perfeftion of wliich it is capable. Indeed, it muft be owned, that if a dexterity in the ufe of fmal.1 arms, for inflance, hath been fomecimes Icfs attended to on board our fhips of war, than might have ucen wifhed for, it hath been rather owing to unlkilful methods of teaching it, than to negligence. Since the common failors, how llrongly foever attached to their own prejudices, ar*^ very quick-fightedin find- ing out the defedls of others, and have ever fhewn a great contempt for the formalities praftifed in the training of land troops to the ufe of their arms. But when thofe who have undertaken to inftruft the feamen have contented themfelves with in- culcating only what was ufeful, in the fimplcft manner, they have conflantly found their people fufficiently docile, and the fuccefs hath even ex- ceeded their expedation. Thus on board Mr. Anfons fhip, where they were taught no more of the manual exercife than the fhorteft method of loading with cartridges, and were conflantly train- ed to fire at a maik, which was ufually hung at the yard-arm, and where fome little reward was given to the molt expert, the whole crew, by this, management, were rendered extremcfly ll<:ilfuK Forbefidesan uncommon readinefs in loading, the • were t (. .! \ikK ;i 'M 486 Ld. ansoN's voyage were all of them good markfmcn, and fome of them extraordinary ones. Whence I doubt not but, in the ufe of fmall arms, they were more than a match for double their number, who had not been habituated to the fame kind of exercife. But to return: It was the laft of M^^, N. 6'. as hath been already faid, when the Centurion arrived off Cape Efpiritu Santo \ and con jquently the next day the month began in which the galeons were to be expedled. The Commodore therefore made all necefTary pre- parations for receiving them, hoifting out his long- boat, and lalhingher along-fide, that the (hip might oe ready for engaging, if they fell in with the ga- leonsduring the night. All this time too he was very felicitous to keep at fuch a diftance from the Cape, as not to be difcovered. But it hath been fince * learnt, that notwithftanding his care, he was ktn fromtheland; and advice of him was knx.x.oManik, where, tho* it was at firft difbelic /ed, yet, on reite- rated intelligence (for it feems he was feen more than once) the Merchants were alarmed, and the Gover- nor was applied to, who undertook (the Commerce fupplying the necelfary fums) to fit out a force con- fifting of two fhips of thirty-two guns, one of twen- ty guns, and two Hoops often guns each, to attack the Centurion on her ilation. With this view fome ofthefeveflelsaftually weighed i but the principal fliipnot being ready, and the monfoon beingagainft them, the Commerce and the Governor difagreed,fo that the enterprife was laid afide. This frequent dif- coveryof theC^«/«m» from the (hore was fomewhat extraordinary j fince the pitch of the Cape is not hi2;'','*»j 490 Ld. ANSON*s voyage dore perceiving the Spaniards to have ncgleftcd clearing their fhip till that time, as he faw them throwing over-board cattle and lumber, he gave orders to fire upon them with the chace guns, 'o difturb them in their work, and prevent them from completing it, though his general direftions had been, not to engage before they were within piftol- Ihot. The galeon returned the fire with two of her ftern chace : and the Centurion getting her fprit- fail-yard fore and aft, that, if neceflary, fhe might be ready for boarding j the Spaniards ^ in a bravado, rigged their fprit-fail yard fore and aft likewife. Soon after, the Centurion came a-breaft of the ene- my within piftol-Ihot, keeping to the leeward of them, with a view of preventing their putting be- fore the wind, and gaining the port of Jalapay, from which they were about feven leagues diftant. And now the engagement began in earneft, and for the firft half-hour, Mr. Anfon over-reached the galeon, and lay on her bow ; where, by the great widenefs of his ports, he could traverfe almoft all his guns upon the enemy, whilft the galeon could only bring a part of hers to bear. Immediately on the commencement of the atftion, the mats, with which the galeon had fluffed her netting, took fire> and burnt violently, blazing up half as high as the mizen-top. This accident, fuppofed to bo caufed by the Centurion'^ wads, threw the enemy into the utmoft terror, and alfo alarmed the Commodore -, for he feared left the galeon lliould be burnt, and left he himfelf too might fuffer by her driving on board him. However, the Spaniards at laft freed themfelves from the fire, by cutting away c!ie net- ting, and tumbling the whole mafs, which w:is in ^amcs; into the fea. All this interval the Centurto-t kOUND THE VSrORLa 491 kept her firfl: advantageous pbfition, firing her cannon with great regularity and brifknefs ; v/hilft at the fame time the galeon's decks lay open to her top-men, who, having at their firft volley driven the Spaniards from their tops, made prodigious havoc with their fmall arms, killing or wounding every officer but one that appeared on the quarter- deck, and wounding in particular the General of the galeon himfelf. Thus the aftion proceeded for at leaft half an hour j but then the Centurion loft the fuperiority arifing from her original fituation, and was clofe along-fide the galeon, and the enemy continued to fire brifkly for near an hour longer j yet ev"n in this pofture the Commodore's grape- jfhot fwept their decks fo effedtually, and the num- ber of their flain and wounded became fo confider- ^ble, that they began to fall into great diforder, cfpecially as the General, who was the life of the adion, was no longer capable of exerting himfelf. Their confufion was vifible from on board the Commodore. For the iliips were fo near, that fopne of the Spanijh officers were feen running about with much affiduiry, to prevent the defertion of their men from their quarters : But all their endeavours were in vain ; for after having, as a lafl: effi^rt, fired five or fix guns with m.ore judgment than \ifual, they yielded up the conteft i and, the ga- leon's colours being finged off the enfign-ftafi^in the beginning of the engagement, flic ftruck the ftandard at iier main-top-gallant maft-head ; the perfon who was employed to perform this office, having been in imminent peril of being killed, had not the Commodore, who perceived what he was about, given exprefs orders to his people to defift from firing. . , u *liS' I 4\ m IS K k 2 Thus \l'. j^'i Lt). ANSON'S VOYAGE Thus was the C^»/«r cwpoflelTedof this rich prizr^ amounting in value to near a million and a half of dollars. She was called the Nqfira Signora de Caha^ donga, and was commanded by General Don Jero- nimo dff Mentero, a, Portuguefe, who was the mofl approved officer for (kill and courage of any em- ployed in that fervice. Thegaleon was mu<:h larger than the Centuriony and had five hundred and fifty men, and thirty-fix guns mounted for adion, be- fides twenty-eight pedrerocs in her gunwale, quar- ters, and tops, each of which carried a four pound ball. She was very well furnilhed wrth fmall armsy and was particularly provided againftboardingjbotli by her clofe quarters, and by a llrong net-work of two inch rope, which was laced over her waift, and was defended by half pikes. She had fixty-feven killed in the aftion, and eighty-four wounded, whilft th^-Centurion had only two killed, and a Lieu- tenant and fixteen wounded, all of whom but one- recovered: Of folittle eonfequence are the moft de- flru6tive arms in untutored and unpradlifed hands. The treafure thus taken by the Centurion having been, for a-t leaft eighteen months, the great objeft of their hopes, it Is impofllble to defcribe the tranfport on board,when, after all their reiterated difappoint- ments, they at laft faw their willies accomplifhed. But their joy was near being fuddenly damped by a moft tremendous incident : For no fooner had the galeon ftruck, than one of the Lieutenants coming to yi^cAnfon to congratulate him on his prize, whif- pered him at the fame timcy that the Centurion was dangerouQy on fire near the powder-room. The Commodore received this dreadful news without any apparent emotion, and taking care not to alarm his people, gave the neceflary orders for extinguilhing the ROUND THE WORLD, 493 the fire, which was happily done in a fhort time, though its appearance at firft wasextremely terrible. It feems fome cartridges had been blow-n up by ac- cident between decks, and the blaft had communi- cated its flame to a quantity of oakum in the after- ibatch-way, near the after-powder-room, where the great fmother and fmoke of the oakum occafioned the apprehenfion of a more extended and mifchiev- ous conflagration : All hopes too of avoiding its fury, by efcaping on boar-d the prize, had inftantly vaniflied j for at the lame moment the galeon fell on board the Centurion on the fl:arboard quarter, though flie was fortunately cleared without doin^ or receiving any confiderable damage. The Commodore appointed tlie Manila veflel to be a pofl Ihip in his Majefty's fervice, and gave the command of her to Afr^ Saumarezy his firft Lieute- nant i who, before night, fent on board the CentUT rion all the Spanijh prifoners, except fuch as were thought the moft proper to be retained to aiTift in navigating the galeon. And now the Commodore learnt, from fome of thefe prifoners, that the other (hip, which he had kept in the port of JMpulco the preceding year, inftead of returning in company with the prefent prize, as was expeded, had fet fail from Acapulc^ alone much iboner than ufuaf, and had, in all probability, got into the port of Manila long before the Centurion arrived off Cape Efpiritu Santo i ib that Mr. Anfun, notwithftanding his prefent fuccefs, had great reafon to regret his lofs of time at Macao^ which prevented him fron^ taking two rich prizes inftead of one* The Commodore, when the adion was ended, refolved to make the beft of his way with his prize for the riycr ofCantortj being m the mc^n time fully J^ k 3 employed ^/ IP «1 la ll 494 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE employed in fecuringhisprifoners, and in removing the treafure from on board the galeon into the Cen- turion. The laft of thefe operations was too import- ant to be poftponedj for as the navigation to C/z«/d» was thro* feas but little known, and where, from the feafon of the year, very tempeftuous weather might be expe<5lcd, it was of great confequence that the treafure fliouldbe fenton board theCtf«/an^»/tfr^j to have clambered upi and ftill to augment that difficulty, four fwivel guns, loaded with mufquet-buUcts, were planted at the mouth of each funnel, and a centinel with a lighted match was polled there ready to fire into the hold amongft them, in cafe of any difturbance. Their officers, who amounted to fcventeen or eigh- teen, were alUodged in thefirft Lieutenant's cabin, under a guard of fix men ; and the General, as he was wounded, lay in the Commodore's cabin with a centinel always with him j every pi il'oner too was fuificientlyapprifed,thatanyviolcnceor difturbance would be pun idled with inftant death. And, that the Centurions people might be at all times pre- pared, if, notvyitallanding thefe regulations, any tumuit fliould arife, the Imall arms were conftantly kept loaded in a proper place, whilft all the men went armed with cutlafies and piftols; and no of- ficer ever pulled off his cloaths when he flept, or, when he lay down, omitted to have his arms always ready by iiim. • Thefe meafures were obvioufly neceflary, confi- dering the hazards to which the Commodore ana his people would have been expofed, had they been kfs careful. Indeed the fufferings of the poor prifoncrs, though impoffible to be alleviated, were much to be commiferated : for the weather was extremely hot, theltench of the hold loathfome beyond all concep- tion, and their allowance of water but juft fufficient to keep them alive j it not being practicable to fpare them more than at the rate of a pint a day for each, ^he crew themfelves haying only an allowance of a K k 4 , pint (( l^ iii i 496 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE pint and a half. All thisconfidered, it was wonder- ful that not a man of them died during their Ion* confinement, except three of the wounded, who expired the fame night they were taken j though it muft be confefled, that the greatell part of them were ftrangely metamorphofed by the heat of the hold i for when they were firft brought on board, they were fightly robufl: fellows -, but when, after above amonth'a imprifonment, they were difcharged in the river of C^///<7';, they were reduced tomerefl^e- letonsj and their air and looks correfponded much more to the conception formed of ghofts and fpedres than to the figure and appearance of real men. Thus employed in fecuring the treafure and the prifoners, the Commodore, as hath been faid, ftood for the river of Canton i and, on the 30th of June, at fix in the evening, got fight of Cape Delangana, which then bore weft ten leagues diftant. The next day he made the Bajhee JJlandSi and the wind being fo far to the northward, that it was difficult to wea- ther them, it was refolved to ftand through between Grafton and Monmouth I/lands^ where the pafl!^ige • feemed to be clear j though in getting thro' the fea had a very dangerous afped, for itripled and foam-- ed, with all the appearances of being full of break- ers, which was ftill more terrible as it was then night. But the fhips got thro' very fafe, the prize keeping ahead j and it was found, that the agita-^ tion of the fea, which had alarmed them, had been occafionedonlybyaftong tide. Imufthereobferve, that, though the Bajhee IJlands are ufually reckoned to be no more than five, yet there are many more lying about them to the weftward, which, feeing the channels amongft them are not at all known, makes it ac^vifeable for lliips rather to pafs to the ; ; " north- ROUND THE WORLD. 497 northward or fbuthward than thro* themj as indeed theComnmodorepropofed to have gone to the north- ward, between them andFormofat had it been pofTible for him to have weathered them. From hence the Centurion (leering the proper con rfe for the rivei of Canton, Ihe, on the 8th oi'Jufyy difcovered the Ifland o(Supata,the wefternmoft of thtLema Iflands, being the double-peaked rock particularly delineated in the view of the Iflands o(Lema, formerly referred to. This Ifland oiSupata they made to be a hundred and thirty-nine leagues diftant from GraftorCs, Ifland, and to bear from it North 82" 37' Wefl:: And, on the 1 1 th, having taken on board two Chinefe Pilots, one for the Centurion, and the other for the prize, they came to an anchor off the city of Macao, By this time the particulars of the cargo of the galeon were well afcertained, and it was found that fhe had on board i,3i3>843 pieces of eight, and 35,682 oz. of virgin filver, befides fome cochineal, and a few other commodities, which, however, were but of fmall account in comparifon of the fpecie. And this being the Commodore's laft prize, it hence appears that all the treafure taken by the Centurion was not much fliort of 400,000/. independent of the fhips and merchandize, which flie either burnt or deftroyed, and which by the moft reafonable eftimation could not amount to fo little as 600,000/. more : fo that the whole damage done the enemy by our fquadron, did doubtlefs exceed a million fierling. To which, if there be added the great ex- pence of the Court of Spain, in fitting out Pizarro, and in paying the additional charges in America, in- curred on our account, together with the lofs of their men of war; the total of all thefe articles will be a fpoft exorbitant fum, and is theftrongeft convidion f 'f^ It* ■ \hi m m 498 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE of the utility of this expedition, which, with all its numerous difadvantages,did yet prove fo extremely prejudicial to the enemy. 1 ihall only add, that there was taken on board thegaleon ievcral draughts and journals i from fome of which many of the par- ticulars recited in the tenth chapter of the Itcond book are collefled. Among the reft there was found a chart of all the ocean between the Philippines and the coaft of Mexico, which was what was made ufe of by the galeon in her own navigation. A copy of thi;j draught, correfted in fome places by our own obfervations, is here annexed, together with the route of the galeon traced thereon from her own journals, and likewife the route of the Centurion through the fame Ocean. This is the Chart former- ly referred to in the account of the Manila trade : T^ut to render it ftill more complete, the obfcrved variation of the needle is annexed to feveral parts, both of the Spanijh and Englijh track j which addi- tion is of the greateft confequence, as no obferva- tions of this kind in the northern parts of the Pa- cific Ocean have yet, to my knowledge, been pubHIhed i and as the quantity of that variation fo nearly correfponds to what Dr. Halley predifted from his Theory above fifty years ago. With this digreflion I fhall end this chapter, and leave the Centurion and her prize at anchor off Macao, pre- paring to enter the river of Canton, CHAP. IX. Traiifadions in the river of Canton, THE Commodore having taken Pilots on boards proceeded with his prize for the river o{ Can- ton i and, on the 14th of July, caft anchor fhort of the ROUND THE WORLD, 499 the Bocca Tigris^ which is a narrow palTage forming the mouth of that river: This entrance he propofed to (land through the next day, and to runup asfaras Tiger Ifiandj which is a very fafe road, fecured from ail winds. But whilft the Centurion and her prize were thus at anchor, a boat with an officer was fent off from the Mandarine, commanding the forts at Bocca Tigris to examine what the fhips were, and whence they came. Mr » /in/on informed the officer, that his own (hip was a man of war belonging to the King o^ Great Britain, and that the other in com- pany with him was a prize he had taken j that he was going m^oCantcn river to (helter himfelf againft the hurricanes which were then approaching, and that as foon as the mt ifoon fhifted he (hould fet fail for England. The officer then defired an account of what men, guns, and ammunition were on board, a lift of all which he faid was to be fent to the Govern- ment of Canton, But when thefe articles were re- peated to him, particularly upon his being told that there were in the Centurion four hundred fire- lockr>, and between three and four hundred barrels of powder,he ihrugged up his (boulders, and feemed to be terrified with the bare recital, faying, that Jio (hips ever came into Canton river armed in that manner i adding, that he durft not fet down the whole of this force, left it (hould too much alarm the Regency. After he had finiflied his enquiries, and was preparing to depart, he defired to leave two Cuftom-houfe cfficf^rs behind him; on v/hich the Commodore told him, chat tho' as a man of v/ar he was prohibited from trading, and had nothing to do with cuftoms or duties of any kind j yet for the fatisfaftion of the Ckinefe, he would permit two of their people to be left on board, who iiiisihr them- ft Ives M, 'tr ll'? 500 Ld. AN S O N*s VOY A G E felves be witnefTes how punftuaDy he fhouid com- ply with his in Illusions. The officer Teemed amaz- ed when Mr. Anfc^ mentioned being exempted from all duties, and anfwered, that the Emperor's duty muft be paid by every ihip that came into his ports : And it is fuppofed, .aat on this occafion, private directions v^ere given by him to the Chine/e Pilot, not to carry the Commodore through the Bocca Tigris » which makes it neceflfary, more par- ticularlyj to defcribe that entrance. ♦ . The Bocca Tigris is a narrow paflage, little more than mufquet-lhoc over, formed by two pointa of land, on each of which there is a fort, that on the ilarboard-fide being a battery on th.; water's edge* with eighteen e>"^brafures, but where there were no more than twelve iron »-unnon mounted, feeming to be four or fix pounders j the fort on the larboard- fide is a large caille, refembling thofe old buildings which here in England ^.wt often find diftinguiflied by that name ; it is fituated on a high rock, ?.nd did not appear to be furnifhed with more than eight or ten cannon, none of which were fuppofed to exceed fix pounders. Thefe are the defences which fecure the riv:r oi Canton', and which the Chinefe (extremely defedlive in all m'litary fkill) have imagined were fufficient to prevent an enemy from forcing his way through. But it is obvious, from the defcription of thefe forts, that they could have given no obftruftion to Mr. /^nfo!i*s piiirage, even if they had been well fupplied with gunners and flores i and therefore> though the Pilot, af'ier the Chinefe officer had been on board, refufed at firft to take charge of the fhip, till he had leave from the forts j yet, as it was ne- ceffary to get through without any delay, for fear of the ROUND THE WORLD. 501 the bad weather which was hourly expedtc'd, the Commodore weighed on the 15th, and ordered the ' Pilot to carry him by the forts, threatening hi n that, if the Ihip ran a-ground, he would inflantly hang him up at the yard-arm. The Pilot, av/ed by thefe threats, carried the fliip through fafely, the forts not attempting to difpute the pafTage. In- deed the poor Pilot did not efcape the rcfentmenc of his countrymen; for when he came on fliore, he was feized and fent to prifon, and was rigoroufly difciplined with the bamboo. However, he found means to get at Mr, Anfon afterwards, to defire of him fome recompence for the chadifcment he had undergone, and of which he then carried very figni- ficant marks about him j Mr. Anfon therefore, in commiferation of his fufferings, gave him fuch a fum of money, as would a*: any time have enticed a Chinefe to have undergone a dozen baftinadings. Nor was the Pilot the only perfon that fufferedon this occafion j for the Commodore foon after feeing fome royal junks pafs by him from Bocca Tigris to- wards C<2»/o», he learnt, on enquiry, that the Manda" rine commanding the forts was a prifoner on board them; that he was already turned out, and was now carrying to Canton j where it was expedled he would be feverely punifhedfor having permitted the fhips to pafs. Upon the Commodore's urging the un- reafonablenefs of this procedure, from the inability . of the forts to have done otherwife, and explaining to the Chinefe the great fuperiority his fhips would have had over the forts, by the number and fize of their guns, the Chinefe feemed to acquiefce in his reafoning, and allowed that their forts cauld not have flopped him: but they ftill aflerted, that the Mandarine would infallibly fuffer, for not having 4 done \h\ t \ V \: . 'I 5oa Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE done what all his judges were convinced was Im- pofljble. To fuch indefennble abfurdities are thofe obligedcofubmit, who think themfclves concerned to fupport their authority, when th( ncccflary force is wanting. But to return. On the 1 6th oi July the Commodore fent his fccond Lieutenant to Canton^ with a letter for the Viceroy, informing him of the reafon of the Cen- turion* s putting into that port ; and that the Com- modore himfelf foon propofed to repair to Canton, to pay a vifit to his Excellency. The Lieutenant was very civilly received, and was promifed that an anfwer Ihould be fent to the Commodore the next day. In the mean time Mr. Anfon gave leave to feveral of the officers of the galeon to go to Canton, they engaging their parole to return in two days. When thefe prifoners got to Canton, the Regency fent for them, and examined them, enquiring par- ticularly by what means they came into Mr. /1nfon*s power. It luckily happened that on this occafion the prifoners were honeft enough to declare, that as the Kings of Great Britain and Spain were at war, they had propofed to themfelves the taking of the Centurion, and had bore down upon her with that view, but that the event had been contrary to their hopes. And, being queftioned as to their ufage on board, they frankly acknowledged that they had been treated by the Commodore much better than they believed they Ihould have treated him, had he fallen into their hands. This confeflion from an enemy had great weight with the Chinef", who, till then, tho' they had revered the Commodore's mili- tary force, had yet fufpedled his morals, and had confidered him rather as a lawlefs free-booter, than as one commiflioned by the State for the revenge of ^ !♦ public ROUND THE WORLD. 503 public injuries. But they now changed their opini- on, and regarded him as a more important perfon; to which perhaps the vaft treafure of his prize might not 2 little contribute; the acquiHtion of wealth being a matter greatly adapted to the eftecm and reverence of the Cbinefe Nation. In this examination of the Spaniifh prifoners, tho* the Cbinefe had no reafon in the main to doubt of the account wiiich was given them, yet they were two circumftances which appeared to them fo An- gular, as to deferve amore ample explanation; one of them was the great difproportion of men be- tween the Centurion and the galeon ; the other was the humanity with which the people of the galeon were treated after they were taken. The Manda- rines therefore alked the Spaniards, how they came to be overpowtr'^i by fo inferior a force ? and how it happened, finct «he two nations were at war, that they were not put to death when they fell into the hands of the Englijh ? To the firft of thefe enquiries the Spaniards anlwered, that tho' they had more men than the Centurion ; yet fhe being intended folely for war, had a great fuperiority in the fize of her guns, and in many other articles, over the ga- leon, which was a veffel fitted out principally for traffic : And as to the fccond queftion, they told the Chinefe, that amongfl: the nations o{ Europe, it was not cuftomary toputto death thofe who fubmittedj tho' they readily owned, that the Commodore, from thenatural biasofhistemper,had treated both them and t'leir countrymen, who had formerly been in his power, with very unufual courtefy, much beyond ivhar they could have expeftcd, or than was re- quired by the cuftoins ell.vbliflied between nations at VNsr with each other. 1 iiefe replies fuliy fatif- I ficd rft' )1 , » X I * ■ H' . % if 1 504 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE ficd the Chinefet and at the fame time wrought very powerfully in the Commodore's favour. On the 20th of July, in the morning, three MaU' darines, with a great number of boats, and a vail retinue, came on board the Centurion, and deliver- ed to the Commodore the Viceroy of Canton's order for a daily fupply of provifions, and for Pilots to carry the (hips up the river as far as the fecond bar ; and at the fame time they delivered him a melTagc from the Viceroy, in anfwer to the letter fent to Canton. The fiibftance of the melTage was, that the Viceroy defired to be excufed from receiving the Commodore's vifit, during the then excefTive hot weather i becaufe the aflembling the Manda- rines zud foldiers neceflary to that ceremony, would prove extremely inconvenient and fatiguing; but that in September ^ when the weather would be more temperate, he fhould be glad to fee both the Com- modore himCelf, and the Englijk Captain of the other ihip, that was with him. As Mr, Anff.n knew that an exprefs had been difpatched to the Court at Pe- kin, with an account of the Centurion and her prize being arrived in the river of Canton \ he had no doubt, but, the principal motive for putting off this vifit was, that the Regency at Canton might gain time to receive the Emperor's inliiudtions about their behaviour on this unufual affair. When \.\\fi Mandarine s\iiiA delivered their melTage they began to talk to the Commodore about the du- ties to be paidby hisfliips: but he immediately told them, that he would never fubmit to any demand of that kind; that as he neither brought anymerchan- dife thither, nor intended to carry any away, he could notbereafonably deemedwithinthemeaning of the Emperor's orders, which were doubtlefs cal- culated ■Ml ROUND THE WORLD* 50^ Culated for trading veflels only, adding, that no duties were ever demanded of men of war, by na- tions accuftomed to their reception, and that his Mafter's orders exprefsly forbade him from paying any acknowledgment for his fhips anchoring in any port whatever. The Mandarines being thus cut fhort on the fub- je(5t of the duty, they faid they had another matter to menfion, which was the only remaining one they had in charge j this was a requeft to the Commo- dore, that he would releafe the prifoners he had ta- ken on board thegaleon; for that theViceroy of Ctf«- ton apprehended the Emperor, his Mafter, might bedifpleafed, if he fliould be informed, that perfons, who were his allies, and carried on a great commerce with his fubjefts, wereunder confinement in his do- minions. Mr. Anfon himfelf was extremely defirous to get rid of the Spat irds, having, on his firft ar- rival, fent about an hundred of them to Macao^ and thofe who remained, which were near four hun- dred more, were, on many accounts, a great in- cumbrance to him. However, to inhance the fa- vour, he at firft raifed fome difficulties j but per- mitting himfelf to be prevailed on, he at laft told the Mandarines^ that to fhow his readinefs to oblige the Viceroy, he would releafe the prifoners, when* ever they, the Chinefe, would order boats to fetch them off. This matter being thus adjufted, the Mandarines departed j and, on the 28th of July^ twoChinefe junks were fent from Canton, to take on board the prifoners, and to carry them to Macro, And the Commodore, agreeable to his promife, dil- miffed them all, and direfted his Purfer to allow them eight days provifion for their fubfiftence dur- ing their failing down the river: Since, before they f. LI were n- 1 * lfo6 Ld. ANSON'S VOtAG£: Were difpatched, the Centurion was arrived at heri*' moorings, above the fecond bar,^ where Ihc and her prize propofed to conrinueytill the monfoon Ihifted,^ Though the fliips, in confeqiience of the Vice- roy's permit,. found no difficulty in purchafing pro-^ vifions for their daily confumption j yet ix. was im- poGible that the Commodore codd proceed to Eng^ A2«J,withoutlayinginakfgequantitybothofprovi- lions and naval (lores for his ule d\iring the voyage,. The procuring th-is fupply was attended with much perplexity i for there were people ntCanion who had undertaken to farnilh. him with bifcuit,, and what- ever elfe he wanted ;: and his- linguift, towards the middle of September i, had affo-red him, from day to- day, that all was ready, and would be fent on board him immediately,. But a fortnight being elapfedj^ and nothing brought,. the Commodore fent to Can^ ton to inquire more particularly into the reafons of this difappointment: And he had foon the vexation to be informed,, that the whole was anillufionj that no order had been procured from the Viceroy, to fiirnilh him with hia fp- ^ores, as had been pre- tended i that there was^ no bifcuit baked; nor any ©ne of the articles in readinefs which had been pro- mifed him •, nor did it appear,- that the Contractors had taken the leaft ftep-to comply with their agree* ment. This was mod difagreeable news, and made it fufpefted, that the furnifhing the Centurion for her return to Great Britain might prove a more troublelbme matter than had been hitherto ima- gined i. efpccially toOy as the month of September was nearly ended,, without Mr. Anjhn*s having re- ceived any mefiage from the Viceroy o( Canton, And here perhaps it might be expelled, that a fatisf;idory account fliould be given of the motives ot" ROUND THE WORLD* 507 of the Chincfe for this faithlefs procedure* How- ever, as I have already, in a former chapter, made fome kind of conjedlures about a fimilar event, I fliall not repeat them again in this place; but fhall coi.cent myfelf Vvith obferving, that after all, it may perhaps be impofllble for an European, ignorant of the cuftoms and manners of that nation, to be fully apprifcd of the real incitements to this behaviour. Indeed, thus much may undoubtedly be afTerted, that in artifice, fallehood, and an attachment to all kinds of lucre, many of the Cbinefe are difficult to be paralleled by any other people. But then the particular application of thefe talents, and the man- ner in which they operate on every emergency, are often beyond the reach of aForeigner'spenetration : So that though it may be furely concluded, that the Chinefe had fome intereft: in thus amufing the Com- modore, yet it may not be eafy to aflign the indi- vidual views by which they were influenced. And, that I may not be thought too fevere in afcribing to this Nation afrrudulent and felfifh turn of temper, fo Contradiftory to the charatfler given of them in the legendary accounts of the Romijh MifTionaries j I lliall here mention an extraordinary tranfadtion or two, which I conceive will be fome kind of con- firmation of what I have advanced. When the Commodore lay firll at Macao, one of his officers who had been extremely ill, defired leave of him to go on Ihore every day on a neighbouring Ifland, imagining that a walk upon the land would contribute greatly to the reftoring of his health. The Commodore would have difluaded him from it, fufpefling the tricks of the Chinefe-, but the offi- cer continuingimportunate, in the end the boat was ordered to carry him thither. The firll day he was ' ■ , LI 2 ^ ^" "" put it 11 ! I ' ■foS Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE put on fiiore he took his exercife, and returned tvithout receiving any molcftation, or even feeing any of the inhabitants; but the fecond day, he was aflaulted, juft after his arrival, by a great number of CbitefefV/ho had been hoeing rice in the neighbour- hood, and who beat him fo violently with the han- dles of their hoes, that they foon laid him on the ground, incapable of refiftance ; after which tfiey robbed him, taking from him his fword, the hilt of which was filver,his money, his watch, gold-headed cane, fnufF-box, fleeve-buttons, and hat, with feve- ral other trinkets. In the mean time, the boat's ere w, whowere at a little diftance, and had no arms of any kind with them, were incapable of giving him any relief; till at laft one of them flew on the fellow who had the fword in his poflefllon, and wrefl:ing it out of his hands, drew it, and with it was preparing to fall on the Cbinefe, fome of whom he could not have failed of killing. But the officer, perceiving what he was about, immediately ordered him to defifl, thinking it more prudent to fubmit to the prefent violence, than to embroil his Commander in an in- extricable fquabble with the Chinefe Government* by the death of their fubjeds ; which calmnefs in this Gentleman was the more meritorious, as he was known to be a perfon of an uncommon fpirit, and of a Ibmewhat hafty temper. By this means the Chinefe fpeedily recovered the pofTeflion of the fword, when they perceived it was prohibited to be made ufe of againft them, and carried off their wliole b1)oty unmolefted. No fooner were they gone, than a Chinefe on horfeback, very well dreflcd, and who had the air and appearance of a Gentleman, came down to the fea-fide, and, as far as could be underilood by his figns, feemed to cenfiire the con- duft ROUND THE WORLD. 5091 du£l of hia countrymen, and to commiferate the officer, being wonderfully officious to affifl: in get- ting him on board the boat : But notwithftanding this behaviour, it was flirewdly fufpefted that he was an accomplice in the theft, and time fully made out thejuftice of thofe fufpicions. When the boat returned on board, and the officer reported what had pafled to the Commodore, he immediately complained of it to the MaMcfarinej-who attended to fee his Ihip fupplied ; but the Mandd" vine coolly obferved, that the boat ought not to have gone on fhore, promiHng, however, that if the thieves could be found, they (hould be punifhed : Though it appeared plain enough, by his manner of anfwering, that he would never give himfelf any trouble in fearching them out. However, a confider- able time afterwards, when fome Chinefe boats were felling provifions to the C^»/«r/o»,theperfon who had wrefted the fword from the Chinefe came with eager- nefs to the Commodore, to affure him that one of the principal thieves was then in a provifion-boat along-' fide the Ihipj and the officer, who had been robbed, viewing the fellow on this report, and well remem- bering his face, orders were immediately given to feize himj and he was accordingly fecured on board the (hip, where ftrange difcoveries were now made. This thief, on his being firft apprehended, ex- prefTed fo much fright in his countenance, that it was feared he would have died on the fpot ; the Mandarine too, who attended the Hiip, had vifibly no fmaii fliare of concern on the occafion. Indeed he had reafon enough to be alarmed, fince it was foon apparent, that he had been privy to the whole robbery j for the Commodore declaring that he would not deliver up the thief, but would himfelf L 1 3 ''•' ^ ordejr y t *(. !i i I 5IO Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE order him to be fhot, the Mandarins immediately put ofF the magifterial air, with which he had at firft pretended to demand him, and begged his re- leafe in the moft abjed manner. But the Commo- dore feeming to be inflexible, there came on boai J, in lefs than two hours time, five or fix of the neigh- bouring Mandarines, who all joined in the fame en- treaty, and with a view of facilitating their fuit, of- fered a large fum of money for the fellow's liberty. Whilfl they were thus foliciting, it was difcovered that the Mandarine, the moft adtive amongft them, and who was thence prefumed to be moft interefted in the event, was the very Gentleman who rode up to the officer, juft after the robbery, and who pre- tended to be fo much difpleafed with the villany of his countrymen. On further inquiry it was alfo found, that he was the Mandarine of the Ifland j and that he had, by the authority of his office, ordered the peafants to commit that infamous a<5lion. This eafily accounted for his extraordinary vigilance in the prefent conjunfture j fince, as far as could bq collccled from the broken hints which were cafually thrown out, it feemed, that he and his orethren, who were everyone privy to the tranfaclion, were terrified with the fear of being called before the tribunal at Cantony where the firft article of their puniftiment Vv'culd be, the ftripping them of all they \vere worths though their judges (however fond of inflifting a chaftilement fo lucrative to themlelves) were perhaps of as tainted a complexion as the de- linquents. Mr, Anfon was not difpleafed to have caught the Chinefi in this dilemma j, he entertained himiclf for fome time with their perplexity, rejed- ing their money with fcorn, appearing inexorable to their prayers^ and giving out thi^t the thief ftiould cen^inly ROUNB THE WORLD. fir certainly be fhot j but as he then forefaw that he Ihould be forced to take fhelrcr in their ports a iccond time, when the inliucnce he might hereby acquire over the M igiflrates would be of" great ffervice to hiin, he at length perpnit-ted himlelf to be perfuadcd, and as a favour releafed his prifoncr ; though not till the Mandarine had «colle6led and returned all that had been ftolcn from the-ofEcer, icven to the minuteft trifle. (>':>'■ But notwithftanding this inftance of tlie good in- telligence between the magiftrates and criminals,the ftrong addidlion of the Chdnefe to lucre often prompts them to break through this awful confederacy, and |)uts them on defrauding the authorityj that pro- teds them, o{ its proper quota of the pillage. For not long after the above-mentioned tranfaftioa (the former Mandarine, attendant on the fhip, be- ing, in the mean time, relieved by another), the Commodore loll a top-raaft from his flcrn, which, ^ attendants had found the top-maft, defiring the Commodore to fend his boats to fetch it ; which being done, the Mandarine* i people received the promifed reward. It fecms, the Commodore had told the Mandarine^ that he would make him a prefent befides, on account of L 1 4 ^ i. I 5U Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE the care he had taken in direding it to be fearch- cd for i and accordingly, Mr, Anfon gave a fum or money to hisLinguiftjto be delivered to l\\^ Manda- rine i but the Linguift knowing that the Cbinefe had been paid, and ignorant that a further prefent had been promifed, kept the money himfelf. However, the Mandarine fully confiding in Mr. Anfon\ word, and fufpeding the Lir Tuift, ^ '-. took occafion, one Hiorning, to admire the ''\7.t v.i thtCenturion^s mails, and thence, on a pretend^;] iiits icn recollecftion, he made a digreflion to the top-mafc hich had been loft, and afked Mr. An/on if he had not got it again. Mr. Anfon prefently perceived the bent of this con- verfation, and enquired of him if he had not re- ceived the money from the Linguift j and finding he had not, he offered to pay him upon the fpot. But this the Mandarine refufed, having now fomewhat more in view than the fum which had been detained. For the next day the Linguift was feized, and was doubtlefs muldled of whatever he had gotten in the Commodore's fervice, which was fuppofed to be little lefs than two thoufand dollars j being befides fo feverely baftinadoed, that it was wonderful he cfcaped with his life. And when he was upbraided by the Commodore (to whom he afterwards came a begging) with his folly in rifquing this fevere chaftifement, and the lofs of all he was worth, for the lucre of fifty dollars, the prefent of which he defrauded the Mandarine ; he had no other excufe to make, than the ftrong bias of his Nation to diftio- nefty; replying, in his broken jargon, Chinefe man V^'J Z^^^^ rogue irulj, but have fajhioni no can help, ^ It were endlcfs to recount all the artifices, exto'*- tions and frauds, which were praftifed on the Com- Ufipdore and his people, by this interefted race. The n A' ROUND THE WORLD. 513 methoc" of buying provifions in China being by- weight, the tricks the Chinefe made ufe of to aug- ment the weight of what they fold to the Ceniurion, were almoft incredible. One time a large quantity of fowls and ducks being bought for the fliip's ftore, the greatefl part of them prefently died : This fpread a general alarm on board, it being ap- prehended that they had been killed by poifon j but on examination it appeared, that it was only owing * to their being crammed with (tones and gravel to increafe their weight, the quantity thus forced. > into moft of the ducks being found to amount to ' ten ounces in each. The hogs too, which were - bought ready kille.! of the Chinefe Butchers, had water injefted into them for the fame purpofe; lb that a carcafs, hung up all night that the water • might drain from it, had loft above a ftone of its • weight. And when, to avoid this cheat, the hogs were bought alive, it was difcovered that the Chinefe gave them fait to increafe their thirft, and having thus excited them to drink great quantities of water, they then took meafures to prevent them from difcharging it again by urine, and fold the tortured animal in this inflated ftate. When the Commodore firft put to fea from Macao, they praflifed an artifice of another kind; for as the Chinefe never fcruple eating any food that dies of itfelf, they contrived, by fome fecret pradices, that great part of his live fea-ftore fliould die in a Ihort time after it was put on board, h'i^ping to make a fecond profit of the dead carcalTes which theyexpefted would be thrown overboard; and two thirds of the hogs dying before the Centurion was out of fight of land, many of the Chinefe boats fol- owed her, only to pick up the carrion. Thefe in- ■ fiances , I % 514 to- ANSON^s VOYAGE Hands may fcrve as a Ipecimen of the manners of thiL r« ir')rated Nation, which is often recommend- ed fo cnt reft of the world as a pattern of all kinds of ♦ n'darl'" qualities. But to return: Th^ Con^imodorc, towards the end of Septemkr, having tound ow: (as has been faid) that thofe who had contruded to fupply him with fea provifions and iI:or££, iiad deceived him, and that the Viceroy- had not invited him to an interview, according to his promife, !ie law it would be impoflible for him CO furmount the difficulties he was under, without going to Canicfi, and vifiting the Viceroy. And therefore, on the 27th of September ^ he lent a mciTage to the Mandarine, who attended the C^«- turion, to inform him, that he, the Commodore, intended, on the firft of OSfober, to proceed in his boat to Canton : Adding, that the day after he got there, he fhould notify his arrival tO the Viceroy, and fhould defire him to fix a time for his audience. This melfage being delivered to the Mandarine^ he returned no other anfwer, than that he would ac- quaint the Viceroy with the Commodore's in- tentions. In the mean time all things were pre- pared for this expedition : and the boat's crew, which Mr. An/on propofed to take with him, were clothed in \n uniform drefs, refembling that of the Watermen on the "Thames j they were in num- ber eighteen and a Coxfwain ; they had fcarlet jackets and blue filk waiftcoats, the whole trim- med with filver buttons, befides filver badges on their jackets and caps. As it was apprehended, and even aflertcd, that the payment of the cuftomary duties for the Centurion and her prize, would be demanded by the Regency of Canton, and would be infifted on, previous to their granting a per- miflion ROUND THE WORLD. 5^5 mifTion to viflual the lliip for her future voyagej the Commodore, who was refolvcd never to efta- blifh fo diflionourablc a precedent, took all pofTible precaution to prevent thi Chineje from facilitating the fuccefs of their unfeafonable pretenfions, by having him in their power at Canton, And there- fore, the better to fecure his (hip, and the great treafure on board her, againft their proje(fts, he ap- pointed his firft Lieutenant, Mr. Brettt to be Cap- tain of the Centurictii under him, giving him pro- per infl:ru6lions for his condud j direfling him par- ticularly, if he, the Commodore, Ihould be detained at Canton on account of the duties in difpute, to take out the men from xht Centurion's prize, and to ^eltroy her, and then to proceed down the river through the Bocca Tigris, with the Centurion alone, and to remain without that entrance till he received further orders from Mr. Anfon, Thefe necelTary fteps being taken, which were not unknown to the Chinefe, it Ihould feem as if their deliberations were in fome fort perplexed thereby. It is reafonable to imagine, that they were in general very defirous of getting the duties to be paid them j not perhaps folely in confideration of the amount of thofe dues, but to keep up their reputation for addrefs and fubtlety, and to avoid the imputation of receding from claims on which they had already fo frequently infifted. However, as they now forefaw that they had no other method offucceeding than by violence, and thateven againfl: this the Commodore was prepared j they were at Jaft difpofed, I conceive, to let the affair drop, rather than entangle themfelves in an hoflile mea- fure^ which they found would only expofe them to $he lifc^ue of having the whole navigation of their 4 . port ! )[ 51^ Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE port deftroyed, witliout any certain profpcfb of gaining their favourite point. But, though there is reafon to conclude, thatthefc were their thoughts at that time ; yet they could not depart at once from the evafive condu6t to wliich they had hitherto adhered. Since when the Commodore, on the morning of tiie ill ofO^ohr, was preparing to fet out for Canion, his Linguift came to him from the Mandarine, who attended the (hip, to tell him, that a letter had been re- ceived from the Viceroy of Canton, defiring the Commodore to put off his going thither for two or three days. The reality of this meflage was not then queftionedj but, in the afternoon of the fame day, another Linguift came on board, who, with much feeming fright, told Mr. j'infon, that the Viceroy had expedled him up that day j that the Council was affembled, and the troops had been under arms to receive him j and, that the Viceroy was highly of- fended atthedifappointment, and had fenttheCom- modore's Linguift to prifon, chained, fuppofing that the whole had been owing to the Linguift's negligence. This plaufible tale gave the Commo- dore great concern, and made him apprehend that there was fome treachery defigned him which he could not yet fathom. And though it afterwards appeared that the whole was afi6lion,notone article of it having the leaft foundation j yet, for reafons beft known to themfelves, this falfehood wasfo well fupported by the artifices of the Ctinefe Merchants at Canton, that, three days afterwards, the Commo- dore received a letter figned by all the Supercargos' ofthe£;7^///7jfliipsthen at thatplace, exprefling their great uneafinefs about what had happened, and in- timatingtheir fearji thi^tfotpcinfuU wouldbeoffered ;f,t .. . • • to ^t ■>\}fi^ ROUND THE WORLD. 517 to his boat, if he came tluther before the Viceroy was fully fatisfied of ti»f miftake. To this letter Mr. Anfon replied, that he did not believe tliere had been a miftake ; but was perfuadcd it was a forgery of the Cbinefe to prevent his vifiting the Viceroy; and therefore he would certairdy come up to Canton on the 13th ofO^okr, contident that the Cbinefe would not dare to ofTer him any infult, as well knowing he fhould want neither power nor in- clination to make them a proper return, f On the 13th o{ O^ol^er, the Commodore conti- nuing firm to his refolution, all the Supcrcargos of the EngliJJjj Danijhy and Swedijh (hips came on board the Centurion, to accompany him to Canton •, for which place he fet out in his barge the fame day, attended by his own boats, and by thofe of the trading fhips, which on this occafion fent their boats to augment his retinue. As he paflcd by Wampo, 'where the European ve?[eh lay, he was la- luted bv all of them but the French, and in the evening he arrived fafely at Canton. His reception in that city, and the moft material tranfaftions from henceforward, till the expedition was brought to a period, by the return of the Centurion to Great' Britain, ftiall be the fubjedlofthe enfuing chapter. ^»v^ C H A P. X. Proceedings at the city of Canton, and the re- turn of the Centurion to England, WHEN the Commodore ar -ived at Canton, he wasviritedbytheprincipalC/6:;;^y^merchants, who affedled to appear vey much pleafed that he had met with no obflruftion in gcrting thitherj and who thence pretended to conclude,, thatthe Viceroy wasfatisfied about the former miftuk<^,the reality of which 1 'I II w t J I 5i8 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE - which they fliil infifled on. In the converfatioil which pafTed upon this occafion, they took care to infinuatc, that as foon as the Viceroy Ihould be in- formed that Mr. Jnfon was uCafitcn, which they promifedfhouldbedonethenextmorningjtheywere perfuaded a time would be immediately appointed for the vifit, which was the principal bufinefs that had brought the Commodore to that city. The next day the Merchants returned to Mr. /^»- fotj, and told him, that the Viceroy was then fo fully employed in preparing his dilpatchesforP^y^iw, that there was no getting admittance to him at pre- fent J but that they had engaged one of the officers of his Court to give them information, as foon as he Ihould be at leifure, when they propofed to notify Mr. Jnfon's arrival, and to endeavour to fijc the audience. The Commodore was already too well acquainted with their artifices not to perceive that this was a falfehood j and had he confulted only* his own judgment, he would have applied direflly to the Viceroy, by other hands. But the Cbinefi Merchants had fo far prepoffeffed the Supercargos of our lliips with chimerical fearsj that they, the Supercargos, were extremely apprehenfive of be* jng em.broiled with the Government, andoffuffer- ing in their intered, if thofe meafures were taken^ which appeared to Mr. Anfon at that time to be the mod prudential: And therefore, left the malice and dpuble dealing of the Ckinefe might have given rife to fomc fmifter Incident, which would be afterwards laid at his door, he refolved to continue pafhve as long as it fnould appear tiiat he loft no time by thus fufpending his own opinion. In purfuance of this relblutlon, he propofed to the Englijh^ that he would engage not to take any imiriediate ftep him- fclf "n ROUND THE WORLD. 519 felffor getting admittance tothe Viceroy, provided the Cbinefer who contradled to furnilh his provi- fions, would let him fee that his bread was baked, his meat faked, and his ftores prepared with the ut- moft difpatch. But if by the time when all was in readinefs to be fhipped off, which it was fuppofed would be in about forty days, the Merchants Ihould not have procured the Goverr.ment's per- mifiion to fend it on board, then the ComiTKidore was determined to apply to the Viceroy himfelf. .Thefe were the terms Mr. Anfon thought proper to offer, tO' quiet the uneafinefs of the Supcrcar- gosj and, notwithflanding the apparent equity of the conditions, many difficulties and objedions were urged : nor would the Cbinefe agree to the propofld, till the Commodore had confentcd to pay for every article he befpoke before it was put in hand. However, at laft, the contract being paft, it was fomc fatisfadion to the Commodore to be certain that his preparations were now going on ; and jaeing himfelf on the fpot, he took care to haftei? them as much as poffible. During this interval, in which the (lores and provifions were getting ready, the Merchants con- tinually entertained Mr. Anfon with accounts of their various endeavours to procure a licence from the Viceroy, and their frequent difappointments : This was now a matter of amufement to the Com- modore, as he was fully fatisfied there was not one word of truth in any thing tiiey faid. But when all was completed, and wanted only to be fhipped, which was about the 24th of Novembe*', at which time too the N. E. monfoon was fet i 1, he then re- folved to demand an audience of the Viceroy, as he was perfuaded that, without this ceremony, the grant of a permiflion to take his (tores on board would '510 Ld. ANSON's voyage would meet with great difficulty. On the 24th of November, therefore, Mr. yinfon fent one of his officers to the Mandarine who commanded the guard of the principal gate of the city o( Cantoriy •with a letter directed to the Viceroy. When this letter was delivered to the Mandarine, he received the officer who brought it very civilly, and took down the contents of it in Chinefe, and promifcd that the Viceroy fhould be immediately acquainted with iti but told the officer, it was not neceffary he fhould wait for an anfwcr, becaufe a meffage would be fent to the Commodore himfeif. ": When Mr. Anfon firft determined to write this letter, he had been under great difficulties about a proper interpreter, as he was well aware that none of the Chinefe, ufually employed as Lin- guifls, could be relied on : But he at laft prevailed with Mr. Flint, an Englijh Gentleman belonging to the faftory, who fpoke Chinefe perfedlly well, to accompany his officer. This perfon, who up- on that occafion, and many others, was of fingular fervice to the Commodore, had been left at Can- ton, when a youth, by the late Captain Righy. The leaving him there to learn the Chinefe language, was a Itep taken by that Captain, merely from his own perfuafion of the confiderable advantages which the Eafi-India Company might one day re- ceive from an Engltfh interpreter j and tho* the utility of this mcafure has greatly exceeded all that was expc6lcd from it, yet I have not heard that it has been to this hour imitated: But we imprudent- ly choofe, except in this fingle inftance, to carry on the vaft: tranfadions of tlie port ol Canton, either by the ridiculous jargon of broken Engltfh, which fomc few CiixkizZhincjc have learnt, or by the fufpeifbed interpretation of tiie Linguifts of other Nations. TwQ kOUND THE WORLD. 521 Two days after the fending the above-mentioned letter, a fire broke out in the fuburbs o^Cafiton. On the firft alarm Mr. Anfcn went thither with his offi- cers, and his boat's crew, to aid the Chincfe. When he came there, he found that it had begun in a fail- or's fhed, and that by the flightnefs of the buildings, and the aukwardnefs of the Chinefej it was getting head apace. However, he perceived, that by pull-* ing down fome of the adjacent Iheds it might eafily be extinguiHied j and particularly obferving that it was then running along a wooden cornice, which blazed fiercely, and would Immediately communi- cate the flame to a great diftance, he ordered his people to begin with tearingaway that cornice: This •was prefently attempted, and would have been foon executed i but, in the mean time, he was told, that, as there was no Mandarine there, who alone has a power to dire6t on thefe occafions, the CbinefewiowXd make him, the Commodore, anfwerable for what- ever fhould bepulled down by his command. Here- upon Mr. ^-infon and his attendan'-s defifted 5 and he fent them to the Engliftj Faflory, to alTift in fccuring the Company's treafure and effecls, as it was eafy to forefee that no diftance was a proccftion againfl: the rage of fuch a fire, where fo little was done to put a ftop to it ; fince all the while the Chine fe contented themfelves with viewing it, and nov/ and ihcn hold- ing one of their idols near it, which they fccmcd to expe6l fliould check its j'trogrefs. Indeed, at lafl:, a Mandarine came out of the city, atcend^^d by four or five hundred firemen : Thefe made fcir.e feeble efforts to pull down tiie neighbouring houfes ; but by that time the fire had greatly extended itfelf, and was got ainongil the Merchants warehoufes ; and the Ckinefc firemen, wanting both fkill and fpirir, M m werii i 522 Ld. anson^s voyage were incapabk of checking its violence ; fo that its fury increafed upon them, and it was feared the whole city would be deftroyed. In this general Gonfufion theViceroy himfelf came thither, and the Commodore was fent to, and was intreated to af- ford hi" afTiftance, being told that he might take any meafures he fliould think moft prudent in the prefent emergency. Upon this mefiage he went thither a fecond time, carrying with him abouc forty of his people ; who, in the fight of the whole city, exerted themfelves after fo extraordinary a manner, as in that country was altogether without example. For, behaving with the agility and boldnefs peculiar to failors, they were rather ani- mated than deterred by the flames and falling buildings amongft which they wrought ; whence it was not uncommon to fee the mod forward of them tumble to the ground on the roofs, and amidft the ruins of houfes which th-eir own cfForta brought down after them. By their refolution and adiivity the fire was foon extinguiflied, to the amazement of the Chinefe : And it fortunately happened too, that the buildings being all on one floor, and the materials flight, the fcamcn, not- withltanding their daring behaviour, cfcaped with no other injuries than fome confiderable bruifes. The fire, though at lall thus luckily extinguifl^i- cdjdid great mifchief during the time it continued; for it confumed a hundred fiiops and eleven ilreets full of warehoufesj fo that the damage amounted to an imaienfe fiimj and one oithtCbine/e Merchants, well kno A'ii to th^ .EiJgliJIj, whofe name was Suuoy, was fuppoild, for his own fliare, to have loft near two hr.h'Ired ihoufand pounds iterling. It raged •ndeed iin^.eld, which having been difmafted on the coaft of Cbinai had arrived in the river of Can^ ton but a few days before. The people on board this veflel had been great fufferers by the firej the Cap- tain in particular had all his goods burnt, and had loft befides, in the confufion, a cheft of treafure of four thoufand five hundred T^helj-which. was fuppo- fed to be liolen by the Chinefe boatmen. yir.Anfon therefore defired that the Captain might have the afliftance of the Government, as it was apprehend- ed the money could never be recovered without the interpofition of the Mandarines. And to this re- queft the Viceroy made anfwer, that in fettling the Emperor's cuftoms for that fliip, fome abatement Ihould be made in confideration of her lofTes. • And now the Commodore hiving difpatched the bufincfs with which the officers of the Ea/l-India Company had entrufted him, he entered on his own affairs; acquainting the Viceroy, that theproperfea- fon was already fet in for returning to Europe, and that he wanted only a licence to fhip off his provi- lion£ and (lores, which were all ready ; and that as foon as this ihould be granted him, and he iLould have gotten his neceffaries on board, he intended to leave the river o^ Canicf?, and to make the belt of his way for Endand, I'hc Viceroy replied to this, * • . ' • that that that lowii thin the very toh that Tht whi ROUND THE WORLD. 527 tTiat the licence fliould be immediately ifiTucd, and that every thing (hould be ordered on board the fol- lowing day. And finding that Mr Anfcn had no- thing farther to infift on, the Viceroy continued the converfation for fomc time, acknowledging in very civil terms how much the Cbinefe w^re obliged to him for his fignal fcrvices at the fire, and owning that he had faved the city from being deftroyed : Then obferving that the Centurion had been a good ■while on their coaft, he clofed his difcourfe by wifh- ing the Commodore a profperous voyage to Europe, After which, the Commodore, thanking him for his civility and afiiltance, took his leave. As foon as the Commodore was out of tlie hall of audience, he was much preffcd to go into a neigh- bouring apartment, where there was an entertain- ment provided j but finding, on inquiry, that the Viceroy himfelf was not to be prefent, he declined the invitation, and departed, attended in the fame manner as at his arrival; only on his leaving the ci- ty he was faluted with three guns, which are as ma- ny as in that country are everfiredon any ceremony. Thus the Commodore, to his great joy, atlaft finifh- cd this troublcfome afi^air, which, for the preceding four months, had given him much difquietude. In-. deed he was highly pleafed with procuring a licence for the fliipping off his Itorcs and provifions j as thereby he was enabled to return to Gnat Britain with the firfi- of the monfoons, and to prevent all in- telligence of his being expelled : but this, though a very important point, was not the circumftance which gave him the greateft fatisfaclion ; for he was more particularly attentive to the authentic prece-r ■dent eftablifhed on this occafion, by which his Ma- jcfly's fliips of war are for the future exempted from all demands of duty in any of the ports q^ Qhina, M m 4 In ', "1" iiwrTiiTn'^ " 528 Ld. ANSON'S VOYAGE In purfiiance of the promifes of the Viceroy, thd provifions were begun to be fent on board the day fucceeuing the audience; and, four days after, the Commodore embarked at Canton for the Centurion. And now all the preparations for putting to fcawere purfucd wiih fo much vigilance, and were fo foon completed, that the yth of December ^ the Centurion and her prize unmoored, .and flood down the river,( pafTing through the Borca Tigris on the loth. On this occafion 1 mun obfcrvc, that the Chinefe had taken care to man the two loris, on each fide of that paflage, with as many men as they could well con- tain, the grcateft part of them armed with pikes and matchlock mufquets. Thefp garrifons affe(5led to fhewthemfclvesasmuch aspofTibletotheiliips, and were doubrlefs intended to induce Mr, Anfon to think more reverently than he had hitherto done of the Chinefe military power : For this purpofe they were equipped with extraordinary parade, having a great number of colours expofcd to view; and on the caflle in particular there was laid confiderable heaps of large ftones; and a foldier of unufuul fize, drefled in very fightly armour, (talked uoout on the parapet with a battle-ax in his hand, endeavouring to put on as important and martial an air as pofTible,, though fome of the obfcrvers on board the Centurion flirewdly fufpe(fled, from the appearance of his armour, that, inflead of fteel, it was compofcd only of a particular kind of glittering paper. The Centurion and her prize being nov/ without the river of C^;;/i?», and confequentlyupon the point of leaving theG'-rj/c/^ jvjrifdidion, I beg leave, be- fore I quit all mention of the Chinefe affairs, to fybjoin a fcv/ remarks on the difpofition and genius ., ..-- . ^.. ... , -. of cl. 4- .1^ U ROUND THE WORLD. S19 ay the of that celebrated people. And though it may be fuppofed, that oblcrvations made at Canton only, a place fituated in a corner of the Empire, are very imperfeft materials on which to found any general conclufions j yet as thofe who have had opportunities of examining the inner parts of the country, have been evidently influenced by very ridiculous prepoflefllons j and as the tranfadions of Mr. Anfon with the Regency of Canton were of an uncommon nature, in which many circum- Itances occurred different perhaps from any which have happened before> I hope the following reflec- tions, many of them drawn from thefe incidents, will not be altogether unacceptnble to the reader. • That the Chinefe are a very ingenious and in- dufl:rious people, is fufficiently evinced, from the great number of curious manufaftures which are eftabliftied amongft them, and which are eagerly fought for by the moft diftant nations ; but though Ikill in the handicraft art feems to be the moH: valuable qualification of this people, yet their talents therein are but of a fecond rate kind ; for they are much outdone by the Japanefe in thofc manufaftures, which are common to both coun- triesj and they are in numerous inftances inca- pable of rivalling the mechanic dexterity of the Europeans, Indeed, their principal excellency feems to be imitarion j and they accordingly la- bour under that poverty of genius which confl:ant- ly attends all ferviie imitators. This is moft con- fpicuous in works which require great truth and accuracy j as in clocks, watches, fire-arms, i^c. for in all thefe, though they can copy the difi-erent parts, and can form fome relemblance of the whole, yet. they never could arive at fuch a juftnef$ in their fabric i ! „J IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A ///// ^^f ^^0 jWn li ;: 1.0 ^ *" I.I 1.25 M HM 2.0 Ul 1.8 i.4 11.6 V] <^ /: :^ s^ ?> '/ ;s§ 1 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 s. ^ \ "^ o ^^ <1? % 6^ P ^ 4 V U 530 I.D. ANSON'S VOYAGE fiibiic us was neceriaiy to produce the defired effect. If we p;iui rioin tlioie employed in inanufadures to r.i-tiils of ;i fuperior clafs, as painters, flatuaries ^c. in thcli.^ matters they fcem to be flill more de- fedlive; their painters, though very numerous and in great eftecm, rarely fucceeding in the drawin'^ or colouring of human figures, or in thcgroupinf>- of large compofitions; and though in flowers and birds their performances are much more admired yet even in thefe, fome part of the merit is rather to be imputed to the native brightnefs and excel- lency of the colours, than to tiie fldll of the painter; fincc it is very unufual to fee the light and fhade juilly and naturally handled, or to find that cafe and grace in the drawing which are to be met with in the works of European artifts. In fliort, there is a ftifFnel's and minutenefs in mofl of the Cbinefe productions, which are extremely difpleafing : And it may perhaps be truly aflerted, that thefe defects in their arts are entirely owing to the peculiar turn of the people, amongfl: whom notiiing great or fpirited is to be met with. If we next examine the Cbinefe literature (taking our accounts fi^om the writers who have endea- voured to rcprefcnt it in the mofl: favourable light), v.'e fnaii iind, that on this head their obfl:inacy and abfurdity arc moil wonderful ; fince though, for many ancsj th.cy have been iurrounded by nations, to w-!y.nii tiie u'ic of letters was familiar, yet they, t'ic Cbi}:cp alone, have liitutrto negledcd to avail themillv:s of tl:.:t almofi: divine invention, and have ccn:inued to adhere to the rude and inartifi- cial method of reprefenting w'ords by arbitrary marks ; a rr,c':hod which neceflirily renders the iiumbcr cf riicir characters too great for human mcinorv to n-.j i.i^c, makes v.'riting to be an arc ROUND THE WORLD: 531 that requires prodigious application, and in which no man can be otherwife than partially flcilled ; whilft all reading and underftandlng of what is written, is attended with infinite obfcurity and confufion*, as the connexion between thefe marks ^nd the words they reprefent, cannot be retained in books, but mud be delivered down from age to ao-e by oral tradition: And how uncertain this mull prove in fuch a complicated fubjccl, is fuf- ficiently obvious to thofe who have attended to the variation which all verbal relations undergo when tliey are tranfmitted thro' three or four hands only. Hence it is eafy to conclude, that the hiftory and inventions of pall ages, recorded by thefe perplexed fymbols, muft frequently prove unintelligible; and confequently the learning and boafted anti- quity of the nation muft, in numerous inftances, t)e extremely problematical. However, we are told by many of t^"^ MilTiwna- ries, that, tho' the fls:ill of the Cbifiefe in fcience is confefifedly much inferior to that of the Europeans, yet the morality and juftice taught and pracliled by them are moft exemplary : So that from the defcription given by fome of thefe good fathers, one fhould be induced to believe, that the whole Empire was a well-governed afFeftionate family, where the only contefcs were, who fhould exert the moft humanity and focial virtue. But our pre- ceding relation of the behaviour of the Ma2"i- ilrates. Merchants, and Tradefmen, at Canton, fufficiently refutes thefe jefuitical fi-fcions. Befide, as to their theories of moralitv, if we may judge from the fpecimens exhibited in t!ie works of the Milfionarics, we fhall find them frequently em- ployed in recommending ridiculous attachment to certain frivolous points, inftead of difcufilng the proper 'I 532 Ld. ANSON's voyage c >. proper criterion o- numan actions, and regulating the general condud of mankind to one another, on reafbnable and equitable principles. Indeed, the only pretenfion of the Chincfe to a more refined morality than their neighbours, is founded not on their integrity or beneficence, but folely on the affeifled evennefs of tiic-ir lieineanor, and their conftant attention to fupprrfs all fymptoms of pafTion and violence. Bu' it n'ift be confidered, that hypocrify and fraud are often not lefs mif- chievousto the general intercfls of mankind, than impetuofity and vehemence of temper; Since thefe, though ufually liable to tlie imput.ition of impru- dence, do not exclude fincerity, benevolence, re- folution, nor any other lauda!)le qualities. And perhaps, if this matter was examined to the bot- tom, it would appear, tliat the calm and patient turn of the ChinefCi on which they fo much value themfelver., and which diflinguiHies the Nation ^rom all others, is in reality the fource of the moft exceptionable part of their character; for it has been often obferved by thofe who have attended to the nature of mankind, that it is difficult to curb the more robuft and violent paffions, without aug- menting, at the fame time, the force of thefelfidi ones: So that the timidity, diflimulation, and dillioneily of the Chinefe, may, in fome fort, be owing to the compcfure and external der.ency fo univerfally prevailing in that Empire. Thus much for the general difpofition of ihe people: But I cannot difmifs this fubjeft without adding z few words about the Chinefe Government, that too having been the fubjed of boundlefs pa- negyric. And on this head I muft obferve, thaf t\^(t favourable accounts often given of their prr- r!e::: rciriur.ticns for the adminifcration of their do-^ mcftic HOUND THE WORLD. 533 tnelVic affairs, arc fufllcicntly confuted by their tranfa^^ions with Mr. /Infon: as we have feen thai their Magidrates are corrupt, their people thievifn, and their tribunals venal, and abounding with ar- tifice. Nor is the conftitution of the Empire, or tiie s;eneral orders of the State, lefs liable to ex- ceptions fince that forin of Government, which * does not in the firft place provide for the fccu- rity of the public againit the enterprifes of fo- reign powers, is certainly a mofc defective in- llitution: And yet this populous, this rich and extenfive country, fo pompoufly celebrated for its refined wifdom and policy, was conquered about an age fince by a handful o[ Tartars; and even now, through the cowardice of the inhabitants, and the want of proper military regulations, it continues expofed not only to the attempts of any potent State, but to the ravages of every petty invader. I have already obferved, on occafion of the Com- modore's difputes with the Chincfi, that the Cen- turion alone was an overmatch for all the naval power of that Empire : This perhaps may appear an extraordinary pofitionj but to render it un- queftionable, there is exhibited in the forty-fecond plate the draught of two of tlie vefifels made w^t of by the Chinefe. The firfl cf thefe, marked (A), is a junk ofabout a hundred and twenty tuns burthen, and was what the Centurion hove down by 5 thefe are mod ufcd in the great rivers, tho' they fome- times ferve for fmall coaftin:); voyao-cs : The other junk, marked (B), is abouf two hundred and eighty tuns burthen, and is of the fame form v^-ich thofe in which th'jy trade to Cochincbinaj Mamlcii Batavia^ and Japan, tho' fome of their trading vefiels are of a much larger fize; its head, which is reprelcntcd at (C), is perfcwtly fiati and when tlie 1.34 t.D. ANSON*s VOYAGE the vefTcl is deep bden^ tlic fccond or third plantv of this fldt furface is oft-times under water. The malls, fails, and rigging of thefe vclTels are ruder than the built; for their mafts are made of trees, no otherwile falhioned than by barking thcrn, and Icpping off t!vv.ir branches. Each maft has only two fhrouds of twilled rattan, which are often both fliifted to the weather- fide j and the halyard, when the yaixl is up, ferves inflead of a third lliroud. The fails are of mat, Hrengthened every three feet by an horizontal rib of bamboo; they run upon the malls with hoops, as is rcprefented in thefigure, and when they are lowered dov/n they fold upon the deck. Thefe traders carry no cannon j and it ap- pears, from this whole defcription, that they arc utterly incapable of refilling any European armed vcficl. Nor is the State provided with fliips of con- fiderable force, or of a better fibric, toproreft their merchanmnen: For at C(7;//c;?, where doubtlels their principal naval power is Rationed, v/e faw no more than four men of war junks, of about three hundred tuns burthen, being of the make already defcribcd, and m.ounted only with eight or ten guns, the largeft of which did not exceed a four pounder. This may fulTlce to give an idea of the defencelefs flate of the C/^/>;^/? Empire. But it is time to re- turn to the Commodore, whom I left with his two ihips v/ithout the BoccaTigris, and who, on the 1 2th of December J anc'iored before the town of Macao, Whiin ihe fiiipslay here, the Merchants o^ Ma- cao nniHied tlieirpurchafe of the galeon, for which tliey refuted to give more than 6000 dollars: This was greatly iliort of her value; but theim.pariencc of the Comnaodore to get to fea, to whicii the Mer- chants vv'crc no llrangvrs, prompted them to infift on thcle unequal terais. Mr. Aiifon had learnt enough €no iha pro of anc cor tre; chi po be ROUND THE WORLD, 535 enough from the Englijij at Canton to corijc6liire, that the war with Spain was ftill continir J ; and that probably the French might engage in the airidance oC Spain, before he could arrive in Creat-Briinini and therefore, knowinrr that no intelligence could coine to Europe of the prize he had taken, and the treafure he hatl on board, rill the return of the mer- chantmen from Cantony he was refolvcvl to ivi I'vc all poiTible expedition in getting b:'.vk, thai; lie miglit be himfelf the firit meffenger of his cv/n good fortune, and might thereby prevent the enemy from forming any projefls to intercept him: For thefe reafons, he, to avoid all delay, accepted of the fum offered for the guleonj and fiie being d(?- livered to the Merchants the 15th of Dc'.-cn^^i*^ 1743, the Centurion^ the fame day, goc under far?l, on her return to E?tgland. On th.e 3d o^Jtmuary^ llie came to anchor at Prince'' s If.and in the Streights oi Sunday and continued there wooding and water- ing till the 8th ; when flie weighed and flood for the Cape of Good Hope, where, on the nth of Marchy Ihe anchored in Tabic- Bay. The Cape of Good Hope is fituated in a temperate climate, where the exceffes of heat and cold are rarely known j and the Dutch inhabitants, vvlio arc numerous, and who here retain their native induf- try, have flocked it with prodigious plenty of all forts of fruits and provifionj moll of which, ciuher from the equality of the feafons, or the peculiarity of the foil, are more delicious in their kind than can be met with eifewhere: So that by thefe, and by the excellent water which abounds :here,this fet- tlement is the befh provided of any in the ]:nov,-n world, for the refreflimxnt of feamcn after lonc'- voyages. Here the Commodore continued till the 4 begin - i > — .- I. / 53^ Ld. anson's voyage bcginningof y?/;-;/, highly delighted with the phicc, whicli, by itr; extraordinary accommodations, the hcaltiiinels of its air, and the pi^turefque appear- ance of tlie country, the whole enlivened too by the addition of a eivllifcd colony, was not difgraced on a comparifon with the rallies ofjucin Fouandcs and lawns of '■Jiniait, During his Itay he entered about f'lrty new men ; and iuiving, by the 3d of ^pril 1 744, completed his water and provifion, he, on that day, weighed and put to fea, Tlie 19th of ^]pril tlicy faw the Wand of Si. Ileicnii^ which how- ever they did not touch at, but ftood on their way; and arriving in foundings about the beginning of J^'iCy they, on the icth of tliat month, fpoke with %nEi.n!u/Ij Ihip bound for Philacklpkin, from whom t^y'yeceived the firft intelligence of a French war. By tl^' 1 2th oijiiu'c they got fight of the Lizard ; and the 15th in' the evening, to their infniite joy, they came fafc to an anchor at Spitkead. But that thcf gnal perils, wliich had fo often threatened them In the preceding part of the enterprife, might pur- iue them to the very laft, Mr. .i^;;y^;dearnt on his ar- rival, that there was a French fleet of confiderable force cruifing in the chops of the Channel, which, from the account of their pofition, he found the Cen- iiiric:i liad ran through, and had been all the time concealedby afog. Thus v/as this expedition finiflied, when it iiadlaited three years and nine months, after having, by its event, (Irongly evinced this import- ant truth. That though prudence, intrepidity, and perfeverance united, are not exempted from the blow^ of adverfe fortune; yet in a long feries of tranfaclfticns, they ufually rife fuperior to its power, and iii the end rarely fail of proving fuccefsful. v I N I S. ne ir- / ^:=^: zi^::. -z IsJ ! i '"'.T -'^ tr- h.rrrd:--T-t J^ 4^ 35 ^7 Jtian IVinaiuli't. J. / X" I t I il J ,-h •;.' (WS) / / Varii't:. ^ 3o.fi <'l -t ~ir. f =rr-i -r-rt-- .^X ^.^ L r::: f />'"''. A/// =fc-rr^7 Lof S rMihrtjiMi 3" ^({fi <^ O N I A s ■» J« '^- 1 .•»/' '^'' Sti-m(.N of Afege/Za (? K.if/terinf \ \ •tirJh.:n. »^/» /M^U r*wA, nt^Sf>Mite^* SMui 'to/- ^"^'-^ i I/} v^^ J^3^ tlM-t^lny Sam/y \liftj I >. of Mh^ellxni Kat/uriup,. ^prtfanj CJ^Ptnti.^ S'^r^ ^^^ •/'vv Son*/ V y ' ^'V'5li,rf''>* ? i Sf.iien Land A of the Soui ^"S'-Catheriiic In w/urAy (^ inJ-i ^ /r-oni /ixr ?J^rArd //..• Jari^/ro?/. a.;; ,/ Somu/uN/^? o/^^CKtfi:lon 6nrW(^ ///T. /^y^-//{/v f/>?/// /urD^'in/^/fy/v' fr-oni Aer c./2f.m.