1741.]

shall recite our observations as succinctly as I can. In the Latitude of 36° 52′ we had sixty fathoms of water, with a bottom of fine black and grey sand; from thence to 39° 55' we varied our depths from fifty to eighty fathoms, though we had constantly the same bottom as before; between the last-mentioned Latitude and 43° 16' we had only fine grey sand, with the same variation of depths, except that we once or twice lessened our water to forty fathoms. After this we continued in forty fathoms for about half a degree, having a bottom of coarse sand and broken shells, at which time we were in sight of land, and not above seven leagues from it. As we edged from the land we met with variety of soundings; first black sand, then muddy, and soon after rough ground with stones; but then increasing our water to forty-eight fathoms we had a muddy bottom to the Latitude of 46° 10′. We then returned again into thirty-six fathoms, and kept shoaling our water, till at length we came into twelve fathoms, having constantly small stones and pebbles at the bottom. Part of this time we had a view of Cape Blanco, which lies in about the Latitude of 46° 52', and Longitude W. from London 66° 43'. This is the most remarkable land upon the coast. Steering from hence S. by E. nearly, we, in a run of about thirty leagues, deepened our water to fifty fathoms without once altering the bottom; and then drawing towards the shore with a SW. course, varying rather to the westward, we had everywhere a sandy bottom, till our coming into thirty fathoms, where we had again a sight of land distant from us about eight leagues, lying in the Latitude of 48° 31'.

We made this land on the 17th of February, and at five in the afternoon we came to an anchor upon the same bottom in the Latitude of 48° 58', the southernmost land then in view bearing SSW., the northernmost N. half E., a small island NW., and the westernmost hummock WSW. In this station we found the tide to set S. by W.

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Weighing again at five the next morning, we an hour afterwards discovered a sail, upon which the Severn and Gloucester were both directed to give chase; but we soon perceived it to be the Pearl, which separated from us a few days after we left St Catherine's; and on this we made a signal for the Severn to rejoin the squadron, leaving the Gloucester alone in the pursuit. And now we were surprised to see that, on the Gloucester's approach, the people on board the Pearl increased their sail and stood from her. However, the Gloucester came up with them, but found them with their hammocks in their nettings, and everything ready for an engagement. At two in the afternoon the Pearl joined us, and running up under our stern, Lieutenant Salt hailed the Commodore, and acquainted him that Captain Kidd died on the 31st of January. He likewise informed him that he had seen five large ships on the 10th instant, which he for some time imagined to be our squadron: that he suffered the commanding ship, which wore a red broad pennant exactly resembling that of the Commodore, at the main-topmast head, to come within gun-shot of him before he discovered his mistake; but then, finding it not to be the Centurion, he hauled close upon the wind, and crowded from them with all his sail, and standing across a rippling, where they hesi tated to follow him, he happily escaped. He made them [out] to be five Spanish men-of-war, one of them exceedingly like the Gloucester, which was the occasion of his apprehensions when the Gloucester chased him. By their appearance he thought they consisted of two ships of 70 guns, two of 50, and one of 40 guns. The whole squadron continued in chase of him all that day, but at night, finding they could not get near him, they gave over the chase, and directed their course to the southward.

And now, had it not been for the

1 A broken piece of water, due to a current, a violent tide, or some other perturbing cause.

necessity we were under of refitting the Trial, this piece of intelligence would have prevented our making any stay at St Julian; but as it was impossible for that sloop to proceed round the Cape in her present condition, some stay there was inevitable; and therefore the same evening we came to an anchor again in twenty-five fathoms water, the bottom a mixture of mud and sand, and the high hummock bearing SW. by W. And weighing at nine in the morning, we soon after sent the two cutters belonging to the Centurion and Severn in shore to discover the harbour of St Julian, while the ships kept standing along the coast at about the distance of a league from the land. At 6 o'clock we anchored in the Bay of St Julian,1 in nineteen fathoms, the bottom muddy ground with sand, the northernmost land in sight bearing N. and by E., the southernmost S. half E., and the high hummock-to which Sir John Narborough formerly gave the name of Wood's Mount-WSW. Soon after the cutters returned on board, having discovered the harbour, which did not appear to us in our situation, the northernmost point shutting in upon the southernmost, and in appearance closing the entrance.

Being come to an anchor in this bay of St Julian, principally with a view of refitting the Trial, the carpenters were immediately employed in that business, and continued so during our whole stay at the place. The Trial's mainmast having been carried away about twelve feet below the cap, they contrived to make the remaining part of the mast serve again; and the Wager was ordered to supply her with a spare main-topmast, which the carpenters converted into a new foremast. And I cannot help observing, that this accident to the Trial's mast, which gave us so

much uneasiness at that time on account of the delay it occasioned, was in all probability the means of preserving the sloop and all her crew: for before this her masts, how well soever proportioned to a better climate, were much too lofty for these high southern latitudes; so that had they weathered the preceding storm, it would have been impossible for them to have stood against those seas and tempests we afterwards encountered in passing round Cape Horn; and the loss of masts in that boisterous climate would scarcely have been attended with less than the loss of the vessel and of every man on board her, since it would have been impracticable for the other ships to have given them any relief during the continuance of those impetuous storms.

While we stayed at this place, the Commodore appointed the Honourable Captain Murray to succeed to the Pearl, and Captain Cheap to the Wager; and he promoted Mr Charles Saunders, his first lieutenant, to the command of the Trial sloop. But Captain Saunders lying dangerously ill of a fever on board the Centurion, and it being the opinion of the surgeons that the removing him on board his own ship in his present condition might tend to the hazard of his life, Mr Anson gave an order to Mr Saumarez, first lieutenant of the Centurion, to act as master and commander of the Trial during the illness of Captain Saunders. Here the Commodore, too, in order to ease the expedition of all unnecessary expense, held a further consultation with his captains about unloading and discharging the Anna pink; but they represented to him that they were so far from being in a condition of taking any part of her loading on board, that they had still great quantities of provisions in the way of their guns between decks, and that their ships were withal so very deep that they were not fit for action without being cleared. This put the Commodore under a necessity of retaining the

2

Ed. 1776: "And so lumbered."

1741.]

pink in the service; and as it was apprehended we should certainly meet with the Spanish squadron in passing the Cape, Mr Anson thought it advisable to give orders to the captains to put all their provisions which were in the way of their guns on board the Anna pink, and to remount such of their guns as had formerly, for the ease of their ships, been ordered into the hold.1

We, on our first arrival [at St Julian 2] sent an officer on shore to a salt pond, in order to procure a quantity of salt for the use of the squadron; Sir John Narborough having observed, when he was here, that the salt produced in that place was very white and good, and that in February there was enough of it to fill a thousand ships. But our officer returned with a sample which was very bad, and he told us that even of this there was but little to be got; I suppose the

1 Thomas naïvely remarks with reference to their stay in the Bay of St Julian: "Sir John Narborough and some others write that they have often seen and conversed with the inhabitants in this and other parts of Patagonia, and have given wonderful descriptions of them; but as we saw none of them, I have nothing to say of that sort, nor indeed do I think there is anything in this wild part of the world worthy of the least notice." The district round Port St Julian is described as destitute of wood, Sir John Narborough, in the time of Charles the Second, making the sweeping assertion that he never saw a stick of wood in the country large enough to make the handle of a hatchet. It is, however, good pasture land, feeding immense herds of cattle, of which many thousands are annually slain by the hunters there for the hides and tallow alone. The

method of taking them alive is by the lasso, in the use of which the native Indians and Spaniards are very dexterous. The plains also abound with wild horses and Peruvian sheep. The lengthy account of the above is here omitted.

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weather had been more rainy than ordinary, and had destroyed it.3

CHAPTER VII.

THE Trial being nearly refitted, which was our principal occupation at this Bay of St Julian, and the sole occasion of our stay, the Commodore thought it necessary, as we were now directly bound for the South Seas and the enemy's coasts, to regulate the plan of his future operations. And therefore, on the 24th of February, a signal was made for all captains, and a council of war was held on board the Centurion, at which were present the Honourable Edward Legg, Captain Matthew Mitchel, the Honourable George Murray, Captain David Cheap, together with Colonel Mordaunt Cracherode, commander of the land forces. At this council Mr Anson proposed that their first attempt, after their arrival in the South Seas, should be the attack of the town and harbour of Baldivia, the principal frontier [place] of the district of Chili; Mr Anson informing them, at the same time,

3 Ed. 1776: "Or prevented its fermentation." Thomas adds some particulars of interest with regard to the doings at St Julian: Having lost the hopes of a supply of water here, we were put to the allowance of one quart a man for one day, and three pints for another, alternately; but, considering our passage had hitherto proved extremely stormy and cold, and a dead time of the year coming on very fast, it was thought proper, in order to keep the people in as good heart as possible, to give them whole allowance of all other provisions, which was ordered accordingly. Here we further secured our lower deck guns, by nailing quoins under the trucks, in case the tackles, breechings, or iron-work, might give way, or fail in the stormy weather which we had much reason to expect."

4 Ed. 1776: "As an inducement for this enterprise."

that it was an article contained in his Majesty's instructions to him, to endeavour to secure some port in the South Seas where the ships of the squadron might be careened and refitted. To this proposition made by the Commodore, the council unanimously and readily agreed; and in consequence of this resolution new instructions were given to the captains of the squadron, by which, though they were still directed, in case of separation, to make the best of their way to the Island of Nuestra Señora del Socoro, yet (notwithstanding the orders they had formerly given them at St Catherine's) they were to cruise off that island only ten days; from whence, if not joined by the Commodore, they were to proceed and cruise off the harbour of Baldivia, making the land between the Latitudes of 40° and 40° 30', and taking care to keep to the southward of the port; and if in fourteen days they were not joined by the rest of the squadron, they were then to quit this station, and to direct their course to the Island of Juan Fernandez, after which they were to regulate their further proceedings by their former orders. The same directions were also given to the master of the Anna pink, and he was particularly instructed to be very careful in answering the signals made by any ship of the squadron, and likewise to destroy his papers and orders if he should be so unfortunate as to fall into the hands of the enemy. And as the separation of the squadron might prove of the utmost prejudice to his Majesty's service, each captain was ordered to give it in charge to the respective officers of the watch not to keep their ship at a greater distance from the Centurion than two miles, as they would answer it at their peril; and if any captain should find his ship beyond the distance specified, he was to acquaint the Commodore with the name of the officer who had thus neglected his duty.

These necessary regulations being established, and the Trial sloop completed, the squadron weighed on Fri

day the 27th of February, at seven in the morning, and stood to sea; the Gloucester indeed found a difficulty in purchasing her anchor, and was left a considerable way astern, so that in the night we fired several guns as a signal to her captain to make sail, but he did not come up to us till the next morning, when we found that they had been obliged to cut their cable and leave their best bower behind them. At ten in the morning, the day after our departure, Wood's Mount, the high land over St Julian, bore from us N. by W., distant ten leagues, and we had fifty-two fathoms of water. And now, standing to the southward, we had great expectation of falling in with Pizarro's squadron; for during our stay at Port St Julian there had generally been hard_gales between the WNW. and SW., so that we had reason to conclude the Spaniards had gained no ground upon us in that interval. And it was the prospect of meeting with them that had occasioned our Commodore to be so very solicitous to prevent the separation of our ships; for had we been solely intent on getting round Cape Horn in the shortest time, the properest method for this purpose would have been to have ordered each ship to have made the best of her way to the rendezvous, without waiting for the rest.

From our departure from St Julian to the 4th of March we had little wind, with thick, hazy weather and some rain; and our soundings were generally from forty to fifty fathoms, with a bottom of black and grey sand, sometimes intermixed with pebble stones. On the 4th of March we were in sight of Cape Virgin Mary, and not more than six or seven leagues distant from it. This is the northern cape of the Straits of Magellan; it lies in the Latitude of 52° 21′ S., and Longitude from London 71° 44′ W., and seems to be a low, flat land, ending in a point. Off this cape our depth of water was from thirty-five to forty-eight fathoms. The afternoon of this day was very bright and clear, with small breezes of wind, in